cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency of brain metastases and outcomes in patients with HER2-, KRAS-, and EGFR-mutant lung cancers.

9081Background: HER2 mutations are oncogenic drivers in 3% of lung cancers. Here we describe the frequency and course of patients with HER2 mutant lung cancers with spread to brain and compare resu...
Privatizing Plaintiffs: How Medicaid, the False Claims Act, and Decentralized Fraud Detection Affect Public Fraud Enforcement Efforts

In 2016, decentralized fraud enforcement under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) recovered $ 2.5 billion spent on healthcare fraud without increasing spending. The FCA induces private citizens to pursue civil fraud claims on behalf of both themselves and the government, or qui tam; incentives to pursue legal action for Medicaid fraud vary at the state level. We hypothesize that fraud enforcement agencies shift strategies as incentives for private citizens to monitor civil offenses rise. We find that state‐level FCAs did not increase the number of filed qui tam suits as incentives rose. Among filed cases, case quality did not change. Instead, agencies pursued fewer civil cases and case length increased. Our findings suggest potential qui tam plaintiffs are constrained by an ability to pursue cases, not incentives. Government‐led civil fraud enforcement may thus overestimate the capacity to decentralize fraud enforcement.
An empirical analysis of litigation with discovery: The role of fairness

Abstract We conduct an experimental analysis of discovery in both the signaling and screening games, where in both games an uninformed defendant may engage in costly discovery. Under the theory, the defendant should invoke the costly discovery procedure in the screening game, but not in the signaling game. In the later part of the screening game, discovery is invoked in 73% of all negotiations, which is strongly in the direction implied by theory. However, rather than lowering the defendant's expected cost, discovery is approximately a breakeven proposition. The reasons are that the defendant cannot, as implied by theory, extract the entire surplus from settlement with his offer and because there are excess disputes not predicted by the theory. In the signaling game we find, contra the theory, that discovery is invoked about 61% percent of the time, and this behavior persists into the later rounds of the experiment. While invoking discovery is predicted to reduce his payoff, the effect on the defendant's cost is not statistically different from zero. The offers the defendant receives after invoking discovery contain surplus not predicted under the theory. Thus, in both games, fairness appears to be important in explaining deviations from the theoretical predictions.
Preparing for Mars: the physiologic and medical challenges.

As the twentieth century closes, retrospectives cite the Apollo moon missions as one of the important events of the past 100 years. A trip to Mars, however, would be even more challenging and significant. A round-trip Mars journey would require nearly three years away from Earth, a significant leap in complexity compared to the two week long Moon trips or the record-breaking fourteen-month flight on Mir. What would be the physiologic and medical challenges of a Mars flight? Two key areas of physiology present the greatest potential problems--calcium metabolism and radiation exposure. Data from Mir missions show that bone loss continues in space despite an aggressive countermeasure program. Average losses were 0.35% per month, but some load bearing areas lost >1% per month. A 1% loss rate, if it continued unabated for 30 months, could produce osteoporosis. Smaller losses could still increase fracture risk. Some bone loss can be well tolerated, particularly if the bone can be regained after the mission. But the effectiveness of post-flight rehabilitation to restore the density and quality of bone after spaceflight is not well known. Bone loss estimates are based on continuous weightlessness exposure, but this is not a requirement for a Mars trip. Most of the time on a Mars trip will be spent in the 1/3 Earth's gravity environment on Mars, and either intermittent or continuous artificial gravity can be provided for the transit between planets (although at an engineering cost). The dosing of the gravity exposure (e.g. the level and duration), however, has not been established. Radiation protection also requires a balance between engineering cost and human health. Excessive shielding could add billions of dollars to the cost of a mission. Trips in interplanetary space, however, expose the crew to heavy high-energy particles from cosmic rays (HZE particles), which have a high linear energy transfer. This high energy leads to significant biological damage (e.g. chromosomal aberrations, cancer induction). A recent report from the Committee on Space Biology and Medicine notes that only one systematic study of cancer induction from high-energy particles has been conducted (using the mouse Harderian gland). Predictions of cancer risk and acceptable radiation exposure in space are extrapolated from minimal data. Other areas of physiology also present problems, such as muscle loss, cardiovascular deconditioning, and vestibular adaptation. Despite all the issues, however, a focussed, aggressive research program that uses the resources of the International Space Station should pave the way for mankind's greatest adventure--a trip to Mars.
Superconductivity in high and medium entropy alloys based on MoReRu

