cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Paradox of Voter Participation? A Laboratory Study

It is widely believed that rational choice theory is grossly inconsistent with empirical observations about voter turnout. We report the results of an experiment designed to test the voter turnout predictions of the rational choice Palfrey–Rosenthal model of participation with asymmetric information. We find that the three main comparative statics predictions are observed in the data: the size effect, whereby turnout goes down in larger electorates; the competition effect, whereby turnout is higher in elections that are expected to be close; and the underdog effect, whereby voters supporting the less popular alternative have higher turnout rates. We also compare the quantitative magnitudes of turnout to the predictions of Nash equilibrium. We find that there is undervoting for small electorates and overvoting for large electorates, relative to Nash equilibrium. These deviations from Nash equilibrium are consistent with the logit version of Quantal Response Equilibrium, which provides a good fit to the data, and can also account for significant voter turnout in very large elections.
Mastermind is NP-Complete

In this paper we show that the Mastermind Satisfiability Pro blem (MSP) is NP- complete. Mastermind is a popular game which can be turned into a logical puzzle called the Mastermind Satisfiability Problem in a similar spirit to the Minesweeper puzzle (5). By proving that MSP is NP-complete, we reveal its intrinsic computational property that makes it challenging and interesting. This serves as an addition to our knowledge about a host of other puzzles, such as Minesweeper (5), Mah-Jongg (1), and the 15-puzzle (6).
New Horizons in Gravity: Dark Energy and Condensate Stars

Black holes are an apparently unavoidable prediction of classical General Relativity, at least if matter obeys the strong energy condition ρ + 3p ≥ 0. However quantum vacuum fluctuations generally violate this condition, as does the eq. of state of cosmological dark energy ρ = −p > 0. When quantum effects are considered, black holes lead to a number of thermodynamic paradoxes associated with the Hawking temperature and assumption of black hole entropy, which are briefly reviewed. It is argued that the largest quantum effects arise from the conformal scalar degrees of freedom generated by the trace anomaly of the stress-energy tensor in curved space. At event horizons these can have macroscopically large backreaction effects on the geometry, potentially removing the classical event horizon of black hole and cosmological spacetimes, replacing them with a quantum phase boundary layer, where the effective value of the gravitational vacuum energy density can change. In the effective theory including the quantum effects of the anomaly, the cosmological term ? becomes a dynamical condensate, whose value depends upon boundary conditions at the horizon. By taking a positive value in the interior of a fully collapsed star, the effective cosmological term removes any singularity, replacing it with a smooth dark energy de Sitter interior. The resulting gravitational vacuum condensate star (or gravastar) configuration resolves all black hole paradoxes, and provides a testable alternative to black holes as the final quantum mechanical end state of complete gravitational collapse. The observed Λeff dark energy of our universe likewise may be a macroscopic finite size effect whose value depends not on Planck scale or other microphysics but on the cosmological Hubble horizon scale itself.
Rotating band pion production targets for muon colliders and neutrino factories

Abstract An update is presented on a conceptual design for a pion production target station using a rotating cupronickel band and that was originally proposed for use at a muon collider facility with a 4 MW pulsed proton beam. After reviewing the salient design features and motivations for this target, ongoing studies are described that are attempting to benchmark the thermal stresses and radiation damage on the target band using data from the Fermilab antiproton source and other operating targets. Possible parameter optimizations and alternative technologies for the rotating band are surveyed, including discussion on the the various proton beam parameters that might be encountered for rotating band targets at either muon colliders or neutrino factories. Finally, an outline is proposed for a possible R&D path towards capability for the actual construction of rotating band pion production targets.
Reducing Operating Room Costs Through Real-Time Cost Information Feedback: A Pilot Study.

Abstract Purpose: To create a protocol for providing real-time operating room (OR) cost feedback to surgeons. We hypothesize that this protocol will reduce costs in a responsible way without sacrificing quality of care. Methods: All OR costs were obtained and recorded for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Before the beginning of this project, costs pertaining to the 20 most recent cases were analyzed. Items were identified from previous cases as modifiable for replacement or omission. Timely feedback of total OR costs and cost of each item used was provided to the surgeon after each case, and costs were analyzed. Results: A cost analysis of the robot-assisted partial nephrectomy before the washout period indicates expenditures of $5243.04 per case. Ten recommended modifiable items were found to have an average per case cost of $1229.33 representing 23.4% of the total cost. A postwashout period cost analysis found the total OR cost decreased by $899.67 (17.2%) because o...
Supersymmetry and cosmology

