cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reforming the Reform Process: Privatization in Central and Eastern Europe

As communist regimes throughout Central and Eastern Europe have fallen one by one under the weight of economic failure and popular discontent, the task of transforming these countries into stable and vibrant liberal democratic societies has commanded the attention of many Western governments and international organizations. Given the rapid and extremely destabilizing deterioration in the levels of production and employment in each of the Newly Liberalizing Economies (NLCs), economic renewal has become an urgent priority of the transformation process. Initially, the greatest importance was attached to reforms involving stabilization and liberalization of prices, lowering of trade barriers, fiscal restraint, and currency convertibility. Nevertheless, at a relatively early point in the reform enterprise, it became strikingly apparent that extensive micro-economic reforms would also be necessary for the transformation process to succeed. At the core of these micro-economic reforms stands privatization the policy aimed at "reducing the role of government, or increasing the role of the private sector, in an activity or in the ownership of assets." However, unlike the relatively straight-forward adoption of many of the measures aimed at macro-economic reform, the pace of privatization programs in the NLCs, as measured by the amount of existing assets transferred from the state to the private sector, has been extremely disappointing. In Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland, for instance, there have been very few large-scale privatizations, although recently there have been some impressive results obtained with respect to small-scale privatization. In attempting to identify the sources of delay in the process, Western commentators have attributed the lion's share of responsibility to policy-makers in the NLCs. This line of attack implicitly assumes that the programs devised by Western policy analysts (largely economists) are fundamentally sound, and that it is only the lack of commitment to, or intellectual appreciation of, the rather unassailable case for radical privatization policies that has impeded successful policy implementation. If this assessment is accurate, then the possibilities for hastening the pace of privatization programs are extremely limited. In this article, we advance a rather different explanation for the debilitating delays and uncertainty that have plagued privatization in Central and Eastern Europe. Instead of focusing on implementation difficulties, we argue that the source of the faltering pace of privatization in the NLCs lies within the basic architecture of the programs themselves.
In Vitro Hemodynamic Evaluation of an Adult Pulsatile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation System.

The objective of this study was to evaluate a pulsatile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system in terms of hemodynamic energy generation and transmission under various pulsatile amplitudes, flow rates, and pseudopatient pressures in a simulated adult ECMO circuit. Surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE), a measure of the quality of pulsatility, was used to quantify pulsatile flow. The circuit consisted of an i-cor diagonal pump, an adult XLung oxygenator, a 21 Fr Medtronic Biomedicus femoral arterial cannula, a 23/25 Fr Sorin RAP femoral venous cannula, and 3/8 in ID tubing for both arterial and venous lines. The circuit was primed with lactated Ringer's solution and then packed red blood cells (hematocrit 37%). Trials were conducted at 36°C with flow rates of 2-5 L/min (1 L/min increments) under nonpulsatile and pulsatile mode with pulsatile amplitudes of 1000-5000 rpm (1000 rpm increments). The pseudopatient pressure was maintained at 40-100 mm Hg (20 mm Hg increments). Real-time pressure and flow data were recorded for analysis using a custom-made data acquisition system. There was no SHE generated by the pump under nonpulsatile mode. Under pulsatile mode, SHE levels increased with increasing pulsatile amplitude and pseudopatient pressure (P < 0.01) but decreased with increasing flow rate. SHE levels were significantly higher at flow rates of 2-4 L/min. In addition, the XLung oxygenator had acceptable pressure drops (36.1-104.9 mm Hg) and percentages of total hemodynamic energy loss (19.6-43.9%) during all trials. The novel pulsatile ECMO system can create nonpulsatile and pulsatile flow in an adult ECMO model. However, pulsatility gradually weakened with increasing flow rates. Pulsatile amplitude settings were found to have a great impact on pulsatility.
Modeling and Attention of Mentally Retarded, Learning Disabled, and Normal Boys.

Fifteen mentally retarded, 15 learning disabled, and 15 normal boys were equated on mental age and individually administered the Hagen Central-Incidental Task and presented a modeling tape for imit...
Integrated Series Compensation Devices Implementation in a Power Converter Based Transmission Line Emulator

A power converter based transmission line emulator has been developed for the hardware test-bed (HTB) platform, which emulates power systems by mimicking the system components with universal three-phase voltage source converters. In power grids, transmission line series compensation devices are utilized to enhance the power delivery capability and controllability by regulating the equivalent impedance of a transmission line. This paper proposes a method of mimicking variable capacitors and inductors to combine the series compensation device emulation into the transmission line emulator so that various power system scenarios can be studied. Simulation and experiment results verify the effectiveness of the transmission line emulation with integrated series compensation devices.
Professional Service Jobs: Highly Paid but Subject to Disruption?

