cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The International Law Commission at Its 70th Anniversary: Its Role in International Law and Its Impact on U.S. Jurisprudence

It is the International Law Commission’s (“ILC”) “birthday” celebration, and one is expected to bring presents to such events. As an international law scholar and an outsider to the institution, my best presents are hopefully constructive comments in the nature of analysis, critique, suggestions, and positive statements of encouragement. Such comments aim to be informative, practical, and helpful. By necessity, all of them depend on one’s perspective, the role that one perceives a lawyer should have in society, one’s observational standpoint, one’s jurisprudence, etc. Most of our perspectives derive from a positivist framework. Even if we assume the role of a problem-solver, as in the respected New Haven Approach to law, we still need to deal with the practical needs of the legal environment. The application of law often entails—and even requires—at least some of the concerns and analytical tools of positivism. Legislation and other decision-making processes generally, however, are different and not wholly amenable to such an approach; that is where New Haven displays its greatest strength. From this perspective, we take stock of the “birthday kid” and its accomplishments—the ILC. It is a creature of the states and a part of the optimistic San Francisco construct of the world community after the cataclysm of World War II. It was more the beginning of something than the culmination of various antecedents, and it has subsequently made a greater number of inroads than the few discernible paths leading to its creation. In what follows, I will first make some observations on the history of the ILC’s twofold institutional mandate. Second, I will present the results of empirical research on the direct and indirect impact of the ILC on U.S. jurisprudence and legal scholarship. Lastly, I will furnish the reader with an assessment of the ILC’s current challenges in fulfilling its mandate to codify and “progressively develop” international law and some recommendations to address them.
Supporting Real-Time Ethical Deliberation in Contingency Capacity During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The reality of resource limitation during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has deeply challenged established approaches to healthcare system emergency response. Early preparation du...
A multiscale experimental approach to characterize micro-to-macro transition length scale in polymer foams

Abstract Bridging between micromechanics response and macroscopic behavior is at the core of multiscale investigations in heterogeneous materials. As such, quantitative characterization of the transitional length scales that correlate micro and macroscale behaviors is of great importance. Experimental characterization of the so-called transitional length scales in foams and other cellular structures is extremely scarce. The present work reports on an experimental-statistical approach proposed to quantify the micro-to-macro transition length scale in polymeric foams. The approach proposed in this work uses full-field strain distributions measured by digital image correlation (DIC) at two scales as input. The physical dimensions of the transition length scale are identified by implementing a statistical algorithm based on spatial averaging of the local strain data obtained from DIC. Interestingly, the transition between micro and macroscale deformation is found to be a function of material density but independent of global strain and stresses applied. The present results provide direct validations to representative volume element (RVE) size in cellular solids determined by computational methods.
An Experimental Investigation on the Multiphase Flows in a Photobioreactor for Algae Cultivation

Light absorption, fluid dynamics, and algal metabolism are the three key factors in determining the overall algae cultivation performance of a photobioreactor. The turbulent mixing of multiphase flows inside the photobioreactor (i.e., liquid phase — water, gas phase — CO2 and O2, and solid phase — algae cells) is the core connecting the three key factors together. In the present study, a comprehensive experimental investigation is conducted to quantify the effects of turbulent mixing in photobioreactors on the reactor performance for algae cultivation. A high-resolution particle image velocity (PIV) system will be used to achieve time-resolved, in-situ flow field measurements to quantify the turbulent mixing inside the bioreactors, while algal cultures will also be grown in the same reactors. The effects of various important controlling flow parameters, such as the flow rate of the air flow, the formation of the circulation regions, and the turbulent kinetic energy level of the mixing flow inside the photobioreactor on the final growth rate of algae, were investigated in great detail. The detailed flow field measurements results about the mixing characteristics are correlated with the algal growth performance in the photobioreactors to elucidate the underlying physics in order to explore/optimize design paradigms for the the optimum design of photobioreactors for algal cultivation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Intraoperative Monitoring of Evoked Potentials in Microvascular Decompression Operations: Influence on Surgical Strategy

Neurophysiologic monitoring of patients during microvascular decompression (MVD) operations to treat cranial nerve disorders in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) has become essential not only to the decrease in morbidity of these operations that now makes them a desirable option for patients with disorders such as hemifacial spasm and trigeminal neuralgia, but in some cases to the efficient completion of the procedure itself.
Cyber-physical systems challenges: a needs analysis for collaborating embedded software systems

Embedding computing power in a physical environment has provided the functional flexibility and performance necessary in modern products such as automobiles, aircraft, smartphones, and more. As product features came to increasingly rely on software, a network infrastructure helped factor out common hardware and offered sharing functionality for further innovation. A logical consequence was the need for system integration. Even in the case of a single original end manufacturer who is responsible for the final product, system integration is quite a challenge. More recently, there have been systems coming online that must perform system integration even after deployment--that is, during operation. This has given rise to the cyber-physical systems (CPS) paradigm. In this paper, select key enablers for a new type of system integration are discussed. The needs and challenges for designing and operating CPS are identified along with corresponding technologies to address the challenges and their potential impact. The intent is to contribute to a model-based research agenda in terms of design methods, implementation technologies, and organization challenges necessary to bring the next-generation systems online.
Organizational issues in the introduction of new technologies

