cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program leadership training

Abstract Background The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was created to address the nursing shortage via development of the next generation of national leaders in academic nursing. Purpose The leadership training combined development at the scholar's home institution with in-person didactic and interactive sessions with notable leaders in nursing and other disciplines. Methods A curriculum matrix, organized by six domains, was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. Discussion What set this program apart is that it immersed junior faculty in concerted leadership development with regard to all aspects of the faculty role so that teaching interactively, making use of the latest in information technology, giving testimony before a policy-making group, participating in strategic planning, and figuring out how to reduce the budget without jeopardizing quality were all envisioned as part of the faculty role. Conclusion The domains covered by this program could easily be used as the framework to plan other leadership-development programs for the next generation of academic leaders.
Does participation in health information exchange improve hospital efficiency

The federal government allocated nearly $30 billion to spur the development of information technology infrastructure capable of supporting the exchange of interoperable clinical data, leading to growth in hospital participation in health information exchange (HIE) networks. HIEs have the potential to improve care coordination across healthcare providers, leading ultimately to increased productivity of health services for hospitals. However, the impact of HIE participation on hospital efficiency remains unclear. This dynamic prompts the question asked by this study: does HIE participation improve hospital efficiency. This study estimates the effect of HIE participation on efficiency using a national sample of 1017 hospitals from 2009 to 2012. Using a two-stage analytic design, efficiency indices were determined using the Malmquist algorithm and then regressed on a set of hospital characteristics. Results suggest that any participation in HIE can improve both technical efficiency change and total factor productivity (TFP). A second model examining total years of HIE participation shows a benefit of one and three years of participation on TFP. These results suggest that hospital investment in HIE participation may be a useful strategy to improve hospital operational performance, and that policy should continue to support increased participation and use of HIE. More research is needed to identify the exact mechanisms through which HIE participation can improve hospital efficiency.
The Zagier modification of Bernoulli numbers and a polynomial extension. Part I

The modified Bernoulli numbers $$ B_{n}^{*} = \sum_{r=0}^{n} \binom{n+r}{2r} \frac{B_{r}}{n+r}, \quad n > 0 $$ introduced by D. Zagier in 1998 are extended to the polynomial case by replacing B r by the Bernoulli polynomials B r (x). Properties of these new polynomials are established using the umbral method as well as classical techniques. The values of x that yield periodic subsequences $B_{2n+1}^{*}(x)$ are classified. The strange 6-periodicity of $B_{2n+1}^{*}$ , established by Zagier, is explained by exhibiting a decomposition of this sequence as the sum of two parts with periods 2 and 3, respectively. Similar results for modifications of Euler numbers are stated.
Do players perform for pay? An empirical examination via NFL players’ compensation contracts

Abstract How to properly compensate and incentivize players is an important question in the realm of professional sports, and more broadly, is a central question in contract design. With the increasing use of performance-based compensation packages and tax law favoring such compensation design, a natural question arises as to whether workers do indeed perform for pay. We examine this question in a setting that is not fraught with the typical measurement and identification problems found in many pay-performance settings. Specifically, we examine changes in a NFL player's Win Probability Added (WPA) and Expected Points Added (EPA) in response to his compensation-contract design. Overall, our paper provides evidence that players do indeed perform for (properly designed) pay, and has important implications for future work on compensation and incentive-based contract design.
Harmony Search Optimization Algorithm Based on Normal Cloud

The pitch adjusting rate (PAR) is an important parameter in harmony search algorithm, which indicates that the algorithm will choose a neighboring value with a probability. The traditional harmony search algorithm uses fixed value for PAR. However, PAR should be increased when all objective values are centralized and decreased when the function values are scattered in the solution space. In this paper, a new cloud harmony search algorithm (CHS) is proposed. We introduce cloud model theory to adjust the value PAR in the harmony search to improve the global search ability and make faster convergence speed of the algorithm. The improved harmony search algorithm is tested on some benchmark functions and the results are compared with the result of the traditional harmony search. Experimental results indicate that the improved harmony search algorithm has a good performance in the global search ability and convergent speed.
The market for talent: Competition for resources and self-governance in teams

Abstract In a laboratory setting, we investigate the effect of competition for the resources of team members with ‘divided loyalties’, and the role of such competition in overcoming the free-rider problem associated with the provision of team-level public goods. We find that competition alone creates ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. However, if groups have access to more information on the actions of team members, or are able to determine their membership through ostracism, they are more successful in attracting the ‘loyalties’ of team members. By eschewing the study of additional mechanisms that require external intervention or alterations of payoff functions, our work highlights the potential of implicit competition in promoting cooperation.
Reconciling the Reynolds number dependence of scalar roughness length and laminar resistance

