cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of event description in architecting dependable systems

Software monitoring is a technique that is well-suited to supporting the development of dependable system. It has been widely applied not only for this purpose but also for other purposes such as debugging, security, performance evaluation and enhancement, etc. However, there is an inherent gap between the levels of abstraction of the information that is collected during software monitoring (the implementation level) and that of the software architecture level where many design decisions are made. Unless an immediate structural one-to-one architecture-to-implementation mapping takes place, we need a specification language to describe how low-level events are related to higher-level ones. Although some specification languages for monitoring have been proposed in the literature, they do not provide support up to the software architecture level. In addition, these languages make it harder to link to (and reuse) information from other event-based models often employed for reliability analysis. In this paper, we discuss the importance of event description as an integration element for architecting dependable systems.
Case studies in dyslexia.

Apres avoir surtout cite les observations de dyslexie parues dans la litterature ancienne, on rapporte 5 cas personnels dont 4 trouves chez des adolescents. Le role de l'oculiste et les possibilites dont nous disposons pour ameliorer la situation, sont rappelees. Nach einer Ubersicht in der besonders die ersten beschriebenen Falle von Dyslexie erwahnt sind, werden 5 neue Falle beschrieben, wovon 4 Jugendliche betreffen. Die Rolle des Augenarztes und die Moglichkeiten, die eine Besserung herbeifuhren konnen, werden ins Auge gefast.
Associative-commutative rewriting on large terms

We introduce a novel representation for associative-commutative (AC) terms which, for certain important classes of rewrite rules, allows both the AC matching andthe AC renormalization steps to be accomplished using time and space that is logarithmic in the size of the flattened AC argument lists involved. This novel representation can be cumbersome for other, more general algorithms and manipulations. Hence, we describe machine efficient techniques for converting to and from a more conventional representation together with a heuristic for deciding at runtime when to convert a term to the new representation. We sketch how our approach can be generalized to order-sorted AC rewriting and to other equational theories. We also present some experimental results using the Maude 2 interpreter.
The (2k-1)-connected multigraphs with at most k-1 disjoint cycles

In 1963, Corradi and Hajnal proved that for all kź1 and nź3k, every (simple) graph G on n vertices with minimum degree ź(G)ź2k contains k disjoint cycles. The same year, Dirac described the 3-connected multigraphs not containing two disjoint cycles and asked the more general question: Which (2k--1)-connected multigraphs do not contain k disjoint cycles? Recently, the authors characterized the simple graphs G with minimum degree ź(G)ź2k--1 that do not contain k disjoint cycles. We use this result to answer Dirac's question in full.
Cost sensitive reachability heuristics for handling state uncertainty

While POMDPs provide a general platform for non-deterministic conditional planning under a variety of quality metrics they have limited scalability. On the other hand, non-deterministic conditional planners scale very well, but many lack the ability to optimize plan quality metrics. We present a novel generalization of planning graph based heuristics that helps conditional planners both scale and generate high quality plans when using actions with non-uniform costs. We make empirical comparisons with two state of the art planners to show the benefit of our techniques.
The Use of Population Genetics in Endangered Species Act Listing Decisions

In recent years the federal agencies that administer the Endangered Species Act have increasingly relied on genetic data to decide which species and populations merit protection. Because the analysis of genetic data is highly technical and unfamiliar to the majority of those concerned with the Act, agency decisions are in danger of becoming less transparent, insulated by the language of genetics and the seeming surety of its associated statistics. In this paper, I attempt to provide a resource for lawyers and other non-biologists faced with understanding the genetics that underlie many modern claims under the Endangered Species Act. I do so by describing the types of data federal agencies routinely use and the analyses those data drive. I then scrutinize the agencies’ treatment of the primary data in two particular agency decisions under the Act, and conclude with suggestions to improve the accessibility of this kind of data, making public input more effective. As technical data inform an ever larger percentage of decisions about species protection, this paper provides basic information to improve citizens’ ability to understand and engage in the administration of the Endangered Species Act. The continued legitimacy of the agencies and the Act itself depend in part on such citizen engagement, and on the continued transparency of agency decisions.
Cost-Benefit Analysis in Criminal Law

[p325 This Article explores the prospects for integrating criminal law into the widespread trend elsewhere in the executive branch of using cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to improve criminal justice policy making and enforcement practice. The Article describes an array of unnoticed and under-valued costs created by America’s unique and fairly recent commitment to severe incarceration policies. It then maps the challenges for employing CBA in criminal enforcement practice. Those challenges include CBA’s own methodological and conceptual limitations, public choice problems created by the populist structure of criminal justice administration, constraints on CBA in criminal justice in light of theoretical commitments to retributivism, and practical limits to employing such a policy in the executive branch when legislatures are unwilling to reduce statutory punishment mandates. Despite these obstacles, the Article argues that a properly devised, CBA-based decision procedure—one that takes account of distributive and other non-quantifiable, qualitative concerns—is a promising avenue for rationalization and reform of state and federal criminal justice.
Extreme-strike asymptotics for general Gaussian stochastic volatility models

