cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trade and Competition Policy

Competition policy1 and trade policy can be mutually reinforcing policy tools, working in tandem to foster markets that are contestable and competitive to the benefit of foreign and domestic interests alike. In some ways, these two policy instruments are flip sides of a coin—competition policy addresses private restraints of trade, whereas trade policy focuses on governmental restraints of trade. In the absence of effective competition policy, private restraints of trade can nullify the benefits of negotiated trade liberalization measures, reducing the benefits of the negotiated trade bargains such as tariff reductions and perhaps even public support for liberalization of trade.
Larval assemblages over the abyssal plain in the Pacific are highly diverse and spatially patchy.

Abyssal plains are among the most biodiverse yet least explored marine ecosystems on our planet, and they are increasingly threatened by human impacts, including future deep seafloor mining. Recovery of abyssal populations from the impacts of polymetallic nodule mining will be partially determined by the availability and dispersal of pelagic larvae leading to benthic recolonization of disturbed areas of the seafloor. Here we use a tree-of-life (TOL) metabarcoding approach to investigate the species richness, diversity, and spatial variability of the larval assemblage at mesoscales across the abyssal seafloor in two mining-claim areas in the eastern Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ; abyssal Pacific). Our approach revealed a previously unknown taxonomic richness within the meroplankton assemblage, detecting larvae from 12 phyla, 23 Classes, 46 Orders, and 65 Families, including a number of taxa not previously reported at abyssal depths or within the Pacific Ocean. A novel suite of parasitic copepods and worms were sampled, from families that are known to associate with other benthic invertebrates or demersal fishes as hosts. Larval assemblages were patchily distributed at the mesoscale, with little similarity in OTUs detected among deployments even within the same 30 × 30 km study area. Our results provide baseline observations on larval diversity prior to polymetallic nodule mining in this region, and emphasize our overwhelming lack of knowledge regarding larvae of the benthic boundary layer in abyssal plain ecosystems.
Heart of a Champion

Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are widely regarded as two of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. Both led their teams to championships, and both were named MVP and All-Star multiple times. But Bryant, the "Black Mamba," and Duncan, the "Big Fundamental," had very different styles of play and ways of interacting with their teammates, coaches, and fans. This case offers an overview of these two champions' careers and brings up questions about leadership and how we measure effectiveness. Excerpt UVA-OB-1288 May 17, 2019 Heart of a Champion Kobe Bryant Kobe Bryant was the 13th pick in the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. The son of a former professional basketball player, he was drafted straight out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets but immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he spent his entire career. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history. In almost every year of his career, Bryant's jersey was in the top 10 sold around the country, and in many of those years it was the number-one selling jersey. His high-flying, accurate shooting offensive style made him a regular on sport shows' highlight reels and led to countless “Did you see that?” moments. His style of play seemed perfectly suited for the Lakers and Los Angeles, where glitz and flash were woven into the culture. Los Angeles was the second-largest media market behind New York, and players greatly desired to play there in order to have the viewership, potential sponsors, and entertainment deals the city could offer. On top of that, the nightlife and beaches made the city a destination for free agents (players whose contracts had expired and who were looking for a new team to join), allowing it to attract new talent when it needed to. Bryant took advantage of these resources. He appeared on numerous talk shows, sponsored countless products, and kept people coming to the games. As a result, he was one of the most highly paid players in the league, even in his final several seasons when his performance was in decline (for Bryant's salary, see Exhibit 1). And while the money it spent on Bryant's salary in his last few years made it difficult for the Lakers organization to pay for other talented players to join the team, it was hard to argue that he didn't have a huge fanbase. . . .
Fixed effects analysis of the incidence of cardiovascular outcomes under managed care following the managed care backlash.

ABSTRACTS To examine the impact of increased managed care activity on 30-day readmission and mortality for acute myocardial infarctions and congestive heart failure in U.S. hospitals following the managed care backlash against managed care cost containment practices.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare files, CMS Hospital Cost Report, CMS Medicare Advantage Enrollment files, and Health Resources and Services Administration Area Resource File data for the period 2008 to 2011 were used to construct the study sample. Multivariate fixed effects regression with robust standard errors, hospital fixed effects, and year fixed effects were used to estimate the impact of managed care penetration on adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Our primary outcome measures were readmission and mortality for patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure for acute, non-federal hospitals with emergency rooms. To examine effects of hospital ownership status, not-for-profit hospitals were compared to proprietary hospitals.The main analysis revealed that an increase in managed care penetration was associated with a decline in both 30-day readmission and mortality for acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. In the hospital ownership analysis, only the acute myocardial infarction results for proprietary hospitals was statistically significant. All hospital types reported similar congestive heart failure trends as the full sample; however, proprietary hospitals reported greater declines in readmission and mortality.Increased managed care activity is associated with reductions in hospital readmission and mortality following the legislative and consumer backlash against managed care, with differential impacts across hospital ownership type. These finding highlights the important role of managed care in creating quality improvements in the delivery of care in the hospital setting.
Beyond the Household: Caribbean Families and Biocultural Models of Alloparenting

