cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Causes and implications of credit rationing in rural Ethiopia : the importance of spatial variation

This paper uses Ethiopian data to explore credit rationing in semi-formal credit markets and its effects on farmers' resource allocation and crop productivity. Credit rationing -- both voluntarily and involuntarily -- is found to be widespread in the sampled rural villages, largely because of risk-related factors. Political and social networks emerge as key determinants of access to credit among smallholder, peasant farmers. Significant regional variation emerges as well. In high-potential, surplus producing areas where credit is largely used for agricultural production, eliminating credit constraints is estimated to increase productivity by roughly 11 percentage points. By contrast, in low-productivity, drought prone areas where loans were rarely used to acquire inputs for crop production, the authors find no relationship between credit rationing and agricultural productivity. To be effective, efforts to improve agricultural productivity not only need to increase credit supply, but also explore the reasons for credit rationing and the availability of productive opportunities.
Virtual groundwater transfers from overexploited aquifers in the United States

The High Plains, Mississippi Embayment, and Central Valley aquifer systems within the United States are currently being overexploited for irrigation water supplies. The unsustainable use of groundwater resources in all three aquifer systems intensified from 2000 to 2008, making it imperative that we understand the consumptive processes and forces of demand that are driving their depletion. To this end, we quantify and track agricultural virtual groundwater transfers from these overexploited aquifer systems to their final destination. Specifically, we determine which US metropolitan areas, US states, and international export destinations are currently the largest consumers of these critical aquifers. We draw upon US government data on agricultural production, irrigation, and domestic food flows, as well as modeled estimates of agricultural virtual water contents to quantify domestic transfers. Additionally, we use US port-level trade data to trace international exports from these aquifers. In 2007, virtual groundwater transfers from the High Plains, Mississippi Embayment, and Central Valley aquifer systems totaled 17.93 km3, 9.18 km3, and 6.81 km3, respectively, which is comparable to the capacity of Lake Mead (35.7 km3), the largest surface reservoir in the United States. The vast majority (91%) of virtual groundwater transfers remains within the United States. Importantly, the cereals produced by these overexploited aquifers are critical to US food security (contributing 18.5% to domestic cereal supply). Notably, Japan relies upon cereals produced by these overexploited aquifers for 9.2% of its domestic cereal supply. These results highlight the need to understand the teleconnections between distant food demands and local agricultural water use.
Effect of prednisone on growth and zinc metabolism in rats

Abstract Growth failure and increased susceptibility to infection are common complications of prednisone administration, which may be associated with reduced zinc nutriture. To test the hypothesis that prednisone administration interferes with zinc metabolism and impairs growth, 41 male, weanling Charles River rats weighing 43–60 g were randomly assigned to four groups. Three groups of 12 rats received prednisone daily for five weeks at dosages of 0.5, 2.0 and 8.0 mg/kg body weight per day, respectively. A fourth group receiving the maximum dose of prednisone. In the fifth week, all the animals received 65 Zn at 0.5 uCi/100 g body weight by stomach tube. The retention of radioactivity was measured in a small animal whole body gamma counter. The results show that the rate of weight gain decreased in the prednisone-treated animals. In addition, while there were no significant differences in food intake between the three groups of prednisone-treated rats, the food efficiency ratio of 0.10±0.03 of the maximally-treated group was significantly lower (P 65 Zn retention in the pair-fed control animals at 24 and 216 hours was greater than 90% and 60%, respectively, as compared with the retention of 60% and 10% at 24 and 216 hours in the rats administered the highest dose (8 mg/kg/day). Prednisone treatment depressed the capacity of the liver, kidney, muscle, bone and testes to accumulate 65 Zn. Urinary excretion of zinc and nitrogen increased in proportion to the doses of prednisone used. We conclude that using growing rats, prednisone treatment impaired body weight gain and reduced food efficiency. At a high dosage the steroid decreased whole body 65 Zn retention and increased the relative dry liver weight.
The Corporate Digital Divide: Determinants of Internet Adoption

The diffusion of Internet technology among firms is widely considered to be one of the primary factors behind the rapid economic growth of the 1990s. However, little systematic study has examined the variation in firm decisions to adopt the Internet. I explore the sources of this variation by examining Internet adoption decisions in a very large sample of organizations in the finance and services sector in 1998.I show how prior information technology (IT) investments and workplace organization decisions affect the returns to adopting simple and complex Internet technologies. I show that recent investments in client/server (C/S) networking applications have competing effects on the likelihood of Internet adoption. Such investments can slow adoption by acting as a short-run substitute or by creating "switching costs." Geographic dispersion of employees is complementary with Internet adoption, suggesting that Internet technology lowered internal coordination costs. Increases in organization size and external pressure also increase the likelihood of adoption.
Kinetics of ammonia decomposition on vanadium nitride