More than ever before, organizations competing in today’s world of high technology are faced with the challenges of “dualism,” that is, functioning efficiently today while planning and innovating effectively for tomorrow. Not only must these organizations be concerned with the success and market penetration of their current product mix, but they must also be concerned with their long-run capability to develop and incorporate in a timely manner the most appropriate technical advancements into future product offerings. Research and development-based corporations, no matter how they are organized, must find ways to internalize both sets of concerns.
Elliptic Curve Scalar Multiplier Design Using FPGAs

A compact fast elliptic curve scalar multiplier with variable key size is implemented as a coprocessor with a Xilinx FPGA. This implementation utilizes the internal SRAM/registers of the FPGA and has the whole scalar multiplier implemented within a single FPGA chip. The compact design helps reduce the overhead and limitations associated with data transfer between FPGA and host, and thus leads to high performance. The experimental data from the mappings over small fields shows that the carefully constructed hardware architecture is regular and has high CLB utilization.
Methyl acetyl phosphate as a covalent probe for anion-binding sites in human and bovine hemoglobins.

Abstract An allosteric modulator of oxygen release in human erythrocytes is 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, but bovine erythrocytes apparently utilize chloride for this purpose since they contain little, if any, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. In order to identify the sites to which these anions bind, the site-specific acetylating agent, methyl acetyl phosphate, has been employed to compete with these allosteric modulators and to mimic their effects on hemoglobin function. With human hemoglobin A, methyl acetyl phosphate competes with 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and acetylates only Val-1(beta), Lys-82(beta), and Lys-144(beta) within or near the cleft that binds this organic phosphate (Ueno, H., Pospischil, M. A., Manning, J. M., and Kluger, R. (1986) Arch Biochem. Biophys. 244, 795). With bovine hemoglobin, the acetylation is competitive with chloride ion. The sites of acetylation in oxy bovine hemoglobin are Met-1(beta) and Lys-81(beta) and for deoxy bovine hemoglobin, they are Val-1(alpha) and Lys-81(beta). Thus, these sites are expected to be involved in the binding of chloride to bovine hemoglobin. Treatment of either human or bovine hemoglobins with methyl acetyl phosphate under anaerobic conditions leads to a lowering of their oxygen affinity and hence the covalent modifier has the same effect on hemoglobin function as the non-covalent regulators, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and chloride. The Hill's coefficient of hemoglobin is unaffected by treatment with methyl acetyl phosphate. Under aerobic conditions, specifically acetylated bovine hemoglobin also has a lowered oxygen affinity, and human hemoglobin A shows a slight change in its oxygen affinity. In general, bovine hemoglobin is more responsive than human hemoglobin to both chloride and methyl acetyl phosphate; the latter agent results in a permanent covalent labeling of the protein. Therefore, the results support the idea that methyl acetyl phosphate may be a useful probe for deciphering the sites of binding of anions to proteins.
Constrained H/sub infinity / optimization: a design example

A design framework for constrained H/sub infinity / optimization is given, which contains as a special case the problem considered by A. Sideris and H. Rotstein, (1990). In this framework, performance specifications are posed in the time domain as design constraints, and robust stability is then maximized, via H/sub infinity / optimization in the frequency domain. The results from using the framework are tested by applying them to the benchmark control problem proposed by B. Wie and D. Bernstein (1990). The authors verified that the approach establishes the achievable design limits, which are the critical design specifications and also the suitable tradeoffs between several specifications. At its present state, the approach provides a systematic method to study the key tradeoffs of a problem and obtain preliminary controllers. >
Secure and resilient distributed machine learning under adversarial environments

With a large number of sensors and control units in networked systems, the decentralized computing algorithms play a key role in scalable and efficient data processing for detection and estimation. The well-known algorithms are vulnerable to adversaries who can modify and generate data to deceive the system to misclassify or misestimate the information from the distributed data processing. This work aims to develop secure, resilient and distributed machine learning algorithms under adversarial environment. We establish a game-theoretic framework to capture the conflicting interests between the adversary and a set of distributed data processing units. The Nash equilibrium of the game allows predicting the outcome of learning algorithms in adversarial environment, and enhancing the resilience of the machine learning through dynamic distributed learning algorithms. We use Spambase Dataset to illustrate and corroborate our results.
Representations in Abelian Categories

Consider the general but imprecise question: given a category how nicely can it be represented in an abelian category?
IMPACT OF TILE-SIZE SELECTION FOR SKEWED TILING

