cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Shared-Memory Parallel Algorithm for Updating Single-Source Shortest Paths in Large Dynamic Networks

Computing the single-source shortest path (SSSP) is one of the fundamental graph algorithms, and is used in many applications. Here, we focus on computing SSSP on large dynamic graphs, i.e. graphs whose structure evolves with time. We posit that instead of recomputing the SSSP for each set of changes on the dynamic graphs, it is more efficient to update the results based only on the region of change. To this end, we present a novel two-step shared-memory algorithm for updating SSSP on weighted large-scale graphs. The key idea of our algorithm is to identify changes, such as vertex/edge addition and deletion, that affect the shortest path computations and update only the parts of the graphs affected by the change. We provide the proof of correctness of our proposed algorithm. Our experiments on real and synthetic networks demonstrate that our algorithm is as much as 4X faster compared to computing SSSP with Galois, a state-of-the-art parallel graph analysis software for shared memory architectures. We also demonstrate how increasing the asynchrony can lead to even faster updates. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first practical parallel algorithms for updating networks on shared-memory systems, that is also scalable to large networks.
The vibration behaviour of hedgerow olive trees in response to mechanical harvesting with straddle harvester

Understanding tree behaviour under mechanical harvesting is very important for orchard management and machine design. The objective of this work is to determine the dynamic response of trees, in a hedgerow arrangement, to a straddle harvester with canopy shaker. Forty-four points were measured in random trees at different heights above the ground. The main vibration parameters in the time and frequency domains were analysed. The transmission range of acceleration between machine rods and trees was 58%, vibrating at a similar frequency of 7.8 Hz. The acceleration values registered in the main direction of rod movement were higher than both in the direction of the hedgerow and vertically. The rods of the harvester are in direct contact with the tree canopy 62% of the tree's vibration time. The resultant acceleration values show a temporal distribution similar to a Gaussian curve but distribution throughout the total vibration time shows that only 49.2% of these values are lower than 50 m s−2 and 93.3% are lower than 300 m s−2. The analysis of vibration time in a range gives more information about the impact of shaking. The tree responded differently at different canopy heights in terms of acceleration RMS and peaks, identifying two zones.
Raman-spectroscopy-based chemical contaminant detection in milk powder

Addition of edible and inedible chemical contaminants in food powders for purposes of economic benefit has become a recurring trend. In recent years, severe health issues have been reported due to consumption of food powders contaminated with chemical substances. This study examines the effect of spatial resolution used during spectral collection to select the optimal spatial resolution for detecting melamine in milk powder. Sample depth of 2mm, laser intensity of 200mw, and exposure time of 0.1s were previously determined as optimal experimental parameters for Raman imaging. Spatial resolution of 0.25mm was determined as the optimal resolution for acquiring spectral signal of melamine particles from a milk-melamine mixture sample. Using the optimal resolution of 0.25mm, sample depth of 2mm and laser intensity of 200mw obtained from previous study, spectral signal from 5 different concentration of milk-melamine mixture (1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, and 0.025%) were acquired to study the relationship between number of detected melamine pixels and corresponding sample concentration. The result shows that melamine concentration has a linear relation with detected number of melamine pixels with correlation coefficient of 0.99. It can be concluded that the quantitative analysis of powder mixture is dependent on many factors including physical characteristics of mixture, experimental parameters, and sample depth. The results obtained in this study are promising. We plan to apply the result obtained from this study to develop quantitative detection model for rapid screening of melamine in milk powder. This methodology can also be used for detection of other chemical contaminants in milk powders.
High-Resolution Modeling of Ocean Wave and Current Fields

Abstract : The long-term goal of this research project is to improve the Navy s capability to provide high resolution forecasts of phase-resolved ocean wave and current fields from remotely-sensed data and our understanding of subsurface oceanic motions from their surface manifestations.
Distribution of gas and oil in Russia and Chechnya’s special position

ABSTRACTPutin is hardly an overpowerful autocrat. He most likely resembles a late medieval kings, who balanced between various groups. Such kings dealt harshly with the powerless and those who crea...
Local Phase Velocity Based Imaging of Viscoelastic Phantoms and Tissues

