cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theorizing Backlash: Supranational Governance and International Investment Law and Arbitration in Comparative Perspective

A revised and updated version of this paper will appear in a forthcoming special issue of the Journal of World Investment and Trade. This paper argues that theoretical understandings of backlash against international investment law and arbitration can benefit from examining analogous dynamics in supranational governance more generally. Two features characterize both systems: the delegation of regulatory power to functional pre-commitment agents beyond the State; and the persistence of constitutional legitimacy in State-level principals. In these circumstances, the agency-cost problem — the danger that agents exaggerate their autonomous power at the expense of their principals — is aggravated in two ways that find surprising support in the literature. Global Administrative Law, for example, appears to rationalize a system of ‘agents without principals’ by bracketing whether any legitimating relationship between the two is possible. Pluralist-constitutional theorists go further, casting pre-commitment agents as representatives of a global constitutional order, thus rationalizing an outright ‘principal-agent inversion’. Either way, a break occurs in the ‘power-legitimacy nexus’ — the necessary congruence between the agent’s power and the legitimacy it autonomously possesses — thus leading to backlash.
An Evaluation of Bounding Approaches for Generalization

Statisticians have developed propensity score methods to improve generalizations from studies that do not employ random sampling. However, these methods rely on assumptions whose plausibility may b...
Burnside Rings of Fusions Systems and their Unit Groups

For a saturated fusion system $\mathcal F$ on a $p$-group $S$, we study the Burnside ring of the fusion system $B(\mathcal F)$, as defined by Matthew Gelvin and Sune Reeh, which is a subring of the Burnside ring $B(S)$. We give criteria for an element of $B(S)$ to be in $B(\mathcal F)$ determined by the $\mathcal F$-automorphism groups of essential subgroups of $S$. When $\mathcal F$ is the fusion system induced by a finite group $G$ with $S$ as a Sylow $p$-group, we show that the restriction of $B(G)$ to $B(S)$ has image equal to $B(\mathcal F)$. We also show that for $p=2,$ we can gain information about the fusion system by studying the unit group $B(\mathcal F)^\times.$ When $S$ is abelian, we completely determine this unit group.
Opioids depress breathing through two small brainstem sites.

The rates of opioid overdose in the United States quadrupled between 1999 and 2017, reaching a staggering 130 deaths per day. This health epidemic demands innovative solutions that require uncovering the key brain areas and cell types mediating the cause of overdose- opioid-induced respiratory depression. Here, we identify two primary changes to murine breathing after administering opioids. These changes implicate the brainstem's breathing circuitry which we confirm by locally eliminating the µ-Opioid receptor. We find the critical brain site is the preBotzinger Complex, where the breathing rhythm originates, and use genetic tools to reveal that just 70-140 neurons in this region are responsible for its sensitivity to opioids. Future characterization of these neurons may lead to novel therapies that prevent respiratory depression while sparing analgesia.
Asymptotic Approximant for the Falkner–Skan Boundary Layer Equation

We demonstrate that the asymptotic approximant applied to the Blasius boundary layer flow over a flat plat (Barlow et al., 2017 Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math., 70(1): 21-48) yields accurate analytic closed-form solutions to the Falkner-Skan boundary layer equation for flow over a wedge having angle $\beta\pi/2$ to the horizontal. A wide range of wedge angles satisfying $\beta\in[-0.198837735, 1]$ are considered, and the previously established non-unique solutions for $\beta<0$ having positive and negative shear rates along the wedge are accurately represented. The approximant is used to determine the singularities in the complex plane that prescribe the radius of convergence of the power series solution to the Falkner-Skan equation. An attractive feature of the approximant is that it may be constructed quickly by recursion compared with traditional Pade approximants that require a matrix inversion. The accuracy of the approximant is verified by numerical solutions, and benchmark numerical values are obtained that characterize the asymptotic behavior of the Falkner-Skan solution at large distances from the wedge.
Widespread receptor-driven modulation in peripheral olfactory coding

Olfactory responses to single odors have been well characterized but in reality we are continually presented with complex mixtures of odors. We performed high-throughput analysis of single-cell responses to odor blends using Swept Confocally Aligned Planar Excitation (SCAPE) microscopy of intact mouse olfactory epithelium, imaging ~10,000 olfactory sensory neurons in parallel. In large numbers of responding cells, mixtures of odors did not elicit a simple sum of the responses to individual components of the blend. Instead, many neurons exhibited either antagonism or enhancement of their response in the presence of another odor. All eight odors tested acted as both agonists and antagonists at different receptors. We propose that this peripheral modulation of responses increases the capacity of the olfactory system to distinguish complex odor mixtures.
2 – Linear Equations and Inequalities