Cosmology now provides unambiguous, quantitative evidence for new particle physics. I discuss the implications of cosmology for supersymmetry and vice versa. Topics include: motivations for supersymmetry; supersymmetry breaking; dark energy; freeze out and WIMPs; neutralino dark matter; cosmologically preferred regions of minimal supergravity; direct and indirect detection of neutralinos; the DAMA and HEAT signals; inflation and reheating; gravitino dark matter; Big Bang nucleosynthesis; and the cosmic microwave background. I conclude with speculations about the prospects for a microscopic description of the dark universe, stressing the necessity of diverse experiments on both sides of the particle physics/cosmology interface.
Random walks and electric networks

Probability theory, like much of mathematics, is indebted to physics as a source of problems and intuition for solving these problems. Unfortunately, the level of abstraction of current mathematics often makes it difficult for anyone but an expert to appreciate this fact. Random Walks and Electric Networks looks at the interplay of physics and mathematics in terms of an example  the relation between elementary electric network theory and random walks where the mathematics involved is at the college level.
Do spin state and spin density affect hydrogen atom transfer reactivity

The prevalence of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions in chemical and biological systems has prompted much interest in establishing and understanding the underlying factors that enable this reactivity. Arguments have been advanced that the electronic spin state of the abstractor and/or the spin-density at the abstracting atom are critical for HAT reactivity. This is consistent with the intuition derived from introductory organic chemistry courses. Herein we present an alternative view on the role of spin state and spin density in HAT reactions. After a brief introduction, the second section introduces a new and simple fundamental kinetic analysis, which shows that unpaired spin cannot be the dominant effect. The third section examines published computational studies of HAT reactions, which indicates that the spin state affects these reactions indirectly, primarily via changes in driving force. The essay concludes with a broader view of HAT reactivity, including indirect effects of spin and other properties. It is suggested that some of the controversy in this area may arise from the diversity of HAT reactions and their overlap with proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions.
Pygmalion in the Gym: A Model for the Communication of Teacher Expectations in Physical Education

Abstract Much research on teacher expectations has focused on ways in which teacher perceptions of student ability can ultimately affect student performance. The majority of this research has indicated that teacher expectations not only determine certain types of student performance, but also serve to sustain low and high levels of performance. Observational research has also demonstrated that differential teacher-student interactions are related to certain levels of teacher expectations. For example, it has been shown that high expectancy students receive more praise, acceptance of ideas, contact and wait time, and more response opportunities than low expectancy students. Much of this research has been generated from studies related to classroom instruction. Very little of this research, however, has been operational in the physical education setting. One reason for this is the absence of a model in physical education through which this type of research can be generated. This article presents such a mode...
Pension-Plan Real Estate Investment in an Asset–Liability Framework

This study explores the role of pension-plan real estate investment in an asset–liability framework. By assuming that the pension-plan manager wishes to have assets of at least equal value to the liabilities at all points in time, an asset selection process is derived which depends on both the asset's covariance with other assets and its covariance with the liability stream. We generally find real estate not to be highly correlated with pension-plan liabilities. This finding is of general interest, since it helps to explain why pension-plan real estate investment is extremely limited and much smaller than one would expect if pension-plan investors cared only about the mean and variance of the real return to their invested wealth.
Incorporating Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook in Economics Classrooms.

Social media is one of the most current and dynamic developments in education. In general, the field of economics has lagged behind other disciplines in incorporating technologies in the classroom. In this article, the authors provide a guide for economics educators on how to incorporate Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook inside and outside of the classroom. The authors’ aims are to discuss the potential benefits of social media for economics curricula, explain how to effectively use social media, and reduce some of the concerns associated with implementing new technology.
Designing Crop Insurance to Manage Moral Hazard Costs

A new crop insurance model based on just random risk (natural states) is presented instead of traditional model based on random risk, guaranteed price, and guaranteed yield. The simulation approach shows how the incentive compatibility constraints resolve the moral hazard problem by the insured under the insurer-agency crop insurance contracting.
DNA as a Universal Substrate for Chemical Kinetics

We show that a DNA-based chemical system can be constructed such that it closely approximates the dynamic behavior of an arbitrary system of coupled chemical reactions. Using strand displacement reactions as a primitive we explicitly construct reaction cascades with effectively unimolecular and bimolecular kinetics. Our construction allows for individual reactions to be coupled in arbitrary ways such that reactants can participate in multiple reactions simultaneously, correctly reproducing the desired dynamical properties. Thus arbitrary systems of chemical equations can be compiled into chemistry. We illustrate our method on a chaotic Rossler attractor; simulations of the attractor and of our proposed DNA-based implementation show good agreement.
The space of Anosov diffeomorphisms

We consider the space XL of Anosov diffeomorphisms homotopic to a fixed automorphism L of an infranilmanifold M .W e show that ifM is the 2-torus T 2 , then XL is homotopy equivalent to T 2 . In contrast, if the dimension of M is large enough, then we show that XL is rich in homotopy and has infinitely many connected components.
Functors for unitary representations of classical real groups and affine Hecke algebras

