DISCRETE STOCHASTIC SEQUENTIAL PROGRAMMING: A PRIMER

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of discrete stochastic sequential programming and to illustrate the technique through a numerical example. The application of the technique to empirical problems involving decision making will be briefly discussed and an empirical application will be summarized.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

An Algebraic-Coding Equivalence to the Maximum Distance Separable Conjecture

We formulate an Algebraic-Coding Equivalence to the Maximum Distance Separable Conjecture. Specifically, we present novel proofs of the following equivalent statements. Let $(q,k)$ be a fixed pair of integers satisfying $q$ is a prime power and $2\leq k \leq q$. We denote by $\mathcal{P}_q$ the vector space of functions from a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ to itself, which can be represented as the space $\mathcal{P}_q := \mathbb{F}_q[x]/(x^q-x)$ of polynomial functions. We denote by $\mathcal{O}_n \subset \mathcal{P}_q$ the set of polynomials that are either the zero polynomial, or have at most $n$ distinct roots in $\mathbb{F}_q$. Given two subspaces $Y,Z$ of $\mathcal{P}_q$, we denote by $\langle Y,Z \rangle$ their span. We prove that the following are equivalent. [A] Suppose that either: 1. $q$ is odd 2. $q$ is even and $k \not\in \{3, q-1\}$. Then there do not exist distinct subspaces $Y$ and $Z$ of $\mathcal{P}_q$ such that: 3. $dim(\langle Y, Z \rangle) = k$ 4. $dim(Y) = dim(Z) = k-1$. 5. $\langle Y, Z \rangle \subset \mathcal{O}_{k-1}$ 6. $Y, Z \subset \mathcal{O}_{k-2}$ 7. $Y\cap Z \subset \mathcal{O}_{k-3}$. [B] Suppose $q$ is odd, or, if $q$ is even, $k \not\in \{3, q-1\}$. There is no integer $s$ with $q \geq s > k$ such that the Reed-Solomon code $\mathcal{R}$ over $\mathbb{F}_q$ of dimension $s$ can have $s-k+2$ columns $\mathcal{B} = \{b_1,\ldots,b_{s-k+2}\}$ added to it, such that: 8. Any $s \times s$ submatrix of $\mathcal{R} \cup \mathcal{B}$ containing the first $s-k$ columns of $\mathcal{B}$ is independent. 9. $\mathcal{B} \cup \{[0,0,\ldots,0,1]\}$ is independent. [C] The MDS conjecture is true for the given $(q,k)$.Comment: This is version: 5.6.18. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1611.0235

Enhancing continuous corn production in high residue conditions with N, P, and S starter fertilizer combinations and placements

Crop rotations in the Midwest have changed from the traditional corn-soybean rotation to more corn-intensive rotations. Due to the expanding demand for corn to supply the ethanol industry and the increasing insect and disease challenges facing soybean producers, some farmers are switching to a corn-corn-soybean rotation or for some, continuous corn. These rotations produce large amounts of biomass (corn stover) that often remain on the soil surface with present day tillage systems. This is good in terms of erosion control, but can be a significant problem from the standpoint of seedbed preparation, early corn growth, and yield

Evaluation of Contamination and Remediation Manvel Saltwater Disposal Site Brazoria County, Texas

The Manvel Saltwater Disposal (SWD) site (RRC Site No. 92-03-00003), which lies within the city limits of Manvel, Texas, in Brazoria County, was investigated by the Bureau of Economic Geology during a 5-month study from July through November 2015. The study included hydrogeological investigation, waste characterization, assessment of environmental impact, and evaluation of remediation options. Saltwater, drilling waste, and crude oil have been disposed of at the site. There have been several instances of pit overflow, levee rupture, or both, resulting in contamination of the surrounding area by saltwater and crude oil. There have been several public complaints to regulatory agencies, centered on the perceived threat to groundwater quality. The site lies in the outcrop of the Beaumont Formation, where the formation is sufficiently thick to be a local aquifer, containing freshwater with chlorinities of less than 100 mg/L. The Beaumont lies above and is hydrologically distinct from the main water-yielding part of the Chicot aquifer.Bureau of Economic Geolog