Tile-size selection is known to be a complex problem. This paper develops a new selection algorithm targeting relaxation codes. Unlike previous algorithms, this new algorithm considers the effect of loop skewing, which is necessary to tile such codes. It also estimates loop overhead and incorporates them into the execution cost model, which turns out to be critical to the decision between tiling a single loop level vs. tiling two loop levels. Our preliminary experimental results show a significant impact of these previously ignored issues on the execution time of tiled loops in relaxation codes. In our experiments, we measured the cache miss rate and the execution time of five benchmark programs on a single processor and we compared our algorithm with previous algorithms. Our algorithm achieves an average speedup of 1.27 to 1.63 over all the other algorithms.
Enterprise-Wide Strategic Management: Enterprise-wide strategic management: Underpinnings and context

Introduction The global business environment has changed dramatically over the last decade. This is due in large measure to globalization, the power of new technologies and products, the intensity of customer expectations for low-priced, high-quality products and services, the expansion of extreme competition, and the proliferation of information and data, especially via the Internet. While such changes provide new opportunities and challenges, they are making the global business environment more complex, interconnected, interdependent, and turbulent. The business world is undergoing spectacular upheavals. To meet the new challenges, cutting-edge business organizations are transitioning into more sophisticated and integrated business enterprises that are more cost-effective, performance-oriented, competitive, profitable, and sustainable. Over the last decade many large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have merged and/or acquired competitors to achieve the size, strength, and position that they assume is necessary to succeed in a demanding world full of world-class competitors. Today's business entities run the gamut from powerful global giants of the developed countries to highly aggressive, fast-paced emerging companies in the developing countries who vie to be the business leaders of tomorrow. The business landscape is also characterized by the tens of thousands of SMEs and entrepreneurial companies across the world that are trying to expand their presence and positions by taking advantage of globalization and the interconnectedness of the business environment.
Dioecy in Mikania ( Compositae : Eupatorieae )

For the first time dioecy inMikania and in the tribeEupatorieae is described and discussed. The condition is known only in members of theMikania swartziana Griseb. complex, a group of eight species, all endemic to the Greater Antillean Islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica.
Site-directed Mutagenesis of Conserved Aspartates, Glutamates and Arginines in the Active Site Region of Escherichia coli DNA Topoisomerase I

To catalyze relaxation of supercoiled DNA, DNA topoisomerases form a covalent enzyme-DNA intermediate via nucleophilic attack of a tyrosine hydroxyl group on the DNA phosphodiester backbone bond during the step of DNA cleavage. Strand passage then takes place to change the linking number. This is followed by DNA religation during which the displaced DNA hydroxyl group attacks the phosphotyrosine linkage to reform the DNA phosphodiester bond. Mg(II) is required for the relaxation activity of type IA and type II DNA topoisomerases. A number of conserved amino acids with acidic and basic side chains are present near Tyr-319 in the active site of the crystal structure of the 67-kDa N-terminal fragment of Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I. Their roles in enzyme catalysis were investigated by site-directed mutation to alanine. Mutation of Arg-136 abolished all the enzyme relaxation activity even though DNA cleavage activity was retained. The Glu-9, Asp-111, Asp-113, Glu-115, and Arg-321 mutants had partial loss of relaxation activity in vitro. All the mutants failed to complement chromosomal topA mutation in E. coli AS17 at 42 degreesC, possibly accounting for the conservation of these residues in evolution.
Simulation-based engineering of complex systems: simulation-based engineering of complex systems using EXTEND+MFG+OpeMCSS

A Complex Adaptive System (CAS) is a network of self-organizing, intelligent agents that share knowledge and adapt their operations in order to achieve overall system goals. Three things are needed to understand, design, and evaluate CAS. First, a mathematical model or way-of-thinking about CAS, called Context-Sensitive Systems (CSS) theory, is required to provide a solid foundation upon which to represent and describe the kinds of interactions that occur among the CAS agents during system operation. Second, a graphical modeling language is required that implements CSS theory in a way that enhances visualization and understanding of CAS. Third, a systems design and evaluation tool is required that makes it easy to apply CSS theory, expressed using a graphical modeling language, to understand, design, and evaluate CAS. As an example, an OpEMCSS model of two intelligent agents is discussed that learn rules and maximize their average reward in the prisoner's dilemma game.
Fatigue failure analysis of V-4Ti-4Cr alloy

Abstract In the present work, the fatigue fracture and failure behavior of a V–4Ti–4Cr has been studied. Static tests were conducted to study the overloading behavior and to select the magnitude of the stress level for the fatigue studies. Fatigue tests were performed using single edge notched (SEN) specimens under tension–tension load control conditions. Fatigue crack propagation (FCP) data such as the crack length, number of cycles, and hysteresis loops were recorded to calculate the crack speed, the energy release rate, and the change in work expended on damage formation and dissipative processes within the material. Parameters characterizing the fatigue fracture resistance of V–4Ti–4Cr alloy, namely the specific energy of damage (γ′), and the dissipative coefficient (β′), were determined from the fatigue data using the modified crack layer (MCL) theory. Fracture surface examination using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed ductile failure mechanisms under tensile overloading conditions. The fatigue fracture surface of the V–4Ti–4Cr consists of three distinct regions, corresponding to the threshold, stable and unstable crack propagation stages.
Hyperuricemia and Gout: New Concepts in Diagnosis and Management

