cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meaningful Membership: Making War a Bit More Criminal

Should membership in a particular group, by itself, be enough for the government to kill you? This Article starts with the classic lawyer answer of “it depends” but goes beyond it to answer yes, explain why, and recommend limits. The heart of the matter is found in how the law of armed conflict treats transnational, non-state armed groups such as al-Qaeda. When such groups are viewed analogously to state militaries, their members are lawfully subject to lethal attack based on their membership status, distinct from actual hostile conduct. By comparing this focus on status to federal criminal law’s treatment of membership, this Article exposes the current targeting paradigm’s dangerous lack of membership criteria. This legal insufficiency exposes the United States to legitimate charges of arbitrary killing.Yet far from calling for the demise of membership-based targeting in warfare, this article defends the practice while outlining a vital need for clear legal limits. Its primary contribution is its suggestion that guidelines should be drawn from criminal law’s more developed treatment of membership and associational ties as grounds for government action. Specifically, it proposes formally incorporating 18 U.S.C. § 2339B’s conduct plus coordination model, used to prosecute material support to terrorist organizations, into the wartime membership assessment process. This Article reveals that while the wartime methodology roughly approximates the federal statute’s approach, it is legally insufficient due to its ad hoc nature, unbounded scope and lack of rigor. To fix these deficiencies in wartime identification, this Article’s normative analysis highlights both the utility of adopting the statutory model’s categorical method, and the criticality of adding a tailored scienter requirement. Without such limitations, enemy group membership is legally meaningless, and its service as grounds to kill questionable at best.
Spin correlations in p-->p-->-->pnπ + pion production near threshold

A first measurement of longitudinal as well as transverse spin correlation coefficients for the reaction $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pn}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ is made using a polarized proton target and a polarized proton beam. We report kinematically complete measurements for this reaction at 325-, 350-, 375-, and 400-MeV beam energies. The spin correlation coefficients ${A}_{\mathrm{xx}}{+A}_{\mathrm{yy}},$ ${A}_{\mathrm{xx}}\ensuremath{-}{A}_{\mathrm{yy}},$ ${A}_{\mathrm{zz}},$ and ${A}_{\mathrm{xz}}$ and the analyzing power ${A}_{y},$ as well as angular distributions for $\ensuremath{\sigma}({\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\ensuremath{\pi}})$ and the polarization observables ${A}_{\mathrm{ij}}({\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}),$ are extracted. Partial wave cross sections for dominant transition channels are obtained from a partial-wave analysis that included transitions with final-state angular momenta of $ll~1.$ The measurements of the $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pn}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ polarization observables are compared with the predictions from the J\"ulich meson exchange model. The agreement is very good at 325 MeV, but it deteriorates increasingly for the higher energies. At all energies agreement with the model is better than for the reaction $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{p}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{pp}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}.$
Interrater reliability and accuracy in identifying ischemic strokes using computed tomography scans in people with dementia

Objectives: To assess the reliability and interobserver agreement of stroke identification on neuroimaging in patients presenting with dementia. Design: Comparison study between neurologists, radiology reports, and autopsy. Setting: Dementia registry within a health maintenance organization. Participants: Dementia patients with computed tomography (CT) scans obtained near the time of diagnosis and postmortem neuropathological examinations (N=99). Measurements: Three neurologists independently read CT scans for the presence and locations of strokes. Radiology reports from these scans were reviewed. The results from neurologists, radiologists, and autopsies were compared. Results: The positive predictive value for CT-observed strokes compared with their presence on autopsy was 0.44 to 0.49, regardless of the specialty of the observer. Strokes were present at autopsy in 46 of 99 cases. Agreement between neurologists on the presence of strokes was fair to moderate (kappa=0.27–0.56). Less agreement was found between neurologists and radiologists (kappa=0.00–0.11). Results improved slightly when each case was evaluated as any stroke present versus no stroke on imaging (kappa=0.34–0.75) or for the presence of multiple strokes (kappa=0.17–0.69). Conclusion: There is only fair to moderate agreement between observers regarding the identification of strokes on CT scans in patients presenting with dementia. Furthermore, strokes identified on imaging were present on pathology only half the time.
Relationship Between Sustained Expanded Disability Status Scale Progression and Simultaneous Changes in Individual Functional Systems in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (P4.190)