Assessment of soft tissue elasticity and viscosity is of interest in several clinical applications. In this study, we present the feasibility of the local phase velocity based imaging (LPVI) method to create images of phase velocity and viscoelastic parameters in viscoelastic tissue-mimicking materials and soft tissues. In viscoelastic materials, it is necessary to utilize wave-mode isolation using a narrow bandpass filter combined with a directional filter in order to robustly reconstruct phase velocity images with LPVI in viscoelastic media over a wide range of frequencies. A pair of sequential focused acoustic radiation force push beams, focused once on the left-hand side and once on the right-hand side of the probe, was used to produce broadband propagating shear waves. The local shear wave phase velocity is then recovered in the frequency domain for multiple frequencies, for both acquired data sets. Then, a 2-D shear wave velocity map is reconstructed by combining maps from two separate acquisitions. By testing the method on simulated data sets and performing in vitro phantom and in vivo liver tissue experiments, we show the ability of the proposed technique to generate shear wave phase velocity maps at various frequencies in viscoelastic materials. Moreover, a nonlinear least-squares problem is solved in order to locally estimate elasticity and viscosity parameters. The LPVI method with added directional and wavenumber filters can produce phase velocity images, which can be used to characterize the viscoelastic materials.
Simulation Environment Developed for Advanced Suspension Design Methods

In the 20th century, a lot of methods were based on thumb rules in suspension design, a lot of terminologies were introduced, such as virtual swing arm, roll center, anti-dive, anti-squat, anti-lift. With these concepts, suspension design became easier to understand and visualize, also quantifying the so called anti-geometries and creating graphs about cambergain, roll center height, or toe gain in function of wheel travel became more straightforward.
An In-depth Review of Privacy Concerns Raised by the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has hugely changed our lives, work, and interactions with people. With more and more online activities, people are easily exposed to privacy threats. In this paper, we explore how users self-disclose on social media and privacy concerns raised from these behaviors. Based on recent news, techniques, and research, we indicate three increasing privacy threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After that, we provide a systematic analysis of potential privacy issues related to the COVID pandemic. Furthermore, we propose a series of research directions about online user self-disclosure and privacy issues for future work as well as possible solutions.
Analysis of patient characteristics and outcomes related to distance traveled to a tertiary center for primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty

The reasons for referral and travel patterns are lacking for patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The purpose of this study was to compare comorbidities, surgical time, cost and complications between local and distant primary RSA patients. Between 2007 and 2015, 1,666 primary RSAs were performed at our institution. Patients were divided into two cohorts, local patients (from within Olmstead county and surrounding counties, 492 RSAs) and those from a distance (1,174 RSAs). Local patients were older (74 vs 71 years, p < .001), more likely to have RSA for fracture, had a higher Charlson comorbidity score (3.8 vs 3.2, p < .001) and longer hospital stays (2.0 vs 1.8 days, p < 0.001) compared to referred patients. Referral patients required longer operative times (95 vs 88 min, p = .002), had higher hospitalization costs ($19,101 vs $18,735, p < .001), and had a higher rate of prior surgery (32% vs 24%, p < .001). There were no differences between cohorts regarding complications or need for reoperation. Patients traveling from a distance to undergo primary RSA had longer operative times and were more likely to have had prior surgery than local patients. This may demonstrate the referral bias seen at large academic centers and should be considered when reviewing RSA outcomes, hospital performance, and calculating insurance reimbursement. Level IV.
Nonlinear Stability and Instability of Overcompressive Shock Waves

Overcompressive shock waves arise in nonlinear elasticity, magnetohydrodynamics, multiphase flows and other physical situations. The inviscid models are non-strictly hyperbolic and there have been controversies on the admissibility of overcompressive shocks. We study the nonlinear stability of these waves for the viscous models and show that there are two distinct types. The first type is a combination of classical shock waves and is nonlinear stable with respect to the strength of dissipations. For sufficiently small dissipation a fixed perturbation will give rise to waves of distinct speeds. The second type is stable, but not uniformly with respect to the strength of dissipations. For sufficiently small dissipation a fixed perturbation will give rise to waves of distinct speeds.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a condition characterized by orthostatic tachycardia and associated intolerance. Common types are due to deconditioning. Less common types are neuropathic and hyperadrenergic POTS. Underlying hypovolemia and deconditioning are common in all types. The natural history is that of improving function, although symptoms tend to persist. Management consists of volume expansion (salt and fluids) and exercise. Drug treatment is helpful in the short term, although its value long term is unproven.
Small Molecule Reactions on Clean and Modified Iron Surfaces

Abstract The connection between structure and reactivity in heterogeneous reactions can be best studied using model substrates whose structure can be characterized and controlled. Several examples of this approach to the understanding of structure-reactivity relationships in heterogeneous catalysis are presented, based on recent investigations of the Fe(100) surface. This surface exhibits a rich and complex chemistry, illustrated here by discussions of the adsorption and reaction of CO, O 2 , H 2 O, CH 3 OH and CH 3 SH on the clean and modified Fe(100) surface. An approach to the preparation of characterizable mixed metal oxide substrates based on the hydroxylated Fe(100) surface is also presented.
The Role of Hormones in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Tuberization