Professional service jobs are attractive because they pay well and, because of advanced skill requirements, have been relatively resistant to disruption. This research considers the potential for h...
Citizenship in the United States: A Historical Assessment of a Present-Day Contretemps

In late 2015, debate among many US Republican presidential candidates focused on immigration policy, with one candidate who was hostile to America’s immigration policy, opining that the 14th Amendment’s definition of citizenship may be unconstitutional. This was the view of the GOP candidate who eventually won the Presidency. The question of citizenship, and the linked issue of rights, was contested in the early republic. Much of the quarrel revolved around the issue of slavery. At least three competing notions of citizenship and rights gained traction by the first half of the 19th century: one argued for citizenship and rights only for whites; another urged that “popular sovereignty” should determine rights and citizenship. A third insisted on an inclusive definition of citizenship. By 1868, the 14th Amendment underscored the latter view. But, as current affairs in America show, the bickering persists, often using arguments similar to those found in the early republic’s squabbles. This essay explores the debate among the viewpoints articulated during the first half of the 19th century and seeks to draw out counsel for our own time.
Measurement of Thermal Effects in the Dust Acoustic Wave

Over the past 25 years, the dust acoustic wave has been a subject of intense study and the impact that thermal effects have on the dispersion relation has been a subject of investigation. Recently, a theory of dust correlations and the effect that these correlations have on the propagation of compressional modes has been developed that incorporates the effects of the confinement of the dust cloud in a finite volume within the larger plasma volume. This paper applies this model to a systemic study of the dispersion relation over a wide range of experimental conditions in a radio frequency (RF) discharge plasma. It is found the dust thermal pressure is larger than the dust electrostatic pressure and that both pressures are the square of the dust charge calculated using the orbit-motion-limited (OML) theory. It is also observed that the dust temperature and thermal pressure decreases with increasing neutral gas pressure.
Fast Modeling of Imperfectly Conducting Wire/Surface Structures in Layered Uniaxial Media

With the recent extensive application of hydraulic fracturing to unconventional reservoirs, the detection and monitoring of hydraulic fractures has become increasingly important in the oil and gas industry. Electromagnetic methods that utilize an energized casing is one economic way to detect proppants designed to induce fractures because both transmitter and receiver are deployed on the surface, as shown in Figure 1. The proppant pumped into the fractures is made of highly conductive material to enhance the contrast of electrical conductivities between the fractures and host media [1]. The change in measured surface electromagnetic fields before and after hydraulic fracturing can be used to monitor the induced fractures in the deep subsurface. Very low frequency electric current sources are employed to ensure the appearance of detectable changes at the surface.
Endogenous Omega‐3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Reduce the Number and Differentiation of White Adipocyte Progenitors in Mice

Objectives Reducing the increased number of white adipocyte progenitors (WAP) is considered a novel approach to controlling obesity. The role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in regulating the WAP resident population is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of omega-3 PUFA on the niche composition of adipose-derived stem cells. Methods Stromal vascular cell fraction (SVF) was collected from subcutaneous fat of wild-type (WT) and transgenic mice carrying a fat-1 gene from Caenorhabditis elegans (Fat-1 mice), which are capable of synthesizing omega-3 PUFA and have much higher tissue levels of omega-3 PUFA relative to WT mice. The isolated SVF cells were cultured and used for the examination of adipocyte differentiation, adipogenic markers, fatty acid composition, and WAP numbers. Results SVF isolated from Fat-1 mice (Fat-1-SVF) exhibited markedly fewer differentiated adipocytes with smaller cell size and less lipid content than that of WT mice (WT-SVF). Accordingly, adipogenesis-related genes and the white adipocyte surface marker ASC-1 were downregulated in Fat-1-SVF relative to WT-SVF. Furthermore, WAP numbers and adipose tissue macrophages were lower in Fat-1-SVF than WT-SVF. Conclusions Omega-3 PUFA can both limit the WAP resident population and suppress their differentiation to white adipocytes, suggesting a new mechanism for the antiobesity effect of omega-3 PUFA.
5.524 – Biomaterials for Replacement and Repair of the Meniscus and Annulus Fibrosus

Dense fibrous connective tissues play critical load-bearing roles in the musculoskeletal system and represent a significant medical problem when their function is interrupted by progressive degeneration or acute injury. The intent of this chapter is to outline the functional aspects of two such tissues, the fibrocartilaginous knee meniscus and the annulus fibrosus of the intervertebral disc of the spine. In this chapter, we discuss the hallmark mechanical and biochemical features of each of these tissues, the incidence and most common means through which these tissues are damaged or degenerated, and the current clinical practices for their repair or replacement. Given the prevalence of damage to these tissues, numerous commercial products are, or will soon be, available in the marketplace; these products are discussed in the context of native tissue structure and function and the engineering principles and biomaterial components governing their design. Next, new products, based on tissue engineering strategies, are introduced, and their current status is explored with reference to clinical translation. Functional benchmarks, preclinical models, and evaluation tools, as well as future directions in this burgeoning field, are discussed.
Photodynamic therapy for extramammary Paget's disease: A systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Background Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma that arises in areas rich in apocrine sweat glands. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive technique demonstrating clinical efficacy in various case reports and case series for the treatment of EMPD. Methods A review of the current literature of patients with EMPD treated with PDT. Results 177 patients with 211 lesions were included in this review with an overall complete response rate of 59.7 %. Lesion size was correlated with the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) PDT. Topical methyl-ALA had lower complete response rates compared to ALA. Systemic PDT with intravenous sodium porfimer had high response rates but can be associated with more adverse reactions. The efficacy of PDT was enhanced with the combination of other treatments such as surgery, imiquimod, or laser ablation. PDT was also shown to be effective for previously treated lesions, recurrent lesions, and select invasive lesions. Conclusion PDT can be a therapeutic option for EMPD patients. Given the lack of PDT guidelines, general recommendations for treatment are offered.
A Survey of Trauma Surgeon Perceptions of Resources for Patients With Psychiatric Comorbidities.