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the relationship between sustained Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) progression and simultaneous changes in individual Functional Systems Scores (FSSs) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. BACKGROUND:Worsening of each FSS may contribute to sustained disability progression. However, the temporal relationship between worsening FSSs and EDSS progression is not fully understood. DESIGN/METHODS:Data from the placebo arms of 4 large, randomized, multicenter clinical trials (MSCRG, AFFIRM, DEFINE, and CONFIRM) were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the proportion of patients with sustained disability progression who experienced simultaneous sustained FSS worsening. Simultaneous sustained FSS worsening was defined as a 蠅1-point change in the pyramidal, cerebellar, brainstem, sensory, bowel/bladder, visual, or cerebral FSS that coincided with sustained EDSS progression (defined as a 蠅1.0-point increase in EDSS score sustained for 3 [AFFIRM, DEFINE, or CONFIRM] or 6 [MSCRG] months). RESULTS:In the MSCRG placebo group, 29/87 patients (33.3%) had 6-month sustained disability progression. Among these, 27/29 (93.1%) had simultaneous sustained worsening of 蠅1 point on 蠅1 FSS. This occurred most often in cerebellar (n=12, 41.4%) and sensory (n=12, 41.4%) functions. In the AFFIRM placebo group, 84/315 patients (26.7%) experienced 3-month sustained EDSS progression, among whom 80/84 (95.2%) had simultaneous sustained FSS worsening; this was most common in pyramidal (n=42, 50.0%), sensory (n=38, 45.2%), and cerebellar (n=29, 34.5%) functions. In the DEFINE and CONFIRM placebo groups, 89/408 patients (21.8%) and 52/363 patients (14.3%), respectively, had 3-month sustained progression, of whom 83/89 (93.3%) and 46/52 (88.5%), respectively, had simultaneous sustained FSS worsening. In both studies, this occurred most often in pyramidal (DEFINE, n=45, 50.6%; CONFIRM, n=23, 44.2%), cerebellar (DEFINE, n=34, 39.1%; CONFIRM, n=18, 36.0%), and sensory (DEFINE, n=34, 38.2%; CONFIRM, n=16, 30.8%) functions. CONCLUSIONS:Our findings suggest that sustained worsening of pyramidal, cerebellar, and sensory functions most often coincides with sustained EDSS progression. These analyses support the validity and reliability of using sustained EDSS progression as a measure of disability progression. Study Supported by:Biogen Idec Inc. Disclosure: Dr. Scott has received personal compensation for activities with Novartis, Biogen Idec, Teva Neuroscience, and Genzyme Corp. Dr. Scott has received research support from the Pittsburgh Foundation. Dr. Sperling has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. Sperling holds stock and/or stock options in Biogen Idec. Dr. Wang has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. You has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. Mann has nothing to disclose.
Three-mirror resonator with aspheric feedback mirror for laser mode selection and mode shaping

A novel three-mirror laser resonator with custom-designed aspheric feedback mirror is reported. Strong modal selection and mode-shaping is predicted by numerical simulation and observed experimentally in a Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser.
Dynamic tracking filters for decomposing nonstationary sinusoidal signals

A procedure to decompose a signal consisting of nonstationary sinusoidal components based on the principles of residual signal analysis is proposed. A tracking unit consisting of an all zero filter (AZF) in cascade with a dynamic tracking filter (DTF) is assigned to each component. While the adaptively varying zeros of the AZF suppresses all interfering neighbors, the DTF captures the slowly varying instantaneous frequency (IF) of the desired component. Our earlier methods improved upon Costas's estimator-predictor filter bank by using a better interfering signal predictor. The alternative procedure described in this paper avoids the use of prediction and is not overly restricted by the number of components. We also show that by using two simple feedback loops (a loop-filter is thus avoided) the tracking information is ensured to be in phase. Finally, the algorithms ability to decompose synthetic signals, speech signals into harmonic partials as well as tracking the formants present in voiced speech segments is illustrated.
Adolescent bariatric surgery: caregiver and family functioning across the first postoperative year.

Abstract Background The present study examined the psychological distress, parenting stress, and family functioning in female caregivers of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery compared to that of caregivers of adolescents with extreme obesity not undergoing surgery across the first postoperative year. Methods The female caregivers of 16 adolescents undergoing Roux-en- Y gastric bypass (mean age 16.6 years, mean body mass index 66.2 kg/m 2 ; 94% recruitment) and those of 28 comparison adolescents who had sought behavioral weight management (mean age 16.2 years, mean body mass index 46.3 kg/m 2 ; 90% recruitment) were included in the study. The caregivers completed measures of psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised), parenting stress (Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents), and family functioning (Family Assessment Device) at baseline (before surgery) and at 6 and 12 months after surgery. Caregiver and adolescent anthropometric data were also obtained. Results At baseline, clinical cutoffs were exceeded by 29.5% of the caregivers for psychological distress, 31.8% for family dysfunction, and 13.2% for parenting stress. Linear mixed modeling indicated that bariatric adolescents had a significantly greater body mass index at baseline than the comparison adolescents ( t = −7.79, P t = 20.32, P Conclusion Our initial findings suggest that caregivers of adolescents with extreme obesity present with limited dysfunction and that bariatric surgery has no effect on caregiver distress, parenting stress, or family functioning across the first postoperative year. Larger samples and longer term follow-up will allow examination of what role caregiver/family factors play in the adolescent postoperative outcomes.
Potential atmospheric impact of the Toba Mega‐Eruption ∼71,000 years ago