Tuber initiation in the potato plant is accompanied by extensive morphological and biochemical changes above and below ground. Plants that are capable of tuber initiation are said to be “induced” to tuberize. It has long been postulated that the changes leading to induction are mediated hormonally. Before considering the evidence, it is helpful to summarize what is known about the tuberization process, its genetic and environmental control, and the techniques that have been employed to study it. For a more comprehensive treatment of these topics and for literature citations, see the recent review article by Ewing and Struik (8).
YCoC: A simple organometallic polymer in the solid state with strong Co-C π bonding

Gerss and Jeitschko recently synthesized YCoC, which contains well-isolated infinite linear CoC/sup 3 -/ chains, marked by a short Co-C distance. The authors have examined the bonding in this polymer. It has substantial ..pi.. character, and that bonding could be strengthened by decreasing the electron count or oxidation. They think the chains should be magnetic.
Child Neurology, History of

Child and adult neurology share a common heritage of the contributions of numerous physicians, anatomists, pathologists, and physiologists to our knowledge of the nervous system. It was not until the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that attention was directed to the nervous system of infants, children, and adolescents in the US and that fund of knowledge quickly spread to Europe, Scandinavia, and Asia. There are now several training centers in child neurology throughout the world.
Corporate Environmental Performance and Lobbying

In 2013, the energy and natural resources sector spent $359 million lobbying. Such spending is largely perceived as a strategy by industry to oppose regulation. Research has barely begun to investigate how firm-level performance on salient political issues affects corporate political strategy. In this paper, we address this issue in the context of the recent climate change policy debate in the United States. We hypothesize a U-shaped relationship between greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lobbying expenditures. To test our hypothesis, our study leverages novel data on firm-level GHG emissions and lobbying expenses aimed specifically at climate change legislation. Our results based on 3,194 firm-observations during a 4 year-period, suggest that both dirty and clean firms are active in lobbying, which challenges the view of adversarial corporate strategy.
Temperature Abuse Affects the Quality of Irradiated Pork Loins

The influence of temperature abuse on the quality of irradiated pork loins was investigated. Pork loins were obtained directly from a local packing plant, sliced and vacuum-packaged. Pork loins were randomly separated into 3 groups, sliced, and assigned to receive 0, 1.5, or 2.5 kGy electron-beam irradiation. Then, each chop was further cut into three equal pieces and assigned to three temperature treatments: Trt I was placed in a refrigerator directly after irradiation; Trt II was left at room temperature for 3 h before refrigeration; and Trt III was exposed at room temperature for 1 h three consecutive days with intermittent storage at 4 C between exposures. Before irradiation, each loin pieces were vacuum-packaged. Color, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatiles were measured after 0, 14, 28 and 42 days of storage, and water-holding capacity and sensory characteristics of the loins were measured after 0, 14 and 28 days of storage. Temperature abuse had no significant effect on color, oxidation, and volatiles of irradiated pork loins. However, temperature abuse improved water-holding capacity of meat, which could be caused by the accelerated hydrolysis of muscle proteins at higher temperature. Irradiation increased redness, sulfur contents in volatiles and offodor of pork loin. Off-odor and redness induced by irradiation sustained during storage. Among sulfur compounds, the content of dimethyl disulfide decreased gradually while the level of thiourea remained relatively constant. Irradiation also increased water loss, which might be related to the structural damage in membrane during irradiation. This study shows that temperature abuse has little effect on the quality of irradiated pork. 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Income Inequality, Political Polarization and Fiscal Policy Gridlock

Over the past few decades, high income inequality and low output fluctuations have coincided with the rising domestic political polarization and policy gridlock in the United States. Motivated by the above fact, this paper analyzes the rigidity of tax policy in an economy with dynamic legislative bargaining and exogenous output fluctuations. First, by adopting the setup of bargaining with endogenous status quo, I account for the co-movement of economic inequality and policy gridlock. Second, by incorporating an economy-wide productivity shock, this model generates the feature that legislative stalemate occurs more frequently in times of reduced output volatility. Third, perhaps surprisingly, the model uncovers the property that equilibrium policy can be either 'present-oriented' or 'far-sighted'. In the 'far-sighted' equilibrium, the policy maker is willing to sacrifice present well-being for the sake of achieving increased bargaining power in the future. Finally, I also find policy gridlock could be alleviated by introducing additional flexibility into the tax system.
Kindergarten Impacts of a Preschool Language-Focused Intervention

