cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cointegration and Consumption Risks in Asset Returns

We argue that the cointegrating relation between dividends and consumption, a measure of long-run consumption risks, is a key determinant of risk premia at all investment horizons. As the investment horizon increases, transitory risks disappear, and the asset’s beta is dominated by long-run consumption risks. We show that the return betas, derived from the cointegration-based VAR (EC-VAR) model, successfully account for the cross-sectional variation in equity returns at both short and long horizons; however, this is not the case when the cointegrating restriction is ignored. Our evidence highlights the importance of cointegration-based long-run consumption risks for financial markets. (JEL G1, G12) How does the riskiness of equity returns change with investment horizon? We show that at long horizons, risks are dominated by long-run consumption risks in dividends, while at short horizons, additional price risks may also matter. The cointegrating relation between dividends and consumption (i.e., the longrun consumption beta of dividends) provides a measure of long-run risks in dividends. This cointegrating relation has important conceptual and empirical implications for measuring risks in asset returns at all horizons. Empirically, we document that consumption betas determined by the cointegrationbased vector-autoregression (EC-VAR) can account for the cross section of mean equity returns at both short and long horizons. This, however, is not the case when the cointegration restriction between consumption and dividends is ignored. Hence, our evidence highlights the economic importance of long-run
The Psychological Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with exposure and response prevention (ERP) methods is one of the great success stories within the field of mental health. Within the span of about 20 years, the prognosis for individuals with OCD has changed from poor to very good as a result of the development of ERP. This success not with-standing, the procedures are far from perfect because a substantial minority of patients still either refuse treatment, drop out prematurely, or fail to benefit. I begin this article with a review of the development of ERP from early animal research on avoidance learning conducted during the 1950s. Next, I discuss the mechanisms of ERP. The bulk of the article reviews the treatment-outcome literature on ERP for OCD and includes comparisons with cognitive therapy--the "new kid on the block" with respect to psychological treatments for OCD.
Towards supergravity duals of chiral symmetry breaking in Sasaki-Einstein cascading quiver theories

We construct a flrst order deformation of the complex structure of the cone over Sasaki-Einstein spaces Y p;q and check supersymmetry explicitly. This space is a central element in the holographic dual of chiral symmetry breaking for a large class of cascading quiver theories. We discuss a solution describing a stack of N D3 branes and M fractional D3 branes at the tip of the deformed spaces.
Ketyl-allene cyclizations promoted by samarium(II) iodide.

Samarium(II) iodide has proven to be an effective reagent for intramolecular reductive coupling reactions. Previous investigations of intramolecular ketyl−olefin coupling reactions provided carbocycles in excellent yield and good diastereoselectivity. This method has been extended to ketyl cyclizations with allenes. Substrates leading to both carbocycles and heterocycles in a selective manner are explored.
A new transfer device for the NRC Travelling Standard Program

This paper describes a computer controlled measurement system, which is now used as a transfer device for the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) Travelling Standard Program. The measurement system is based on two sampling voltmeters, custom built voltage and current input circuits, and a computer used for data acquisition and analysis. The new transfer device is used on-site with a stable AC source of voltage and current and a new 12-position pulse-frequency comparator to provide calibration and traceability for the revenue billing electrical quantities of the reference standards maintained by Canadian electrical utilities and electricity meter manufacturers. The accuracy of the measurement system is better than 30 parts in 10/sup 6/ for all the electrical quantities currently requiring traceability for revenue billing purposes. The repeatability of the new transfer device before and after an on-site calibration is generally better than 15 parts in 10/sup 6/.
SpiroZin1: A Reversible and pH-Insensitive, Reaction-based, Red-fluorescent Probe for Imaging Biological Mobile Zinc

A reversible, reaction-based sensor for biological mobile zinc was designed, prepared, and characterized. The sensing mechanism of this probe is based on the zinc-induced, ring-opening reaction of spirobenzopyran to give a cyanine fluorophore that emits in the deep-red region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This probe is not activated by protons and operates efficiently in aqueous solution at pH 7 and high ionic strength. The mechanism of this reaction was studied by using a combination of kinetics experiments and DFT calculations. The biocompatibility of the probe was demonstrated in live HeLa cells.
Charge effects on gravitational wave detectors

We show that the mean-square displacement of a charged oscillator due to the zero point oscillations of the radiation field is unique in the sense that it is very sensitive to the value of the bare mass of the charge. Thus, a controlled experiment using gravitational wave detectors could lead to a determination of the electron bare mass and shed some light on quantum electrodynamic theory. We also speculate that the irregular signals of non-gravitational origin often observed in gravitational wave bar detectors could be caused by stray charges and that such charges could also adversely affect LIGO and other such detectors.  2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Supersymmetry in Nuclei