We define exact functors from categories of Harish–Chandra modules for certain real classical groups to finite-dimensional modules over an associated graded affine Hecke algebra with parameters. We then study some of the basic properties of these functors. In particular, we show that they map irreducible spherical representations to irreducible spherical representations and, moreover, that they preserve unitarity. In the case of split classical groups, we thus obtain a functorial inclusion of the real spherical unitary dual (with “real infinitesimal character”) into the corresponding p-adic spherical unitary dual.
Iterative conditional fitting for Gaussian ancestral graph models

Ancestral graph models, introduced by Richardson and Spirtes (2002), generalize both Markov random fields and Bayesian networks to a class of graphs with a global Markov property that is closed under conditioning and marginalization. By design, ancestral graphs encode precisely the conditional independence structures that can arise from Bayesian networks with selection and unobserved (hidden/latent) variables. Thus, ancestral graph models provide a potentially very useful framework for exploratory model selection when unobserved variables might be involved in the data-generating process but no particular hidden structure can be specified. In this paper, we present the Iterative Conditional Fitting (ICF) algorithm for maximum likelihood estimation in Gaussian ancestral graph models. The name reflects that in each step of the procedure a conditional distribution is estimated, subject to constraints, while a marginal distribution is held fixed. This approach is in duality to the well-known Iterative Proportional Fitting algorithm, in which marginal distributions are fitted while conditional distributions are held fixed.
On Rayleigh-type formulas for a non-local boundary value problem associated with an integral operator commuting with the Laplacian

Abstract In this article we prove the existence, uniqueness, and simplicity of a negative eigenvalue for a class of integral operators whose kernel is of the form | x − y | ρ , 0 ρ ≤ 1 , x , y ∈ [ − a , a ] . We also provide two different ways of producing recursive formulas for the Rayleigh functions (i.e., recursion formulas for power sums) of the eigenvalues of this integral operator when ρ = 1 , providing means of approximating this negative eigenvalue. These methods offer recursive procedures for dealing with the eigenvalues of a one-dimensional Laplacian with non-local boundary conditions which commutes with an integral operator having a harmonic kernel. The problem emerged in recent work by one of the authors [48] . We also discuss extensions in higher dimensions and links with distance matrices.
IDENTIFICATION OF BOLTED JOINTS THROUGH LASER VIBROMETRY

Abstract We present a new technique for identifying the dynamics of bolted joints. The technique relies on the comparison of the overall dynamics of the bolted structure to that of a similar but unbolted one. The difference in the dynamics of the two systems can be attributed solely to the joint; modelling this difference in the dynamics enables us to construct a non-parametric model for the joint dynamics. Non-contacting, laser vibrometry is utilized to experimentally measure the structural responses with increased accuracy and to perform scans of the structural modes at fixed frequency. A numerical algorithm is then developed to post-process the experimental data and identify the joint force. Theoretical calculations are first used to validate the technique, which is then utilized to identify a practical joint. Experimental force–displacement plots at the joint reveal clear hysteresis loops which, in turn, can be used to estimate the damping dissipation at the joint. Moreover, experimental frequency responses and scans of the mode shapes of the bolted structure reveal non-proportional damping and non-linear effects due to microimpacts of the connected beams at the bolted joint.
Silicon microfabricated horns for power ultrasonics

Abstract As part of a study of silicon surgical tools, silicon ultrasonic horns for impedance transformation have been made with using bulk micromachining. The ultrasonic amplification of silicon stepped, linear, exponential, and catenoidal half-wavelength horns actuated by piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) plates is measured and found to agree well with predictions from a numerical model. With the catenoidal horn, a maximum ultrasonic velocity of 14.2 m s−1 is obtained with a displacement of 35 μm measured at 64.5 kHz at 150 Vpp drive. By way of comparison, in cataract surgery a particle velocity of only 11.9 m s−1 is used.
Synthesis and pharmacological characterization of bivalent ligands of epibatidine at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Abstract A series of bivalent ligands 6a – d of epibatidine were synthesized. All four ligands showed nanomolar binding affinities at six neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes in competition binding assays. In contrast to epibatidine, these bivalent ligands are weak partial agonists at the α3β4 nAChR as shown by functional assays.
Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Ring Opening Reactions of Oxabicyclo Adducts Derived from the [4+2]-Cycloaddition of 2-Imido Substituted Furans

