Morphometric approach to many-body correlations in hard spheres

We model the thermodynamics of local structures within the hard sphere liquid at arbitrary volume fractions through the \textit{morphometric} calculation of $n$-body correlations. We calculate absolute free energies of local geometric motifs in excellent quantitative agreement with molecular dynamics simulations across the liquid and supercooled liquid regimes. We find a bimodality in the density library of states where five-fold symmetric structures appear lower in free energy than four-fold symmetric structures, and from a single reaction path predict a relaxation barrier which scales linearly in the compressibility factor. The method provides a new route to assess changes in the free energy landscape at volume fractions dynamically inaccessible to conventional techniques.Comment: 6+17 pages, 3 figure

Predicting price trends of digital products using various forecasting techniques : on the example of the steam community market

The gaming industry has experienced steady growth over the years, contributing to its increasing commercialisation. One factor adding to this trend is the growing popularity of online marketplaces for in­game items, some of which are traded using real­world currencies and considered by a growing amount of young people as some new asset class. This study addresses the question of price predictability for these items, as the efficient market hypothesis posits that it is impossible to consistently predict future prices based on past prices. While this topic has been extensively discussed in the literature for classical financial time series forecasting, it has not yet been explored in the context of in­game item marketplaces. This study used data from the Steam Community Market to investigate the predictability of ingame item prices in the context of online marketplaces. Multiple linear and non­linear forecasting models are applied to the data. This study shows that the price is predictable to some degree for many items, although the improvement is small compared to the naïve benchmark. Specially, linear models showed auspicious results for stationary data and short­term predictions, while non­linear models rarely delivered a strong performance. These findings suggest that forecasting digital items may be as challenging as forecasting traditional assets.A indústria do jogo tem verificado um crescimento constante ao longo dos anos, contribuindo para a sua crescente comercialização. Um fator que contribui para esta tendência é a crescente popularidade dos mercados online para artigos dentro do jogo, alguns dos quais são comercializados utilizando moedas do mundo real e considerados por uma quantidade crescente de jovens como uma espécie de nova classe de ativos. Este estudo aborda a questão da previsibilidade de preços para estes itens, uma vez que a hipótese de mercado eficiente postula que é impossível prever de forma consistente os preços futuros com base nos preços do passado. Embora este tópico tenha sido amplamente discutido na literatura para a previsão clássica de séries cronológicas financeiras, ainda não foi explorado no contexto dos mercados de itens dentro do jogo. Este estudo utilizou dados Steam Community Market para investigar a previsibilidade dos preços dos itens no contexto dos mercados online. Modelos múltiplos de previsão linear e não­linear são aplicados aos dados. Este estudo mostra que o preço é previsível até certo ponto para muitos itens, embora a melhoria seja pequena em comparação com a referência naïve. Especialmente os modelos lineares mostraram resultados auspiciosos para dados estacionários e previsões a curto prazo, enquanto os modelos não lineares raramente proporcionaram um forte desempenho. Estes resultados sugerem que a previsão de itens digitais pode ser tão desafiante como a previsão de bens tradicionais

Distributed state verification in the smart grid using physical attestation

A cyber process in a distributed system can fabricate its internal state in its communications with its peers. These state fabrications can cause other processes in the distributed system to make incorrect control decisions. Cyber-physical systems have a unique advantage in the detection of falsified states because processes typically have observable effects on a shared physical infrastructure. This physical infrastructure acts as a high-integrity message channel that broadcasts changes in individual process states. The objective of this research is to demonstrate that there are cases where physical feedback from the shared infrastructure can be used to detect state fabrications. To that end, this work introduces a distributed security mechanism called physical attestation that detects state fabrications in the future smart grid. Graph theory is used to prove that physical attestation works in general smart grid topologies, and the theory is supported with experimental results obtained from a smart grid test bed --Abstract, page iii

Evaluation of Vaccination and Antimicrobial Protocols in Nursery Pigs Coinfected with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Streptococcus suis

We tested the efficacy of nine different intervention strategies to minimize losses associated with experimental coinfection of nursery age pigs with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Streptococcus suis. The antibimicrobials tested included penicillin, ampicillin, tiamulin, and ceftiofur hydrochloride. Vaccines tested included two commercial modified live PRRSV vaccines, an autogenous killed S. suis vaccine, and an experimental live autogenous S. suis vaccine. We found that the most effective treatment was intramuscular injection of 5 mg/kg ceftiofur hydrochloride on three consecutive days following S. suis inoculation. The live autogenous S. suis vaccine and treatment with ceftiofur hydrochloride every third day for three treatments also significantly reduced mortality

Doing More with Less: Exploring Batch Processing and Outsourcing in Academic Libraries

Doing more with less is a challenge facing all libraries. Staff sizes are trending down while technical services work load remains the same or is increasing; at the same time, there are new and emerging areas of focus for libraries. Grand Valley State University Libraries have made a commitment to exploring any opportunity to outsource or streamline workflows. Presenters will discuss specific examples that utilize outsourcing opportunities as well as batch processing to keep up with the work demand and benefit the library. Positives and negatives of these experiences will be explored. Factors to be discussed will include cost, staff time, quality of work, vendor, platform, and access issues. The audience can expect to learn what factors to consider in exploring outsourcing opportunities and how to identify the appropriate ways to streamline workflows through batch processing. The experience of the presenters will hopefully help others as they weigh these considerations

University Libraries’ Digital Strategic Framework

The Grand Valley State University Libraries’ digital strategic framework articulates and creates a shared understanding of the principles, values, and decision-making criteria that have shaped the Libraries’ approach to digital investments, priorities, and initiatives in the recent past and will continue to guide digital strategy development through 2025. The framework is a compass that will guide the Libraries’ path through an evolving digital landscape in order to inform efforts within the Libraries’ locus of control as well as the interactions and partnerships with external bodies