The scalar roughness length and laminar resistance are necessary for computing scalar fluxes in numerical simulations and experimental studies. Their dependence on flow properties such as the Reynolds number remains controversial. In particular, two important power laws (“1/4” and “1/2”), both having strong theoretical foundations, have been widely used in various parameterizations and models. Building on a previously proposed phenomenological model for interactions between the viscous sublayer and the turbulent flow, it is shown here that the two scaling laws can be reconciled. The 1/4 power law corresponds to the situation where the vertical diffusion is balanced by the temporal change or advection due to a constant velocity in the viscous sublayer, while the 1/2 scaling corresponds to the situation where the vertical diffusion is balanced by the advection due to a linear velocity profile in the viscous sublayer. In addition, the recently proposed “1” power law scaling is also recovered, which corresponds to the situation where molecular diffusion dominates the scalar budget in the viscous sublayer. The formulation proposed here provides a unified framework for understanding the onset of these different scaling laws and offers a new perspective on how to evaluate them experimentally.
Open repair of chronic thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic dissection using deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest.

Abstract Background Chronic dissection of the thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta as sequela of a prior type A or B dissection is a challenging problem that requires close radiographic surveillance and prompt operative intervention in the presence of symptoms or aneurysm formation. Open repair of chronic thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic dissection using deep hypothermia has been our preferred method to treat this complex pathology. The advantages of this technique include organ and spinal cord protection, the flexibility to extend the repair proximally into the arch, and the ability to limit ischemia to all vascular beds. Methods Open repair of arch by left thoracotomy and descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic pathology using deep hypothermia was performed in 664 patients from 1995 to 2015. A subset of this cohort had chronic thoracoabdominal aortic dissection (n = 196). All nonemergency cases received coronary angiography and echocardiography preoperatively. Significant coronary artery disease or severe aortic insufficiency was addressed before repair of the chronic dissection. In recent years, lumbar drains were placed preoperatively in the most extensive repairs (extents II and III). Important intercostal arteries from T8 to L1 were revascularized with smaller-diameter looped grafts. Multibranched grafts for the visceral segment have been preferred in recent years. Results Mean age of patients was 58 ± 14 years. Men comprised 74% of the cohort. Aortopathy was confirmed in 18% of the cohort. Prior thoracic aortic repair occurred in 57% of patients, and prior abdominal aortic repair occurred in 14% of patients. Prior type A aortic dissection occurred in 44% of patients, and prior type B occurred in 56% of patients. Operative mortality was 3.6%, permanent spinal cord ischemia occurred in 2.6% of patients, permanent hemodialysis occurred in 0% of patients, and permanent stroke occurred in 1% of patients. Reexploration for bleeding was 5.1%, and respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy occurred in 2.6%. Postoperative length of stay was 11.9 ± 9.7 days. Reintervention for pseudoaneurysm or growth of a distal aneurysm was 6.9%. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survivals were 93%, 79%, and 57%, respectively. Conclusions Open repair of chronic thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic dissection using deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest has low morbidity and mortality. The need for reintervention is low, and long-term survival is excellent. We believe that open repair continues to be the gold standard in patients who are suitable candidates for surgery.
Variable Projection Methods for an Optimized Dynamic Mode Decomposition

The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) has become a leading tool for data-driven modeling of dynamical systems, providing a regression framework for fitting linear dynamical models to time-series measurement data. We present a simple algorithm for computing an optimized version of the DMD for data which may be collected at unevenly spaced sample times. By making use of the variable projection method for nonlinear least squares problems, the algorithm is capable of solving the underlying nonlinear optimization problem efficiently. We explore the performance of the algorithm with some numerical examples for synthetic and real data from dynamical systems and find that the resulting decomposition displays less bias in the presence of noise than standard DMD algorithms. Because of the flexibility of the algorithm, we also present some interesting new options for DMD-based analysis.
Average change in sentence repetition by Spanish-English speaking children: kindergarten to first grade

ABSTRACTPurpose: This study aimed to describe change in dual language learners’ (DLLs) morphosyntactic skills from kindergarten to first grade based on a sentence repetition task in English and Spa...
The Target Differential Game with Two Defenders