Gout is a chronic, progressive condition for which hyperuricemia is the primary risk factor. The initial episodes of gout may be brief, only lasting for 3 to 5 days, and patients may experience pain-free intercritical periods that last from months to years. However, as the disease progresses, acute gout flares become more frequent and prolonged (typically lasting ≥ 5-10 days). Chronic gouty arthritis develops, with shorter pain-free intervals; tophi become visible and interarticular joint damage occurs. Patients with advanced gout experience chronic pain and a decreased quality of life. Gout prevalence has increased significantly over time. Despite the increase in the number of gout cases, the disease is often mismanaged, especially in primary care. Hyperuricemia is inadequately controlled as a result of suboptimal dosing with urate-lowering drugs, intolerance to therapy, or poor patient compliance. This review article provides a comprehensive discussion of gout pathophysiology, risk factors, and approaches to treatment that encourage the clinician to appreciate hyperuricemia as a multifaceted disorder and manage the condition optimally.
Considerations for management of fluid dynamic issues associated with thiazolidinediones

Abstract Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) can cause weight gain and fluid retention in some patients. In most cases, fluid retention is expressed as mild hemodilution. The incidence of clinically evident edema is relatively uncommon. In large clinical trials with rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, the frequency of edema in TZD-treated patients was about 3 to 4 times higher than in placebo-treated patients. The precise mechanisms responsible for weight gain, fluid retention, and edema associated with TZD therapy are unclear but appear to be both dose- and host-related. Weight gain is most likely multifactorial, reflecting increased body fat and fluid retention. Available data are conflicting and do not completely support the concept that increased body weight and decreased hemoglobin/hematocrit are linked with evidence of fluid retention and hemodilution. As uncommon as edema is, new-onset heart failure is even less common in patients treated with a TZD. In controlled clinical trials, the frequency of congestive heart failure (CHF) was identical in rosiglitazone- and placebo-treated patients. The incidence of CHF is higher in patients receiving combination therapy with insulin and a TZD. Patients in the insulin-treated population who develop CHF tend to be older, have a longer history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and have risk factors for heart failure in addition to diabetes. TZDs do not necessarily require discontinuation in patients who develop fluid retention or weight gain. Mild fluid retention can be treated by decreasing the TZD dose and/or adding a diuretic. Patients who are taking a TZD should be monitored for signs and symptoms of CHF, including excessive weight gain, edema, and dyspnea. Patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I or II CHF can be treated with TZDs. Therapy should be initiated at low doses and slowly titrated to the lowest effective dose. If CHF worsens or becomes refractory to treatment, it may be necessary to discontinue the TZD. Diagnoses of NYHA class III and IV CHF were not studied in clinical trials of TZDs, and thus TZDs are not recommended for patients with CHF of this severity.
Electrochemical Studies of Polynucleotide Binding and Oxidation by Metal Complexes: Effects of Scan Rate, Concentration, and Sequence

The electrocatalytic oxidation of guanine in DNA and oligonucleotides by Ru(bpy)33+/2+ was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) (bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine). Oxidation of Ru(bpy)32+ to the Ru(III) form at tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) electrodes in the presence of DNA produces catalytic current due to the oxidation of guanine by Ru(III). CA traces of Ru(bpy)32+ with calf thymus DNA at high salt concentration (50 mM sodium phosphate + 700 mM NaCl) give a single kinetic process with a rate constant of 3500 ± 300 M-1 s-1 that is independent of DNA concentration and similar to values determined previously by fitting CV data under the same conditions. Under low salt conditions (50 mM sodium phosphate + 0 mM NaCl), the CA data show two linear regions that give rate constants of 2.7 × 104 and 6 × 105 M-1 s-1. Digital simulation of CV data at low salt requires a careful accounting for the binding of the metal complex to the DNA polyanion, which can be accomplished using binding constant...
Improving the budburst phenology subroutine in the forest carbon model PnET

