cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does more medicine make us sicker?. Ivan Illich revisited

A proper understanding of health is a social and political challenge, the modern social medicine approach to public health and health approaches more generally tend to minimise this, making the isolated individual the primary unit of health. Ivan Illich, social critic and philosopher, was at the forefront of arguing for a collective health approach and challenging medical hegemony. His theories of institutional counter-productivity, proportionality and his critique of the medical model which he argued was entrenched within an economics of scarcity are as relevant today as they were at their height of popularity, in the 1970s. Applying his analysis to current trends in health approaches I conclude, as did he, that beyond a certain institutional scale or intensity more medicine is making us sicker. Therefore public health requires a dramatic shift away from a focus on individual deficits, lifestyle diseases, behaviour change and health promotion approaches towards genuine community building and significant political investment in the health creation of local communities. Moreover, there is need for more resolute regulation of the marketplace to prevent the health-harming behaviours of industrial and other institutional interests, including public sector and third sector organisations engaged in institutional overreach.
A multivariable analysis of childhood psychosocial behaviour and household functionality.

Background Social determinants of health play a vital role in population health. Awareness of household social factors and their impact on health can help health professionals to provide effective strategies in health promotion, especially for children and adolescents showing signs of psychosocial dysfunction. The objective of this study was to explore the association between parents' perceptions of the psychosocial behaviour of their children and the functionality of their household. Methods This cohort study analysed data from the Coordinated Health Care for Complex Kids programme. The sample included 293 parents of children aged 4-17 years with chronic conditions, and from urban, low-income families. Psychosocial behaviour of the child was measured using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17), which included subscales for internal, external, and attention symptoms. Household functionality was measured using the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale. Responses to both assessments were scored in a standard manner. Results There was a significant association between parents' perceptions of the psychosocial behaviour of their children and the functionality of the home environment. The mean Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale scores in the home environment improved from baseline to the first reassessment (the period between the two assessments ranged from 4 to 8 months). Additionally, positive PSC-17 screening results of the children decreased by 11% in the first reassessment. The odds of having a positive PSC-17 screening result also decreased in the first reassessment after receiving interventions. Conclusion The association between psychosocial dysfunction and household functionality indicates the importance of family-centred care and taking the home environment into consideration when administering health services to low-income children with chronic conditions. This study brings attention to the more hidden factors that influence child mental health, which must be addressed to improve care delivery and child health outcomes.
India's State-run Media: Broadcasting, Power, and Narrative

India's State-run Media presents a new perspective on broadcasting by bringing together two neglected areas of research in media studies in India - the intertwined genealogies of sovereignty, public, religion, and nation in radio and television, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of broadcasting into a single analytic inquiry. It argues that the spatiotemporalities of broadcasting and the inter-relationships among the public, religion, and nation can be traced to an organizing concept that shaped India's late colonial and postcolonial histories - sovereignty. The book contends that studies of television have glossed over the meanings, experiences, and practices of the religious in televisual narratives and viewers' interpretations of television programs. Drawing on the philosophical writings of Paul Ricoeur and Michel Foucault, connecting their ideas with media, cultural, and religious studies, it examines cultural discourses, power relations, repertoire of meanings, social events, etc. in broadcasting in late colonial and postcolonial India.
How Consistency in Closeness to God Predicts Psychological Resources and Life Satisfaction: Findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion:

With survey data from the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), this study investigates the association between across-time consistency in closeness to God and well-being. I focus on God-bel...
Clinical Ultimatums: Coercion as Subjection.

In their article, “How Payment for Research Participation Can Be Coercive,” authors Millum and Garnett argue that there are two distinct forms of coercion: a more “traditional” view, which they cal...
Expenditure for Hemodialysis: A Study among Patient Attending at Hospitals of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal

Incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide. It is contributing significantly to deaths and disability. Every year, numbers of cases of renal failure requiring hemodialysis are also increasing. Government of Nepal has made a provision to support the patients undergoing hemodialysis; nevertheless, the patient has to bear the huge financial and psychological burden for dialysis. This study was carried out to study the expenditure made by the patients for dialysis in the Pokhara Metropolitan City Nepal. This was an institution based cross sectional descriptive study. A total of 157 patients who had dialysis or undergoing dialysis at different hospitals of Pokhara Metropolitan City were interviewed using structured interview guideline. Expenditure records of patients were also reviewed. The study was carried out during August to October, 2018. Results are presented in table and diagrams aided by statistical tests like mean, median, standard deviations and ranges. Majority of the patients were male (61.8%). Mean age of the patients under hemodialysis was 49.75±14.91 years. Majorities were Janajati (53.5) and most of them were unemployed (78.3%). Total expenditure made for hemodialysis was NRs. 32,810 (US$ 289.87). The median monthly out of pocket expenditure for haemodialysis per patients was Nepalese Rupees (NRs) 32,810 (US$ 289.87) in which median monthly indirect cost of hemodialysis was NRs 9,200 (US$ 81.28) and median direct cost of hemodialysis per month was NRs 23610 (US$ 208.59). A great majority (78%) of the respondents faced catastrophic health expenditure for dialysis. Patients with renal failure requiring dialysis faced catastrophic health expenditure. The government should focus on programs supporting for dialysis and pay attention on the preventive measures for occurrence of kidney diseases. Key words : Hemodialysis, Expenditure, Patient
A SURVIVAL ANALYSIS ON PATTERN CLASSIFIER AND DETECTION TECHNIQUES FOR DEFECTIVE IMAGE ANALYSIS