A series of 2-imido-substituted furans containing tethered unsaturation were prepared by the addition of the lithium carbamate of furan-2-ylcarbamic acid tert-butyl ester to a solution of the mixed anhydride of an appropriately substituted 3-butenoic acid. The initially formed imido furans undergo a rapid intramolecular [4 + 2]-cycloaddition at room temperature to deliver the Diels−Alder cycloadducts in good to excellent yield. Isolation of the highly labile oxabicyclic adduct is believed to be a consequence of the lower reaction temperatures employed as well as the presence of the extra carbonyl group, which diminishes the basicity of the nitrogen atom, thereby retarding the ring cleavage/rearrangement reaction generally encountered with related systems. By using a Rh(I)-catalyzed ring opening of the oxabicyclic adduct with various nucleophilic reagents, it was possible to prepare highly functionalized hexahydro-1H-indol-2(3H)-one derivatives in good yield. The major stereoisomer obtained possesses a cis...
Towards an integrated view of 3-D computer animation

To automate character animation and extend it to 3-D we need to create and manipulate three-dimensional models of articulated figures as well as the worlds they will “inhabit”. Abstraction and adaptive motion are key mechanisms for dealing with the degrees of freedom problem, which refers to the sheer volume of control information necessary for coordinating the motion of an articulated figure when the number of links is large. A three level hierarchy of control modes for animation is proposed: guiding, animator-level, and task-level systems. Guiding is best suited for specifying fine details but unsuited for controlling complex motion. Animator-level programming is powerful but difficult. Task-level systems give us facile control over complex motions and tasks by trading off explicit control over the details of motion. The integration of the three control levels is discussed.
Absolute Calibration Of An Optical Flat

A method for the absolute calibration of a flat optical surface is described. An algorithm which utilizes the orthogonal properties of the Zernike polynomials was used on interferometric data to fabricate and certify three 10-inch Zerodur reference flats to X/100 peak-to-valley quality.
Feedback linearization of transverse dynamics for periodic orbits

In this paper we give necessary and sufficient conditions for feedback linearization of the transverse dynamics (TFL) of a nonlinear affine single-input system in a neighborhood of a periodic orbit. The TFL procedure provides a means of finding coordinates that are tuned to the structure of the control system with respect to the periodic orbit. An autonomous feedback control providing exponential stability of the periodic orbit is easily designed in the transverse coordinate system.
β-Diketo acids with purine nucleobase scaffolds: Novel, selective inhibitors of the strand transfer step of HIV integrase

Abstract The HIV pol gene encodes three viral enzymes that are required for its replication. While drug discovery involving the viral targets, reverse transcriptase and protease, has resulted in useful therapeutic agents, such efforts on HIV integrase have not produced a single FDA-approved drug. In the work focused on the discovery of inhibitors of HIV integrase, we have synthesized new β-diketo acids with purine nucleobase scaffolds that are potent inhibitors of the strand transfer steps of wild-type HIV-1 integrase.
The Big Mac Index: A Shortcut To Inflation And Exchange Rate Dynamics? Price Tracking And Predictive Properties

The Economist magazine has been publishing the Big Mac Index using it as a rule of thumb to determine the over- or under-valuation of international currencies based on the theory of Purchasing Power Parity since 1986. According to the theory, using the Big Mac as a tradable single-good basket, the Dollar-value of the hamburger should be equalized around the world due to arbitrage. The popularity and following of the Big Mac Index led the authors to the following two questions: 1) How effective is the Big Mac price as an indicator of overall inflation? and 2) how accurate are exchange rate movement predictions based on Big Mac prices? They find that Big Mac prices tend to lag overall inflation rates, which is highly important in studies that use Big Mac prices as measures of affordability or real incomes over time. As a guide to exchange rate movements, there is support for the theory of Purchasing Power Parity, but only as a qualitative indicator of movement in the nominal exchange rate in rich and economically stable countries, proving less effective in forecasting exchange rate movements in emerging markets. The statistical analysis is carried out using data from 1986 to 2012 from The Economist and from the World Bank for 54 countries. The importance of these findings lies on the widespread use of the index and thus perpetuation of perceptions on the relative value of currencies in the areas of corporate finance, international trade and finance, and international business.
An Islamic Approach to Humanities

The methodology of science is suitable for material substances subject to laws, but not for humans with free will. "Social science" was born from the misconception that applica- tion of the scientific method to human beings and societies would lead to remarkable progress. However, this approach has failed in many ways, which is documented in this paper. Islam provides us with a radically different approach to the study of human beings and societies, predicated on human freedom to choose between good and evil. This approach is delineated in this paper.
Obstfeld and Rogoff׳s international macro puzzles: a quantitative assessment