Abstract Hexagonal close-packed (HCP) high entropy or medium entropy alloys (HEAs or MEAs) based on alterations of the ternary superconductor Mo.33Re.33Ru.33 (valence electron count VEC = 7/atom) are tested for their potential superconductivity. Quaternary Mo.25Re.25Ru.25Rh.25 has VEC 7.5 and is superconducting at 2.5 K, implying that its electron count is too high. To decrease the VEC, Ti is added to the mixture, yielding (Mo.2375Re.2375Ru.2375Rh.2375)Ti.05 (VEC = 7.325) and (Mo.225Re.225Ru.225Rh.225)Ti.1 (VEC = 7.15), which are single phase superconducting HCP HEAs, with superconducting transition temperatures (Tc’s) of 3.6 K and 4.7 K, respectively. Materials with a significant excess of Ru over Mo.25Re.25Ru.25Rh.25 were also studied; Mo.1Re.1Ru.55Rh.1Ti.15 (VEC = 7.20) is HCP, with a Tc of 2.1 K. Decreasing the ruthenium content to Mo.105Re.105Ru.527Rh.105Ti.158 (VEC = 7.158) and Mo.118Re.118Ru.470Rh.118Ti.176 (VEC = 7.06) yields superconductivity, but with a secondary CsCl-type phase present; Tc’s are 2.2 K and 2.5 K, respectively. Upon further decrease in ruthenium content, to Mo.167Re.167Ru.25Rh.167Ti.25 (VEC = 6.674), although the Tc is relatively high at 5.5 K, three phases are present – a dominant sigma phase plus minor CsCl-type and HCP phases. These results suggest that an optimal valence electron count for this HCP based HEA/MEA alloy system is near 7.0, and that the superconducting Tc will not likely get above 10 K.
An Electrocardiographic System With Anthropometrics via Machine Learning to Screen Left Ventricular Hypertrophy among Young Adults

The prevalence of physiological and pathological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) among young adults is about 5%. A use of electrocardiographic (ECG) voltage criteria and machine learning for the ECG parameters to identify the presence of LVH is estimated only 20-30% in the general population. The aim of this study is to develop an ECG system with anthropometric data using machine learning to increase the accuracy and sensitivity for a screen of LVH. In a large sample of 2,196 males, aged 17–45 years, the support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used as the machine learning method for 31 characteristics including age, body height and body weight in addition to 28 ECG parameters such as axes, intervals and voltages to link the output of LVH. The diagnosis of LVH is based on the echocardiographic criteria for young males to be 116 gram/meter2 (left ventricular mass (LVM)/body surface area) or 49 gram/meter2.7 (LVM/body height2.7). On the purpose of increasing sensitivity, the specificity is adjusted around 70-75% and all data tested in proposed model reveal high sensitivity to 86.7%. The area under curve (AUC) of the Precision-Recall (PR) curve is 0.308 in the proposed model which is better than 0.109 and 0.077 using Cornell and Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria for LVH, respectively. Our system provides a novel screening tool using age, body height, body weight and ECG data to identify most of the LVH among young adults. It provides a fast, accurate and practical diagnosis tool to identify LVH.
Utility of Neonatal Ophthalmologic Examination for Detection of Infectious Etiologies for Symmetric Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Objective To determine the utility of ophthalmologic examination as part of evaluation for infection in infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Study design This is a single-institution retrospective chart review of neonates diagnosed with symmetric IUGR or small for gestational age (SGA) who underwent complete ophthalmologic consultation to assess for intraocular findings suggestive of congenital infection. Data collected included other factors that may cause IUGR, findings of general and ophthalmologic examinations, and results of investigation for intrauterine infection. Cost minimization analysis was also performed. Results One hundred neonates met the study's inclusion criteria (IUGR, n = 24; SGA, n = 45; IUGR and SGA, n = 31). The mean gestational age at birth was 34.6 ± 3.0 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1691 ± 530 g; 74% had an identifiable risk factor for IUGR and 84 patients underwent investigation for intrauterine infection. Two of the 73 patients who had urine culture for cytomegalovirus (CMV) were positive (1 of whom had systemic signs of severe congenital infection without eye involvement, the other who had no clinical signs of congenital CMV); evaluations for infection were negative otherwise. No patients had any ophthalmologic signs of congenital infection. Conclusions Current literature suggests that routine evaluation of neonates with isolated IUGR for congenital infection may be low-yield and not cost-effective. Our study found that routine ophthalmologic evaluation in newborns with symmetric IUGR who have no systemic signs of intrauterine infection is of little value.
Revolving Doors: Examining the Effect of Race and Ethnicity on Discretionary Decision-Making in Parole Revocations

Approximately 20% of offenders under community supervision in the United States are currently on parole. While parole board members possess a wide range of discretionary power, the factors influencing this decision-making process have yet to be fully explored. Previous research has generally examined factors that influence time to release on parole or parole disposition (i.e. granted or denied) as the primary discretionary decision outcomes for parole boards. In contrast, few studies have examined the parole revocation process. Using data from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the current study addresses this limitation by examining the legal and extralegal factors that influence the decision to revoke parole status. Special attention is given to the role of race/ethnicity in the decision to terminate parole agreements. Findings suggest that race/ethnicity significantly influences parole revocation outcomes.
Influenza vaccination coverage among adults with diabetes, United States, 2007-08 through 2017-18 seasons