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview on linear equations and inequalities. Equations are solved by applying two main properties—the addition property of equality and the multiplication property of equality. The chapter discusses the concept of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of positive and negative real numbers. It also describes the commutative, associative, and distributive properties. The solution set for an equation is the set of all numbers that when used in place of the variable makes the equation a true statement. Sometimes it is necessary to simplify each side of an equation before using the addition property of equality. The reason one simplifies both sides first is that one wants as few terms as possible on each side of the equation before one uses the addition property of equality. Multiplying both sides of an inequality by a positive number never changes the solution set. If both sides are multiplied by a negative number, the sense of the inequality must be reversed to produce an equivalent inequality.
20 – Nuclear propulsion

Publisher Summary This chapter describes nuclear propulsion. Nuclear reactors serve as the power source for the propulsion of submarines and aircraft carriers. Tests of reactors for aircraft and for rockets have been made and reactors are being considered for future space missions. Thermoelectric generators using plutonium-238 provided electric power for lunar exploration in the Apollo program and for interplanetary travel of the spacecrafts Voyager, Galileo, Ulysses, and Cassini. Research and development has been done on reactors for aircraft and rockets so that it can be used in future missions. The discovery of fission stimulated interest on the part of the U.S. Navy in the possibility of using nuclear power for submarine propulsion. The principal virtue of a nuclear-powered submarine is its ability to travel long distances at high speed without refueling. It can remain submerged because the reactor power plant does not require oxygen. The future of nuclear applications in space depends on the accomplishments and aspirations of mankind in space.
Space-Distribution of X-Ray Photoelectrons Ejected from the K and L Atomic Energy-Levels

A C.T.R. Wilson expansion-chamber was used to study the space-distribution of photoelectrons ejected from a gas by monochromatic x-rays. In agreement with Auger, and Watson and Van den Akker a more isotropic space-distribution was found for electrons ejected from the $L$ energy-levels than for those ejected from the $K$ energy-level. The distribution of the electrons from the $L$ energy-levels became less isotropic with an increase in frequency of the incident radiation. For a given radiation, the average forward momentum of the electrons from the $K$ energy-level was found to decrease with an increase in the binding energy of the parent atom. Within experimental error, however, for electrons from the $K$ energy level, even for different binding energies, the average forward momentum remained the same for a given velocity of ejection of the electron. The average forward momentum of electrons from the $L$ energy-level was greater than that for electrons from the $K$ energy-level for a given velocity of ejection. The space-distribution of electrons from the $K$ energy-level was in fair accord with the recent results of quantum mechanics.
Cadmium Selenide (CdSe)

Publisher Summary Cadmium selenide (CdSe) is a tetrahedral semiconductor with wurtzite structure in the hexagonal modification. CdSe is an optically uniaxial semiconductor with two components of the dielectric function. Measurements of the reflectivity spectra of CdSe crystals with polarized light show strong differences for the electric vector parallel and perpendicular to the hexagonal axis. This chapter reviews the measurement of the room-temperature reflectivity of hexagonal CdSe and discusses the investigation of the real and imaginary parts of the ordinary and extraordinary dielectric functions of CdSe. Automatic spectroscopic ellipsometry is an excellent technique to measure the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function. The chapter further discusses the measurement of the infrared absorption by pure CdSe platelets, the investigation of the spectral dependence of the refractive index and birefringence of CdSe single crystals, and several other experimental works performed regarding CdSe.
Monetary Policy Rules in Practice: Some International Evidence

Abstract This paper reports estimates of monetary policy reaction functions for two sets of countries: the G3 (Germany, Japan, and the US) and the E3 (UK, France, and Italy). We find that since 1979 each of the G3 central banks has pursued an implicit form of inflation targeting, which may account for the broad success of monetary policy in those countries over this time period. The evidence also suggests that these central banks have been forward looking: they respond to anticipated inflation as opposed to lagged inflation. As for the E3, even prior to the emergence of the `hard ERM', the E3 central banks were heavily influenced by German monetary policy. Further, using the Bundesbank's policy rule as a benchmark, we find that at the time of the EMS collapse, interest rates in each of the E3 countries were much higher than domestic macroeconomic conditions warranted. Taken all together, the results lend support to the view that some form of inflation targeting may be superior to fixing exchange rates, as a means to gain a nominal anchor for monetary policy.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle and the Proliferation “Danger Zone”

Horizontal nuclear proliferation presents what is sometimes referred to as the “Nth country problem,” or identifying which state could be next to acquire nuclear weapons. Nuclear fuel cycle technol...
Cooperating in video games? Impossible! Undecidability of Team Multiplayer Games

Abstract We show the undecidability of whether a team has a forced win in a number of well known video games including: Team Fortress 2, Super Smash Brothers: Brawl, and Mario Kart. To do so, we give a simplification of the Team Computation Game from Hearn and Demaine's “Games, Puzzles, and Computation” [7] , and use that to give an undecidable abstract game on graphs. This graph game framework better captures the geometry and common constraints in many games and is thus a powerful tool for showing their computational complexity.
Evaporation-induced Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in polymer solutions.