A cooperative aircraft differential game where an Attacker missile pursues an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) herein called the Target is addressed. The Target UAV cooperates with up to two Defender missiles which are launched in order to intercept the Attacker before the latter reaches the Target. This is a scenario with important military applications where each one of the agents is an autonomous air vehicle. Each agent plans and corrects its course of action in order to defeat an opposing force while simultaneously optimizing an operational relevant cost/payoff performance measure. The Target and the Defenders cooperate to form a team against the Attacker. The results in this paper build on the solution of a three agent differential game, where the three players are the Target, the Attacker, and one Defender; in this paper, the benefits of firing a second Defender are considered. Indeed, launching two interceptor missiles is a standard procedure by providing redundant backup. Building on the solution of the one-Defender problem, it is possible to address a seemingly intractable problem, where the Target needs to decide which Defender(s) to cooperate with, in addition to obtaining the optimal headings of every player in the game. Given the initial positions of the players, we solve the problem of determining if a second Defender improves the Target/Defender(s) payoff and provide the optimal strategies for each of the agents involved. Finally, we address the game of kind (for the case of one Defender) which provides the safety regions to determine which side will win based on the initial state. These safety regions provides the Target’s area of vulnerability, and using these results, we describe the reduction to the Target’s vulnerability area brought by an additional Defender.
The quantitative effects of tax foresight: Not all states are equal

Abstract This paper explores the effect of federal tax news on state economic activity. We estimate a factor-augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) model, which allows us to consider the possibility that unobserved factors – such as credit and fiscal conditions – might be relevant for modeling the dynamic response of aggregate and state-level economic activity. We identify tax foresight as a shock to the implicit tax rate, measured by the yield spread between the one-year tax-exempt municipal bond and the one-year taxable Treasury bond. Our results suggest that an increase in the implicit tax rate raises national output over much of the anticipation period. In addition, anticipated tax increases give rise to expansions in state personal income and employment. We find that the variation in the responsiveness of economic activity across states is mostly explained by differences in industrial composition and income distribution, as well as by some demographic characteristics such as median income and education. Finally, using a proxy for exogenous changes in federal tax revenues, we investigate the dynamics of state-level personal income and employment. Our results point to considerable heterogeneity in the response across U.S. states. Moreover, they reveal that the long-run multiplier for an anticipated increase in tax revenues is about a tenth of the short-run multiplier for an unanticipated increase in taxes.
The Cost of the Missing Bit: Communication Complexity with Help

We generalize the multiparty communication model of Chandra, Furst, and Lipton (1983) to functions with b-bit output (b = 1 in the CFL model). We allow the players to receive up to b - 1 bits of information from an all-powerful benevolent Helper who can see all the input. Extending results of Babai, Nisan, and Szegedy (1992) to this model, we construct families of explicit functions for which bits of communication are required to find the "missing bit", where n is the length of each player's input and k is the number of players. As a consequence we settle the problem of separating the one-way vs. multiround communication complexities (in the CFL sense) for players, extending a result of Nisan and Wigderson (1991) who demonstrated this separation for k = 3 players. As a by-product we obtain lower bounds for the multiparty complexity (in the CFL sense) of new families of explicit boolean functions (not derivable from BNS). The proofs exploit the interplay between two concepts of multicolor discrepancy; discrete Fourier analysis is the basic tool. We also include an unpublished lower bound by A. Wigderson regarding the one-way complexity of the 3-party pointer jumping function.
The origin of the Debye relaxation in liquid water and fitting the high frequency excess response

We critically review the literature on the Debye absorption peak of liquid water and the excess response found on the high frequency side of the Debye peak. We find a lack of agreement on the microscopic phenomena underlying both of these features. To better understand the molecular origin of Debye peak we ran large scale molecular dynamics simulations and performed several different distance-dependent decompositions of the low frequency dielectric spectra, finding that it involves processes that take place on scales of 1.5-2.0 nm. We also calculated the k-dependence of the Debye relaxation, finding it to be highly dispersive. These findings are inconsistent with models that relate Debye relaxation to local processes such as the rotation/translation of molecules after H-bond breaking. We introduce the spectrumfitter Python package for fitting dielectric spectra and analyze different ways of fitting the high frequency excess, such as including one or two additional Debye peaks. We propose using the generalized Lydanne-Sachs-Teller (gLST) equation as a way of testing the physicality of model dielectric functions. Our attempts at fitting the experimental spectrum using the gLST relation as a constraint indicate that the traditional way of fitting the excess response with secondary and tertiary Debye relaxations is problematic. All of our work is consistent with the recent theory of Popov et al. (2016) that Debye relaxation is due to the migration of Bjerrum-like defects in the hydrogen bond network. Under this theory, the mechanism of Debye relaxation in liquid water is similar to the mechanism in ice, but the heterogeneity and power-law dynamics of the H-bond network in water results in excess response on the high frequency side of the peak.
Toward Pattern-Recognizing Visual Prostheses