Abstract Background Diabetes is associated with higher risk of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality from influenza. We assessed influenza vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥ 18 years with diabetes during the 2007–08 through 2017–18 influenza seasons and identified factors independently associated with vaccination during the 2017–18 season. Methods We analyzed data from the 2007–2018 National Health Interview Surveys, using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to estimate season-specific influenza vaccination coverage. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine whether diabetes was independently associated with self-reported influenza vaccination in the past 12 months and identify factors independently associated with vaccination among adults with diabetes using the 2017–18 data. Results During the 2007–08 through 2017–18 influenza seasons, influenza vaccination coverage among adults aged ≥ 18 years with diabetes ranged from 62.6% to 64.8%. In the 2017–18 influenza season, coverage was significantly higher among adults with diabetes (64.8%) compared with those without diabetes (43.9%). Having diabetes was independently associated with an increased prevalence of vaccination after controlling for other factors. Among adults with diabetes, living at or above poverty level, having more physician contacts, having usual place for health care, and being unemployed were independently associated with increased prevalence of vaccination; being 18–64 years and non-Hispanic black were independently associated with decreased prevalence of vaccination. Conclusions Despite specific recommendations for influenza vaccination among people with diabetes, more than one-third of adults with diabetes are unvaccinated. Targeted efforts are needed to increase influenza vaccination coverage among adults with diabetes.
Hemostatic defects in massive transfusion: an update and treatment recommendations.

Acute hemorrhage is a global healthcare issue, and remains the leading preventable cause of death in trauma. Acute severe hemorrhage can be related to traumatic, peripartum, gastrointestinal, and p...
GaitCode: Gait-based continuous authentication using multimodal learning and wearable sensors

Abstract The ever-growing threats of security and privacy loss from unauthorized access to mobile devices have led to the development of various biometric authentication methods for easier and safer data access. Gait-based authentication is a popular biometric authentication as it utilizes the unique patterns of human locomotion and it requires little cooperation from the user. Existing gait-based biometric authentication methods however suffer from degraded performance when using mobile devices such as smart phones as the sensing device, due to multiple reasons, such as increased accelerometer noise, sensor orientation and positioning, and noise from body movements not related to gait. To address these drawbacks, some researchers have adopted methods that fuse information from multiple accelerometer sensors mounted on the human body at different locations. In this work we present a novel gait-based continuous authentication method by applying multimodal learning on jointly recorded accelerometer and ground contact force data from smart wearable devices. Gait cycles are extracted as a basic authentication element, that can continuously authenticate a user. We use a network of auto-encoders with early or late sensor fusion for feature extraction and SVM and softmax for classification. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been demonstrated through extensive experiments on datasets collected from two case studies, one with commercial off-the-shelf smart socks and the other with a medical-grade research prototype of smart shoes. The evaluation shows that the proposed approach can achieve a very low Equal Error Rate of 0.01% and 0.16% for identification with smart socks and smart shoes respectively, and a False Acceptance Rate of 0.54%–1.96% for leave-one-out authentication.
SARS-CoV-2 disease severity and transmission efficiency is increased for airborne but not fomite exposure in Syrian hamsters

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is driven by contact, fomite, and airborne transmission. The relative contribution of different transmission routes remains subject to debate. Here, we show Syrian hamsters are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection through intranasal, aerosol and fomite exposure. Different routes of exposure presented with distinct disease manifestations. Intranasal and aerosol inoculation caused more severe respiratory pathology, higher virus loads and increased weight loss. Fomite exposure led to milder disease manifestation characterized by an anti-inflammatory immune state and delayed shedding pattern. Whereas the overall magnitude of respiratory virus shedding was not linked to disease severity, the onset of shedding was. Early shedding was linked to an increase in disease severity. Airborne transmission was more efficient than fomite transmission and dependent on the direction of the airflow. Carefully characterized of SARS-CoV-2 transmission models will be crucial to assess potential changes in transmission and pathogenic potential in the light of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 evolution.
Are Future Doctors Prepared to Address Patients’ Nutritional Needs? Cooking and Nutritional Knowledge and Habits in Medical Students:

Background. Many diseases are linked to lifestyle in the United States, yet physicians receive little training in nutrition. Medical students’ prior knowledge of nutrition and cooking is unknown. O...
Adjudicating Business and Commercial Disputes: Fixing Failures

Adjudicating business and commercial disputes often requires judges to interpret complex and intersecting specialized bodies of law. In the United States, for example, such disputes often involve intersecting provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) and the Bankruptcy Code. Given human limitations, courts sometimes err in deciding these disputes. This essay presents conspicuous examples of these errors, focusing on the UCC and the Bankruptcy Code. The essay also cautions parties to be aware of this heightened potential for judicial error and suggests a possible remedy: to further develop specialized business courts, which should be able to adjudicate these types of disputes much better than general jurisdiction courts.
Knowing about Genocide: Armenian Suffering and Epistemic Struggles