Alloparental or extramaternal care is an integral aspect of human childrearing. This behavior has been explored both as an extension of the primary mother–infant dyad that evolved to meet the deman...
Revisiting colocalization via optimal transport

The advent of STED microscopy, which allows observation at a sub-diffraction resolution, raises a challenge in studying spatial proximities of biomolecules’ distributions. In this issue, researchers have attempted to study colocalization of molecules by employing optimal transport.
Were the Muslim Arab Conquerors of the Seventh-Century Middle East Colonialists?

Im Laufe des siebten Jahrhunderts eroberten muslimische Araber erfolgreich Lander und Volker von Marokko bis Afghanistan; sie grundeten Stadte in ihren neu gewonnenen Gebieten, liesen sich in diesen nieder, bauten Herrschaftsstrukturen auf und schopften Ressourcen aus dem Hinterland ab, sowohl materielle als auch menschliche. Das klingt nach eindeutig kolonialistischem Verhalten, aber es gibt gute Grunde, hier innezuhalten und diesen Punkt genauer zu bedenken. Zunachst besteht das grundsatzliche Problem der Anwendung moderner Begriffe auf vormoderne Gegebenheiten. So ist es in einer Welt, in der Staaten klar definierte Grenzen haben, offensichtlich, wenn eine Macht in das Reich einer anderen eindringt. Aber wie stellt sich dies in einer Welt dar, in der Grenzen fliesend sind und sich verschieben oder sogar als inexistent angesehen werden? Zudem sind die besonderen Umstande des Nahen Ostens zur Zeit der Spatantike zu beachten, die gepragt war von den um die Vorherrschaft ringenden Imperien Roms und Persiens. Kann man die muslimisch-arabische Bezwingung dieser Reiche und die Besetzung/Ausbeutung ihrer Gebiete als Kolonialismus beschreiben? Und welches Bild machten sich die muslimischen Araber selbst von ihren Eroberungen? Was waren ihre Absichten, und sollten wir diese in unsere Beurteilung ihrer Herrschaft miteinbeziehen? Diese und andere Fragen werden in diesem Aufsatz behandelt.
Medical management

Kidney stones are the result of a complex interaction of hereditary and environmental factors. They are an increasingly common affliction of industrialized societies. In nearly all cases, kidney stone formation can be drastically reduced or prevented if the patient adheres closely to a carefully designed prevention program. We emphasize an approach oriented around stone composition and targeted at specific risk factors. Our approach begins with fluid and dietary modifications and progresses to pharmacological treatment in nonresponders.
Design and evaluation of mobile monitoring campaigns for exposure assessment in epidemiologic cohorts

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Mobile monitoring has recently made it possible to measure the long-term trends of less commonly measured pollutants. While many different monitoring approaches have been taken,...
ReDUCE: Reformulation of Mixed Integer Programs using Data from Unsupervised Clusters for Learning Efficient Strategies

Mixed integer convex and nonlinear programs, MICP and MINLP, are expressive but require long solving times. Recent work that combines learning methods on solver heuristics has shown potential to overcome this issue allowing for applications on larger scale practical problems. Gathering sufficient training data to employ these methods still present a challenge since getting data from traditional solvers are slow and newer learning approaches still require large amounts of data. In order to scale up and make these hybrid learning approaches more manageable we propose ReDUCE, a method that exploits structure within small to medium size datasets. We also introduce the bookshelf organization problem as an MINLP as a way to measure performance of solvers with ReDUCE. Results show that existing algorithms with ReDUCE can solve this problem within a few seconds, a significant improvement over the original formulation. ReDUCE is demonstrated as a high level planner for a robotic arm for the bookshelf problem.
Deutung des Schweißablaufs

Die bisherigen Erkenntnisse vermogen zwar die Empfindlichkeit des Schweisvorgangs gegenuber geringfugigen Kontaktschwankungen zu erklaren, jedoch steht ein Nachweis der Ursache der periodisch wechselnden Schweisleistung noch aus. Mit Hilfe mestechnischer Verfahren daruber Aufschlus zu erlangen ist nicht gelungen, weil es hierzu undurchfuhrbarer Messungen der Teilwiderstande zwischen den Elektroden wahrend des Schweisens sowie der Temperatur an der Elektrodenberuhrungsstelle und in ihrer Umgebung bedarf. Dennoch erlauben die bekannten Zusammenhange zwischen Temperatur, Oxydation, Schweiswiderstand und -leistung eine glaubwurdige Deutung des Schweisablaufs:
Abstract 1639: Development of novel thiobarbituric acid derivatives as potential cancer therapeutics