An {approx}6 year-long period of volcanic sulfate recorded in the GISP2 ice core about 71,000 {+-} 5000 years ago may provide detailed information on the atmospheric and climate impact in the Toba mega-eruption. Deposition of these aerosols occur beginning of an {approx}1000-year long stadial event, but not immediately before the longer glacial period beginning {approx}67,500 years ago. Total stratospheric loading estimates over this {approx}6 year period range from 2200 to 4400 Mt of H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aerosols. The range in values is given to compensate for uncertainties in aerosol transport. Magnitude and longevity of the atmospheric loading may have led directly to enhanced cooling during the initial two centuries of this {approx}1000-year cooling event. 25 refs., 2 fig., 1 tab.
Arousal, Suppression, and Persistence: Frustration Theory, Attention, and its Disorders

Abstract In this article I deal first with the relevance of theories of frustration and general persistence to the concept of attention, and offer an interpretation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in terms of persistence deficits. After summarising these theories and the manner in which they integrate the concepts of arousal, suppression, and persistence, I describe relevant developmental work in infant rats comprising an ontogenetic sequence of first appearance of a number of reward-schedule effects, and suggest their possible utility as a behavioural assay. Finally, I briefly review neuroanatomical and behavioural work on fetal alcohol and its possible implications for theories of attention and hyperactivity, and provide some data from experiments on fetal alcohol effects in infant rats which may have some relevance to such an interpretation.
On the propagation of statistical model parameter uncertainty in CFD calculations

This work considers a new class of finite-volume approximations for scalar and system nonlinear conservation laws with multiple sources of stochastic model parameter uncertainty. The deterministic propagation of model parameter uncertainty is achieved through the introduction of additional stochastic coordinates. Particular attention is given to the construction of specialized piecewise polynomial approximation spaces well suited to the high-order accurate approximation of solution discontinuities in both physical and stochastic dimensions without exhibiting Gibbs-like oscillations characteristic of polynomial approximation. The proposed discretization easily retrofits existing finite-volume CFD codes in use today. Numerical results are presented for inviscid Burgers equation with uncertain initial data as well as the compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with uncertain boundary data and turbulence model parameters.
Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Flows in Ribbed Pipes

The Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations were solved along with three turbulence models, namely κ-e, κ-ω, and Reynolds stress models (RSM), to study the fully developed turbulent flows in circular pipes roughened by repeated square ribs. The spacing between the ribs was varied to form three representative types of surface roughness; d–type, intermediate, and k–type. Solutions of these flows at two Reynolds numbers were obtained using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software Fluent. The numerical results were validated against experimental measurements and other numerical data published in literature. Extensive investigation of effects of rib spacing and Reynolds number on the pressure and friction resistance, flow and turbulence distribution was presented. The performance of three turbulence models was also compared and discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Passive transfer of tuberculin hypersensitivity in guinea pigs

The results obtained in this study indicate that delayed hypersensitivity to old tuberculin (OT) can be passively transferred from BCG-vaccinated to normal guinea pigs with cells or cellular extracts. Treatment of sensitive cells with purified protein derivative (PPD) in vitro induced the release of the transfer material from intact cells; PPD-treated cells lost, and the surrounding medium gained the property of transferring delayed hypersensitivity. It was found that the transfer material-depleted cells can regain the ability to transfer the hypersensitivity after incubation for a few days in tissue culture medium. Also the release of the transfer material from cells into blood can be accomplished in vivo by treatment of hypersensitive animals with a strong dose of OT. Such OT challenge renders the hypersensitive animal temporarily desensitized to subsequent tuberculin tests. Heat sensitivity, dialysis, and passive serum transfer experiments indicate that the characteristics of the transfer material do not correspond with those of a conventional antibody. The limited duration of hypersensitivity in passively sensitized animals suggests that the material cannot be replicated in the body of the normal animal.
Religions in Global Civil Society

This paper explores the nature and place of religion in global civil society by analyzing emerging models of religious freedom. After briefly presenting the basis for inferring the emergence of a global civil society, I note the importance of individual and collective conversion in modern civil society envisioned as a moral project. I then identify contemporary world-cultural themes: the individual and ethno-cultural group are essential carriers of humanity, and religion is a relativistic human expression. Resulting cultural contradictions are played out in how religions constitute themselves and in conflicts over models of religious freedom, especially over converting and proselytizing. Conversion is an individual right but also is viewed as a threat to ethno-cultural groups. Proselytizing is stigmatized as cultural supremacy and for violating the principle that there is no need for other-worldly salvation. I conclude by noting contentious areas important for emerging models of religious freedom.
The return of the exocyst