Abstract The timing of leaf expansion in spring and leaf senescence in fall determines growing season length; hence leaf phenology is important in modelling carbon production. Previous work monitoring net ecosystem exchange using eddy flux technology found phenological timing to be a key factor determining ecosystem carbon balance. Growing degree days (GDD; the sum of daily mean temperature above 0 °C) have long been used to track tree phenological behavior. Ecosystem carbon balance simulations should employ models that reliably track leaf phenological activities. Our goals for this study were to evaluate the GDD-based phenological algorithm for the forest carbon simulation model PnET and to develop a robust budburst model for the implementation of PnET in the forests of Ohio. We obtained 11 years (1990–2000) of leaf budburst phenology data from Harvard Forest, MA and found large inter-annual variations on the date of budburst. Contrary to the previous sensitivity analysis on GDD, we used the observed range in the data to inform our new GDD sensitivity analyses. In fact the broad inter-annual variation of the budburst phenology had substantial impacts on the annual net primary production. Moreover, GDD did not provide reliable prediction on the date of budburst although it was employed by the PnET family of models. The predictions of budburst dates were largely improved by incorporating a chilling factor, with 16 of 17 deciduous tree species showing significant linear relationships between predicted and observed dates of budburst. However, this updated phenology model showed geographic specificity that is not suitable for our simulations in southern Ohio. For successful development of a more comprehensive phenological model, locally developed and long-term leaf phenology records are required.
L1-Consistency of the kernel density estimators based on randomly right censored data

Let [fcirc] PL plbe a kernel estimator of the density f(x) based on the product limit estimator of the distribution functionF(x) associated with the density f(x) In this paper convergence properties of are established. In particular, it is shown that J n (T)→completely as n→∞Also it is shown that this complete convergence is equivalent to weak and strong convergence of J n (T) to 0
Effects of Flexible Walls on Radiated Sound From a Turbulent Boundary Layer

In this paper, radiated sound from low Mach number turbulent boundary layers is studied using Lighthill’s analogy. The focus is to investigate the behavior of wall pressure fluctuations on a flexible wall boundary. Comparisons are made between the results from rigid and flexible walls. At low frequencies, the flexible wall results have shown much higher levels of power spectra. At high frequencies, the spectra of the flexible wall sound radiation and those of the rigid wall sound radiation merge. These trends are in agreement with other experimental and theoretical results in literature. This theoretical study of the two-dimensional turbulent boundary layer can clarify the effects of a flexible wall on radiated sound in low Mach number flows.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Isotopic Studies of Sources of Uranium in Sediments of the Ashtabula River, Ohio, U.S.A.

Uranium contamination of anthropogenic origin has been identified in unconsolidated sediments of a 1.5 km portion of the Ashtabula River near its confluence with Lake Erie. Uranium concentrations as high as 188 μg/g dry sediment are present. A small tributary of the Ashtabula River, Fields Brook, is the apparent point of origin of the uranium in the Ashtabula River sediments. 137Cs dating of a sediment core indicates that the U contamination occurred during the post-1964 time frame. The horizons of elevated U concentration also exhibit > 10× elevations in Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, and W. 238U/235U isotopic ratios indicate that the uranium is largely but not exclusively of natural composition. Distinct horizons of slightly 235U-depleted (238U/235U > 137.88) and slightly 235U-enriched (238U/235U < 137.88) uranium are also present. 210Pb activities and 232Th/230Th isotopic measurements indicate that a significant portion of the uranium contains 238U daughters in approximate secular equilibrium. It is inferred that at ...
Observation of transient iron(II) formation in dye-sensitized iron oxide nanoparticles by time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy.

The reduction of ferric iron in solid phase minerals leads to the mobilization of ferrous iron in the environment and is thus a crucial component of the global iron cycle. Despite the importance of this process, a mechanistic understanding of the structural and chemical changes that are caused by this electron transfer reaction is not established because the speed of the fundamental chemical steps renders them inaccessible to conventional study. Ultrafast time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy is a technique that can overcome this limitation and measure changes in oxidation state and structure occurring during chemical reactions that can be initiated by a fast laser pulse. We use this approach with ∼100 ps resolution to monitor the speciation of Fe atoms in iron oxide nanoparticles following photoinduced electron transfer from a surface-bound photoactive dye molecule. These data represent the first direct real-time observation of the dynamics of ferrous ion formation and subsequent reoxidation in iron oxide.
On-line small computer data handling in pulse height analysis and two parameter multichannel coincidence data storage

Abstract The role which small “on-line” computers may play in nuclear spectroscopy is reviewed and a computer-analyser combination at Brookhaven National Laboratory is described. The data handling capabilities of this combination for “singles” spectra and plans for its use for storing two parameter 1000 × 1000 channel coincidence data on tape are reviewed. A system for two parameter 1000 × 1000 coincidence data storage on a disc is proposed and advantages and disadvantages of the system are discussed.
Inability of glucagon to regulate glycogen metabolism in rat hepatocytes isolated after fasting and refeeding high-carbohydrate diets☆