Image based defect detection becomes a demanding task in estimating the quality of intermediate and end products in fabric and granite manufacturing, pipeline installation in heavy industries. A fabric defect detection scheme improves the quality for image defect detection and achieves higher accuracy to detect images. But, the image detection is complex in noisy applications. When the image size is large, it provides the false positive detection. The automated fabric defect classification techniques were used to analyze the ability of classifiers that employed in defect inspection systems with geometrical features. But in defect classification technique, level of accuracy is not satisfactory and real-time constraints needs to be addressed. Fabric defect detection is a significant problem in fabric quality control processing, and need to develop fast, efficient, reliable and real-time defect detection through image analysis techniques. Our research work on filtering, pattern classification and pattern detection aims to identify normal and defective image patterns from trained class patterns of the training image dataset.
Numerical approach for prediction of turbulent flow resistance coefficient of 90° pipe bends:

In the present study turbulent flow in a circular cross-sectioned 90° smooth-walled pipe bend has been investigated numerically. The geometry of the model consisted of three sections: a straight in...
Multiplexed Primer Extension Sequencing Enables High Precision Detection of Rare Splice Isoforms

Targeted RNA-sequencing aims to focus coverage on areas of interest that are inadequately sampled in standard RNA-sequencing experiments. Here we present a novel approach for targeted RNA-sequencing that uses complex pools of reverse transcription primers to enable sequencing enrichment at user-selected locations across the genome. We demonstrate this approach by targeting pre-mRNA splice junctions in S. cerevisiae, revealing high-precision detection of splice isoforms, including rare pre-mRNA splicing intermediates.
Adverse childhood experiences and problematic smartphone use among college students: Findings from a pilot study

Abstract Background There has been a tremendous increase in the use of smartphones among college students and alongside the benefits there is growing concern over problematic/addictive smartphone use (PSU). Among the most robust predictors of behavioral and substance use disorders are a subset of adverse childhood experiences conceptualized as household dysfunction (HHD). Despite the high prevalence of HHD and risk of PSU among college students, research investigating the link between HHD and PSU among college populations is sparse, especially in the United States. Methods Students (N = 351) from a diverse, southern California university responded to an online survey. Regression models assessed the association between HHD (e.g., parent alcohol and drug use, mental health, incarceration, suicide, intimate partner violence, separation/divorce, and homelessness; categorized into 0, 1–3, and 4 or more) and PSU using Smartphone Addiction Scale short version (SAS-SV) scale, adjusted for covariates. Results Over 50% of students reported at least one type of household dysfunction and about 25% were at high risk for PSU. Compared to students who report no household stressors, students with 1–3 had twice the odds (AOR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.13–3.83) and students with 4 or more had four times the odds (AOR: 4.01, 95% CI: 2.35–6.82) of PSU, after adjusting for covariates. There were no sex differences in this association. Conclusion Findings suggest that household dysfunction can increase the likelihood of developing behavioral disorders such as PSU. Implications for prevention efforts are discussed.
Defining Key Residues of the Swi1 Prion Domain in Prion Formation and Maintenance

Prions are self-perpetuating, alternative protein conformations associated with neurological diseases and normal cellular functions. Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains many endogenous prions, providing a powerful system to study prionization. Previously, we demonstrated that Swi1, a component of the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex, can form the prion [SWI+]. A small region, Swi11-38, with a unique amino acid composition of low complexity, acts as a prion domain and supports [SWI+] propagation. Here, we further examine Swi11-38 through site-directed mutagenesis. We found that mutations of the two phenylalanine residues or the threonine tract inhibit Swi11-38 aggregation. In addition, mutating both phenylalanines can abolish de novo prion formation by Swi11-38, whereas mutating only one phenylalanine does not. Replacement of half of or the entire eight-threonine tract with alanines has the same effect, possibly disrupting a core region of Swi11-38 aggregates. We also show that Swi11-38 and its prion-fold-maintaining mutants form high-molecular-weight, SDS-resistant aggregates, whereas the double-phenylalanine mutants eliminate these protein species. These results indicate the necessity of the large hydrophobic residues and threonine tract in Swi11-38 in prionogenesis, possibly acting as important aggregable regions. Our findings thus highlight the importance of specific amino acid residues in the Swi1 prion domain in prion formation and maintenance.
Exploiting interbacterial antagonism for microbiome engineering