Abstract Obstfeld and Rogoff (2001) propose that trade frictions lie behind key puzzles in international macroeconomics. We take a dynamic multicountry model of international trade, production, and investment to data from 19 countries to assess this proposition quantitatively. Using the framework developed in Eaton et al. (2016) , we revisit the puzzles in a counterfactual world without trade frictions in manufactures. Removing these trade frictions goes a long way toward resolving a number of puzzles. The dependence of domestic investment on domestic saving falls by half or disappears entirely, mitigating the Feldstein and Horioka (1980) puzzle. Changes in nominal GDPs in U.S. dollars become less variable across countries and line up with changes in real GDPs as much as with real exchange rates, mitigating the exchange rate disconnect puzzle. Less dramatically, changes in consumption become more correlated across countries, mitigating the consumption correlations puzzle and changes in real exchange rates become less variable across countries, mitigating the relative purchasing power parity puzzle.
Monochromatic bounded degree subgraph partitions

Let F = { F 1 , F 2 , ? } be a sequence of graphs such that F n is a graph on n vertices with maximum degree at most Δ . We show that there exists an absolute constant C such that the vertices of any 2-edge-colored complete graph can be partitioned into at most 2 C Δ log Δ vertex disjoint monochromatic copies of graphs from F . If each F n is bipartite, then we can improve this bound to 2 C Δ ; this result is optimal up to the constant C .
Professional student organizations and experiential learning activities: What drives student intentions to participate?

ABSTRACTExperiential learning theory has been referenced as a possible method for attracting and retaining members in student organizations. In a survey, undergraduate students evaluated a variety of organizational features pertaining to their intention to participate in professional student organizations. The study found that students value activities that involve professional development and contact with professionals. Age was negatively related to student intent to participate. In addition, ethnicity and being a first-generation college student were not significant predictors in participating in a professional student organization. To enhance membership recruitment and retention efforts, educators should focus their efforts on experiential activities that enable student-faculty contact, career exploration, and skill development.
Smallholder Participation in Contract Farming and Food Security

Contract farming has frequently been shown to increase the income of participating households. Whether contract farming increases other aspects of household welfare, however, remains unclear. Using a 1,200-household data set from Madagascar and the results of a contingent valuation experiment aimed at eliciting respondent's willingness to pay to participate in contract farming, we show that for the average household, participating in contract farming (i) reduces the duration of the hungry season experienced by the household by about 10 days and (ii) increases the likelihood that the household's hungry season will end by almost 20 percent in any given month. Further, we find that these effects are even more pronounced for households with a larger number of children and for households with a larger number of female children, who often bear a disproportionate share of the burden of food insecurity.
A front-to-back guide to writing a qualitative research article

Purpose – This paper aims to offer junior scholars a front-to-back guide to writing an academic, theoretically positioned, qualitative research article in the social sciences. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on formal (published) advice from books and articles as well as informal (word-of-mouth) advice from senior scholars. Findings – Most qualitative research articles can be divided into four major parts: the frontend, the methods, the findings, and the backend. This paper offers step-by-step instructions for writing each of these four parts. Originality/value – Much of the advice in this paper is taken-for-granted wisdom among senior scholars. This paper makes such wisdom available to junior scholars in a concise guide.
Plasmodium falciparum heat shock protein 110 stabilizes the asparagine repeat-rich parasite proteome during malarial fevers.

The proteome of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum has an overabundance of aggregation-prone asparagine repeat-containing proteins. Muralidharan et al. show that Plasmodium Hsp110 protein potently prevents aggregation of asparagine-rich proteins, thereby allowing the parasite to survive febrile episodes.
14-3-3σ regulation of and interaction with YAP1 in acquired gemcitabine resistance via promoting ribonucleotide reductase expression

Gemcitabine is an important anticancer therapeutics approved for treatment of several human cancers including locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Its clinical effectiveness, however, is hindered by existence of intrinsic and development of acquired resistances. Previously, it was found that 14-3-3σ expression associates with poor clinical outcome of PDAC patients. It was also found that 14-3-3σ expression is up-regulated in gemcitabine resistant PDAC cells and contributes to the acquired gemcitabine resistance. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of 14-3-3σ function in gemcitabine resistance and found that 14-3-3σ up-regulates YAP1 expression and then binds to YAP1 to inhibit gemcitabine-induced caspase 8 activation and apoptosis. 14-3-3σ association with YAP1 up-regulates the expression of ribonucleotide reductase M1 and M2, which may mediate 14-3-3σ/YAP1 function in the acquired gemcitabine resistance. These findings suggest a possible role of YAP1 signaling in gemcitabine resistance.
Signer-independent fingerspelling recognition with deep neural network adaptation