Abstract Studies are described which demonstrate that the ability of glucagon, epinephrine, and dibutryl-cAMP to stimulate glycogenolysis is impaired in rat hepatocytes isolated from animals starved for 24 h and then refed a sucrose-rich diet or refed standard rat chow. The impaired regulation of glycogenolysis by glucagon was observed within 24 h after refeeding and persisted for at least 3 days. The inability of glucagon to stimulate glycogen breakdown in the refed condition appeared to be due to a suppressed activation of glycogen phosphorylase and phosphorylase b kinase by the hormone. The capacity of glucagon to regulate pyruvate kinase and glycolysis was not altered by refeeding, suggesting that the defect lies beyond interaction of the hormone at its receptor. Prolonged incubation of hepatocytes from refed rats was accompanied by depletion of glycogen reserves and was accompanied by restoration of hormonal stimulation of glycogenolysis. Addition of glycogen to cell-free extracts was found to inhibit phosphorylase b kinase but not phosphorylase. The findings of this investigation are consistent with the interpretation that high levels of glycogen present of liver after refeeding may lead to a diminished activity of phosphorylase b kinase and its hormonal regulation.
Opiate receptors and endogenous opiates: panorama of opiate research.

Abstract 1. In the last ten years basic research on the mechanism of action of opiates has led to the clearcut demonstration of the existence of opiate receptors — — possibly several slightly different kinds — — in the nervous system. 2. A number of endogenous ligands also called endorphins or enkephalins for these receptors have been discovered that proved to be peptides with opiate-like pharmacological activity and were shown to be localized in strategic neuronal pathways in the brain, spinal cord and pituitary gland. 3. Clinical researchers are beginning to explore the possible role of these opiate-like peptides in a variety of clinical situations such as: pain and analgesia, tolerance and dependence, reinforcement mechanisms, memory processes and learning, and mental illness such as schizophrenia. 4. The discovery of biologically active opioid and other peptides coexisting with more traditional neurotransmitters in the same neurons may lead to a reevaluation of our fundamental notions of how the brain operates. This is viewed as a major advancement not only to our understanding of the theoretical basis of drug actions but also as a first step towards the development of new, practically useful methods for treating the clinical problems associated with drug abuse.
How to deal with malicious users in privacy-preserving distributed data mining

A major problem in current privacy-preserving data-mining research is the lack of practical mechanisms to deal with malicious users who may submit bogus data to bias the computation. In this paper we explore private computation built on vector addition and its applications in privacy-preserving data mining. We show that such a paradigm not only supports a large number of popular data-mining algorithms (including both linear and nonlinear ones such as SVD, k-means, ID3, machine-learning algorithms based on Expectation-Maximization (EM), etc., and all algorithms in the statistical query model) with efficiency comparable to that of a regular, nonprivate implementation, but also admits extremely efficient zero-knowledge (ZK) protocols for verifying properties of user data. These ZK protocols are based on random projection and use a linear number of inexpensive small field (e.g. 32 or 64 bits) operations, and only a logarithmic number of large-field (1024 bits or more) cryptographic operations, achieving orders of magnitude reduction in running time over standard techniques (from hours to seconds) for large-scale problems. Such ZK tools thus provide practical solutions for handling the malicious users problem for many real-world applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 1: 18-33, 2009 Part of the work was performed when the first author was a Ph.D. student at Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley.
Red-emitting InGaN/GaN quantum dot laser

Here demonstrated, for the first time, a red-emitting (λ=635 nm) laser in the nitride system using InGaN/GaN QDs. The red emitting QD laser heterostructure is grown on c-plane bulk GaN substrates having a defect density of ~1x105 cm-2 by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). The GaN, AlGaN, and InGaN layers were grown at 740°C, 770°C and 590°C, respectively, while the QDs were grown at 530°C.
PuzzledWill my algorithm terminate

Welcome to three new challenging mathematical puzzles. Solutions to the first two will be published next month; the third is as yet unsolved. In them all, I concentrate on algorithm termination, outlining some simple procedures and asking whether they always terminate or might possibly run forever.
Inversion formula for diffusion imaging in an absorbing medium

We consider the problem of imaging the optical absorption of a highly-scatering medium probed by diffusive light. An analytic solution to the image reconstruction problem is presented.
Forward-voltage capacitance and thickness of p-n junction space-charge regions

A comprehensive analytical model for the quasi-static capacitance of the space-charge region of p-n junction devices is presented. It describes the capacitance for all voltages, including voltages large enough to cause the junction barrier to vanish. The model applies for exponential-constant doping profiles, the limiting cases of which are the step and the linear-graded profiles. In addition to the analytical model, an iterative technique is developed to yield numerically the thickness of the space-charge region as a function of voltage. The capacitance model shows good agreement when compared with measured dependencies, With an empirical model for circuit simulation, and with models based on device simulation. The model extends previous replacements of the depletion capacitance, provides a tool for circuit simulation, and is intended to provide understanding of the physics related to storage of mobile holes and electrons in the junction space-charge region.
Flexoelectricity in barium strontium titanate thin film

Flexoelectricity, the linear coupling between the strain gradient and the induced electric polarization, has been intensively studied as an alternative to piezoelectricity. Especially, it is of interest to develop flexoelectric devices on micro/nano scales due to the inherent scaling effect of flexoelectric effect. Ba0.7Sr0.3TiO3 thin film with a thickness of 130 nm was fabricated on a silicon wafer using a RF magnetron sputtering process. The flexoelectric coefficients of the prepared thin films were determined experimentally. It was revealed that the thin films possessed a transverse flexoelectric coefficient of 24.5 μC/m at Curie temperature (∼28 °C) and 17.44 μC/m at 41 °C. The measured flexoelectric coefficients are comparable to that of bulk BST ceramics, which are reported to be 10–100 μC/m. This result suggests that the flexoelectric thin film structures can be effectively used for micro/nano-sensing devices.
Transfer of cobalamin from intrinsic factor to transcobalamin II.