Changing the number of glutamate receptors (GluRs) in neuronal post-synaptic membranes is a critical way to alter the strength of synaptic transmission and is important for information storage in the brain. The molecular mechanisms regulating the delivery of GluRs to the synapse are emerging and a new link between NMDA-type GluRs, PSD-95-family scaffold proteins and the exocyst complex, reveals a novel pathway for synaptic trafficking.
Early Opportunities for Commercialization of TV Whitespace in the U.S

We propose the use of IP-based broadband wireless protocols to address many of the applications needs in the Television White Space (TVWS) frequencies that will be available for secondary usage in the U.S. beginning in 2009. The work includes a discussion of TVWS physical and regulatory characteristic and a view of the TVWS usage models that may be applied in various market spaces, including the home, the enterprise, public safety and wireless mobile service providers. We show that a protocol based on IEEE 802.16e or a similar broadband wireless protocol could be adapted to meet many of the needs in this space.
Protein synthesis inhibitors, gene superinduction and memory: too little or too much protein?

Abstract To date, the effects of protein synthesis inhibitors (PSI) in learning and memory processes have been attributed to translational arrest and consequent inhibition of de novo protein synthesis. Here we argue that amnesia produced by PSI can be the direct result of their abnormal induction of mRNA—a process termed gene superinduction. This action exerted by PSI involves an abundant and prolonged accumulation of mRNA transcripts of genes that are normally transiently induced. We summarize experimental evidence for the multiple mechanisms and signaling pathways mediating gene superinduction and consider its relevance for PSI-induced amnesia. This mechanistic alternative to protein synthesis inhibition is compared to models of electroconvulsive seizures and fragile × syndrome associated with enhanced mRNA/protein levels and cognitive deficits.
Enhancement of paired-pulse depression in the dentate gyrus in vivo by the NMDA antagonist, MK-801, and electrical kindling.

We have previously demonstrated that late paired-pulse depression of dentate granule cell field potentials decreases when stimulus intensity is increased from moderate to high levels. Voltage-dependent N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) currents are increasingly activated within this stimulus range, and are enhanced following the development of kindled seizures. The NMDA antagonist, MK-801 (0.25 and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), was used in the present experiments to evaluate the contribution of NMDA currents to the loss of late paired-pulse depression at high stimulus intensities in naive and kindled rats. Paired-pulse stimulus intensity functions were obtained from animals prepared with chronic electrodes in the perforant path and dentate gyrus. MK-801 administration had no effect on the stimulus intensity function for early paired-pulse depression (20-30 ms interpulse intervals, IPI) in either preparation. Late paired-pulse depression (150-500 ms IPI) was significantly enhanced in naive rats by MK-801. In contrast, MK-801 had no effect on the potentiation of late paired-pulse depression recorded from kindled animals. These findings suggest that the ability of NMDA currents to reduce the strength of late paired-pulse depression in naive animals is altered following the development of kindled seizures. A decrease in late paired-pulse depression was observed at high stimulus intensities under all experimental conditions. The latter findings indicate that the processes responsible for the reduction in late paired-pulse depression at high stimulus intensities are unaffected by either NMDA or kindling-induced modulation of late paired-pulse depression.
Temperature and density measurements in a recombining argon plasma with diluent

Spectroscopic and callorimetric measurements of temperature arid number density have been made using a 50-kW radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma (RFICP) torch operated at atmospheric pressure with maximum temperatures and electron densities near 8,1000 K and 2 x 1021 m3, respectively These measurements enabled the determination o/ the stale o/ equilibrium and of the corresponding applicability of rarious diagnostic techniques in hoth a recombining argon plasma and a recombining plasma with hydrogen or nitrogen. Results indicate that the Pure argon plasma is well described by u partial equilibrium model in which the free and bound-excited electrons are in mutual equilibrium irespective of possible departures from equilibrium with the ground state. The addition of just tenths of a percent of either atomic Hydrogen or nitrogen, however, disturbs this partial equilibrium hr argon plasmas with electron densities roughly less than 1021 m3 such that only diagnostic techniques which are independent o/ partial equilibrium assumptions can be reliably implemented.
Enzyme Profile of Raw and Heat-Processed Beef, Pork and Turkey Using the “Apizym” System

A semi-quantitative micromethod enzyme system (APIZYM) designed for the detection of 19 individual enzymes was used to determine the presence and level of activity of these enzymes in raw and heat processed (60 and 71.1°C) beef, pork and turkey muscle tissue. Filtrates were obtained from 0.9% saline extracts of the raw and heat processed samples. Heat processing the product to 60°C greatly decreased the number of enzymes that could be detected. Samples heated to 71.1°C exhibited little enzymatic action, except for minimal activity of leucine aminopeptidase. Thus, indicating the possibility of using the APIZYM system as a new and/or improved method for determining the end-point temperature to which meat and poultry products have been heat processed.
Vacuum tunneling via particle collisions