Many preschool language-focused interventions attempt to boost language and literacy skills in young children at risk in these areas of development, though the long-term effects of such interventions are not well-established. This study investigated kindergarten language and reading skills, specifically the subcomponents of vocabulary, decoding, and reading comprehension, for children exposed to the language-focused intervention Learning Language and Loving It (LLLI; Weitzman & Greenberg, 2002) during preschool. End of kindergarten skills were examined, comparing children whose teachers implemented LLLI (n = 25) or business-as-usual (BAU) instruction (n = 24). Hierarchical linear modeling results showed the LLLI intervention to have significant effects on children's decoding and reading comprehension in kindergarten for children who had high levels of language skill at preschool, as compared to their counterparts in the BAU condition. Study findings therefore indicate that preschool language-focused inter...
The Market Demand Characteristics Associated with Real Estate Services: Some Evidence from a Panel Data Set of MSAs

No study to date has empirically explored the characteristics associated with the market demand for real estate services. This study uses microeconomic theory and a panel data set of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States to uncover elasticity estimates of the market demand for real estate services with respect to own price, income, business cycle fluctuations, and other variables. The empirical findings yield a number of important insights regarding the market demand characteristics associated with real estate services. First, own-price elasticity equals roughly −1.20, suggesting an elastic demand for real estate services exists at the market level. Second, the income elasticity is found to be approximately 0.40, indicating that real estate services represent a normal good. Third, business cycle fluctuations, as represented by changes in the unemployment rate, are shown to influence the real estate services market but not to a significant extent. Finally, crime rates are shown to have no independent impact on the demand for real estate services despite earlier studies finding that crime reduces housing values and sales.
Automatic game design via mechanic generation

Game designs often center on the game mechanics-- rules governing the logical evolution of the game. We seek to develop an intelligent system that generates computer games. As first steps towards this goal we present a composable and cross-domain representation for game mechanics that draws from AI planning action representations. We use a constraint solver to generate mechanics subject to design requirements on the form of those mechanics--what they do in the game. A planner takes a set of generated mechanics and tests whether those mechanics meet playability requirements--controlling how mechanics function in a game to affect player behavior. We demonstrate our system by modeling and generating mechanics in a role-playing game, platformer game, and combined role-playing-platformer game.
Sensor Based Time Series Classification of Body Movement

Advances in sensing and monitoring technology are being incorporated into today’s healthcare practice. As a result, the concept of Body Sensor Networks (BSN) has been proposed to describe the wearable/wireless devices for healthcare applications. One of the major application scenarios for BSN is to detect and classify the body movements for long-term lifestyle and healthcare monitoring. This paper introduces a new approach for analyzing the time series obtained from BSN. In our research, the BSN record the acceleration data of the volunteer’s movement while performing a set of activities such as jogging, walking, resting, and transitional activities. The main contribution of this paper is the proposed time series approximation and feature extraction algorithm that can convert the sensor-based time series data into a density map. We have performed extensive experiments to compare the accuracy in classifying the time series into different activities. It is concluded that the proposed approach would aid greatly the development of efficient health monitoring systems in the future. To the best of our knowledge, no similar research has been reported in the BSN field and we expect our research could provide useful insights for further investigation.
The Emergence of a Finance Culture in American Households, 1989-2007

As the financial economy has expanded beginning in the mid-1980s, it has done so in part by selling more products to individuals and households. Households have had more access to new forms of assets and debts and new ways to fund their lifestyles. This occurred at the same time that income inequality and job insecurity increased dramatically in the USA. We show that a more risk-taking culture that engages in more active financial management emerges amongst the middle and upper middle classes. We suggest that these households are feeling the effects of growing inequality at the top more acutely and they respond by changing how they think about their financial lives. For those lower on the socio-economic status distribution, financial strategies are more of a defensive strategy to get by. Those at the top embrace finance as an opportunity to preserve and extend their lifestyles.
Adhesive Bonding of Titanium to Carbon-Carbon Composites for Heat Rejection Systems

High temperature adhesives with good thermal conductivity, mechanical performance, and long term durability are crucial for the assembly of heat rejection system components for space exploration missions. In the present study, commercially available adhesives were used to bond high conductivity carbon-carbon composites to titanium sheets. Bonded pieces were also exposed to high (530 to 600 Kelvin for 24 hours) and low (liquid nitrogen 77K for 15 minutes) temperatures to evaluate the integrity of the bonds. Results of the microstructural characterization and tensile shear strengths of bonded specimens will be reported. The effect of titanium surface roughness on the interface microstructure will also be discussed.
Dose-escalating conformal thoracic radiation therapy with induction and concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel in unresectable stage IIIA/B nonsmall cell lung carcinoma: A modified phase I/II trial