We consider a stochastic volatility asset price model in which the volatility is the absolute value of a continuous Gaussian process with arbitrary prescribed mean and covariance. By exhibiting a Karhunen–Loeve expansion for the integrated variance, and using sharp estimates of the density of a general second-chaos variable, we derive asymptotics for the asset price density for large or small values of the variable, and study the wing behavior of the implied volatility in these models. Our main result provides explicit expressions for the first three terms in the expansion of the implied volatility, based on three basic spectral-type statistics of the Gaussian process: the top eigenvalue of its covariance operator, the multiplicity of this eigenvalue, and the $$L^{2}$$ norm of the projection of the mean function on the top eigenspace. Numerical illustrations using the Stein–Stein and fractional Stein–Stein models are presented, including strategies for parameter calibration.
EVOLUTION OF NETWORKS AND THE DIFFUSION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

This paper extends the theoretical framework for exploring the diffusion of new technologies through firms and industries. It is assumed that information about new and profitable technologies is not immediately available to all of the agents in the economy; this information spreads through the economy by means of a network. The pattern of diffusion will depend on the structure of this network. Ideally, firms or agents would balance the costs and benefits of information transfers to establish networks that optimally process information: a profit-maximizing outcome. The problem of determining optimal structures, however, is beyond reasonable computational limitations in many situations of interest. Furthermore, the decision to establish information links is often made by individual agents seeking to optimize their own payoffs; externalities in information processing may create differences between individual and group payoffs. The proposed alternative to the profit-maximizing outcome is that observed structures will be the result of a gradual co-evolutionary process. The focus of this paper is to identify how these evolutionary outcomes compare with optimal solutions.
Choosing the Right Pond: Human Behavior and the Quest for Status

Is it better to be a big frog in a small pond or a small frog in a big pond? In this lively and original book, the author argues persuasively that people's concerns about status permeate and profoundly alter a broad range of human behaviour. He takes issue with his fellow economists for too often neglecting fundamental elements in human nature in their study of how people make basic economic choices.
A weak–type orthogonality principle

We prove a weak type estimate for operators of the form f → Σ s ∈ S (f,φs)φs for certain collections of Schwartz functions {φs} s ∈ S . This extends some of the orthogonality issues involved in the study of the bilinear Hilbert transform by Lacey and Thiele.
Designing a multi-petabyte database for LSST

The 3.2 giga-pixel LSST camera will produce approximately half a petabyte of archive images every month. These data need to be reduced in under a minute to produce real-time transient alerts, and then added to the cumulative catalog for further analysis. The catalog is expected to grow about three hundred terabytes per year. The data volume, the real-time transient alerting requirements of the LSST, and its spatio-temporal aspects require innovative techniques to build an efficient data access system at reasonable cost. As currently envisioned, the system will rely on a database for catalogs and metadata. Several database systems are being evaluated to understand how they perform at these data rates, data volumes, and access patterns. This paper describes the LSST requirements, the challenges they impose, the data access philosophy, results to date from evaluating available database technologies against LSST requirements, and the proposed database architecture to meet the data challenges.
Limits to List Decoding Random Codes

It has been known since [Zyablov and Pinsker 1982] that a random q -ary code of rate 1 *** H q (ρ ) *** *** (where 0 0 and H q (·) is the q -ary entropy function) with high probability is a (ρ ,1/*** )-list decodable code. (That is, every Hamming ball of radius at most ρn has at most 1/*** codewords in it.) In this paper we prove the "converse" result. In particular, we prove that for every 0 , where c is a constant that depends only on ρ and q . We also prove a similar lower bound for random linear codes.
Calabi-Yau connections with torsion on toric bundles

We find sufficient conditions for a principal toric bundle over compact K\"ahler manifolds to admit Calabi-Yau connections with torsion. With the aids of a topological classification, we construct such geometry on $n(S^2\times S^4)#(n+1)(S^3\times S^3)$
Automatic performance setting for dynamic voltage scaling

The emphasis on processors that are both low power and high performance has resulted in the incorporation of dynamic voltage scaling into processor designs. This feature allows one to make fine granularity tradeoffs between power use and performance, provided there is a mechanism in the OS to control that tradeoff. In this paper, we describe a novel software approach to automatically controlling dynamic voltage scaling in order to optimize energy use. Our mechanism is implemented in the Linux kernel and requires no modification of user programs. Unlike previous automated approaches, our method works equally well with irregular and multiprogrammed workloads. Moreover, it has the ability to ensure that the quality of interactive performance is within user specified parameters. Our experiments show that as a result of our algorithm, processor energy savings of as much as 75% can be achieved with only a minimal impact on the user experience.
In re Associated Sign & Post, Inc.: The Affirmative Action Obligations of Government Contractors in Indiana

