cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition versus recall as measures of television commercial forgetting.

Measuring the effectiveness of advertising is a central research interest of both academic and industry researchers (Leckenby and Plununer 1983; Ostlund 1978; Stewart, Furse, and Kozak 1983). When effectiveness is measured in terms of leaming and memory, recall and recognition are common dependent variables (Stewart et al. 1985). We report the second in a series of experiments on recognition as a dependent variable in the study of the learning and forgetting of television commercials. The first experiment (Singh and Rothschild 1983a) studied learning curves as a function of repetition levels, commercial length, and number of distractors; the second experiment examined forgetting curves as a function of repetition, message length, and the passage of time. Both studies considered the virtues of recognition as a measure of memory, and its sensitivity and discriminability. The studies also compared recognition with the more popular measure of recall. The two experiments were undertaken in response to the ever-increasing disen
Do firms have leverage targets? Evidence from acquisitions

Abstract In the context of large acquisitions, we provide evidence on whether firms have target capital structures. We examine how deviations from these targets affect how bidders choose to finance acquisitions and how they adjust their capital structure following the acquisitions. We show that when a bidder's leverage is over its target level, it is less likely to finance the acquisition with debt and more likely to finance the acquisition with equity. Also, we find a positive association between the merger-induced changes in target and actual leverage, and we show that bidders incorporate more than two-thirds of the change to the merged firm's new target leverage. Following debt-financed acquisitions, managers actively move the firm back to its target leverage, reversing more than 75% of the acquisition's leverage effect within five years. Overall, our results are consistent with a model of capital structure that includes a target level and adjustment costs.
Internal Control Quality: The Role of Auditor-Provided Tax Services

ABSTRACT: We propose that auditor-provided tax services (tax NAS) improve internal control quality by accelerating audit firm awareness of transactions material to the financial statements. Using data from 2004 to 2012, we find robust evidence that companies purchasing tax NAS are significantly less likely to disclose a material weakness and that this result is not due to auditor independence impairment. A one-standard-deviation increase in tax NAS is associated with approximately a 13 percent decrease in the rate of material weaknesses relative to the base rate. These results are robust to tests addressing endogeneity concerns. Additional cross-sectional analyses reveal expected increased effects of tax NAS on internal control quality (1) after significant operational changes that require changes to the internal control structure, and (2) earlier in the relationship with the financial statement audit firm, when there are fewer established lines of communication between the audit team and client. This pap...
The Ethics of Business in Wartime.

The orthodox account of the morality of war holds that the responsibility for resorting to war rests on the state’s political authorities and the responsibility for how the war is waged rests only on the state’s army and, thus, business firms have no special obligations in wartime. The purpose of this article is to reconsider the ethical responsibilities of business firms in wartime. I defend the claim that a plausible standard of liability in war must integrate the degree of the agent’s contributions to posing an unjust threat, the nature of agent's behavior, and his/her intentions. If these premises are correct, it follows that the moral obligations of civilians and business corporations are fundamentally altered by war. Taking into consideration their relative contributions to the war effort, a taxonomy of business firms is developed.
A New Geography of Abuse - The Contested Scope of U.S. Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment Obligations

An article on the geographic reach of human rights obligations in international law and US constitutional rights in counter-terrorism.
Advancing multilevel alliance research: Rejoinder to commentary on Cui and Kumar (2012) and Future Directions

Abstract We respond to the comments raised by Nielsen (2012) in his commentary essay on Cui and Kumar (2012). While concurring with Nielsen's (2012) observations regarding appropriate level of measurement and the importance of relational aspects of JVs, our response elaborates on how these issues play a role in a research program adopting a multilevel approach to alliances/JVs. We also identify some further avenues and research questions.
The Objective Theory of Contracts

The objective theory of contracts is the dominant approach for determining whether there has been mutual assent to the formation of a contract. Under objective theory, a party’s manifestation of assent will be held to mean what a reasonable person in the position of the other party would conclude that the manifestation meant. The objective theory is a sound approach for determining assent because: it reflects the pragmatic reality that the law must be largely based on externals rather than the whim of subjective perception, it protects the basis for economic exchanges in our commercial system by enforcing the expectations caused by reliance on external manifestations, and it preserves the hallmark principles of freedom of contract and personal autonomy. Notwithstanding the superiority of the objective approach, at least three doctrines concerning contract formation remain contrary to objective theory. These doctrines are the rule that death of the offeror terminates the offer, the rule that an acceptance is effective upon dispatch in the mail (the “mailbox rule”), and the rule that consumer assent to terms in standard form contracts is effective when unread even in the face of the merchant’s knowledge that the consumer would object to one or more of the terms. The rationales for these rules, to the extent they ever held currency, have dissipated. Therefore, these rules should be discarded, or at least modified, so as to conform to objective theory. This harmonization will have the ultimate effect of serving the underlying policy goals of objective theory, and of the consensual act of contracting, including freedom of contract and furthering the personal autonomy of those who propose to enter into contracts.
Disease or utopia? Testing Baumol in education☆

