cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion’s Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds

The culinary and medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus is widely consumed in Asian countries, but apparently not in the United States, for its nutritional and health benefits. To stimulate broader interest in the reported beneficial properties, this overview surveys and consolidates the widely scattered literature on the chemistry (isolation and structural characterization) of polysaccharides and secondary metabolites such as erinacines, hericerins, hericenones, resorcinols, steroids, mono- and diterpenes, and volatile aroma compounds, nutritional composition, food and industrial uses, and exceptional nutritional and health-promoting aspects of H. erinaceus. The reported health-promoting properties of the mushroom fruit bodies, mycelia, and bioactive pure compounds include antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, antifatigue, antihypertensive, antihyperlipodemic, antisenescence, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective properties and improvement of anxiety, cognitive function, and depression. The described anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and immunostimulating properties in cells, animals, and humans seem to be responsible for the multiple health-promoting properties. A wide range of research advances and techniques are described and evaluated. The collated information and suggestion for further research might facilitate and guide further studies to optimize the use of the whole mushrooms and about 70 characterized actual and potential bioactive secondary metabolites to help prevent or treat human chronic, cognitive, and neurological diseases.
Upconversion-based receivers for quantum hacking-resistant quantum key distribution

We propose a novel upconversion (sum frequency generation)-based quantum-optical system design that can be employed as a receiver (Bob) in practical quantum key distribution systems. The pump governing the upconversion process is produced and utilized inside the physical receiver, making its access or control unrealistic for an external adversary (Eve). This pump facilitates several properties which permit Bob to define and control the modes that can participate in the quantum measurement. Furthermore, by manipulating and monitoring the characteristics of the pump pulses, Bob can detect a wide range of quantum hacking attacks launched by Eve.
T-duality off shell in 3D type II superspace

We give the manifestly T-dual formulation of the massless sector of the classical 3D Type II superstring in off-shell 3D $ \mathcal{N} $ = 2 superspace, including the action. It has a simple relation to the known superspace of 4D $ \mathcal{N} $ = 1 supergravity in 4D M-theory via 5D F-theory. The prepotential appears as part of the vielbein, without derivatives.
Highly stereoselective synthesis of trisubstituted cyclohexanols using a guanidine-catalyzed tandem Henry-Michael reaction.

A highly diastereoselective (dr >99:1) and enantioselective (ee value up to 98%) synthesis of trisubstituted cyclohexanols was achieved by using a tandem Henry–-Michael reaction between nitromethane and 7-oxo-hept-5-enals catalyzed by the Misaki–Sugimura guanidine.
A Novel Computational Framework for the Oxidation of C/C Composites Under Thermal Shock

In this paper, the influence of thermal shock conditions on both, the extent of carbon materials decomposition and the through-thickness compressive stiffness degradation of 2D woven C/C composites is predicted by computational efforts and validated against experimental results. The proposed computational framework consists of two main steps: a) A radiation heat transfer analysis on a meso-scale C/C composite model exposed to thermal shock conditions accounting for the heat flux in the form of gas due to carbon material decomposition within the meso-scale model; b) A stress analysis to model the carbon stiffness degradation due to oxidation observed in the previous step. This is followed by a through-thickness compressive analysis on the meso-scale model to determine its compressive stiffness. The predicted oxidation behavior and compressive responses of the meso-scale model under various thermal shock conditions are compared with previously published experimental results, resulting in good agreement. In conclusion, the proposed computational framework can be used to aid in the design of C/C composites and protection systems. This computational model has the potential of extension to other C/C composites by changing the fiber architecture, weave pattern and/or fiber volume fraction.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Lymphatic Drainage in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Back to the Basics

Lymphatic drainage in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is unpredictable, however, basic patterns can be observed in cadaveric and sentinel lymph node mapping studies in patients with RCC. The existence of peripheral lymphovenous communications at the level of the renal vein has been shown in mammals but remains unknown in humans. The sentinel lymph node biopsy technique can be safely applied to map lymphatic drainage patterns in patients with RCC. Further standardisation of sentinel node biopsy techniques is required to improve the clinical significance of mapping studies. Understanding lymphatic drainage in RCC may lead to an evidence-based consensus on the surgical management of retroperitoneal lymph nodes.
Iterative, Aqueous Synthesis of β3-Oligopeptides without Coupling Reagents

The chemoselective synthesis of amides by decarboxylative couplings of alpha-ketoacids and isoxazolidines makes possible an iterative approach to poly-beta3-peptides. Peptide assembly occurs under aqueous conditions and requires no coupling reagents. The requisite isoxazolidine monomers are prepared in enantiopure form by a convenient two-step protocol starting from the appropriate aldehydes.
OptoDyCE: Automated system for high-throughput all-optical dynamic cardiac electrophysiology

