cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Currents and sediment transport in the Mississippi Canyon and effects of Hurricane Georges

Abstract The temporal variability in currents, temperature, and particulate matter concentration were measured in the Mississippi Canyon axis where the thalweg was 300 m deep from May–July and August–November 1998 using current meters, thermographs, a light-scattering sensor, and sediment traps. Canyon sediments were sampled by coring and observed using an ROV video camera. Currents in the upper Mississippi Canyon generally oscillated up/down canyon with diurnal periodicity and were bottom-intensified. Mean current speed at 3.5 mab was approximately 8 cm s −1 during both deployments, reaching maximum speeds of over 50 cm s −1 under normal conditions. Based on current velocities, critical bed shear stress for resuspension of canyon-floor sediments was exceeded about 30% of the time during both deployments. In late September, Hurricane Georges passed 150 km NE of the study site, significantly intensifying current velocities, bed shear stress, resuspension, trap fluxes and temperature fluctuations. As the hurricane passed, maximum current speed reached 68 cm −s and temperature decreased ∼7 °C in less than two hours. Critical bed shear stress for sediment resuspension was exceeded approximately 50% of the time during the five days of hurricane influence. Further evidence for sediment resuspension was the five-fold (and perhaps 70–130 fold) increase in trap fluxes and compositional similarities between canyon surface sediment and material collected by traps.
Lineages of Crisis Economics from the 1930s: Keynes, Hayek, and Schumpeter

Many of the debates and controversies over the causes and cures of ﬁnancial-economic crisis of 2007-08 that continues to plague the world economy in 2010 echo ideas put forth in the 1930s by John Maynard Keynes, Friedrich von Hayek, and Joseph Schumpeter. As capitalism reconstituted itself in the aftermath of the Second World War it was their ideas which shaped institutions and attitudes.
Genetic alterations of ribonuclease-sensitive glycoprotein subunits of amino acid transport systems in Neurospora crassa conidia

Abstract Neurospora crassa conidia have multiple and constitutive amino acid transport systems. Extraction by KCl releases amino acid-binding glycoproteins which have been purified by arginine affinity chromatography. Disappearance of certain fractions is coordinate with genetic lesions which reduce amino acid transport. Two such affinity fractions contain radioactivity when cells are grown on l -[ 14 C]phenylalanine or on [ 14 C]uridine, but not when cells are grown on [ 14 C ]glucosamine. One purified arginine-binding fraction (B) contains 113 amino acid residues per minimum molecular weight. This glycoprotein also contains eight types of neutral sugar residues. No amino sugars were detected. Electrophoresis of crude extracts reveals five major Coomassie blue-staining species. The number of species is reduced, and the electrophoretic pattern is altered in extracts from transport-deficient strains. Tryptic “fingerprints” of these extracts indicate that mutations that reduce transport result in amino acid substitutions in the extractable glycoproteins. Nondialyzable material which absorbs light in the 260-nm region becomes dialyzable after digestion with RNase. Digestion of conidia with RNase reduces the amount of l -phenylalanine accumulated by the cells after 10 min of incubation with the amino acid.
The relationship between residual stress, X-ray elastic constants and lattice parameters in TiN films made by physical vapor deposition

Abstract The lattice parameters as measured by a traditional X-ray diffraction (XRD) study are affected by the residual stress in accordance with the crystallographic elastic constants. The present work reports a study of the viability of using a standard XRD study to make a simplistic estimate of the behavior of the X-ray elastic constants and also the state of residual stress and the strain distribution in films made by physical vapor deposition. Values of the residual stress are derived, but it is shown that the orientation factor dependence of the lattice parameters deviates very strongly from theory. This is discussed in terms of plastic deformation and cracking in the films. It is concluded that this approach to estimating residual stress cannot be used without great care being exercised in the interpretation of the XRD data as considered in terms of e.g. the Nelson-Riley and orientation factor extrapolations.
Checking Cache-Coherence Protocols with TLA +

