cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rye ( Secale cereale L.)

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is one of the most recalcitrant plant species for tissue culture and genetic transformation. Embryogenic rye callus loses its ability to regenerate plants quickly in response to high density of Agrobacterium and other stressors. The cocultivation of Agrobacterium and rye immature embryos in liquid medium facilitated washing of the cultures to avoid Agrobacterium overgrowth and allowed a high throughput. More than 40 independent transgenic plants were regenerated with one to four Southern-positive, independent events from 100 inoculated immature embryos. Agrobacterium strain AGL0 supported stable integration of a constitutive nptII selectable marker expression cassette into the genome of rye inbred line L22, as indicated by regeneration of plantlets on paromomycin-containing culture medium, Southern blot, Western blot, and the analysis of T-DNA::plant DNA boundary sequences. Transgenic plants were phenotypically normal and fully fertile, which might be a consequence of the short time in tissue culture.
Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation for Lymphoid Malignancies: The Use of Hematopoietic Growth Factors

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies has now become the therapy of choice for patients who cannot be cured with conventional dose therapy. However, along with the possibility of long term disease-free survival from ABMT, comes an increase risk of mortality from the procedure. Most series report a 5–30% treatment-related mortality when utilizing high-dose therapy and ABMT in this patient population [1–4]. The major risk of the procedure relates to the prolonged neutropenia associated with the highdose therapy, leading to an increased risk of sepsis during that time interval.
The Frontiers of High Temperature Structural Materials

The science and technology fronts of advanced high temperature structural materials are defined and discussed. Current research is focussing on monolithic intermetallic and ceramic compounds, as well as metal, intermetallic, and ceramic matrix composites. An emerging field, in addition to these, is intelligent materials. These composite structures are either self diagnostic, self attenuated, or both. Challenges being addressed pivot about mechanical integrity, interdiffusion and phase stability, interface engineering, and material status sensing and signal processing.
Training for the Enhancement of Exercise Tolerance in Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction

In normal subjects maximal exercise during standard incremental exercise tests is usually limited at a point where delivery of oxygen to the periphery is maximal. This point is called maximal oxygen uptake, defined as the rate of oxygen uptake where a further increment of workload leads to further anaerobic metabolism, but no further increase in oxygen utilisation. In normals this point is also the point at which cardiac output is maximal.
Latin American Social Medicine

Latin American social medicine remains little known in the English-speaking world. Social medicine groups have emerged in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela, and other countries of Latin America. These groups have focused on the social determinants of illness and early death, the effects of social policies such as privatization and public sector cutbacks, occupational and environmental causes of illness, critical epidemiology, mental health effects of political trauma, the impact of gender, and collaborations with local communities, labor organizations, and indigenous peoples. The conceptual orientation and research efforts of these groups have tended to challenge current relations of economic and political power. Despite dangers linked to dictatorships and political repression, Latin American social medicine has emerged as a productive field of work, whose findings have become pertinent throughout the world.
Properties of Cytoplasmic Transmitters of Excitation in Vertebrate Rods and Evaluation of Candidate Intermediary Transmitters

A cytoplasmically diffusing substance or transmitter must carry the message of excitation from the vertebrate rod disk membrane to the rod plasma membrane, there effecting a decrease in the light-sensitive membrane current. A number of general properties of the transmitter molecule that communicates excitation to the rod plasma membrane either can be deduced from or are strongly constrained by facts of rod physiology. Here we analyze seven general properties of an excitational transmitter: a) transmitter sign (positive or negative concentration change induced by light); b) multi-order sequence of events in production/ destruction; c) numerical gain in production; d) restricted longitudinal diffusion along the outer segment; e) buffering effects on gain and diffusion coefficient; f) limited transmitter lifetime; and g) linearity of transmitter production/reduction with light intensity. Although only cGMP and calcium have been hypothesized to be the molecule communicating excitation to the plasma membrane, other substances have been hypothesized to serve as intermediary transmitters in excitation. We examine the following five intermediary transmitter candidates in the light of the seven general properties: (i) G-protein; (ii) protons; (iii) 5′GMP; (iv) cGMP-dependent protein kinase; and (v) inositol-1, 4, 5-trisphosphate.
A War on Drugs or a War on Immigrants? Expanding the Definition of 'Drug Trafficking' in Determining Aggravated Felon Status for Non-Citizens

In this article we assess competing interpretations of the Immigration and Nationalization Act's 'aggravated felony' provisions, specifically the determination of what state drug offenses properly constitute 'aggravated felonies,' thus subjecting non-citizens to deleterious collateral immigration consequences, including deportation. This issue is considered within the broader political and social context of the nation's 'war on drugs' and wide-ranging trends in American immigration policy. We argue that state drug offenses should be analogous to the traditional federal characterizations of a felony (i.e. yielding more than a year of imprisonment) in order to be appropriately considered aggravated felonies. We conclude that interpretations of the aggravated felony provisions that allow offenses falling below this threshold to be considered aggravated felonies are misguided, lead to unwarranted collateral immigration consequences for non-citizens, and fit within a broader pattern of inordinate burden sharing in the war on drugs by historically disempowered groups.
Overcoming Gender Stereotypes: How Candidate Signaling Affects Voter Evaluations