We study the problem of recognition of fingerspelled letter sequences in American Sign Language in a signer-independent setting. Fingerspelled sequences are both challenging and important to recognize, as they are used for many content words such as proper nouns and technical terms. Previous work has shown that it is possible to achieve almost 90% accuracies on fingerspelling recognition in a signer-dependent setting. However, the more realistic signer-independent setting presents challenges due to significant variations among signers, coupled with the dearth of available training data. We investigate this problem with approaches inspired by automatic speech recognition. We start with the best-performing approaches from prior work, based on tandem models and segmental conditional random fields (SCRFs), with features based on deep neural network (DNN) classifiers of letters and phonological features. Using DNN adaptation, we find that it is possible to bridge a large part of the gap between signer-dependent and signer-independent performance. Using only about 115 transcribed words for adaptation from the target signer, we obtain letter accuracies of up to 82.7% with framelevel adaptation labels and 69.7% with only word labels.
Design Methodology for Optimizing Optical Interconnection Networks in High Performance Systems

Modern high performance computers connect hundreds of thousands of endpoints and employ thousands of switches. This allows for a great deal of freedom in the design of the network topology. At the same time, due to the sheer numbers and complexity involved, it becomes more challenging to easily distinguish between promising and improper designs. With ever increasing line rates and advances in optical interconnects, there is a need for renewed design methodologies that comprehensively capture the requirements and expose trade-offs expeditiously in this complex design space. We introduce a systematic approach, based on Generalized Moore Graphs, allowing one to quickly gauge the ideal level of connectivity required for a given number of end-points and traffic hypothesis, and to collect insight on the role of the switch radix in the topology cost. Based on this approach, we present a methodology for the identification of Pareto-optimal topologies. We apply our method to a practical case with 25,000 nodes and present the results.
CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain—United States, 2016

Importance Primary care clinicians find managing chronic pain challenging. Evidence of long-term efficacy of opioids for chronic pain is limited. Opioid use is associated with serious risks, including opioid use disorder and overdose. Objective To provide recommendations about opioid prescribing for primary care clinicians treating adult patients with chronic pain outside of active cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. Process The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated a 2014 systematic review on effectiveness and risks of opioids and conducted a supplemental review on benefits and harms, values and preferences, and costs. CDC used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework to assess evidence type and determine the recommendation category. Evidence Synthesis Evidence consisted of observational studies or randomized clinical trials with notable limitations, characterized as low quality using GRADE methodology. Meta-analysis was not attempted due to the limited number of studies, variability in study designs and clinical heterogeneity, and methodological shortcomings of studies. No study evaluated long-term (≥1 year) benefit of opioids for chronic pain. Opioids were associated with increased risks, including opioid use disorder, overdose, and death, with dose-dependent effects. Recommendations There are 12 recommendations. Of primary importance, nonopioid therapy is preferred for treatment of chronic pain. Opioids should be used only when benefits for pain and function are expected to outweigh risks. Before starting opioids, clinicians should establish treatment goals with patients and consider how opioids will be discontinued if benefits do not outweigh risks. When opioids are used, clinicians should prescribe the lowest effective dosage, carefully reassess benefits and risks when considering increasing dosage to 50 morphine milligram equivalents or more per day, and avoid concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines whenever possible. Clinicians should evaluate benefits and harms of continued opioid therapy with patients every 3 months or more frequently and review prescription drug monitoring program data, when available, for high-risk combinations or dosages. For patients with opioid use disorder, clinicians should offer or arrange evidence-based treatment, such as medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine or methadone. Conclusions and Relevance The guideline is intended to improve communication about benefits and risks of opioids for chronic pain, improve safety and effectiveness of pain treatment, and reduce risks associated with long-term opioid therapy.
Sequential Mechanisms with Ex-post Participation Guarantees

How should one sell an item to a buyer whose value for the item will only be realized next week? E.g. consider selling a flight to some executive who may or may not have a meeting with a client next week. Suppose that both the seller and the buyer only know a distribution, F, from which the buyer's value, v, for the item will be drawn. One way the seller could go about this sale is to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer today. The offer reads "pay the expected value today to get the item next week". A risk-neutral buyer would find this offer attractive, hence the seller would extract the full surplus. The unsettling feature of the afore-described mechanism is that, for some realizations of v, the bidder ends up with negative utility. In particular, while our mechanism is interim Individually Rational (IR), it is not ex-post IR. How could we fix this? One way is to wait until next week when the value is realized and make a take-it-or-leave-it offer of the item at an optimal monopoly price. The new mechanism is clearly ex-post IR, but its revenue could be much smaller than that of the previous one. Still, this trivial mechanism extracts the best possible revenue among all ex-post IR mechanisms, as a simple argument can establish. However, this optimality argument fails when several items are to be sold over consecutive periods. In this paper, we provide a characterization of the revenue-optimal, ex-post IR, dynamic mechanism selling k items over k periods to a bidder whose values are independent. In particular, we optimize the seller's revenue subject to the following strong individual rationality condition: at each period, the stage utility of the agent, defined to be the surplus from that period's allocation minus the agent's payment, must be non-negative. In particular, the non-negativity of the stage utilities implies that, at the end of each period, the agent's realized utility from participating in the mechanism so far is non-negative. We provide extensions to multiple bidders and an infinite horizon with discount factors.
Mechanism of Orlistat Hydrolysis by the Thioesterase of Human Fatty Acid Synthase

Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the sole protein capable of de novo synthesis of free fatty acids, is overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers and is associated with poor prognosis and aggressiveness of these cancers. Orlistat, an FDA-approved drug for obesity treatment that inhibits pancreatic lipases in the GI tract, also inhibits the thioesterase (TE) of human FASN. The cocrystal structure of TE with orlistat shows a pseudo TE dimer containing two different forms of orlistat in the active site, an intermediate that is covalently bound to a serine residue (Ser2308) and a hydrolyzed and inactivated product. In this study, we attempted to understand the mechanism of TE-catalyzed orlistat hydrolysis by examining the role of the hexyl tail of the covalently bound orlistat in water activation for hydrolysis using molecular dynamics simulations. We found that the hexyl tail of the covalently bound orlistat undergoes a conformational transition, which is accompanied by destabilization of a hydrogen bond be...
The Effects of Temperature and Humidity on the Physical Properties of Tire Cords

Apparatus by means of which tire cords may be conditioned and tested at elevated humidities (1.6–65 percent R. H.) and temperatures (20–165°C) is described. The apparatus consists of a portable conditioning unit which is used with a standard tensile testing machine. Equipment for measuring creep of tire cords under dead load at elevated temperatures is also described. Five representative types of tire cord were employed in the experiments, medium stretch cotton, low stretch cotton, viscose rayon, Fortisan, and Nylon. Tenacity, ``10 pound‐stretch,'' and ultimate stretch are studied as functions of relative humidity, temperature, and moisture regain. It is shown that the tensile properties are best represented as functions of temperature at constant regain. The tenacity of viscose rayon cords decreases with increasing temperature at constant regain in the range of regains 0–5 percent. The tenacity of the medium stretch cotton cords at constant regain falls off with increasing temperature in the range of 20–...
Hysteretic and Elastic Properties of Rubberlike Materials under Dynamic Shear Stresses

The nature of hysteresis in products such as pneumatic tires, solid tires, and transmission belts is analyzed and the requirements of a laboratory test for evaluating the relative hysteretic characteristics of natural and synthetic rubber stocks are developed. The significance of various definitions of the ``hysteresis defect'' in rubberlike materials is discussed. A forced resonance vibrator in which rubber samples are deformed in shear at frequencies of 20 to 300 cycles/sec., shear strains of 0.05 to 0.35, and temperatures of −20 to +120°C is described. Experimental results obtained with natural rubber and GR‐S gum and tread stocks are presented. The hysteresis index ωη is found to be nearly independent of dynamic shear strain while the dynamic modulus G decreases moderately with increasing dynamic strain. Neither ωη nor G depends upon the height to diameter ratio of cylindrical samples. These results are at variance with those obtained by previous investigators who, employing compressive vibrations, have reported marked dependences of both modulus and friction upon dynamic strain and the ``shape factor'' of tread type stocks. In agreement with previously reported work, G is found to be independent of frequency and ωη only slightly dependent upon frequency, for treated type stocks. Results are presented for stocks based on Buna S type copolymers with varying monomer ratio and on N‐type Butaprenes, Neoprene, and butyl rubbers.
Metal-mediated reactivity in the organic solid state: from self-assembled complexes to metal–organic frameworks

The purpose of this tutorial review is to address the use of metal ions to mediate reactions in the organic solid state. We describe metal complexes and coordination networks that facilitate dimerizations, oligomerizations and polymerizations of olefins and acetylenes via irradiation (e.g. ultraviolet (UV) and 60Co γ-rays) and thermal annealing. We show how metal ions can be utilized to direct the formation of polymers and molecules. We also describe how supramolecular chemistry has recently influenced dimerization processes in self-assembled metal–organic solids.
Civil, sensible, and constructive peer review in APS journals.

publication of our scientific work is our currency: unpublished results are invisible to the community at large and are, therefore, equivalent to work that has never been done. Because of this requirement to publish sound science, the process of peer review is part of our culture and has been
Private Equity and the Innovation Strategies of Entrepreneurial Firms: Empirical Evidence from the Small Business Innovation Research Program

There is great interest in evaluating the impact of private equity investments on innovation and economic growth. However, there is no direct empirical evidence on the effects of such transactions on the innovation strategies of entrepreneurial firms. We fill this gap by examining a rich project-level data set consisting of entrepreneurial firms receiving Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program research awards. We find that SBIR firms attracting private equity investments are significantly more likely to license and sell their technology rights and engage in collaborative research and development agreements. Our results suggest that private equity investments accelerate the development and commercialization of research-based technologies, thus contributing to economic growth. We conclude that both public and private investments have a positive effect on innovation performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SIMULTANEOUS BILATERAL TKA: DOUBLE TROUBLE – OPPOSES