At high temperatures, above 750 K, the kinetics of ammonia decomposition on vanadium nitride can be described by two irreversible steps, the adsorption of ammonia and the desorption of dinitrogen. There is no partial pressure dependence on nitrogen or hydrogen. This is the same mechanism as that first found on tungsten and will be called the Tamaru mechanism, after its discoverer. First-order and second-order kinetic models fit the data equally well. However, calculation of the preexponential factors give better agreement for the second-order model. Rate parameters for VN are in between those found for Pt and Fe, providing another example where the catalytic properties of an early transition metal carbide or nitride resemble those of a Group VIII metal.
Efficient routing schemes for multiple broadcasts in hypercubes

The authors analyze the problem in which each node of the binary hypercube independently generates packets according to a Poisson process with rate lambda ; each of the packets is to be broadcast to all other nodes. Assuming unit packet length and no other communications taking place, it is observed that the system can be stable in steady-state only if the load factor rho identical to lambda (2/sup d/-1)/d satisfies rho >
Characteristics of an evaporating thin film in a microchannel

Abstract An evaporating meniscus in a microchannel is investigated through an augmented Young–Laplace model and the kinetic theory-based expression for mass transport across a liquid–vapor interface. The complete expression for mass transport is employed without any approximations and boundary conditions for the film profile are developed. The thin film and the intrinsic-meniscus regions are distinguished based on the disjoining pressure variation along the meniscus. While heat transfer in the thin-film region is found to be relatively insensitive to channels larger than a few micrometers in radius, that in the intrinsic meniscus is quite sensitive to channel size. The role of evaporation suppression due to capillary pressure in both regions is discussed. Compared to the relatively small contribution to overall heat transfer from the thin-film region, the micro-region (defined here as extending from the non-evaporating region to a location where the film is 1 μm thick) is found to account for more than 50% of the total heat transfer.
Multiparameter TTI tomography of P-wave reflection and VSP data

ABSTRACTTransversely isotropic models with a tilted symmetry axis (TTI media) are widely used in depth imaging of complex geologic structures. Here, we present a modification of a previously developed 2D P-wave tomographic algorithm for estimating heterogeneous TTI velocity fields and apply it to synthetic and field data. The symmetry-direction velocity VP0, anisotropy parameters e and δ, and symmetry-axis tilt ν are defined on a rectangular grid. To ensure stable reconstruction of the TTI parameters, reflection data are combined with walkaway vertical seismic profiling (VSP) traveltimes in joint tomographic inversion. To improve the convergence of the algorithm, we develop a three-stage model-updating procedure that gradually relaxes the constraints on the spatial variations of the anisotropy parameters, while the symmetry axis is kept orthogonal to the reflectors. Only at the final stage of the inversion are the parameters VP0, e, and δ updated on the same grid. We also incorporate geologic constraints ...
Retirement Savings Of Private And Public Sector Employees: A Comparative Study

This study examines the retirement plan participation and savings for United States government employees using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics data set. The findings of this study indicate that plan participation increases with age, income and educational attainment. More Government employees are enrolled in defined benefit plans than non Government employees. Also, those government employees who participate in defined contribution plans hold greater amounts within their plans and make greater contributions into their retirement plans than the non government employees. Minorities and employees with lower income are less likely to participate in the Individual Retirement Accounts, while those with higher educational attainment are more likely to participate.
FARM PROGRAM PAYMENTS AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE

Economies of scale are investigated and the impacts of farm payment limitations for producers of cotton and soybeans in Mississippi are evaluated. Limits proposed by the Senate following the recent farm bill debate are overlaid on estimates of the scale economies for the cost of producing these crops to determine the different impacts on farm efficiency and welfare benefits.
Cyclic sieving, promotion, and representation theory

We prove a collection of conjectures of White [D. White, personal communication, 2007], as well as some related conjectures of Abuzzahab, Korson, Li, and Meyer [O. Abuzzahab, M. Korson, M. Li, S. Meyer, Cyclic and dihedral sieving for plane partitions, U. Minnesota REU Report, 2005] and of Reiner and White [V. Reiner, personal communication, 2007; D. White, personal communication, 2007], regarding the cyclic sieving phenomenon of Reiner, Stanton and White [V. Reiner, D. Stanton, D. White, The cyclic sieving phenomenon, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 108 (2004)] as it applies to jeu-de-taquin promotion on rectangular tableaux. To do this, we use Kazhdan-Lusztig theory and a characterization of the dual canonical basis of C[x"1"1,...,x"n"n] due to Skandera [M. Skandera, On the dual canonical and Kazhdan-Lusztig bases and 3412, 4231-avoiding permutations, 2006, submitted for publication]. Afterwards, we extend our results to analyzing the fixed points of a dihedral action on rectangular tableaux generated by promotion and evacuation, suggesting a possible sieving phenomenon for dihedral groups. Finally, we give applications of this theory to cyclic sieving phenomena involving reduced words for the long elements of hyperoctohedral groups and noncrossing partitions.
Assessing prevalence of antimicrobial use and infections using the minimal data set in Finnish long-term care facilities

