cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Privatization, Market Liberalization, and Learning in Transition Economies

Privatization and market liberalization are widely considered to be complementary reforms in transition economies. This article challenges this view and the closely related "big bang" approach: when pursued too vigorously, privatization may impede the transition process following liberalization. Our result is based on an explicit model of market learning. Compared to a mature market, a market in transition is characterized by greater uncertainty regarding market conditions, including equilibrium prices and quanti- ties. Economic actors must learn about these conditions through their participation in the market process. Less than full privatization is optimal if the costs of learning are sufficiently important.
Relative Demand for Skills in Swedish Manufacturing: Technology or Trade?*

The rate of change in the share of skilled labor has increased steadily over the past 35 years in Swedish manufacturing. A closer inspection of the period after 1970 indicates that, while relative supply changes of skilled labor seem to have been the main driving force behind the growing skill shares in manufacturing industries over the period 1970-85, an acceleration in the relative demand for skills appears to have propelled higher skill shares during the late 1980s and at the beginning of the 1990s. Consistent with such a development is the finding of an increasing degree of complementarity between knowledge capital and skilled labor, and that Swedish manufacturing firms, in recent years, have invested heavily in R&D. There is also some support for the belief that intensified competition from the South has increased the relative demand for skilled labor. However, the impact appears to be small and essentially driven by the textile industry. Copyright 2000 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Five-phase induction motor drives with DSP-based control system

This paper introduces two kinds of control schemes: vector control and direct torque control (DTC). These control schemes can be extensively applied to the operation of a five-phase induction motor using a fully digital implementation. Vector control of the five-phase induction motor not only achieves high drive performance, but also generates the desired nearly rectangular current waveforms and flux profile in the air-gap resulting in an improvement in air gap flux density and an increase of 10% in output torque. The DTC method has additional advantages when applied to multiphase, in this case a five-phase, induction motor. The five-phase inverter provides 32 space voltage vectors in comparison to 8 space voltage vectors provided by the three-phase inverter. Therefore, a more elaborate flux and torque control algorithm for the five-phase induction motor can be employed. Direct torque control of the five-phase induction motor reduces the amplitude of the ripples of both the stator flux and the torque, resulting in a more precise flux and torque control. A 32-b floating-point TMS320C32 digital signal processor (DSP) enables these two sophisticated control techniques to be conveniently implemented with high control precision. Experimental results show that an ideal control capability is obtained for both control methods when applied to the five-phase induction motor and further validates theoretical analysis.
N-flationary magnetic fields

There is increasing interest in the role played by pseudo Nambu–Goldstone bosons (pNGBs) in the construction of string-inspired models of inflation. In these models the inflaton is expected to be coupled to gauge fields, and will lead to the generation of magnetic fields that can be of cosmological interest. We study the production of such fields mainly focusing on the model of N-flation, where the collective effect of several pNGBs drives inflation. Because the fields produced are maximally helical, inverse cascade processes in the primordial plasma significantly increase their coherence length. We discuss under what conditions inflation driven by pNGBs can account for the cosmological magnetic fields observed. A constraint on the parameters of this class of inflationary scenarios is also derived by requiring that the magnetic field does not backreact on the inflating background.
A gravitational mechanism for the acceleration of ultrarelativistic particles

Imagine a swarm of free particles near a point P outside a gravitating mass M and a free reference particle at P that is on a radial escape trajectory away from M. Relative to this reference particle and in a Fermi normal coordinate system constructed along its worldline, the particles in the swarm that move along the radial direction and are ultrarelativistic (that is, they have speeds above c/√2) decelerate toward this terminal speed. On the other hand, the swarm particles that are ultrarelativistic and move in directions normal to the radial (jet) directions accelerate to almost the speed of light by the gravitational tidal force of the mass M. The implications of these effects as well as the influence of the higher-order terms on the tidal acceleration mechanism are investigated. The observational evidence in support of these general relativistic effects is briefly discussed.
Structured near-optimal channel-adapted quantum error correction

We present a class of numerical algorithms which adapt a quantum error correction scheme to a channel model. Given an encoding and a channel model, it was previously shown that the quantum operation that maximizes the average entanglement fidelity may be calculated by a semidefinite program (SDP), which is a convex optimization. While optimal, this recovery operation is computationally difficult for long codes. Furthermore, the optimal recovery operation has no structure beyond the completely positive trace preserving (CPTP) constraint. We derive methods to generate structured channel-adapted error recovery operations. Specifically, each recovery operation begins with a projective error syndrome measurement. The algorithms to compute the structured recovery operations are more scalable than the SDP and yield recovery operations with an intuitive physical form. Using Lagrange duality, we derive performance bounds to certify near-optimality.
NONLINEAR CONTROLLERS FOR NONLINEAR SYSTEMS WITH INPUT NONLINEARITIES