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of cancer are generally directed to inhibit the reproduction of malignant cells and killing cells, thereby preventing tumor growth or reducing tumor size. Many of these drugs develop resistance to tumor cells by different mechanisms. Therefore a significant clinical need exists for the development of additional chemotherapeutic agents that are toxic to a wide range of tumor cells, in particular tumors that are resistant to current treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. From recent past, it has been known that barbituric acid derivatives exhibit different biological activities such as anti-depressant, anti-convulsant, anti-viral and anti-cancer activities. Among them some thiobarbituric acid derivatives, such as merocyanine and merbarone have been proposed as possible modulators of apoptosis in several cancer cells including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), lung, melanoma, leukemia, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer; albeit not particularly for cancers that are resistant to current therapy. We designed and synthesized novel thio- and seleno- barbituric derivatives by varying the substituents at N1, N3 (ethyl, methyl, allyl, and phenyl) and C5 tethered with dienyl and trienyl moieties attached with different substituents like phenyl, 2-furanyl, 2-thiophenyl, 1-naphthyl & 3-pyridyl. These compounds were tested against both chemotherapy sensitive and resistant, melanoma (UACC903 and CHL-1), GBM (U87-MG, T98G, and CCF-STTG1) , and lung cancer (A549, H460, H520and H69) cells. Most of these compounds reduced cell viability in a dose and time dependent manner. Among all the compounds ASR-198, ASR-199, ASR-243 and ASR-244 were most cytotoxic to both chemotherapy resistant and sensitive cells. In addition, these compounds triggered a dose dependent induction of apoptosis by activation of caspase-3 and PARP cleavage in melanoma cells. Overall compound ASR-198, having a 2-thiophen-dienyl substitution and C-5 position, emerged as the most efficacious compound in all three cancer cell lines. Interestingly its isosteric selenium analogs were relatively less cytotoxic. In summary, this structure-activity relationship study clearly indicates that more efficacious compounds, compared to existing thiobarbituric analogs, can be developed based on barbituric acid scaffold, by rational modifications of the chemo type compounds. Detailed results of these investigations will be presented. Citation Format: Srinivasa R. Ramisetti, Sang Y. Lee, Manoj K. Pandey, Shantu G. Amin, Arun K. Sharma. Development of novel thiobarbituric acid derivatives as potential cancer therapeutics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1639. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1639
Community-based social services: practical advice based upon lessons from outside the World Bank

The purpose of this paper is to gather information in both developed and developing countries, on design and delivery of community based social service initiatives. While the field is sufficiently new that best practice may not yet be fully identifiable, there are many initiatives funded by other governments, NGOs, and donor agencies, which taken along with acknowledged good practice from the industrialized world, can help task managers with the design of community-based social service projects.
Hepsin, a cell membrane-associated protease: Characterization, tissue distribution, and gene localization

Hepsin, a putative membrane-bound serine protease, was originally identified as a human liver cDNA clone (Leytus, S.P., Loeb, K.R., Hagen, F.S., Kurachi, K., and Davie, E.W. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 1067-1074). In the present study the human hepsin gene was localized to chromosome 19 at q11-13.2. The messenger RNA of hepsin is 1.85 kilobases in size and present in most tissues, with the highest level in liver. Hepsin is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain, and its mature form of 51 kDa was found in various mammalian cells including HepG2 cells and baby hamster kidney cells. It is present in the plasma-membrane in a molecular orientation of type II membrane-associated proteins, with its catalytic subunit (carboxyl-terminal half) at the cell surface, and its amino terminus facing the cytosol. Hepsin is found neither in cytosol nor in culture media. The results obtained suggest that hepsin has an important role(s) in cell growth and function.
Therapeutic attack of hypoxic cells of solid tumors: presidential address

Hypoxic cells of solid tumors are relatively resistant to therapeutic assault. Studies have demonstrated that oxygen-deficient tumor cells exist in an environment conducive to reductive reactions making hypoxic cells particularly sensitive to bioreductive alkylating agents. Mitomycin C, the prototype bioreductive alkylating agent available for clinical use, is capable of preferentially killing oxygen-deficient cells both in vitro and in vivo. This phenomenon is at least in part the result of differences in the uptake and metabolism of mitomycin C by hypoxic and oxygenated tumor cells, with the ultimate critical lesion being the cross-linking of DNA by the mitomycin antibiotic. The combination of mitomycin C with X-irradiation, to attack hypoxic and oxygenated tumor cell populations, respectively, has led to enhanced antitumor effects in mice bearing solid tumor implants and in patients with cancer of the head and neck. More efficacious kill of hypoxic tumor cells may be possible by the use of dicoumarol in combination with mitomycin or by the use of the related antibiotic porfiromycin. The findings support the use of an agent with specificity for hypoxic tumor cells in potentially curative regimens for solid tumors.
An adaptive idle mode control system