Most applications of supersymmetry ideas deal with problems in elementary particle and gravitational physics1. Several of these applications have been discussed at this Conference. In my talk, I will discuss some applications of supersymmetry ideas to nuclear physics. In particular, I will show that experimental examples of supersymmetry appear to have been found in the spectra of complex nuclei. The supersymmetries encountered in nuclei link together collective and single particle excitations. They are based on an algebraic approach to nuclear spectra in which the collective excitations are treated as a system of interacting bosons. When treated alone the collective excitations have three possible dynamical symmetries, all of which have been found experimentally. These symmetries are of the ordinary type, since the corresponding symmetry operations transform bosons into bosons. If the single particle excitations are added, one is led to consider a system of interacting bosons and fermions. The symmetries of this system are of the super (or graded) type, since the corresponding symmetry operations contain terms which transform bosons into fermions and viceversa.
Segregatory Coordination and Ellipsis in Text Generation

In this paper, we provide an account of how to generate sentences with coordination constructions from clause-sized semantic representations. An algorithm is developed and various examples from linguistic literature will be used to demonstrate that the algorithm does its job well.
Experiments on Ge-GaAs heterojunctions

The electrical characteristics of Ge-GaAs heterojunctions, made by depositing Ge epitaxially on GaAs substrates, are described. I—V and electro-optical characteristics are consistent with a model in which the conduction- and valence-band edges at the interface are discontinuous. The forbidden band in heavily doped (n-type) germanium appears to shift to lower energy values.
Value of ICD-9-Coded Chief Complaints for Detection of Epidemics.

To assess the value of ICD-9-coded chief complaints for early detection of epidemics, we measured sensitivity, positive predictive value, and timeliness of Influenza detection using a respiratory set (RS) of ICD-9 codes and an Influenza set (IS). We also measured inherent timeliness of these data using the cross-correlation function. We found that, for a one-year period, the detectors had sensitivity of 100% (1/1 epidemic) and positive predictive values of 50% (1/2) for RS and 25% (1/4) for IS. The timeliness of detection using ICD-9-coded chief complaints was one week earlier than the detection using Pneumonia and Influenza deaths (the gold standard). The inherent timeliness of ICD-9 data measured by the cross-correlation function was two weeks earlier than the gold standard.
Percolation Phenomena in Low and High Density Systems

We consider the 2D quenched–disordered q–state Potts ferromagnets and show that in the translation invariant measure, averaged over the disorder, at self–dual points any amalgamation of q−1 species will fail to percolate despite an overall (high) density of 1−q −1. Further, in the dilute bond version of these systems, if the system is just above threshold, then throughout the low temperature phase there is percolation of a single species despite a correspondingly small density. Finally, we demonstrate both phenomena in a single model by considering a “perturbation” of the dilute model that has a self–dual point. We also demonstrate that these phenomena occur, by a similar mechanism, in a simple coloring model invented by O. Haggstrom.
A baseband recorder for radio pulsar observations

ABSTRA C T Digital signal recorders are becoming widely used in several subfields of centimetrewavelength radio astronomy. We review the benefits and design considerations of such systems and describe the Princeton Mark IV instrument, an implementation designed for coherent-dedispersion pulsar observations. Features of this instrument include corrections for the distortions caused by coarse quantization of the incoming signal, as well as algorithms that effectively excise both narrow-band and broad-band radio frequency interference. Observations at 430 MHz, using the Mark IV system in parallel with a system using a 250-kHz filter bank and incoherent dedispersion, demonstrated timing precision improvement by a factor of 3 or better for typical millisecond pulsars.
Impact ice stresses in rotating airfoils

Finite element analysis is used to study the tensile and shear stresses at the interface between impact ice adhering to a rotating airfoil and the metal airfoil surface. A simple rotating beam-ice structure is used to obtain basic understanding of stress distribution in the ice. Calculations show that shear stresses increase linearly with ice thickness and tensile stresses tend to zero for a fully bonded surface. When shear stresses exceed the ultimate strength, adhesive failure occurs and tensile stresses are developed in the unbonded ice, resulting in tensile failure of the impact ice. A second model is used to study the OH-58 tail rotor with a measured ice profile. Ice shedding predictions are compared to the resulting data using a statistical structural analysis.
Trianionic pincer and pincer-type metal complexes and catalysts