Commenting on an Indiana state court decision, this article discusses how state and local governments promote equal employment policy through government contract requirements. At a time when the Reagan Administration was changing equal employment policy to ensure that affirmative action requirements did not become rigid hiring quotas, the article discusses how state and local governments needed to reassess their affirmative action requirements in light of the changing federal government approach.
Catalytic, Asymmetric, Aldol/O-Conjugate Addition Sequence for the Construction of Highly Substituted Furanoids

A new method for the enantioselective synthesis of highly functionalized dihydrofurans has been developed. This process, related to the interrupted Feist–Benary reaction, involves the reaction of 2-ene 1,4-diketones with dimedone in the presence of bis(cinchona alkaloid)pyrimidine catalysts to afford dihydrofuran products in excellent yields and high diastereo- and enantioselectivities.
Factors Influencing Salaries of Agricultural Economics Professionals in Federal Employment - Part I

Since the early 1900s much research has been conducted on salary gaps between men and women in different professions. While some of that work has focused on agricultural economics professionals, little research could be found specifically relating to agricultural economic professionals in federal employment. A survey was sent to known agricultural economics professionals within USDA. The data from this survey are being used for two purposes. The first is to determine whether differences exist between men and women (and between employees in different agencies) in factors that influence job choice and potential problems in the workplace. The second is to identify factors that influence salaries of men and women agricultural economics professionals in federal employment. This paper addresses the first purpose.
Does Insider Trading Really Move Stock Prices

Prior studies have reported a positive correlation between insider trading and stock price changes implying that insider (i.e., informed) trades affect price discovery differently than non-insider (i.e., uninformed) trades. Based on these results, various scholars have argued for the legalization of insider trading to facilitate rapid price discovery. We analyze the trading activity of a confessed inside trader, Ivan Boesky, in Carnation's stock just prior to Nestle's 1984 acquisition of Carnation, and find that our tests are unable to distinguish the price effect of Boesky's (i.e., informed) purchases of Carnation's stock from the effect of non-insider (i.e., uninformed) purchases. Our conclusion survives extensive robustness tests and has methodological and public policy implications.
What do Exporters Know

Much of the variation in international trade volume is driven by firms’ extensive margin decisions of whether to participate in export markets. We evaluate how the information potential exporters possess influences their decisions. We estimate a model of export participation in which firms weigh the fixed costs of exporting against the forecasted profits from serving a foreign market. We adopt a moment inequality approach, placing weak assumptions on firms’ expectations. The framework allows us to test whether firms differ in the information they have about foreign markets. We find that larger firms possess better knowledge of market conditions in foreign countries, even when those firms have not exported in the past. Quantifying the value of information, we show that, in a typical destination, total exports rise while the number of exporters falls when firms have access to better information to forecast export revenues.
Parsimony/Occham's Razor†

In modeling data, parsimony is the fewness of model parameters estimated relative to the number of data points fit by the model. The more parsimonious a model, the more degrees of freedom by which the model can fail to fit the data, thus making the model more potentially disconfirmable and more strongly supported when the model fits. Keywords: degrees of freedom; disconfirmability; parsimony
Why does attention to web articles fall with Time

We analyze access statistics of 150 blog entries and news articles for periods of up to 3 years. Access rate falls as an inverse power of time passed since publication. The power law holds for periods of up to 1,000 days. The exponents are different for different blogs and are distributed between 0.6 and 3.2. We argue that the decay of attention to a web article is caused by the link to it first dropping down the list of links on the website's front page and then disappearing from the front page and its subsequent movement further into background. The other proposed explanations that use a decaying with time novelty factor, or some intricate theory of human dynamics, cannot explain all of the experimental observations.
Do people donate more when they perceive a single beneficiary whom they know? A field experimental test of the identifiability effect

According to the identifiability effect, people will donate more to a single beneficiary rather than to many beneficiaries, holding constant what the donations are actually used for. We test the identifiability effect for two novel subject pools (the suppliers and beneficiaries of volunteer labor). We also test a refinement of the identifiability effect where we vary whether or not the single beneficiary is personally known to the solicitees. While the behavior of volunteers is consistent with the identifiability effect, we find that the identifiability effect is reversed for beneficiaries of volunteer labor. Moreover, we find that making the single beneficiary personally known to the solicitees lowers donations by a statistically insignificant amount, suggesting that it does not enhance donations.
Carrier relaxation dynamics in heavy fermion compounds