Baumol’s Cost Disease offers a compelling hypothesis of rising unit costs in stagnant sectors, but increased productivity in progressive sectors may generate the same prediction through income effects. We examine quantity (rather than expenditure) data from the U.S. educational sector to distinguish between these explanations. Our results indicate significant negative impacts of manufacturing productivity on teacher–pupil ratios.
A Service System with Packing Constraints: Greedy Randomized Algorithm Achieving Sublinear in Scale Optimality Gap

A service system with multiple types of arriving customers is considered. There is an infinite number of homogeneous servers. Multiple customers can be placed for simultaneous service into one serv...
Sensitive extraction-free SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus detection using a novel RNA preparation method

Current conventional detection of SARS-CoV-2 involves collection of a patient sample with a nasopharyngeal swab, storage of the swab during transport in a viral transport medium, extraction of RNA, and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). We developed a simplified and novel preparation method using a Chelex resin that obviates RNA extraction during viral testing. Direct detection RT-qPCR and digital-droplet PCR was compared to the current conventional method with RNA extraction for simulated samples and patient specimens. The heat-treatment in the presence of Chelex markedly improved detection sensitivity as compared to heat alone, and lack of RNA extraction shortens the overall diagnostic workflow. Furthermore, the initial sample heating step inactivates SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, thus improving workflow safety. This fast RNA preparation and detection method is versatile for a variety of samples, safe for testing personnel, and suitable for standard clinical collection and testing on high throughput platforms.
Explicit near-fully X-Ramanujan graphs

Let p(Y1, …, Yd, Z1, …, Ze) be a self-adjoint noncommutative polynomial, with coefficients from $\mathrm{C}^{\mathrm{r}\times \mathrm{r}}$ , in the indeterminates Y1,…, Yd (considered to be self-adjoint), the indeterminates Z1, …, Ze, and their adjoints Z1*, …, Ze*. Suppose Y1, …, Yd are replaced by independent random n x n matching matrices, and Z1, …, Ze are replaced by independent random n x n permutation matrices. Assuming for simplicity that p's coefficients are 0–1 matrices, the result can be thought of as a kind of random rn-vertex graph G. As n goes to infinity, there will be a natural limiting infinite graph X that covers any finite outcome for G. A recent landmark result of Bordenave and Collins shows that for any $\text{eps} > 0$ , with high probability the spectrum of a random G will be eps-close in Hausdorff distance to the spectrum of X (once the suitably defined “trivial” eigenvalues are excluded). We say that G is “eps-near fully X-Ramanujan”. Our work has two contributions: First we study and clarify the class of infinite graphs X that can arise in this way. Second, we derandomize the Bordenave–Collins result: for any X, we provide explicit, arbitrarily large graphs G that are covered by X and that have (nontrivial) spectrum at Hausdorff distance at most eps from that of X. This significantly generalizes the recent work of Mohanty et al., which provided explicit near-Ramanujan graphs for every degree d (meaning d-regular graphs with all nontrivial eigenvalues bounded in magnitude by 2sqrt(d-1) + eps). As an application of our main technical theorem, we are also able to determine the “eigenvalue relaxation value” for a wide class of average-case degree-2 constraint satisfaction problems.
Political Prioritization of Early Childhood Education in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract Despite a growing evidence base and global consensus on the importance of Early Childhood Education (ECE), it remains under-resourced and comparatively neglected as a policy issue. This paper seeks to better understand which factors facilitate or impede efforts to make ECE a political priority in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), applying a framework used primarily in global public health. We draw on a comparative analysis of four countries: Ethiopia, Liberia, Pakistan (Punjab Province), and Tanzania. Even though each of these countries has undertaken recent, concrete efforts to scale ECE, the political economy conditions to support sustained commitment are only partially present. National policymakers have responded to global efforts to advance early childhood development, and ideas about the benefits of ECE have gained significant traction. With few exceptions, however, civil society mobilization around ECE is relatively weak, and focusing events and prominent champions for ECE are uncommon. Taken together, these factors are consistent with a strong rhetorical commitment to early learning but a lack of sustained follow-through and resource provision.
Design of Welded Aluminum Structures

Design rules proposed rules take account of reduction in strength near welds in heat treated or strain hardened material, at same time taking advantage of strength of material in regions not affected by heat of welding; proposed rules are conservative yet more realistic than previously used design procedures for welded aluminum structures; application to specific aluminum alloy 5456-H321.
Bivectorial Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics: Cycle Affinity, Vorticity Potential, and Onsager’s Principle

We generalize an idea in the works of Landauer and Bennett on computations, and Hill’s in chemical kinetics, to emphasize the importance of kinetic cycles in mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics (NET). For continuous stochastic systems, a NET in phase space is formulated in terms of cycle affinity $$\nabla \wedge \big (\mathbf{D}^{-1}\mathbf{b}\big )$$ and vorticity potential $$\mathbf{A}(\mathbf{x})$$ of the stationary flux $$\mathbf{J}^{*}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$$ . Each bivectorial cycle couples two transport processes represented by vectors and gives rise to Onsager’s notion of reciprocality; the scalar product of the two bivectors $$\mathbf{A}\cdot \nabla \wedge \big (\mathbf{D}^{-1}\mathbf{b}\big )$$ is the rate of local entropy production in the nonequilibrium steady state. An Onsager operator that relates vorticity to cycle affinity is introduced.
KERA: analysis tool for multi-process, multi-state single-molecule data.