Existing scholarship on the relationship between candidate gender and voter perceptions of candidate competence suggests that women candidates are perceived to be less qualified in traditionally masculine policy issues. In this paper, I question this fundamental assumption by examining whether women candidates are able to counteract gender stereotypes by embracing hawkish policy positions. I use an experimental design to explore the effect of hawkishness on voter evaluations of candidate competence. While past research implies that women candidates cannot compete on men’s policy issues, I find that hawkish women candidates are perceived to be as competent in national security and military policy as their hawkish male counterparts. Moreover, voters deem hawkish women candidates to be more competent in these issues than candidates of either sex who do not adopt hawkish positions. Yet, the utility of being a hawk is likely to vary across partisan lines, with Republican voters more supportive of hawkish candidates and Democratic voters more supportive of dovish candidates. The findings suggest that political candidates have a certain amount of agency over how they are perceived by voters. Women candidates can be deemed to be competent in men’s policy issues; which position they adopt is likely to depend on constituency preferences, personal ideals, and political ambitions.
Corrections to “Hand Gesture Recognition Using Input Impedance Variation of Two Antennas With Transfer Learning”

In the above paper [1] , the affiliation biographs for I. Alnujaim, H. Aali, and F. Khan should have read as following:
Antigone's tomb: ‘Prologue’

The fact is that Antigone did not commit suicide in her tomb as Socrates, erroneously, tells us. Moreover, how could Antigone, who had never exercised control over her life, kill herself. She did n...
Urban Agriculture and Small Farm Water Use: Case Studies and Trends from Cache Valley, Utah

Abstract The landscape of water in Utah is changing due to population growth, conversion of agricultural land to urban development, and increasing awareness of water scarcity. At the same time, Utah is experiencing a growing number of urban and small farms, but knowledge of water use in this sector is limited. Better understanding of what occurs at the field level on urban and small farms can aid state water use estimates and conservation efforts, and assist farmers in moving towards wiser water management. For the 2015 growing season, we performed irrigation evaluations for 24 urban and small farms in Cache Valley, Utah and we explore the results through case studies and identify trends among gross irrigation depth and field variables including field size, irrigation method, application uniformity, and scheduling practices. Results show a great degree of heterogeneity in irrigation methods, equipment used, and management practices. The beneficial consumed fraction of irrigation water ranged from 0.06 to 1.0. Small fields had lower application uniformities and greater irrigation depths than large fields. Surface irrigated fields had higher irrigation depths than sprinkle and drip irrigated fields. Additionally, fields using a fixed irrigation schedule had higher depths than fields that were irrigated inconsistently due to other factors. The results show that urban and small farm irrigators need improved knowledge of proper irrigation management. Irrigators, university extension services, and state water authorities working in this sector need to recognize the link between proper management and total water use, and focus more efforts on improving management, specifically how to use 1) low-cost methods to measure flow rates, 2) simple irrigation scheduling tools, and 3) improve application uniformity.
Peru since Independence, a Tortured History

This essay reviews the following works: The Lima Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Edited by Carlos Aguirre and Charles Walker. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2017, Pp. xv + 272. $26.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780822363484. Peru. 5 tomos. America Latina en la historia contemporanea. Dirigido por Carlos Contreras Carranza. Madrid: Fundacion MAPFRE, 2013–2015. Tomo 1, Crisis imperial e independencia, 1808–1830. Coordinado por Scarlett O’Phelan Godoy. Madrid: MAPFRE, 2013. Pp. 11–336. ISBN: 9788430607884. Tomo 2, La construccion nacional, 1830–1880. Coordinado por Carlos Contreras Carranza. Madrid: MAPFRE, 2014. Pp. 2–360. ISBN: 9788439607884. Tomo 3, La apertura al mundo, 1880–1930. Coordinado por Oscar Gonzales. Madrid: MAPFRE, 2015. Pp. 11–304. ISBN: 9788430607884. Tomo 4, Mirando hacia dentro, 1839–1960. Coordinado por Marcos Cueto. Madrid: MAPFRE, 2015. Pp. 13–312. ISBN: 9788430607884. Tomo 5, La busqueda de la democracia, 1960–2010. Coordinado por Antonio Zapata. Madrid: MAPFRE, 2015. Pp. 13–367. ISBN: 9788430607884.
Unique and non-redundant function of csf1r paralogues in regulation and evolution of post-embryonic development of the zebrafish.