In the last two decades, <30% of drugs withdrawals from the market were due to cardiac toxicity, where unintended interactions with ion channels disrupt the heart’s normal electrical function. Consequently, all new drugs must undergo preclinical testing for cardiac liability, adding to an already expensive and lengthy process. Recognition that proarrhythmic effects often result from drug action on multiple ion channels demonstrates a need for integrative and comprehensive measurements. Additionally, patient-specific therapies relying on emerging technologies employing stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes (e.g. induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes, iPSC-CMs) require better screening methods to become practical. However, a high-throughput, cost-effective approach for cellular cardiac electrophysiology has not been feasible. Optical techniques for manipulation and recording provide a contactless means of dynamic, high-throughput testing of cells and tissues. Here, we consider the requirements for all-optical electrophysiology for drug testing, and we implement and validate OptoDyCE, a fully automated system for all-optical cardiac electrophysiology. We demonstrate the high-throughput capabilities using multicellular samples in 96-well format by combining optogenetic actuation with simultaneous fast high-resolution optical sensing of voltage or intracellular calcium. The system can also be implemented using iPSC-CMs and other cell-types by delivery of optogenetic drivers, or through the modular use of dedicated light-sensitive somatic cells in conjunction with non-modified cells. OptoDyCE provides a truly modular and dynamic screening system, capable of fully-automated acquisition of high-content information integral for improved discovery and development of new drugs and biologics, as well as providing a means of better understanding of electrical disturbances in the heart.
Alkylation of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles via In Situ Sulfonyl Transfer

A convenient synthesis of N-substituted heterocycles from primary and secondary alcohols and N-sulfonyl heterocycles is described. The reaction proceeds through sulfonyl transfer and in situ formation of activated alcohol derivatives. The formation of alkyl sulfonates as transient intermediates mitigates challenges associated with isolation of these reactive species. N-Sulfonyl heteroarenes were found to be stable over prolonged time, and efficiently coupled to a variety of alcohols.
Frontier as Resource: Law, Crime, and Sovereignty on the Margins of Empire

Nineteenth-century European colonialism produced a textured and uneven legal terrain rather than homogeneous imperial units. The fragmentation of sovereignty between empires and subordinated states created frontier zones that unsettled the workings of governance. This article views the developing landscape of power in high colonial South Asia from the loosely controlled frontier zone between Hyderabad, a Princely State ruled by sovereign Muslim dynasts titled Nizams, and the Bombay Presidency, part of Britain's Indian Empire, or Raj. I argue that the heterogeneous legal terrain along the border was a useful resource for administrators and subjects. State officials of both Hyderabad and Bombay justified various projects there; subjects of the two states shopped forums in a legal pluralist environment; and populations on either side of the border whose livelihoods and political agendas ran afoul of social pressures or the economic and cultural imperatives of state projects fled there from adversity. I examine cases of alleged cattle rustlers, bandits, and prostitutes and their engagements with police and courts to explore the political challenges and possibilities the frontier offered different groups. Colonial attempts to extend racialized policing practices across the frontier were frequently met by machinations of marginal people trying to avoid imprisonment or extricate themselves from oppressive social structures. Such figures could use the ambiguity of frontier legal authority to their advantage. The picture that emerges is one of a brute and often-arbitrary colonial power offset by alternative malleable sovereignties that resourceful subjects could play against one another.
Analysis of Petal Rotation Trajectory Characteristics

In this study, the characteristics of petal rotation trajectories are explored in both the two-body problem and the circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP). Petal rotation trajectories alter...
Applications of a Simple Counting Technique

(1983). Applications of a Simple Counting Technique. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 90, No. 2, pp. 127-129.
Metal−Molecule Schottky Junction Effects in Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering

We propose a complementary interpretation of the mechanism responsible for the strong enhancement observed in surface enhanced raman scattering (SERS). The effect of a strong static local electric field due to the Schottky barrier at the metal-molecule junction on SERS is systematically investigated. The study provides a viable explanation to the low repeatability of SERS experiments as well as the Raman peak shifts as observed in SERS and raw Raman spectra. It was found that a strong electrostatic built-in field at the metal-molecule junction along specific orientations can result in 2-4 more orders of enhancement in SERS.
Is living in African cities expensive

Although several studies have examined why overall price levels are higher in richer countries, little is known about whether there is a similar relationship at the urban and city level across countries. This paper compares the price levels of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa with those of other regions by analyzing price information collected for the 2011 round of the International Comparison Program. Readjusting the calculated price levels from national to urban levels, the analysis indicates that African cities are relatively more expensive, despite having lower income levels. The price levels of goods and services consumed by households are up to 31percent higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other low- and middle-income countries, relative to their income levels. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are especially expensive, with price levels around 35 percent higher than in other countries. The paper also analyzes price information collected by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, and obtains a similar result, indicating higher prices of goods and services in African cities.
How the July 2014 easterly wind burst gave the 2015–2016 El Niño a head start