Abstract We investigate whether vacuum tunneling can be catalyzed by high energy particle collisions. In a scalar field theory which exhibits nondegenerate vacua, we show that the instanton mediated cross section for inclusive scalar-scalar scattering in the false vacuum grows exponentially with center of mass energy E 2 3 . We also show that the cross section for producing a true vacuum bubble grows with energy.
Spin transport in very dilute 3He-4He at very high B/T

We report preliminary results for pulsed-NMR measurements on a very dilute 3He-4He mixture (x3=900 ppm) in a 14.74 T field at temperatures down to 3 mK. The aim of the project is to investigate low temperature transverse spin relaxation and possible spin diffusion anisotropy. Spin-echo and T1-type measurements were employed to measure the transverse and longitudinal spin diffusion coefficients. At high temperatures both spin diffusion coefficients are well explained assuming a quasiparticle interaction consistent with previous experiments. Conversely, at low temperatures the measured value of |λωτ⊥| is apparently limited to about ten by a poorly-understood process that accelerates spin-echo decay. This hampers an accurate determination of the transverse diffusion coefficient at the lowest temperatures reached.
Leveraging the crowd to improve feature-sentiment analysis of user reviews

Crowdsourcing and machine learning are both useful techniques for solving difficult problems (e.g., computer vision and natural language processing). In this paper, we propose a novel method that harnesses and combines the strength of these two techniques to better analyze the features and the sentiments toward them in user reviews. To strike a good balance between reducing information overload and providing the original context expressed by review writers, the proposed system (1) allows users to interactively rank the entities based on feature-rating, (2) automatically highlights sentences that are related to relevant features, and (3) utilizes implicit crowdsourcing by encouraging users to provide correct labels of their own reviews to improve the feature-sentiment classifier. The proposed system not only helps users to save time and effort to digest the often massive amount of user reviews, but also provides real-time suggestions on relevant features and ratings as users generate their own reviews. Results from a simulation experiment show that leveraging on the crowd can significantly improve the feature-sentiment analysis of user reviews. Furthermore, results from a user study show that the proposed interface was preferred by more participants than interfaces that use traditional noun-adjective pair summarization, as the current interface allows users to view feature-related information in the original context.
Wideband, Totally Coupled Directional Transformers

Single-section and two-section nonsymmetrical directional couplers are introduced, providing large impedance transformation ratios, total matching, perfect directivity, almost unity coupling and flat delay across a 100% relative bandwidth. Design parameters are given and alternative physical implementations are discussed.
Running Away From Home: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Risk Factors and Young Adult Outcomes

Little is known about the adolescent risk factors and young adult health-related outcomes associated with running away from home. We examined these correlates of running away using longitudinal data from 4,329 youth (48% female, 85% white) who were followed from Grade 9 to age 21. Nearly 14% of the sample reported running away in the past year at Grade 10 and/or Grade 11. Controlling for demographics and general delinquency, running away from home was predicted by lack of parental support, school disengagement, greater depressive affect, and heavier substance use at Grade 9. In turn, runaways had higher drug dependence scores and more depressive symptoms at age 21 than non-runaways, even after taking these antecedent risk factors into account. Runaway status did not predict alcohol dependence risk at age 21. Results highlight the importance of substance use and depression, both as factors propelling adolescents to run away and as important long-term consequences of running away.
Surface roughness retrieval from radar data

Radar data from the remote sensing technique have been used in conjunction with theoretical microwave modeling to develop a retrieval algorithm for the root mean square height of the rough surface. The algorithm exploits frequency (L and C band) differences in the radar response from a vegetated rough surface. These differences are related back to the Fresnel reflectivity and surface rms height by using a theoretical modeling approach that is based on a discrete scatter random media technique and uses distorted Born approximation to compute backscatter coefficient from a particular scene. Sensitivity analysis shows that the change in surface reflectivity due to the change in frequency from L to C band is dominated by surface rms height, and, the Fresnel reflectivity stays almost constant over this frequency interval. The inversion algorithm based on these sensitivity differences has been applied to the backscatter model data from a plant canopy of soybean. Calculations show that the technique gives accurate results from a model backscatter data set that is corrupted with 80% of noise. The inversion algorithm is also applied to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data collected over corn fields during the MACHYDRO'90 experiment in Pennsylvania, USA. There is an excellent agreement between the measured and the retrieved rms surface height.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Complexity issues in robust stability of linear delay-differential systems

In this paper the following stability problems concerning linear delay-differential systems are shown to beN P-hard: (i) asymptotic stability independent of delay, and (ii) robust asymptotic stability, when each delay is known to lie in an interval. The main results are based on theN P-hardness of complex bilinear programming over the polydisk n which also shows that the purely complexμ computation, analysis/synthesis problems areN P-hard even if there are no repeated blocks. Another side result of the paper is that checking robust nonsingularity, robust Hurwitz stability, and robust Schur stability of a disk matrix areN P-hard problems.
Dimensional Crossover in Quantum Antiferromagnets.