Of all residents (n = 12,784) for whom a minimum data set 2.0 form was completed in long-term care facilities (n = 253) using a Resident Assessment Instrument in April and September 2011 in Finland, 16% received antimicrobials, most commonly methenamine (42%) and trimethoprim (24%). The prevalence of urinary tract infections was 8%, wound infection 2%, and pneumonia 2%. Minimum data set form provides a feasible tool for collecting data on antibiotic use and infections in long-term care facilities.
Cross-plane scattering correction-point source deconvolution in PET

The authors propose a new 2-D point source scattering deconvolution method. The cross-plane scattering is incorporated into the algorithm by modeling a scattering point source function. In the model, the scattering dependence on axial and transaxial directions is reflected in the exponential fitting parameters, and these parameters are directly estimated from a limited number of measured point response functions. The results comparing the standard in-plane line source deconvolution to the cross-plane point source deconvolution show that for a small source the former technique overestimates the scatter fraction in the plane of the source and underestimates the scatter fraction in adjacent planes. In addition, the authors also propose a simple approximation technique for deconvolution. >
Stochastic Analysis of Southern and Pacific Ocean Sea Surface Winds

Abstract This paper shows that the synoptic variability of zonal and meridional midlatitude Pacific and Southern Ocean sea surface winds can be well described by a univariate stochastic dynamical system directly derived from data. The method used to analyze blended Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT)–NCEP winds is a general method to estimate drift and diffusion coefficients of a continuous stationary Markovian system. Almost trivially, the deterministic part consists of a simple, nearly linear damping term. More importantly, the stochastic part appears to be a state-dependent white noise term, that is, multiplicative noise. The need for a multiplicative noise term to describe the variability of midlatitude winds can be interpreted by the fact that the variability of midlatitude winds increases with increasing wind speed. The results indicate that a complete stochastic description of midlatitude winds requires a state-dependent white noise term, that is, multiplicative noise. A simple Ornstein–Uhlenbeck proces...
Beyond the Birkhoff Polytope: Convex Relaxations for Vector Permutation Problems

The Birkhoff polytope (the convex hull of the set of permutation matrices), which is represented using Θ(n2) variables and constraints, is frequently invoked in formulating relaxations of optimization problems over permutations. Using a recent construction of Goemans [1], we show that when optimizing over the convex hull of the permutation vectors (the permutahedron), we can reduce the number of variables and constraints to Θ(n log n) in theory and Θ(n log2 n) in practice. We modify the recent convex formulation of the 2-SUM problem introduced by Fogel et al. [2] to use this polytope, and demonstrate how we can attain results of similar quality in significantly less computational time for large n. To our knowledge, this is the first usage of Goemans' compact formulation of the permutahedron in a convex optimization problem. We also introduce a simpler regularization scheme for this convex formulation of the 2-SUM problem that yields good empirical results.
Improved algorithms for synchronizing computer network clocks

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is widely deployed in the Internet to synchronize computer clocks to each other and to international standards via telephone modem, radio and satellite. The protocols and algorithms have evolved over more than a decade to produce the present NTP Version 3 specification and implementations. Most of the estimated deployment of 100000 NTP servers and clients enjoy synchronization to within a few tens of milliseconds in the Internet of today. This paper describes specific improvements developed for NTP Version 3 which have resulted in increased accuracy, stability and reliability in both local-area and wide-area networks. These include engineered refinements of several algorithms used to measure time differences between a local clock and a number of peer clocks in the network, as well as to select the best subset from among an ensemble of peer clocks and combine their differences to produce a local dock accuracy better than any in the ensemble. This paper also describes engineered refinements of the algorithms used to adjust the time and frequency of the local clock, which functions as a disciplined oscillator. The refinements provide automatic adjustment of algorithm parameters in response to prevailing network conditions, in order to minimize network traffic between clients and busy servers while maintaining the best accuracy. Finally, this paper describes certain enhancements to the Unix operating system kernel software in order to realize submillisecond accuracies with fast workstations and networks. >
Motivic Eilenberg-MacLane spaces

In this paper we construct symmetric powers in the motivic homotopy categories of morphisms and finite correspondences associated with f-admissible subcategories in the categories of schemes of finite type over a field. Using this construction we provide a description of the motivic Eilenberg-MacLane spaces representing motivic cohomology on some f-admissible categories including the category of semi-normal quasi-projective schemes and, over fields which admit resolution of singularities, on some admissible subcategories including the category of smooth schemes. This description is then used to give a complete computation of the algebra of bistable motivic cohomological operations on smooth schemes over fields of characteristic zero and to obtain partial results on unstable operations which are required for the proof of the Bloch-Kato conjecture.
Image restoration by the method of generalized projections with application to restoration from magnitude