Evolution is replete with reuse of genes in different contexts, leading to multifunctional roles of signaling factors during development. Here, we explore osteoclast regulation during skeletal development through analysis of colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (csf1r) function in the zebrafish. A primary role of Csf1r signaling is to regulate the proliferation, differentiation and function of myelomonocytic cells, including osteoclasts. We demonstrate the retention of two functional paralogues of csf1r in zebrafish. Mutant analysis indicates that the paralogues have shared, non-redundant roles in regulating osteoclast activity during the formation of the adult skeleton. Csf1ra, however, has adopted unique roles in pigment cell patterning not seen in the second paralogue. We identify a unique noncoding element within csf1ra of fishes that is sufficient for controlling gene expression in pigment cells during development. As a role for Csf1r signaling in pigmentation is not observed in mammals or birds, it is likely that the overlapping roles of the two paralogues released functional constraints on csf1ra, allowing the signaling capacity of Csf1r to serve a novel function in the evolution of pigment pattern in fishes.
An extension of Schelling's segregation model: Modeling the impact of individuals’ intolerance in the presence of resource scarcity

Abstract Individuals often form their identity based on their membership in a group and may exhibit a bias towards favoring members of the in-group (Greenwald and Pettigrew, 2014). When resources are plentiful, individuals are more likely to be tolerant of members of out-group sharing the resources. However, when there is a scarcity of resources, the resource stress could lead to a negative attitude towards members of the out-group as sharing of resources may be viewed as a zero-sum game. Schelling's spatial proximity model (Schelling, 1971; Schelling, 1978) shows how residential segregation emerges even when households only have a slight preference for members of their in-group. The original formulation by Schelling as well as many of its extensions have assumed that the amount of space available to agents to relocate was fixed. Agents' preference for members of the in-group also had been assumed to be invariant during the simulation run. This paper presents an extension of Schelling's model by relaxing these two assumptions to focus on the context of growing scarcity of environmental resources (e.g. habitable land) and the resulting decline in the tolerance for members of the out-group. Drawing upon theories in social psychology, it was assumed that declining resources lead to lower tolerance for members of the out-group as this scarce resource had to be shared. An agent-based simulation examined the impact of varying the degree of intolerance towards members of the out-group on the level of segregation in an artificial society. Several what-if scenarios were analyzed where the availability of an environmental resource (habitable land) declined over time. It was observed that with a high degree of intolerance towards members of the out-group, the degree of segregation in an artificial society while increasing initially became unsustainable and the highly segregated clusters eventually disintegrated.
Hyperdemand: A static traffic model with backward-bending demand curves

Abstract Static traffic models, in the tradition of Walters (1961), typically feature a ‘‘demand curve’’ giving the vehicle flow demanded for each unit travel time (inverse speed). Traditionally, the demand curve declines because people want to drive more as travel times fall. This paper proposes that the vehicle flow demanded can, instead, plausibly rise with unit travel time (a phenomenon we call ‘‘hyperdemand’’), if congestion somehow induces some people to switch from high-to low-occupancy modes. To illustrate, we present a model of travel in an isotropic downtown where people choose among not traveling, a low-occupancy mode called ‘‘Alone’’ and a high-occupancy mode called ‘‘Pool.’’ Pool trips detour to pick up and drop off passengers en route, so congestion delays them more than Alone trips. Consequently, multiple equilibria can arise even in ‘‘light congestion,’’ and small toll increases can have dramatic impacts by eliminating equilibria.
Expanding the Role of Paralegals: Supporting Realization of the Right to Health for Vulnerable Communities

All around the world, the paralegal program prepares members of marginalized communities to face the legal system. Having a common background with their clients and being capable of conducting flexible work, paralegals' role moves beyond enlarging the beneficiaries of legal aid to addressing intersectional issues around health-related rights. This study assesses the health and other impacts of paralegals recruited by Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (LBHM), a human rights organization which provides legal assistance and operates in Jakarta, Indonesia. The positive results these paralegals can bring in the specific context can contribute to the development of community-based paralegals elsewhere. Methods: This mixed methods research was carried out in 2016-2018. In 2016, a quantitative survey was administered to LBHM-trained paralegals and a sub-set of paralegals who completed the survey were then also interviewed. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, and, for the qualitative data, thematic analysis was conducted. Results: The paralegals make important contributions to health-related rights in four distinct ways. Firstly, most of the paralegals checked their clients' health in all stages of detention, especially regarding their drug dependency status and checking for signs of torture. Secondly, paralegals help clients to be more aware of their health-related rights, especially regarding their rights to obtain health services inside detention. Thirdly, paralegals can ensure that their clients obtain health services by taking medicines directly to the clients or encouraging the law enforcement agencies to refer the clients to health services. Lastly, in drug cases, paralegals help their clients to obtain alternative sentences besides imprisonment. Conclusions: These four contributions verify the positive impacts paralegals, recruited from marginalized communities, can deliver for community members facing criminal justice processes. The shifting role of paralegals from merely an intermediary between clients and lawyers to champions of the health-related rights of their clients can happen as a result of adequate training, support, and networks with other agents in criminal justice system.
Treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy with engineered mesenchymal stromal cell-derived exosomes enriched with microRNA-146a provide amplified therapeutic efficacy