Understanding the mechanics of detrimental convective instabilities in drying polymer solutions is crucial in many applications such as the production of film coatings. It is well known that solven...
Swarm model checking on the GPU

We present Grapple, a new and powerful framework for explicit-state model checking on GPUs. Grapple is based on swarm verification (SV), a model-checking technique wherein a collection or swarm of small, memory- and time-bounded verification tests (VTs) are run in parallel to perform state-space exploration. SV achieves high state-space coverage via diversification of the search strategies used by constituent VTs. Grapple represents a swarm implementation for the GPU. In particular, it runs a parallel swarm of internally-parallel VTs, which are implemented in a manner that specifically targets the GPU architecture and the SIMD parallelism its computing cores offer. Grapple also makes effective use of the GPU shared memory, eliminating costly inter-block communication overhead. We conducted a comprehensive performance analysis of Grapple focused on the various design parameters, including the size of the queue structure, implementation of guard statements, and nondeterministic exploration order. Tests are run with multiple hardware configurations, including on the Amazon cloud. Our results show that Grapple performs favorably compared to the SPIN swarm and a prior non-swarm GPU implementation. Although a recently debuted FPGA swarm is faster, the deployment process to the FPGA is much more complex than Grapple’s.
Interannual variability of the early and late-rainy seasons in the Caribbean

The Caribbean seasonal rainfall cycle and its characteristics are heavily relied upon by the region’s inhabitants for their socioeconomic needs; the prediction of its variability would be valuable to society. An important way to understand the predictability of the Caribbean rainfall cycle is to study its interannual variability. Previous studies vary as to how and what large-scale climate driver(s) affect the interannual variability of rainfall and its associated dynamical mechanisms in the Caribbean. To address this, this study investigates wet and dry Caribbean early-rainy seasons (ERS; mid-April to mid-June) and late-rainy seasons (LRS; late August to mid-November) by conducting the following: (1) a spatial composite of rainfall from 34 Caribbean rainfall stations using daily data; and, (2) spatial composites of sea-surface temperature, sea-level pressure, and mean flow moisture convergence and transports. The ERS and LRS are impacted in distinctly different ways by two different, and largely independent, dominant large-scale phenomena: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), respectively. Dry ERS years are associated with a persistent dipole of cold and warm SSTs over the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, respectively, that were caused by a preceding positive NAO state. This setting involves a wind-evaporation-SST (WES) feedback expressed in enhanced trade winds and consequently, moisture transport divergence over all of the Caribbean, except in portions of the NW Caribbean in May. A contribution from the preceding winter cold ENSO event is also discernible during dry ERS years. Dry LRS years are due to the summertime onset of an El Nino event, developing an inter-basin SLP pattern that fluxes moisture out of the Caribbean, except in portions of the NW Caribbean in November. Both large-scale climate drivers would have the opposite effect during their opposite phases leading to wet years for both seasons. The two rainy seasons are independent because the main drivers of their variability are independent. This has implications for prediction.
Linear Dynamics: Clustering without identification

Linear dynamical systems are a fundamental and powerful parametric model class. However, identifying the parameters of a linear dynamical system is a venerable task, permitting provably efficient solutions only in special cases. This work shows that the eigenspectrum of unknown linear dynamics can be identified without full system identification. We analyze a computationally efficient and provably convergent algorithm to estimate the eigenvalues of the state-transition matrix in a linear dynamical system. When applied to time series clustering, our algorithm can efficiently cluster multi-dimensional time series with temporal offsets and varying lengths, under the assumption that the time series are generated from linear dynamical systems. Evaluating our algorithm on both synthetic data and real electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, we see improvements in clustering quality over existing baselines.
The Effect of the Credit Crunch on Output Price Dynamics: The Corporate Inventory and Liquidity Management Channel*

I study how a credit crunch affects output price dynamics. I build a unique micro-level dataset that combines scanner-level prices and quantities with producer information, including the producer's banking relationships, inventory, and cash holdings. I exploit the Lehman Brothers' failure as a quasi-experiment and find that firms facing a negative credit supply shock decrease their output prices approximately 15% relative to their unaffected counterparts. I hypothesize that such firms reduce prices to liquidate inventory and to generate additional cash flow from the product market. I find strong empirical support for this hypothesis: (i) firms facing a negative bank shock temporarily decrease their prices and inventory and increase their market share and cash holdings relative to their counterparts, and (ii) this effect is stronger for firms and sectors with high initial inventory or small initial cash holdings. To discuss the aggregate implications of these findings, I integrate this micro-level study into a business cycle model by explicitly allowing for two identical groups of producers facing different degrees of credit supply shock. The model predicts that a negative credit supply shock leads to a large temporary drop in aggregate inflation - as a result of the aggressive liquidation of inventory - followed by an increase in inflation as producers eventually run out of inventory. This prediction for inflation and inventory dynamics is fully consistent with observations for the 2007-09 recession.
Mining temporal invariants from partially ordered logs