Abstract Chip technology and VLSI techniques have advanced to where photo-transistor arrays as retinal models and prostheses may soon become serious possibilities. This paper is concerned with principles of logical design/computer architecture permitting such arrays to recognize patterns by parallel/distributed computation, producing decisions/outputs suitable either for human interpretation, for actuating other parts of the system (e.g., motor responses), or for entering into feedback loops with or without human links in the system. The central concept is the bus automaton (BA), a parallel computer of speed and power far exceeding that of cellular automata. Its main novel feature, not shared with the latter, is a distributed switching/communication network under local control by corresponding individual automata (cells). Widely separated cells can effectively become "nearest neighbors", and cooperate in complex problems (like pattern recognition), solving them in parallel in times comparable to those for simple logical decisions. The wide variety of problems already solved in theory (or close to it) will be reviewed, including many pattern recognitions, complex computations, formal language processing, and a new approach to modeling skill acquisition. Obstacles to implementing rudimentary eye or eye-brain-effector systems will be assessed from BA and physical viewpoints.
A Framework for Conducting Numerical Experiments on Cost System Design

ABSTRACT This paper aims to advance the use of numerical experiments in the study of cost system design. As with laboratory and field experiments, researchers must decide on the independent variabl...
A Study on Antisperm Antibody in Homosexual Men

Using a hemagglutination assay we surveyed antibody distribution to human sperm antigen in a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic population and in an AIDS study group. We found no significant difference for the mean antisperm antibody titres between sexually active heterosexual men, women or homosexual men, homosexual men with or without AIDS, and no correlation between T4/T8 lymphocyte ratios and antibody titres in homosexual men. We conclude that levels of antibody to sperm antigens are not significantly greater in homosexual men and antisperm antibody levels do not correlate with the diagnosis of AIDS.
Sequential eviction of crowded nucleoprotein complexes by the exonuclease RecBCD molecular motor

In physiological settings, all nucleic acids motor proteins must travel along substrates that are crowded with other proteins. However, the physical basis for how motor proteins behave in these highly crowded environments remains unknown. Here, we use real-time single-molecule imaging to determine how the ATP-dependent translocase RecBCD travels along DNA occupied by tandem arrays of high-affinity DNA binding proteins. We show that RecBCD forces each protein into its nearest adjacent neighbor, causing rapid disruption of the protein–nucleic acid interaction. This mechanism is not the same way that RecBCD disrupts isolated nucleoprotein complexes on otherwise naked DNA. Instead, molecular crowding itself completely alters the mechanism by which RecBCD removes tightly bound protein obstacles from DNA.
Real Effects of Common Currencies in East Asia

Abstract Since the 1997 Asian currency crisis, new interest has emerged in the formation of a common currency area in East Asia. This paper provides estimates of trade and welfare effects of East Asian currency unions, using a micro-founded gravity model. Counter-factual experiments to assess the effects of various hypothetical currency arrangements for East Asia suggest that an East Asian currency union will double bilateral trade in the region, but the resulting welfare effects will be moderate. However, if Japan, a major trade partner for East Asia, is included in the union, welfare effects increase substantially. The evidence thus suggests that certain regional currency arrangements in East Asia will stimulate regional trade rigorously and can generate economically significant welfare gains.
The Export Enhancement Program: Prospects Under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990

Abstract According to provisions of the 1990 US farm bill, the Export Enhancement Program (EEP) will continue to be an important instrument in promoting US agricultural exports and in challenging subsidizing competitors, like the European Community (EC), with funding levels set at a minimum of $500 million annually through 1995. This research, whose purpose is to evaluate the likely effectiveness of the wheat EEP through 1995, concludes that the EEP will have a significant effect on US wheat exports, but will be subject to diminishing returns at levels higher than the annual minima, and the EC will be only marginally affected by the EEP as it can effectively counter the provisions of the EEP at low cost.
An exploratory genome-wide analysis of genetic risk for alcoholic hepatitis

AbstractObjectives: To elucidate the genetic variability between heavy drinkers with and without alcoholic hepatitis (AH).Materials and methods: An exploratory genome-wide association study (GWAS; NCT02172898) was conducted comparing 90 AH cases with 93 heavy drinking matched controls without liver disease in order to identify variants or genes associated with risk for AH. Individuals were genotyped using the multi-ethnic genotyping array, after which the data underwent conventional quality control. Using bioinformatics tools, pathways associated with AH were explored on the basis of individual variants, and based on genes with a higher ’burden’ of functional variation.Results: Although no single variant reached genome-wide significance, an association signal was observed for PNPLA3 rs738409 (p = .01, OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.1), a common single nucleotide polymorphism that has been associated with a variety of liver-related pathologies including alcoholic cirrhosis. Using the improved gene set enrichment ana...
Aftershocks driven by afterslip and fluid pressure sweeping through a fault-fracture mesh

A variety of physical mechanisms are thought to be responsible for the triggering and spatiotemporal evolution of aftershocks. Here we analyze a vigorous aftershock sequence and postseismic geodetic strain that occurred in the Yuha Desert following the 2010 M_w 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. About 155,000 detected aftershocks occurred in a network of orthogonal faults and exhibit features of two distinct mechanisms for aftershock triggering. The earliest aftershocks were likely driven by afterslip that spread away from the main shock with the logarithm of time. A later pulse of aftershocks swept again across the Yuha Desert with square root time dependence and swarm-like behavior; together with local geological evidence for hydrothermalism, these features suggest that the events were driven by fluid diffusion. The observations illustrate how multiple driving mechanisms and the underlying fault structure jointly control the evolution of an aftershock sequence.
Social Network Decay as Potential Recovery from Homelessness: A Mixed Methods Study in Housing First Programming.