We have a great deal of experience using the specification language TLA+ and its model checker TLC to analyze protocols designed at Digital and Compaq (both now part of HP). The tools and techniques we have developed apply equally well to software and hardware designs. In this paper, we describe our experience using TLA+ and TLC to verify cache-coherence protocols.
Interfacial Characterization of Silicon Carbide Fiber/Lithia‐Alumina‐Silica Glass Matrix Composites

The development of the carbon-rich interphase in Nicalon SiC fiber/Li{sub 2}O-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}SiO{sub 2} glass matrix composites has been examined as a function of processing parameters with the use of high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Specifically, hot-pressing temperatures (1000{degrees}, and 1200{degrees}C) and times (15, 30, 60, and 240 min) were systematically varied in such a manner so as to fabricate dense composites suitable for evaluation of reaction kinetics. Carbon-rich interphase thickness, which ranged from 1400 to 5400 {angstrom} (140 to 540 nm), was observed to increase with either increasing times at constant temperature or increasing temperatures at constant time. The kinetics of formation of the carbon-rich interphase followed a diffusion-controlled model, with an activation energy of 25.4 kcal/mol.
Robust Output Tracking of Nonlinear MIMO Systems via Sliding Mode Technique

The robust output tracking control problem of general nonlinear MIMO systems is discussed. The robustness against parameter uncertainties and unknown disturbances is considered A second order sliding mode control (SMC) technique is used to establish the desired tracking. Some earlier SMC strategies which are restricted to the systems in canonical form are extended to much broader class of nonlinear dynamics. The example given manifests that the proposed control strategy is tunable to a desired response despite the disturbances and uncertainties.
Exotic Options for Interruptible Electricity Supply Contracts

This paper presents the design and pricing of financial contracts for the supply and procurement of interruptible electricity service. While the contract forms and pricing methodology have broader applications, the focus of this work is on electricity market applications, which motivate the contract structures and price process assumptions. In particular, we propose a new contract form that bundles simple forwards with exotic call options that have two exercise points with different strike prices. Such options allow hedging and valuation of supply curtailment risk, while explicitly accounting for the notification lead time before curtailment.The proposed instruments are priced under the traditional GBM price process assumption and under the more realistic assumption (for electricity markets) of a mean reverting price process with jumps. The latter results employ state-of-the-art Fourier transforms techniques.
The Long and the Short of It: The Use of Short Films in the German Classroom

This article focuses on the benefits of using short film in the German classroom at the secondary or post-secondary level. The article addresses a number of characteristics of short films that lend themselves well to the classroom, including their abbreviated length, artistic innovation, and compact storytelling. In addition to discussing specific examples of German films that can be used in various instructional contexts, we also demonstrate how German short films can be used as part of an overarching course theme that fits into the framework of the national Standards for Foreign Language Learning.
A Policy Evaluation Tool for Multisite Resource Management

An enterprise typically operates multiple data center sites, each handling workloads according to an enterprise-level strategy. Sharing resources across multiple sites (or enterprises) brings up several important problems. Each site may have its own policies that govern its interactions with other remote sites. Different policies impact the system performance in different ways. The site administrators and system designers need to understand the effects of a given set of policies on different workloads. In this paper, we describe an analysis methodology that determines the impact of policies on the workloads, and we present results and validation for a prototypical multi-site resource sharing system. Our analytical tool is capable of evaluating complex policies on a large scale system and permits independent policies for each site, so that policy makers can quickly evaluate several alternatives and their effects on the workloads before deploying them.
In silico studies of the African swine fever virus DNA polymerase X support an induced-fit mechanism