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most prevalent chronic complications of diabetes mellitus with no effective treatment. We recently demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived exosomes (exo-naive) alleviate neurovascular dysfunction and improve functional recovery. MicroRNA (miRNA), one of the exosomal cargos, downregulates inflammation-related genes, resulting in suppression of pro-inflammatory gene activation. In the present study, we developed engineered MSC-exosomes loaded with miR-146a (exo-146a) and compared the therapeutic effects of exo-146a with exo-naive in diabetic (db/db) mice with DPN. Exo-146a possesses a high loading capacity, robust ability to accumulate in peripheral nerve tissues upon systemic administration, and evokes substantially enhanced therapeutic efficacy on neurological recovery compared with exo-naive. Treatment of DPN in diabetic mice with exo-146a for two weeks significantly increased and decreased nerve conduction velocity, and thermal and mechanical stimuli threshold, respectively, whereas it took four weeks of exo-naive treatment to achieve these improvements. Compared with exo-naive, exo-146a significantly suppressed the peripheral blood inflammatory monocytes and the activation of endothelial cells via inhibiting Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4/NF-κB signaling pathway. These data provide a proof-of-concept about both the feasibility and efficacy of the exosome-based gene therapy for DPN. The translation of this approach to the clinic has the potential to improve the prospects for people who suffer from DPN.
Current Approach to Managing Patients with Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Multiple Myeloma

With rapid advances in the therapeutic landscape and biological insights in multiple myeloma, it is critical to identify and strategically manage high-risk patients to achieve best outcomes with currently available drugs. The purpose of this review is to summarize the management of high-risk myeloma with a focus on recent advances in the field. The most widely accepted definition of “high-risk” is the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) stage 3 disease, which includes high tumor burden (ISS stage 3) and high-risk FISH cytogenetics or an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level. A major advance in the management of high-risk patients is insight into the importance of achieving and sustaining minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, which is an influential equalizer for long-term outcomes. Quadruplet pre-transplant induction regimens incorporating an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb), proteasome inhibitor (PI: bortezomib or carfilzomib), lenalidomide, and dexamethasone should be strongly considered in high-risk patients given higher odds of getting to MRD negativity with these regimens compared to triplets. In transplant-eligible patients, upfront transplant does lead to a higher rate of sustained MRD negativity and superior PFS compared to delayed transplant. The role of tandem transplant in the context of bortezomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (VRD) induction therapy is unclear. Post-transplant maintenance therapy should include lenalidomide in combination with either bortezomib or carfilzomib until progression. For transplant-ineligible patients, VRD or daratumumab-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (DRD) until progressions are both reasonable and choice should be individualized based on patient-related factors. Outcomes of high-risk myeloma patients have improved in the last decade with the use of modern 3-drug induction regimens incorporating a PI and an immunomodulatory drug, with potential for further improvement as we bring anti-CD38 mAb upfront. MRD assessment will play a major role in treatment modification at several key time-points in the future such as pre-transplant, pre-maintenance, and yearly on maintenance therapy.
Phrasal Spellout and Partial Overwrite: On an alternative to backtracking