How do victim and perpetrator peoples generate conflicting knowledge about genocide? Using a sociology of knowledge approach, Joachim J. Savelsberg answers this question in the context of the Armenian genocide committed during the First World War. Focusing on Armenians and Turks, Savelsberg examines strategies of silencing, denial, and acknowledgment in everyday interactions, public rituals, law, and politics. He draws on interviews, ethnographic accounts, documents, and eyewitness testimony to illuminate the social processes that drive dueling versions of history. Ultimately, this study reveals the counterproductive consequences of denial in an age of human rights hegemony, demonstrating the implications for populist disinformation campaigns against overwhelming evidence. “This pioneering book is critical for understanding the background to Turkish denial as the final stage of genocide. Savelsberg’s epistemic study is a warning against a revived shade of an Orwellian order, with its ‘alternative realities’ and ‘post-truths.’” CLAIRE MOURADIAN, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris “Knowledge denial is a deadly phenomenon and an urgent problem. Through painstaking research, unrivaled expertise, and ethical commitment, Joachim J. Savelsberg illuminates how mass harm has been negated or acknowledged.” LOIS PRESSER, author of Inside Story: How Narratives Drive Mass Harm “Savelsberg has done a brilliant job in this unique work that for the first time analyzes the Armenian genocide from the vantage point of knowledge construction. A must-read for all interested in collective violence, social movements, and sociology of knowledge.” FATMA MUGE GOCEK, author of Denial of Violence: Ottoman Past, Turkish Present, and Collective Violence against the Armenians, 1789–2009 JOACHIM J. SAVELSBERG is Professor of Sociology and Law and Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian Chair, University of Minnesota. He is the author of Representing Mass Violence: Conflicting Responses to Human Rights Violations in Darfur.
COMPUTER SCIENCE TOOLS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND QURAN

A novel strategy to prevent pancreatic inflammation due to an endoscopic procedure called an ERCP. There is a pressing need to develop effective preventative therapies for post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). We recently published that early PEP events are induced through the activation of a calcium-activated phosphatase called calcineurin and that global deletion of calcineurin abolishes PEP in a mouse model. A crucial question is whether calcineurin within the pancreas itself controls the initiation of PEP. We now show, using two complementary genetic approaches, that PEP is dependent on calcineurin produced by the main cells of the pancreas called acinar cells and that calcineurin inhibitor medications, infused within the radiocontrast given during ERCP, can largely prevent PEP. These results provide the impetus for launching clinical trials to test the efficacy of this novel delivery of calcineurin inhibitors to prevent PEP.
Re-imagining (black) comic book cataloguing: increasing accessibility through metadata at one university library

Cataloguing single-issue comic books has been a challenge that has flustered librarians for nearly half a century. At one Mid-Atlantic public university’s library, rapid growth of their trade comic...
The Properties of Proteins in Nonaqueous Solvents

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses that it is a natural consequence of the paramount importance of water in biological systems, that the solution properties of proteins and other biologically important macromolecules have been almost exclusively studied in aqueous media. It is the properties of these aqueous solutions that must be understood, if we seek to understand the behavior of the living matter. On the other hand, it can be readily appreciated that much interesting and fundamental information should be obtained by the study of non-aqueous solutions of these substances. This chapter focuses on rapidly developing area of biophysical chemistry. The properties of some non-aqueous solvents of interest are examined, some representative recent studies of non-aqueous solutions of proteins and related macromolecules are discussed, and suggestions are derived from these of possible new directions, such investigations might profitably explore. Solutions in water or in water-non-aqueous solvent mixtures are discussed primarily as they bear on the corresponding solution behavior in the pure organic solvent.
5 Intentionalism -An Expressive Theory1

Publisher Summary This chapter describes intentionalism as an expressive theory. It explains scaling technique—modulus estimation (ModEst)—and three experiments are described that demonstrate its robustness and its applicability to represent quantitative properties of ballistic intentions. The ModEst procedure permits the multiple estimates of an internal or external event or object by comparing it to a set of previously scaled or standardized items. Application scaled the magnitudes of aspects of the performance envelope of a ballistic intention that required subjects to guide aircraft safely across a radar screen without collision. The natural applicability of this scaling method to social, political, and personal questions opens many avenues for quantitative exploration. The calibrated (utility) scales that should be used for these purposes can determine accurately the absolute magnitudes—for example, (dis)utility and its money equivalent or with an appropriately calibrated scale—political vigor, social attitudes, market decisions, or personal health.
Tetradecanoyl Phorbol Acetate Suppresses Follicle-stimulating Hormone-induced Synthesis of the Cholesterol Side-chain Cleavage Enzyme Complex in Rat Ovarian Granulosa Cells*