To consider bilateral simultaneous knee replacement, both knees must have significant structural damage. It is best if the patient can9t decide which knee is more bothersome. In borderline cases, ask the patient to pretend that the worse knee is normal and if so, would they be seeing you for consideration of knee replacement on the less involved side. If the answer to this question is “yes,” consider the patient a potential candidate for bilateral knee replacement. If the answer is “no,” recommend operating only on the worse knee, and expect that the operation on the second knee can probably be delayed for a considerable period of time. Strong indications for bilateral simultaneous TKA are bilateral severe angular deformity, bilateral severe flexion contracture, and anesthesia difficulties, i.e., patients who are anatomically or medically difficult to anesthetise, such as some adult or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis patients or patients with severe ankylosing spondylitis. Relative indications for bilateral simultaneous TKA include the need for multiple additional surgical procedures to achieve satisfactory function and financial or social considerations for the patient. Contraindications to bilateral TKA include medical infirmity (especially cardiac), a reluctant patient, and a patient with a very low pain threshold. When performing bilateral simultaneous TKA, both limbs are prepped and draped at the same time. An initial dose of an intravenous antibiotic is given (usually 1g of a cephalosporin) before inflation of the tourniquet. Surgery begins on the more symptomatic side or on either side if neither knee is significantly worse than the other. The reason for starting on the more symptomatic side is in case surgery has to be discontinued after only one procedure owing to anesthetic considerations. After the components have been implanted on the first side, the tourniquet is deflated and a second dose of intravenous antibiotic is administered (usually 500mg of a cephalosporin). After the joint capsule is closed and flexion against gravity is measured, one team completes the subcutaneous and skin closure on the first side while the other team inflates the second tourniquet and begins the exposure of the second side. When the second tourniquet is deflated, a third dose of antibiotic is given (usually 500mg of a cephalosporin for a total dose of 2g for both knees). Because of concern about the potential for cross-contamination of the knee wounds when instruments used during the final stages of skin closure on the first knee are maintained on the field and used on the second knee, they should probably be handed off the field and outer surgical gloves changed. Most patients will report after their complete recovery that they are glad they did both knees at the same time. A patient who has any uncertainty about proceeding with bilateral surgery should have only one knee done at a time. In many cases, the second side receives a “reprieve,” becoming more tolerable after the first side has been operated on.
Some Structural and Chemical Aspects of Aging and Degradation of Vinyl and Diene Polymers

The chemical reactivity of vinyl and diene polymers manifested during aging and degradation is similar to the reactivity manifested during polymerization; namely, the activated intermediates are radicals and the reaction proceeds by a chain mechanism. A discussion of the possible types of aggregative and disaggregative processes involved in aging is presented. On the basis that polymerization and degradation occur by means of the same radical mechanism, experimental evidence is given to indicate that under certain conditions both reactions may occur simultaneously. Viscosity changes of solutions of mono- and polystyrene and methyl methacrylate were studied under varying conditions of heat, oxygen, catalysts, light, and photosensitizers. An analysis of the concurrent aggregative and disaggregative reactions involved in aging may be obtained by isolating one reaction from the other, either by various physical methods, such as intermittent and continuous stress relaxation, or by such classical methods as sol-gel determinations and aging in solution. A comparative study of the rate of oxygen absorption of a large number of polymer types was undertaken to evaluate the factors affecting oxidation. Evidence is presented to show that these factors may be specified by the following: (1) chemical structure of the polymeric material, (2) presence of antioxidants, and (3) compounding and vulcanization. The oxidizability of polymeric materials was also studied in a circulating oxygen absorption apparatus in order to determine the effect of evolved, gaseous oxidation products. A preliminary study of the effect of light on the aging of butyl and GR-S rubber as measured by oxygen absorption and stress relaxation is presented.
Innovation in Retail Banking

How does a retail bank innovate? Traditional innovation literature would suggest that organizations innovate by getting new and/or improved products to market. However, in a service, the product is the process. Thus, innovation in banking lies more in process and organizational changes than in new product development in a traditional sense. This paper reviews a multi-year research effort on innovation and efficiency in retail banking, and discusses both the means by which innovation occurs along with the factors that make one institution better than another in innovation. Implications of these results to the study of the broader service sector will be drawn as well.
Shared Cognitive–Emotional–Interactional Platforms Markers and Conditions for Successful Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Given the growing centrality of interdisciplinarity to scientific research, gaining a better understanding of successful interdisciplinary collaborations has become imperative. Drawing on extensive...