A common assumption made in log analysis research is that the underlying log is totally ordered. For concurrent systems, this assumption constrains the generated log to either exclude concurrency altogether, or to capture a particular interleaving of concurrent events. This paper argues that capturing concurrency as a partial order is useful and often indispensable for answering important questions about concurrent systems. To this end, we motivate a family of event ordering invariants over partially ordered event traces, give three algorithms for mining these invariants from logs, and evaluate their scalability on simulated distributed system logs.
Pharmacological Potential of Small Molecules for Treating Corneal Neovascularization

Under healthy conditions, the cornea is an avascular structure which allows for transparency and optimal visual acuity. Its avascular nature is maintained by a balance of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic factors. An imbalance of these factors can result in abnormal blood vessel proliferation into the cornea. This corneal neovascularization (CoNV) can stem from a variety of insults including hypoxia and ocular surface inflammation caused by trauma, infection, chemical burns, and immunological diseases. CoNV threatens corneal transparency, resulting in permanent vision loss. Mainstay treatments of CoNV have partial efficacy and associated side effects, revealing the need for novel treatments. Numerous natural products and synthetic small molecules have shown potential in preclinical studies in vivo as antiangiogenic therapies for CoNV. Such small molecules include synthetic inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor and other tyrosine kinases, plus repurposed antimicrobials, as well as natural source-derived flavonoid and non-flavonoid phytochemicals, immunosuppressants, vitamins, and histone deacetylase inhibitors. They induce antiangiogenic and anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of VEGF, NF-κB, and other growth factor receptor pathways. Here, we review the potential of small molecules, both synthetics and natural products, targeting these and other molecular mechanisms, as antiangiogenic agents in the treatment of CoNV.
Matching the forecast horizon with the relevant spatial and temporal processes and data sources

Abstract Most phenomenological, statistical models used to generate ecological forecasts take either a time-series approach, based on long-term data from one location, or a space-for-time approach, based on data describing spatial patterns across environmental gradients. Here we consider how the forecast horizon determines whether more accurate predictions come from the time-series approach, the space-for-time approach, or a combination of the two. We use two simulated case studies to show that forecasts for short and long forecast horizons need to focus on different ecological processes, which are reflected in different kinds of data. In the short-term, dynamics reflect initial conditions and fast processes such as birth and death, and the time-series approach makes the best predictions. In the long-term, dynamics reflect the additional influence of slower processes such as evolutionary and ecological selection, colonization and extinction, which the space-for-time approach can effectively capture. At intermediate time-scales, a weighted average of the two approaches shows promise. However, making this weighted model operational will require new research to predict the rate at which slow processes begin to influence dynamics.
Screening and Diagnosis of Prediabetes and Diabetes in US Children and Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The optimal approach to screening and diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes in youth is uncertain. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 14 119 youth aged 10 to 19 years in the 1999–2016 NHANES. First, we examined the performance of American Diabetes Association risk-based screening criteria. Second, we evaluated the performance of current clinical definitions of prediabetes and diabetes based on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), either HbA1c or FPG, or both HbA1c and FPG (confirmatory definition) to identify youth at high cardiometabolic risk. RESULTS: Overall, 25.5% of US youth (10.6 million in 2016) were eligible for screening. Sensitivity and specificity of the screening criteria for detecting any hyperglycemia were low for both HbA1c ≥5.7% (sensitivity = 55.5%, specificity = 76.3%) and FPG ≥100 mg/dL (sensitivity = 35.8%, specificity = 77.1%). Confirmed undiagnosed diabetes (HbA1c ≥6.5% and FPG ≥126 mg/dL) was rare, 85%) cases of diabetes were diagnosed. Associations with cardiometabolic risk were consistently stronger and more specific for HbA1c-defined hyperglycemia (specificity = 98.6%; sensitivity = 4.0%) than FPG-defined hyperglycemia (specificity = 90.1%; sensitivity = 19.4%). CONCLUSIONS: One-quarter of US youth are eligible for screening for diabetes and prediabetes; however, few will test positive, especially for diabetes. Most cases of diabetes in US youth are diagnosed. Regardless of screening eligibility, we found that HbA1c is a specific and useful nonfasting test to identify high-risk youth who could benefit from lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular risk in adulthood.
Upregulation of Superoxide Dismutase 2 by Astrocytes in the SIV/Macaque Model of HIV-Associated Neurologic Disease

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent despite implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Development of HAND is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the brain; therefore, upregulation of antioxidant defenses is critical to curtail neuronal damage. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme essential for maintaining cellular viability. We hypothesized that SOD2 was upregulated during retroviral infection. Using a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaque model of HIV, quantitative PCR showed elevated SOD2 mRNA in cortical gray ([GM], 7.6-fold for SIV vs uninfected) and white matter ([WM], 77-fold for SIV vs uninfected) during SIV infection. Further, SOD2 immunostaining was enhanced in GM and WM from SIV-infected animals. Double immunofluorescence labeling illustrated that SOD2 primarily colocalized with astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in SIV-infected animals. Interestingly, in ART-treated SIV-infected animals, brain SOD2 RNA levels were similar to uninfected animals. Additionally, using principal component analysis in a transcriptomic approach, SOD2 and GFAP expression separated SIV-infected from uninfected brain tissue. Projection of these data into a HIV dataset revealed similar expression changes, thereby validating the clinical relevance. Together, our findings suggest that novel SOD2-enhancing therapies may reduce neuroinflammation in ART-treated HIV-infected patients.
CD8 Treg Cells Inhibit B-Cell Proliferation and Immunoglobulin Production.