BACKGROUND A modified Phase I/II trial was conducted evaluating the incorporation of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy into a strategy of sequential and concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel in Stage III unresectable nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The dose of thoracic conformal radiation therapy (TCRT) from 60 to 74 gray (Gy) was increased. Endpoints included response rate, toxicity, and survival. METHODS Sixty-two patients with unresectable Stage III NSCLC were included. Patients received 2 cycles of induction carboplatin (area under the concentration curve [AUC], 6) and paclitaxel (225 mg/m2 over 3 hours) every 21 days. On Day 43, concurrent TCRT and weekly (×6) carboplatin (AUC, 2) and paclitaxel (45 mg/m2/3 hours) were initiated. The TCRT dose was escalated from 60 to 74 Gy in 4 cohorts (60, 66, 70, and 74 Gy). RESULTS The response rate to induction carboplatin/paclitaxel was 40%. Eight patients (13%) progressed on the induction phase. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed during the escalation of the TCRT dose from 60 to 74 Gy. The major toxicity was esophagitis, however, only 8% developed Grade 3/4 esophagitis using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group criteria. The overall response rate was 52%. Survival rates at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years were 71%, 52%, 40%, and 36%, respectively, with a median survival of 26 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year progression free survival probabilities were 47%, 35%, and 29%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Incorporation of TCRT with sequential and concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel is feasible, and dose escalation of TCRT to 74 Gy is possible with acceptable toxicity. Overall response and survival rates are encouraging. Both locoregional and distant failure remain problematic in this population of patients. Cancer 2001;92:1213–23. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
Logic as a Query Language: From Frege to XML

This paper surveys some of the more striking aspects of the connection between logic and databases, from the use of first-order logic as a query language in classical relational databases all the way to the recent use of logic and automata theory to model and reason about XML query languages. It is argued that logic has proven to be a consistently effective formal companion to the database area.
THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT AND THE LATENT AGRICULTURAL EXPORT RESPONSE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) provides preferential access to Africa's products in US markets. While proponents expect that AGOA will expand Africa's exports to the US, opponents argue that such increases are unlikely, particularly regarding agricultural exports. This paper offers new empirical evidence that is inconclusive regarding the impact of AGOA on African exports to the US.
Pressure Fluctuations in Natural Gas Networks Caused by Gas-Electric Coupling

The development of hydraulic fracturing technology has dramatically increased the supply and lowered the cost of natural gas in the United States, driving an expansion of natural gas-fired generation capacity in several electrical interconnections. Gas-fired generators have the capability to ramp quickly and are often utilized by grid operators to balance intermittency caused by wind generation. The time-varying output of these generators results in time-varying natural gas consumption rates that impact the pressure and line-pack of the gas network. As gas system operators assume nearly constant gas consumption when estimating pipeline transfer capacity and for planning operations, such fluctuations are a source of risk to their system. Here, we develop a new method to assess this risk. We consider a model of gas networks with consumption modeled through two components: forecasted consumption and small spatio-temporarily varying consumption due to the gas-fired generators being used to balance wind. While the forecasted consumption is globally balanced over longer time scales, the fluctuating consumption causes pressure fluctuations in the gas system to grow diffusively in time with a diffusion rate sensitive to the steady but spatially-inhomogeneous forecasted distribution of mass flow. To motivate our approach, we analyze the effect of fluctuating gas consumption on a model of the Transco gas pipeline that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northeast of the United States.
A Fast Algorithm for Incremental Principal Component Analysis

We introduce a fast incremental principal component analysis (IPCA) algorithm, called candid covariance-free IPCA (CCIPCA), to compute the principal components of a sequence of samples incrementally without estimating the covariance matrix (thus covariance-free). This new method is for real-time applications where no iterations are allowed and high-dimensional inputs are involved, such as appearance-based image analysis. CCIPCA is motivated by the concept of statistical efficiency (the estimate has the smallest variance given the observed data). The convergence rate of CCIPCA is very high compared with other IPCA algorithms on high-dimensional data, although the highest possible efficiency is not guaranteed because of the unknown sample distribution.
Newton slopes for Artin-Schreier-Witt towers

We fix a monic polynomial $$f(x) \in \mathbb {F}_q[x]$$ over a finite field and consider the Artin-Schreier-Witt tower defined by f(x); this is a tower of curves $$\cdots \rightarrow C_m \rightarrow C_{m-1} \rightarrow \cdots \rightarrow C_0 =\mathbb {A}^1$$ , with total Galois group $$\mathbb {Z}_p$$ . We study the Newton slopes of zeta functions of this tower of curves. This reduces to the study of the Newton slopes of L-functions associated to characters of the Galois group of this tower. We prove that, when the conductor of the character is large enough, the Newton slopes of the L-function form arithmetic progressions which are independent of the conductor of the character. As a corollary, we obtain a result on the behavior of the slopes of the eigencurve associated to the Artin-Schreier-Witt tower, analogous to the result of Buzzard and Kilford.
Historical Perspectives on U.S. Economic Geography