The effect of tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced synthesis of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage (SCC) enzyme complex was studied in rat ovarian granulosa cells cultured for 48 h in serum-free medium. Cell proteins were radiolabeled with [35S]methionine, followed by immunoprecipitation of cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 (P-450SCC) as well as the iron-sulfur protein adrenodoxin. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography of the immunoprecipitates showed that TPA, when added in combination with FSH (50 ng/ml) or dibutyryl cAMP (Bt2cAMP; 1 mM), suppressed the stimulatory effects of these compounds on the synthesis of the SCC components in a concentration-dependent fashion. The effect of TPA was accompanied by decreased progesterone formation and decreased cAMP accumulation. The structural analog of TPA, phorbol-4 alpha-didecanoate, which does not activate protein kinase C (Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent enzyme), had no effect on the FSH- or Bt2cAMP-stimulated synthesis of SCC and progesterone or on cAMP formation. In addition to inhibiting the synthesis of these proteins, TPA greatly reduced the FSH- and Bt2cAMP-induced increase in levels of mRNA encoding the precursor form of P-450SCC. It is concluded that the effect of the phorbol ester TPA to inhibit FSH-stimulated progesterone formation in cultured ovarian granulosa cells of the rat involves decreased synthesis of the components of the SCC enzyme complex due to reduced levels of mRNA encoding the precursor forms of these proteins. The results are indicative that TPA not only inhibits FSH-mediated stimulation of cAMP formation but also may block cAMP-mediated induction of SCC synthesis. It is postulated that the effects of TPA may reflect the physiological role of protein kinase C in the regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis.
Defensive Medicine Under Enterprise Insurance: Do Physicians Practice Defensive Medicine, and Can Enterprise Insurance Mitigate its Effect?

Current tort reforms cap awards for non-economic damages or make it difficult for plaintiffs to prevail in court. One of the justifications for these reforms is the high cost of positive defensive medicine, defined as physicians ordering more services than a stylized optimal level of care in order to minimize legal risks. However, the extent – and even existence – of defensive medicine is the subject of intense debate. Using comprehensive claims data from Taiwan, this paper contributes to the literature by credibly establishing a causal link between increased malpractice liability and the practice of defensive medicine in obstetrics. Moreover, back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that the cost of defensive medicine is small, or approximately 0.3% of total health spending in obstetrics. The results of my empirical investigation also suggest that various institutional and legal factors can enhance or mitigate the effect of defensive medicine. In particular, my paper provides empirical support that enterprise insurance, or malpractice insurance "purchased" at the enterprise rather than the individual physician level, can mitigate the practice of defensive medicine.
Infiltration in stratified, heterogeneous soils: Relative importance of parameters and model variations

[1] This study presents a framework that accounts for the uncertainty, relative importance, and relative contribution of uncertain and spatially variable parameters and the influence of statistical model assumptions in problems of infiltration in unsaturated, heterogeneous formations. The relative importance of the saturated hydraulic conductivity K s , the van Genuchten α, and 3 parameters was quantified toward the mean pressure head profile and the fluctuations about it. The broad implications of our study for site characterizations efforts are the following. Statistical moments were seen not to be sufficient for producing reliable modeling estimates. Significant information on the detailed shape of the probability distribution is required in order to produce meaningful predictions. When limited data are available, optimum allocation of resources is accomplished by concentrating on K s . When more extensive sampling can be done, both K s and β appear to be critical. Total system performance analyses may not provide the most appropriate modeling estimates. The results of the relative importance of the parameters for a specific layer did not coincide with the conclusions drawn from an analysis of the system as a whole.
Exploiting 2D topology in labeling polyhedral images

A polyhedral image is a segmentation of the image plane into connected regions, called faces, joined by vertices and edges. The segmentation is represented by a planar network of nodes (vertices, edges, faces) linked by adjacency links. The labeling constraints at a node are all local labelings of the node consistent with itself and all its adjacent neighbors. The local labelings are represented by junctions, junction-pairs, and junction-loops respectively for the vertices, edges, and face boundaries of the image. Constraint satisfaction and propagation is done uniformly over all nodes in the image, from each node to its adjacent neighbors. The result is local consistency or inconsistency at all the nodes in the planar network. We show that globally consistent labelings of the image exist, if and only if all the nodes in the network have locally consistent labelings. The planar network of nodes, with labels and local labelings attached to each node, represents all locally/globally consistent labelings of the polyhedral image.
Optimized surfaces for second harmonic generation from surface-plasmon polaritons: theory and experiment