Molecular machines within cells dynamically assemble, disassemble and reorganize. Molecular interactions between their components can be observed at the single-molecule level and quantified using colocalization single-molecule spectroscopy, in which individual labeled molecules are seen transiently associating with a surface-tethered partner, or other total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy approaches in which the interactions elicit changes in fluorescence in the labeled surface-tethered partner. When multiple interacting partners can form ternary, quaternary and higher order complexes, the types of spatial and temporal organization of these complexes can be deduced from the order of appearance and reorganization of the components. Time evolution of complex architectures can be followed by changes in the fluorescence behavior in multiple channels. Here, we describe the kinetic event resolving algorithm (KERA), a software tool for organizing and sorting the discretized fluorescent trajectories from a range of single-molecule experiments. KERA organizes the data in groups by transition patterns, and displays exhaustive dwell time data for each interaction sequence. Enumerating and quantifying sequences of molecular interactions provides important information regarding the underlying mechanism of the assembly, dynamics and architecture of the macromolecular complexes. We demonstrate KERA’s utility by analyzing conformational dynamics of two DNA binding proteins: replication protein A and xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group D helicase.
Sensorless real-time reduced order model-based adaptive maximum power tracking pitch controller for grid connected wind turbines

Abstract To overcome the mechanical stress and damage caused by the high wind speed and grid transient on the wind turbine (WT) and to ensure the smooth operation of WT, a sensorless maximum power tracking (MPT) pitch controller for grid integrated WT is proposed in this paper. The advantages of the proposed controller are: a) reduced rotor speed oscillations, b) reduced transients in Point of Common Coupling (PCC) voltage, and c) controlled output power of WT without exceeding its thermal limits. The controller is validated on the WT integrated into the frequency-dependent reduced order model (FDROM) of the power grid. Another advantage is that, as the reference speed for the controller is estimated using FDROM, actual wind speed measurements are not required in this approach. To ensure smooth operation, and to limit the aerodynamic power and speed within the normal operating range, the difference between the actual and reference speed of the generator is used as the input to the controller. The architecture is validated using a real-time digital simulator (RTDS) on WT integrated two-area and IEEE-39 bus power system models. The simulation results show that the proposed controller is more effective than the conventional methods during changing system operating conditions.
The diversity and evolution of microbial dissimilatory phosphite oxidation.

Phosphite is the most energetically favorable chemotrophic electron donor known, with a half-cell potential (Eo′) of −650 mV for the PO43−/PO33− couple. Since the discovery of microbial dissimilatory phosphite oxidation (DPO) in 2000, the environmental distribution, evolution, and diversity of DPO microorganisms (DPOMs) have remained enigmatic, as only two species have been identified. Here, metagenomic sequencing of phosphite-enriched microbial communities enabled the genome reconstruction and metabolic characterization of 21 additional DPOMs. These DPOMs spanned six classes of bacteria, including the Negativicutes, Desulfotomaculia, Synergistia, Syntrophia, Desulfobacteria, and Desulfomonilia_A. Comparing the DPO genes from the genomes of enriched organisms with over 17,000 publicly available metagenomes revealed the global existence of this metabolism in diverse anoxic environments, including wastewaters, sediments, and subsurface aquifers. Despite their newfound environmental and taxonomic diversity, metagenomic analyses suggested that the typical DPOM is a chemolithoautotroph that occupies low-oxygen environments and specializes in phosphite oxidation coupled to CO2 reduction. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the DPO genes form a highly conserved cluster that likely has ancient origins predating the split of monoderm and diderm bacteria. By coupling microbial cultivation strategies with metagenomics, these studies highlighted the unsampled metabolic versatility latent in microbial communities. We have uncovered the unexpected prevalence, diversity, biochemical specialization, and ancient origins of a unique metabolism central to the redox cycling of phosphorus, a primary nutrient on Earth.
Prevalence of COVID-19 in adolescents and youth compared with older adults in states experiencing surges.

PURPOSE: There has been considerable controversy regarding susceptibility of adolescents (10-19 years) and youth (15-24 years) to COVID-19. However, a number of studies have reported that adolescents are significantly less susceptible than older adults. Summer 2020 provided an opportunity to examine data on prevalence since after months of lockdowns, with the easing of restrictions, people were mingling, leading to surges in cases. METHODS: We examined data from Departments of Health websites in six U.S. states experiencing surges in cases to determine prevalence of COVID-19, and two prevalence-related measures, in adolescents and youth as compared to older adults. The two other measures related to prevalence were: (Percentage of cases observed in a given age group) ÷ (percentage of cases expected based on population demographics); and percentage deviation, or [(% observed-% expected)/ % expected] x 100. RESULTS: Prevalence of COVID-19 for adolescents and for youth was significantly greater than for older adults (p < .00001), as was percentage observed ÷ percentage expected (p < .005). The percentage deviation was significantly greater in adolescents/youth than in older adults (p < 0.00001) when there was an excess of observed cases over what was expected, and significantly less when observed cases were fewer than expected (p< 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results are contrary to previous findings that adolescents are less susceptible than older adults. Possible reasons for the findings are suggested, and we note that public health messaging targeting adolescents and youth might be helpful in curbing the pandemic. Also, the findings of the potential for high transmission among adolescents and youth, should be factored into decisions regarding school reopening.
High-level coupled-cluster energetics by Monte Carlo sampling and moment expansions: Further details and comparisons.