The method of projections onto convex sets can be used to solve many problems in image restoration, e.g., restoration from phase, spectral extrapolation, and signal recovery in computer-aided tomography. However, image-restoration problems involving nonconvex constraints cannot be handled by the method of projection onto convex sets in a fashion that ensures convergence. The restoration-from-magnitude (RFM) problem is such a case. To handle the RFM as well as other nonconvex constraints, we describe an algorithm known as generalized projections and discuss its properties. When sets are nonconvex, it is possible for the algorithm to exhibit pathological behavior that is never manifest in convex projections. We introduce an error criterion called the summed-distance error (SDE) and show under what circumstances the SDE is a monotonically decreasing function of the number of iterations. Near-optimum performance of the algorithm is achieved by relaxation parameters. Comparisons with other RFM methods are furnished for synthetic imagery.
Scattering due to randomly distributed charge particles in photorefractive crystals

Scattering due to noisy gratings produced by randomly distributed charge particles in photorefractive crystals is considered. The scattering cross section is analyzed in terms of the fluctuation of the refractive index introduced by the random space-charge field through the Pockels effect. We also consider the noise in photo-refractive gratings due to such scattering. A signal-to-noise ratio of 1 leads to a minimum modulation depth for an index grating.
A Bulky Biaryl Phosphine Ligand Allows for Palladium-Catalyzed Amidation of Five-Membered Heterocycles as Electrophiles

Palladium-catalyzed amidation of five-membered heterocyclic bromides that contain multiple heteroatoms was achieved for the first time using the Pd/1 catalyst system. This system allows for efficient access to N-arylated imidazoles, pyrazoles, thiazoles, pyrroles, and thiophenes in moderate to excellent yield. Experimental results and DFT calculations point to the need for electron-rich and especially sterically demanding biaryl phosphine ligand to promote these difficult cross-coupling reactions.
Vaginal speculum lubrication and its effects on cervical cytology and microbiology

The prevailing approach to Papanicolaou (Pap) and endocervical Gen-Probe(R) screening is to use an unlubricated vaginal speculum because of concerns that gel lubricant interferes with Pap smear adequacy and cervical microbiology. This study tests the hypothesis that lubrication of metal specula with a bacteriostatic gel does not increase unsatisfactory cervical cytology or decrease detection rates of endocervical Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae. At a publicly funded family planning clinic site, each of eight consecutive months was randomly designated by computer as an exclusively gel-lubricated or water-moistened specula use month. The assigned vaginal speculum intervention was used on all patients receiving a Pap smear and/or combination DNA probe assay for endocervical C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae. From July 2003 through February 2004, 3460 Pap smears and 5535 combination probe assays for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae were collected from 6538 patients. During the 4 months of gel lubricant use, the rate of unsatisfactory cytology was 1.1% compared to 1.5% during the 4 months of water lubrication [odds ratio (OR) 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-1.35]. During the 4 months of gel lubricant use, the detection rate for endocervical C. trachomatis was 1.5% compared to 1.5% (OR 1.05; 95% CI 0.67-1.62) in water lubricant months. The study population N. gonorrhoeae infection rate was too low to statistically analyze. The use of a small amount of gel lubricant on metal vaginal specula did not increase unsatisfactory cytology or decrease endocervical C. trachomatis detection rates when compared to water lubricant.
Binary Population Synthesis: Methods, Normalization, and Surprises

In this paper we present a brief overview of population synthesis methods with a discussion of their main advantages and disadvantages. In the second part, we present some recent results from synthesis models of close binary compact objects with emphasis on the predicted rates, their uncertainties, and the model input parameters the rates are most sensitive to. We also report on a new evolutionary path leading to the formation of close double neutron stars (NS), with the unique characteristic that none of the two NS ever had the chance to be recycled by accretion. Their formation rates turn out to be comparable to or maybe even higher than those of recycled NS—NS binaries (like the ones observed), but their detection probability as binary pulsars is much smaller because of their short lifetimes. We discuss the implications of such a population for gravitational—wave detection of NS—NS inspiral events, and possibly for gamma—ray bursts and their host galaxies.
Zimbabwe's infrastructure : a continental perspective