In connection with recent theoretical predictions, enhancement of optical second harmonic generation (SHG) by diffractive coupling to the silver surface-plasmon polariton (SPP) mode is shown experimentally to be maximized on a biperiodic corrugated surface. Optimized first- order diffractive coupling of incident radiation to the SPP maximizes resonance enhancement of the surface-localized electromagnetic field. Through the nonlinear susceptibility of the silver surface, an SPP-enhanced, evanescent, second harmonic wave is coherently generated which is selectively scattered into the second harmonic specular order by the second spatial harmonic in the surface profile. Biperiodic surfaces with appropriately optimized spatial harmonic composition are shown to provide enhancements in second harmonic relection of up to 104 over the corresponding flat surface response. Using the hologrpahic technique of Breidne et al. (Fourier blaze holography), biperiodic surfaces were fabricated which consisted of a superposition of an 833 nm fundamental and a phase- and amplitude-controlled second spatial harmonic. The results of angle-resolved SHG experiments are presented along with atomic force microscopy line scans of the surface profiles. The effect of coupling to the SPP mode at both the incident and second harmonic frequencies is also discussed.
The Pacifying Effect of Education on Civil War Intensity in Greed and Grievance Driven Violence in Africa

Over the past half-century, the occurrence of civil war has increased dramatically compared to any other point in history. Sub-Saharan Africa has been disproportionately devastated by civil war, experiencing more conflict than any other region since the end of decolonization. This paper looks at the effect educational development has on the intensity of civil war in Africa by comparing two education variables to the number of deaths sustained per year during civil war. It builds on the existing civil war literature by expanding past research on the effects of education on civil war onset to include civil war intensity, within the greed and grievance theory literature. Government spending on education/total spending is used as a grievance theory proxy, and male secondary school enrollment rate is used to proxy greed theory. I develop a theoretical framework for the mechanisms that cause both education development indicators to have a pacifying effect on civil war intensity, and then use regression analysis to test the hypotheses against other known catalysts of violence. Through a better understanding of the causal mechanism between educational development and civil war intensity, researchers and policy makers will be better equipped to avoid future deadly conflicts.
Detailed study of earthquake swarms from the Gulf of California

abstract Three earthquake swarms originating in Gulf of California spreading centers have been studied with sonobuoys. Two of the sequences were microearthquake swarms detected during a seismicity survey of the Gulf. Both were located beneath spreading center grabens. All events are quite shallow, less than 3 km into the crust. One of the swarms, which consisted of about 1000 events in 8 hr, showed an episodic seismicity which we associate with episodic magma movement and/ or slip along the graben boundary fault. The third swarm occurred near the Delfin Basin trough. Sonobuoy epicenters show a seismicity trend parallel to local spreading center trends but about 17 km from the trough itself. Surface-wave radiation patterns of the larger events indicate primarily normal faulting. Normal faulting is not predominant in this region, however. Analysis of surface waves recorded at Pasadena indicates that most swarms have strike-slip mechanism. The data from the Gulf suggest that sediments may play a major role in the character of earthquake swarms there. Some swarm events studied may, in fact, occur in consolidated sediments.
Debye function expansions of empirical models of complex permittivity for use in FDTD solutions

The method described provides an intuitive and straightforward approach for approximating arbitrary complex permittivities using sums of Debye functions. Because the distribution of relaxation frequencies is guided by the actual frequency range of interest, there is a greater chance that a minimum number of Debye functions will be required in the expansion. This leads to a more efficient FDTD solution, since computer memory requirements decrease as the number of Debye functions decreases.
“Every shut eye, ain’t sleep”: The role of racism-related vigilance in racial/ethnic disparities in sleep difficulty

Although racial/ethnic disparities in health have been well-characterized in biomedical, public health, and social science research, the determinants of these disparities are still not well-understood. Chronic psychosocial stress related specifically to the American experience of institutional and interpersonal racial discrimination may be an important determinant of these disparities, as a growing literature in separate scientific disciplines documents the adverse health effects of stress and the greater levels of stress experienced by non-White compared to White Americans. However, the empirical literature on the importance of stress for health and health disparities specifically due to racial discrimination, using population-representative data, is still small and mixed. In this paper, we explore the association between a novel measure of racially-salient chronic stress - "racism-related vigilance" - and sleep difficulty. We found that, compared to the White adults in our sample, Black (but not Hispanic) adults reported greater levels of vigilance. This vigilance was positively associated with sleep difficulty to similar degrees for all racial/ethnic groups in our sample (White, Black, Hispanic). Black adults reported greater levels of sleep difficulty compared to White adults. This disparity was slightly attenuated after adjustment for education and income. However, this disparity was completely attenuated after adjustment for racism-related vigilance. We found similar patterns of results for Hispanic compared to White adults, however, the disparities in sleep difficulty were smaller and not statistically significant. Because of the importance of sleep quality to health, our results suggest that the anticipation of and perseveration about racial discrimination is an important determinant of racial disparities in health.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE, ORDER, AND THE LEGAL CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC SPACE: POWER AND THE PUBLIC FORUM DOCTRINE