Abstract We review historical patterns of economic geography for the United States from the colonial period to the present day. The analysis is framed in terms of two geographic scales: regions and cities. The compelling reason for studying geographic area of two different scales is that models that explain location of economic activities at one scale may not apply to other scales. We consider the process of settling the frontier; the development of national markets in goods and factors and, more generally, the convergence (and divergence) of regional economies; the growth of cities and the relationship between urbanization and trends in aggregate economic structure, such as industrialization; and changes in the internal structure of cities.
Health-Health Tradeoffs

The fiftieth anniversary of the Administrative Procedure Act2 arrives at a time when administrative institutions are receiving more serious public attention than in any period since the New Deal. The New Deal was committed to immensely strengthened national institutions and to large and largely independent bureaucratic entities.3 These commitments are now under severe strain. Much of this was signalled by the election of President Reagan in 1980 and, in particular, by his promulgation of a controversial executive order calling for attention to the costs and benefits of regulatory initiatives.4 In 1993, it was firmly established that a new direction had been set, when President Clinton issued a new executive order that substantially overlapped with President Reagan's.5
On extracting static semantics

We examine the problem of automatically extracting a static semantics from a language's semantic definition. Traditional approaches require manual construction of static and dynamic semantics, followed by a proof that the two are consistent. As languages become more complex, the static analyses also become more complex, and consistency proofs have typically been challenging. We need to find techniques for automatically constructing static analyses that are provably correct. We study the issues of developing such techniques and propose avenues of research in this area. We find that significant advances are required before realizing the practical extraction of static semantics from language definitions.
Design of peptide agonists.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a systematic approach for designing potent and selective agonists for GPCRs. Sufficient and detailed experiments are provided in the chapter as a model to synthesize the peptide agonists successfully. The design of peptides resulting in potent and selective agonist activities is difficult because of several factors, but success can be normally obtained with a systematic approach. This approach requires highly interdisciplinary considerations that combine knowledge gathered from structure–biological activity relationships, conformational analysis, computer-assisted calculations and molecular design, biophysical analysis of structures (spectroscopy, crystallography, etc.), and in vivo and in vitro assays. In addition, new asymmetric syntheses and other synthetic methodologies are often important in preparing the designed compounds. Once a lead compound (whether from nature or from a peptide library prepared by combinatorial chemistry) has been defined based on the desired agonist activity, it is often desirable to determine the minimal structural requirements for bioactivity.
Developing a Technical Registry of OAI Data Providers

With the continued growth of the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) [1] it has become increasingly difficult for OAI service providers to discover new and keep up-to-date with existing data providers. There are currently several registries of OAI data providers. Most of these registries are incomplete. Most contain minimal information about registered providers – typically a base URL and little if anything else – providing service providers no clue as to repository scope, content, or size. These deficiencies mean significant extra overhead for service providers. This paper describes a more comprehensive registry of OAI data providers (available at http://oai.grainger.uiuc.edu/registry), developed to address some of these issues. While our registry as it presently exists facilitates discovery of data providers, utility is limited by lack of consistent practice for collection-level metadata. To realize the full potential of a better registry, the OAI community needs to develop better practices for collection-level description.
Mixing and decoherence in continuous-time quantum walks on cycles

We prove analytical results showing that decoherence can be useful for mixing time in a continuous-time quantum walk on finite cycles. This complements the numerical observations by Kendon and Tregenna (Physical Review A 67 (2003), 042315) of a similar phenomenon for discrete-time quantum walks. Our analygicM treatment of continuous-time quantum walks includes a continuous monitoring of all vertices that induces the decoherence process. We identify the dymamics of the probability distribution and observe how mixing times undergo the transition from quantum to classical behavior as our decoherence parameter grows from zero to infinity. Our results show that, for small rates of decoherence, the mixing time improves linearly with decoherence, whereas for large rates of decoherence, the mixing time deteriorates linearly towards the classical limit. In the middle region of decoherence rates, our numerical data confirnm the existence of a unique optimal rate for which the mixing time is minimized.
IMF Programs and Financial Liberalization in Turkey