Author(s): Gupta, Sudhir; Su, Houfen; Agrawal, Sudhanshu | Abstract: AimThe role of CD4+ Treg in immune responses has been well established. More recently, a role of CD8+ T regulatory cells (CD8 Treg) in the regulation of immune responses in health and autoimmune diseases has been investigated. Furthermore, different investigators have used different markers to define CD8 Treg. Finally, regulatory effects of CD8 Treg have been studied against T-cell responses; however, their role in regulating B-cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production has not been evaluated. Therefore, in this study we examined the effect of two types of CD8 Treg on B-cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production.MethodsPurified CD8+ T cells were activated with anti-CD3/CD28 for 48 h and then sorted into two different types of CD8 Treg as defined by two different sets of markers, CD8+CD183+CD197+CD45RA- and CD8+CD183+CD25highCD278+. Purified B cells were cocultured with sorted CD8 Treg at 1:1, 1:1/2, and 1:1/4 ratios and activated with anti-CD40 and CpG. B-cell proliferation was assessed by the CFSE dye dilution assay and immunoglobulin production by the ELISA assay.ResultsOur data show CD183+CD197+CD45RA-CD8 Treg significantly inhibited B-cell proliferation and inhibited IgM and IgG production but not IgA production at 1:1 ratio only. However, CD183+CD25highCD278+CD8 Treg inhibited significantly B-cell proliferation at 1:1 and 1:1/2 ratios and IgM, IgG, and IgA production at all ratios.ConclusionCD8 Treg regulate B-cell responses, and CD183+CD25highCD278+CD8 Treg are more powerful regulators of B-cell proliferation and immunoglobulin production than CD183+CD197+CD45RA-CD8 Treg and, therefore, may be used as preferred markers for CD8 Treg.
The Impact of Starbursts on Element Abundance Ratios

We investigate the impact of bursts in star formation on the predictions of one-zone chemical evolution models, adopting oxygen (O), iron (Fe), and strontium (Sr), as representative $\alpha$, iron-peak, and s-process elements, respectively. To this end, we develop the Versatile Integrator for Chemical Evolution (VICE), a python package. Starbursts driven by a temporary boost of gas accretion rate create loops in [O/Fe]-[Fe/H] evolutionary tracks and a peak in the stellar [O/Fe] distribution at intermediate values. Bursts driven by a temporary boost of star formation efficiency have a similar effect, and they also produce a population of $\alpha$-deficient stars during the depressed star formation phase that follows the burst. This $\alpha$-deficient population is more prominent if the outflow rate is tied to a time-averaged star formation rate (SFR) instead of the instantaneous SFR. Theoretical models of Sr production predict a strong metallicity dependence of supernova and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star yields, though comparison to data suggests an additional source that is nearly metallicity-independent. Evolution of [Sr/Fe] and [Sr/O] during a starburst is complex because of the yield metallicity dependence and the multiple timescales in play. Moderate amplitude (10-20\%) sinusoidal oscillations in SFR produce loops in [O/Fe]-[Fe/H] tracks and multiple peaks in [O/Fe] distributions, which could be one source of intrinsic scatter in observed sequences. We investigate models that have a factor of ~2 enhancement of SFR at t = 12 Gyr, as suggest by some recent Milky Way observations. A late episode of enhanced star formation could help explain the existence of young stars with moderate $\alpha$-enhancements and the surprisingly young median age found for solar metallicity stars in the solar neighborhood, while also raising the possibility that this starburst has not fully decayed.
Design Considerations for Low Power Internet Protocols

Low-power wireless networks provide IPv6 connectivity through 6LoWPAN, a set of standards to aggressively compress IPv6 packets over small maximum transfer unit (MTU) links such as 802.15.4.The entire purpose of IP was to interconnect different networks, but we find that different 6LoWPAN implementations fail to reliably communicate with one another. These failures are due to stacks implementing different subsets of the standard out of concern for code size. We argue that this failure stems from 6LoWPAN’s design, not implementation, and is due to applying traditional Internet protocol design principles to low- power networks.We propose three design principles for Internet protocols on low-power networks, designed to prevent similar failures in the future. These principles are based around the importance of providing flexible tradeoffs between code size and energy efficiency. We apply these principles to 6LoWPAN and show that the modified protocol provides a wide range of implementation strategies while allowing implementations with different strategies to reliably communicate.
A Proof of the Refined PRV Conjecture via the Cyclic Convolution Variety

In this brief note we illustrate the utility of the geometric Satake correspondence by employing the cyclic convolution variety to give a simple proof of the Parthasarathy-Ranga Rao-Varadarajan conjecture, along with Kumar’s refinement. The proof involves recognizing certain MV-cycles as orbit closures of a group action, which we make explicit by unique characterization. In an Appendix, joint with P. Belkale, we discuss how this work fits in a more general framework.
Is Otsu thresholding the answer to reproducible quantification of left atrial scar from late gadolinium-enhancement MRI?