This paper explores branching vocabulary items as a possible alternative to backtracking in Nanosyntax. Such vocabulary items give rise to the possibility of partial overwrite. Initially, they spell out a node with two phrasal daughters. At a subsequent stage, the right branch is interpreted by a new element, but the original item continues to spell out the left branch of such a derivation. The effects that branching vocabulary items give rise to thus mimic aspects of backtracking, without requiring mechanisms that undo parts of the derivation.
Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus in Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES To characterize the pediatric super-refractory status epilepticus population by describing treatment variability in super-refractory status epilepticus patients and comparing relevant clinical characteristics, including outcomes, between super-refractory status epilepticus, and nonsuper-refractory status epilepticus patients. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study with prospectively collected data between June 2011 and January 2019. SETTING Seventeen academic hospitals in the United States. PATIENTS We included patients 1 month to 21 years old presenting with convulsive refractory status epilepticus. We defined super-refractory status epilepticus as continuous or intermittent seizures lasting greater than or equal to 24 hours following initiation of continuous infusion and divided the cohort into super-refractory status epilepticus and nonsuper-refractory status epilepticus groups. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We identified 281 patients (157 males) with a median age of 4.1 years (1.3-9.5 yr), including 31 super-refractory status epilepticus patients. Compared with nonsuper-refractory status epilepticus group, super-refractory status epilepticus patients had delayed initiation of first nonbenzodiazepine-antiseizure medication (149 min [55-491.5 min] vs 62 min [33.3-120.8 min]; p = 0.030) and of continuous infusion (495 min [177.5-1,255 min] vs 150 min [90-318.5 min]; p = 0.003); prolonged seizure duration (120 hr [58-368 hr] vs 3 hr [1.4-5.9 hr]; p < 0.001) and length of ICU stay (17 d [9.5-40 d] vs [1.8-8.8 d]; p < 0.001); more medical complications (18/31 [58.1%] vs 55/250 [22.2%] patients; p < 0.001); lower return to baseline function (7/31 [22.6%] vs 182/250 [73.4%] patients; p < 0.001); and higher mortality (4/31 [12.9%] vs 5/250 [2%]; p = 0.010). Within the super-refractory status epilepticus group, status epilepticus resolution was attained with a single continuous infusion in 15 of 31 patients (48.4%), two in 10 of 31 (32.3%), and three or more in six of 31 (19.4%). Most super-refractory status epilepticus patients (30/31, 96.8%) received midazolam as first choice. About 17 of 31 patients (54.8%) received additional treatments. CONCLUSIONS Super-refractory status epilepticus patients had delayed initiation of nonbenzodiazepine antiseizure medication treatment, higher number of medical complications and mortality, and lower return to neurologic baseline than nonsuper-refractory status epilepticus patients, although these associations were not adjusted for potential confounders. Treatment approaches following the first continuous infusion were heterogeneous, reflecting limited information to guide clinical decision-making in super-refractory status epilepticus.
Larval Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyl-126 Led to a Long-Lasting Decrease in Immune Function in Post-Metamorphic Juvenile Northern Leopard Frogs, Lithobates pipiens

Amphibian populations are decreasing worldwide, and pollution is a contributing factor. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants known to exert immunotoxicity. To assess impacts of PCBs on frogs, we exposed Lithobates pipiens tadpoles to a diet of PCB-126 (0-5 ng PCB-126/g wet food) through metamorphic climax. Postmetamorphic frogs were immunized with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH); then production of KLH-specific IgY, as well as total IgY and IgM, was measured (Trial I). A second larval study (0 and 7.3 ng PCB-126/g wet food) was performed to investigate whether PCB altered antigenic responses in prometamorphic tadpoles (Gosner Stage 36-39), and to measure the innate immune response of postmetamorphic frogs (Trial II). After larval PCB-126 exposure, both KLH-specific IgY levels and complement activity were reduced. Because postmetamorphic frogs carried a body burden of PCB-126 (2.4 ng/g or less), we wanted to determine whether the effect on immune response was due to larval exposure or to the resulting body burden as frogs. To test this, we reared tadpoles under control conditions (no PCB), and limited PCB exposure to postmetamorphosis only by injecting 2-week-old frogs with 10 ng PCB-126/g (Trial III). The resulting body burden (3.4 ng/g) was similar to that of frogs in Trial I, but we no longer detected suppression of KLH-specific IgY or hemolytic activity. These results suggest life-stage-specific immune responses; however, because we administered PCB-126 differently between trials, it is premature to conclude that these differences are intrinsically life stage dependent, and further study is warranted. Regardless, our study demonstrated a long-lasting effect of larval PCB-126 exposure that persisted through metamorphosis and suppressed frog immunity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;00:1-14. © 2021 SETAC.
WAVES GENERATED BY MODEL SHIP HULL

A literature survey of theoretical and experimental investigations for the configuration of the wave pattern and characteristics of the individual wave phases for waves generated by a moving ship is presented. This discussion is primarily concerned with the procedures and results of a qualitative and quantitative experimental investigation of the characteristics of surface waves generated by a model ship hull of basic form, as a function of ship speed and distance from the sailing line in deep and shallow water. Stereophotogrammetry and standard resistance-type parallel-wire gages were employed in the measurement of the waves generated by the model. Based on this study (including comparison with theory), the author concludes that although existing theory on ship generated waves provides a general indication of the wave patterns to be expected, more precise predictions of diverging and transverse wave amplitudes, cross-section and crest-line patterns, and the decrease in amplitude with distance from the sailing line can be obtained only through ship hull model and prototype studies. The author's recommendations for extending this study to provide comprehensive data for design purposes are included.
Experimental investigation of optical, remote, aerial sonar

Detecting underwater objects such as debris fields, submarines or mines for littoral area clearance, while in the air, would increase the autonomy and flexibility of subsurface, surface and air vehicles engaged in undersea warfare and could have a variety of commercial and oceanographic applications. Experimental research into a laser-based active sonar concept is being conducted for remote, aerial detection of submerged objects and for sonar mapping of an undersea area. An airborne high-energy, pulsed laser is used to remotely generate underwater acoustic energy. The acoustic wave propagate through the water and are reflected from underwater objects. The acoustic signals are then detected as they reach the water surface using a low-powered laser interferometer device. An array of surface detections of the acoustic field reflected from the underwater objects will then be analyzed using traditional time-delay beamforming techniques to locate underwater objects. The combination of these optical technologies provides a means for stealthy, remote, active as well as passive sonar that does not currently exist. Results are presented from a controlled laboratory test using commercial laser devices, which demonstrate the feasibility of the sonar concept for remotely searching for underwater objects. This paper outlines the aerial sonar concept and provides the initial experimental results of the underwater object illumination, detection and localization.
Advancements in picosecond resolution time interval measurement techniques