This paper presents a historical geography of the legal construction of public space. I argue that to understand the nature of the laws and court decisions that govern political activity in public space, it is necessary to examine that law not in isolation, but in relation to the social struggles over and in public space that forced legal decision making. I begin by examining a recent Supreme Court decision concerning the rights of anti-abortion protestors and show how that decision was built on a long history of controlling dissent—particularly the dissent of unionizing and striking workers—rather than on a history of protecting the right to assembly and speech in public space. The legal structure of public space derives first from imputing “violence” to those who dissent, and then seeking ways to control that dissent in the name of protecting property rights. I argue, therefore, that it has only been by actively challenging—on the streets and in the courts-legal definitions of appropriate behavior in pu...
On the rate equation description of spectral lines

Abstract We present a derivation of an exact, low-density equation of motion for the generating operator G q (t) = exp (iLt) |j ??? i |. For the case of foreign gas pressure broadening, the equation for Gii(t) may be used to obtain an exact rate equation for the line amplitude operator. Under certain well-defined approximations, this rate equation reduces to the form of an equation proposed by Gordon. The origin of the linear density term is considered. We discuss the implications of the use of only completed collisions to describe the spectrum.
Comparison of Multi-Test II skin prick testing to intradermal dilutional testing.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Intradermal dilutional testing (IDT) has been considered more sensitive than prick testing for detecting low-level allergies. Multi-Test II® is one of the most sensitive and reproducible prick testing methods available. This study compares Multi-Test II® prick testing with IDT.Design: Retrospective chart review and data analysis on patients who had allergy testing with both Multi-Test II® and IDT.SETTING: Outpatient allergy clinic in the otolaryngology department of an academic tertiary care medical center.POPULATION: Forty adult patients had complete allergy testing with both Multi-Test II® and IDT for a standard panel of twelve antigens between January 2002 and April 2002.INTERVENTION: Analysis and comparison of test results on Multi-Test II® and IDT for each antigen separately and across all antigen tests together.RESULTS: Forty patients had complete testing for all antigens during the time period for the study. Six of these patients did not react to the positive control on Multi...
Assessing the restorative components of environments

We used a direct rating approach based on definitions of each construct to measure the four components of a restorative environment proposed by attention restoration theory (ART): being away, extent, fascination, and compatibility. We used the same approach to measure two criterion variables, perceived restorative potential (PRP) of a setting and preference for the setting, as well as four additional predictor variables (openness, visual access, movement ease, and setting care). Each participant rated 70 settings, 35 each from urban and natural environments, for only one of the variables. Mean ratings were higher for the natural than the urban settings for both criterion variables and all four restorative components, with differences significant in all cases except for fascination. Correlations across settings generally followed the predictions of ART, but collinearity appeared among several sets of variables, most notably being away and setting category, PRP and preference, and extent and fascination. Despite these problems, regression analysis showed that being away and compatibility predicted PRP and that the pattern of prediction for PRP and preference was somewhat different.
On the 2-Chain Subgraph Cover and Related Problems

In this paper, we provide efficient algorithms for a number of closely related problems. They are: threshold number 2 on split graphs, Ferrers dimension 2, biorder dimension 2, interval dimension 2, and the trapezoid graph recognition problems. We show that all these problems can be reduced to the 2-chain subgraph cover problem in O(n2) time. By introducing a new algorithm to reduce a 2-chain subgraph cover problem to a partial order dimension 2 problem in O(n2) time, we find an O(n2) time algorithm to solve the 2-chain subgraph cover problem. As a consequence, all the previously mentioned problems can be solved in O(n2) time. No other algorithm known to the authors can solve any of these problems in the same time bound.
''Effect of fibre-matrix interphase on wave propagation along, and scattering from, multilayered fibres in composites. Transfer matrix approach''

This paper reports an analysis of the effect of the fibre-matrix interphase on ultrasonic wave interaction with multilayered fibres in a solid matrix. A transfer method is developed, which significantly simplifies the theoretical treatment of wave interaction with multilayered fibres. Two phenomena are investigated, one the dispersion of waves propagating in the composite along fibres, the other the scattering of waves incident normally to the fibres. To facilitate the derivation of solutions for waves in a multilayered cylindrical system, a transfer matrix is obtained for each cylindrical layer to relate the stresses and displacements on the inner and outer boundaries of the layer. Therefore, a total transfer matrix, which relates the elastic field in the surrounding matrix to that in the fibre core, is obtained as a product of individual transfer matrices for each intermediate layer. Based on this approach the wave dispersion and scattering for a single multilayered fibre are found. The results are extended to a unidirectional composite to analyse the dispersion along the fibres and the attenuation and dispersion perpendicular to the fibres. The effect of the fibre-matrix interphase is studied with numerical examples of coated multiphase SiC fibres embedded in a titanium matrix. The results show that the transverse moduli of the interphase have much stronger effects on wave propagation than the interphase axial moduli. Experimental data on wave dispersion and attenuation in a unidirectional SiC/Ti composite also show good agreements with the theory.
Acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in 171 children.