Following strong westerly wind bursts in boreal winter and spring of 2014, both the scientific community and the popular press were abuzz with the possibility of a major El Nino developing. However, during the boreal summer of 2014, the Bjerknes feedback failed to kick in, aided and abetted by a strong easterly wind burst. The widely anticipated major 2014–2015 El Nino event failed to materialize and even failed to qualify as an El Nino by conventional definitions. However, the boreal summer easterly wind burst had the effect of not only inhibiting the growth of the El Nino event but also preventing and then reversing the discharge of the equatorial heat content that typically occurs during the course of an El Nino event. This head start of equatorial heat content helped push the 2015–2016 El Nino event to extreme magnitude.
Impact of sludge layer geometry on the hydraulic performance of a waste stabilization pond

Improving the hydraulic performance of waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) is an important management strategy to not only ensure protection of public health and the environment, but also to maximize the potential reuse of valuable resources found in the treated effluent. To reuse effluent from WSPs, a better understanding of the factors that impact the hydraulic performance of the system is needed. One major factor determining the hydraulic performance of a WSP is sludge accumulation, which alters the volume of the pond. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was applied to investigate the impact of sludge layer geometry on hydraulic performance of a facultative pond, typically used in many small communities throughout the developing world. Four waste stabilization pond cases with different sludge volumes and distributions were investigated. Results indicate that sludge distribution and volume have a significant impact on wastewater treatment efficiency and capacity. Although treatment capacity is reduced with accumulation of sludge, the latter may induce a baffling effect which causes the flow to behave closer to that of plug flow reactor and thus increase treatment efficiency. In addition to sludge accumulation and distribution, the impact of water surface level is also investigated through two additional cases. Findings show that an increase in water level while keeping a constant flow rate can result in a significant decrease in the hydraulic performance by reducing the sludge baffling effect, suggesting a careful monitoring of sludge accumulation and water surface level in WSP systems.
Private Provision of Social Insurance: Drug-specific Price Elasticities and Cost Sharing in Medicare Part D

We explore how private drug plans set cost-sharing in the context of Medicare Part D. While publicly-provided drug coverage typically involves uniform cost-sharing across drugs, we document substantial heterogeneity in the cost-sharing for different drugs within privately-provided plans. We also document that private plans systematically set higher consumer cost sharing for drugs or classes associated with more elastic demand; to do so we estimate price elasticities of demand across more than 150 drugs and across more than 100 therapeutic classes. We conclude by discussing the various channels that likely affect private plans' cost-sharing decisions.
Pension Enhancements and the Retention of Public Employees

The authors use data from workers in the largest public-sector occupation in the United States—teaching—to examine the effect of pension enhancements on employee retention. Specifically, they study...
Malformations of the Atlas Vertebra Simulating the Jefferson Fracture

Congenital clefts and aplasias of the atlas vertebra, while rare, are often first encountered in the emergency room setting. Thirty-six patients with atlas malformations and 10 with Jefferson fractures were encountered. Sixteen of the patients with congenital malformations showed bilateral atlantoaxial lateral offset, a finding generally considered to be the result of fracture. The diagnosis of these abnormalities is readily made from plain films by noting their characteristic features. Anomalies produce lateral offset of 1–2 mm. Jefferson fractures produce a greater offset (over 3 mm).
Changing patterns of nucleic acids, basic and acidic proteins in generative and vegetative nuclei during pollen germination and pollen tube growth in Hippeastrum belladonna

Abstract Generative and vegetative nuclei of mature and germinated pollen grains from Hippeastrum belladonna were separated in a continuous Ficoll gradient. Less than 3% contamination was observed between the generative and vegetative nuclear fractions. The vegetative nuclei were composed of two populations; the larger population consisted of nuclei with 1C levels of DNA and the smaller with 2C levels. The generative nuclei consisted of a homogeneous population composed of nuclei possessing 2C levels of DNA. Histone synthesis did not occur in vegetative nuclei. Changes appeared in the gel-electrophoretic banding patterns of the F1 histones of vegetative nuclei during germination. Changes were not observed in the generative nuclei. A reduction of general proteins and RNA was observed in vegetative nuclei by 20 h of germination. The phenol-soluble nuclear proteins of vegetative nuclei revealed transitions in electrophoretic banding patterns during pollen germination that were greater than those shown by the histones. These changes in the PSNP primarily involved reduced concentrations of certain proteins rather than synthesis of new ones. However, a new band was observed in the electrophoretic pattern of the PSNP of vegetative nuclei after 12 h of pollen tube growth. No transition was seen in the PSNP of generative nuclei during pollen germination and tube growth. The regulatory role of the PSNP in cell differentiation is discussed in the light of these findings.
Chemical and Isotopic Thresholds in Charring: Implications for the Interpretation of Charcoal Mass and Isotopic Data