Despite general economic decline and power supply deficiencies, infrastructure made a modest net contribution of less than half a percentage point to Zimbabwe's improved per capita growth performance in recent years. Raising the country's infrastructure endowment to that of the region's middle-income countries could boost annual growth by about 2.4 percentage points. Zimbabwe made significant progress in infrastructure in its early period as an independent state. The country managed to put in place a national electricity network and establish regional interconnection in the power sector; to build an extensive network of roads for countrywide accessibility and integration into the regional transport corridors; to lay the water and sewerage system; and to make progress on building dams and tapping the significant irrigation potential. Unfortunately, at present the cross-cutting issue across all these sectors is Zimbabwe's inability to maintain and rehabilitate the existing infrastructure since the country became immersed in economic and political turmoil in the late 1990s. Neglect of all sectors due to the crisis has resulted in a generalized lack of new investment (in the power and water sectors in particular), and the accumulation of a huge rehabilitation agenda. Quality of service has declined across the board. The power system has become unjustifiably costly, inefficient, and unreliable. The condition of roads has deteriorated to the point that Zimbabwe became a bottleneck on the North-South transport corridor. Rural connectivity hardly exists. Failure to treat potable water, along with the deterioration of the water, sanitation, and garbage disposal systems, was responsible for the spread of cholera in 2008. By 2010 cholera affected most areas of the country and posed a health threat to neighboring countries. Looking ahead, Zimbabwe faces a number of important infrastructure challenges. Zimbabwe's most pressing challenges lie in the power and water sectors. Inefficient and unreliable power supply poses major risks to the economy, while the maintenance and upgrading of existing power infrastructure no longer looks to be affordable. At the same time, overhauling the water and sewerage system is imperative for curbing the public health crisis.
GSAT and Dynamic Backtracking

There has been substantial recent interest in two new families of search techniques. One family consists of nonsystematic methods such as gsat; the other contains systematic approaches that use a polynomial amount of justification information to prune the search space. This paper introduces a new technique that combines these two approaches. The algorithm allows substantial freedom of movement in the search space but enough information is retained to ensure the systematicity of the resulting analysis. Bounds are given for the size of the justification database and conditions are presented that guarantee that this database will be polynomial in the size of the problem in question.
It's not how you play the game, it's winning that matters: an experimental investigation of asymmetric contests ⁄

This paper reports an experimental test of asymmetric Tullock contests. Both the simultaneousmove and sequential-move frameworks are considered. The introduction of asymmetries in the contest function generates experimental behavior qualitatively consistent with the theoretical predictions. However, especially in the simultaneous-move framework, average bidding levels are in excess of the risk-neutral predictions. We conjecture that the reason behind this behavior lies in subjects attaching positive utility to victory in the contest. JEL { classiflcation numbers: C72, C92, D72
Filamentation analysis in large-mode-area fiber lasers

Starting from the paraxial wave equation, an analytic expression for filament threshold in fiber lasers is derived. The occurrence of filamentation is determined by the larger of two thresholds, one of perturbative gain and one of spatial confinement. The threshold value is approximately a few megawatts, depending on the parameters of the fiber.
Recovering 3D shape and motion from image streams using nonlinear least squares

Abstract The simultaneous recovery of 3D shape and motion from image sequences is one of the more difficult problems in computer vision. Classical approaches to the problem rely on using algebraic techniques to solve for these unknowns given two or more images. More recently, a batch analysis of image streams (the temporal tracks of distinguishable image features) under orthography has resulted in highly accurate reconstructions. We generalize this approach to perspective projection and partial or uncertain tracks by using a nonlinear least squares technique. While our approach requires iteration, it quickly converges to the desired optimal solution, even in the absence of a priori knowledge about the shape or motion. Important features of the algorithm include its ability to handle partial point tracks, to use line segment matches and point matches simultaneously, and to use an object-centered representation for faster and more accurate structure and motion recovery. We also discuss how a projective (as opposed to scaled rigid) structure can be recovered when the camera calibration parameters are unknown.
Efficient community detection in large networks using content and links

In this paper we discuss a very simple approach of combining content and link information in graph structures for the purpose of community discovery, a fundamental task in network analysis. Our approach hinges on the basic intuition that many networks contain noise in the link structure and that content information can help strengthen the community signal. This enables ones to eliminate the impact of noise (false positives and false negatives), which is particularly prevalent in online social networks and Web-scale information networks. Specifically we introduce a measure of signal strength between two nodes in the network by fusing their link strength with content similarity. Link strength is estimated based on whether the link is likely (with high probability) to reside within a community. Content similarity is estimated through cosine similarity or Jaccard coefficient. We discuss a simple mechanism for fusing content and link similarity. We then present a biased edge sampling procedure which retains edges that are locally relevant for each graph node. The resulting backbone graph can be clustered using standard community discovery algorithms such as Metis and Markov clustering. Through extensive experiments on multiple real-world datasets (Flickr, Wikipedia and CiteSeer) with varying sizes and characteristics, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods over state-of-the-art learning and mining approaches several of which also attempt to combine link and content analysis for the purposes of community discovery. Specifically we always find a qualitative benefit when combining content with link analysis. Additionally our biased graph sampling approach realizes a quantitative benefit in that it is typically several orders of magnitude faster than competing approaches.
Finance Capitalism and Germany's Rise to Industrial Power