The optimum idle operating point for an internal combustion engine, in terms of fuel economy, emission levels, and idle quality, is a function of both the engine operating and environmental conditions. This paper reports on the development of an idle mode control system which adaptively adjusts the idle operating point in response to changes in these conditions. The control system described continually identifies the optimum idle operating point, defined in terms of engine crankshaft speed (fuel economy) and roughness level (idle quality), and maintains operation at this point under any set of operating conditions. The control system objective is to maintain idle operation at the minimum speed possible without adversely effecting idle quality or emission levels. This is accomplished by operating at an idle speed which results in the maximum acceptable level of engine roughness. The roughness level is determined by an on line measurement technique based on crankshaft speed fluctuations. The roughness set-point is modified adaptively to reduce the frequency of poor combustion events that give rise to increased levels of unburned hydrocarbons (HC). Thus, the idle mode control system strives to reach the best compromise among fuel economy, idle quality, and emission levels under any operating conditions.
High density linear systems for fusion power

The physics and technological limitations and uncertainties associated with the linear theta pinch are discussed in terms of a generalized energy balance, which has as its basis the ratio (Q/sub E/) of total electrical energy generated to net electrical energy consumed. Included in this total is the virtual energy of bred fissile fuel, if a hybrid blanket is used, as well as the actual of real energy deposited in the blanket by the fusion neutron. The advantages and disadvantages of the pulsed operation demanded by the linear theta pinch are also discussed. (MOW)
Web Intelligence, World Knowledge and Fuzzy Logic – The Concept of Web IQ (WIQ)

Given the ambiguity and imprecision of the “concept” in the Internet, which may be described with both textual and image information, the use of Fuzzy Conceptual Matching (FCM) is a necessity for search engines. In the FCM approach, the “concept” is defined by a series of keywords with different weights depending on the importance of each keyword. Ambiguity in concepts can be defined by a set of imprecise concepts. Each imprecise concept, in fact, can be defined by a set of fuzzy concepts. The fuzzy concepts can then be related to a set of imprecise words given the context. Imprecise words can then be translated into precise words given the ontology and ambiguity resolution through a clarification dialog. By constructing the ontology and fine-tuning the strength of links (weights), we could construct a fuzzy set to integrate piecewise the imprecise concepts and precise words to define the ambiguous concept.
The Chemical Composition and Evolution of Giant Molecular Cloud Cores: A Comparison of Observation and Theory

We present the results of an observational and theoretical study of the chemical composition and evolution of three giant cloud cores in Orion A, M17, and Cepheus A. This study is the culmination of a chemical survey of 32 transitions of 20 different molecules and isotopic variants in these cloud cores. Using these data, combined with observationally derived physical conditions, chemical abundances were calculated for several positions in each cloud. A global analysis of the molecular abundances shows that, although abundance differences exist, the chemical composition of giant cloud cores is remarkably homogeneous. This agreement suggests that the chemical evolution of the individual giant cloud cores is not unique. The molecular abundances of giant cloud cores are also systematically lower than those observed in the more quiescent dark cloud core TMC-1. A one-dimensional chemical model is presented that examines internal chemical structure induced by a radiation field enhanced by a factor of 103-105 above the normal interstellar radiation field. This model integrates the abundances of the various species as a function of depth, producing column densities that can be compared with observations. The one-dimensional model is unable to reproduce the abundances of many molecules for any single time. Two assumptions have been investigated to improve the agreement between theory and observations. These are adding clumps and raising the initial C/O ratio. We find that the inclusion of clumps in the chemical model can reproduce the abundance of C and C+. However, because of the greater weight placed on the photon-dominated region within smaller clumps, clumps have a detrimental effect on reproducing the abundances of other species. Models with a range of C/O ratios are also compared with the measured abundances. Good agreement between this model and the observations at two positions with disparate physical properties is found for early times (t ~ 105 yr) and for C/O increased to ~0.8. We suggest that one possible interpretation of these results is that the cores are dynamically evolving objects. Either giant cloud cores are intrinsically young objects or the dense material is effectively young by virtue of a complex interchange of material between the clumps and the interclump medium. We suggest that the CS/SO ratio can be used to probe the evolutionary state of and the initial C/O ratio in dense molecular clouds.
Bio-empirical mode decomposition: visible and infrared fusion using biologically inspired empirical mode decomposition

Bio-EMD, a biologically inspired fusion of visible and infrared (IR) images based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and color opponent processing, is introduced. First, registered visible and IR captures of the same scene are decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) through EMD. The fused image is then generated by an intuitive opponent processing the source IMFs. The resulting image is evaluated based on the amount of information transferred from the two input images, the clarity of details, the vividness of depictions, and range of meaningful differences in lightness and chromaticity. We show that this opponent processing-based technique outperformed other algorithms based on pixel intensity and multiscale techniques. Additionally, Bio-EMD transferred twice the information to the fused image compared to other methods, providing a higher level of sharpness, more natural-looking colors, and similar contrast levels. These results were obtained prior to optimization of color opponent processing filters. The Bio-EMD algorithm has potential applicability in multisensor fusion covering visible bands, forensics, medical imaging, remote sensing, natural resources management, etc.
Inter-organizational Emergency Medical Services: Case Study of Rural Wireless Deployment and Management

