Exact Algorithms for 0-1 Integer Programs with Linear Equality Constraints

In this paper, we show $O(1.415^n)$-time and $O(1.190^n)$-space exact algorithms for 0-1 integer programs where constraints are linear equalities and coefficients are arbitrary real numbers. Our algorithms are quadratically faster than exhaustive search and almost quadratically faster than an algorithm for an inequality version of the problem by Impagliazzo, Lovett, Paturi and Schneider (arXiv:1401.5512), which motivated our work. Rather than improving the time and space complexity, we advance to a simple direction as inclusion of many NP-hard problems in terms of exact exponential algorithms. Specifically, we extend our algorithms to linear optimization problems

Corporate Debt Restructuring and Public Financial Institutions in Japan -Do Government-Affiliated Financial Institutions Soften Budget Constraints?

There are two different views on the effects of public financial institutions on corporate debt restructuring : the soft budget view and the hard budget view. The former view, which is held by Kornai (1979, 1983), Dewatripont and Maskin (1995), and others insists that because centralized public financial institutions have difficulty committing themselves to refrain from providing additional funds to distressed firms, corporate reorganizations often result in overinvestment. On the other hand, the latter view argues that public financial institutions should prefer corporate liquidation rather than the continuation of business because public financial institutions are secured by mortgages to a greater extent and are more reluctant to forgive the debts than private financial institutions. In this paper, I have empirically examined the role and impact of public financial institutions, government-affiliated financial institutions in particular, from the viewpoints of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing and bankruptcy procedures for distressed firms. The conclusions of this paper are as follows. In the DIP financing, the Development Bank of Japan always takes the lead, followed by private financial institutions. Namely, so-called cowbell effect may exist, which is inconsistent with the hard budget view. Regarding the selection of bankruptcy procedures, firms that owed to government-affiliated financial institutions have a tendency to opt for private procedures which have the effect of delaying a drastic debt restructuring. This is consistent with the soft budget view.public financial institutions, bankruptcy procedures, debtor-in-possession financing

A method for accelerating projection-based magnetic particle imaging

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is an imaging method that can visualize magnetic nanoparticles in positive contrast, without radiation exposure. Recently, we proposed an image reconstruction method for projection-based MPI (pMPI), in which the system function was incorporated into the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique and the total variation minimization was used to suppress noise and artifacts. This study investigated the usefulness of our method for accelerating pMPI through simulation and phantom experiments with varying number of projections. The present results suggest that our method is useful for accelerating pMPI without deteriorating the image quality

Can You Hear Me?: How Implicit Bias Creates a Disparate Impact in Maternal Healthcare for Black Women

Black women die from childbirth at a disproportionately higher rate than white women. Despite knowing about this issue for years, medical professionals cannot attribute this disparity to a physical condition. Multiple studies show physicians’ implicit biases lead to poor patient care. Overall, Black women consistently report feeling silenced by their treating physicians—a feeling that has persisted since slavery. Stereotypes about Black women cloud physicians’ ability to provide adequate care. For those with Medicaid, the problems are even greater. Unfortunately for Black women and their families, creating a successful medical malpractice or wrongful death claim is nearly impossible. This is because Black women cannot overcome the reasonable person standard set by the medical profession. Thus, to ensure Black women are afforded the same right as other women—a healthy birthing experience—another remedy is necessary. This Comment explores those potential remedies