Based on a wide array of data collected by the author, this book uses clear theoretically motivated economic analysis to explain the structure, performance, and influence of universal banks and securities markets on firms during industrialisation. The German universal banks played a significant but not overwhelming role in the ownership and control of corporate firms. Banks gained access to boards via a confluence of their underwriting and brokerage activities, the legal phenomena of bearer shares and deposited voting rights, and the flourishing securities markets of the turn of the twentieth century. In general, bank relationships had little impact on firm performance; stock market listings, or ownership structure, were more important. The findings show that securities markets can thrive within a civil-law, universal-bank system and suggest that financial system complexity can favour rapid industrial expansion.
Dynamical scaling behavior of the Swift-Hohenberg equation following a quench to the modulated state

Abstract We study the kinetics of phase transitions in a Rayleigh-Benard system after onset of convection using 2D Swift-Hohenberg equation. An initially uniform state evolves to one whose ground state is spatially periodic. We confirmed previous results which showed that dynamical scaling occurs at medium quench (e = 0.25) with scaling exponents 1/5 and 1/4 under zero noise and finite noise, respectively. We find logarithmic scaling behavior for a deep quench (e = 0.75) at zero noise. A simple method is devised to measure the proxy of domain wall length. We find that the energy and domain wall length scaling behavior with the same exponent. For e = 0.25, the scaling exponents are 1/4 and 0.3 at zero and finite noise, respectively.
An Experimental Study of Sliver Exudation

We present results on a two-step improvement of mesh quality in three-dimensional Delaunay triangulations. The first step refines the triangulation by inserting sinks and eliminates tetrahedra with large circumradius over shortest edge length ratio. The second step assigns weights to the vertices to eliminate slivers. Our experimental findings pro- vide evidence for the practical effectiveness of sliver exu- dation.
Imprecise and Indeterminate Probabilities

Bayesian advocates of expected utility maximization use sets of probability distributions to represent very different ideas. Strict Bayesians insist that probability judgment is numerically determinate even though the agent can represent such judgments only in imprecise terms. According to Quasi-Bayesians rational agents may make indeterminate subjective probability judgments. Both kinds of Bayesians require that admissible options maximize expected utility according to some probability distribution. Quasi-Bayesians permit the distribution to vary with the context of choice. Maximalists allow for choices that do not maximize expected utility against any distribution. Maximiners mandate what maximalists allow. This paper defends the quasi-Bayesian view against strict Bayesians, on the one hand, and maximalists and maximiners, on the other.
Raman and 67Zn NMR Studies of the Structure of Zinc (II) Solutions in Concentrated Aqueous Potassium Hydroxide

The structure of solutions of Zn/sup 2+/ in aqueous potassium hydroxide was investigated by laser Raman and /sup 67/Zn NMR techniques; several discrepancies in prior Raman data were reconciled. In the present study, Raman results obtained for a wide range of Zn/sup 2+/ and OH/sup -/ concentrations gave evidence of only one highly symmetrical Zn/sup 2+/ complex. Substitution of deuterium for protium showed that the Zn/sup 2+/ is mainly coordinated by hydroxyl groups. From the chemical shifts and bandwidths observed in the /sup 67/Zn NMR spectra of some of these solutions, it is possible to deduce that the dominant Zn/sup 2+/ complex is tetrahedral Zn(OH)/sub 4//sup 2-/, and that the Zn/sup 2+//OH/sup -/ complex may begin to polymerize into hydroxy bridged aggregates at high Zn/sup 2+/ concentrations.
Market-focused sustainability: market orientation plus!

The concept of sustainability is increasingly being addressed theoretically by scholars and practically by managers and policymakers. With this growing focus on sustainability efforts, marketing is in a unique position to elevate its focus from managing relationships with customers to strategically managing a broader set of marketplace issues. Overall, an organization achieves market-based sustainability to the extent that it strategically aligns itself with the market-oriented product needs and wants of customers and the interests of multiple stakeholders concerned about social responsibility issues involving economic, environmental, and social dimensions. To set the stage for marketing’s inquiry into sustainability efforts, I briefly review the concept of sustainability, compare it with corporate social responsibility, bring in stakeholders, argue for the notion of “market orientation plus,” and consider the possibility that the notion of what sustainability encompasses is converging in the marketing literature.
Tunneling proximity resonances: interplay between symmetry and dissipation

Abstract We report the first observation of bound-state proximity resonances in coupled dielectric resonators. The proximity resonances arise from the combined action of symmetry and dissipation. We argue that the large ratio between the widths is a distinctive signature of the multidimensional nature of the system. Our experiments shed light on the properties of 2D tunneling in the presence of a dissipative environment.
Impaired face detection may explain some but not all cases of developmental prosopagnosia