Trianionic pincer and pincer-type ligands are the focus of this review. Metal ions from across the periodic table, from main group elements, transition metals, and the rare earths, are combined with trianionic pincer ligands to produce some of the most interesting complexes to appear in the literature over the past decade. This review provides a comprehensive examination of the synthesis, characterization, properties, and catalytic applications of trianionic pincer metal complexes. Some of the interesting applications employing trianionic pincer and pincer-type complexes include: (1) catalyzed aerobic oxidation, (2) alkene isomerization, (3) alkene and alkyne polymerization, (4) nitrene and carbene group transfer, (5) fundamental transformations such as oxygen-atom transfer, (6) nitrogen-atom transfer, (7) O2 activation, (8) C–H bond activation, (9) disulfide reduction, and (10) ligand centered storage of redox equivalents (i.e. redox active ligands). Expansion of the architecture, type of donor atoms, chelate ring size, and steric and electronic properties of trianionic pincer ligands has occurred rapidly over the past ten years. This review is structured according to the type of pincer donor atoms that bind to the metal ion. The type of donor atoms within trianionic pincer and pincer-type ligands to be discussed include: NCN3−, OCO3−, CCC3−, redox active NNN3−, NNN3−, redox active ONO3−, ONO3−, and SNS3−. Since this is the first review of trianionic pincer and pincer-type ligands, an emphasis is placed on providing the reader with in-depth discussion of synthetic methods, characterization data, and highlights of these complexes as catalysts.
Convex cocompact subgroups of mapping class groups

We develop a theory of convex cocompact subgroups of the mapping class group MCG of a closed, oriented surface S of genus at least 2, in terms of the action on Teichmuller space. Given a subgroup G of MCG defining an extension 1 → π 1 (S) → T G → G → 1, we prove that if Γ G is a word hyperbolic group then G is a convex cocompact subgroup of MCG. When G is free and convex cocompact, called a Schottky subgroup of MCG, the converse is true as well; a semidirect product of π 1 (S) by a free group G is therefore word hyperbolic if and only if G is a Schottky subgroup of MCG. The special case when G = Z follows from Thurston's hyperbolization theorem. Schottky subgroups exist in abundance: sufficiently high powers of any independent set of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes freely generate a Schottky subgroup.
An Assessment of the Collective Efforts of Clinical Trials to Provide Evidence-based Practice Guidelines in Cancer Care

Materials/Methods: The NCCN Breast Outcomes Database was used to identify women 70 and over with T1, cN0, hormone receptor positive breast cancers from 2000-2009 receiving care at 13 participating NCCN cancer centers. Factors considered to be potentially associated with use of RT a priori were evaluated in univariate and multivariable models, including year of diagnosis, tumor size, grade, histology, multicentric/ multifocal disease, Her2neu status, triggering event, patient age, race/ ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), Charlson/Katz co-morbidity score, type of biopsy, use of axillary surgery, and treating institution. Date of diagnosis was classified as 2000-2004 versus 2005-2009, reflecting the date of guideline change. Results: One thousand, five hundred forty-three women met study criteria; overall 1292 women (84%) had BCS. Among these, 1,005 (78%) received adjuvant breast RT; standard whole breast RT technique was used in 98.5%. ET without or with chemotherapy was used in 83% of all women. In a multivariable analysis, diagnosis year prior to 2005 (p Z 0.0003), younger age (p < 0.0001), lower co-morbidity score (p Z 0.0006), and larger tumor sizes (p Z 0.0146) were all significant predictors of use of RT. For example, 94% of women ages 70-74 received RT in 2000, compared with 88% in 2009; for the same time intervals in the 80 or above age group, usage was 80% versus 38%. Women who had axillary surgery as well were significantly more likely to receive RT (p < 0.0001). In addition, treating institution was a statistically significant factor associated with use of RT (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Following the change in the NCCN guideline recommendations for elderly women with Stage I, estrogen receptor positive BC, the use of RT with BCS decreased over time in NCCN centers; however most women still received RT. Patient characteristics such as age and comorbidity impacted the use of RT. In addition, a key factor significantly affecting treatment use of RT was the institution where a woman received her treatment. Author Disclosure: B. McCormick: K. Stock; Varian. R. Ottesen: None. M. Hughes: None. S. Javid: None. S. Khan: None. J. Mortimer: None. J. Niland: None. J. Weeks: None. S. Edge: None.
State Models and the Jones Polynomial

IN THIS PAPER I construct a state model for the (original) Jones polynomial [5]. (In [6] a state model was constructed for the Conway polynomial.) As we shall see, this model for the Jones polynomial arises as a normalization of a regular isotopy invariant of unoriented knots and links, called here the bracket polynomial, and denoted 〈K〉 for a link projectionK . The concept of regular isotopy will be explained below. The bracket polynomial has a very simple state model. In §2 (Theorem 2.10) I use the bracket polynomial to prove (via Proposition 2.9 and an observation of Kunio Murasugi) that the number of crossings in a connected, reduced alternating projection of a link L is a topological invariant of L. (A projection is reduced if it has no isthmus in the sense of Fig. 5.) In other words, any two connected, reduced alternating projections of the link L have the same number of crossings. This is a remarkable application of our technique. It solves affirmatively a conjecture going back to the knot tabulations of Tait, Kirkman and Little over a century ago (see [6], [9], [10]). Along with this application to alternating links, we also use the bracket polynomial to obtain a necessary condition for an alternating reduced link diagram to be ambient isotopic to its mirror image (Theorem 3.1). One consequence of this theorem is that a reduced alternating diagram with twist number greater than or equal to one-third the number of crossings is necessarily chiral. The paper is organized as follows. In §2 the bracket polynomial is developed, and its relationship with the Jones polynomial is explained. This provides a self-contained introduction to the Jones polynomial and to our techniques. The last part of §2 contains the applications to alternating knots, and to bounds on the minimal and maximal degrees of the polynomial. §3 contains the results about chirality of alternating knots. §4 discusses the structure of our state model in the case of braids. Here the states have an algebraic structure related to Jones’s representation of the braid group into a Von Neumann Algebra.
The virtues and vices of equilibrium and the future of financial economics