Abstract Background Psychiatric illness is an independent risk factor for trauma and recidivism and is often comorbid in the trauma population. There is no current standard for the delivery of mental health services in trauma care. The purpose of this study was to gauge trauma surgeon perceptions of needed and currently available resources for this patient population at level 1 trauma centers in the United States. Materials and methods A 10-question survey was developed to capture the estimated volume of psychiatric patients admitted to level 1 trauma centers, their available psychiatric services, and perceived need for resources. It was sent to 27 trauma surgery colleagues at different level 1 trauma centers across the United States using a public survey tool. Descriptive analyses were performed. Results Twenty-two of 27 trauma surgeons responded (81% response rate). Ten centers (48%) estimated admitting 1-5 patients with preexisting serious mental illness weekly, whereas others admitted more. Eight (36%) reported not having acute situational support services available. Ten respondents (46%) did not know how many psychiatric consultants were available at their institution. Twelve surgeons (55%) reported no designated outpatient follow-up for psychiatric issues. Sixteen trauma surgeons (73%) stated that expanded psychiatric services are needed at their trauma center. Conclusions Trauma patients frequently present with preexisting serious mental illness and many struggle with psychological sequelae of trauma. Over half of the surveyed surgeons reported no outpatient follow-up for these patients, and almost three quarters perceived the need for expansion of psychiatric services. In addition to a lack of resources, these findings highlight an overlooked gap in high-quality patient-centered trauma care.
Diltiazem Does Not Prevent Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Thoracoscopic Lobectomy.

ObjectiveThoracoscopic lobectomy is associated with lower rates of adverse events compared to thoracotomy. Despite this, postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) occurs in at least 10% of patients....
The Anthropic Principles of Dialectical Holism

In this chapter, Harris’s appeal to four versions of the anthropic principle are examined in light of four recently developed multiverse theories that some cosmologists consider effective for avoiding the conclusions of stronger anthropic reasoning. In Sect. 4.2, the weak anthropic principle and three associated selection effects are exemplified. The aim here is to elucidate Harris’s phenomenological means of avoiding certain multiverse theories. In Sect. 4.3, it is argued that a weaker version of Harris’s participatory anthropic reasoning can be revised and upheld by appealing to Bohmian quantum theory and phenomenology. Arguments to the effect that the final anthropic principle is irrelevant to Harris’s project are provided in Sect. 4.4, and in Sect. 4.5 these discussions culminate with the introduction of Harris’s (paradigmatic) teleological anthropic reasoning. This chapter concludes that dialectical holism avoids many arguments that have been utilized for refuting stronger AR, but Harris’s ontological conclusions must nevertheless confront numerous unforeseen challenges to be addressed in the following chapters.
Towards time-resolved serial crystallography in a microfluidic device.

Serial methods for crystallography have the potential to enable dynamic structural studies of protein targets that have been resistant to single-crystal strategies. The use of serial data-collection strategies can circumvent challenges associated with radiation damage and repeated reaction initiation. This work utilizes a microfluidic crystallization platform for the serial time-resolved Laue diffraction analysis of macroscopic crystals of photoactive yellow protein (PYP). Reaction initiation was achieved via pulsed laser illumination, and the resultant electron-density difference maps clearly depict the expected pR1/pRE46Q and pR2/pRCW states at 10 µs and the pB1 intermediate at 1 ms. The strategies presented here have tremendous potential for extension to chemical triggering methods for reaction initiation and for extension to dynamic, multivariable analyses.
Ultrasound-guided manipulation of fetal entrapment by a large uterine fibroid

FIGURE 2 Dolichocephalic fetus preprocedure Case notes A 34-year-old G2P0010 presents for nuchal translucency at 12 weeks’ gestation. Ultrasound revealed a dolichocephalic fetus (cephalic index of 49) (Figure 1). This was attributed to fetal “entrapment” secondary to compartmentalization of the fetus superiorly due to an anterior, submucosal myoma (8.8 9.4 8.0 cm) separating it inferiorly from the placenta and amniotic fluid (Figure 2). Nuchal translucency could not be measured
A Tonic Hyperpolarization Underlying Contrast Adaptation in Cat Visual Cortex