The African swine fever virus DNA polymerase X (pol X), a member of the X family of DNA polymerases, is thought to be involved in base excision repair. Kinetics data indicate that pol X catalyzes DNA polymerization with low fidelity, suggesting a role in viral mutagenesis. Though pol X lacks the fingers domain that binds the DNA in other members of the X family, it binds DNA tightly. To help interpret details of this interaction, molecular dynamics simulations of free pol X at different salt concentrations and of pol X bound to gapped DNA, in the presence and in the absence of the incoming nucleotide, are performed. Anchors for the simulations are two NMR structures of pol X without DNA and a model of one NMR structure plus DNA and incoming nucleotide. Our results show that, in its free form, pol X can exist in two stable conformations that interconvert to one another depending on the salt concentration. When gapped double stranded DNA is introduced near the active site, pol X prefers an open conformation, regardless of the salt concentration. Finally, under physiological conditions, in the presence of both gapped DNA and correct incoming nucleotide, and two divalent ions, the thumb subdomain of pol X undergoes a large conformational change, closing upon the DNA. These results predict for pol X a substrate-induced conformational change triggered by the presence of DNA and the correct incoming nucleotide in the active site, as in DNA polymerase β. The simulations also suggest specific experiments (e.g., for mutants Phe-102Ala, Val-120Gly, and Lys-85Val that may reveal crucial DNA binding and active-site organization roles) to further elucidate the fidelity mechanism of pol X.
Simulations of a LDPE reactor using computational fluid dynamics

Computational fluid dynamics methods are used to provide three-dimensional simulations of a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) autoclave reactor under normal operating conditions. For the conditions used, the reactor is not very well mixed; thus, the common model approximation of a perfectly stirred reactor is not warranted. The simulations verify the sensitive nature of the polymerization reactors and indicate a need for optimizing operating parameters.
Evaluation of occupational hearing loss and presbyacusis using a microcomputer.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss remains a common problem in industry. This report presents a systematic method of patient evaluation and describes software that is capable of calculating hearing handicaps from audiometric data and the proportion of the handicap due to presbycusis. The software also has the capability of subtracting the effects of presbycusis from the current audiometric thresholds and to estimate hearing thresholds at any future age of the patient. Four patients are presented that illustrate the utility of this type of computer analysis.
Carotid artery angioplasty with stenting and postprocedure hypotension

Introduction: Although carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has become established as the preferred approach to the management of critical carotid stenosis, carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS) has arisen as a competitive modality. We report here a nonindustry-supported experience using CAS in a nonselected patient population suffering from critical carotid stenosis. Methods: All patients suffering from carotid stenosis (50% symptomatic or 80% asymptomatic) were offered CAS or CEA. The first 36 patients who underwent attempted CAS over this last year are reported here. CAS was performed with the SMART PRECISE (Cordis, Inc, Miami Lakes, FL) or ACCULINK (Guidant, Inc, St Paul, MN) stents. All procedures were performed with cerebral protection. Results: The planned procedure success rate was 97%, and the major adverse event (MAE) rate was 3.0% in 35 patients who underwent successful CAS. This included a minor stroke and a subendocardial myocardial infarction in the same individual. Both events were attributed to sustained postprocedure hypotension. The most frequent intraprocedure complications observed were bradycardia and hypotension. Persistent postprocedure hypotension requiring vasopressor support complicated 23% of cases. The average duration of vasopressor support in this group was 21 hours. Conclusion: CAS can be accomplished with an MAE comparable to CEA and will likely become the dominant alternative to CEA for the management of carotid stenosis. Management of periprocedural cardiovascular instability represents one of the most important elements in the safe conduct of CAS. © 2005 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.
Histopathologic Findings and Classification of Feline Renal Transplants

Seventy-seven feline transplant kidney specimens, obtained from 1 to 3,183 days (9 years) after transplantation, were reevaluated histologically and classified on the basis of the Banff '97 guidelines for human renal transplant kidneys. Overall, this classification system appeared useful in detecting rejection reactions and confirmed the finding in humans that biopsies can diagnose subclinical rejection and therefore are an important diagnostic tool for the follow up of renal transplants. However, on the basis of serum creatinine values, the severity of the acute or active and chronic lesions was not accurately reflected by this scoring system. This is thought to be due to the significant differences in histologic rejection patterns, especially in acute or active rejection, in cats when compared with humans. Tubulitis, lymphocytic glomerulitis, and vasculitis, which are the main pillars of the Banff '97 acute or active rejection scoring system, are either rare or not found in cats. The presence of significant necrotizing glomerulitis and vasculitis in feline renal transplants might imply that the rejection is complicated by acute antibody-mediated rejection. Alternatively, cyclosporine toxicity also should be considered because some of these kidneys show other signs of cyclosporine toxicity. Finally, the significance of subcapsular and interlobular phlebitis, rarely described in human rejection reactions but a distinct entity in cats, is unknown. From this study, it is clear that there are significant differences in the histology of acute or active rejection between humans and cats and that a better understanding of the histologic appearance of renal allografts will be especially beneficial for treatment and prognostic purposes.
Quantifying and monitoring overdiagnosis in cancer screening: a systematic review of methods