Abstract In this paper we develop an optimality-based nonlinear control framework for nonlinear systems with time-invariant sector-bounded memoryless input nonlinearities. Specifically, using an optimal nonlinear control framework we develop a family of globally stabilizing controllers parameterized by the cost functional that is minimized. Furthermore, it is shown that the control Lyapunov function guaranteeing closed-loop stability over a prescribed set of input nonlinearities is a solution to the steady-state Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation for the controlled system and thus guarantees stability and performance.
Interpretation of the Vibrational Spectra Of 3,3-Dimethyl-1-Butene

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra were redetermined for 3,3-dimethyl-1- butene. The spectra were interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate calculations that utilized a forty-five parameter modified valence force field. The Raman spectrum, vibrational assignment, and force constant values are given in this paper.
Principal-Agent Conflict and Broker Effort Near Listing Contract Expiration: The Case of Residential Properties

In the real estate market the seller/agent relationship changes over the course of the listing contract. As the contract expiration nears, brokers may increase efforts generating more potential buyers and, perhaps, a higher offered price. Brokers may also persuade the seller to reduce the reservation price. These two aspects have different implications for the selling price of the property. Employing a sample of 24,100 properties sold in Clark County, Nevada, we investigate the relationship between the selling price and the time-to-expiration of the listing contract. We find that prices are lower if the property is sold near the expiration of the listing contract, indicating that the price-reduction effect dominates the broker-effort effect.
Intellectual authority and institutional authority

This essay offers a defense of ‘intellectual authority’, primarily by pointing out the untoward implications of its conceptual opposite, ‘institutional authority’, in a wide variety of contexts. An opening discussion explores conditions for the possibility of intellectual authority in legal, humanistic, and aesthetic disciplines. Social science literature documenting and describing the biasing influence of institutional authority is then canvassed and analyzed in some detail. A final section assays the theoretical significance of various efforts to eliminate non‐intellectual bias and influence, with special reference to the example of “blind reviewing’ of scholarly manuscripts.
Limited-feedback-based channel-aware power allocation for linear distributed estimation

This paper investigates the problem of distributed best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) of a random parameter at the fusion center (FC) of a wireless sensor network (WSN). In particular, the application of limited-feedback strategies for the optimal power allocation in distributed estimation is studied. In order to find the BLUE estimator of the unknown parameter, the FC combines spatially distributed, linearly processed, noisy observations of local sensors received through orthogonal channels corrupted by fading and additive Gaussian noise. Most optimal power-allocation schemes proposed in the literature require the feedback of the exact instantaneous channel state information from the FC to local sensors. This paper proposes a limited-feedback strategy in which the FC designs an optimal codebook containing the optimal power-allocation vectors, in an iterative offline process, based on the generalized Lloyd algorithm with modified distortion functions. Upon observing a realization of the channel vector, the FC finds the closest codeword to its corresponding optimal power-allocation vector and broadcasts the index of the codeword. Each sensor will then transmit its analog observations using its optimal quantized amplification gain. This approach eliminates the requirement for infinite-rate digital feedback links and is scalable, especially in large WSNs.
Analysis of IGBT Power Cycling Capabilities Used in Doubly Fed Induction Generator Wind Power System

The doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is one of the most popular topologies applied in wind power systems. Its main advantage is to adjust the speed of a large system with much lower power converters. This is because its rotor-side converter (RSC) operates under slip frequency and it needs only to support slip power to the overall system. However, this slip frequency is much lower than the grid frequency, and insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) in the RSC are susceptible to power cycling failures. This paper provides a method to analyze the power cycle capability of a DFIG power converter under wind power applications. Different current control methods, including minimal stator losses, minimal rotor losses, and minimal overall losses, are analyzed and compared. It is verified that the sizes of the IGBT must be selected appropriately to avoid earlier power cycling failures. Designing a wind power converter into the targeted system is critical for cost reduction without sacrificing the reliability of the whole system.
On formulating simultaneity for studying parallelism and synchronization

When studying parallel computation and synchronization one is faced with the problem of modeling the simultaneous execution of processes. Although there has been a multitude of formal means for representing such problems [2, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15], invariably, when all the other complexities of the models have been stripped away, the parallelism or synchronization is studied via sequences of events. In all of these studies simultaneity of events is not studied directly. Rather, it is represented by the interleaving of the separate events into sequences, and by studying properties of the set of all such sequences.
Formylations of anions with a ‘Weinreb’ formamide: N-methoxy-N-methylformamide

Abstract Treatment of organolithiums, Grignard reagents, or enolates with N -methoxy- N -methylformamide leads to formylated products in good yields without competing secondary processes.
Progressive ranking of range aggregates