The firing rate responses of neurons in the primary visual cortex grow with stimulus contrast, the variation in the luminance of an image relative to the mean luminance. These responses, however, are reduced after a cell is exposed for prolonged periods to high-contrast visual stimuli. This phenomenon, known as contrast adaptation, occurs in the cortex and is not present at earlier stages of visual processing. To investigate the cellular mechanisms underlying cortical adaptation, intracellular recordings were performed in the visual cortex of cats, and the effects of prolonged visual stimulation were studied. Surprisingly, contrast adaptation barely affected the stimulus-driven modulations in the membrane potential of cortical cells. Moreover, it did not produce sizable changes in membrane resistance. The major effect of adaptation, evident both in the presence and in the absence of a visual stimulus, was a tonic hyperpolarization. Adaptation affects a class of synaptic inputs, most likely excitatory in nature, that exert a tonic influence on cortical cells.
Experience in a community hospital with multivisceral pelvic resection for advanced pelvic cancer

Abstract 1. 1. A series of multivisceral pelvic resections for advanced pelvic cancer is presented from a community, nonuniversity hospital. 2. 2. A mortality rate of 9 per cent is recorded with a concomitantly low morbidity-complication rate. 3. 3. The evolution of this surgical technique with appropriate safeguards is described. 4. 4. Criteria of operability with anticipated palliation and potential cure and discussed.
On Parallelizing Graph-Partitioning Heuristics

Graph partitioning is an important NP-complete problem with applications in VLSI CAD, processor allocation, and many other areas. The problem is to partition vertices of a graph into two equal-sized sets so that the number of edges joining the sets is minimal. In this paper we show that the Kernighan-Lin heuristic is P-complete and the simulated annealing heuristic is P-hard, which means that they are both hard to parallelize. We also describe a new parallel heuristic that on the 32K-processor CM-2 Connection Machine handles graphs with more than two million edges and gives in nine minutes partitions that are within 2% of the best ever found.
Ratio method of measuring W boson mass

This dissertation describes an alternative method of measuring the W boson mass in D0 experiment. Instead of extracting M{sub W} from the fitting of W {yields} e{nu} fast Monte Carlo simulations to W {yields} e{nu} data as in the standard method, we make the direct fit of transverse mass between W {yields} e{nu} data and Z {yields} ee data. One of the two electrons from Z boson is treated as a neutrino in the calculation of transverse mass. In ratio method, the best fitted scale factor corresponds to the ratio of W and Z boson mass (M{sub W}/M{sub Z}). Given the precisely measured Z boson mass, W mass is directly fitted from W {yields} e{nu} and Z {yields} ee data. This dissertation demonstrates that ratio method is a plausible method of measuring the W boson mass. With the 1 fb{sup -1} D0 Run IIa dataset, ratio method gives M{sub W} = 80435 {+-} 43(stat) {+-} 26(sys) MeV.
A measurement of stopped π + decays in a copper beam dump with incident protons of 720 MeV . A calibration of the LAMPF Neutrino Source Intensity

Abstract We have measured the distribution and number of stopped π + decays in a copper beam dump per incident proton of 720 MeV. The decay of stopped π + 's, and stopped μ + 's, produce neutrinos with well defined spectra. These decays provide neutrinos which are utilized in neutrino experiments at LAMPF. The present measurement, therefore, calibrates the LAMPF neutrino source intensity. We find that there are a total of 0.0571±0.0035 stopped π + decays per incident 720 MeV proton.
Logarithmic Time NC Algorithms for Comparability Graphs and Circle Graphs

We have given logarithmic time parallel algorithms for solving the maximum weighted clique and the minimum coloring problems on comparability graphs, the maximum weighted independent set and the minimum clique cover problems on permutation graphs, and the maximum weighted clique problem on circle problems. Our algorithms are more efficient than the previous ones. A number of questions are still open. An interesting one is whether the problems studied here can be solved using fewer processors without time penalty. It seems likely that there will be a positive answer to this question.
Simplifying Mitral Valve Repair: Limited Leaflet Resections and Neo-Chord Replacements

Traditionally posterior leaflet mitral repairs have been done with large leaflet resections. Recently, more conservative resections have been found to be just as effective and durable. Limited triangular resections, folding-plasties, and artificial chord implantation are particularly amenable to robotic mitral repair. These techniques are described in this chapter.
Multiple Internal Layer Solutions Generated by Spatially Oscillatory Perturbations

Abstract For a singularly perturbed system of reaction-diffusion equations, we study the bifurcation of internal layer solutions due to the addition of a spatially oscillatory term. In the singular limit, the existence and stability of internal layer solutions are determined by the intersection of a fast jump surface Γ 1 and a slow switching curve C . The case when the intersection is transverse was studied by X.-B. Lin (Construction and asymptotic stability of structurally stable internal layer solutions, preprint). In this paper, we show that when Γ 1 intersects with C tangentially, saddle-node or cusp type bifurcation may occur. Higher order expansions of internal layer solutions and eigenvalue–eigenfunctions are also presented. To find a true internal layer solution and true eigenvalue-eigenfunctions, we use a Newton's method in functions spaces that is suitable for numerical computations.
Further characterization of benzodiazepine receptor differences in long-sleep and short-sleep mice