The use of equilibrium models in economics springs from the desire for parsimonious models of economic phenomena that take human reasoning into account. This approach has been the cornerstone of modern economic theory. We explain why this is so, extolling the virtues of equilibrium theory; then we present a critique and describe why this approach is inherently limited, and why economics needs to move in new directions if it is to continue to make progress. We stress that this shouldn't be a question of dogma, and should be resolved empirically. There are situations where equilibrium models provide useful predictions and there are situations where they can never provide useful predictions. There are also many situations where the jury is still out, i.e., where so far they fail to provide a good description of the world, but where proper extensions might change this. Our goal is to convince the skeptics that equilibrium models can be useful, but also to make traditional economists more aware of the limitations of equilibrium models. We sketch some alternative approaches and discuss why they should play an important role in future research in economics. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2009
The Potential Impact of Tax Reform on Farm Businesses and Rural Households

Several proposals calling for fundamental reform of the Federal income tax system have been put forth, including a report by the co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility. The primary elements of reform — eliminating tax preferences, restructuring capital gains and dividend tax rates, lowering rates on individual income, and reducing the number of tax brackets — could have a significant impact on the after-tax income and well-being of both farm businesses and rural households. This report uses published and special tabulation data obtained from the Internal Revenue Service, farm-level data from USDA’s Agricultural Resource Management Survey, and data from the American Housing Survey to examine the current tax situation for farm households and to evaluate the importance of various Federal income tax policies. For farm households, the effect of reform will primarily depend upon changes to existing treatment of investment and business income, including several important business deductions. In contrast, changes to existing individual tax credits, especially refundable tax credits, will likely be of greater significance to nonfarm rural households.
Pd(OAc)(2)-catalyzed Domino reactions of 1-chloro-2-haloarenes and 2-haloaryl tosylates with hindered Grignard reagents via palladium-associated arynes.

The palladium-associated aryne generation strategy and Pd(OAc)2-catalyzed annulative Domino reactions of 1-chloro-2-halobenzenes and 2-haloaryl tosylates with hindered Grignard reagents via palladium-associated arynes are described. The palladium-associated aryne generation strategy described here not only allows the high yield, one-step access to potentially useful substituted fluorenes from readily available 1-chloro-2-halobenzenes and 2-haloaryl tosylates, but may also lead to the development of other tandem reactions based on these readily available ortho leaving group bearing haloarenes
Lewis base-catalyzed additions of alkynes using trialkoxysilylalkynes.

The Lewis base-catalyzed additions of alkynyl nucleophiles to aldehydes, ketones, and imines is described. Mechanistic studies strongly indicate that the use of new triethoxysilylalkynes facilitates access of a reactive hypervalent silicate intermediate. This activated carbon nucleophile subsequently undergoes rapid addition to carbonyl compounds and imines, thus affording the secondary and tertiary propargyl systems in moderate to high yield.
Isolating the Symbolic Implications of Employee Mobility: Price Increases after Hiring Winemakers from Prominent Wineries

When a firm hires a skilled employee from a prominent competitor, an indirect affiliation between the two firms is created. Recent orga-nizational research indicates that such affilia-tions may influence the hiring firm’s prices, both substantively and symbolically (e.g., Joel M. Podolny 2001Substantively, product quality ). may be enhanced by the human capital the new employee transfers from their prior employer. If so, then the hiring firm’s prices should increase. Symbolically, because the prior employer was a prominent competitor, the move signals to con-sumers that the hiring firm’s quality may be bet-ter than previously believed. Accordingly, prices should increase.These substantive and symbolic effects are dif-ficult to disentangle empirically. Consequently, their independent effects are more theoretically advanced than empirically supported.We leverage an idiosyncratic feature of wine markets to isolate the substance from symbol in the hiring of skilled winemakers. Because wines are aged before they are released, evaluated, and priced, new winemakers start work as wines made by their predecessors enter the market. Assuming that winemakers exert little influence on the quality of wines that are already in the cellar (an assumption we validate empirically), then post-hire pricing effects are primarily, if not purely, symbolic. As such, once we control for the propensity of wineries to hire new winemak-ers, we isolate signaling (i.e., symbolic) from human capital effects on wine prices following hiring events.
Do management earnings forecasts incorporate information in accruals