Charcoal plays a significant role in the long-term carbon cycle, and its use as a soil amendment is promoted as a C sequestration strategy (biochar). One challenge in this research area is understanding the heterogeneity of charcoal properties. Although the maximum reaction temperature is often used as a gauge of pyrolysis conditions, pyrolysis duration also changes charcoal physicochemical qualities. Here, we introduce a formal definition of charring intensity (CI) to more accurately characterize pyrolysis, and we document variation in charcoal chemical properties with variation in CI. We find two types of responses to CI: either linear or threshold relationships. Mass yield decreases linearly with CI, while a threshold exists across which % C, % N, and δ(15)N exhibit large changes. This CI threshold co-occurs with an increase in charcoal aromaticity. C isotopes do not change from original biomass values, supporting the use of charcoal δ(13)C signatures to infer paleoecological conditions. Fractionation of N isotopes indicates that fire may be enriching soils in (15)N through pyrolytic N isotope fractionation. This influx of "black N" could have a significant impact on soil N isotopes, which we show theoretically using a simple mass-balance model.
Critical Care Follow-up Clinics: A Scoping Review of Interventions and Outcomes

Objective The purpose of this scoping review is to identify evidence describing benefits of interventions provided in intensive care unit (ICU) survivor follow-up clinics. Background Advances in ICU treatments have increased the number of survivors who require specialized care for ICU-related sequelae. Intensive care unit survivor follow-up clinics exist, yet little is known about the nature and impact of interventions provided in such clinics. A scoping review of publications about in-person post-ICU follow-up care was undertaken. Method Ten databases were searched yielding 111 relevant unique publication titles and abstracts. Sample heterogeneity supported using a scoping review method. After excluding nonrelated publications, 33 reports were fully reviewed. Twenty international publications were included that described ICU follow-up clinic interventions and/or outcomes. Results Authors discussed very diverse interventions in 15 publications, and 9 reported some level of intervention effectiveness. Evidence was strongest that supported the use of prospective diaries as an intervention to prevent or improve psychological symptoms, whereas evidence to support implementation of other interventions was weak. Conclusions Although ICU follow-up clinics exist, evidence for interventions and effectiveness of treatments in these clinics remains underexplored. Implications Intensive care unit survivor follow-up clinics provide a venue for further interdisciplinary intervention research that could lead to better health outcomes for ICU survivors.
Room-temperature InGaAs diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser

Impressive performance has been demonstrated recently in diode-pumped Nd3+ lasers; however, a number of problems, such as narrow absorption bandwidth, thermal loading, and limited energy storage, make it difficult for these lasers to achieve higher powers and efficiencies. InGaAs diode-pumped Yb3+ lasers offer a number of advantages over Nd3+ lasers, including large absorption bandwidth in some hosts, lower heating per unit pump power, and longer upper-state lifetime. Here we report on an InGaAs diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser that we believe to be the first room-temperature Yb3+ laser in a bulk material.
A Systematic Approach to Applying Seasonal Load Restrictions