Abstract Interbacterial antagonism can significantly impact microbiome assembly and stability and can potentially be exploited to modulate microbes and microbial communities in diverse environments, ranging from natural habitats to industrial bioreactors. Here we highlight key mechanisms of interspecies antagonism that rely on direct cell-to-cell contact or diffusion of secreted biomolecules, and discuss recent advances to provide altered function and specificities for microbiome engineering. We further outline the use of ecological design principles based on antagonistic interactions for bottom-up assembly of synthetic microbial communities. Manipulating microbial communities through these negative interactions will be critical for understanding complex microbiome processes and properties and developing new applications of microbiome engineering.
An Orthopaedic Virtual Clinical Clerkship for Visiting Medical Students: Early Successes and Future Implications.

OBJECTIVE The visiting orthopaedic clerkship is viewed by both students and program directors as an important part of the orthopaedic surgery residency application process, despite being criticized as costly and inefficient. Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented students from participating in in-person clerkships at institutions other than at their home programs, necessitating a virtual replacement for the in-person orthopaedics clerkship experience. It remains unclear how the virtual clerkships will affect the application process this year, and moving forward. We describe and review our institution's initial experience with a virtual orthopaedic clerkship. We hypothesize that students would view the virtual clerkship as valuable, and that students would see a role for such clerkships going forward. DESIGN A virtual orthopaedic surgery clerkship was created and students were invited to enroll. Thirty-one 4th-year medical students participated. Each clerkship included 8 two-hour sessions. Each session was moderated by a faculty member, and participants included only medical students. Students presented virtual cases, which provided the basis for the discussion and education. At the conclusion of each clerkship, students were given an anonymous survey assessing various aspects of the clerkship. RESULTS Twenty-seven students responded to the survey. Overall, 15 students rated the experience as outstanding, 11 excellent, and 1 good. Twenty-two students saw a role for virtual clerkships moving forward, and five students did not see a role moving forward. Student reported strengths of the clerkship included direct faculty interaction, structured curriculum, and student-centered discussions. Lack of hands-on experience was cited as the biggest weakness. CONCLUSIONS Students valued the opportunity for a virtual clerkship, and most could envision a role for such virtual clerkships moving forward. We suggest that virtual clerkships may be a cost-effective and useful tool in helping both students and programs navigate the residency selection process.
A Test of the International Term Structure of Interest Rates: The United States-Canadian Experience, 1973-80

Abstract A new theory of the term structure of interest rates for small open economies has been developed in which a small country with internationally integrated capital markets will have its domestic financial markets dominated by international influences. The international theory of the term structure of interest rates demonstrates how a foreign financial disturbance will directly affect domestic real and nominal interest rates and exchange rates which then affect the price and output channels. We employ univariate and multivariate time series analysis to Canada and the United States to test the imported term structure of interest rates hypothesis. We do not find evidence to support the assumption of proportionality between the countries’ term structures.
The Story of Bob Jones University v. United States : Race, Religion, and Congress' Extraordinary Acquiescence

On May 25, 1983, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had authority to deny tax-exempt status to Bob Jones University, Goldsboro Christian School, and other private and religious schools with racially discriminatory educational policies. The Court relied on the statute’s broad purpose and placed significant weight on Congress’ failure to enact legislation to overturn the IRS policy. A complete account of the legislative history, provided here, both supports and undercuts the Court’s opinion. More importantly, this story provides an account of the dynamic interaction among a Supreme Court critical of racial integration, a Congress divided on this issue, and a presidency at war with itself. In the end, the story suggests that Bob Jones may have a limited role in shaping interpretive methodology, but that the case reveals how all three branches of government (as well as the public) interact to shape a statute’s meaning.
Darwin, Charles (Darwinism)