Over the last two decades, use of mobile communications for emergency services (e.g. 911) has grown exponentially. This rise of mobile networks has increased reliance on new private and public partnerships to deliver these time critical services. Drawing upon complex systems theory and Inter-organizational Systems (IOS) dynamics, a framework is developed for investigating technology, organizational and policy dimensions of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The case study for this investigation is rural Minnesota, where a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted and supplemented by analysis of candidate EMS system evaluations. The twofold objectives of the study were to explore the nature of inter-organizational dynamics in this setting and to set forth an architecture for measuring and enhancing performance. Key technology concerns included gaps in wireless coverage, complex system upgrades, and lagging integration of wireless communications into existing infrastructures. These issues were intertwined with organizational aspects, such as the challenges in developing coordinated relationships among agencies and between the public and private sectors. Several policy levers were also influential, such as federal standards that had been set forth for E-911 location information and funding initiatives in the transportation area. The final section draws upon these findings to suggest an EMS architecture that portrays the entire system as well as critical IOS linkages. While IOS has traditionally examined supply chains, these findings are aimed to contribute to understanding more complex, dynamic and heterogeneous socio-technical processes. The paper concludes with a discussion of management and research implications.
STRANGENESS AND QUARK GLUON PLASMA: ASPECTS OF THEORY AND EXPERIMENT

A survey of our current understanding of the strange particle signature of quark gluon plasma is presented. Emphasis is placed on the theory of strangeness production in the plasma and recent pertinent experimental results. Useful results on spectra of thermal particles are given.
High-resolution infrared analysis of the ν17 band of pyridine

A method for analyzing asymmetric top rovibrational bands displaying both blended and resolved features is described. The two-phase computational procedure uses a modified version of the asymmetric rotor-band contour program FASTPLOT to generate a preliminary set of upperstate spectroscopic constants. The parameters are subsequently refined by employing the assigned line-fitting formalism of the ASYROT program using both resolved and blended features. The technique is detailed in a comprehensive analysis of the ν17 band of pyridine. Inclusion of quartic centrifugal distortion constants was found to satisfactorily model a high-resolution (0.004 cm−1) spectrum of this band, yielding a standard deviation of 0.00137 cm−1. The variation in the rotational parameters with vibrational quantum number is examined in terms of possible weak rovibrational perturbations to the ν17 state. An ab initio calculation of the ν17/ν27 Coriolis coupling constant indicates the observed results are consistent with the interaction of these two vibrational states.
Automatic inter-plant spacing sensing at early growth stages using a 3D vision sensor

An inter-plant spacing sensing system using a TOF (time of flight) of light based 3D sensor was developed. The 3D sensor was capable of capturing distance information, intensity and amplitude data in a single shot. The side view depth images captured were stitched together using distance information from a wheel encoder in conjunction with a feature-based image sequencing process for the stem location identification. One obvious advantage of the system over current color-based 2D systems was the use of depth images for plant identification, which was less sensitive to color variations. A covered cart was designed to prevent the sunlight from directly shedding on the plants and to reduce the interference from wind, which in turn made the system usable throughout the day. The vertical camera position was easily adjustable making the system suitable to work with plants at different growth stages. The use of side-view images made the system capable of detecting inclined plants and therefore, boosted the performance of the system in precisely locating the stem centers, which in turn minimized the measurement errors. The measurement accuracy demonstrated the system superiority over the current systems which make use of top-view images for inter-plant spacing sensing. The system achieved an overall mean root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.017m with a mean plant misidentification ratio of 2.2%. The coefficient of determination (R^2) was 0.95 between the in-field manual distance measurements and the system distance estimates.
Differential Transport of Boron in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculenlum Mill.)

Two tomato cultivars, T3238 (B-inefficient) and Rutgers (B-efficient), were grown in solution cultures with increasing concentrations of B. Rutgers was about 15 times more efficient than T3238 in utilizing the B in the growth medium. Rutgers translocated more B to top leaves than the inefficient T3238. When plants developed B-deficiency symptoms, there was no evidence of B redistribution between tissues. Reciprocal grafts of T3238 and Rutgers demonstrate root control of B transport.
Signal Transduction: Evolution of an Idea (Nobel Lecture)

In general there is no set of observations conceivable which can give enough information about the past of a system to give complete information as to its future. Norbert Wiener
The “Corporate Will” of the United Nations and the Rights of the Minority