Abstract Molecular and conformational characteristics of benzodiazepine (BZ) rceptors in cortex and cerebellum from long-sleep and short-sleep mice were investigated using heat inactivation and beta-carboline competition techniques. To investigate differences in the allosteric coupling between GABA and BZ receptors, the protection of BZ receptors from heat inactivation, by GABA, was also evaluated. The two genotypes do not differ in the affinity or number of BZ receptors in the cortex or cerebellum. They do, however, appear to differ in the molecular structure and/or regulation of the conformational state of the receptor in the cortex, as indicated by a greater sensitivity of LS mice to both heat inactivation and beta-carboline competition of 3 H-flunitrazepam (FNZ) binding in this region. Evidence for differences in the nature of coupling between GABA and BZ receptors is provided by the finding that in both regions, GABA protected BZ receptors from inactivation to a greater degree in LS mice. The relationship between these differences and the multiplicity of expression of BZ receptors is discussed.
Copper deficiency myelopathy.

Background In humans, Menkes disease is the well-recognized neurological disorder due to inherited copper deficiency. Myelopathy due to acquired copper deficiency is not a well-recognized entity in humans, although myelopathy due to copper deficiency is well documented in some animal species. Patients We describe 3 patients who developed a progressive spastic-ataxic gait with proprioceptive deficits. All patients had a severe reduction in serum ceruloplasmin and copper levels. Results All patients had evidence of posterior column dysfunction clinically and on somatosensory evoked potential studies. Two had a signal change in the posterior column on magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord. Conclusion Patients presenting with otherwise unexplained myelopathies should have their serum ceruloplasmin level measured.
A Pediatric Office-Based Quality Improvement Project in a Rural Health Clinic: Retrospective Evaluation

Purpose: An office-based pediatric quality improvement project was implemented to increase the number of well-child health visits and increase the documentation of pediatric quality measures in a Midwest rural clinic. Project Description: The Bright Futures framework provided the structure for the project and a retrospective evaluation was performed six months after the initiation of practice changes, reminder letters, and public service announcements. Chart review was performed with a convenience sample of children ages 0 to 47 months from the database of the organization that supports the family practice clinic and emergency department. The descriptive analysis included change in proportions and percentages and chi-square analyses. Outcomes: There was an increase the number of well-child visits by 65% in the six month period with a wider range of ages being seen. There was a 40% response rate of visits within two months of the reminder letters. Documentation increased in four out of nine quality measures with two measures remaining at 100%. Validated developmental and behavioral assessment tools were used consistently. A dialogue with the local health department was established to coordinate immunization and well-child visits. Conclusions: The practice changes were found to be sustainable and consistent with quality pediatric care. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v14i1.280 Keywords: rural pediatric, office-based, quality improvement
Cox-2 RANKs high in osteoclastogenesis

Comment on Han et al, page [1240][1] In this issue of Blood , Han and colleagues are the first to report a novel role for cyclooxygenase inhibitor-2 in osteoclastogenesis as an intermediate in the RANKL-induced differentiation of monocytes to osteoclasts. Cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), which catalyzes
Children's Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Responses to Social Comparison

Abstract Relative outcomes in social commerce with peers are potent determinants of cognitions and behavior in young children. Although there has been considerable attention given to the behavioral consequences of social comparisons following the receipt of rewards, there has been less concern with cognitive or affective consequences. Additionally, little is known about the accrued effects of multiple social comparison experiences that may be consistent or inconsistent with one another. In the present study, young children received a constant level of reward but the amount they saw a peer receive was varied. There were two sequences of reward distribution, and in a given sequence children received either the same number of rewards as the peer (=), more (+), or fewer (−). In a 3 × 3 factorial design all possible combinations occurred. A negative inequality in reward distribution, no matter where it fell in a sequence, made children sad and inclined children to distribute fewer rewards to peers. When a sequence contained an initial experience of positive inequality, children decreased subsequent levels of self-reward. Experiencing a comparison that revealed a negative inequality in reward distribution also disrupted children's accuracy in appraising the overall distribution of rewards: even when an initial negative inequality was completely offset by an equivalent experience of positive inequality, children inaccurately concluded that they had received fewer rewards than their peers.
The RUM-tree: supporting frequent updates in R-trees using memos