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is defined by severe face recognition difficulties due to the failure to develop the visual mechanisms for processing faces. The two-process theory of face recognition (Morton & Johnson, 1991) implies that DP could result from a failure of an innate face detection system; this failure could prevent an individual from then tuning higher-level processes for face recognition (Johnson, 2005). Work with adults indicates that some individuals with DP have normal face detection whereas others are impaired. However, face detection has not been addressed in children with DP, even though their results may be especially informative because they have had less opportunity to develop strategies that could mask detection deficits. We tested the face detection abilities of seven children with DP. Four were impaired at face detection to some degree (i.e. abnormally slow, or failed to find faces) while the remaining three children had normal face detection. Hence, the cases with impaired detection are consistent with the two-process account suggesting that DP could result from a failure of face detection. However, the cases with normal detection implicate a higher-level origin. The dissociation between normal face detection and impaired identity perception also indicates that these abilities depend on different neurocognitive processes.
On secure communication with constrained randomization

In this paper, we investigate how constraints on the randomization in the encoding process affect the secrecy rates achievable over wiretap channels. In particular, we characterize the secrecy capacity with a rate-limited local source of randomness and a less capable eavesdropper's channel, which shows that limited rate incurs a secrecy rate penalty but does not preclude secrecy. We also show that secure communication is possible when randomizing with a non-uniform source of randomness, which suggests the possibility of designing robust coding schemes.
Complementary assets as pipes and prisms: Innovation incentives and trajectory choices

The issue of the failure of incumbent firms in the face of radical technical change has been a central question in the technology strategy domain for some time. We add to prior contributions by highlighting the role a firm's existing set of complementary assets have in influencing its investment in alternative technological trajectories. We develop an analytical model that considers firm heterogeneity with respect to both technological trajectories and complementary assets. Complementary assets play a dual role in incumbents' investment behavior toward radical technological change: they are not only resources (pipes) that can buffer firms from technology change, but also prisms through which firms view those changes, influencing both the magnitude of resources that should be invested and the trajectory to which these resources should be directed.
Syntheses of Very Dense Halogenated Liquids

A family of halogenated liquids with densities ranging from 1.95 to 2.80 g cm-3 was readily synthesized by a one-pot procedure. These liquids exhibit characteristics of ionic liquids with melting/transition points lower than room temperature, long liquid ranges, and marked hydrolytic and thermal stabilities.
Comparison of analytical and computational estimates of reduction in linear aperture in the presence of sextupole field

For an easy comparison of the expected improvement in the linear aperture when magnets are sorted according to various schemes, it is desirable to have a figure of merit which can be evaluated without time-consuming tracking calculations. Such a figure of merits is proposed in terms of the sextupole distortion functions introduced by T. Collins (9184). A test lattice composed of 512 dipoles with a random sextupole field component is used to calculate the figure of merit, and the indicated improvement in the linear aperture is compared with the results from numerical tracking. Two definitions for the linear aperture are used, one by the SSC-CDG (smear=6.4%) and the other by CERN SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron) (smear=1.75%). >
Innovation in Business Groups

Using novel data on European firms, this paper investigates the relationship between business groups and innovation. Controlling for various firm characteristics, we find that group affiliates are more innovative than standalones. We examine several hypotheses to explain this finding, focusing on group internal capital markets and knowledge spillovers. We find that group affiliation is particularly important for innovation in industries that rely more on external funding and in groups with more diversified capital sources, consistent with the internal capital markets hypothesis. Our results suggest that knowledge spillovers are not the main driver of innovation in business groups because firms affiliated with the same group do not have a common research focus and are unlikely to cite each other's patents.
A Latent Source Model for Nonparametric Time Series Classification

For classifying time series, a nearest-neighbor approach is widely used in practice with performance often competitive with or better than more elaborate methods such as neural networks, decision trees, and support vector machines. We develop theoretical justification for the effectiveness of nearest-neighbor-like classification of time series. Our guiding hypothesis is that in many applications, such as forecasting which topics will become trends on Twitter, there aren't actually that many prototypical time series to begin with, relative to the number of time series we have access to, e.g., topics become trends on Twitter only in a few distinct manners whereas we can collect massive amounts of Twitter data. To operationalize this hypothesis, we propose a latent source model for time series, which naturally leads to a "weighted majority voting" classification rule that can be approximated by a nearest-neighbor classifier. We establish nonasymptotic performance guarantees of both weighted majority voting and nearest-neighbor classification under our model accounting for how much of the time series we observe and the model complexity. Experimental results on synthetic data show weighted majority voting achieving the same misclassification rate as nearest-neighbor classification while observing less of the time series. We then use weighted majority to forecast which news topics on Twitter become trends, where we are able to detect such "trending topics" in advance of Twitter 79% of the time, with a mean early advantage of 1 hour and 26 minutes, a true positive rate of 95%, and a false positive rate of 4%.
Spectral theory of discrete processes