New, efficient measurement techniques are used to adequately characterize the actual performance of the new generation of programmable equivalent time sequential sampling oscilloscopes. These instruments provide new time interval measurement capabilities with increased repeatability and accuracy. Subpicosecond repeatability for risetime measurements of fast step generators (20 ps transition time) has been observed. A typical timebase related peak error of 3 ps for short time interval measurements (up to tens of ns) has been shown. A brief introduction on the horizontal timebase error sources is followed by the description of the automated measurement techniques. Finally actual measurement results are shown using the described techniques. >
Restitution on Behalf of Indirect Purchasers:Opening the Backdoor to Illinois Brick

But, this remedy was not selected.1 I. Introduction In December 1998, the Federal Trade Commission (Commission) charged Mylan Laboratories (Mylan) with restraint of trade, monopolization, and conspiracy to monopolize the markets for two popular anti-anxiety drugs.2 The Commission alleged that illegal activity by Mylan enabled the company to raise the wholesale price of one of the drugs, Lorazepam, from $7.30 to $190.00 per bottle.3 The Commission accused the pharmaceuticals company of making excessive profits on drugs used to treat the elderly and the infirm.4 Attorneys General from nearly a dozen states announced that they too would join in the suit.5 They asserted both federal6 and pendant state claims.7 The Commission's action against Mylan seems unremarkable given the high number of antitrust enforcement actions in recent years. The front pages of major newspapers now frequently feature stories concerning the latest antitrust cases.8 These have included civil actions against Microsoft, Intel, American Airlines, and Visa and Mastercard.9 In addition, high-profile criminal prosecutions have led to the indictment of vitamin manufacturers engaged in an international cartel and the trial of executives at Archer Daniels Midland.10 The case against Mylan, however, was unique. The Federal Trade Commission sought $120 million in restitution11 and disgorgema12 of profits.13 According to the Commission, this was the amount by which Mylan profited from illegally overcharging for its drugs.14 The district court in FTC v. Mylan Laboratories, Inc.15 concluded that the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act)16 gave the Commission authority to seek restitution and disgorgement of profits.17 This was the first time a court has permitted the Commission to seek such relief in an antitrust case.18 Moreover, the Commission sought to recover this money on behalf of indirect purchasers.19 Mylan sells the drugs it produces primarily to wholesalers and retail pharmacy chains, who in turn sell them to consumers.20 Thus, the consumers who bought the drugs for which Mylan overcharged were indirect purchasers. While the district court did not expressly permit the Commission to recover on behalf of indirect purchasers, it assumed that the Commission had authority to seek such relief.21 In Illinois Brick Co. v. Illinois,22 however, the Supreme Court held that indirect purchasers are not injured within the meaning of the federal antitrust laws.23 Thus, for over twenty years, Illinois Brick has barred indirect purchasers from recovering damages in antitrust cases.24 Now, by permitting the Commission to proceed with its claims for restitution, the court in Mylan appears to have opened a backdoor through which indirect purchasers may recover for antitrust violations. Opening this door risks giving rise to the very problems that the Supreme Court sought to avoid in Illinois Brick: multiple liability for defendants,25 complexity,26 and discouraging private antitrust suits. …
Navigation of Distinct Euclidean Particles via Hierarchical Clustering

We present a centralized online (completely reactive) hybrid navigation algorithm for bringing a swarm of \(n\) perfectly sensed and actuated point particles in Euclidean \(d\) space (for arbitrary \(n\) and \(d\)) to an arbitrary goal configuration with the guarantee of no collisions along the way. Our construction entails a discrete abstraction of configurations using cluster hierarchies, and relies upon two prior recent constructions: (i) a family of hierarchy-preserving control policies and (ii) an abstract discrete dynamical system for navigating through the space of cluster hierarchies. Here, we relate the (combinatorial) topology of hierarchical clusters to the (continuous) topology of configurations by constructing “portals”—open sets of configurations supporting two adjacent hierarchies. The resulting online sequential composition of hierarchy-invariant swarming followed by discrete selection of a hierarchy “closer” to that of the destination along with its continuous instantiation via an appropriate portal configuration yields a computationally effective construction for the desired navigation policy.
One Medicine One Science: a framework for exploring challenges at the intersection of animals, humans, and the environment