The positive relationship between social support and mental health has been well documented, but individuals experiencing chronic homelessness face serious disruptions to their social networks. Housing First (HF) programming has been shown to improve health and stability of formerly chronically homeless individuals. However, researchers are only just starting to understand the impact HF has on residents’ individual social integration. The purpose of the current study was to describe and understand changes in social networks of residents living in a HF program. Researchers employed a longitudinal, convergent parallel mixed method design, collecting quantitative social network data through structured interviews (n = 13) and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews (n = 20). Quantitative results demonstrated a reduction in network size over the course of one year. However, increases in both network density and frequency of contact with network members increased. Qualitative interviews demonstrated a strengthening in the quality of relationships with family and housing providers and a shedding of burdensome and abusive relationships. These results suggest network decay is a possible indicator of participants’ recovery process as they discontinued negative relationships and strengthened positive ones.
Product engagement and identity signaling: The role of likes in social commerce for fashion products

Abstract Motivated by a lack of understanding of user engagement with identity-relevant products, we distinguish between two mechanisms by which existing likes affect subsequent engagement: observational learning (OL) by observing the number of existing likes, and social influence (SI) by observing the likes of one’s social connections. Using a novel panel dataset of 930 handbags, we find that, contrary to most OL studies, OL has a negative effect on subsequent likes, and the effect is mitigated by SI. By contrast, OL has a positive effect on clicks, and the effect diminishes as SI increases. We attribute our findings to identity signaling.
Economics Case Study: Harvard Business School Pedagogy Techniques: From Teaching Entrepreneurship to Influencing Business Policy through Research

The case study explains the need for social entrepreneurship while remaining in the premise of mainstream economics. A detailed discussion is carried out on the vulnerabilities of economic policy making that has led to some of the new initiatives at Harvard Business School to promote such pedagogy practices at Business Schools that may eventually influence national and international policy making to the benefit of the society and not only the economies of developed and developing countries. Two brief cases are presented. First one takes evolution of HBS course at a Pakistani university to develop superior pedagogy for student learning towards social entrepreneurship. The other case maps the journey of bilateral relationships between China and Pakistan from Free trade agreement to CPEC as a matter of national policy to evaluate local business risks and potentials.
Who's in Charge of Fixing the World's Financial System? The Un[?]der-Appreciated Lead Role of the G20 and the FSB

Many financial and economic professionals are under-appreciative (and some, possibly, unaware) of what is stated in the second part of this paper's title: the biggest players in “fixing” the global financial system are the Group of Twenty (G20) largest and most powerful economic and financial nations, and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the G20's main financial system reform policy-making agent. This paper explains the nature of the G20's leadership role by presenting a stylized history of that group's emergence, assisted by the FSB, as the “premier forum” in reform of the global financial system. The paper begins with a brief explanation of what the G20 and FSB are, highlighting basic information on their membership composition and missions, and their relative financial “heft” in the global economy. Focusing on the major statements, declarations, and communiques from G20 Leaders’ Summits beginning in late-2008 at the depth of the global financial crisis, the paper describes the rapid emergence of the G20 as the pre-eminent global financial system policy-making entity. That description shows how, over the turbulent 2008–2009 period, the G20, with the aid of the newly-created FSB, established the core elements of what remains “the” global financial system reform agenda. The study then turns to the subsequent evolution of that agenda over 2010–2012, when substantial, but uneven, progress was made in achieving major objectives. The paper concludes with a summary of the status of the G20/FSB financial system reform agenda in the aftermath of the September 2013 Leaders’ Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, an event that in a sense marked the 5-year “anniversary” of the “Lehman Brothers moment” and the full eruption of the global financial crisis in September 2008.
The saturation bifurcation in coupled oscillators

Abstract We examine examples of weakly nonlinear systems whose steady states undergo a bifurcation with increasing forcing, such that a forced subsystem abruptly ceases to absorb additional energy, instead diverting it into an initially quiescent, unforced subsystem. We derive and numerically verify analytical predictions for the existence and behavior of such saturated states for a class of oscillator pairs. We also examine related phenomena, including zero-frequency response to periodic forcing, Hopf bifurcations to quasiperiodicity, and bifurcations to periodic behavior with multiple frequencies.
High-fraction brookite films from amorphous precursors