We offer a spectral analysis for a class of transfer operators. These transfer operators arise for a wide range of stochastic processes, ranging from random walks on infinite graphs to the processes that govern signals and recursive wavelet algorithms; even spectral theory for fractal measures. In each case, there is an associated class of harmonic functions which we study. And in addition, we study three questions in depth
Quantum Mechanics, Spacetime Locality, and Gravity

Quantum mechanics introduces the concept of probability at the fundamental level, yielding the measurement problem. On the other hand, recent progress in cosmology has led to the “multiverse” picture, in which our observed universe is only one of the many, bringing an apparent arbitrariness in defining probabilities, called the measure problem. In this paper, we discuss how these two problems are related with each other, developing a picture for quantum measurement and cosmological histories in the quantum mechanical universe. In order to describe the cosmological dynamics correctly within the full quantum mechanical context, we need to identify the structure of the Hilbert space for a system with gravity. We argue that in order to keep spacetime locality, the Hilbert space for dynamical spacetime must be defined only in restricted spacetime regions: in and on the (stretched) apparent horizon as viewed from a fixed reference frame. This requirement arises from eliminating all the redundancies and overcountings in a general relativistic, global spacetime description of nature. It is responsible for horizon complementarity as well as the “observer dependence” of horizons/spacetime—these phenomena arise to represent changes of the reference frame in the relevant Hilbert space. This can be viewed as an extension of the Poincare transformation in the quantum gravitational context. Given an initial condition, the evolution of the multiverse state obeys the laws of quantum mechanics—it evolves deterministically and unitarily. The beginning of the multiverse, however, is still an open issue.
Revenue Management with Strategic Customers: Last-Minute Selling and Opaque Selling

Companies in a variety of industries (e.g., airlines, hotels, theaters) often use last-minute sales to dispose of unsold capacity. Although this may generate incremental revenues in the short term,...
Sound-pressure level calculations using the RRA algorithm for depth-dependent speeds of sound valid at turning points and focal points

Sound-pressure level (SPL) calculations are made along individual ray paths for arbitrary, one-dimensional, depth-dependent speeds of sound using an enhanced version of the RRA (recursive ray acoustics) algorithm. The SPL calculations are valid (i.e., finite) at turning points and focal points and do not require the use of Airy functions. The SPL calculations include the effects of frequency-dependent volume attenuation and frequency-dependent attenuation due to surface and bottom reflections. The ocean surface and bottom are treated as boundaries between viscous fluid media. Although the ocean surface is modeled as a planar boundary, the bathymetry is an arbitrary function of horizontal range. Sound speed versus depth and bathymetric data are represented by orthogonal function expansions. Computer simulation results from preliminary test cases are presented. >
A Controller Framework for Autonomous Drifting: Design, Stability, and Experimental Validation

This paper presents a controller framework for autonomous drifting of a rear wheel drive vehicle. The controller uses a successive loop structure, where yaw rate is treated as a synthetic input to control the vehicle’s sideslip dynamics, and yaw rate is in turn controlled through coordination of steering and rear drive force. Relative to prior designs, the drift controller presented in this work enables a straightforward, physically insightful stability analysis where local closed-loop stability of the desired high sideslip “drift equilibrium” is demonstrated. When implemented on a by-wire testbed, the new controller achieves experimental performance that matches or exceeds prior designs, generating sustained and robust autonomous drifts.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A NOTE ON FIXING MISBEHAVING MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMS: POST-OPTIMALITY PROCEDURES AND GAMS-RELATED SOFTWARE

Mathematical programming formulations can yield faulty answers. Models can be unbounded, infeasible, or optimal with unrealistic answers. This article presents techniques for theory-based discovery of the cause of faulty models. The approaches are demonstrated in the context of linear programming. They have been computerized and interfaced using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS), and are distributed free of charge through new GAMS versions and an online web page.
Happily Ever After? Religion, Marital Status, Gender and Relationship Quality in Urban Families

Research indicates that religious participation is correlated with marital satisfaction. Less is known about whether religion also benefits participants in nonmarital, intimate relationships, or whether religious effects on relationships vary by gender. Using data from the first three waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we find that religious participation by fathers, irrespective of marital status, is consistently associated with better relationships among new parents in urban America; however, mothers’ participation is not related to relationship quality. These results suggest that religious effects vary more by gender than they do by marital status. We conclude that men’s investments in relationships would seem to depend more on the institutional contexts of those relationships, such as participation in formal religion, than do women’s investments.