Ranking-aware queries have been gaining much attention recently in many applications such as multimedia databases, search engines and data streams. They are, however, not only restricted to such applications but are also very useful in On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) applications. In this paper, we introduce aggregation ranking queries in OLAP data cubes motivated by an online advertisement tracking data warehouse application. These queries aggregate information over a specified range and then return the ranked order of the aggregated values. For instance, an advertiser might be interested in the top-k publishers over the last three months in terms of sales obtained through the online advertisements placed on the publishers. They differ from range aggregate queries in that range aggregate queries are mainly concerned with an aggregate operator such as SUM and MIN/MAX over the selected ranges of all dimensions in the data cubes. Existing techniques for range aggregate queries are not able to process aggregation ranking queries efficiently. Hence, in this paper we propose new algorithms to handle this problem. The essence of the proposed algorithms is based on both ranking and cumulative information to progressively rank aggregation results. Furthermore we empirically evaluate our techniques and the experimental results show that the query cost is improved significantly.
Threshold detection in the presence of atmospheric turbulence

Recently there has been increased interest in threats to spacecraft from ground-based lasers. It has been suggested that some spacecraft should use laser-threat-warning receivers. We consider the effects of atmospheric turbulence on threshold detection of optical signals by an exoatmospheric receiver. The results are applicable to both cw and pulsed optical illumination that results from ground-based lasers. In particular we obtain accurate analytical expressions, over a wide range of conditions of practical interest, that yield the required signal-to-noise ratio for a given (single-event) probability of detection, false-alarm rate, and turbulence-induced log-intensity variance. The degrading effects of atmospheric turbulence on threshold detection are most important for large zenith angles in the blue-green region of the visible. As an illustrative example, a false-alarm rate of 1 in 3 years is assumed, and specific numerical results are presented for the required signal-to-noise ratio necessary to obtain a detection probability of at least 95% over a range of optical wavelengths and propagation conditions of interest.
An empirical examination of government expenditures and the ex-ante crowding-out effect for the British economy

The conventional macroeconomic view that consumers make their consumption decisions without regard for goods provided by the government has been examined in the literature. Moreover, the line of research that questions this conventional view argues that this separation does not have a firm theoretical backing. If consumers take government expenditures into account when maximizing their utility functions then the effects of fiscal policy actions will tend to appear weaker than those suggested by most conventional analyses. The examination of this issue should therefore have far-reaching political as well as economic implications within the context of traditional fiscal policies. This paper will empirically examine the ex antecrowding-out effect of government expenditures upon private consumption expenditures for the British economy. An aggregate consumption function is derived and estimated in the context of a simultaneous equations model based on intertemporal consumption theory. The empirical results sho...
High operating temperature midwave quantum dot barrier infrared detector (QD-BIRD)

The nBn or XBn barrier infrared detector has the advantage of reduced dark current resulting from suppressed Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination and surface leakage. High performance detectors and focal plane arrays (FPAs) based on InAsSb absorber lattice matched to GaSb substrate, with a matching AlAsSb unipolar electron barrier, have been demonstrated. The band gap of lattice-matched InAsSb yields a detector cutoff wavelength of approximately 4.2 μm when operating at ~150K. We report results on extending the cutoff wavelength of midwave barrier infrared detectors by incorporating self-assembled InSb quantum dots into the active area of the detector. Using this approach, we were able to extend the detector cutoff wavelength to ~6 μm, allowing the coverage of the full midwave infrared (MWIR) transmission window. The quantum dot barrier infrared detector (QD-BIRD) shows infrared response at temperatures up to 225 K.
Bounds on the Magnetic Fields in the Radiative Zone of the Sun

We discuss bounds on the strength of the magnetic fields that could be buried in the radiative zone of the Sun. The field profiles and decay times are computed for all axisymmetric toroidal ohmic decay eigenmodes with lifetimes exceeding the age of the Sun. The measurements of the solar oblateness yield a bound of 7 MG on the strength of the field. A comparable bound is expected to come from the analysis of the splitting of the solar oscillation frequencies. The theoretical analysis of the double diffusive instability also yields a similar bound. The oblateness measurements at their present level of sensitivity are therefore not expected to measure a toroidal field contribution.
A new spin on entanglement entropy

We argue that the usual notions of thermodynamic and entanglement entropy have novel analogs in the context of higher spin theories. In particular, the Wald and RyuTakayanagi formulas have natural higher spin extensions that we work out and study. On the CFT side, just as standard entanglement entropy in CFT2 can be computed from twist field correlators, we demonstrate that by introducing corresponding operators carrying higher spin charge we can precisely reproduce our results from the bulk. We also show that the first law for entanglement entropy implies the linearized field equations for the metric and higher spin fields, generalizing recent work on deriving the linearized Einstein equations from the first law.
Soft-gluon effects in semileptonic decays of charmed F mesons