Femtosecond time-resolved optical spectroscopy is an excellent experimental alternative to conventional spectroscopic methods that probe the low energy electronic structure in strongly correlated electron systems [1]. In particular, it has been shown that carrier relaxation dynamics are very sensitive to changes in the low energy density of states (e.g. associated with the formation of a low energy gap or pseudogap) providing new insights into the low energy electronic structure in these materials. In this report we present the first studies of carrier relaxation dynamics in heavy fermion (HF) systems by means of femtosecond time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Our results show that the carrier relaxation dynamics, below the Kondo temperature (TK), are extremely sensitive to the low energy density of states (DOS) near the Fermi level to which localized f-moments contribute. Specifically, we have performed measurements of the photoinduced reflectivity ∆R/R dynamics as a function of temperature and excitation intensity on the series of HF compounds YbXCu4 (X=Ag, Cd, In) [2] in comparison to their non-magnetic counterparts LuXCu4.
Evading Anomaly Detection through Variance Injection Attacks on PCA

Whenever machine learning is applied to security problems, it is important to measure vulnerabilities to adversaries who poison the training data. We demonstrate the impact of variance injection schemes on PCA-based network-wide volume anomaly detectors, when a single compromised PoP injects chaff into the network. These schemes can increase the chance of evading detection by sixfold, for DoS attacks.
Comparative Analysis of Navier-Stokes Codes - Accuracy and Efficiency

Field flow computations and, in particular, that of pressure, skin friction, and heat transfer (for high speed flights) are the primary parameters in the design of aerospace vehicles. Most computational schemes based on either the inviscid Euler equations or various forms of the Navier-Stokes equations are remarkably accurate in the predictions of pressure distributions. However, computations of skin friction and heat transfer particularly at high speed have been a source of considerable difficulty. Problems arise not only due to the grid resolution but also due to the particular numerical scheme employed. To address the difficulty associated with accurate computations of the velocity and temperature gradients, a comparative investigation of several Navier-Stokes codes is undertaken. Previous studies with regard to the effect of grid resolution are incorporated into the current investigation. The parametric study includes popular schemes which models the convective terms in the Navier-Stokes equation by second-order central difference approximation, flux-vector splitting schemes, and the addition of linear and nonlinear damping terms.
On the Burau representation modulo a small prime

We discuss techniques for analysing the structure of the group obtained by reducing the image of the Burau representation of the braid group modulo a prime. The main tools are a certain sesquilinear form first introduced by Squier and consideration of the action of the group on a Euclidean building. AMS Classification 20F36; 57M07 57M25
Direct observation of molecular cooperativity near the glass transition

The increasingly sluggish response of a supercooled liquid as it nears its glass transition (for example, refrigerated honey) is prototypical of glassy dynamics found in proteins, neural networks and superconductors. The notion that molecules rearrange cooperatively has long been postulated to explain diverging relaxation times and broadened (non-exponential) response functions near the glass transition. Recently, cooperativity was observed and analysed in colloid glasses and in simulations of binary liquids well above the glass transition. But nanometre-scale studies of cooperativity at the molecular glass transition are lacking. Important issues to be resolved include the precise form of the cooperativity and its length scale, and whether the broadened response is intrinsic to individual cooperative regions, or arises only from heterogeneity in an ensemble of such regions. Here we describe direct observations of molecular cooperativity near the glass transition in polyvinylacetate (PVAc), using nanometre-scale probing of dielectric fluctuations. Molecular clusters switched spontaneously among two to four distinct configurations, producing random telegraph noise. Our analysis of these noise signals and their power spectra reveals that individual clusters exhibit transient dynamical heterogeneity and non-exponential kinetics.
Civil air transport: a fresh look at power-by-wire and fly-by-light

Power-by-wire (PBW) is a key element under subsonic transport flight systems technology, with potential savings of over 10% in gross take off weight and in fuel consumption compared to today's transport aircraft. The PBW technology substitutes electrical actuation in place of centralized hydraulic, uses internal starter-motor/generators, and eliminates the need for variable engine bleed air to supply cabin comfort. The application of advanced fiber optics to the electrical power system controls, to built-in-test (BITE) equipment, and to fly-by-light (FBL) flight controls provides additional benefits in lightning and high-energy radio frequency (HERF) immunity over existing mechanical or even fly-by-wire controls. The program plan is reviewed. The key technologies and their benefits to future aircraft, civil and military, are discussed. >
Con-resistant trust for improved reliability in a smart grid special protection system