In contrast to the withholding practices of certain member states in respect of part of their assessed contributions to the budget of the United Nations, United States withholding began rather recently. U.S. withholding started in 1980 and, until 1985, applied only to specific programs and decisions. Previously, in 1978, the Legal Adviser of the Department of State had concluded in a memorandum of law that Article 17 of the UN Charter “impose[s] a legal obligation on members to pay the amount assessed to them by the General Assembly.” Referring to the U.S. written statement submitted to the International Court of Justice in Certain Expenses of the United Nations, he added: “Accordingly, the General Assembly’s adoption and apportionment of the Organization’s expenses create a binding international legal obligation on the part of State Members to pay their assessed shares.” In his view, there was apparently no possible exception to this obligation.
Antibodies to β1‐integrins cause alterations of aortic vasculogenesis, in vivo

Vasculogenesis is the de novo formation of blood vessels from mesoderm. This process occurs very early in development and provides a convenient system for studying mor- phogenesis in higher vertebrates. The cell-extra- cellular matrix (ECM) interactions that occur dur- ing dorsal aortic vasculogenesis were examined using the monoclonal antibody, CSAT, a reagent known to neutralize the ligand-binding activity of avian p,-integrins. We injected CSAT into quail embryos during a period of active vasculogenesis (4-10 somites). The CSAT antibodies, but not con- trols, had a marked and reproducible effect on aortic vessel formation. Vasculogenesis appeared to be arrested at the stage when slender cord-like assemblies of angioblasts rearrange to form tu- bules. Indeed, aortic primordia near the site of CSAT injection did not form patent vessels.
Shifting Attentional Priorities: Control of Spatial Attention through Hemispheric Competition

Regions of frontal and posterior parietal cortex are known to control the allocation of spatial attention across the visual field. However, the neural mechanisms underlying attentional control in the intact human brain remain unclear, with some studies supporting a hemispatial theory emphasizing a dominant function of the right hemisphere and others supporting an interhemispheric competition theory. We previously found neural evidence to support the latter account, in which topographically organized frontoparietal areas each generate a spatial bias, or “attentional weight,” toward the contralateral hemifield, with the sum of the weights constituting the overall bias that can be exerted across visual space. Here, we used a multimodal approach consisting of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of spatial attention signals, behavioral measures of spatial bias, and fMRI-guided single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to causally test this interhemispheric competition account. Across the group of fMRI subjects, we found substantial individual differences in the strengths of the frontoparietal attentional weights in each hemisphere, which predicted subjects' respective behavioral preferences when allocating spatial attention, as measured by a landmark task. Using TMS to interfere with attentional processing within specific topographic frontoparietal areas, we then demonstrated that the attentional weights of individual subjects, and thus their spatial attention behavior, could be predictably shifted toward one visual field or the other, depending on the site of interference. The results of our multimodal approach, combined with an emphasis on neural and behavioral individual differences, provide compelling evidence that spatial attention is controlled through competitive interactions between hemispheres rather than a dominant right hemisphere in the intact human brain.
Self-healing congenital Langerhans cell histiocytosis presenting as neonatal papulovesicular eruption.

Antecedents: L'histiocytose langerhansienne congenitale autoresolutive (CSHLCH) est une affection rare pouvant se manifester la naissance ou au cours de la periode neonatale. Elle se caracterise habituellement par de multiples papules et nodules dissemines de couleur rouge-brun dont la taille et le nombre peuvent augmenter au cours des premieres semaines de vie. Il y a generalement absence de signes generaux l'exception d'une legere hepatomegalie occasionnelle. Objectif: Presenter le cas d'un nourrisson de sexe masculin pesant 3,5 kg qui avait la naissance de nombreuses erosions croteuses erythemateuses diffuses. On a presume qu'il souffrait d'une infection congenitale Herpes simplex et un traitement d'acyclovir IV a ete amorce. L'examen histopathologique a revele la presence d'un infiltrat inflammatoire mixte comportant de nombreux histiocytes positifs pour la proteine S-100 et l'agglutinine d'arachide, compatibles avec une CSHLCH. Une investigation plus approfondie n'a revele aucun signe d'atteinte generale. Conclusion: L'histiocytose langerhansienne congenitale autoresolutive a exceptionnellementete rapportee sous une forme papulovesiculeuse la naissance. Dans ces cas, l'etiologie virale est couramment retenue dans le diagnostic differentiel. Quoiqu'il y ait regression spontanee des lesions cutanees de la CSHLCH, il est necessaire d'effectuer un suivi medicaletroit afin de deceler les signes et symptmes associes une eventuelle maladie de Letterer-Siwe latente.
Spectroscopic Studies of the Simpler Porphyrins IV. The Absorption and Fluorescence Spectra of ms‐Tetra(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)porphine of HCl Number Four and of Its AgC5H5N, Zn, and Ni Complex Salts

The molecular absorption coefficients of ms‐tetra(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)porphine and the AgC5H5N, Zn, and Ni complex salts have been measured over the visible region of the spectrum. The curves representing the absorption coefficients as a function of the wave‐length are shown. The spectra of this porphyrin and its metal complex salts are quite similar to those of ms‐tetraphenylporphine and its corresponding metal complex salts. The fluorescence spectra of these substances have also been studied. All four substances fluoresce in the red region of the visible spectrum. Curves showing relative intensity of fluorescence as a function of wave‐length are shown for the parent substance and the Zn complex salt. The fluorescence of the AgC5H5N and Ni complex salts is so weak that intensity measurements could not be made.
Screening the potential risks of toxic substances using a multimedia compartment model: estimation of human exposure.