Abstract The QCD multipole expansion is applied to the study of nonperturbative soft-gluon effects in semileptonic decays of charmed F mesons. For reasonable values of F-meson bound-state parameters, the soft-gluon effects activate quark-annihilation processes, leading to a significant enhancement of semileptonic decay rates.
Unsymmetrical heterobiaryl synthesis. A highly efficient palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of heteroaryl trialkylstannanes with aryl halides

Abstract A general synthesis of heterobioaryls in good to excellent yields via Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of trialkylheteroarylstannanes 1-5 with aryl halides is described.
Light Stops, Light Staus and the 125 GeV Higgs

The ATLAS and CMS experiments have recently announced the discovery of a Higgs-like resonance with mass close to 125 GeV. Overall, the data is consistent with a Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson. Such a particle may arise in the minimal super-symmetric extension of the SM with average stop masses of the order of the TeV scale and a sizable stop mixing parameter. In this article we discuss properties of the SM-like Higgs production and decay rates induced by the possible presence of light staus and light stops. Light staus can affect the decay rate of the Higgs into di-photons and, in the case of sizable left-right mixing, induce an enhancement in this production channel up to ~ 50% of the Standard Model rate. Light stops may induce sizable modifications of the Higgs gluon fusion production rate and correlated modifications to the Higgs diphoton decay. Departures from SM values of the bottom-quark and tau-lepton couplings to the Higgs can be obtained due to Higgs mixing effects triggered by light third generation scalar superpartners. We describe the phenomenological implications of light staus on searches for light stops and non-standard Higgs bosons. Finally, we discuss the current status of the search for light staus produced in association with sneutrinos, in final states containing a W gauge boson and a pair of τ s.
Murine study of portal hypertension associated endothelin-1 hypo-response.

AIM: To investigate endothelin-1 hypo-responsive associated with portal hypertension in order to improve patient treatment outcomes. METHODS: Wild type, eNOS-/- and iNOS-/- mice received partial portal vein ligation surgery to induce portal hypertension or sham surgery. Development of portal hypertension was determined by measuring the splenic pulp pressure, abdominal aortic flow and portal systemic shunting. To measure splenic pulp pressure, a microtip pressure transducer was inserted into the spleen pulp. Abdominal aortic flow was measured by placing an ultrasonic Doppler flow probe around the abdominal aorta between the diaphragm and celiac artery. Portal systemic shunting was calculated by injection of fluorescent microspheres in to the splenic vein and determining the percentage accumulation of spheres in liver and pulmonary beds. Endothelin-1 hypo-response was evaluated by measuring the change in abdominal aortic flow in response to endothelin-1 intravenous administration. In addition, thoracic aorta endothelin-1 contraction was measured in 5 mm isolated thoracic aorta rings ex-vivo using an ADI small vessel myograph. RESULTS: In wild type and iNOS-/- mice splenic pulp pressure increased from 7.5 ± 1.1 mmHg and 7.2 ± 1 mmHg to 25.4 ± 3.1 mmHg and 22 ± 4 mmHg respectively. In eNOS-/- mice splenic pulp pressure was increased after 1 d (P = NS), after which it decreased and by 7 d was not significantly elevated when compared to 7 d sham operated controls (6.9 ± 0.6 mmHg and 7.3 ± 0.8 mmHg respectively, P = 0.3). Abdominal aortic flow was increased by 80% and 73% in 7 d portal vein ligated wild type and iNOS when compared to shams, whereas there was no significant difference in 7 d portal vein ligated eNOS-/- mice when compared to shams. Endothelin-1 induced a rapid reduction in abdominal aortic blood flow in wild type, eNOS-/- and iNOS-/- sham mice (50% ± 8%, 73% ± 9% and 47% ± 9% respectively). Following portal vein ligation endothelin-1 reduction in blood flow was significantly diminished in each mouse group. Abdominal aortic flow was reduced by 19% ± 9%, 32% ± 10% and 9% ± 9% in wild type, eNOS-/- and iNOS-/- mice respectively. CONCLUSION: Aberrant endothelin-1 response in murine portal hypertension is NOS isoform independent. Moreover, portal hypertension in the portal vein ligation model is independent of ET-1 function.
Gabor fields and wavelet sets for the Heisenberg group

We study singly-generated wavelet systems on \({\mathbb {R}^2}\) that are naturally associated with rank-one wavelet systems on the Heisenberg group N. We prove a necessary condition on the generator in order that any such system be a Parseval frame. Given a suitable subset I of the dual of N, we give an explicit construction for Parseval frame wavelets that are associated with I. We say that \({g\in L^2(I\times \mathbb {R})}\) is Gabor field over I if, for a.e. \({\lambda \in I}\), |λ|1/2g(λ, ·) is the Gabor generator of a Parseval frame for \({L^2(\mathbb {R})}\), and that I is a Heisenberg wavelet set if every Gabor field over I is a Parseval frame (mother-)wavelet for \({L^2(\mathbb {R}^2)}\). We then show that I is a Heisenberg wavelet set if and only if I is both translation congruent with a subset of the unit interval and dilation congruent with the Shannon set.
On Minkowski Sums of Simplices