Abstract I investigate whether management earnings forecasts fully reflect the implications of accruals for future earnings. I find that managers overestimate accrual persistence in range forecasts but not in point forecasts and that managers’ accrual-related forecast bias in range forecasts increases with forecast range and forecast horizon. My results suggest that managers overestimate accrual persistence when faced with greater difficulty forecasting earnings. Moreover, I find that managers’ accrual-related forecast bias in range forecasts is somewhat affected by managerial opportunism and fear of litigation. Finally, I find accrual mispricing for firms issuing range forecasts but not for firms issuing point forecasts.
Synchronization of hypernetworks of coupled dynamical systems

We consider the synchronization of coupled dynamical systems when different types of interactions are simultaneously present. We assume that a set of dynamical systems is coupled through the connections of two or more distinct networks (each of which corresponds to a distinct type of interaction), and we refer to such a system as a dynamical hypernetwork. Applications include neural networks made up of both electrical gap junctions and chemical synapses, the coordinated motion of shoals of fish communicating through both vision and flow sensing, and hypernetworks of coupled chaotic oscillators. We first analyze the case of a hypernetwork made up of m = 2 networks. We look for the necessary and sufficient conditions for synchronization. We attempt to reduce the linear stability problem to a master stability function (MSF) form, i.e. decoupling the effects of the coupling functions from the structure of the networks. Unfortunately, we are unable to obtain a reduction in an MSF form for the general case. However, we show that such a reduction is possible in three cases of interest: (i) the Laplacian matrices associated with the two networks commute; (ii) one of the two networks is unweighted and fully connected; and (iii) one of the two networks is such that the coupling strength from node i to node j is a function of j but not of i. Furthermore, we define a class of networks such that if either one of the two coupling networks belongs to this class, the reduction can be obtained independently of the other network. As an example of interest, we study synchronization of a neural hypernetwork for which the connections can be either chemical synapses or electrical gap junctions. We propose a generalization of our stability results to the case of hypernetworks formed of m ≥ 2 networks.
Towards a flexible deployment of business rules

Abstract Business rules give rise to an important set of requirements on any system being developed or procured for an enterprise. While most of the work done in this area focuses on identifying and documenting business rules, we have proposed a methodology that addresses several aspects of the business rules lifecycle: acquisition, deployment and evolution. The methodology assumes that business rules are expressed in terms of business concepts and corporate knowledge that are captured in a high level architecture. The architecture proposed consists of three interconnected components: the enterprise model, the business rules model and the decision support model. This approach permits a greater variety of rules to be specified while providing an opportunity to automate the production of deployable business rules. The ability to deal with the inconsistent and ambiguous rules is crucial in capturing the conflicting requirements placed on the operation of any large scale enterprise. This paper presents a flexible deployment of business rules, which not only supports decision making in the face of conflicting requirements, but also the evolution of those requirements in the face of changing regulatory environments, competitive markets and corporate goals.
Monodromy eigenvalue assignment in linear periodic systems

This note addresses the problem of assigning the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix of a linear continuous-time periodic system by periodic state feedback. A controllability criterion is given which slightly strengthens known results. An explicit expression for a periodic feedback gain which performs the pole assignment is given. When the system is controllable over one period, the whole monodromy matrix is assignable by periodic feedback. An example is given.
The selective extra stage butterfly

Multistage interconnection networks (MINs) have been used extensively as communication networks in parallel machines due to their high bandwidth, low diameter and constant degree switches. The fault-tolerance of multistage networks can be improved by simply adding extra stages to the network. A novel method of attaching the extra stages in MINs so that they are used in the absence of faults but not necessarily by all messages is suggested. Messages can adaptively select the shortest path to their destination or use one of the longer paths going through the extra stages. Performance results for the method (obtained through simulation), using various traffic loads both in the presence and absence of faults, are presented. >
Recent Advances in the Syntheses and Applications of Molybdenum and Tungsten Alkylidene and Alkylidyne Catalysts for the Metathesis of Alkenes and Alkynes

The last several years have produced some key advances in the area of alkene and alkyne metathesis by high oxidation state alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes along with new applications in organic and polymer chemistry. In this review we cover some of these developments and applications. The first part of this review concerns developments in catalyst synthesis and new catalysts. The second part concerns notable applications in organic and polymer chemistry. We discuss only high oxidation state alkylidene and alkylidyne chemistry of relevance to alkene or alkyne metathesis reactions and favor studies in the homogeneous phase.
SP5: Improving Protein Fold Recognition by Using Torsion Angle Profiles and Profile-Based Gap Penalty Model