We recently proposed a novel approach to converging electronic energies equivalent to high-level coupled-cluster (CC) computations by combining the deterministic CC(P;Q) formalism with the stochastic configuration interaction (CI) and CC Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) propagations. This article extends our initial study [J. E. Deustua, J. Shen, and P. Piecuch, Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 223003 (2017)], which focused on recovering the energies obtained with the CC method with singles, doubles, and triples (CCSDT) using the information extracted from full CI QMC and CCSDT-MC, to the CIQMC approaches truncated at triples and quadruples. It also reports our first semi-stochastic CC(P;Q) calculations aimed at converging the energies that correspond to the CC method with singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples (CCSDTQ). The ability of the semi-stochastic CC(P;Q) formalism to recover the CCSDT and CCSDTQ energies, even when electronic quasi-degeneracies and triply and quadruply excited clusters become substantial, is illustrated by a few numerical examples, including the F–F bond breaking in F2, the automerization of cyclobutadiene, and the double dissociation of the water molecule.
AS RELAÇÕES ENTRE DISCURSO MIDIÁTICO E GEOGRAFIA ESCOLAR: UM DIÁLOGO POSSÍVEL

Compreender as diferentes linguagens utilizadas pelos meios de comunicacao de massa e uma questao importante para a Geografia Escolar. Categorias-chave do pensamento geografico – entre elas, territorio, paisagem e espaco – estao constantemente presentes em noticiarios, filmes, documentarios, seriados e programas de entretenimento de maneira geral. No entanto, a influencia do discurso midiatico no processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Geografia na educacao basica ainda e pouco mencionada em trabalhos academicos. Nesse sentido, o presente artigo apresenta uma reflexao sobre as relacoes entre discurso midiatico e processo de ensino-aprendizagem em Geografia na educacao basica. Por se tratar de uma investigacao de carater critico-descritivo, os recursos metodologicos da analise aqui desenvolvida consistiram em levantamento bibliografico pertinente e na revisao da literatura. Para tanto, recorremos as obras de autores que realizam pesquisas sobre a visao do discurso midiatico na Geografia Escolar como Vicente de Paula Leao, Iara Vieira Guimaraes e Nidia Pontuschka. A partir das leituras realizadas, contatamos que a incorporacao do material midiatico em sala de aula nao deve ser feita como mero recurso didatico complementar, de carater ilustrativo, mas como objeto de estudo a ser sistematizado em seu conteudo discursivo. Portanto, cabe ao educador promover a ressignificacao do discurso midiatico em sala de aula e orientar seus alunos no gerenciamento das informacoes que estao disponiveis nos principais veiculos de comunicacao.
Measurement of the neutron charge radius and the role of its constituents.

The neutron is a cornerstone in our depiction of the visible universe. Despite the neutron zero-net electric charge, the asymmetric distribution of the positively- (up) and negatively-charged (down) quarks, a result of the complex quark-gluon dynamics, lead to a negative value for its squared charge radius, $$\langle {r}_{{\rm{n}}}^{2}\rangle$$ . The precise measurement of the neutron’s charge radius thus emerges as an essential part of unraveling its structure. Here we report on a $$\langle {r}_{{\rm{n}}}^{2}\rangle$$ measurement, based on the extraction of the neutron electric form factor, $${G}_{{\rm{E}}}^{{\rm{n}}}$$ , at low four-momentum transfer squared (Q2) by exploiting the long known connection between the N → Δ quadrupole transitions and the neutron electric form factor. Our result, $$\langle {r}_{{\rm{n}}}^{2}\rangle =-0.110\pm 0.008\,({{\rm{fm}}}^{2})$$ , addresses long standing unresolved discrepancies in the $$\langle {r}_{{\rm{n}}}^{2}\rangle$$ determination. The dynamics of the strong nuclear force can be viewed through the precise picture of the neutron’s constituent distributions that result into the non-zero $$\langle {r}_{{\rm{n}}}^{2}\rangle$$ value. The charge radius of nucleons provides information about their structure. Here the authors present a method, based values of neutron electric form factors, to determine the charge radius of the neutron and provide information on improving the uncertainty of neutron charge radius measurements
The Effect of Mandatory Disclosure on Market Inefficiencies: Evidence from FASB Statement No. 161