Weigh-in-Motion sensors and environmental and structural instruments are being used by many state departments of transportation not only to monitor traffic, but also to evaluate the effect of different factors including traffic, temperature and strain on the life of pavement. A significant amount of information on instrumented test sections is available from test sites such as MNRoad, VA Smart road and NCAT, which continue to provide valuable information regarding different aspects of pavement design and performance. All pavement sections, however, are traversed by unique combinations of traffic during distinct temperature conditions. While general conclusions from an instrumented asphalt pavement test section in one state are applicable to other states, the unique combinations of temperature and traffic in any state call for state-specific data, such as seasonal load restrictions, when making policy decisions which impact the life of pavement, such as seasonal load restrictions. Many miles of low to medium volume roads in the state of Maine are traversed by heavy trucks, a large percentage of which transport logs for the forest product/paper industry, and these trucks have unique combinations of axle/wheels and trailers that are not commonly found in other states. Additionally, Maine experiences a pronounced fluctuation of temperature throughout the year. This study gathered traffic, environmental and pavement strain data on a section of Route 15 in Guilford, Maine with the following objectives: 1. To determine the traffic type and load distribution across different months; 2. To develop a model to predict pavement temperature at the location of critical strains; 3. To evaluate the effect of temperature on tensile strain in an asphalt pavement layer; 4. To develop a policy for placing and lifting the State of Maine’s seasonal load restrictions. This paper presents a sample of the data gathered, the analysis method employed, and suggests a systematic approach to using the data to determine appropriate times for placing and lifting of seasonal load restrictions based on environmental conditions, to minimize damage to the pavement and maximize pavement life. Since the data and observed performance can also be used to estimate the contribution of traffic in different seasons toward the damage of the pavement, both can be used to approximate the life expectancy of a pavement through rational means.
A Cybersecurity Test and Evaluation Facility for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing the Cybersecurity Test and Evaluation Facility (CyTF) for the FAA Air Transportation System as it transitions to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). This paper describes the goals, capabilities, architecture, current implementation, initial experience, lessons learned and future implementation of the CyTF. The FAA Air Transportation System is an attractive cybersecurity threat target and the FAA must proactively and continually adjust its cybersecurity capabilities to match the changing cybersecurity threat landscape. The CyTF is providing an adaptable cybersecurity research and development environment independent of the operational system to satisfy research, test and evaluation needs. The CyTF has a number of complex requirements: testing cybersecurity tools and technologies prior to their integration into the Air Transportation System, the evaluation of individual FAA Air Transportation subsystems security, security of end-to-end services involving multiple subsystems, procedures to respond and recover from a cybersecurity event and cybersecurity training of the FAA workforce. One of the major lessons learned, described in the paper, has been how to address some aspects of the CyTF’s complex requirements.
Parallel Operation of One-Cycle Controlled Three-Phase PFC Rectifiers

Parallel operation of three-phase power-factor-corrected (PFC) rectifiers is a critical issue for high-power applications, since it extends the power range to a much higher level and allows modular design. The technical challenges are current sharing and circulating current control among the modules. This paper studies these phenomena within two paralleled rectifiers and proposes a new current-sharing method based on one-cycle control (OCC) with vector operation and bipolar operation. With some minor additions to the original OCC circuit and a simple add-on communication path among the individual modules, the input current is shared and the circulating current is limited, while the OCC advantages, such as constant switching frequency, no multipliers, and simple circuitry, are preserved. Two OCC PFC rectifiers of 2.5 kW each were built and tied together using the proposed parallel operation method. Experiments have demonstrated the simplicity and the effectiveness of this method.
Advancing Research and Practice: The Revised APA Division 30 Definition of Hypnosis

This article describes the history, rationale, and guidelines for developing a new definition of hypnosis by the Society of Psychological Hypnosis, Division 30 of the American Psychological Association. The definition was developed with the aim of being concise, heuristic, and allowing for alternative theories of the mechanisms (to be determined in empirical scientific study). The definition of hypnosis is presented as well as definitions of the following related terms: hypnotic induction, hypnotizability, and hypnotherapy. The implications for advancing research and practice are discussed. The definitions are presented within the article.
The Elephant (or Donkey) in the Boardroom How Board Political Ideology Affects CEO Pay

We examine how directors’ political ideologies, specifically the board-level average of how conservative or liberal directors are, influence boards’ decisions about CEO compensation. Integrating research on corporate governance and political psychology, we theorize that conservative and liberal boards will differ in their prevailing beliefs about the appropriate amounts CEOs should be paid and, relatedly, the extent to which CEOs should be rewarded or penalized for recent firm performance. Using a donation-based index to measure the political ideologies of directors serving on S&P 1500 company boards, we test our ideas on a sample of over 4,000 CEOs from 1998 to 2013. Consistent with our predictions, we show that conservative boards pay CEOs more than liberal boards and that the relationship between recent firm performance and CEO pay is stronger for conservative boards than for liberal boards. We further demonstrate that these relationships are more pronounced when focusing specifically on the directors ...
Extending geometrical optics: A Lagrangian theory for vector waves

Even when neglecting diffraction effects, the well-known equations of geometrical optics (GO) are not entirely accurate. Traditional GO treats wave rays as classical particles, which are completely described by their coordinates and momenta, but vector-wave rays have another degree of freedom, namely, their polarization. The polarization degree of freedom manifests itself as an effective (classical) “wave spin” that can be assigned to rays and can affect the wave dynamics accordingly. A well-known manifestation of polarization dynamics is mode conversion, which is the linear exchange of quanta between different wave modes and can be interpreted as a rotation of the wave spin. Another, less-known polarization effect is the polarization-driven bending of ray trajectories. This work presents an extension and reformulation of GO as a first-principle Lagrangian theory, whose effective Hamiltonian governs the aforementioned polarization phenomena simultaneously. As an example, the theory is applied to describe ...
Air Pollution Exposure Indicators: Review of Ground-Level Monitoring Data Availability and Proposed Calculation Method