Structure-specific synthesis processes are of key importance to the growth of polymorphic functional compounds such as TiO2, where material properties strongly depend on structure as well as chemistry. The robust growth of the brookite polymorph of TiO2, a promising photocatalyst, has been difficult in both powder and thin-film forms due to the disparity of reported synthesis techniques, their highly specific nature, and lack of mechanistic understanding. In this work, we report the growth of high-fraction (~95%) brookite thin films prepared by annealing amorphous titania precursor films deposited by pulsed laser deposition. We characterize the crystallization process, eliminating the previously suggested roles of substrate templating and Na helper ions in driving brookite formation. Instead, we link phase selection directly to film thickness, offering a novel, generalizable route to brookite growth that does not rely on the presence of extraneous elements or particular lattice-matched substrates. In addition to providing a new synthesis route to brookite thin films, our results take a step towards resolving the problem of phase selection in TiO2 growth, contributing to the further development of this promising functional material.
Internal Information Quality and Tax-Motivated Income Shifting

ABSTRACT This study examines whether the quality of a firm's internal information environment influences its tax-motivated income shifting activities. Although income shifting is an important tax-planning strategy, evidence regarding its determinants is limited. We find that higher internal information quality (IIQ) is associated with greater tax-motivated income shifting, which suggests that higher IIQ enables managers to better identify and execute income shifting opportunities. We find that the influence of IIQ on tax-motivated income shifting varies with firm characteristics. Specifically, we find that higher IIQ is associated with tax-motivated income shifting for firms with greater uncertainty and greater coordination needs. Overall, these results suggest that the improved information obtained through higher-quality internal information environments allows managers to increase tax-motivated income shifting.
Dosimetric impact of gastrointestinal air column in radiation treatment of pancreatic cancer

Objective:Dosimetric evaluation of air column in gastrointestinal (GI) structures in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) of pancreatic cancer.Methods:Nine sequential patients were retrospectively chosen for dosimetric analysis of air column in the GI apparatus in pancreatic cancer using cone beam CT (CBCT). The four-dimensional CT (4DCT) was used for target and organs at risk (OARs) and non-coplanar IMRT was used for treatment. Once a week, these patients underwent CBCT for air filling, isocentre verification and dose calculations retrospectively.Results:Abdominal air column variation was as great as ±80% between weekly CBCT and 4DCT. Even with such a large air column in the treatment path for pancreatic cancer, changes in anteroposterior dimension were minimal (2.8%). Using IMRT, variations in air column did not correlate dosimetrically with large changes in target volume. An average dosimetric deviation of mere −3.3% and a maximum of −5.5% was observed.Conclusion:CBCT revealed large air column ...
Do inpayments and outpayments respond to exchange rate changes asymmetrically: Evidence from Malaysia

Since pass-through of exchange rate changes on import and export prices are asymmetric, we expect a country’s inpayments (export earnings) and outpayments (cost of imports) to react to exchange rate changes asymmetrically too. We demonstrate this hypothesis by considering trade between Malaysia and each of her 11 largest trading partners. We find that while the short-run effects of exchange rate changes on Malaysia’s inpayments and outpayments are asymmetric with all partners, the long-run asymmetric effects are present in less than half of the partners. The results are partner-specific.
Firm age, corporate governance, and capital structure choices

Abstract Do the effects of corporate governance on corporate capital structure choices change as a public firm ages? First, we address the direct effects of firm age and governance features on both its decisions to use debt and how much debt to employ. Our analysis reveals a number of novel results. While firm age is positively correlated with the use of debt, it is negatively correlated with how much debt a firm uses. We also find that the effects of firm age on how much debt a firm uses is primarily due to the interaction between firm age and its governance features. The more power that insiders possess, the less debt that the firm uses as it ages. We interpret our evidence as implying that over time, managers allow their risk preferences to dominate their firm capital structure decisions when they are protected from discipline.
The Promise and Problems of Pricing Carbon Theory and Experience

Because of the global commons nature of climate change, international cooperation among nations will likely be necessary for meaningful action at the global level. At the same time, it will inevita...
The IR stability of de Sitter QFT: results at all orders

Author(s): Marolf, Donald; Morrison, Ian A | Abstract: We show that the Hartle-Hawking vacuum for theories of interacting massive scalars in de Sitter space is both perturbatively well-defined and stable in the IR. Correlation functions in this state may be computed on the Euclidean section and Wick-rotated to Lorentz-signature. The results are manifestly de Sitter-invariant and contain only the familiar UV singularities. More importantly, the connected parts of all Lorentz-signature correlators decay at large separations of their arguments. Our results apply to all cases in which the free Euclidean vacuum is well defined, including scalars with masses belonging to both the complementary and principal series of $SO(D,1)$. This suggests that interacting QFTs in de Sitter -- including higher spin fields -- are perturbatively IR-stable at least when i) the Euclidean vacuum of the zero-coupling theory exists and ii) corresponding Lorentz-signature zero-coupling correlators decay at large separations. This work has significant overlap with a paper by Stefan Hollands, which is being released simultaneously.
The economic impact of right-to-work laws: Evidence from collective bargaining agreements and corporate policies