We investigate the structure of the Minkowski sum of standard simplices in \({{\mathbb R}^r}\). In particular, we investigate the one-dimensional structure, the vertices, their degrees and the edges in the Minkowski sum polytope.
Self-Preserving Properties of Unsteady Round Nonbuoyant Turbulent Starting Jets and Puffs in Still Fluids

The self-preserving properties of round nonbuoyant turbulent starting jets, puffs, and interrupted jets were investigated both experimentally and theoretically for flows in still and unstratified environments. The experiments involved dye-containing fresh water sources injected into still fresh water within a large windowed tank. Time-resolved video images of the flows were obtained using a CCD camera. Experimental conditions were as follows: jet exit diameters of 3.2 and 6.4 mm, jet exit Reynolds numbers of 3000-12,000, jet passage lengths in excess of 50 injector passage diameters, volume of injected fluid for puffs and interrupted jets up to 191 source diameters, and streamwise penetration lengths up to 140 source diameters. Near-source behavior varied significantly with source properties but the flows generally became turbulent within 5 source diameters from the source and self-preserving behavior was generally observed at distances greater than 20-30 source diameters from the source
An econometric analysis of skewed productivity outcomes

An econometric model is developed to help explain uncertain yields from processes that generate inherently skewed outcomes. The yield is modeled as the interaction of potential and effort functions, where potential represents maximum yield that would be observed if the effort was infinite. The potential function is determined by some endogenous factors, and the effort function is determined by an exogenous input and allows for increasing and decreasing marginal returns to effort. A non-linear model incorporating these features is theoretically derived and empirically tested using data on outcomes from sales-tax audits. The results document the superiority of this model in capturing the underlying relationships, and provide a better out-of-sample fit to the data compared to two OLS models. The proposed model can be applied in various business and non-business settings.
Configuration space for random walk dynamics

Applied to statistical physics models, the random cost algorithm enforces a Random Walk (RW) in energy (or possibly other thermodynamic quantities). The dynamics of this procedure is distinct from fixed weight updates. The probability for a configuration to be sampled depends on a number of unusual quantities, which are explained in this paper. This has been overlooked in recent literature, where the method is advertised for the calculation of canonical expectation values. We illustrate these points for the 2d Ising model. In addition, we prove a previously conjectured equation which relates microcanonical expectation values to the spectral density.
Capital Mobility and Investor Confidence: The Case of Hong Kong’s Reversion to China’s Sovereignty

The paper hypothesizes that capital flows to and from Hong Kong in the years prior to its reversion to Chinese sovereignty were determined in part by the credibility of China’s economic and political policies towards Hong Kong. During the transition period, several events occurred that caused investors, foreign and domestic, to reexamine and revise their perceptions about concentrating their investment in Hong Kong. These events were the ongoing negotiations between China and Great Britain that resulted in the signing of the Joint Resolution and the Basic Law, the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, and Deng Xaioping’s visit to China’s southern provinces in 1992. As a result, Hong Kong provides a particularly relevant example of the impact government policies can have on investor confidence and capital mobility.
Efficient Prediction of Excess Returns

Abstract It is well known that augmenting a standard linear regression model with variables that are correlated with the error term but uncorrelated with the original regressors will increase the asymptotic efficiency of the original coefficients. We argue that in the context of predicting excess returns, valid augmenting variables exist and are likely to yield substantial gains in estimation efficiency and, hence, predictive accuracy. The proposed augmenting variables are ex post measures of an unforecastable component of excess returns: ex post errors from macroeconomic survey forecasts, the surprise components of asset price movements around macroeconomic news announcements, or even the weather. These “surprises” cannot be used directly in forecasting—they are not observed at the time that the forecast is made—but can nonetheless improve forecasting accuracy by reducing parameter estimation uncertainty. We derive formal results about the benefits and limits of this approach and apply it to standard exa...
Explicit formulas for the waldspurger and bessel models

This paper studies certain models of irreducible admissible representations of the split special orthogonal group SO(2n+1) over a nonarchimedean local field. Ifn=1, these models were considered by Waldspurger. Ifn=2, they were considered by Novodvorsky and Piatetski-Shapiro, who called them Bessel models. In the works of these authors, uniqueness of the models is established; in this paper functional equations and explicit formulas for them are obtained. As a global application, the Bessel period of the Eisenstein series on SO(2n+1) formed with a cuspidal automorphic representation π on GL(n) is computed—it is shown to be a product of L-series. This generalizes work of Bocherer and Mizumoto forn=2 and base field ℚ, and puts it in a representation-theoretic context. In an appendix by M. Furusawa, a new Rankin-Selberg integral is given for the standardL-function on SO(2n+1)×GL(n). The local analysis of the integral is carried out using the formulas of the paper.
On the information role of stock recommendation revisions