Prior research finds that unrealized gains/losses on cash flow hedges are negatively associated with future earnings, and that investors and analysts fail to anticipate this association. These studies speculate that this mispricing is due to either poor derivatives disclosures or the accounting model for cash flow hedges. We examine whether enhanced mandatory derivatives disclosures set forth in FAS 161 improve users’ understanding of firms’ hedging activities and offer three main findings. First, we find that this mispricing does not persist after FAS 161. Second, we find that the correction of mispricing is greatest when disclosure might help investors most. Finally, we find that analyst forecast accuracy improves after FAS 161. Overall, our results suggest that the enhanced mandatory derivative disclosures required by FAS 161 improved users’ understanding of the effects of derivative and hedging activities on future firm performance and firm value – and consequently mitigated investor mispricing.
Fractional diffusion maps

Abstract In this paper, we extend the diffusion maps algorithm on a family of heat kernels that are either local (having exponential decay) or nonlocal (having polynomial decay), arising in various applications. For example, these kernels have been used as a regularizer in various supervised learning tasks for denoising images. Importantly, these heat kernels give rise to operators that include (but are not restricted to) the generators of the classical Laplacian associated to Brownian processes as well as the fractional Laplacian associated with β-stable Levy processes. For local kernels, while the method is a version of the diffusion maps algorithm, we show that the applications with non-Gaussian local heat kernels approximate temporally rescaled Laplace-Beltrami operators. For the non-local heat kernels, we modify the diffusion maps algorithm to estimate fractional Laplacian operators. Here, the graph distance is used to approximate the geodesic distance with appropriate error bounds. While this approximation becomes numerically expensive as the number of data points increases, it produces an accurate operator estimation that is robust to the choice of the kernel bandwidth parameter value. In contrast, the local kernels are numerically more efficient but more sensitive to the choice of kernel bandwidth parameter value. In an application to estimate non-smooth regression functions, we find that using the nonlocal kernel as a regularizer produces a more robust and accurate estimate than using local kernels. For manifolds with boundary, we find that the proposed fractional diffusion maps framework implemented with non-local kernels approximates the regional fractional Laplacian.
Transverse chiral magnetic photocurrent induced by linearly polarized light in mirror-symmetric Weyl semimetals

This work proposes a chiral photocurrent transverse to the direction of an external magnetic field in response to linearly polarized light in Weyl semimetals with reflection symmetry, including the TaAs class of materials.
Deep Learning Frameworks for Pavement Distress Classification: A Comparative Analysis

Automatic detection and classification of pavement distresses is critical in timely maintaining and rehabilitating pavement surfaces. With the evolution of deep learning and high performance computing, the feasibility of vision-based pavement defect assessments has significantly improved. In this study, the authors deploy state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms based on different network backbones to detect and characterize pavement distresses. The influence of different backbone models such as CSPDarknet53, Hourglass-104 and EfficientNet were studied to evaluate their classification performance. The models were trained using 21,041 images captured across urban and rural streets of Japan, Czech Republic and India. Finally, the models were assessed based on their ability to predict and classify distresses, and tested using F1 score obtained from the statistical precision and recall values. The best performing model achieved an F1 score of 0.58 and 0.57 on two test datasets released by the IEEE Global Road Damage Detection Challenge. The source code including the trained models are made available at [1].
1I/‘Oumuamua as an N2 Ice Fragment of an Exo-Pluto Surface II: Generation of N2 Ice Fragments and the Origin of ‘Oumuamua

The origin of the interstellar object 1I/'Oumuamua, has defied explanation. In a companion paper (Jackson & Desch, 2021), we show that a body of N2 ice with axes 45 m x 44 m x 7.5 m at the time of observation would be consistent with its albedo, non-gravitational acceleration, and lack of observed CO or CO2 or dust. Here we demonstrate that impacts on the surfaces of Pluto-like Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) would have generated and ejected ~10^14 collisional fragments--roughly half of them H2O ice fragments and half of them N2 ice fragments--due to the dynamical instability that depleted the primordial Kuiper belt. We show consistency between these numbers and the frequency with which we would observe interstellar objects like 1I/'Oumuamua, and more comet-like objects like 2I/Borisov, if other stellar systems eject such objects with efficiency like that of the Sun; we infer that differentiated KBOs and dynamical instabilities that eject impact-generated fragments may be near-universal among extrasolar systems. Galactic cosmic rays would erode such fragments over 4.5 Gyr, so that fragments are a small fraction (~0.1%) of long-period Oort comets, but C/2016 R2 may be an example. We estimate 'Oumuamua was ejected about 0.4-0.5 Gyr ago, from a young (~10^8 yr) stellar system, which we speculate was in the Perseus arm. Objects like 'Oumuamua may directly probe the surface compositions of a hitherto-unobserved type of exoplanet: "exo-plutos". 'Oumuamua may be the first sample of an exoplanet brought to us.
Exempted sectors in free trade agreements