A test of the pioneer factor hypothesis using ectopic liver gene activation

The pioneer factor hypothesis (PFH) states that pioneer factors (PFs) are a subclass of transcription factors (TFs) that bind to and open inaccessible sites and then recruit non-pioneer factors (non-PFs) that activate batteries of silent genes. The PFH predicts that ectopic gene activation requires the sequential activity of qualitatively different TFs. We tested the PFH by expressing the endodermal PF FOXA1 and non-PF HNF4A in K562 lymphoblast cells. While co-expression of FOXA1 and HNF4A activated a burst of endoderm-specific gene expression, we found no evidence for a functional distinction between these two TFs. When expressed independently, both TFs bound and opened inaccessible sites, activated endodermal genes, and \u27pioneered\u27 for each other, although FOXA1 required fewer copies of its motif for binding. A subset of targets required both TFs, but the predominant mode of action at these targets did not conform to the sequential activity predicted by the PFH. From these results, we hypothesize an alternative to the PFH where \u27pioneer activity\u27 depends not on categorically different TFs but rather on the affinity of interaction between TF and DNA

Structures of the Neisseria meningitides methionine‐binding protein MetQ in substrate-free form and bound to L- and D-methionine isomers

The bacterial periplasmic methionine‐binding protein MetQ is involved in the import of methionine by the cognate MetNI methionine ABC transporter. The MetNIQ system is one of the few members of the ABC importer family that has been structurally characterized in multiple conformational states. Critical missing elements in the structural analysis of MetNIQ are the structure of the substrate‐free form of MetQ, and detailing how MetQ binds multiple methionine derivatives, including both L‐ and D‐methionine isomers. In this study, we report the structures of the Neisseria meningitides MetQ in substrate‐free form and in complexes with L‐methionine and with D‐methionine, along with the associated binding constants determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. Structures of the substrate‐free (N238A) and substrate‐bound N. meningitides MetQ are related by a “Venus‐fly trap” hinge‐type movement of the two domains accompanying methionine binding and dissociation. L‐methionine and D‐methionine bind to the same site on MetQ, and this study emphasizes the important role of asparagine 238 in ligand binding and affinity. A thermodynamic analysis demonstrates that ligand‐free MetQ associates with the ATP bound form of MetNI ~40 times more tightly than does liganded MetQ, consistent with the necessity of dissociating methionine from MetQ for transport to occur

Structures of the Neisseria meningitides methionine‐binding protein MetQ in substrate-free form and bound to L- and D-methionine isomers

The bacterial periplasmic methionine‐binding protein MetQ is involved in the import of methionine by the cognate MetNI methionine ABC transporter. The MetNIQ system is one of the few members of the ABC importer family that has been structurally characterized in multiple conformational states. Critical missing elements in the structural analysis of MetNIQ are the structure of the substrate‐free form of MetQ, and detailing how MetQ binds multiple methionine derivatives, including both L‐ and D‐methionine isomers. In this study, we report the structures of the Neisseria meningitides MetQ in substrate‐free form and in complexes with L‐methionine and with D‐methionine, along with the associated binding constants determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. Structures of the substrate‐free (N238A) and substrate‐bound N. meningitides MetQ are related by a “Venus‐fly trap” hinge‐type movement of the two domains accompanying methionine binding and dissociation. L‐methionine and D‐methionine bind to the same site on MetQ, and this study emphasizes the important role of asparagine 238 in ligand binding and affinity. A thermodynamic analysis demonstrates that ligand‐free MetQ associates with the ATP bound form of MetNI ~40 times more tightly than does liganded MetQ, consistent with the necessity of dissociating methionine from MetQ for transport to occur

Galaxy Peculiar Velocities From Large-Scale Supernova Surveys as a Dark Energy Probe

Upcoming imaging surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will repeatedly scan large areas of sky and have the potential to yield million-supernova catalogs. Type Ia supernovae are excellent standard candles and will provide distance measures that suffice to detect mean pairwise velocities of their host galaxies. We show that when combining these distance measures with photometric redshifts for either the supernovae or their host galaxies, the mean pairwise velocities of the host galaxies will provide a dark energy probe which is competitive with other widely discussed methods. Adding information from this test to type Ia supernova photometric luminosity distances from the same experiment, plus the cosmic microwave background power spectrum from the Planck satellite, improves the Dark Energy Task Force Figure of Merit by a factor of 1.8. Pairwise velocity measurements require no additional observational effort beyond that required to perform the traditional supernova luminosity distance test, but may provide complementary constraints on dark energy parameters and the nature of gravity. Incorporating additional spectroscopic redshift follow-up observations could provide important dark energy constraints from pairwise velocities alone. Mean pairwise velocities are much less sensitive to systematic redshift errors than the luminosity distance test or weak lensing techniques, and also are only mildly affected by systematic evolution of supernova luminosity.Comment: 18 pages; 4 figures; 4 tables; replaced to match the accepted versio