By examining the Fund's views about macroeconomic stability, the effectiveness of IMF-supported stabilization programs, and Turkey's macroeconomic policies, this paper demonstrates that both the IMF and Turkey share the responsibility for the outcome of stabilization programs. The main conclusion of the paper is that the primary targets of stabilization programs are not implemented during the program years. Even though program years are associated with improvements in balance of payments and reserves, such improvements disappear during the post-program years. The fact that Turkey has received subsequent programs from the IMF despite the overall lack of implementation of the Fund's conditionality may be consistent with the existence of moral hazard. In fact, the results suggest that, on average, Turkey enters the next program in worse macroeconomic condition than the previous program.
On the learning algorithms of descriptive models of high-order human cognition

The primary focus in computational modeling research in high order human cognition is to compare how realistically embedded algorithm describes human cognitive processes. However, several current models incorporated learning algorithms that apparently have questionable descriptive validity or qualitative plausibleness. The present research attempts to bridge this gap by identifying five critical issues overlooked by previous modeling research and then introducing a modeling framework that addresses the issues and offers better qualitative plausibleness. A simulation study utilizing the present framework with two distinctive implementation approaches shows their descriptive validity.
Web-Based 3D and Haptic Interactive Environments for e-Learning, Simulation, and Training

Knowledge creation occurs in the process of social interaction. As our service-based society is evolving into a knowledge-based society, there is an acute need for more effective collaboration and knowledge-sharing systems to be used by geographically scattered people. We present the use of 3D components and standards, such as Web3D, in combination with the haptic paradigm, for e-Learning and simulation.
How Dark is ‘Dark’? Electromagnetic Interactions in the Dark Sector

We review the physical and cosmological consequences of two possible electromagnetic couplings to the dark sector: (i) a neutral lightest dark-matter particle (LDP) with nonzero electric and/or magnetic dipole moments and (ii) a charged next-to-lightest dark-matter particle (NLDP) which decays to a neutral LDP. For scenario (i) we find that a relatively light particle with mass between a few MeV and a few GeV and an electric or magnetic dipole as large as ∼ 3 × 10−16e cm (roughly 1.6 × 10−5 µB) satisfies experimental and observational bounds. In scenario (ii), we show that charged-particles decaying in the early Universe result in a suppression of the small-scale matter power spectrum on scales that enter the horizon prior to decay. This leads to either a cutoff in the matter power spectrum, or if the charged fraction is less than unity, an effect in the power spectrum that might resemble a running (scale-dependent) spectral index in small-scale data.
Secure Information Caching on the Web

Web has become the key information source over the last few years and caching has been exploited and applied to reduce web server and network congestion as well as to improve response time. There are three types of web caching techniques: forward proxy, reverse proxy, and transparent proxy. Forward proxy server caches data close to users and is targeted to improve the user/browser response time. On the contrary, reverse proxy server normally locates next to a back-end server and is mainly targeted to reduce back-end server workload. As the web moving from primarily for information sharing to also becoming a key platform for business operations, a new generation of caching mechanism is needed to enforce the security of business content and to preserve the confidentiality of personal information. In this paper, we describe a web caching system that enhances the caching function by optionally enforcing fine grain access control rules, set by the back-end servers, on the cached content. Our system takes advantage of edge (proxy) server technology for delivering data/information from locations adjacent to users while enforcing access control rule set for each piece of cached content or page fragment.
WHAT ROLE DOES SPECIALIZATION PLAY IN FARM SIZE IN THE U.S. HOG INDUSTRY

An ordered probit analysis is used to determine the influence that specialized phases, other farm enterprises, production contracts, locations, management practices, risk preference and producer's age have on the size of U.S. hog operations. Results reveal that specialized phases along with other factors mentioned affect the size of hog operations.
A Category-theoretic Semantics for Unbounded Indeterminacy

In this paper we give a category-theoretic semantics for a simple imperative language featuring unbounded indeterminacy. This semantics satisfies the categorical analogues of continuity and has the meaning of while loops defined as co-limits of $\omega$-diagrams. Furthermore, it collapses via an abstraction function to a semantics that is fully abstract, and coincides with the operational semantics. The abstraction function is the only discontinuous function appearing in our semantics.
Partisan politics and intergovernmental transfers in India

Recently there has been a surge in international empirical evidence that national policymakers allocate resources across regions based on political considerations, in addition to any normative considerations of equity and efficiency. In order to mitigate these political compulsions, several federations around the world have attempted to create independent constitutional bodies that are responsible for determining federal transfers to subnational jurisdictions. The author tests whether constitutional rules indeed make a difference in curbing political influence by contrasting the impact of political variables on two types of intergovernmental transfers to states in the Indian federation over a period of time, 1972-95. The pattern of evidence shows that transfers, whose regional distribution is determined by political agents, usually provide greater resources to state governments that are politically affiliated with the national ruling party and are important in maximizing the party's representation in the national legislature. But the political effect on statutory transfers, determined by an independent agency with constitutional authority, is strikingly contrary, with greater resources going to unaffiliated state governments. The author argues that this contrasting evidence indicates that constitutional rules indeed restrict the extent to which partisan politics can affect resources available to subnational governments.
Peer Influence Among College Students: the Perils and the Potentials