Objective To determine the optimal method for quantifying and monitoring overdiagnosis in cancer screening over time. Design Systematic review of primary research studies of any design that quantified overdiagnosis from screening for nine types of cancer. We used explicit criteria to critically appraise individual studies and assess strength of the body of evidence for each study design (double blinded review), and assessed the potential for each study design to accurately quantify and monitor overdiagnosis over time. Data sources PubMed and Embase up to 28 February 2014; hand searching of systematic reviews. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies English language studies of any design that quantified overdiagnosis for any of nine common cancers (prostate, breast, lung, colorectal, melanoma, bladder, renal, thyroid, and uterine); excluded case series, case reports, and reviews that only reported results of other studies. Results 52 studies met the inclusion criteria. We grouped studies into four methodological categories: (1) follow-up of a well designed randomized controlled trial (n=3), which has low risk of bias but may not be generalizable and is not suitable for monitoring; (2) pathological or imaging studies (n=8), drawing conclusions about overdiagnosis by examining biological characteristics of cancers, a simple design limited by the uncertain assumption that the measured characteristics are highly correlated with disease progression; (3) modeling studies (n=21), which can be done in a shorter time frame but require complex mathematical equations simulating the natural course of screen detected cancer, the fundamental unknown question; and (4) ecological and cohort studies (n=20), which are suitable for monitoring over time but are limited by a lack of agreed standards, by variable data quality, by inadequate follow-up time, and by the potential for population level confounders. Some ecological and cohort studies, however, have addressed these potential weaknesses in reasonable ways. Conclusions Well conducted ecological and cohort studies in multiple settings are the most appropriate approach for quantifying and monitoring overdiagnosis in cancer screening programs. To support this work, we need internationally agreed standards for ecological and cohort studies and a multinational team of unbiased researchers to perform ongoing analysis.
Our current understanding of humoral immunity of poultry

With the inception of the modem era of avian immunology in the mid-1950s following the discovery of the role of the bursa of Fabricius (BF), steady and persistent research has been conducted by scientists. Findings that have advanced our knowledge of humoral immunity (HI) include the distinct role of B cells in antibody production, explanation of antibody diversity by gene rearrangement and conversion, identification of a bursal secretory dendritic cell and dendritic cells of the spleen, characterization of cytokine factors, and mapping of MHC class II genes. Numerous experiments have been conducted to evaluate the HI responses of poultry through antibody titer determination and quantitation of immunoglobulin concentrations in the humors. Antibody studies have included the genetics of HI regarding both quantity and persistence of responses as influenced by multiple genes and MHC haplotypes. In the past decade, emergence of monoclonal antibody reagents to identify cell surface markers on B cells and accessory cells has allowed for discrimination of HI functions of cells by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and other techniques. The signaling mechanisms of avian B cells are becoming better understood. Continued work in avian immunity has led to more advances in identification, characterization, and gene sequencing of important cytokines. Additional work is required to identify and sequence genes for many more cytokines that have direct effects on B cells. A brief history of research published on avian B cells is presented with an examination of some of the important research findings reported in recent years.
Vanilloid (Capsaicin) Receptors and Mechanisms

Natural products afford a window of opportunity to study important biology. If the natural product is used or abused by human beings, finding its biological target(s) is all the more significant. Hot pepper is eaten on a daily basis by an estimated one-quarter of the world’s population and
Proteasome function is required to maintain muscle cellular architecture.