The dimensional crossover in a spin-S nearest-neighbor Heisenberg antiferromagnet is discussed as it is tuned from a two-dimensional square lattice, of lattice spacing a, towards a spin chain by varying the width ${L}_{y}$ of a semi-infinite strip ${L}_{x}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{L}_{y}$. For integer spins and arbitrary ${L}_{y}$, and for half integer spins with ${L}_{y}/a$ an arbitrary even integer, explicit analytical expressions for the zero temperature correlation length and the spin gap are given. For half integer spins and ${L}_{y}/a$ an odd integer, it is argued that the $c\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}1$ behavior of the SU(2${)}_{1}$ Wess-Zumino-Witten fixed point is squeezed out as the width ${L}_{y}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$; here c is the conformal charge. The results specialized to $S\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}\frac{1}{2}$ are applied to spin-ladder systems.
Abstract LB-501: Role of HGF in epithelial-stromal cell interactions during progression from benign breast disease to ductal carcinoma in situ

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Role of HGF in epithelial-stromal cell interactions during progression from benign breast disease to ductal carcinoma in situ. Introduction: Tumor-stroma interactions create a ‘permissive microenvironment’ during cancer progression. Basal and luminal breast cancers (BC) have distinct tumor-stroma interactions, but few studies show how gene expression evolves in premalignant cells. We observed that hepatic fibrosis/HGF signaling is induced in basal-like microenvironments, and previous studies have demonstrated that overexpression of HGF is a predictor of breast cancer recurrence and survival. However it is not known whether HGF signaling is altered in early (premalignant and DCIS) lesions. Methods: To study tumor-stroma interactions during cancer progression, we cocultured breast fibroblasts with a panel of isogenic cell lines, the MCF10 series. The MCF10 series represents different stages of cancer progression (benign, atypical hyperplasia and ductal carcinoma in situ). RNA from cocultures was used to perform gene expression microarrays and proteins secreted into media were analyzed by antibody arrays. Differentially expressed genes were identified using supervised analysis, followed by gene ontology analysis. In addition, a signature of basal-like microenvironment was evaluated to test whether the stroma-epithelial interactions observed in basal-like cancers were also present in premalignant cells. Finally, HGF signaling was inhibited (using an HGF-antibody) to assess effects of this pathway on migration and gene expression. Results: Cocultures with MCF10DCIS express higher levels of RNA involved in immune response processes and connective tissue disorders, as reported previously for basal-like BC. In contrast, premalignant MCF10AT and MCF10A cells showed weak expression of these profiles. In cytokine arrays, striking overexpression of HGF was observed in both MCF10AT1 and MCF10DCIS cocultures relative to cocultures with the benign MCF10A cell line, with corresponding increases in c-MET levels. These changes correlated with increased migration, which was blocked by adding HGF-specific antibodies to the media. Conclusions: Inhibition of HGF alters stromal-epithelial interactions, rendering the premalignant microenvironment more similar to normal microenvironments. HGF signaling is necessary for stroma-induced migratory phenotypes in vitro and is induces widespread gene expression changes. Targeting HGF signaling in early carcinogenesis may have value in preventing progression of basal-like precursor lesions. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-501. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-501
Fodor and the Inscrutability Problem

: In his 1993 Nicod Lectures, Jerry Fodor proposed a solution to a certain version of the problem of‘inscrutability of reference’, which problem poses a challenge to a certain naturalistic, computational approach to cognition which Fodor has favoured. The problem is that purely informational accounts of an agent's mental contents cannot discriminate meanings finely enough. Fodor proposes a strategy of solution which appeals to the inferential dispositions of agents to discriminate contents more finely. After a brief exposition of the problem and Fodor's bid for solution, I employ three counterexamples to argue that Fodor's proposal cannot succeed.
Report On ‘Workshop Chemistry’

David Gosser (City College of New York) and Pratibha Varma-Nelson (St. Xavier University, Chicago) presented the Workshop Chemistry initiative, ‘a coalition of faculty, students, and learning specialists organized around a peer-led, team-learning model of teaching chemistry.’ Through presentations and small group discussions with undergraduates, participants learned about this program, how it has been implemented at two different schools, and how it might fit into their own curriculum.
RELATIVISTIC ELECTRONS FROM THE SUN OBSERVED BY IMP-4.