The problem of frequently updating multi-dimensional indexes arises in many location-dependent applications. While the R-tree and its variants are the dominant choices for indexing multi-dimensional objects, the R-tree exhibits inferior performance in the presence of frequent updates. In this paper, we present an R-tree variant, termed the RUM-tree (which stands for R-tree with update memo) that reduces the cost of object updates. The RUM-tree processes updates in a memo-based approach that avoids disk accesses for purging old entries during an update process. Therefore, the cost of an update operation in the RUM-tree is reduced to the cost of only an insert operation. The removal of old object entries is carried out by a garbage cleaner inside the RUM-tree. In this paper, we present the details of the RUM-tree and study its properties. We also address the issues of crash recovery and concurrency control for the RUM-tree. Theoretical analysis and comprehensive experimental evaluation demonstrate that the RUM-tree outperforms other R-tree variants by up to one order of magnitude in scenarios with frequent updates.
Multifunctional lab-on-a-tube (LOT) probe for simultaneous neurochemical and electrophysiological activity measurements

A multifunctional lab-on-a-tube (LOT) probe for simultaneous in vivo neurochemical and electrophysiological activity measurements is presented. Developed heterostructured platinum/iridium oxide (Pt/IrOx) microelectrodes have shown a superior signal-to-noise ratio and around 80 times slower polarization rate than platinum microelectrodes with the same surface area. Oxygen and glucose biosensors have been integrated to simultaneously detect their changes during cortical spreading depolarizations. The developed LOT shows minimum electrode crosstalk under optimized electrode design and placement, so it can improve the determination of cortical spreading depolarization causing brain injury with respect to multiple cerebral metabolic biomarkers.
Levels of Neural Progenitors in the Hippocampus Predict Memory Impairment and Relapse to Drug Seeking as a Function of Excessive Methamphetamine Self-Administration

Methamphetamine affects the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory, as well as relapse to drug seeking. Rats self-administered methamphetamine for 1 h twice weekly (intermittent-short-I-ShA), 1 h daily (limited-short-ShA), or 6 h daily (extended-long-LgA) for 22 sessions. After 22 sessions, rats from each access group were withdrawn from self-administration and underwent spatial memory (Y-maze) and working memory (T-maze) tests followed by extinction and reinstatement to methamphetamine seeking or received one intraperitoneal injection of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label progenitors in the hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ) during the synthesis phase. Two-hour-old and 28-day-old surviving BrdU-immunoreactive cells were quantified. I-ShA rats performed better on the Y-maze and had a greater number of 2-h-old SGZ BrdU cells than nondrug controls. LgA rats, but not ShA rats, performed worse on the Y- and T-maze and had a fewer number of 2-h-old SGZ BrdU cells than nondrug and I-ShA rats, suggesting that new hippocampal progenitors, decreased by methamphetamine, were correlated with impairment in the acquisition of new spatial cues. Analyses of addiction-related behaviors after withdrawal and extinction training revealed methamphetamine-primed reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior in all three groups (I-ShA, ShA, and LgA), and this effect was enhanced in LgA rats compared with I-ShA and ShA rats. Protracted withdrawal from self-administration enhanced the survival of SGZ BrdU cells, and methamphetamine seeking during protracted withdrawal enhanced Fos expression in the dentate gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex in LgA rats to a greater extent than in ShA and I-ShA rats. These results indicate that changes in the levels of the proliferation and survival of hippocampal neural progenitors and neuronal activation of hippocampal granule cells predict the effects of methamphetamine self-administration (limited vs extended access) on cognitive performance and relapse to drug seeking and may contribute to the impairments that perpetuate the addiction cycle.
Comparison of respiratory and growth characteristics of two co-occurring shrubs from a cold desert, Coleogyne ramosissima (blackbrush) and Atriplex confertifolia (shadscale)

Abstract Coleogyne ramosissima Torr. (blackbrush) and Atriplex confertifolia [Torr. & Frem.] Wats. (shadscale) are cold desert shrubs from different families. Despite very different life histories they often grow in close geographic proximity in the Great Basin and the Colorado Plateau between 800 and 2000 m elevation. The purpose of this study is to compare the ecophysiology of slow growing and reproducing blackbrush with the ecophysiology of faster growing and reproducing shadscale. Metabolic heat and carbon dioxide production rates were measured on leaf tissue from wild plants and on lab-grown seedlings at temperatures from 10 to 35 °C at 5 °C intervals. Heat of combustion, ash content, and carbon and nitrogen contents were also measured. Substrate carbon conversion efficiencies and anabolic (or growth) rates were calculated from the respiration data. The growth rate of blackbrush was found to be approximately half that of shadscale because of lower respiration rate, but blackbrush begins growing earlier in the spring and can grow at higher temperatures when water is available. Blackbrush was observed to reproduce heavily when winter and spring precipitation is abundant.
P5C-1 Real-Time Stereo 3D Ultrasound

Real time 3D ultrasound was developed at Duke University in 1991. Methods for displaying the 3D pyramid of data acquired by the system include selecting 2D image slices or integrating data into a volume rendered view. A third method, real time stereo 3D imaging, is discussed here. The clinical commercial 3D system has been modified to display a real time stereo image pair on the scanner display to be viewed through a stereoscope. This merges the pair into a single image, with a sensation of depth. Stereoscopic displays have previously been demonstrated to provide benefits including improved depth judgments and increased perception of image quality in other applications. Previously saved volumes of ultrasound data are shown in stereo 3D using the new system.
Error reduction in retrievals of atmospheric species from symmetrically measured lidar sounding absorption spectra