This article applies a con-resistant trust mechanism to improve the performance of a communications-based special protection system to enhance its effectiveness and resiliency. Smart grids incorporate modern information technologies to increase reliability and efficiency through better situational awareness. However, with the benefits of this new technology comes added risks associated with threats and vulnerabilities to the technology and to the critical infrastructure it supports. The research in this article uses con-resistant trust to quickly identify malicious or malfunctioning (untrustworthy) protection system nodes to mitigate instabilities. The con-resistant trust mechanism allows protection system nodes to make trust assessments based on the node's cooperative and defective behaviors. These behaviors are observed via frequency readings which are prediodically reported. The trust architecture is tested in experiments comparing a simulated special protection system with a con-resistant trust mechanism to one without the mechanism via an analysis of variance statistical model. Simulations result show promise for the proposed con-resistant trust mechanism.
Production of Monoclonal Antibodies

This unit describes the production of monoclonal antibodies beginning with immunization, cell fusion, and selection. Support protocols are provided for screening primary hybridoma supernatants for antibodies of desired specificity, establishment of stable hybridoma lines, cloning of these B cell lines by limiting dilution to obtain monoclonal lines, and preparation of cloning/expansion medium. An alternate protocol describes cell fusion and one-step selection and cloning of hybridomas utilizing a semi-solid methylcellulose-based medium (ClonaCell-HY from StemCell Technologies).
Fixed-Connectivity Membranes

The statistical mechanics of flexible surfaces with internal elasticity and shape fluctuations is summarized. Phantom and self-avoiding isotropic and anisotropic membranes are discussed, with emphasis on the universal negative Poisson ratio common to the low-temperature phase of phantom membranes and all strictly self-avoiding membranes in the absence of attractive interactions. The study of crystalline order on the frozen surface of spherical membranes is also treated.
LiSens- A Scalable Architecture for Video Compressive Sensing

The measurement rate of cameras that take spatially multiplexed measurements by using spatial light modulators (SLM) is often limited by the switching speed of the SLMs. This is especially true for single-pixel cameras where the photodetector operates at a rate that is many orders-of-magnitude greater than the SLM. We study the factors that determine the measurement rate for such spatial multiplexing cameras (SMC) and show that increasing the number of pixels in the device improves the measurement rate, but there is an optimum number of pixels (typically, few thousands) beyond which the measurement rate does not increase. This motivates the design of \textit{LiSens}, a novel imaging architecture, that replaces the photodetector in the single- pixel camera with a 1D linear array or a line-sensor. We illustrate the optical architecture underlying LiSens, build a prototype, and demonstrate results of a range of indoor and outdoor scenes. LiSens delivers on the promise of SMCs: imaging at a megapixel resolution, at video rate, using an inexpensive low-resolution sensor.
LATTICE QCD AT FINITE DENSITY.

I discuss different approaches to finite density lattice QCD. In particular, I focus on the structure of the phase diagram and discuss attempts to determine the location of the critical end-point. Recent results on the transition line as function of the chemical potential (T{sub c}({mu}{sub q})) are reviewed. Along the transition line, hadronic fluctuations have been calculated; which can be used to characterize properties of the Quark Gluon plasma and eventually can also help to identify the location of the critical end-point in the QCD phase diagram on the lattice and in heavy ion experiments. Furthermore, I comment on the structure of the phase diagram at large {mu}{sub q}.
Lifted relational variational inference

Hybrid continuous-discrete models naturally represent many real-world applications in robotics, finance, and environmental engineering. Inference with large-scale models is challenging because relational structures deteriorate rapidly during inference with observations. The main contribution of this paper is an efficient relational variational inference algorithm that factors large-scale probability models into simpler variational models, composed of mixtures of iid (Bernoulli) random variables. The algorithm takes probability relational models of large-scale hybrid systems and converts them to a close-to-optimal variational models. Then, it efficiently calculates marginal probabilities on the variational models by using a latent (or lifted) variable elimination or a lifted stochastic sampling. This inference is unique because it maintains the relational structure upon individual observations and during inference steps.
Economic Consequences of Forced Displacement

AbstractOver 42 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced from their communities, though little is known about the impact of this movement on livelihoods. I use a panel data set and exploit a geographic discontinuity to explore the effects of displacement in Uganda. I find that displaced households experience a significant initial decrease in consumption. Two years after households returned home, displaced households still lag behind. However, households in the top quartiles of pre-displacement assets have recovered some of their consumption, though with significantly reduced education and wealth levels. There is likely little or no recovery for the poorest households.
Diet and Aging

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes the role of diet in aging process. Any consideration of the nutrition of man during the later years of life must recognize that many interrelated factors create special problems in the nutrition of the aged. Some of the factors that tend to create malnutrition during the later years of life are the following: low incomes, poor facilities for food preparation, ignorance of nutritive values, mental deterioration, worry from insecurity, poor cooking facilities, living alone, physical handicaps and lack of exercise. Many special physical factors also contribute. Research with animals indicates how profoundly both the life span and the terminal diseases of old age are modified by such factors as growth rate during the earlier periods of life. In this chapter, mineral metabolism in old age is discussed. Effect of calcium and other inorganic elements on lifespan is analyzed. Effect of vitamin A on longevity is described. A discussion on water soluble vitamins, fats, vegetarian diets, and low-calorie diets is also presented.
Theory and classification of interacting integer topological phases in two dimensions: A Chern-Simons approach