We examine the information transmission role of stock recommendation revisions by sell-side security analysts. Revisions are associated with economically insignificant mean price reactions and often piggyback on recent news, events, long-term momentum, and short-run contrarian return predictors, typically downgrading after bad news and upgrading after good news. However, the revisions are usually information-free for investors. The findings go against the long-standing view that recommendations are an important means by which analysts assimilate information into stock prices. They disagree with the view of policymakers that analysts’ stock picks materially impact stock prices.
Achievable Error Exponents in the Gaussian Channel With Rate-Limited Feedback

We investigate the achievable error probability in communication over an AWGN discrete time memoryless channel with noiseless delayless rate-limited feedback. For the case where the feedback rate RFB is lower than the data rate R transmitted over the forward channel, we show that the decay of the probability of error is at most exponential in blocklength, and obtain an upper bound for increase in the error exponent due to feedback. Furthermore, we show that the use of feedback in this case results in an error exponent that is at least RFB higher than the error exponent in the absence of feedback. For the case where the feedback rate exceeds the forward rate (RFB ≥ R), we propose a simple iterative scheme that achieves a probability of error that decays doubly exponentially with the codeword blocklength n. More generally, for some positive integer L, we show that a L-th order exponential error decay is achievable if RFB ≥ (L-1)R. While the above results are proved under an average feedback rate constraint, we show that all the achievability results for RFB ≥ R hold in a more restrictive case where the feedback constraint is expressed in terms of the per-channel-use feedback rate. Our results show that the error exponent as a function of RFB has a strong discontinuity at R, where it jumps from a finite value to infinity.
Predictive analysis for social processes I: Multi-scale hybrid system modeling

This two-part paper presents a new approach to predictive analysis for social processes. In Part I, we begin by identifying a class of social processes which are simultaneously important in applications and difficult to predict using existing methods. It is shown that these processes can be modeled within a multi-scale, stochastic hybrid system framework that is sociologically sensible, expressive, illuminating, and amenable to formal analysis. Among other advantages, the proposed modeling framework enables proper characterization of the interplay between the intrinsic aspects of a social process (e.g., the “appeal” of a political movement) and the social dynamics which are its realization; this characterization is key to successful social process prediction. The utility of the modeling methodology is illustrated through a case study involving the global SARS epidemic of 2002–2003. Part II of the paper then leverages this modeling framework to develop a rigorous, computationally tractable approach to social process predictive analysis.
Testing a simple polygon for monotonicity optimally in parallel

Abstract We show that, in parallel, an n -vertex simple polygon can be tested for monotonicity optimally in O(log n ) time using O( n /log n ) EREW PRAM processors, and we present two different optimal parallel algorithms for solving this problem. Our result leads to an optimal parallel algorithm for triangulating simple polygons that runs in O(log n ) time using O( n /log n ) EREW PRAM processors if the polygons are monotone.
Synchronization of communicating processes

Formalization of a well-defined synchronization mechanism can be used to prove that concurrently running processes of a system communicate correctly. This is demonstrated for a system consisting of many sending processes which deposit messages in a buffer and many receiving processes which remove messages from that buffer. The formal description of the synchronization mechanism makes it very easy to prove that the buffer will neither overflow nor underflow, that senders and receivers will never operate on the same message frame in the buffer nor will they run into a deadlock.
What type of vehicle do people drive? The role of attitude and lifestyle in influencing vehicle type choice

Traditionally, economists and market researchers have been interested in identifying the factors that affect consumers' car buying behaviors to estimate market share, and to that end they have developed various models of vehicle type choice. However, they do not usually consider consumers' travel attitudes, personality, lifestyle, and mobility as factors that may affect the vehicle type choice. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of such factors to individuals' vehicle type choices, and to develop a disaggregate choice model of vehicle type based on these factors as well as typical demographic variables. The data for this study comes from a 1998 mail-out/mail-back survey of 1904 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. The dependent variable (the vehicle type the respondent drives most often) is classified into nine categories: small, compact, mid-sized, large, luxury, sports, minivan/van, pickup, and sport utility vehicle. Based on these categories, we first related vehicle type to travel attitude, personality, lifestyle, mobility, and demographic variables individually, using one-way analysis of variance and chi-squared tests. Then, a multinomial logit model for vehicle type choice was estimated. The final model (which possessed the IIA property) confirmed that the variables analyzed significantly affect an individual's vehicle type choice. These results provide useful background not only to vehicle manufacturers, but also to decision makers and planners of transportation policy related to vehicle ownership, traffic congestion, and energy consumption.
Blind high-resolution localization and tracking of multiple frequency hopped signals