This paper identifies opportunities to refine OECD’s indicators of air pollution and population exposure to air pollution, and their periodic production for OECD and G20 countries. First, a comprehensive review is conducted of the publicly available ground-level air monitoring data for the selected countries, including their geographic coverage, data quality, comparability, etc. Second, the paper evaluates the potential applications of ground monitoring measurements for the construction of policy-relevant and internationally comparable indicators across OECD and G20 countries. Given the limited public availability of data and the incomplete geographic coverage in countries outside of Europe and North America, this paper concludes that such data are not suitable for the development of the OECD indicators of air pollution and population exposure to air pollution that need to be harmonised across countries and over time. A hybrid approach is instead recommended as a superior alternative that draws on both satellite data combined with a chemical transport model calibrated using ground-based measurements. Ce rapport etudie les possibilites d’affiner les indicateurs de l’OCDE concernant la pollution de l’air et l’exposition de la population a la pollution de l’air, et leur production reguliere pour les pays de l’OCDE et ceux du G20. Il propose pour commencer un examen tres complet des donnees publiques de surveillance de l’air au niveau du sol disponibles dans les pays etudies, en s’interessant notamment a leur couverture geographique, la qualite des donnees, leur comparabilite, etc. Il evalue ensuite les possibilites de construire, a l’aide des mesures au sol, des indicateurs pertinents pour l’action publique et comparables dans les pays de l’OCDE et du G20. Apres avoir constate que les donnees publiques etaient limitees et que leur couverture geographique etait incomplete dans les pays hors zones Europe et Amerique du Nord, le rapport conclut que ces donnees ne conviennent pas pour elaborer les indicateurs de l’OCDE concernant la pollution de l’air et l’exposition de la population qui doivent etre harmonises entre pays et au cours du temps. Il recommande d’opter plutot pour une approche hybride, basee sur des donnees satellitaires conjuguees a un modele de transport chimique etalonne a l’aide de donnees relevees au niveau du sol, qui semble offrir une meilleure alternative.
On the accuracy of the MB-pol many-body potential for water: Interaction energies, vibrational frequencies, and classical thermodynamic and dynamical properties from clusters to liquid water and ice

The MB-pol many-body potential has recently emerged as an accurate molecular model for water simulations from the gas to the condensed phase. In this study, the accuracy of MB-pol is systematically assessed across the three phases of water through extensive comparisons with experimental data and high-level ab initio calculations. Individual many-body contributions to the interaction energies as well as vibrational spectra of water clusters calculated with MB-pol are in excellent agreement with reference data obtained at the coupled cluster level. Several structural, thermodynamic, and dynamical properties of the liquid phase at atmospheric pressure are investigated through classical molecular dynamics simulations as a function of temperature. The structural properties of the liquid phase are in nearly quantitative agreement with X-ray diffraction data available over the temperature range from 268 to 368 K. The analysis of other thermodynamic and dynamical quantities emphasizes the importance of explicitly including nuclear quantum effects in the simulations, especially at low temperature, for a physically correct description of the properties of liquid water. Furthermore, both densities and lattice energies of several ice phases are also correctly reproduced by MB-pol. Following a recent study of DFT models for water, a score is assigned to each computed property, which demonstrates the high and, in many respects, unprecedented accuracy of MB-pol in representing all three phases of water.
CUP POSITION ALONE DOES NOT PREDICT RISK OF DISLOCATION AFTER HIP ARTHROPLASTY

Introduction Acetabular component position is considered a major factor affecting the etiology of hip dislocation. The ‘Lewinnek safe zone’ has been the most widely accepted range for component position to avoid hip dislocation, but recent studies suggest that this safe zone is outdated. We used a large prospective institutional registry to ask: 1) is there a ‘safe zone’ for acetabular component position, as measured on an anteroposterior radiograph, within which the risk of hip dislocation is low?, and 2) do other patient and implant factors affect the risk of hip dislocation? Materials and Methods From 2007 to 2012, 19,449 patients (22,097 hip procedures) were recorded in an IRB approved prospective total joint replacement registry. All patients who underwent primary THA were prospectively enrolled, of which 9,107 patients consented to participate in the registry. An adverse event survey (80% compliance) was used to identify patients who reported a dislocation event in the six months after hip replacement surgery. Postoperative AP radiographs of hips that dislocated were matched with AP radiographs of stable hips, and acetabular position was measured using Ein Bild Rontgen Analyse software. Dislocators in radiographic zones (± 5°, ± 10°, ± 15° boundaries) were counted for every 1° of anteversion and inclination angles. Results The frequency of dislocation was 2.1% (147 of 7040 patients) over the six months following primary THA. No significant difference was found in the number of dislocated hips among the zones (Figure 1). Dislocators were significantly older (p=0.012) and less active (p=0.001) compared to nondislocators (Figure 2). Patients Conclusions Acetabular component position alone is not protective against instability. Age and activity level significantly affect the occurrence of dislocation after total hip replacement.
The photophysics of photoredox catalysis: a roadmap for catalyst design