Almost all participants in free trade agreements (FTAs) exclude at least a few products or sectors from complete tariff removal on the exports of their FTA partners. The positive tariffs that remain within an FTA are often the highest tariffs that the countries apply on an MFN basis. It seems plausible that such exclusions may be chosen because the domestic producers of these products are viewed as especially vulnerable to competition from imports from the partner country. In brief, they are especially “sensitive sectors.” We develop this idea theoretically and then test it empirically on data from 37 countries in 240 importer–exporter pairs within FTAs. We find support for the sensitive‐sector hypothesis only in the high‐income countries. We find that low‐income countries, in contrast, exempt sectors where bilateral tariff removal would be more likely trade‐diverting and therefore harmful. Our explanation for this, supported empirically, is not that they are following the advice of trade economists, but rather that they are avoiding loss of tariff revenue and may also perhaps be influenced by the greater bargaining power of richer and/or larger partners in their FTAs. Les secteurs exclus des accords de libre‐echange. Dans le cadre des traites de libre‐echange, presque tous les pays excluent des exportations de leurs partenaires commerciaux au moins quelques produits voire quelques secteurs d’une exoneration totale de tarifs douaniers. Les tarifs douaniers restant imputables au sein de ces accords de libre‐echange sont souvent les tarifs douaniers les plus eleves appliques par les differents pays selon la clause de la nation la plus favorisee ou clause NPF . De telles exclusions sont tres vraisemblablement determinees par l’exposition particuliere des producteurs domestiques aux importations du pays partenaire. En clair, il s’agit de proteger les secteurs particulierement sensibles. Nous avons d’abord etaye cette idee de facon theorique, puis l’avons evaluee de facon empirique en etudiant les donnees issues de 37 pays et de 240 paires d’importateurs et d’exportateurs au sein d’accords de libre‐echange. Nous pouvons corroborer cette hypothese du secteur sensible uniquement dans les pays a revenu eleve. Les pays a faible revenu, quant a eux, excluent les secteurs ou la suppression bilaterale des tarifs douaniers aurait davantage tendance a engendrer une distorsion commerciale, ce qui s’avererait nefaste. Notre explication, appuyee de facon empirique, ne corrobore en rien l’idee que ces pays suivent les recommandations des economistes du commerce, mais plutot qu’ils cherchent a eviter les pertes de recettes douanieres; un pouvoir de negociation plus important des pays plus riches et/ou plus grands au sein de leurs accords de libre‐echange pourrait egalement influencer leurs decisions.
China’s regulatory framework for outward foreign direct investment

China has become the world’s third largest outward investor, behind the United States and Japan. A growing body of literature suggests that China’s regulatory framework for outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is a determinant of the country’s rising OFDI. This paper presents a holistic review of that framework, including some possibilities for its improvement. Overall, China’s framework serves two objectives: to help Chinese firms become more competitive internationally and to assist the country in its development effort. In pursuing these objectives, the regulatory framework has moved from restricting, to facilitating, to supporting, to encouraging OFDI; but there are still strong elements of administrative control that make it cumbersome. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) seem to benefit particularly from the current framework when internationalizing through FDI.
Ending the War on People with Substance Use Disorders in Health Care.

Earp et al. (2021) provide a robust justification for the decriminalization of drugs based on the systemic racism that fuels the “war on drugs” and the ongoing harms of drug policies to individuals...
SARS-CoV-2 Nsp16 activation mechanism and a cryptic pocket with pan-coronavirus antiviral potential.

Coronaviruses have caused multiple epidemics in the past two decades, in addition to the current COVID-19 pandemic that is severely damaging global health and the economy. Coronaviruses employ between 20 and 30 proteins to carry out their viral replication cycle, including infection, immune evasion, and replication. Among these, nonstructural protein 16 (Nsp16), a 2'-O-methyltransferase, plays an essential role in immune evasion. Nsp16 achieves this by mimicking its human homolog, CMTr1, which methylates mRNA to enhance translation efficiency and distinguish self from other. Unlike human CMTr1, Nsp16 requires a binding partner, Nsp10, to activate its enzymatic activity. The requirement of this binding partner presents two questions that we investigate in this manuscript. First, how does Nsp10 activate Nsp16? Although experimentally derived structures of the active Nsp16/Nsp10 complex exist, structures of inactive, monomeric Nsp16 have yet to be solved. Therefore, it is unclear how Nsp10 activates Nsp16. Using over 1 ms of molecular dynamics simulations of both Nsp16 and its complex with Nsp10, we investigate how the presence of Nsp10 shifts Nsp16's conformational ensemble to activate it. Second, guided by this activation mechanism and Markov state models, we investigate whether Nsp16 adopts inactive structures with cryptic pockets that, if targeted with a small molecule, could inhibit Nsp16 by stabilizing its inactive state. After identifying such a pocket in SARS-CoV2 Nsp16, we show that this cryptic pocket also opens in SARS-CoV1 and MERS but not in human CMTr1. Therefore, it may be possible to develop pan-coronavirus antivirals that target this cryptic pocket.
Geometric quantization of $b$-symplectic manifolds