We study topological phases of interacting systems in two spatial dimensions in the absence of topological order (i.e., with a unique ground state on closed manifolds and no fractional excitations). These are the closest interacting analogs of integer quantum Hall states, topological insulators, and superconductors. We adapt the well-known Chern-Simons $K$-matrix description of quantum Hall states to classify such ``integer'' topological phases. Our main result is a general formalism that incorporates symmetries into the $K$-matrix description. Remarkably, this simple analysis yields the same list of topological phases as a recent group cohomology classification, and in addition provides field theories and explicit edge theories for all these phases. The bosonic topological phases, which only appear in the presence of interactions and which remain well defined in the presence of disorder, include (i) bosonic insulators with a Hall conductance quantized to even integers, (ii) a bosonic analog of quantum spin Hall insulators, and (iii) a bosonic analog of a chiral topological superconductor, whose $K$ matrix is the Cartan matrix of Lie group ${E}_{8}$. We also discuss interacting fermion systems where symmetries are realized in a projective fashion, where we find the present formalism can handle a wider range of symmetries than a recent group super-cohomology classification. Lastly, we construct microscopic models of these phases from coupled one-dimensional systems.
Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth of Monolayer WSe2 with Tunable Device Characteristics and Growth Mechanism Study.

Semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have attracted a lot of attention recently, because of their interesting electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. Among large numbers of TMDCs, monolayer of tungsten diselenides (WSe2) is of particular interest since it possesses a direct band gap and tunable charge transport behaviors, which make it suitable for a variety of electronic and optoelectronic applications. Direct synthesis of large domains of monolayer WSe2 and their growth mechanism studies are important steps toward applications of WSe2. Here, we report systematical studies on ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of monolayer and few layer WSe2 flakes directly on silica substrates. The WSe2 flakes were characterized using optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. We investigated how growth parameters, with emphases on growth temperatures and durations, affect the sizes, layer numbers, and shapes of as-...
Outer Median Triangles

We define the notions of outer medians and outer median triangles. We show that outer median triangles enjoy similar properties to that of the median triangle.
A nonlinear splitting algorithm for systems of partial differential equations with self-diffusion

Systems of reactiondiffusion equations are commonly used in biological models of food chains. The populations and their complicated interactions present numerous challenges in theory and in numerical approximation. In particular, self-diffusion is a nonlinear term that models overcrowding of a particular species. The nonlinearity complicates attempts to construct efficient and accurate numerical approximations of the underlying systems of equations. In this paper, a new nonlinear splitting algorithm is designed for a partial differential equation that incorporates self-diffusion. We present a general model that incorporates self-diffusion and develop a numerical approximation. The numerical analysis of the approximation provides criteria for stability and convergence. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the theoretical results.
Using Decision Procedures with a Higher-Order Logic

In automated reasoning, there is a perceived trade-off between expressiveness and automation. Higher-order logic is typically viewed as expressive but resistant to automation, in contrast with firstorder logic and its fragments. We argue that higher-order logic and its variants actually achieve a happy medium between expressiveness and automation, particularly when used as a front-end to a wide range of decision procedures and deductive procedures. We illustrate the discussion with examples from PVS, but some of the observations apply to other variants of higher-order logic as well.
An Empirical Analysis of Life Jacket Effectiveness in Recreational Boating.

This article gives a measure of life jacket (LJ) effectiveness in U.S. recreational boating. Using the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Accident Report Database from 2008 to 2011, we find that LJ wear is one of the most important determinants influencing the number of recreational boating fatalities, together with the number of vessels involved, and the type and engine of the vessel(s). We estimate a decrease in the number of deceased per vessel of about 80% when the operator wears their LJs compared to when they do not. The odds of dying are 86% higher than average if the accident involves a canoe or kayak, but 80% lower than average when more than one vessel is involved in the accident and 34% lower than average when the operator involved in the accident has more than 100 hours of boating experience. Interestingly, we find that LJ effectiveness decreases significantly as the length of the boat increases and decreases slightly as water temperature increases. However, it increases slightly as the operator's age increases. We find that between 2008 and 2011, an LJ regulation that requires all operators to wear their LJs-representing a 20% increase in wear rate-would have saved 1,721 (out of 3,047) boaters or 1,234 out of 2,185 drowning victims. The same policy restricted to boats 16-30 feet in length would have saved approximately 778 victims. Finally, we find that such a policy would reduce the percentage of drowning victims compared to other causes of death. Language: en
Household responses to shocks in rural Ethiopia : livestock as a buffer stock