Abstract We analyze the economic and financial impact of right-to-work (RTW) laws in the US. Using data from collective bargaining agreements, we show that there is a decrease in wages for unionized workers after RTW laws. Firms increase investment and employment but reduce financial leverage. Labor-intensive firms experience higher profits and labor-to-asset ratios. Dividends and executive compensation also increase post-RTW. Our results are consistent with a canonical theory of the firm augmented with an exogenous bargaining power of labor and suggest that RTW laws impact corporate policies by decreasing that bargaining power.
Collapse of passive margins by lithospheric damage and plunging grain size

Abstract The collapse of passive margins has been proposed as a possible mechanism for the spontaneous initiation of subduction. In order for a new trench to form at the junction between oceanic and continental plates, the cold and stiff oceanic lithosphere must be weakened sufficiently to deform at tectonic rates. Such rates are especially hard to attain in the cold ductile portion of the lithosphere, at which the mantle lithosphere reaches peak strength. The amount of weakening required for the lithosphere to deform in this tectonic setting is dictated by the available stress. Stress in a cooling passive margin increases with time (e.g., due to ridge push), and is augmented by stresses present in the lithosphere at the onset of rifting (e.g., due to drag from underlying mantle flow). Increasing stress has the potential to weaken the ductile portion of the lithosphere by dislocation creep, or by decreasing grain size in conjunction with a grain-size sensitive rheology like diffusion creep. While the increasing stress acts to weaken the lithosphere, the decreasing temperature acts to stiffen it, and the dominance of one effect or the other determines whether the margin might weaken and collapse. Here, we present a model of the thermal and mechanical evolution of a passive margin, wherein we predict formation of a weak shear zone that spans a significant depth-range of the ductile portion of the lithosphere. Stiffening due to cooling is offset by weakening due to grain size reduction, driven by the combination of imposed stresses and grain damage. Weakening via grain damage is modest when ridge push is the only source of stress in the lithosphere, making the collapse of a passive margin unlikely in this scenario. However, adding even a small stress-contribution from mantle drag results in damage and weakening of a significantly larger portion of the lithosphere. We posit that rapid grain size reduction in the ductile portion of the lithosphere can enable, or at least significantly facilitate, the collapse of a passive margin and initiate a new subduction zone. We use this model to estimate the conditions for passive margin collapse for modern and ancient Earth, as well as for Venus.
Using satellite imagery to assess impacts of soil and water conservation measures: Evidence from Ethiopia’s Tana-Beles watershed

Although efforts at soil and water conservation are routinely viewed as instrumental in reducing vulnerability to climate change, their impact has rarely been quantified. Combining data on the timing and intensity of soil and water conservation interventions in select Ethiopian watersheds from 2009 to 2016 with a pixel-level panel of vegetative cover and soil moisture data derived from satellite imagery makes it possible to assess the biophysical impacts of such measures using a difference-in-differences specification. The results point toward significant effects overall that vary by season, and that tree planting and other soil and water conservation activities are more effective on degraded than cultivated land. The results are consistent with before-after regressions for daily sediment load and stream flows in a subset of micro-watersheds. It thus appears that satellite imagery can improve the design and near-real-time monitoring of sustainable land management interventions for watersheds and landscape.
Clinical prognostic value of the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 single-nucleotide polymorphism rs11554137 in glioblastoma.

The presence of the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11554137:C>T in the IDH1 gene is associated with a significantly lower survival in acute myeloid leukemia patients. The impact of its presence in glioblastoma on patient survival is unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 171 adult (> 18 years of age) patients treated at a single, tertiary academic center for supratentorial glioblastoma (WHO grade IV) between 2013 and 2017. We conducted Kaplan–Meier overall and progression free survival analyses based on the IDH1 and IDH2 gene status of patients’ glioblastoma (IDH wild type, mutant, and IDH1 rs11554137:C>T SNP). Multivariate Cox survival analyses were conducted accounting for age at diagnosis, preoperative Karnofsky performance status score, treatment (extent of resection, postoperative radiotherapy, and temozolomide), IDH gene variant, and MGMT promoter methylation status. Presence of rs11554137:C>T SNP in glioblastoma samples did not correlate with presence of IDH1 mutation. Patients with rs11554137:C>T SNP did not have histories of prior lower-grade gliomas. Patients with IDH mutant glioblastoma had a distinctly higher survival profile than both rs11554137:C>T SNP and IDH wild type glioblastomas. No survival difference was noted between patients with glioblastoma harboring the SNP and patients with IDH wild type glioblastoma. In this study, clinical prognostication in glioblastoma patients was largely dependent on the classification of IDH mutant and wild type glioblastoma, and not on the presence of IDH1 rs11554137:C>T SNP in the tumor.
Decentralized Mining in Centralized Pools