Managing environmental health risks requires the assessment of environmental fate, exposure, and health risk of an ever-increasing list of contaminants. The magnitude of this list precludes an experimental evaluation of each contaminant. For this reason, computer models are being used more frequently to simulate the transport and transformation of chemicals based on physical and chemical properties. This paper describes a multimedia compartment model that we have developed for screening toxic substances. This model, referred to as GEOTOX, uses a combination of physical, chemical, and landscape properties to establish the partitioning, reaction, and interphase-transport characteristics of a chemical. These properties are used to estimate concentrations in the air, soil, water, and food of a representative or generic environment. We use these concentrations in exposure-pathway models to calculate the quantities absorbed by humans; then dose-response data are used to estimate health risks. The capability of GEOTOX as a screening tool is illustrated in a sample ranking of three chemicals (i.e., 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine, and benzene) being continuously added to the upper-soil compartment. We find that ranking based on both toxic potency and environmental fate can enhance the risk-management process when compared to ranking based on toxic potency alone.
The onset of virus shedding and clinical signs in chickens infected with high-pathogenicity and low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses

Some avian influenza viruses may be transmissible to mammals by ingestion. Cats and dogs have been infected by H5N1 avian influenza viruses when they ate raw poultry, and two human H5N1 infections were linked to the ingestion of uncooked duck blood. The possibility of zoonotic influenza from exposure to raw poultry products raises concerns about flocks with unrecognized infections. The present review examines the onset of virus shedding and the development of clinical signs for a variety of avian influenza viruses in chickens. In experimentally infected birds, some high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) and low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses can occur in faeces and respiratory secretions as early as 1 to 2 days after inoculation. Some HPAI viruses have also been found in meat 1 day after inoculation and in eggs after 3 days. There is no evidence that LPAI viruses can be found in meat, and the risk of their occurrence in eggs is poorly understood. Studies in experimentally infected birds suggest that clinical signs usually develop within a few days of virus shedding; however, some models and outbreak descriptions suggest that clinical signs may not become evident for a week or more in some H5 or H7 HPAI-infected flocks. During this time, avian influenza viruses might be found in poultry products. LPAI viruses can be shed in asymptomatically infected or minimally affected flocks, but these viruses are unlikely to cause significant human disease.
A decomposition algorithm for visualizing irregular grids

Few methods exist for visualizing scientific data on irregular grids. An important reason is the lack of an efficient method of point location on such grids. An algorithm is presented to address this problem. On d-dimensional grids of n irregularly shaped voxels, empirical studies have shown ∝ dnlog n preprocessing time, ∝ dn preprocessing storage, ∝ log n query time and ∝ n storage space. An example is followed through several steps to demonstrate the algorithm; other examples are tested. Applications of the algorithm to visualization are also discussed.
The second sex: Women's place in polling language

Recent research suggests that gender nouns such as “man,” and pronouns such as “he,· are not generic forms referring to humanity, but often refer exclusively to males. The use of male terms in a variety of role contexts serves to deny females identification with these contexts, and thereby stereotypes the roles of men and women. Public opinion polling, through its use of the questionnaire, represents an important social context where gender-biased phrasing can have an adverse impact on a large segment of society. A content analysis of polling questions from 1936–1973 was undertaken to ascertain their gender representation. Those questions containing gender referrants constituted ten percent of the sample. Questions were analyzed for their gender content in the areas of social, political, and economic life. The findings show a differential use of male and female terms, with the use of female gender most apparent in contexts traditionally defined as female: home and family. When females are mentioned in non-traditional contexts, they appear most often in competition with men. Male pronouns appear exclusively in contexts traditionally defined as male: work and politics. The methodological and social implications of these findings for survey research are discussed.
The regulatory rep protein of adeno-associated virus binds to sequences within the c-H-ras promoter