How to recognize the structural fold of a protein is one of the challenges in protein structure prediction. We have developed a series of single (non-consensus) methods (SPARKS, SP 2 ,S P 3 ,S P 4 ) that are based on weighted matching of two to four sequence and structure-based profiles. There is a robust improvement of the accuracy and sensitivity of fold recognition as the number of matching profiles increases. Here, we introduce a new profile-profile comparison term based on real-value dihedral torsion angles. Together with updated real-value solvent accessibility profile and a new variable gap-penalty model based on fractional power of insertion/deletion profiles, the new method (SP 5 ) leads to a robust improvement over previous SP method. There is a 2% absolute increase (5% relative improvement) in alignment accuracy over SP 4 based on two independent benchmarks. Moreover, SP 5 makes 7% absolute increase (22% relative improvement) in success rate of recognizing correct structural folds, and 32% relative improvement in model accuracy of models within the same fold in Lindahl benchmark. In addition, modeling accuracy of top-1 ranked models is improved by 12% over SP 4 for the difficult targets in CASP 7 test set. These results highlight the importance of harnessing predicted structural properties in challenging remote-homolog recognition. The SP 5 server is available at http://sparks.informatics.iupui.edu.
A pyrimidine-like nickel(II) DNA base pair

4-(2'-Pyridyl)-pyrimidinone deoxyriboside is synthesized and characterized as a DNA metallo base-pair; this novel nucleoside forms a self-pair in the presence of Ni(II) and stabilizes double helical DNA to the same extent as a G.C pair.
Synthesis and crystal structure of 4-amino-3-fluorophenylboronic acid

Amino-3-fluorophenyl boronic acid has been synthesized from 4-bromo-2-fluoroaniline by protecting the amine group and then carrying out a lithium-bromine exchange, followed by addition of trimethyl borate and then acidic hydrolysis. We obtained a 47% yield. We also measured the X-ray crystal structure. This derivative has a relatively low boronic acid pKa value of 7.8 when acetylated or attached to acrylamide hydrogels. It also contains a pendant amine which facilitates attachment to polymers, for example. We are using this compound to construct glucose sensing materials that operates at the physiological pH of bodily fluids. © 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd. There is a continuing interest in the synthesis of new boronic acid derivatives. This interest stems from the importance of boronic acids in the synthesis of biologi- cally active compounds, and the use of boronic acids themselves as pharmaceutical agents. In the area of synthetic chemistry, boronic acids have been widely used in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions, 1 Petasis reac- tion, 2 asymmetric synthesis of amino acids, 3 Diels- Alder reactions, 4 protection of diols, 5 selective reduction of aldehydes, 6 carboxylic acid activation, 7,8 and as reagents and starting materials in organic synthesis. 9
4-D Cardiac MR Image Analysis: Left and Right Ventricular Morphology and Function

In this study, a combination of active shape model (ASM) and active appearance model (AAM) was used to segment the left and right ventricles of normal and Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) hearts on 4-D (3-D+time) MR images. For each ventricle, a 4-D model was first used to achieve robust preliminary segmentation on all cardiac phases simultaneously and a 3-D model was then applied to each phase to improve local accuracy while maintaining the overall robustness of the 4-D segmentation. On 25 normal and 25 TOF hearts, in comparison to the expert traced independent standard, our comprehensive performance assessment showed subvoxel segmentation accuracy, high overlap ratios, good ventricular volume correlations, and small percent volume differences. Following 4-D segmentation, novel quantitative shape and motion features were extracted using shape information, volume-time and dV/dt curves, analyzed and used for disease status classification. Automated discrimination between normal/TOF subjects achieved 90%-100% sensitivity and specificity. The features obtained from TOF hearts show higher variability compared to normal subjects, suggesting their potential use as disease progression indicators. The abnormal shape and motion variations of the TOF hearts were accurately captured by both the segmentation and feature characterization.
Forest structure estimation and pattern exploration from discrete-return lidar in subalpine forests of the central Rockies

This study evaluates the relative ability of simple light detection and ranging (lidar) indices (i.e., mean and maximum heights) and statistically derived canonical correlation analysis (CCA) variables attained from discrete-return li- dar to estimate forest structure and forest biomass variables for three temperate subalpine forest sites. Both lidar and CCA explanatory variables performed well with lidar models having slightly higher explained variance and lower root mean square error. Adjusted R 2 values were 0.93 and 0.93 for mean height, 0.74 and 0.73 for leaf area index, and 0.93 and 0.85 for all carbon in live biomass for the lidar and CCA explanatory regression models, respectively. The CCA results indicate that the primary source of variability in canopy structure is related to forest height, biomass, and total leaf area, and the second most important source of variability is related to the amount of midstory foliage and tree density. When stand age is graphed as a function of individual plot scores for canonicals one and two, there is a clear relationship with stand age and the development of stand structure. Lidar-derived biomass and related estimates developed in this work will be used to parameterize decision-support tools for analysis of carbon cycle impacts as part of the North American Carbon Pro- gram. Resume´ : Cette etude evalue la capaciterelative d'indices simples obtenus avec le lidar («light detection and ranging»)
Dissatisfied with Decentralisation: Explaining Citizens' Evaluations of Poland's 1999 Health Care Reforms