This paper considers the problem of blind localization and tracking of multiple frequency-hopped spread-spectrum signals using a uniform linear antenna array without knowledge of hopping patterns or directions of arrival. As a preprocessing step, we propose to identify a hop-free subset of data by discarding high-entropy spectral slices from the spectrogram. High-resolution localization is then achieved via either quadrilinear regression of four-way data generated by capitalizing on both spatial and temporal shift invariance or a new maximum likelihood (ML)-based two-dimensional (2-D) harmonic retrieval algorithm. The latter option achieves the best-known model identifiability bound while remaining close to the Cramer-Rao bound even at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Following beamforming using the recovered directions, a dynamic programming approach is developed for joint ML estimation of signal frequencies and hop instants in single-user tracking. The efficacy of the proposed algorithms is illustrated in pertinent simulations.
Radical [1,3] Rearrangements of Breslow Intermediates.

Breslow intermediates that bear radical-stabilizing N substituents, such as benzyl, cinnamyl, and diarylmethyl, undergo facile homolytic C-N bond scission under mild conditions to give products of formal [1,3] rearrangement rather than benzoin condensation. EPR experiments and computational analysis support a radical-based mechanism. Implications for thiamine-based enzymes are discussed.
The Relationship of Problem-Solving Styles to the Factor Composition of Tests

This study was undertaken to learn more about the way in which the characteristics being measured by a test vary with the kind of examinee taking the test or with the problem-solving style he uses in approaching test problems. Briefly, the procedure for this study included the following steps: (1) The subjects took 15 tests which would later be examined by factor analysis. (2) In order to find out what problem-solving styles the subjects used, they were required to fill out a questionnaire about their background and their approach to test problems, and were interviewed while they solved items similar to ones they had faced on the tests. In all, more than 100 items of information about each subject were gathered. (3) As an aid in recognizing the important problem-solving styles in these data, the intercorrelations of the interview, questionnaire, and test variables were factor analyzed. (4) These variables, after being grouped and selected by the factor analysis, were used to divide the subjects into 17 different pairs of subsamples representing different problem-solving styles or different background characteristics that might be expected to affect the way in which a person solves problems. (5) All subsamples in the 17 pairs and also the whole group were then used in performing separate factor analyses of the same 15 tests, in all of which five factors were extracted and rotated. (6) Factor loadings and factor intercorrelations were compared for the two subsamples in each pair. The problem-solving approaches used for dividing many of the pairs of subsamples distinguished some kind of systematizing approach from a scanning approach. This is a distinction emphasized by Bloom and Broden and probably related to Gardner's Focusing vs. Scanning and Witkin's Analytic Attitude or Field-Independence. While some of the divisions into pairs of subsamples revealed no substantial differences either in the loadings of the 15 tests on the five factors or in the intercorrelations of the factors, many interesting differences occurred. In particular the development of a systematic approach to solving the items of a test frequently reduced the loadings of that test on the factor which usually characterized it best. Also, for subjects using a systematic rather than an intuitive or scanning approach to test items, the space factor was usually found to be relatively less correlated with the verbal and mathematical factors and the verbal and mathematical factors were found to be more highly correlated with each other. An attempt is made to account for these findings psychologically by supposing that systematic persons develop specialized techniques for solving the visible, concrete spatial problems that are quite different from the symbolic techniques that they can use for solving problems in either of the symbolic areas, verbal and mathematics.
Decomposing random mechanisms

Random mechanisms have been used in real-life situations for reasons such as fairness. Voting and matching are two examples of such situations. We investigate whether desirable properties of a random mechanism survive decomposition of the mechanism as a lottery over deterministic mechanisms that also hold such properties. To this end, we represent properties of mechanisms—such as ordinal strategy-proofness or individual rationality—using linear constraints. Using the theory of totally unimodular matrices from combinatorial integer programming, we show that total unimodularity is a sufficient condition for the decomposability of linear constraints on random mechanisms. As two illustrative examples, we show that individual rationality is totally unimodular in general, and that strategy-proofness is totally unimodular in some individual choice models. However, strategy-proofness, unanimity, and feasibility together are not totally unimodular in collective choice environments in general. We thus introduce a direct constructive approach for such problems. Using this approach, we prove that feasibility, strategy-proofness, and unanimity, with and without anonymity, are decomposable on non-dictatorial single-peaked voting domains.
A NON-RADIAL ERUPTION IN A QUADRUPOLAR MAGNETIC CONFIGURATION WITH A CORONAL NULL