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) discovered the principle of natural selection and laid the foundations for modern evolutionary biology. The term ‘Darwinian’ is applied to his theory, and others like it, in which natural selection is considered the main, although not the only, mechanism. Terms such as ‘Lamarckian’ suggest alternatives in which other mechanisms, such as use and disuse, are considered the main cause of change. ‘Darwinism’ has come to mean both Darwin's version of evolutionary theory and those elaborated by his followers. Modified versions of Darwinism that emphasize selection are often called ‘neo-Darwinism.’ Among these are the neo-Darwinism of August Weismann and the Synthetic Theory that took shape in the middle of the 20th century and still remains dominant. Darwinians have always acknowledged the existence of mechanisms other than natural selection. Darwin himself invoked Lamarckian and quasi-Lamarckian mechanisms that are no longer accepted by his followers. He also accepted auxiliary mechanisms that are still considered valid. These include sexual selection, pleiotropy, and developmental constraints. Evolution as a result of sampling error (genetic drift) is ‘non-Darwinian’ in the sense that Darwin did not know about it. The ‘neutral theory’ that invokes sampling error as a cause of essentially nonadaptive change at the molecular level is the best considered part of mainstream neo-Darwinism.
Direct formation of (CH3)2HSiCl from silicon and CH3Cl

A Cu-catalyzed reaction procedure was found for the selective formation of dimethylchlorosilane ((CH{sub 3}){sub 2}HSiCl) from the direct reaction of CH{sub 3}Cl with solid Si. The new procedure is a two-step process. A Cu/Si sample is prepared by evaporating Cu onto clean polycrystalline Si under ultrahigh vacuum, and the Cu/Si surface is first activated by exposure to 10% HSiCl{sub 3}/CH{sub 3}Cl at 598 K. After the HSiCl{sub 3}CH{sub 3}Cl mixture is evacuated from the reactor, the activated Cu/Si surface is reacted in fresh CH{sub 3}Cl. For low surface concentrations of Cu, the partially hydrogenated silane, (CH{sub 3}){sub 2}HSiCl, is selectively produced. Trichlorosilane was also found to activate polycrystalline Si (in the absence of Cu) for production of highly chlorinated methylchlorosilanes at a much higher rate than on the Cu/Si surface but with poor selectively to (CH{sub 3}){sub 2}HSiCl. All reactions are carried out at atmospheric pressure in a reactor that is attached to an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber. This allows surface analysis of Auger electron spectroscopy, which detected SiCl{sub x} on reacted surfaces. These SiCl{sub x} sites, which appear necessary for methylchlorosilane formation, are apparently formed during activation by HSiCl{sub 3}.
Cash for Cooperation? Payments for Ecosystem Services and Common Property Management in Mexico

This paper analyzes whether monetary incentives modify cooperative behavior in activities that have been traditionally unpaid. We provide a simple theoretical framework and exploit variation over time in community access to Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) within Mexican common property communities, to analyze whether payments increase work in forest protection activities, which are increasingly incentivized under PES, and also explore their eects on other community activities that remain unpaid. We nd that cash incentives increase work, both in the intensive and extensive margins, in forest conservation activities; however, we claim that the framing of the incentive plays an important role in explaining cooperation in activities that remain unpaid. Our ndings indicate that, as long as agents are exposed to sanctions resulting from deviant behavior and their actions are visible, lump-sum transfers without specic work conditionalities can be more eective than wages to promote cooperation.
Introduction: Minsky on Money, Banking and Finance

This Companion provides a timely and engaging treatment of Hyman Minsky’s approach to economics, which is enjoying a renewed appreciation because of its prescient analysis of the slow but sure transformation of the capitalist economy in the post-war period. Many have called the global financial crisis that began in the United States in 2007 a ‘Minsky crisis’, and these original contributions demonstrate precisely why both academic economists as well as policymakers have turned to Minsky for guidance. The book brings together the foremost Minsky scholars to provide a comprehensive overview of his approach, with extensions to bring the analysis up to date.
Proving safety properties of an aircraft landing protocol using i/o automata and the PVS theorem prover: a case study

This paper presents an assertional-style verification of the aircraft landing protocol of NASA's SATS (Small Aircraft Transportation System) concept [1] using the I/O automata framework and the PVS theorem prover. We reconstructed the mathematical model of the landing protocol presented in [2] as an I/O automaton. In addition, we translated the I/O automaton into a corresponding PVS specification, and conducted a verification of the safety properties of the protocol using the assertional proof technique and the PVS theorem prover.
U.S. Inequality: Debt Constraints or Incomplete Markets?