Decentralisation of public policy from national to sub-national governments occurs in 80% of developing and transitioning economies worldwide (Manor, 1999), and is advocated by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and European Union. Proponents argue that decentralisation disperses political power, involves citizens in the political process, and allows sub- national officials to craft efficient policies. After suffering under centralised state policymaking (1945-1989), citizens of Central and Eastern Europe should be avid supporters of decentralisation. Yet 80% of the Polish populace was dissatisfied with decentralisation of health care services by 2000. This article uses public opinion, interview, and elite survey data to examine the critical case of Poland's 1999 health decentralisation, answering two questions about public opinion on decentralisation. First, why were Polish citizens displeased with decentralisation? Second, what factors make or break public evaluations of decentralisation? The article demonstrates that Poles were more dissatisfied with their health care during health decentralisation (1999-2001) than when it was centralised (1994-1998, and 2002-2007). Aggregate public opinion data suggests support for decentralisation dwindles when it becomes synonymous with offloading state responsibilities to private citizens. However, surveys of health care consumers, providers, and administrators in four Polish provinces show the important role political parties play in managing expectations and support for decentralisation.
Elucidation of residue-level structure and dynamics of polypeptides via isotope-edited infrared spectroscopy.

Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing the structure of proteins and peptides. The amide I band is particularly sensitive to the strength and position of the hydrogen bonds that define secondary structure as well as dipole−dipole interactions that are affected by the geometry of the peptide backbone. The introduction of a single 13C-labeled carbonyl into a peptide backbone results in a resolvable shoulder to the main amide I band, which can be analyzed as a separate peak. Thus, site-specific structural information can be obtained by sequential, systematic labeling of the backbone. This method of isotope-edited infrared spectroscopy is a tool for obtaining medium-resolution information about the backbone confromation and dynamics. This tool has been used to dissect the conformation and dynamics of α helices and amyloid aggregates, where the versatility of possible sampling with infrared spectroscopy is well-suited for studies of large-protein aggregates.
An Accretion-Jet Model for Black Hole Binaries: Interpreting the Spectral and Timing Features of XTE J1118+480

Multiwavelength observations of the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1118+480 have offered abundant spectral and timing information about the source and have thus provided serious challenges to theoretical models. We propose a coupled accretion-jet model to interpret the observations. We model the accretion flow as an outer standard thin accretion disk truncated at a transition radius by an inner hot accretion flow. The accretion flow accounts for the observed UVand X-ray emission, but it substantially underpredicts the radio and infrared fluxes, even after we allow for nonthermal electrons in the hot flow. We attribute the latter components to a jet. We model the jet emission by means of the internal shock scenario, which is widely employed for gamma-ray bursts. In our accretion-jet model of XTE J1118+480, the jet dominates the radio and infrared emission, the thin disk dominates the UV emission, and the hot flow produces most of the X-ray emission. The optical emission has contributions from all three components: jet, thin disk, and hot flow. The model qualitatively accounts for timing features, such as the intriguing positive and negative time lags between the optical and X-ray emission and the wavelengthdependent variability amplitude. Subject headingg accretion, accretion disks — black hole physics — ISM: jets and outflows — stars: individual (XTE J1118+480) — X-rays: stars
International Escalation and the Dollar Auction

Two players bid for a dollar on the condition that both the loser and the winner must pay the bids, although only the winner will receive the dollar. Collusion or threats are excluded; bids must be in units of nickels; and a player does not bid in a situation in which bidding and not bidding would lead to the same payoff. We derive a formula for the players' rational strategies, which implies, for example, that when both have $2.50 available, the first bidder should open by bidding $.60 and the other should remain silent. The fact that rational players would not bid against each other shows that unlike the Prisoners' Dilemma, the dollar auction is not innately a trap, but exploits some irrationality in the bidders' behavior. The dollar auction resembles international escalation in that the governments in conflict commit resources that will not be returned. Some points of difference in the two situations are listed and discussed.
The density and peculiar velocity fields of nearby galaxies

Abstract We review the quantitative science that can be and has been done with redshift and peculiar velocity surveys of galaxies in the nearby universe. After a brief background setting the cosmological context for this work, the first part of this review focuses on redshift surveys. The practical issues of how redshift surveys are carried out, and how one turns a distribution of galaxies into a smoothed density field, are discussed. Then follows a description of major redshift surveys that have been done, and the local cosmography out to 8,000 km s−1 that they have mapped. We then discuss in some detail the various quantitative cosmological tests that can be carried out with redshift data. The second half of this review concentrates on peculiar velocity studies, beginning with a thorough review of existing techniques. After discussing the various biases which plague peculiar velocity work, we survey quantitative analyses done with peculiar velocity surveys alone, and finally with the combination of data from both redshift and peculiar velocity surveys. The data presented rule out the standard Cold Dark Matter model, although several variants of Cold Dark Matter with more power on large scales fare better. All the data are consistent with the hypothesis that the initial density field had a Gaussian distribution, although one cannot rule out broad classes of non-Gaussian models. Comparison of the peculiar velocity and density fields constrains the Cosmological Density Parameter. The results here are consistent with a flat universe with mild biasing of the galaxies relative to dark matter, although open universe models are by no means ruled out.
Accurate computation of the radiation from simple antennas using the finite-difference time-domain method