We report one of the several homologous non-radial eruptions from NOAA active region (AR) 11158 that are strongly modulated by the local magnetic field as observed with the Solar Dynamic Observatory. A small bipole emerged in the sunspot complex and subsequently created a quadrupolar flux system. Nonlinear force-free field extrapolation from vector magnetograms reveals its energetic nature: the fast-shearing bipole accumulated ∼2 × 10 31 erg free energy (10% of AR total) over just one day despite its relatively small magnetic flux (5% of AR total). During the eruption, the ejected plasma followed a highly inclined trajectory, over 60 ◦ with respect to the radial direction, forming a jet-like, inverted-Y-shaped structure in its wake. Field extrapolation suggests complicated magnetic connectivity with a coronal null point, which is favorable of reconnection between different flux components in the quadrupolar system. Indeed, multiple pairs of flare ribbons brightened simultaneously, and coronal reconnection signatures appeared near the inferred null. Part of the magnetic setting resembles that of a blowout-type jet; the observed inverted-Y structure likely outlines the open field lines along the separatrix surface. Owing to the asymmetrical photospheric flux distribution, the confining magnetic pressure decreases much faster horizontally than upward. This special field geometry likely guided the non-radial eruption during its initial stage.
Packaged Au-PPy valves for drug delivery systems

The most common methods for the drug delivery are swallowing pills or receiving injections. However, formulations that control the rate and period of medicine (i.e., time-release medications) are still problematic. The proposed implantable devices which include batteries, sensors, telemetry, valves, and drug storage reservoirs provide an alternative method for the responsive drug delivery system [1]. Using this device, drug concentration can be precisely controlled which enhances drug efficiency and decreases the side effects. In order to achieve responsive drug delivery, a reliable release valve has to be developed. Biocompatibility, low energy consumption, and minimized leakage are the main requirements for such release method. A bilayer structure composed of Au/PPy film is fabricated as a flap to control the release valve. Optimized potentiostatic control to synthesize polypyrrole (PPy) is presented. The release of miniaturize valve is tested and showed in this paper. A novel idea to simultaneously fabricate the device reservoirs as well as protective packaging is proposed in this paper. The solution of PDMS permeability problem is also mentioned in this article.
Dipole–Dipole Interactions of Charged-Magnetic Grains

The interaction between dust grains is an important process in fields as diverse as planetesimal formation or the plasma processing of silicon wafers into computer chips. This interaction depends in large part on the material properties of the grains (for example, whether the grains are conducting, nonconducting, ferrous, or nonferrous). This paper considers the effects that electrostatic and magnetic forces, alone or in combination, can have on the coagulation of dust in various environments. A numerical model is used to simulate the coagulation of charged, charged-magnetic, and magnetic dust aggregates formed from a ferrous material, and the results are compared to each other as well as to those from an uncharged nonmagnetic material. The interactions between extended dust aggregates are also examined, specifically looking at how the arrangement of charge over the aggregate surface or the inclusion of a magnetic material produces dipole-dipole interactions. It will be shown that these dipole-dipole interactions can affect the orientation and structural formation of aggregates as they collide and stick. An analysis of the resulting dust populations will also demonstrate the impact that grain composition and/or charge can have on the structure of the aggregate, as characterized by the resulting fractal dimension.
Capacity achieving code constructions for two classes of (d,k) constraints

This correspondence presents two variable-rate encoding algorithms that achieve capacity for the (d,k) constraint when k=2d+1, or when k-d+1 is not prime. The first algorithm, symbol sliding, is a generalized version of the bit flipping algorithm introduced by Aviran In addition to achieving capacity for (d,2d+1) constraints, it comes close to capacity in other cases. The second algorithm is based on interleaving and is a generalized version of the bit stuffing algorithm introduced by Bender and Wolf. This method uses fewer than k-d biased bit streams to achieve capacity for (d,k) constraints with k-d+1 not prime. In particular, the encoder for (d,d+2/sup m/-1) constraints 2 /spl les/ m < /spl infin/ requires only m biased bit streams.
Wavenumber-domain SAR focusing from a nonuniform synthetic aperture

In the wavenumber-domain method of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, frequency-domain radar data are used to reconstruct a portion of the 2D Fourier transform of the scene, which is then inverted to create the image. The method suffers no inherent limits on aperture length or scene size. The concept is extended to the case where the synthetic aperture is not a straight line and the samples are unevenly spaced. An accumulation formula for wavenumber-domain reconstruction is derived and shown to be equivalent to earlier algorithms in the uniform-aperture case. It is then shown how data with three-dimensional irregularity in the aperture can be processed using height correction and mapping into the slant plane. >
Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Although there are several methods available for colon cancer screening, none is optimal. This article reviews methods for screening, including fecal occult blood tests, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, CT colonography, capsule endoscopy, and double contrast barium enema. A simple, inexpensive, noninvasive, and relatively sensitive screening test is needed to identify people at risk for developing advanced adenomas or colorectal cancer who would benefit from colonoscopy. It is hoped that new markers will be identified that perform better. Until then we fortunately have a variety of screening strategies that do work.