We introduce a method of geometric quantization for compact $b$-symplectic manifolds in terms of the index of an Atiyah-Patodi-Singer (APS) boundary value problem. We show further that b-symplectic manifolds have canonical Spin-c structures in the usual sense, and that the APS index above coincides with the index of the Spin-c Dirac operator. We show that if the manifold is endowed with a Hamiltonian action of a compact connected Lie group with non-zero modular weights, then this method satisfies the Guillemin-Sternberg ``quantization commutes with reduction'' property. In particular our quantization coincides with the formal quantization defined by Guillemin, Miranda and Weitsman, providing a positive answer to a question posed in their paper.
Water theft as social insurance: south‐eastern Spain, 1851–1948†

We investigate the role of punishment progressivity and individual characteristics in the determination of crime. To analyze welfare implications we model individuals’ response to judges’ optimal punishment in a dynamic setting. We introduce two distinctive features motivated by our empirical setting. First, judges rarely imposes maximum punishment for first time offenders. Instead, we observe low fines (or just a warning) even when crime detection technology is efficient and punishment is not costly. We account for this by allowing an unobservable (to the judge) individual state to be correlated with a public signal (the environment). This generates an optimal punishment that is conditional on individual observables. Second, judges punishments follow a progressive system: conditioning on type, recidivists are punished harsher than first-time offenders for the same crime. We account for these dynamics by introducing a persistent unobservable (to the judge) component. Judges update their beliefs about individuals depending on whether they committed a crime in the previous period; this gives rise to progressivity in the optimal punishment system. For the empirical analysis we examine a novel trial data set from a self-governed community of farmers in Southern Spain. We find that judges vary the degree of imposed punishments based on individual characteristics — such as when victims or accused have a Don honorific title indicating they are wealthy. Recidivists are punished harsher than first time offenders.
Torsional moduli of transition metal dichalcogenide nanotubes from first principles.

We calculate the torsional moduli of single-walled transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanotubes using ab initio density functional theory (DFT). Speciﬁcally, considering forty-ﬁve select TMD nanotubes, we perform symmetry-adapted DFT calculations to calculate the torsional moduli for the armchair and zigzag variants of these materials in the low-twist regime and at practically relevant diameters. We ﬁnd that the torsional moduli follow the trend: MS2 > MSe2 > MTe2. In addition, the moduli display a power law dependence on diameter, with the scaling generally close to cubic, as predicted by the isotropic elastic continuum model. In particular, the shear moduli so computed are in good agreement with those predicted by the isotropic relation in terms of the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, both of which are also calculated using symmetry-adapted DFT. Finally, we develop a linear regression model for the torsional moduli of TMD nanotubes based on the nature/characteristics of the metal-chalcogen bond, and show that it is capable of making reasonably accurate predictions.
On PMU Data Integrity Under GPS Spoofing Attacks: A Sparse Error Correction Framework

Consider the problem of mitigating the impact on data integrity of phasor measurement units (PMUs) given a GPS spoofing attack. We present a sparse error correction framework to treat PMU measurements that are potentially corrupted due to a GPS spoofing attack. We exploit the sparse nature of a GPS spoofing attack, which is that only a small fraction of PMUs are affected by the attack. We first present attack identifiability conditions (in terms of network topology, PMU locations, and the number of spoofed PMUs) under which data manipulation by the spoofing attack is identifiable. The identifiability conditions have important implications on how the locations of PMUs affect their resilience to GPS spoofing attacks. To effectively correct spoofed PMU data, we present a sparse error correction approach wherein computation tasks are decomposed into smaller zones to ensure scalability. We present experimental results obtained from numerical simulations with the IEEE RTS-96 and IEEE 300 test networks to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Data-driven modeling of nonlinear traveling waves.

Presented is a data-driven machine learning framework for modeling traveling wave spatiotemporal dynamics. The presented framework is based on the steadily propagating traveling wave ansatz, u ( x , t ) = U ( ξ = x − c t + a ). For known evolution equations, this coordinate transformation reduces governing partial differential equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs) in the traveling wave coordinate ξ. Although traveling waves are readily observed in many physical systems, the underlying governing equations may be unknown. For these instances, the traveling wave dynamical system can be modeled empirically with neural ODEs. Presented are these ideas applied to several physical systems that admit traveling waves. Examples include traveling wave fronts, pulses, and wavetrains restricted to one-way wave propagation in a single spatial dimension. Last, applicability to real-world physical systems is presented with an exploration of data-driven modeling of rotating detonation waves.
Turbulence Leads to Overestimation of the Acid-Diffusion Coefficient at Typical Experimental Conditions Using the Rotating Disk Apparatus