This paper uses a stochastic dynamic programming model to characterize the optimal savings-consumption decisions and the role of livestock inventories as a buffer stock in rural Ethiopia. The results show that relatively land-rich households use accumulation and liquidation of cattle and other animal inventories for partial consumption smoothing, while low-income households appear not to do so. The results highlight the need for improvement in livestock markets, which are often affected by high transaction costs and price risk, and for investigation of other approaches to risk management.
Asymptotically cylindrical Ricci-flat manifolds

Asymptotically cylindrical Ricci-flat manifolds play a key role in constructing Topological Quantum Field Theories. It is particularly important to understand their behavior at the cylindrical ends and the natural restrictions on the geometry. In this paper we show that an orientable, connected, asymptotically cylindrical manifold (M,g) with Ricci-flat metric g can have at most two cylindrical ends. In the case where there are two such cylindrical ends, then there is reduction in the holonomy group Hol(g) and (M,g) is a cylinder.
The Traveling Salesman Problem for Lines, Balls, and Planes

We revisit the traveling salesman problem with neighborhoods (TSPN) and propose several new approximation algorithms. These constitute either first approximations (for hyperplanes, lines, and balls in Rd, for d g 3) or improvements over previous approximations achievable in comparable times (for unit disks in the plane).(I) Given a set of n hyperplanes in Rd, a traveling salesman problem (TSP) tour whose length is at most O(1) times the optimal can be computed in O(n) time when d is constant.(II) Given a set of n lines in Rd, a TSP tour whose length is at most O(log 3n) times the optimal can be computed in polynomial time for all d.(III) Given a set of n unit balls in Rd, a TSP tour whose length is at most O(1) times the optimal can be computed in polynomial time when d is constant.
Colour gradients and the colour–magnitude relation: different properties of brightest cluster galaxies and E/S0 galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

We examine the colour-magnitude relation of ~5000 brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The colour-magnitude and colour-velocity dispersion relations of the BCGs are flatter in slope, by factors of 2 or more, than those of non-BCG early-type galaxies of similar luminosity (M r < -22.5), while their g - r colours at the half-light radius are ~0.01 mag redder. We investigate and compare radial colour gradients (which are usually negative) in these BCGs and a sample of 37 000 early-type galaxies, using a gradient estimator based on the ratio of de Vaucouleurs effective radii in g and r passbands, r eff (g)/r eff (r) - 1. The mean colour gradient of BCGs is flatter (by 23 per cent) than for other E/S0 galaxies of similar luminosity. The colour gradients in early-type galaxies are stronger at intermediate luminosity (M r ≃ -22) than at low or the highest luminosities, and tend to decrease with increasing velocity dispersion (σ). In non-BCG E/S0s, colour gradients increase for larger effective radii (up to 10-12 kpc), and are negatively correlated with 10 log σ + M r , the mass density and stellar age. However, gradients can be reduced or inverted (positive) for post-starburst galaxies at the youngest ages. In BCGs, these trends are absent and the mean colour gradient remains at a relatively low level (~0.08 by our measure) whatever the other properties of the galaxies. The redder half-light radius colours of the BCGs can be explained by their slightly greater ages combined with flatter radial colour gradients. We discuss possible explanations in terms of spheroidal galaxies initially having a colour gradient positively correlated with luminosity and positively correlated with large radius and/or low density. Subsequently, elliptical-elliptical 'dry' mergers progressively reduce colour gradients, towards a low but non-zero value. This has occurred a greater number of times during the formation histories of the most massive E/S0s, and to by far the greatest degree in the BCGs.
Evaluating the Impact of Intrusion Detection Deficiencies on the Cost-Effectiveness of Attack Recovery

Traditional secure database systems rely on preventive controls and are very limited in surviving malicious attacks because of intrusion detection deficiencies. ITDB, a Intrusion Tolerant Database prototype system, has been proposed, which can detect intrusions, repair the damage caused by intrusions in a timely manner. In this paper, we evaluate ITDB using TPC-C benchmark. The performance measurements show that ITDB system is cost-effective within reasonable False Alarm Rate and Detection Latency ranges. Our experiment results also indicate that ITDB can achieve good survivability without being seriously affected by various intrusion detection deficiencies. It can provide essential database services in the presence of attacks, and maintain the desired essential (security) properties such as integrity and performance.
Decomposition of general facility disruption correlations via augmentation of virtual supporting stations