Students' intellectual, social and personal development is highly influenced by peers during the college years. These changes can be understood in terms of social comparison theory, which outlines the consequences for group dynamics of people's need to evaluate their opinions and abilities. Discussion aimed toward opinion consensus and competition aimed toward improving ability levels promote the development of intellectual capacities and a range of other abilities. Discussion and competition also promote the definition and polarization of values. An expanded account of social comparison processes considers the further group consequences of the need for self-esteem. The distinction between informational and normative social influence underlines the importance of people's standing in groups for their self-concepts and self-esteem. Social identity theory expands these accounts to consider the implications of self-esteem needs for intergroup competition, discrimination and hostility. Leadership within groups is critical in countering the destructive consequences of tendencies toward fragmentation of larger groups into smaller homogeneous groups which think and act in extreme ways and which enact ingroup favoritism and outgroup discrimination.
An agent-based model of mortality shocks, intergenerational effects, and urban crime

Rational criminals choose crime over lawfulness because it pays better; hence poverty correlates to criminal behavior. This correlation is an insufficient historical explanation. An agent-based model of urban crime, mortality, and exogenous population shocks supplements the standard economic story, closing the gap with an empirical reality that often breaks from trend. Agent decision making within the model is built around a career maximization function, with life expectancy as the key independent variable. Rational choice takes the form of a local information heuristic, resulting in subjectively rational suboptimal decision making. The effects of population shocks are explored using the Crime and Mortality Simulation (CAMSIM), with effects demonstrated to persist across generations. Past social trauma are found to lead to higher crime rates which subsequently decline as the effect degrades, though 'aftershocks' are often experienced.
Small ball probabilities for a class of time-changed self-similar processes

Abstract This paper establishes small ball probabilities for a class of time-changed processes X ∘ E , where X is a self-similar process and E is an independent continuous process, each with a certain small ball probability. In particular, examples of the outer process X and the time change E include an iterated fractional Brownian motion and the inverse of a general subordinator with infinite Levy measure, respectively. The small ball probabilities of such time-changed processes show power law decay, and the rate of decay does not depend on the small deviation order of the outer process X , but on the self-similarity index of X .
On the geometric Langlands conjecture

Let X be a (smooth, projective) curve and G be a reductive group over a finite field Fq. The field KX of rational functions on X is what number theorists call a global field and we can do the theory of automorphic functions over it. Namely, we consider the quotient G(KX)\G(A) (here A is the ring of adeles corresponding to KX) and study the space of functions on it, as a representation of the adele group G(A). It was essentially an observation of A.Weil that the quotient G(KX)\G(A) is closely related to the set of isomorphism classes of principal G-bundles on our curve X. However, G-bundles on X possess a richer structure: one can view the above set as a set of Fq-points of an algebraic variety (or, rather, a stack), denoted BunG. Moreover, instead of studying the vector space of functions on the “discrete” set of points of BunG, we will consider the category of `-adic sheaves on it. Basically, what people call the geometric Langlands program is an attempt to understand a spectral decomposition of the above category under the action of the so-called Hecke functors (the latter will be defined in the talk). The answer predicted by the Geometric Langlands Conjecture links this spectral decomposition to the moduli stack of local systems on X with respect to the Langlands dual group Ǧ.
Toward a grainless semantics for shared-variable concurrency

Conventional semantics for shared-variable concurrency suffers from the “grain of time” problem, i.e., the necessity of specifying a default level of atomicity. We propose a semantics that avoids any such choice by regarding all interference that is not controlled by explicit critical regions as catastrophic. It is based on three principles: Operations have duration and can overlap one another during execution. If two overlapping operations touch the same location, the meaning of the program execution is “wrong”. If, from a given starting state, execution of a program can give “wrong”, then no other possibilities need be considered.
Why do charter schools fail? An analysis of charter school survival in New Jersey

Charter school competition can only work as a policy to improve public education if schools that do not contribute to this goal are allowed to fail. We estimate survival regressions to assess the effects of various factors on the probability of school failure. We find that students’ test scores are the most important determinant of survival: a one standard deviation increase reduces the probability of failure by 76%. Higher expenditures per student and a longer wait list result in smaller, but significant, reductions. Enrollment, average performance in the host district, and student demographics do not significantly affect school survival.