Abstract A rotating-disk apparatus (RDA) is used to determine the acid-diffusion coefficient. The equations to interpret RDA tests were previously derived assuming laminar flow to the disk, i.e. uniform accessibility with equal flux of the reactive species over the entire surface of the disk. Thus, the acid-diffusion coefficient is overestimated if the tests are run at transition or turbulent flow regimes. The present work validated laminar flow assumptions at typical RDA experimental conditions to optimize the acid-diffusion coefficient measurements. Disks of calcite marble with a diameter of 0.72, 1.11, and 1.46 in. were reacted in an RDA with hydrochloric acid at temperatures ranging from 73.4 to 100 °F and disk rotational speeds ranging from 207 to 1555 rpm. Transition to turbulent flow was observed at Reynolds numbers one order of magnitude lower than the universally accepted critical value of 3 × 105. Dissolution patterns on the disks after the experiments and the simulation results using a developed computational fluid-dynamics model confirm this conclusion. The turbulence created cavities near the edges of the 1.46 and 1.1 in. disks starting at rotational speeds of 587 and 829 rpm, respectively. The region of turbulent flow propagated toward the center of the disks with further increase of the disk rotational speed. When all the experimental data points are included in the calculation, because of the non-uniform (higher) mass-transfer rate, the diffusion coefficient is overestimated to a value of 6.71 × 10−5 and 5.01 × 10−5 cm2/s for the 1.46 and 1.11 in. disks, respectively. For the 0.72 in. disks, no turbulent flow was observed at all disk rotational speeds tested, and the calculated value of the diffusion coefficient was 3.08 × 10−5 cm2/s. Commercial RDA setups are often equipped with 1.0 or 1.5 in. coreholders and are capable of maintaining a disk rotational speed of up to 2000 rpm. Thus, care must be taken not to run the tests at transition or turbulent flow regimes, as this will result in overestimation of the acid-diffusion coefficient. Preliminary results indicate that the observed phenomena also affect the RDA analysis of organic and other less reactive acid compositions. Presented results are integral for designing (1) the RDA tests to improve the accuracy of the acid-diffusion coefficient calculations, and (2) the stimulation operations in carbonate reservoir rocks.
Smoothing finite group actions on three-manifolds

We show that every continuous action of a finite group on a smooth three-manifold is a uniform limit of smooth actions.
Dyadic Conflict: Elites, Citizens, and War

From the democratic peace to the authoritarian peace to the conflict-prone behavior of democratizing states, empirical evidence shows that regime types influence the decision to go to war. The only...
On the Noether bound for noncommutative rings

We present two noncommutative algebras over a field of characteristic zero that each posses a family of actions by cyclic groups of order $2n$, represented in $n \times n$ matrices, requiring generators of degree $3n$.
Spin Digitizer for High-Fidelity Readout of a Cavity-Coupled Silicon Triple Quantum Dot

Reliable readout is a crucial ingredient to successful operation of a spin-based quantum computer, but current approaches either utilize invasive device structures that hinder scale-up, or constrain qubit operation with specific tuning requirements. In this study, the authors realize digital spin readout via an in-line charge sensor housed in a cavity-coupled triple quantum dot. This system's strong readout response combined with its retained device flexibility lends itself to future scaled architectures in multiqubit experiments.
An LQR-assisted control algorithm for an under-actuated in-pipe robot in water distribution systems

To address the operational challenges of in-pipe robots in large pipes of water distribution systems (WDS), in this research, a control algorithm is proposed for our previously designed robot [4]. Our size adaptable robot has an under-actuated modular design that can be used for both leak detection and quality monitoring. First, nonlinear dynamical governing equations of the robot are derived with the definition of two perpendicular planes and two sets of states are defined for the robot for stabilization and mobilization. For stabilization, we calculated the auxiliary system matrices and designed a stabilizer controller based on the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller, and combined it with a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) based controller for mobilization. The controller scheme is validated with simulation in MATLAB in various operation conditions in three iterations. The simulation results show that the controller can stabilize the robot inside the pipe by converging the stabilizing states to zero and keeping them in zero with initial values between −25° and +25° and tracking velocities of 10cm/s, 30cm/s, and 50cm/s which makes the robot agile and dexterous for operation in pipelines.
On Class Numbers, Torsion Subgroups, and Quadratic Twists of Elliptic Curves

The Mordell-Weil groups $E(\mathbb{Q})$ of elliptic curves influence the structures of their quadratic twists $E_{-D}(\mathbb{Q})$ and the ideal class groups $\mathrm{CL}(-D)$ of imaginary quadratic fields. For appropriate $(u,v) \in \mathbb{Z}^2$, we define a family of homomorphisms $\Phi_{u,v}: E(\mathbb{Q}) \rightarrow \mathrm{CL}(-D)$ for particular negative fundamental discriminants $-D:=-D_E(u,v)$, which we use to simultaneously address questions related to lower bounds for class numbers, the structures of class groups, and ranks of quadratic twists. Specifically, given an elliptic curve $E$ of rank $r$, let $\Psi_E$ be the set of suitable fundamental discriminants $-D 0$, we show that as $X \to \infty$, we have $$\#\, \left\{-X < -D < 0: -D \in \Psi_E \right \} \, \gg_{\varepsilon} X^{\frac{1}{2}-\varepsilon}.$$ In particular, if $\ell \in \{3,5,7\}$ and $\ell \mid |E_{\mathrm{tor}}(\mathbb{Q})|$, then the number of such discriminants $-D$ for which $\ell \mid h(-D)$ is $\gg_{\varepsilon} X^{\frac{1}{2}-\varepsilon}.$ Moreover, assuming the Parity Conjecture, our results hold with the additional condition that the quadratic twist $E_{-D}$ has rank at least 2.