Abstract Infrastructure facilities may be subject to probabilistic disruptions that compromise individual facility functionality as well as overall system performance. Disruptions of distributed facilities often exhibit complex spatial correlations, and thus it is difficult to describe them with succinct mathematical models. This paper proposes a new methodological framework for analyzing and modeling facility disruptions with general correlations. This framework first proposes pairwise transformations that unify three probabilistic representations (i.e., based on conditional, marginal, and scenario probabilities) of generally correlated disruption profile among multiple distributed facilities. Then facilities with any of these disruption profile representations can be augmented into an equivalent network structure consisting of additional supporting stations that experience only independent failures. This decomposition scheme largely reduces the complexity associated with system evaluation and optimization. We prove analytical properties of the transformations and the decomposition scheme, and illustrate the proposed methodological framework using a set of numerical case studies and sensitivity analyses. Managerial insights are also drawn.
Endothelial disruptive proinflammatory effects of nicotine and e-cigarette vapor exposures

The increased use of inhaled nicotine via e-cigarettes has unknown risks to lung health. Having previously shown that cigarette smoke (CS) extract disrupts the lung microvasculature barrier functio...
A small complementary split ring resonator loaded circularly polarized patch antenna

Size reduction of patch antennas by loading them with complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs) has been recently demonstrated for linearly polarized radiators. This paper demonstrates that the design approach can be extended for circularly polarized radiation by employing multiple CSRRs under the patch to generate a 900 rotationally symmetric antenna structure. It is also shown that, in this antenna configuration, the radiation efficiency becomes strongly dependent on the size of the ground plane that carries the CSRR metallization. To further miniaturize the antenna size without affecting its radiation efficiency, we develop a new antenna structure in which the CSRRs are formed within a truncated ground plane loaded with vertical inductive pins. The antenna operates at 2.24GHz with peak broadside realized RHCP gain of 3dB, corresponding to 75% radiation efficiency.
Contracting endomorphisms and dualizing complexes

We investigate how one can detect the dualizing property for a chain complex over a commutative local Noetherian ring R. Our focus is on homological properties of contracting endomorphisms of R, e.g., the Frobenius endomorphism when R contains a field of positive characteristic. For instance, in this case, when R is F-finite and C is a semidualizing R-complex, we prove that the following conditions are equivalent: (i) C is a dualizing R-complex; (ii) C ∼ RHomR(nR,C) for some n > 0; (iii) GC-dimnR 0; and (iv) GC-dimnR 0.
Factorization, effective field theory, and B → D(∗) X decays

Abstract In this proceedings I review the soft-collinear effective theory (SCET), an effective theory for energetic particles. I also discuss factorization in exclusive and inclusive B → D (∗) X decays, and tests which can help distinguish whether factorization is a result of a large energy limit, the large N c limit, or a combination of the two.
An Econometric Analysis of Inflation in Sierra Leone

This paper is an econometric study of the inflationary process in Sierra Leone. Using data from the 1967:1-1987:4 period, the parameters of a reduced-form inflation equation from an open-economy IS-LM model were estimated for the Sierra Leonean economy. The results reject the monetarist assertion that velocity is constant and that a percentage change in the money supply leads to an equiproportionate change in the inflation rate in the short run. In the long run, however, the hypothesis that money-supply growth would lead to an equiproportionate increase in the price level could not be rejected. Additionally, the evidence suggests that part of Sierra Leone's inflation is imported from the rest of the world. On the other hand, international capital mobility is not a contributing factor to Sierra Leone's inflation problem. Copyright 1994 by Oxford University Press.
Prices of Anarchy, Information, and Cooperation in Differential Games

The price of anarchy (PoA) has been widely used in static games to quantify the loss of efficiency due to noncooperation. Here, we extend this concept to a general differential games framework. In addition, we introduce the price of information (PoI) to characterize comparative game performances under different information structures, as well as the price of cooperation to capture the extent of benefit or loss a player accrues as a result of altruistic behavior. We further characterize PoA and PoI for a class of scalar linear quadratic differential games under open-loop and closed-loop feedback information structures. We also obtain some explicit bounds on these indices in a large population regime.
Optimal Magnification in Visual Microscopy

The performance of a given microscope arrangement is usually specified in terms of its resolution limit, in practice the radius of the Airy disk. Merely ensuring that the angular subtense of the objective’s Airy disk is brought by the eyepiece near the resolution limit of the eye does not mean that the performance of the eye–microscope system has been optimized. Targets near the resolution limit of the objective will produce luminance distributions in the image that are of the order of size of the Airy disk but of low contrast. Such targets, as well as larger targets of low contrast, will be detectable with the eye only if the visual contrast threshold is exceeded. The latter is highly dependent on the visual angle and increases sharply in the vicinity of the resolution threshold of the eye. Increasing the angular subtense of the feature at the eye by increase of eyepiece magnification, while decreasing the field of view and luminance, can serve to make visual detection more secure by ensuring that the spatial characteristics of the target match those for which visual contrast sensitivity is highest. Numerical aspects of this phenomenon are considered.