Abstract The process is obscure by which cobalamin (Cbl) in the endocytosed intrinsic factor (IF)-cobalamin (Cbl) complex is released and transferred to transcobalamin II (TCII) within the enterocyte. Using recombinant IF and TCII, binding of Cbl to IF at pH 5.0 was 70% of binding at pH 7.0, whereas for TCII alone, the value was only 12%. TCII binding activity was lost rapidly at lower pH, but this was not due to protease action. TCII incubated at pH 5.0 with cathepsin L was degraded and could not subsequently bind Cbl. Thus, transfer from IF to TCII is unlikely to occur within an acid compartment. Only 13–15% of bound Cbl was released at pH 5.0 and pH 6.0 from either rat IF, human IF, or human TCII. The Ka of human or rat IF at pH 7.5 was 2.2 nM; for TCII, the value was 0.34 nM. At pH 7.5, Cbl transfers from IF to TCII, but only to a limited extent (21%), as detected by nondenaturing electrophoresis. Transfer of Cbl from IF to TCII could not be demonstrated at pH values of 5.0 or 6.0. Thus, luminal transfer of Cbl between IF and TCII is likely to be limited, but is possible. The most likely mechanism for intracellular transfer of Cbl from IF to TCII involves initial lysosomal proteolysis of IF, with subsequent Cbl binding to TCII in a more neutral cellular compartment.
Gas-forming abdominal wall abscess: unusual manifestation of perforated retroperitoneal appendicitis extending through the superior lumbar triangle

We present a case of an extensive gas-forming abdominal wall abscess secondary to ruptured retroperitoneal appendicitis in a diabetic patient. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a retroperitoneal abscess extending to the abdominal subcutaneous tissue through the superior lumbar triangle pathway, a known anatomical defect of the lumbar musculature. This case not only represents an unusual manifestation of acute appendicitis, but also alerts us to the importance of anatomical considerations in the imaging interpretation of disease extent. The applied anatomy of the lumbar triangle as a conduit of intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal processes into the abdominal wall is reviewed.
KEEPING THE BEAT : FORM MEETS FUNCTION IN THE CHLAMYDOMONAS FLAGELLUM

Recent studies in the green alga Chlamydomonas and other flagellated cells have revealed new insights into the relationships between the structure and function of the eukaryotic flagellum. These advances provide a basis from which a unified view can be constructed of how a flagellum operates. In addition, investigations of flagellar assembly offer new perspectives revealing the mechanisms used by cells to create these nanoscale structures. New developments in the molecular biology of Chlamydomonas provide powerful tools for the continued exploration of flagellar biology in this cell. These studies are of interest not only within the field of biology, but also in physics and materials science; the problems of fabrication, assembly, function and regulation of nanoscale machines have been elegantly solved during the evolution of biological systems, providing models from which much remains to be learned.
Regulation of Mitochondrial Glutathione Redox Status and Protein Glutathionylation by Respiratory Substrates

Brain and liver mitochondria isolated by a discontinuous Percoll gradient show an oxidized redox environment, which is reflected by low GSH levels and high GSSG levels and significant glutathionylation of mitochondrial proteins as well as by low NAD(P)H/NAD(P) values. The redox potential of brain mitochondria isolated by a discontinuous Percoll gradient method was calculated to be −171 mV based on GSH and GSSG concentrations. Immunoblotting and LC/MS/MS analysis revealed that succinyl-CoA transferase and ATP synthase (F1 complex, α-subunit) were extensively glutathionylated; S-glutathionylation of these proteins resulted in a substantial decrease of activity. Supplementation of mitochondria with complex I or complex II respiratory substrates (malate/glutamate or succinate, respectively) increased NADH and NADPH levels, resulting in the restoration of GSH levels through reduction of GSSG and deglutathionylation of mitochondrial proteins. Under these conditions, the redox potential of brain mitochondria was calculated to be −291 mV. Supplementation of mitochondria with respiratory substrates prevented GSSG formation and, consequently, ATP synthase glutathionylation in response to H2O2 challenges. ATP synthase appears to be the major mitochondrial protein that becomes glutathionylated under oxidative stress conditions. Glutathionylation of mitochondrial proteins is a major consequence of oxidative stress, and respiratory substrates are key regulators of mitochondrial redox status (as reflected by thiol/disulfide exchange) by maintaining mitochondrial NADPH levels.
Swelling Behavior and Drug Release of Amphiphilic N-Isopropylacrylamide Terpolymer Xerogels Depending on Polymerization Methods : γ-Irradiation Polymerization and Redox Initiated Polymerization