Characterizing the health consequences of interactions among animals, humans, and the environment in the face of climatic change, environmental disturbance, and expanding human populations is a critical global challenge in today's world. Exchange of interdisciplinary knowledge in basic and applied sciences and medicine that includes scientists, health professionals, key sponsors, and policy experts revealed that relevant case studies of monkeypox, influenza A, tuberculosis, and HIV can be used to guide strategies for anticipating and responding to new disease threats such as the Ebola and Chickungunya viruses, as well as to improve programs to control existing zoonotic diseases, including tuberculosis. The problem of safely feeding the world while preserving the environment and avoiding issues such as antibiotic resistance in animals and humans requires cooperative scientific problem solving. Food poisoning outbreaks resulting from Salmonella growing in vegetables have demonstrated the need for knowledge of pathogen evolution and adaptation in developing appropriate countermeasures for prevention and policy development. Similarly, pesticide use for efficient crop production must take into consideration bee population declines that threaten the availability of the two-thirds of human foods that are dependent on pollination. This report presents and weighs the objective merits of competing health priorities and identifies gaps in knowledge that threaten health security, to promote discussion of major public policy implications such that they may be decided with at least an underlying platform of facts.
One- and multi-component models of the upper photosphere based on molecular spectra. II - CN/1, 1/ of the CN violet system

We have obtained center-to-limb photoelectric spectra of the CN(1,1) B-X bandhead region λ3868–3872 A at Kitt Peak National Observatory. From these spectra and a detailed analysis of the formation of the CN (1, 1) spectrum we derive a best-fit upper photospheric model differing from the HSRA which is consistent with our previous CN(0, 0) λ3883 spectra. We derive a solar carbon abundance of log A c = 8.30 ± 0.10 compared to the HSRA value of log A c = 8.55 ± 0.10. In addition we specify the regions of formation for the CN(0, 0) λ3883.35 and CN(1, 1) λ 3871.38 bandheads at disc center and limb.
Geological Chronometry by Radioactive Methods

Publisher Summary The large increase in the knowledge of nuclear physics and radiochemistry occasioned by the Manhattan Project during World War II has had important ramifications in most other fields of experimental science. Not only did the Project produce many new ideas and techniques, but also numerous young scientists who were interested in the application of these techniques to other areas of study. In earth science, geochemistry and nuclear geophysics have been profoundly affected by these developments. This is particularly true of the general area of age determination of rocks and minerals. More research in quantitative geochronometry has been conducted during the past decade than in the previous five years. In this chapter an attempt is made to review the status of the significant isotopic clocks. There has been no attempt to cover the literature exhaustively. The discussion is be concerned primarily with the developments of the past decade ending with the summer of 1954. This chapter starts with the discussion of the “lead methods” used to designate the age measurement. The other methods that have been discussed in this chapter are: the carbon-14 method, the strontium method, the potassium methods, the helium method, and the ionium method.
A model-based approach to finding tracks in SAR CCD images

Combining multiple synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images taken at different times of the same scene produces coherent change detection (CCD) images that can detect small surface changes such as tire tracks. The resulting CCD images can be used in an automated approach to identify and label tracks. Existing techniques have limited success due to the noisy nature of these CCD images. In particular, existing techniques require some user cues and can only trace a single track. This paper presents an approach to automatically identify and label multiple tracks in CCD images. We use an explicit objective function that utilizes the Bayesian information criterion to find the simplest set of curves that explains the observed data. Experimental results show that it is capable of identifying tracks under various scenes and can correctly declare when no tracks are present.
A Fresh Look at the Method of Archimedes

1. INTRODUCTION. A spectacular landmark in the history of mathematics was the discovery by Archimedes (287–212 B.C.) that the volume of a solid sphere is twothirds the volume of the smallest cylinder that surrounds it, and that the surface area of the sphere is also two-thirds the total surface area of the same cylinder. Archimedes was so excited by this discovery that he wanted a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder engraved on his tombstone, even though there were many other great accomplishments for which he would be forever remembered. He made this particular discovery by balancing slices of a sphere and cone against slices of a larger cylinder, using centroids and the principle of the lever, which were also among his remarkable discoveries. The volume ratio for the sphere and cylinder can be derived from first principles without using levers and centroids (see [5]). This simpler and more natural method, presented in sections 2 and 3, paves the way for generalizations. Section 4 introduces a family of solids circumscribing a sphere. Cross sections of each solid cut by planes parallel to the equatorial plane are disks bounded by similar n-gons that circumscribe the circular cross sections of the sphere. We call these solids Archimedean globes in honor of Archimedes, who treated the case n = 4. The sphere is a limiting case, n →∞ . Each globe is analyzed by dividing it into wedges with two planar faces and one semicircular cylindrical face. In fact, Archimedes discussed (both mechanically and geometrically) volumes of wedges of this type. Figure 1 shows the top view of examples of globes with n = 3, 4, 6, and the limiting sphere.
Harnessing Traffic Uncertainties in Wireless Mesh Networks--A Stochastic Optimization Approach