Recently, the use of transition metal based chromophores as photo-induced single-electron transfer reagents in synthetic organic chemistry has opened up a wealth of possibilities for reinventing known reactions as well as creating new pathways to previously unattainable products. The workhorses for these efforts have been polypyridyl complexes of Ru(ii) and Ir(iii), compounds whose photophysics have been studied for decades within the inorganic community but never extensively applied to problems of interest to organic chemists. While the nexus of synthetic organic and physical-inorganic chemistries holds promise for tremendous new opportunities in both areas, a deeper appreciation of the underlying principles governing the excited-state reactivity of these charge-transfer chromophores is needed. In this Tutorial Review, we present a basic overview of the photophysics of this class of compounds with the goal of explaining the concepts, ground- and excited-state properties, as well as experimental protocols necessary to probe the kinetics and mechanisms of photo-induced electron and/or energy transfer processes.
Families in the Wild (FIW): Large-Scale Kinship Image Database and Benchmarks

We present the largest kinship recognition dataset to date, Families in the Wild (FIW). Motivated by the lack of a single, unified dataset for kinship recognition, we aim to provide a dataset that captivates the interest of the research community. With only a small team, we were able to collect, organize, and label over 10,000 family photos of 1,000 families with our annotation tool designed to mark complex hierarchical relationships and local label information in a quick and efficient manner. We include several benchmarks for two image-based tasks, kinship verification and family recognition. For this, we incorporate several visual features and metric learning methods as baselines. Also, we demonstrate that a pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) as an off-the-shelf feature extractor outperforms the other feature types. Then, results were further boosted by fine-tuning two deep CNNs on FIW data: (1) for kinship verification, a triplet loss function was learned on top of the network of pre-train weights; (2) for family recognition, a family-specific softmax classifier was added to the network.
Optimal Attack Strategies Subject to Detection Constraints Against Cyber-Physical Systems

This paper studies an attacker against a cyber-physical system (CPS) whose goal is to move the state of a CPS to a target state while ensuring that his or her probability of being detected does not exceed a given bound. The attacker's probability of being detected is related to the non-negative bias induced by his or her attack on the CPS's detection statistic. We formulate a linear quadratic cost function that captures the attacker's control goal and establish constraints on the induced bias that reflect the attacker's detection-avoidance objectives. When the attacker is constrained to be detected at the false alarm rate of the detector, we show that the optimal attack strategy reduces to a linear feedback of the attacker's state estimate. In the case that the attacker's bias is upper bounded by a positive constant, we provide two algorithms—an optimal algorithm and a suboptimal, less computationally intensive algorithm—to find suitable attack sequences. Finally, we illustrate our attack strategies in numerical examples based on a remotely controlled helicopter under attack.
On Corpuscular Theory of Inflation

In order to go beyond the mean-field approximation, commonly used in the inflationary computations, an identification of the quantum constituents of the inflationary background is made. In particular, the homogeneous scalar field configuration is represented as a Bose–Einstein condensate of the off-shell inflaton degrees of freedom, with mass significantly screened by the gravitational binding energy. The gravitational counterpart of the classical background is considered to be a degenerate state of the off-shell longitudinal gravitons with the frequency of the order of the Hubble scale. As a result, the origin of the density perturbations in the slow-roll regime is identified as an uncertainty in the position of the constituent inflatons. While in the regime of eternal inflation, the scattering of the constituent gravitons becomes the relevant source of the density perturbations. The gravitational waves, on the other hand, originate from the annihilation of the constituent longitudinal gravitons at all energy scales. This results in the quantum depletion of the classical background, leading to the upper bound on the number of e-folds, after which the semi-classical description is expected to break down; this is estimated to be of the order of the entropy of the initial Hubble patch.
A Kalman filtering approach to stochastic tomography

The inverse Radon transform problem is formulated using the Fourier series expansion of the function and its projections in the angular variable. It is regularized by assuming band-limitedness of the function in the angular direction. Using the Fourier series expansion, the Radon transform of the function decouples into Abel transforms of various orders of the circular harmonics of the function. The novelty of the present approach is that one fits a state-space model to the Abel transform of each order and uses Kalman filters to estimate the function harmonics from noisy observations of the projection harmonics. In applying the Kalman filter to obtain the linear least-squares estimate of each harmonic, two types of object functions are considered: (1) if the function is a realization of an isotropic random field, a state equation for the nth harmonic for each n is derived using Markovianization of a two-point boundary value model of the function harmonics; (2) for an arbitrary function, the model of the Wiener process with a two-point boundary value is proposed. >
Patterns of Broadband Efficiency in the U.S