We evaluate the role of debt constraints versus incomplete markets to explain U.S. inequality. For this purpose, we compare the inequality caused by uninsurable idiosyncratic risk in two types of economies: debt-constrained complete-markets economies, and debt-constrained incomplete-markets economies. For a quite standard calibration, the one used by Aiyagari (1994), we find that debt-constrained models alone can explain none of the observed U.S. inequality. The reason is that the U.S. capital stock would be sufficient to secure all required contingent debts if markets were complete. Using other calibrations from literature, we find that debt constraints do play a role, but a significant amount of market incompleteness is still required. In particular, models with only debt constraints fail to account for the large concentration and large dispersion that characterizes the U.S. wealth distribution. We find that market incompleteness alone explains between 55% to 100% of the welfare costs of inequality.
Is increased price flexibility stabilizing? Redux

Abstract What are the implications of increased price flexibility on output volatility? In a simple DSGE model, we show analytically that more flexible prices always amplify output volatility for supply shocks and also amplify output volatility for demand shocks if monetary policy does not respond strongly to inflation. More flexible prices often reduce welfare, even under optimal monetary policy if full efficiency cannot be attained. Our results extend to a model with both sticky information and wages. We estimate a quantitative DSGE model using Bayesian methods and using counterfactual experiments show that our results from the simple model continue to apply.
Cashew apple and nut (Anacardium occidentale L.).

Abstract: This chapter will focus on the fresh-market cashew apple, which is sold with the nut attached. The pseudo-fruit (apple) represent nearly 90% of the cashew (nut + apple). The cashew apple has a pleasant flavor and aroma, and high nutritive value. Despite these attributes, postharvest losses of cashew apple can reach 90%. Since ripe cashew apple is highly metabolically active, it has been considered too delicate and perishable for international trade. However, recent research demonstrates that, if properly harvested and handled, cashew apples can be kept in good condition for up to 25 days after harvest, depending on variety (clone).
Grain Marketing Tools: A Survey of Illinois Grain Elevators

As with most sectors of the agriculture economy, the U. S. country grain elevator industry has experienced considerable consolidation and concentration. By the same token, the country elevator's customer base (grain producers and landlords) has also changed rather dramatically as grain production takes place on larger and fewer farms. The profitability of operating a country elevator is directly related to the volume of grain the country elevator purchases over the course of a marketing year. Because the basic services offered by country elevators are very similar (purchasing, conditioning and storing grain), country elevators attempt to differentiate themselves from their competition by offering customers a variety of cash grain marketing tools. These tools range from the basic cash forward contracts to minimum price contracts to the so called 'new generation grain marketing contracts'. The primary focus of this paper is to determine the marketing contracts grain elevators offer to their customers and the extent to which these contracts are used by the elevator's customers. Additionally, the types grain contracts offered will be compared to the firm's storage capacity, business organization, size of customer base, geographic location and type of grain purchased.
Derandomization of schuler’s algorithm for SAT

Recently Schuler [17] presented a randomized algorithm that solves SAT in expected time at most $2^{n(1-1/{\rm log}_{2}(2m))}$ up to a polynomial factor, where n and m are, respectively, the number of variables and the number of clauses in the input formula. This bound is the best known upper bound for testing satisfiability of formulas in CNF with no restriction on clause length (for the case when m is not too large comparing to n). We derandomize this algorithm using deterministic k-SAT algorithms based on search in Hamming balls, and we prove that our deterministic algorithm has the same upper bound on the running time as Schuler’s randomized algorithm.
What's New in Pediatric Surgery

Advances in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of congenital malformations, trauma, tumors, and innovations in organ transplantation form the cornerstones of progress in pediatric surgery during the past year. Significant new contributions presented at the past year9s meeting of pediatric surgical organizations, including the 56th Annual Meeting of the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics, are summarized, and selected references from the pediatric and surgical literature are presented. PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS/FETAL SURGERY In the area of fetal surgery, Manning et al1 summarized the experience with 74 cases of catheter decompression for fetal hydronephrosis and hydrocephalus reported to the International Fetal Surgery Register. The center reported an overall survival rate of 41% for urinary obstruction with a procedure-related death rate of 4.6%. The results of ventriculoamniotic shunt procedure for obstructive hydrocephalus were even less encouraging with a procedure-related mortality of 10%; moreover, more than 50% of survivors had serious neurologic handicaps. Sauer et al2 studied the relative importance of an abdominal mass and oligohydramnios causing pulmonary hypoplasia in fetal rabbits. Animals having bladder outlet obstruction developed severe pulmonary hypoplasia, whereas other subjects having a synthetic mass inserted into the abdomen of a size equal to that of the obstructed bladder showed minimal signs of pulmonary hypoplasia. Results of the study suggest that prenatal catheter decompression be limited to the fetus with oligohydramnios. The wisdom of planning the mode of delivery for babies with major congenital malformations referred to a maternal high-risk unit for evaluation remains controversial.
Lessons in Systems Engineering: The Ssme Weight Growth History

This viewgraph presentation describes the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) weight growth history and lessons learned from SSME weight imbalances.
Competitive Policy Entrepreneurship