Is Otsu Thresholding the Answer to Reproducible Quantification of Left Atrial Scar from Late Gadolinium-Enhancement MRI?Suvai Gunasekaran, PhDa, Daniel Kim, PhDa,ba Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United Statesb Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United StatesPlease send correspondence to:Daniel Kim, PhDDepartment of RadiologyNorthwestern University737 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 1600Chicago, IL 60611 daniel.kim3@northwestern.edu O:312.926.1733 F:312.926.5991
Meta-analysis with Robust Variance Estimation: Expanding the Range of Working Models

In prevention science and related fields, large meta-analyses are common, and these analyses often involve dependent effect size estimates. Robust variance estimation (RVE) methods provide a way to include all dependent effect sizes in a single meta-regression model, even when the exact form of the dependence is unknown. RVE uses a working model of the dependence structure, but the two currently available working models are limited to each describing a single type of dependence. Drawing on flexible tools from multilevel and multivariate meta-analysis, this paper describes an expanded range of working models, along with accompanying estimation methods, which offer potential benefits in terms of better capturing the types of data structures that occur in practice and, under some circumstances, improving the efficiency of meta-regression estimates. We describe how the methods can be implemented using existing software (the “metafor” and “clubSandwich” packages for R), illustrate the proposed approach in a meta-analysis of randomized trials on the effects of brief alcohol interventions for adolescents and young adults, and report findings from a simulation study evaluating the performance of the new methods.
On the divisibility of binomial coefficients

Shareshian and Woodroofe asked if for every positive integer n there exist primes p and q such that, for all integers k with 1 ≤ k ≤ n − 1 , the binomial coefficient ( n choose k ) is divisible by at least one of p or q . We give conditions under which a number n has this property and discuss a variant of this problem involving more than two primes. We prove that every positive integer n has infinitely many multiples with this property.
The effect of phase change on stability of convective flow in a layer of volatile liquid driven by a horizontal temperature gradient

Buoyancy–thermocapillary convection in a layer of volatile liquid driven by a horizontal temperature gradient arises in a variety of situations. Recent studies have shown that the composition of the gas phase, which is typically a mixture of vapour and air, has a noticeable effect on the critical Marangoni number describing the onset of convection as well as on the observed convection pattern. Specifically, as the total pressure or, equivalently, the average concentration of air is decreased, the threshold of the instability leading to the emergence of convective rolls is found to increase rather significantly. We present a linear stability analysis of the problem which shows that this trend can be readily understood by considering the transport of heat and vapour through the gas phase. In particular, we show that transport in the gas phase has a noticeable effect even at atmospheric conditions, when phase change is greatly suppressed.
Uniqueness criteria in multi-energy CT

Multi-energy computed tomography (ME-CT) is a medical imaging modality aiming to reconstruct the spatial density of materials from the attenuation properties of probing x-rays. For each line in two- or three-dimensional space, ME-CT measurements may be written as a nonlinear mapping from the integrals of the unknown densities of a finite number of materials along said line to an equal or larger number of energy-weighted integrals corresponding to different x-ray source energy spectra. ME-CT reconstructions may thus be decomposed as a two-step process: (i) reconstruct line integrals of the material densities from the available energy measurements; and (ii) reconstruct densities from their line integrals. Step (ii) is the standard linear x-ray CT problem whose invertibility is well-known, so this paper focuses on step (i). We show that ME-CT admits stable, global inversion provided that (a well-chosen linear transform of) the differential of the transform in step (i) satisfies appropriate orientation constraints that makes it a P-matrix. We introduce a notion of quantitative P-function that allows us to derive global stability results for ME-CT in the determined as well as over-determined (with more source energy spectra than the number of materials) cases. Numerical simulations based on standard material properties in imaging applications (of bone, water, contrast agents) and well accepted models of source energy spectra show that ME-CT is often (always in our simulations) either (i) non-globally injective because it is non-injective locally (differential not of full rank), or (ii) globally injective as soon as it is locally injective (differentials satisfy our proposed constraints).
Spectral weight in Chern-Simons theory with symmetry breaking