The initial features, response to therapy, complications, cause of death, and prognostic factors of 171 consecutive children with ANLL are described and compared to historical data for adults with ANLL and for children with ALL. Major differences between children and adults with ANLL include a higher frequency of CNS leukemia and a lower frequency of early deaths in the children. The most important differences between children with ANLL and ALL are the absence of a peak age of incidence in ANLL and the far better response to therapy in ALL. Among features present at 100,000/mm3 or above, and no palpable hepatomegaly had significantly longer survivals, while patients with platelet counts below 10,000/mm3 had significantly shorter survivals. The frequency and duration of remission were significantly better with three protocols used since 1968 than previously. However, even with these protocols, the results were far from satisfactory, with a complete remission frequency of 66%, a median duration of hematological remission of 6 months, and a median duration of survival of 10 months. The striking contrast of these results in childhood ANLL with current results in childhood ALL underscores the need for novel, imaginative therapeutic approaches for ANLL.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY

Published evidence suggests that American geographers largely ignore foreign languages in their professional activities. Trends in the whole educational system, weakened graduate requirements and the cultural isolationism of the Anglo-Saxon world explain the weak language competency of the discipline in the U.S. American geography cannot contribute to the gamut of sound international knowledge while this situation persists.
Effect of detector nonlinearity and image persistence on CARS derived temperatures.

The image persistence of self-scanning photodiode arrays (IPDA) incorporating P-20 phosphor-based intensifies is shown to make them unsuitable for single-pulse CARS temperature measurements in turbulent combustion. Correcting CARS flame spectra for the nonlinear response of the IPDA detectors increases CARS derived temperatures ≈3–6%. This error is partially offset by correcting for the perturbations in the N2 vibrational population resulting from stimulated Raman pumping. The effect of these population perturbations on CARS-derived temperatures is determined. CARS flame spectra obtained with uncorrected pump beams that are corrected for IPDA nonlinearity and stimulated Raman pumping are shown to give temperatures in good agreement with combined thermocouple/sodium line-reversal measurements.
Discoloration of the teeth in alkaptonuria (ochronosis) and parkinsonism

The patient, a 5%year-old woman, was seen in June, 1967, because of parkinsonism. Her father had had parkinsonism when he was about 56 years old and had died when he was 70 years of age. There was no history of encephalitis. The patient had the typical features of this illness, but in a very minimal amount; these included bradykinesia, minimal rest tremor of all limbs, and loss of associated movements. This illness had appeared during the previous 1 or possibly 2 years. It was rather rapidly progressive, for when she was examined again in November, 1967, she was unable to walk or to dress herself without assistance. At the examination in June, 19867, it was noted that the teeth were discolored; the patient believed that the discoloration had been present for about 2 years. This abnormality had not been observed before in parkinsonism. Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) and chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (Libm phenothiazines had never been used. A bluish discoloration of the cartilages of the external ear had been present for many years (Fig. 1, A). The color of the ear cartilages and of the teeth was the same. The patient had excreted dark urine all of her life, and homogentisie acid was present in the urine. The characteristic changes of ochronosis were observed in roentgenograms of the spinal column. The bluish discoloration of the teeth also had not been observed previously in alkaptonuria and ochronosis. The patient was referred for dental examination. On the crown of the tooth there was a bluish discoloration (Fig. 1, 6). The density of the dentine vias increased, and this yellowto-brown change was visible on the gingival half of the crowns, giving the impression of dentinal sclerosis. Except for the pigmentation, the dentition appeared sound. The oral soft tissues did not show any increased pigmentation or any abnormality, although a mild (and presumably unrelated) gingivitis was present. Roentgenograms of the teeth revealed no abnormalities. Adequate enamel formation and normal tooth form were present. A slight in-
Perioperative complications associated with operative treatment of acetabular fractures.

Background: Perioperative complications in a large number of consecutive patients with displaced acetabular fractures treated operatively were evaluated in an effort to elucidate potentially preventable complications. Methods: Perioperative complications were identified and evaluated in 131 consecutive patients with displaced acetabular fractures treated operatively using the Kocher-Langenbeck surgical exposure. The perioperative complications were identified using a registry. Results: There were a total of 76 complications related to the acetabular fracture and patient polytrauma. Eighteen complications resulted from technical errors and the patient's postoperative course. Obese patients frequently had unusual perioperative complications. Conclusion: Perioperative complications occur commonly in patients with displaced acetabular fractures treated operatively using a Kocher-Langenbeck surgical exposure. Some of these complications may be avoidable, and are related to polytrauma. Most technical complications should be avoidable. Unusual complications were identified, especially in obese patients.