The large rep gene products (rep68 and rep78) of adeno-associated virus (AAV) are pleiotropic effector proteins which not only play a critical role in AAV DNA replication and in the trans-regulation of AAV promotor elements, but are also known for their onco-suppressive functions. We have previously demonstrated that the large AAV rep protein will strongly inhibit expression from the c-H-ras promoter, but not the murine osteosarcoma virus long terminal repeat (MSV-LTR) promoter. To investigate the possibility that rep may physically bind to these promoter sequences, specifically to GCTC motifs, we conducted electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) with a maltose binding protein-rep chimeric protein, MBP-rep68 delta, and synthetic double stranded DNA substrates of sequences selected from the c-H-ras and MSV-LTR promoters, as well as with the AAV TR. We find that MPB-rep68 delta bound the AAV TR DNA sequence (three motifs) most strongly, followed by the selected c-H-ras DNA sequence (two noninterfering motifs), and most poorly to the MSV-LTR DNA (one motif). These data are consistent with our previous study and suggest a direct mechanism of action for AAV rep inhibition of the c-H-ras promoter. Furthermore, the results suggest that the number of GCTC motifs, when closely associated, affect the affinity of rep binding. Finally, we find that MBP-rep68 delta also binds to the c-H-ras oligomer substrates which have secondary hairpin structures.
Polarization of viral entry and release in epithelial cells

Abstract Epithelial cells line the body and organ surfaces, and form a barrier to virus entry as well as to dissemination of progeny virus in the infected host. Epithelial cells are typically polarized and exhibit two distinct surface domains. Viruses may enter polarized epithelial cells through only one membrane surface and not the other, thus restricting sites which are susceptible to infection. Furthermore, the release of many viruses from epithelial cells is directional, which may have important implications in pathogenesis. The restricted sites of viral entry and release are also important determinants of the availability of viral components for interaction with the immune system.
Length thresholds for graphic lists given fixed largest and smallest entries and bounded gaps

In a list (d"1,...,d"n) of positive integers, let r and s denote the largest and smallest entries. A list is gap-free if each integer between r and s is present. We prove that a gap-free list with even sum is graphic if it has at least r+r+s+12s terms. With no restriction on gaps, length at least (r+s+1)^24s suffices, as proved by Zverovich and Zverovich (1992). Both bounds are sharp within 1. When the gaps between consecutive terms are bounded by g, we prove a more general length threshold that includes both of these results. As a tool, we prove that if a positive list d with even sum has no repeated entries other than r and s (and the length exceeds r), then to prove that d is graphic it suffices to check only the @?th Erdos-Gallai inequality, where @?=max{k:d"k>=k}.
PREPARATION OF TRIFLUOROMETHYLSULFONYLPYRROLES VIA MESOIONIC INTERMEDIATES

Abstract The reaction of N-substituted-N-formylglycine and phenyltrifluoromethylsulfonylacetylene in acetic anhydride results in the formation of substituted-4-trifluoromethylsulfonylpyrroles. In our continuing efforts1 to prepare novel hetero structures via mesoionic intermediates, we would like to report the general preparation of
Involvement of DNA polymerase β in protection against the cytotoxicity of oxidative DNA damage

Abstract We had shown previously that DNA polymerase β (β-pol) null mouse fibroblasts, deficient in base excision repair (BER), are hypersensitive to monofunctional methylating agents but not to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). This is surprising because β-pol is thought to be involved in BER of oxidative as well as methylated DNA damage. We confirm these findings here in early-passage cells. However, with time in culture, β-pol null cells become hypersensitive to H 2 O 2 and other reactive oxygen species-generating agents. Analysis of in vitro BER reveals a strong deficiency in single-nucleotide BER of 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) by both early- and late-passage β-pol null cell extracts. Therefore, in early-passage wild-type and β-pol null cells, the capacity for single-nucleotide BER of 8-oxoG does not correlate with cellular sensitivity to H 2 O 2 . Expression of β-pol protein in the late-passage null cells almost completely reverses the H 2 O 2 -hypersensitivity phenotype. Methoxyamine (MX) treatment sensitizes late-passage wild-type cells to H 2 O 2 as expected for β-pol-mediated single-nucleotide BER; however in β-pol null cells, MX has no effect. The data indicate a role(s) of β-pol-dependent repair in protection against the cytotoxicity of oxidative DNA damage in wild-type cells.
Phimosis in Boys

Summary— Phimosis, defined as scarring of the tip of the prepuce, was studied prospectively in a series of 23 boys aged 4 to 11 years. There was little to support the contention that the condition is caused by trauma, or by ammoniacal or bacterial inflammation of the prepuce, nor could any other aetiological factor be identified. Histological examination of the foreskin showed the appearances of Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans in 20 of 21 specimens submitted for study.
Understanding the Fourth-Grade Slump: Our Point of View

Abstract Educators know that an achievement gap exists between students of low-income and middle-income families, a gap that is especially evident in fourth grade and beyond. This essay explores issues related to this gap, including primary-level children being immersed in narrative text and, therefore, unprepared for the challenges of informational text and content-specific vocabulary; lack of available material children are interested in reading; and limited reading opportunities created by a focus on high-stakes, test-preparation regimens.