We calculate the low-energy spectral weight of a holographic superfluid coupled to a Chern-Simons term in IR radial scaling geometries characterized by a parameter η. This work was motivated by previous results where an unexpected low-energy spectral weight and a region of instability were seen, both at finite momentum, for the holographic superfluid. We characterize the effect of varying the Chern-Simons coupling α and condensate charge parameter ζ on these regions supporting low-energy spectral weight or a finite momentum instability. We show that η, α and ζ each plays a unique role in shaping these regions. We find a surface αcrit(η, ζ) above which the theory is unstable. In the longitudinal channel we extend our analysis to general dimension d. We briefly analyze the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory and find that Fermi shells exist for d > 4.
Likelihood ratio tests and singularities

Many statistical hypotheses can be formulated in terms of polynomial equalities and inequalities in the unknown parameters and thus correspond to semi-algebraic subsets of the parameter space. We consider large sample asymptotics for the likelihood ratio test of such hypotheses in models that satisfy standard probabilistic regularity conditions. We show that the assumptions of Chernoff’s theorem hold for semi-algebraic sets such that the asymptotics are determined by the tangent cone at the true parameter point. At boundary points or singularities, the tangent cone need not be a linear space and limiting distributions other than chi-square distributions may arise. While boundary points often lead to mixtures of chi-square distributions, singularities give rise to nonstandard limits. We demonstrate that minima of chi-square random variables are important for locally identifiable models, and in a study of the factor analysis model with one factor, we reveal connections to eigenvalues of Wishart matrices.
CONSTRAINING THE R-MODE SATURATION AMPLITUDE FROM A HYPOTHETICAL DETECTION OF R-MODE GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM A NEWBORN NEUTRON STAR: SENSITIVITY STUDY

This paper consists of two related parts: In the first part we derive an expression of the moment of inertia (MOI) of a neutron star as a function of observables from a hypothetical r-mode gravitational wave detection. For a given r-mode detection we show how the value of the MOI of a neutron star constrains the equation of state (EOS) of the matter in the core of the neutron star. Subsequently, for each candidate EOS, we derive a possible value of the saturation amplitude, \alpha, of the r-mode oscillations on the neutron star. Additionally, we argue that a r-mode detection will provide clues about the cooling rate mechanism of the neutron star. The above physics that can be derived from a hypothetical r-mode detection constitute our motivation for the second part of the paper. In that part we present a detection strategy to efficiently search for r-modes in gravitational-wave data. R-mode signals were injected into simulated noise colored with the advanced LIGO (aLIGO) and Einstein Telescope (ET) sensitivity curves. The r-mode waveforms used are those predicted by early theories based on a polytropic equation of state (EOS) neutron star matter. In our best case scenario \alpha of order 10^{-1}, the maximum detection distance when using the aLIGO sensitivity curve is 1 Mpc (supernova event rate of 3-4 per century) while the maximum detection distance when using the ET sensitivity curve is 10 Mpc (supernova event rate of 1-2 per year).
Frobenius manifolds near the discriminant and relations in the tautological ring

We give a criterion for extending a generically semisimple (not necessarily conformal) Frobenius manifold locally near a smooth point of the discriminant to a cohomological field theory. As an application, we show that a large set of tautological relations related to the Givental–Teleman classification for any generically semisimple cohomological field theories follow from Pixton’s generalized Faber–Zagier relations.
Ropelength, crossing number and finite-type invariants of links

Ropelength and embedding thickness are related measures of geometric complexity of classical knots and links in Euclidean space. In their recent work, Freedman and Krushkal posed a question regarding lower bounds for embedding thickness of n –component links in terms of the Milnor linking numbers. The main goal of the current paper is to provide such estimates, and thus generalize the known linking number bound. In the process, we collect several facts about finite-type invariants and ropelength/crossing number of knots. We give examples of families of knots where such estimates behave better than the well-known knot–genus estimate.
Career Transitions and Trajectories: A Case Study in Computing

From artificial intelligence to network security to hardware design, it is well-known that computing research drives many important technological and societal advancements. However, less is known about the long-term career paths of the people behind these innovations. What do their careers reveal about the evolution of computing research? Which institutions were and are the most important in this field, and for what reasons? Can insights into computing career trajectories help predict employer retention? In this paper we analyze several decades of post-PhD computing careers using a large new dataset rich with professional information, and propose a versatile career network model, R 3 , that captures temporal career dynamics. With R 3 we track important organizations in computing research history, analyze career movement between industry, academia, and government, and build a powerful predictive model for individual career transitions. Our study, the first of its kind, is a starting point for understanding computing research careers, and may inform employer recruitment and retention mechanisms at a time when the demand for specialized computational expertise far exceeds supply.
The curious morphology and orientation of orion proplyd HST-10