In political organizations, the process of developing new policies often involves competing policy entrepreneurs who make productive investments to make their proposals more appealing to decisionmakers. We analyze how entrepreneurs' extremism and costs of crafting high-quality proposals affect patterns of competition and policy outcomes. A centrist decisionmaker can bene.t from extremism of proposers and proposals, once we account for proposals' endogenously-determined quality. Lower costs spur investment, but entrepreneurs extract some ideological rents. When the contest is highly asymmetric, one entrepreneur almost always wins, but the decisionmaker benefits from the threat of competition.
Geometry of Banach spaces and biorthogonal systems

A separable Banach space X contains l1 isomorphically if and only if X has a bounded fundamental total wc ∗-stable biorthogonal system. The dual of a separable Banach space X fails the Schur prop- erty if and only if X has a bounded fundamental total wc ∗-biorthogonal system.
Locating Data in (Small-World?) Peer-to-Peer Scientific Collaborations

Data-sharing scientific collaborations have particular characteristics, potentially different from the current peer-to-peer environments. In this paper we advocate the benefits of exploiting emergent patterns in self-configuring networks specialized for scientific data-sharing collaborations. We speculate that a peer-to-peer scientific collaboration network will exhibit small-world topology, as do a large number of social networks for which the same pattern has been documented. We propose a solution for locating data in decentralized, scientific, data-sharing environments that exploits the small-worlds topology. The research challenge we raise is: what protocols should be used to allow a self-configuring peer-to-peer network to form small worlds similar to the way in which the humans that use the network do in their social interactions?
Theory of Real Computation According to EGC

The Exact Geometric Computation (EGC) mode of computation has been developed over the last decade in response to the widespread problem of numerical non-robustness in geometric algorithms. Its technology has been encoded in libraries such as LEDA, CGAL and Core Library. The key feature of EGC is the necessity to decide zero in its computation. This paper addresses the problem of providing a foundation for the EGC mode of computation. This requires a theory of real computation that properly addresses the Zero Problem. The two current approaches to real computation are represented by the analytic school and algebraic school. We propose a variant of the analytic approach based on real approximation . To capture the issues of representation, we begin with a reworking of van der Waerden's idea of explicit rings and fields. We introduce explicit sets and explicit algebraic structures. Explicit rings serve as the foundation for real approximation: our starting point here is not ?, but $\mathbb{F}\subseteq \mathbb{R}$, an explicit ordered ring extension of ? that is dense in ?. We develop the approximability of real functions within standard Turing machine computability, and show its connection to the analytic approach. Current discussions of real computation fail to address issues at the intersection of continuous and discrete computation. An appropriate computational model for this purpose is obtained by extending Schonhage's pointer machines to support both algebraic and numerical computation. Finally, we propose a synthesis wherein both the algebraic and the analytic models coexist to play complementary roles. Many fundamental questions can now be posed in this setting, including transfer theorems connecting algebraic computability with approximability.
Procrastination on Long-Term Projects

We investigate naive procrastination on projects with multiple stages. In addition to classic procrastination in starting projects, naive people might undertake costly effort to begin projects but then never finish. Procrastination is more likely when the costs of completing different stages are more unequal, and it is when later stages are more costly that people start but do not finish projects. Moreover, if the cost structure is endogenous, people are prone to choose cost structures that lead them to start but not finish projects. Some extensions further illustrate how people may incur costs on projects they never complete.
The Modest Undressing of a Silicon Center

Although they are in the same group of the periodic table, the elements carbon and silicon have very different properties. Silicon can form high-coordinate species but seldom forms low-coordinate compounds the way carbon does. In his Perspective, Bertrand discusses results reported in the same issue by Jutzi et al. in which a derivative of the low-coordinate HSispecies has been isolated, a feat not previously thought possible. With this avenue now open, it should be possible to synthesize a wide range of other novel and interesting low-coordinate silicon complexes.
Modeling Functional Data Sources as Relations

In this paper we present a model of functional access to data that, we argue, is suitable for modeling a class of data repositories characterized by functional access, such as web sites. We discuss the problem of modeling such data sources as a set of relations, of determining whether a given query expressed on these relations can be translated into a combination of functions defined by the data sources, and of finding an optimal plan to do so.
Defining “predictable assembly”

Predictable assembly in component-based software development intuitively means the ability to predict effectively properties of a system, making essential use of properties of its components. A formal definition is difficult to give, because the idea is a large, vague one. As an outgrowth of an informal workshop, this paper frames a mathematical definition. A somewhat surprising consequence of the formal definition is that assembly is usually predictable, but each particular case requires engineering effort to establish.
Second-order closure models for rotating turbulent flows