Data envelopment analysis is used to assess the efficiency of broadband Internet adoption and use in the U.S. Analyses at the state level from 2005 to 2007 suggest that broadband adoption and use is not equally efficient across the U.S. states. Although the instantaneous efficiencies are relatively high for many states, the changes in total factor productivity suggest that the efficiency of broadband adoption and use still increases over time. Moreover, it is observed that efficiency values are often spatially autocorrelated, which suggests spatial dependency from spillovers or interstate competition. This leads to a particular spatial diffusion pattern in broadband adoption. Although states have different strategies in support of broadband expansion they need to identify their shortcomings and use the appropriate mix of inputs (and outputs) to improve their efficiencies.
Insider trading, stock return volatility, and the option market's pricing of the information content of insider trading

Abstract We find strong evidence that net insider selling is positively associated with future stock return volatility, consistent with insider selling increasing outside investors’ uncertainty. The positive effect of net insider selling is significantly stronger when the volatility is measured around the earnings announcement. Apparently, option prices do not fully reflect the information content of insider trading for future volatility. More specifically, we find no evidence that option traders adjust the implied volatility for the insider trading effect in a timely manner. Consequently, net insider selling is significantly associated with future option straddle returns and delta neutral returns.
Screening in Contract Design: Evidence from the ACA Health Insurance Exchanges

We study insurers' use of prescription drug formularies to screen consumers in the ACA Health Insurance exchanges. We begin by showing that exchange risk adjustment and reinsurance succeed in neutralizing selection incentives for most, but not all, consumer types. A minority of consumers, identifiable by demand for particular classes of prescription drugs, are predictably unprofitable. We then show that contract features relating to these drugs are distorted in a manner consistent with multidimensional screening. The empirical findings support a long theoretical literature examining how insurance contracts offered in equilibrium can fail to optimally trade off risk protection and moral hazard.
New characterizations of increasing risk

Abstract I present alternative constructions of gambles with greater risk. Rothschild and Stiglitz (1970) demonstrate that gamble Y has greater risk than X when Y is equal in distribution to X + Z , where Z is noise. Gambles called positive-upper-conditional-mean errors are introduced, and I show that Y has greater risk than X when Z is a PUCME and is not noise. Simple examples demonstrate that the set of PUCMEs is strictly greater than the set of gambles that are noise.
Adaptive feedback control algorithms for large data transfers in high-speed networks

Two linear feedback control algorithms for handling and preventing congestion in broadband asynchronous transfer mode networks are proposed and analyzed. The fluid approximation model is described with a continuous-time system of delay-differential equations. The algorithms are asymptotically stable, and the transient processes are nonoscillatory. The control parameters are locally optimal (optimality is based on the asymptotic rate of convergence). The results of numerical experiments suggest that these parameters are globally optimal as well. >
The influence of early childhood teacher certification on kindergarten and first-grade students’ academic outcomes

There is considerable variation in state policies related to the certification required for teachers in kindergarten and first grade, and relatively little is known about these policies’ effects on...
A generalization of quasi-twisted codes: Multi-twisted codes

Abstract Cyclic codes and their various generalizations, such as quasi-twisted (QT) codes, have a special place in algebraic coding theory. Among other things, many of the best-known or optimal codes have been obtained from these classes. In this work we introduce a new generalization of QT codes that we call multi-twisted (MT) codes and study some of their basic properties. Presenting several methods of constructing codes in this class and obtaining bounds on the minimum distances, we show that there exist codes with good parameters in this class that cannot be obtained as QT or constacyclic codes. This suggests that considering this larger class in computer searches is promising for constructing codes with better parameters than currently best-known linear codes. Working with this new class of codes motivated us to consider a problem about binomials over finite fields and to discover a result that is interesting in its own right.
Charge ordering in high temperature superconductors

Abstract The reasons for expecting the formation of ordered or fluctuating charge stripes and antiphase spin domains in high-temperature superconductors are surveyed. Evidence for such behavior is described, and some of the consequences for the physical properties of high-temperature superconductors and the mechanism of superconductivity are presented.
A graph theoretic analysis of leverage centrality

Abstract In 2010, Joyce et al. defined the leverage centrality of vertices in a graph as a means to analyze functional connections within the human brain. In this metric a degree of a vertex is compared to the degrees of all it neighbors. We investigate this property from a mathematical perspective. We first outline some of the basic properties and then compute leverage centralities of vertices in different families of graphs. In particular, we show there is a surprising connection between the number of distinct leverage centralities in the Cartesian product of paths and the triangle numbers.