We report new methods for retrieving atmospheric constituents from symmetrically-measured lidar-sounding absorption spectra. The forward model accounts for laser line-center frequency noise and broadened line-shape, and is essentially linearized by linking estimated optical-depths to the mixing ratios. Errors from the spectral distortion and laser frequency drift are substantially reduced by averaging optical-depths at each pair of symmetric wavelength channels. Retrieval errors from measurement noise and model bias are analyzed parametrically and numerically for multiple atmospheric layers, to provide deeper insight. Errors from surface height and reflectance variations are reduced to tolerable levels by “averaging before log” with pulse-by-pulse ranging knowledge incorporated.
The necklace poset is a symmetric chain order

Let N"n denote the quotient poset of the Boolean lattice, B"n, under the relation equivalence under rotation. Griggs, Killian, and Savage proved that N"p is a symmetric chain order for prime p. In this paper, we settle the question posed in that paper, namely whether N"n is a symmetric chain order for all n. This paper provides an algorithm that produces a symmetric chain decomposition (or SCD). We accomplish this by modifying bracketing from Greene and Kleitman. This allows us to take appropriate ''middles'' of certain chains from the Greene-Kleitman SCD for B"n. We also prove additional properties of the resulting SCD and show that this settles a related conjecture.
Relative Work and Family Role Centralities: Beliefs and Behaviors Related to the Transition to Adulthood

The current study of 434 young adults investigated the relative centralities of anticipated adult roles. Based on assigned percentages to career, marriage, and parenthood roles, five distinct relative centrality profiles were created: Child Centered, Marriage Centered, Marriage and Child, Career Centered, and Family and Career. The Career Centered and Marriage Centered groups tended to differ the most, with the former being less enthusiastic toward marriage and reporting less cautious beliefs and behavior related to sexuality and risk taking. Other nuanced differences were also explored. It is argued that the centrality profiles have implications for the decisions that young adults currently make that could lead them along various trajectories toward adulthood that influence if and how adult roles are realized.
How "healthy" is circuit resistance training following paraplegia? Kinematic analysis associated with shoulder mechanical impingement risk

The purpose of the study was to determine whether wheelchair-based circuit resistance training (CRT) exercises place the shoulder at risk for mechanical impingement. Using a novel approach, we created a mechanical impingement risk score for each exercise by combining scapular and glenohumeral kinematic and exposure data. In a case series design, 18 individuals (25-76 yr old) with paraplegia and without substantial shoulder pain participated. The mean mechanical impingement risk scores at 45-60 degrees humerothoracic elevation were rank-ordered from lowest to highest risk as per subacromial mechanical impingement risk: overhead press (0.6 +/- 0.5 points), lat pulldown (1.2 +/- 0.5 points), chest press (2.4 +/- 2.8 points), row (2.7 +/- 1.6 points), and rickshaw (3.4 +/- 2.3 points). The mean mechanical impingement risk scores at 105-120 degrees humerothoracic elevation were rank-ordered from lowest to highest risk as per internal mechanical impingement risk: lat pulldown (1.2 +/- 0.5 points) and overhead press (1.3 +/- 0.5 points). In conclusion, mechanical impingement risk scores provided a mechanism to capture risk associated with CRT. The rickshaw had the highest subacromial mechanical risk, whereas the overhead press and lat pulldown had the highest internal mechanical impingement risk. The rickshaw was highlighted as the most concerning exercise because it had the greatest combination of magnitude and exposure corresponding with increased subacromial mechanical impingement risk.
Origin of CO2‐rich fluid inclusions in leucosomes from the Skagit migmatites, North Cascades, Washington, USA

CO2–CH4 fluid inclusions are present in anatectic layer-parallel leucosomes from graphite-bearing metasedimentary rocks in the Skagit migmatite complex, North Cascades, Washington. Petrological evidence and additional fluid inclusion observations indicate, however, that the Skagit Gneiss was infiltrated by a water-rich fluid during high-temperature metamorphism and migmatization. CO2-rich fluid inclusions have not been observed in Skagit metasedimentary mesosomes or melanosomes, meta-igneous migmatites, or unmigmatized rocks, and are absent from subsolidus leucosomes in metasedimentary migmatites. The observation that CO2-rich inclusions are present only in leucosomes interpreted to be anatectic based on independent mineralogical and chemical criteria suggests that their formation is related to migmatization by partial melting. Although some post-entrapment modification of fluid inclusion composition may have occurred during decompression and deformation, the generation of the CO2-rich fluid is attributed to water-saturated partial melting of graphitic metasedimentary rocks by a reaction such as biotite + plagioclase + quartz + graphite ± Al2SiO5+ water-rich fluid = garnet + melt + CO2–CH4. The presence of CO2-rich fluid inclusions in leucosomes may therefore be an indication that these leucosomes formed by anatexis. Based on the inferences that (1) an influx of fluid triggered partial melting, and (2) some episodes of fluid inclusion trapping are related to migmatization by anatexis, it is concluded that a free fluid was present at some time during high-temperature metamorphism. The infiltrating fluid was a water-rich fluid that may have been derived from nearby crystallizing plutons. Because partial melting took place at pressures of at least 5 kbar, abundant free fluid may have been present in the crust during orogenesis at depths of at least 15 km.
A simple way of estimating interest group ideology