The physical properties of the commonly used second-order closure models are examined theoretically for rotating turbulent flows. Comparisons are made with results which are a rigorous consequence of the Navier-Stokes equations for the problem of fully-developed turbulent channel flow in a rapidly rotating framework. It is demonstrated that all existing second-order closures yield spurious physical results for this test problem of rotating channel flow. In fact, the results obtained are shown to be substantially more unphysical than those obtained from the simpler k-epsilon and k-l models. Modifications in the basic structure of these second-order closure models are proposed which can alleviate this problem.
Josef Steindl: An Economist of His Times

This paper discusses the life and work of Josef Steindl. It examines the development of his thought from his early writings on firm size and industrial concentration to his late work on the post-war problems of capitalist economies. Special attention is given to his seminal work on the Great Depression: Maturity and Stagnation in American Capitalism (1952). His work, which covered all the critical economic developments of the 20 th century, greatly illuminated the problems of his times, and is as relevant to the problems of our own as it was to his. JEL Codes: E6, O4
Counting invariant components of hyperelliptic translation surfaces

The flow in a fixed direction on a translation surface S determines a decomposition of S into closed invariant sets, each of which is either periodic or minimal. We study this decomposition for translation surfaces in the hyperelliptic connected components Hhyp(2g − 2) and Hhyp(g − 1, g − 1) of the corresponding strata of the moduli space of translation surfaces. Specifically, we characterize the pairs of nonnegative integers (p,m) for which there exists a translation surface in Hhyp(2g−2) or Hhyp(g−1, g−1) with precisely p periodic components and m minimal components. This extends results by Naveh ([Nav08]), who obtained tight upper bounds on numbers of invariant components for each stratum.
Automating Co-evolutionary Data Mining

An approach is being explored that involves embedding a fuzzy logic based resource manager in an electronic game environment. Game agents can function under their own autonomous logic or human control. This approach automates the data mining problem. The game automatically creates a cleansed database reflecting the domain expert’s knowledge, it calls a data mining function, a genetic algorithm, for data mining of the data base as required and allows easy evaluation of the information extracted. Co-evolutionary fitness functions are discussed. The strategy tree concept and its relationship to co-evolutionary data mining are examined as well as the associated phase space representation of fuzzy concepts. Co-evolutionary data mining alters the geometric properties of the overlap region known as the combined admissible region of phase space significantly enhancing the performance of the resource manager. Significant experimental results are provided.
Learning About Growth

We introduce a model in which a consumers must learn whether a country's growth rate shock is permanent or transitory. We show that for developing countries, TFP growth rates have been highly volatile, while for developed country the growth rate is comparatively stable. This difference is sufficient to explain the allocation puzzle under the assumption that the initial correlation between forecasted and realized growth rates is negative. In addition, we document that the allocation puzzle puzzle decreases over time - the ten year correlation between inflows and growth rates is more negative than the twenty year correlation - in agreement with our model predictions. We interpret this as evidence that the learning mechanism underlying our model is relevant to understanding the differences in behavior of developed and developing countries.
Donaldson–Thomas Invariants and Wall-Crossing Formulas

We introduce the Donaldson–Thomas invariants and describe the wall–crossing formulas for numerical Donaldson-Thomas invariants.
An empirical comparison of three inference methods

In this paper, an empirical evaluation of three inference methods for uncertain reasoning is presented in the context of Pathfinder, a large expert system for the diagnosis of lymph-node pathology. The inference procedures evaluated are (1) Bayes' theorem, assuming evidence is conditionally independent given each hypothesis; (2) odds–likelihood updating, assuming evidence is conditionally independent given each hypothesis and given the negation of each hypothesis; and (3) a inference method related to the Dempster–Shafer theory of belief. Both expert-rating and decision-theoretic metrics are used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the inference methods.
A dynamic non-direct implementation mechanism for interdependent value problems

Much of the literature on mechanism design and implementation uses the revelation principle to restrict attention to direct mechanisms. We showed in McLean and Postlewaite (2014) that when agents are informationally small, there exist small modifications to VCG mechanisms in interdependent value problems that restore incentive compatibility. We show here how one can construct a two-stage non-direct mechanism that similarly restores incentive compatibility while improving upon the direct one stage mechanism in terms of privacy and the size of messages that must be sent. The first stage that elicits the part of the agents’ private information that induces interdependence can be used to transform certain other interdependent value problems into private value problems.
Evolution of Massive Stars along the Cosmic History