The rise of centralized mining pools for risk sharing does not necessarily undermine the decentralization required for permissionless blockchains: Each individual miner's cross-pool diversification and endogenous fees charged by pools generally sustain decentralization, because larger pools better internalize their externality on global hash rates, charge higher fees, attract disproportionately fewer miners, and thus grow more slowly. Instead, mining pools as a financial innovation escalate the arms race among competing miners and thus significantly increase the energy consumption of proof-of-work-based consensus mechanisms. Empirical evidence from Bitcoin mining supports our model predictions. The economic insights inform many other blockchain protocols as well as the industrial organization of mainstream sectors with similar characteristics but ambiguous prior findings.
New Takes on Jim Crow: A Review of Recent Scholarship

More than half a century has passed since C. Vann Woodward penned his iconic monograph, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, and legal segregation continues to compel. Recent works have reassessed Jim Crow's birth, its life, and its aftermath, suggesting that the system was at once more implicated in the reproduction of racist ideas than had been previously assumed, and also more fluid: a variegated landscape of rules and norms that lent themselves to various forms of political, legal, and cultural resistance.
Self-sewn identity: How female home sewers use garment sewing to control self-presentation:

Garment sewing was once a necessity for women to present themselves and their families in a socially acceptable manner. Despite societal and economics changes, as well as, an abundance of readily a...
Cross-modal terrains: navigating sonic space through haptic feedback.

This paper explores the idea of using virtual textural terrains as a means of generating haptic profiles for force-feedback controllers. This approach breaks from the para-digm established within audio-haptic research over the last few decades where physical models within virtual environments are designed to transduce gesture into sonic output. We outline a method for generating multimodal terrains using basis functions, which are rendered into monochromatic visual representations for inspection. This visual terrain is traversed using a haptic controller, the NovInt Falcon, which in turn receives force information based on the grayscale value of its location in this virtual space. As the image is traversed by a performer the levels of resistance vary, and the image is realized as a physical terrain. We discuss the potential of this approach to afford engaging musical experiences for both the performer and the audience as iterated through numerous performances.
Tuning Transcriptional Regulation through Signaling: A Predictive Theory of Allosteric Induction.

Allosteric regulation is found across all domains of life, yet we still lack simple, predictive theories that directly link the experimentally tunable parameters of a system to its input-output response. To that end, we present a general theory of allosteric transcriptional regulation using the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model. We rigorously test this model using the ubiquitous simple repression motif in bacteria by first predicting the behavior of strains that span a large range of repressor copy numbers and DNA binding strengths and then constructing and measuring their response. Our model not only accurately captures the induction profiles of these strains, but also enables us to derive analytic expressions for key properties such as the dynamic range and [EC_(50)]. Finally, we derive an expression for the free energy of allosteric repressors that enables us to collapse our experimental data onto a single master curve that captures the diverse phenomenology of the induction profiles.
Simple tests for endogeneity of spatial weights matrices

Abstract In this study, we propose a Rao's score (RS) statistic (Lagrange multiplier (LM) statistic) to test for endogeneity of the spatial weights matrix in a spatial autoregressive model. To achieve this, we start with a spatial autoregressive model with an acceptable form for the generating process for the elements of the endogenous spatial weights matrix as in Qu and Lee (2015). Our test statistic is simple to calculate because it requires computationally simple estimations. By construction, the test statistic is robust in the sense that its asymptotic null distribution is a centered chi-square distribution regardless of the (local) presence of a spatial autoregressive parameter in the alternative model. We summarize the asymptotic properties of our test statistic under the null and the alternative hypotheses. To investigate its finite sample size and power properties, we conduct a Monte Carlo study. The results are in line with our theoretical findings and indicate that the robust test has good size and power properties.
A Moist Static Energy Framework for Zonal-Mean Storm-Track Intensity

AbstractA moist static energy (MSE) framework for zonal-mean storm-track intensity, defined as the extremum of zonal-mean transient eddy MSE flux, is derived and applied across a range of time scal...
CHIP-FIRING GROUPS OF ITERATED CONES

Abstract Let Γ be a finite graph and let Γ n be the “nth cone over Γ” (i.e., the join of Γ and the complete graph K n ). We study the asymptotic structure of the chip-firing group Pic 0 ( Γ n ) .