Two antennas are considered, a cylindrical monopole and a conical monopole. Both are driven through an image plane from a coaxial transmission line. Each of these antennas corresponds to a well-posed theoretical electromagnetic boundary value problem and a realizable experimental model. These antennas are analyzed by a straightforward application of the finite-difference-time-domain (FD-TD) method. The computed results for these antennas are shown to be in excellent agreement with accurate experimental measurements for both the time domain and the frequency domain. The graphical displays presented for the transient near-zone and far-zone radiation from these antennas provide physical insight into the radiation process. >
Direct approach to the problem of strong local minima in calculus of variations

The paper introduces a general strategy for identifying strong local minimizers of variational functionals. It is based on the idea that any variation of the integral functional can be evaluated directly in terms of the appropriate parameterized measures. We demonstrate our approach on a problem of W 1,∞ sequential weak-* local minima — a slight weakening of the classical notion of strong local minima. We obtain the first quasiconvexity-based set of sufficient conditions for W 1,∞ sequential weak-* local minima.
A HIGH-FREQUENCY DOPPLER FEATURE IN THE POWER SPECTRA OF SIMULATED GRMHD BLACK HOLE ACCRETION DISKS

Black hole binaries exhibit a wide range of variability phenomena, from large-scale state changes to broadband noise and quasi-periodic oscillations, but the physical nature of much of this variability is poorly understood. We examine the variability properties of three GRMHD simulations of thin accretion disks around black holes of varying spin, producing light curves and power spectra as would be seen by observers. We find that the simulated power spectra show a broad feature at high frequency, which increases in amplitude with the inclination of the observer. We show that this high-frequency feature is a product of the Doppler effect and that its location is a function of the mass and spin of the black hole. This Doppler feature demonstrates that power spectral properties of the accretion disk can be tied to, and potentially used to determine, physical properties of the black hole.
A fidelity measure for quantum channels

We propose a fidelity measure for quantum channels in a straightforward analogy to the corresponding mixed-state fidelity of Jozsa. We describe properties of this fidelity measure and discuss some applications of it to quantum information science.  2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Advertising's Role in Capitalist Markets: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

Advertising is a rich, multidimensional phenomenon that has been studied in several disciplines. This research has led to an emerging body of findings and some potential generalizations. Even then, misconceptions about advertising persist, and important aspects of the phenomenon have not been adequately researched. Despite advertising's apparent weakness it is essential for free markets.
Lattices and codes with long shadows

In an earlier paper (math.NT/9906019) we showed that any integral unimodular lattice L of rank n which is not isometric with Z^n has a characteristic vector of norm at most n-8. [A "characteristic vector" of L is a vector w in L such that 2|(v,w-v) for all v in L; it is known that the characteristic vectors all have norm congruent to n mod 8 and comprise a coset of 2L in L.] Here we use modular forms and the classification of unimodular lattices of rank <24 to find all L whose minimal characteristic vectors have norm n-8. Along the way we also obtain congruences and a lower bound on the kissing number of unimodular lattices with minimal norm 2. We then state and prove analogues of these results for self-dual codes, and relate them directly to the lattice problems via "Construction A".
Democracy and Productivity: The Glass-Steagall Act and the Shifting Discourse of Financial Regulation

Regulatory reforms are not only the product of policy innovations; they are also shaped by the particular narratives, discourses, and arguments advanced in favor of or against reform. This paper examines the discourse of banking reform around the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. The debate around the Act exemplifies a key shift in discourses of financial regulatory reform, away from a previous era emphasizing the need to make concentrations of economic and political power democratically accountable, towards a new discourse grounding regulatory reform in the need to promote productive economic activity by preventing conflicts of interest and excess speculation. This discursive shift in turn has implications for the political viability of continuing efforts to achieve financial regulatory reform. Full paper available upon publication.
A Semantic Framework for Designer Transactions

A transaction defines a locus of computation that satisfies important concurrency and failure properties; these so-called ACID properties provide strong serialization guarantees that allow us to reason about concurrent and distributed programs in terms of higher-level units of computation (e.g., transactions) rather than lower-level data structures (e.g., mutual-exclusion locks). This paper presents a framework for specifying the semantics of a transactional facility integrated within a host programming language. The TFJ calculus supports nested and multi-threaded transactions. We give a semantics to TFJ that is parameterized by the definition of the transactional mechanism that permits the study of different transaction models.