Amphiphilic terpolymer xerogels were prepared from N-isopropyl acrylamide, acrylic acid, and n-dodecyl acrylamide by both chemical redox initiated polymerization and γ-irradiation polymerization. The swelling equilibrium and swelling kinetics of amphiphilic xerogels prepared by these two polymerization methods were compared. Drug release behavior was also compared using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a model drug, in order to elucidate the effect of polymerization method. γ-Irradiation polymerization provided amphiphilic terpolymer xerogels which exhibited slower swelling and drug release than chemical redox initiated polymerization.
A generalized model for the lifetime of microelectronic components, applied to storage conditions

Abstract To improve the quality of microcircuit lifetime prediction in storage and non-operating conditions, a new model, based on physical principles and generally applicable to microcircuits, is proposed. This model is derived from the fundamentals of manufacturing yield statistics and uses compound Poisson statistics with a time-dependent negative binomial shaping function. Comparison of the model to statistical distributions created from available data shows that the model is applicable to many situations that may occur in actual populations.
The Requirement of Restitution for Juvenile Offenders: An Alternative Disposition.

Abstract A growing awareness of and concern about rapidly increasing juvenile crime rates coupled with a revitalized concern for victims have generated a disillusionment with many traditional and diversionary methods of handling juvenile offenders. Restitution is regarded by many as the most promising, logical, and effective means of achieving the dual goals of deterrence and punishment. Surveys suggest strong support for juvenile restitution and several stales have recently enacted or amended juvenile restitution statutes. A review of slate juvenile codes reveals that a majority of states generally permit courts to require restitution as a disposition and to determine the amount and form of reparation. A survey of juvenile court judges and probation officers representing fourteen states which permit some form of restitution revealed that about one-third of the courts require it often and two-thirds seldom or never require it. More than half regard it as an effective deterrent. Data shows that the most co...
Real-Time Optical Coherence Tomography for Minimally Invasive Imaging of Prostate Ablation

Objective: Numerous ablation techniques have been developed to alleviate urethral obstruction and improve urodynamics in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Most techniques, however, rely on visual observation of surface changes for ablation end points. The feasibility of using real-time optical coherence tomography (OCT) for minimally invasive imaging to guide and monitor prostate resection is demonstrated with representative techniques of laser and radiofrequency ablation. Empiric comparisons of ablation dynamics are made, and the use of OCT as a high-resolution, subsurface modality for image guidance is evaluated.Materials and Methods: Optical coherence tomography is a high-resolution, high-speed near-infrared imaging technique analogous to ultrasound imaging, except that reflections of light are detected rather than sound. High-speed OCT is used to image the dynamic process of laser and radiofrequency ablation of in vitro human prostate tissue. OCT images of ablation sites are compared with corresponding hi...
Handling conflicting multiple objectives using Pareto-based evolutionary algorithm during history matching of reservoir performance

Abstract History matching and optimization problems often involve several, potentially conflicting, objectives. For example, we might seek to minimize a misfit function involving differences in reservoir pressure, multiphase production history and 4D time-lapse seismic data and these differences do not always change in tandem. It is a common practice to treat these differences as a single objective optimization problem by aggregating all objectives into a scalar function (weighted-sum), resulting in incomplete exploration of the solution space. The problem is particularly severe if the objectives are conflicting. In this paper we propose to use a Pareto-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) focusing on finding a set of optimal solutions called Pareto optima. The MOEA makes direct use of the dominance relation for fitness assignment instead of a fitness score in one-dimensional objective space. The dominance concept can define levels of optimality without reduction of objective dimensionality to sort populations accordingly, and the given populations constitute typically several ranks (fronts) of classification for individuals. Because it uses a population of solutions in the search process and optimizes such that the ranks are minimized, the Pareto optima can provide a measure of uncertainty in prediction. We show how the MOEA identifies optimal solutions by examining the trade-off between multiple objectives from a set of plausible solutions. Specifically, we demonstrate that it outperforms the commonly used weighted-sum approach. For practical applications, we provide a novel history matching workflow with a grid connectivity-based transformation (GCT) basis coefficients as parameters for calibration using the gradient-free evolutionary optimization algorithms. The basis functions are obtained from a spectral decomposition of the grid connectivity Laplacian and avoid ad hoc redefinitions of regions while preserving the geologic heterogeneity. We demonstrate the power and utility of the proposed workflow using multiple examples. These include 2D synthetic examples for validation and a 3D field application for matching production and seismic data with uncertainty and conflicting information.