Political scientists have developed accepted numerical estimates of political ideology for legislators, candidates, parties and even nations, but interest groups lack such scores. This absence puts interest group research at a disadvantage compared to other subfields. I generate ideology scores for 72 groups across 10 years by combining groups’ evaluations of Members of Congress with Poole and Rosenthal’s estimates of Members’ ideologies. Alternative methods are explored, and the validity of the scores is demonstrated. Examinations of the scores focus on the relative distribution of groups and Members of Congress and the link between a group’s ideology and its campaign contributions.
INFANT: a modular approach to natural language processing

The INFANT System is a working natural language processing system that approaches language analysis through the integration of a large number of interdependent procedural modules. By themselves the modules perform specific, predictable, and rather mundane tasks; taken together, they make up an understanding system whose 'beliefs' and responses are varied and unpredictable. Thus a type of emergent behavior is demonstrated by the system. This paper describes the overall modular design of INFANT, and illustrates through sample conversations some of its capabilities and deficiencies.
Simple albedo feedback models of the icecaps

A series of simple models of the albedo feedback mechanism and its effect on the global climate are solved analytically. All of the models are similar to one considered by Budyko. The seasonal variation in incident solar radiation is ignored. Emphasis is placed on the parameter dependence of the models' sensitivity to changes in the solar constant. It is found in all cases that increasing the efficiency of the poleward transport of energy increases this sensitivity. It is also suggested that knowledge of the partitioning of the transport between the atmosphere and the oceans is of considerable importance for estimating sensitivity. The stability of equilibrium states is determined from the properties of small perturbations away from equilibrium. It is observed that relaxation times of perturbations can be increased considerably by the albedo feedback mechanism. The effect of variations in the obliquity of the planet's orbit on sensitivity and stability is also analyzed. The results indicate that albedo feedback may increase the significance of obliquity variations on Mars, as well as on the Earth. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1974.tb01641.x
Observations and Simulations of the Low Velocity-to-Hypervelocity Impact Crater Transition for a Range of Penetrator Densities into Thick Aluminum Targets

Projectile/target impact crater systems involving soda-lime glass/1100 aluminum, ferritic stainless steel/1100 aluminum, and tungsten carbide/1100 aluminum (corresponding to projectile densities of 2.2, 7.89, and ∼17 Mg (m3) at impact velocities ranging from 0.56 to 3.99 km/s were examined by light metallography, SEM, and TEM. Plots of crater depth/crater diameter ratio (p/D c) versus impact velocity exhibited anomalous humps with p/D c ranging from 0.8 to 5.5 between 1 and 2 km/s, with hypervelocity threshold or steady-state values of p/D c (>5 km/s) ranging from 0.4 to 1.0; with the p/D c values increasing with increasing projectile density in each case. This hump-shaped regime, with exaggerated target penetration depths, appears to occur because projectiles remain relatively intact and unfragmented. The crater geometry begins to change when the projectile fragmentation onset velocity (>2 km/s) is exceeded and fragmentation increases with increasing impact velocity. Computer simulations and validation of these simulations were developed which fairly accurately represented residual crater shapes/geometries and correlated experimentally measured microhardness maps with simulated residual yield stress contour maps. Validated computer simulations allowed representative extrapolations of impact craters well beyond the laboratory where melting and solidification occurred at the crater wall, especially for hypervelocity impact (>5 km/s).
Culture, evolution and the puzzle of human cooperation

Synthesizing existing work from diverse disciplines, this paper introduces a culture-gene coevolutionary approach to human behavior and psychology, and applies it to the evolution of cooperation. After a general discussion of cooperation in humans, this paper summarizes Dual Inheritance Theory and shows how cultural transmission can be brought under the Darwinian umbrella in order to analyze how culture and genes coevolve and jointly influence human behavior and psychology. We then present a generally applicable mathematical characterization of the problem of cooperation. From a Dual Inheritance perspective, we review and discuss work on kinship, reciprocity, reputation, social norms, and ethnicity, and their application to solving the problem of cooperation.
Individual differences in circadian activity rhythms and their effects on roommate relationships

Individual differences in circadian activity rhythms were assessed and correlated with a number of measures of task orientation and time concern. Those who tend to be morning active completed the questionnaires more quickly than did others, expressed negative attitudes about wasting time, and scored higher on measures of achievement tendency and task leadership. Differences between college roommates in the tendency to be morning active were found to be related to negative evaluations of the roommate relationship. The results of this study suggest that the causes and effects of synchronized personal and social circadian rhythms warrant continued exploration.