Data are presented from the IMP-4 satellite of 0.3–12 MeV electrons from the Sun between May 24, 1967 and May 2, 1969. Correlations with contemporary proton intensity increases at energies above 1 MeV are studied. Classical solar flare events such as those frequently observed from 30°W–60°W in solar longitude are not discussed. Categories of unusual events are defined and examples of each type are given. Discussion of these events centers around the emission and propagation of energetic particles from the point of origin on the Sun to the Earth. The results of this study are the following: (1) The differential electron energy spectrum (0.3–12 keV) from solar flares appears to be a constant of the flare process, with the spectral index γ = (-)3.0 ± 0.2. (2) Particle emission from solar flares contains a prompt component, which is injected into the interplanetary medium beyond the Sun and which is responsible for the diffusion characteristics of solar particle events, and a delayed component which is effectively contained in the lower solar atmosphere where it diffuses typically ≲ ± 100° in longitude and gradually escapes into interplanetary space. The delayed component gives rise to the corotating features commonly observed after the impulsive and diffusive onset from the prompt component. This is not the same as the two component model discussed by Lin (1970a) in which ≈40 keV electrons are often observed as a separate phenomenon and frequently precede higher energy particles observed at 1 AU. (3) Storage of electrons > 300 keV and protons > 1 MeV is essential to explain emission and propagation characteristics of solar particle events. In some rare cases the storage mechanism appears to be very efficient, culminating in a catastrophic decay of the trapping region. (4) The events with low proton/electron ratios all occur at least three weeks after the previous relativistic electron producing flare.
Antigenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis heat-shock proteins in human infections.

Patients infected with Trichomonas vaginalis mount humoral and cellular immune responses that often do not protect against reinfection. The oxidative stressors produced by leukocytes may trigger a heat-shock-like response in T. vaginalis trophozoites, helping the parasite to survive host immune defenses. The antigenicity of T. vaginalis heat-shock proteins (HSPs) was examined by immunoprecipitation of T. vaginalis heat-induced proteins with sera from infected patients and controls. When T. vaginalis was heat-shocked, HSPs of 169–167 and 140–137 kDa were specifically recognized by sera from infected male and female patients. However, the majority of T. vaginalis HSPs were also immunoprecipitated by control sera; all sera recognized 72- to 71-kDa, 47- to 45-kDa, 38- to 37-kDa, 35-kDa, and 31-kDa heat-induced proteins. At least 15 proteins from non-heat-shocked T. vaginalis were immunoprecipitated by sera from infected patients and controls, indicating that natural or cross-reacting antibodies could participate in host responses to trichomoniasis. Molecules of 158, 135, 89, and 74–72 kDa were immunoprecipitated from some non-heat-shocked parasites only by patients' sera. A 38-kDa T. vaginalis protein was immunoprecipitated only by sera from infected females and may be specific for infection in women.
SHAPING THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE: CONTENDING CIVIL SOCIETIES ON THE US–MEXICO BORDER

Cari Lee Skogberg Eastman, SHAPING THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE: CONTENDING CIVIL SOCIETIES ON THE US–MEXICO BORDER, Boulder, CO: FirstForumPress, 2012, 259 pp., $65.00 (hardback) In the first decades of...
Learning at the nanoscale: The impact of students' use of remote microscopy on concepts of viruses, scale, and microscopy

The rapid pace of development is bringing advanced technologies to the World Wide Web (WWW), and, as a result, schools have access to new tools for science investigations. In this exploratory study, we investigated how an educational experience organized around students' use of a WWW-controllable atomic force microscope (AFM) influenced students' understandings of viruses. The context for the study was a weeklong unit on viruses for two high school biology classes which incorporated student use of the WWW controllable AFM. We also investigated how the haptic (involving kinesthetics and touch) experiences afforded by this tool might influence students' knowledge of viruses, microscopy, and nanometer scale. Fifty students from two high school biology classes participated in a series of instructional activities and pre- and postassessments (knowledge test, opinion questionnaire, and interviews). Results showed that students' understandings of microscale, virus morphology, and dimensionality changed as a result of the experiences. Students' conceptions moved from a two-dimensional textbook-like image of a virus to a three-dimensional image of an adenovirus. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the use of the technology as a tool for learning about morphology of materials too small to see may be beneficial. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 303–322, 2003
Phase-conjugate reflection by degenerate four-wave mixing in a nematic liquid crystal in the isotropic phase

We report the generation of conjugate wave fronts by degenerate four-wave mixing in the isotropic phase of the nematic substance p-methoxy-benzylidene p-n-butylaniline. The temporal and spatial properties of the conjugate wave fronts are verified. The dependence of the nonlinear reflectivity on the pump-wave power and the temperature of the medium is discussed.
Economical Agar Dilution Technique for Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobes

A reliable agar dilution technique has been developed enabling the clinical laboratory to perform antibiotic susceptibility tests on significant anaerobes with ease and economy.
Estimation of a Behavioral Equilibrium Exchange Rate Model for Ghana

The paper estimates a behavioral equilibrium exchange rate model for Ghana. Regression results show that most of the REER's long-run behavior can be explained by real GDP growth, real interest rate differentials (both relative to trading-partner countries), and the real world prices of Ghana's main export commodities. On the basis of these fundamentals, the REER in late 2006 was found to be very close to its estimated equilibrium level. The results also suggest, that deviations from the equilibrium path are eliminated within two to three years.
Sequential vapor sorption of additional penetrants in preswollen polymers

Uptake and removal of a second penetrant in polymer samples preexposed to another vapor dictate many industrially important processes. Both the kinetics and equilibrium sorption can be strongly affected by the presence of the first permeant in the polymeric matrices. A novel experimental setup was constructed to study penetrant uptake in sequence. Sorption of the second vapor took place while the partial vapor pressure of the first vapor was maintained, so that diffusion into the preswollen polymer approximated transport in a pseudobinary system. Polybutylene was chosen in this work to illustrate the capability of this versatile experimental system. Both the rate of diffusion and equilibrium sorption of the second vapor were found to depend on the prevailing composition of the preswollen polymer for all penetrant pairs studied.
Adhesion molecules and animal development

In recent years considerable progress has been made in the identification and characterization of molecules that mediate cell adhesion during animal development. This review attempts to pick out from the vast amount of information in this rapidly expanding field some of the key features of adhesion molecules, to present ideas about their role in development, and to indicate the directions in which the field is now moving.
Active use of coyotes (Canis latrans) to detect Bovine Tuberculosis in northeastern Michigan, USA.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is endemic in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus )i n northeastern Michigan, USA, and research suggests transmission to cattle. Prevalence of the disease in deer is estimated at 1.8%, but as prevalence decreases the difficulty of detection increases. Research suggests coyotes (Canis latrans) have a higher prevalence of bTB in Michigan than deer and sampling coyotes may be a more efficient surveillance tool to detect presence or spread of the disease. Coyotes possess suitable ecological characteristics to serve as a sentinel species, assuming transmission between coyotes is not significant. The question of whether free-ranging coyotes shed Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bTB, has not been previously addressed. We actively used coyotes as a sentinel to detect bTB in infected and uninfected counties in Michigan's Northeastern Lower Peninsula. We determined whether bTB infection was present through bacteriologic culture of lymph nodes and tissues containing lesions and cultured oral/ nasal swabs and feces to establish shedding. Seventeen of 171 coyotes were M. bovis culture positive, one of which was from a previously uninfected county. All oral, nasal secretions and feces were culture negative suggesting minimal, if any, shedding of M. bovis. Thus, infection of coyotes is likely to occur through ingestion of infected deer carcasses and not from interaction with conspecifics. These findings support previous research suggesting that coyotes are useful sentinels for bTB. The use of coyotes as a sentinel, may allow wildlife managers to detect the spread of bTB into naive counties. With earlier detection managers may be able to take proactive surveillance measures to detect the disease in deer and reduce the potential risk to domestic livestock and captive deer herds. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Regulation of surface architecture by symbiotic bacteria mediates host colonization

Microbes occupy countless ecological niches in nature. Sometimes these environments may be on or within another organism, as is the case in both microbial infections and symbiosis of mammals. Unlike pathogens that establish opportunistic infections, hundreds of human commensal bacterial species establish a lifelong cohabitation with their hosts. Although many virulence factors of infectious bacteria have been described, the molecular mechanisms used during beneficial host–symbiont colonization remain almost entirely unknown. The novel identification of multiple surface polysaccharides in the important human symbiont Bacteroides fragilis raised the critical question of how these molecules contribute to commensalism. To understand the function of the bacterial capsule during symbiotic colonization of mammals, we generated B. fragilis strains deleted in the global regulator of polysaccharide expression and isolated mutants with defects in capsule expression. Surprisingly, attempts to completely eliminate capsule production are not tolerated by the microorganism, which displays growth deficits and subsequent reversion to express capsular polysaccharides. We identify an alternative pathway by which B. fragilis is able to reestablish capsule production and modulate expression of surface structures. Most importantly, mutants expressing single, defined surface polysaccharides are defective for intestinal colonization compared with bacteria expressing a complete polysaccharide repertoire. Restoring the expression of multiple capsular polysaccharides rescues the inability of mutants to compete for commensalism. These findings suggest a model whereby display of multiple capsular polysaccharides provides essential functions for bacterial colonization during host–symbiont mutualism.