Massive stars are "cosmic engines" (cf the title of the IAU Symposium 250). They drive the photometric and chemical evolution of galaxies, inject energy and momentum through stellar winds and supernova explosions, they modify in this way the physical state of the interstellar gas and have an impact on star formation. The evolution of massive stars depends sensitively on the metallicity which has an impact on the intensity of the line driven stellar winds and on rotational mixing. We can distinguish four metallicity regimes: 1.- the Pop III regime $0 \le Z < \sim 10^{-10}$; 2.- The low metallicity regime $10^{-10} \le Z < 0.001$; 3.- The near solar metallicity regime $0.001 \le Z < 0.020$; 4.- The high metallicity regime $0.020 \le Z$. In each of these metallicity ranges, some specific physical processes occur. In this review we shall discuss these physical processes and their consequences for nucleosynthesis and the massive star populations in galaxies. We shall mainly focus on the effects of axial rotation and mass loss by line driven winds, although of course other processes like binarity, magnetic fields, transport processes by internal waves may also play important roles.
Detached-eddy simulation based on the v2-f model

Abstract Detached-eddy simulation (DES) based on the v 2 - f Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model is developed and tested. The v 2 - f model incorporates anisotropy of near-wall turbulence, which is absent in other RANS models commonly used for DES. The v 2 - f RANS model is modified in order that in the DES formulation it reduces to a transport equation for the subgrid-scale kinetic energy in isotropic turbulence. First, three coefficients in the elliptic relaxation equation are modified and the modification is tested for RANS of channel flow. Next, the proposed v 2 - f DES model is formulated. The constant, C DES , required in the DES formulation is calibrated by simulating both decaying and statistically-steady isotropic turbulence. The formulation is tested for flow around a circular cylinder at a Reynolds number of 3900, in which case turbulence develops after separation. Simulations indicate that this model represents the turbulent wake nearly as accurately as the dynamic Smagorinsky model. For comparison, Spalart–Allmaras (SA) based DES is also included in the cylinder flow simulations. Finally, the proposed model is tested for a separated turbulent boundary layer on an airfoil. The delayed-DES (DDES) approach is found to be necessary. The v 2 - f DDES calculation gives good predictions for the aerodynamic forces and the pressure distribution measured in experiments. The proposed model is also compared with SA-DDES for the airfoil.
A Structure‐Centric View of Protein Evolution, Design, and Adaptation

Proteins, by virtue of their central role in most biological processes, represent one of the key subjects of the study of molecular evolution. Inherent in the indispensability of proteins for living cells is the fact that a given protein can adopt a specific three-dimensional shape that is specified solely by the protein's sequence of amino acids. Over the past several decades, structural biologists have demonstrated that the array of structures that proteins may adopt is quite astounding, and this has lead to a strong interest in understanding how protein structures change and evolve over time. In this review we consider a large body of recent work that attempts to illuminate this structure-centric picture of protein evolution. Much of this work has focused on the question of how completely new protein structures (i.e., new folds or topologies) are discovered by protein sequences as they evolve. Pursuant to this question of structural innovation has been a desire to describe and understand the observation that certain types of protein structures are far more abundant than others and how this uneven distribution of proteins implicates on the process through which new shapes are discovered. We consider a number of theoretical models that have been successful at explaining this heterogeneity in protein populations and discuss the increasing amount of evidence that indicates that the process of structural evolution involves the divergence of protein sequences and structures from one another. We also consider the topic of protein designability, which concerns itself with understanding how a protein's structure influences the number of sequences that can fold successfully into that structure. Understanding and quantifying the relationship between the physical feature of a structure and its designability has been a long-standing goal of the study of protein structure and evolution, and we discuss a number of recent advances that have yielded a promising answer to this question. Finally, we review the relatively new field of protein structural phylogeny, an area of study in which information about the distribution of protein structures among different organisms is used to reconstruct the evolutionary relationships between them. Taken together, the work that we review presents an increasingly coherent picture of how these unique polymers have evolved over the course of life on Earth.
Econometric issues of estimating hedonic price functions: With an application to the U.S. market for automobiles

Abstract Some econometric issues associated with the characteristics approach to simplify complex market structures, where many differentiated products interact, to a smaller number of homogeneous attributes are considered. These include the choice of functional form for the hedonic price equation, the data requirement for the identification of market demand and supply of characteristics, and the practical method for selecting characteristics to represent differentiated products. The implicit market for U.S. automobile demand is analyzed to illustrate our approach.
Extreme Event Risk

“Extreme event” is a vague concept with a variety of formal definitions based on specific cases and contexts. Particular extreme events include, great earthquakes, floods, droughts, nuclear meltdowns, space shuttle losses, deaths, giant sea waves, stock crashes, landslides, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and consequences of any of the preceding. The event of interest might be caused by man or by nature. They may occur in time or space. The size might be measured in deaths or costs. The study of extreme event situations has led to important research results and management methods. The specific concern of the entry is quantitative formulation of the problem. Keywords: extreme events; extreme values; natural hazards