HST-10 is one of the largest proplyds in the Orion Nebula and is located approximately 1' SE of the Trapezium. Unlike other proplyds in Orion, however, the long-axis of HST-10 does not align with θ{sup 1} C, but is instead aligned with the rotational axis of the HST-10 disk. This cannot be easily explained using current photoevaporation models. In this Letter, we present high spatial resolution near-infrared images of the Orion proplyd HST-10 using Keck/NIRC2 with the Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system, along with multi-epoch analysis of HH objects near HST-10 using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 and Advanced Camera for Surveys cameras. Our narrowband near-IR images resolve the proplyd ionization front (IF) and circumstellar disk down to 23 AU at the distance to Orion in Br γ, He I, H{sub 2}, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission. Br γ and He I emission primarily trace the IF (with the disk showing prominently in silhouette), while the H{sub 2} and PAH emission trace the surface of the disk itself. PAH emission also traces small dust grains within the proplyd envelope which is asymmetric and does not coincide with the IF. The curious morphology of the PAH emission may be due tomore » UV heating by both θ{sup 1} COri and θ{sup 2} AOri. Multi-epoch HST images of the HST-10 field show proper motion of three knots associated with HH 517, clearly indicating that HST-10 has a jet. We postulate that the orientation of HST-10 is determined by the combined ram pressure of this jet and the FUV-powered photo-ablation flow from the disk surface.« less
Predicting Clinical Outcome of Stroke Patients with Tractographic Feature

The volume of stroke lesion is the gold standard for predicting the clinical outcome of stroke patients. However, the presence of stroke lesion may cause neural disruptions to other brain regions, and these potentially damaged regions may affect the clinical outcome of stroke patients. In this paper, we introduce the tractographic feature to capture these potentially damaged regions and predict the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), which is a widely used outcome measure in stroke clinical trials. The tractographic feature is built from the stroke lesion and average connectome information from a group of normal subjects. The tractographic feature takes into account different functional regions that may be affected by the stroke, thus complementing the commonly used stroke volume features. The proposed tractographic feature is tested on a public stroke benchmark Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation 2017 and achieves higher accuracy than the stroke volume and the state-of-the-art feature on predicting the mRS grades of stroke patients. Also, the tractographic feature yields a lower average absolute error than the commonly used stroke volume feature.
Gamma Rays From Dark Matter Subhalos Revisited: Refining the Predictions and Constraints

Utilizing data from the ELVIS and Via Lactea-II simulations, we characterize the local dark matter subhalo population, and use this information to refine the predictions for the gamma-ray fluxes arising from annihilating dark matter in this class of objects. We find that the shapes of nearby subhalos are significantly altered by tidal effects, and are generally not well described by NFW density profiles, instead prefering power-law profiles with an exponential cutoff. From the subhalo candidates detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, we place limits on the dark matter annihilation cross section that are only modestly weaker than those based on observations of dwarf galaxies. We also calculate the fraction of observable subhalos that are predicted to be spatially extended at a level potentially discernible to Fermi.
Thermodynamics via inducing

We consider continuous maps $$f:X\rightarrow X$$ on compact metric spaces admitting inducing schemes of hyperbolic type introduced in Pesin et al. (Trans Amer Math Soc 368(12):8519–8552, 2016) as well as the induced maps $$\tilde{f}:\tilde{X}\rightarrow \tilde{X}$$ and the associated tower maps $$\hat{f}:\hat{X} \rightarrow \hat{X}$$ . For a certain class of potential functions $$\varphi $$ on X, which includes all Holder continuous functions, we establish thermodynamic formalism for each of the above three systems and we describe some relations between the corresponding equilibrium measures. Furthermore we study ergodic properties of these equilibrium measures including the Bernoulli property, decay of correlations, and the Central Limit Theorem. Finally, we prove analyticity of the pressure function for the three systems.
Where have all the Goldstone bosons gone

According to a commonly held view of spontaneously broken symmetry in gauge theories, troublesome Nambu–Goldstone bosons are effectively eliminated by turning into longitudinal modes of a massive vector meson. This note shows that, this is not in fact, a consistent view of the role of Nambu–Goldstone bosons in such theories. These particles necessarily appear as gauge excitations, whenever they are formulated in a manifestly covariant gauge. The radiation gauge provides therefore the dual advantage of circumventing the Goldstone theorem and making evident the disappearance of these particles from the physical spectrum.
Helioseismic Imaging of Fast Convective Flows Throughout the Near-Surface Shear Layer

Using a new implementation of ring-diagram helioseismology, we ascertain the strength and spatial scale of convective flows throughout the near-surface shear layer. Our ring-diagram technique employs highly overlapped analysis regions and an efficient method of three-dimensional inversion to measure convective motions with a resolution that ranges from 3 Mm at the surface to 80 Mm at the base of the layer. We find the rms horizontal flow speed to peak at 427 m s−1 at the photosphere and fall to a minimum of 124 m s−1 between 20 and 30 Mm. From the velocity amplitude and the dominant horizontal scales seen at each depth, we infer the level of rotational influence on convection to be low near the surface, but transition to a significant level at the base of the near-surface shear layer with a Rossby number varying between 2.2 to as low as 0.1.