In this paper, we investigate the routing optimization problem in wireless mesh networks. While existing works usually assume static and known traffic demand, we emphasize that the actual traffic is time-varying and difficult to measure. In light of this, we alternatively pursue a stochastic optimization framework where the expected network utility is maximized. For multi-path routing scenario, we propose a stochastic programming approach which requires no priori knowledge on the probabilistic distribution of the traffic. For the single-path routing counterpart, we develop a learning-based algorithm which provably converges to the global optimum solution asymptotically.
The Effect of Ambient Air Moisture and Temperature on Egg Shell Breaking Strength

Abstract Because the moisture content of the egg shell affects its strength, experiments were conducted to study the effect of temperature on egg shell strength. Temperatures were 4.4 C and 32.0 C with varying known moisture levels of the ambient air. The data indicate that ambient air temperature had no significant effect on egg shell strength as long as the moisture level of the ambient air was constant; but with higher moisture levels in the ambient air, the breaking strength was significantly lower.
Pediatric Firearm Injuries: Do Database Analyses Tell the Whole Story?

Firearm injuries cause significant morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population and a large economic burden to our health care system. Recent events have increased awareness in the public and in turn for those in the medical field. Many local and national studies have evaluated various aspects of firearm-related injuries across the United States in an effort to identify an intervention that may assist with prevention or management of firearm-related injuries or death in this vulnerable population. In the 1990s, there was a significant decrease in pediatric firearm-related injuries and mortality. The reason for this decline remains unknown with many theories including improved laws, increased awareness, and increased prevention efforts. However, this trend did not continue into the 21st century, and firearms remain one of the leading causes of death in the pediatric population.
Secretory IgM antibodies to Streptococcus mutans in subjects with selective IgA deficiency.

Abstract A group of 25 subjects with selective IgA deficiency formed part of a study to investigate the relationship between secretory IgA and the incidence of dental caries. Eight of these subjects were found to have significant levels of IgM in their whole, parotid, and submandibular-sublingual saliva. Parotid saliva and serum samples were assayed for the presence of naturally induced antibodies to five serotypes of Streptococcus mutans. Agglutinin titers to strains AHT, BHT, 10449, LM-7, and 6715 were equivalent in control groups and IgA-deficient subjects with elevated salivary IgM. Fractionation of parotid saliva on Sephadex G-200 and immunofluorescent and serological procedures indicated that the anti-S. mutans antibody activity was associated exclusively with IgM. In contrast, in the control population the immunoglobulin responsible for antibody activity was principally IgA. No antibody could be detected in the Ig-deficient saliva samples. Immunochemical analyses indicated that the IgM antibody was, at least in part, associated with secretory component. The IgM-compensating subjects as a group had markedly lower caries experience compared to subjects with Ig-deficient saliva. These data indicate a biological activity for secretory IgM which may function to compensate for the absence of s-IgA, and this antibody may be an important determinant in the oral, as well as overall, health of selective IgA-deficient patients.
A pincer-like configuration of TM2 in the human dopamine transporter is responsible for indirect effects on cocaine binding.

Abstract The second transmembrane segment (TM2) of DAT and other neurotransmitter transporters has been proposed to play a role in oligomerization as well as in cocaine binding. In an attempt to determine whether TM2 contributes to the binding site and/or transport pathway of DAT, we mutated to cysteine, one at a time, 25 residues in TM2 – from Phe98 to Gln122 – in an appropriate DAT background construct. Four of the mutants, F98C, G110C, P112C, and E117C, did not express at the cell surface, and G121C was inactive, despite its presence on the cell surface. Of the 21 mutants that expressed, none of the substituted cysteines reacted with MTSEA biotin-CAP, and none of the 20 functional mutants was sensitive to MTSEA or MTSET. Thus, TM2 does not appear to be water-accessible, based both on the lack of functional effects of charged MTS derivatives, and on the biochemical determination of lack of reaction with a biotinylated MTS derivative. This leads to the conclusion that TM2 does not contribute directly to the substrate-binding site or the transport pathway, and suggests that the observed effect of mutations in this region on cocaine binding is indirect. Three mutants, M106C, V107C and I108C, were crosslinked by treatment with HgCl2. This crosslinking was inhibited by the presence of the cocaine analogue MFZ 2–12, likely due to a conformational rearrangement in TM2 upon inhibitor binding. However, the lack of crosslinking of cysteines substituted for Leu99, Leu113 and Leu120 – three of the residues that along with Met106 form a leucine heptad repeat in TM2 – makes it unlikely that this leucine repeat plays a role in symmetrical TM2 dimerization. Importantly, a high-resolution structure of LeuT, a sodium-dependent leucine transporter that is sufficiently homologous to DAT to suggest a high degree of structural similarity, became available while this manuscript was under review. We have taken advantage of this structure to explore further and interpret our experimental results in a rigorous structural context.