Background information. Protein degradation via the UPS (ubiquitin—proteasome system) plays critical roles in muscle metabolism and signalling pathways. The present study investigates temporal requirements of the UPS in muscle using conditional expression of mutant proteasome β subunits to cause targeted inhibition of proteasome function. Results and conclusions. The Drosophila GeneSwitch system was used, with analyses of the well-characterized larval somatic body wall muscles. This method acutely disrupts proteasome function and causes rapid accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins, specifically within the muscle. Within 12 h of transgenic proteasome inhibition, there was a gross disorganization of muscle architecture and prominent muscle atrophy, progressing to the arrest of all co-ordinated movement by 24 h. Progressive muscle architecture changes include rapid loss of sarcomere organization, loss of nuclei spacing/patterning, vacuole formation and the accumulation of nuclear and cytoplasmic aggregates at the ultrastructural level. At the neuromuscular junction, the highly specialized muscle membrane folds of the subsynaptic reticulum were rapidly lost. Within 24 h after transgenic proteasome inhibition, muscles contained numerous autophagosomes and displayed highly elevated expression of the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone GRP78 (glucose-regulated protein of 78 kDa), indicating that the loss of muscle maintenance correlates with induction of the unfolded protein response. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the UPS is acutely required for maintenance of muscle and neuromuscular junction architecture, and provides a Drosophila genetic model to mechanistically evaluate this requirement.
Modeling the 3-D Rotational and Translational Motion of a Halbach Rotor Above a Split-Sheet Guideway

When a Halbach rotor is simultaneously rotated and translationally moved above a split-sheet aluminum guideway a traveling time-varying magnetic field is created in the air gap. This field induces eddy currents in the guideway that can simultaneously create suspension and propulsion forces. If the rotor is offset from the center then a re-centering guidance force can also be created. As the forces are created in a highly inductive way the use of magnets circumvents any low power factor issues and enables a relatively high lift-to-weight ratio to be attained in comparison to using windings. The conductive and nonconductive regions are modeled by using a steady-state convective A-phi formulation. The Halbach rotor is modeled using a 3-D analytic based model and is coupled to the conductive guideway region using boundary conditions. The steady-state rotation of the Halbach rotor is modeled by incorporating complex terms in the analytic model. The accuracy of the steady-state model is confirmed by comparing it with a 3-D transient finite-element magsoft flux model (with no translation) and with experimental results (with both rotation and translation). The effect of the rotor width on performance is also investigated.
Research Orientations and Sources of Influence: Agricultural Scientists in the U.S. Land‐Grant System*

Abstract This research builds on the work of Busch and Lacy, who have written extensively about the sources of influence on the choice of research problems in the agricultural sciences at land-grant universities. Employing data from a 1995–1996 nationwide survey of land-grant agricultural scientists, I use multiple regression techniques to investigate the relative importance of 19 sources of influence on agricultural scientists engaged in six research areas: productionist-oriented, sustainable agriculture, environmental, basic, consumer-oriented, and rural community-oriented. The first objective of this paper is to revisit and assess many of Busch and Lacy's findings about the influences on land-grant agricultural scientists. I find that different types of land-grant research are influenced by distinct combinations of factors. The second major objective is to extend Busch and Lacy's work by spotlighting the significant influences on sustainable agriculture research. My multivariate findings show that this research appears to exhibit influences that reflect its dual productionist and environmental character.
Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Knife-Edge Scanning Microscopy

A prototype Knife-Edge Scanning Microscope (KESM) has been designed at Texas A&M University in recent years [1]. The goal of the KESM is to allow the scanning of high-resolution data sets of tissue, allowing for the reconstruction of complete cellular systems such as a whole mouse brain. The instrument, shown in Fig. 1(a), is capable of volume digitizing a complete mouse brain (~1cm) at 300nm sampling resolution within 100 hours. The instrument comprises four major subsystems: (1) precision positioning stage, (2) microscope/knife assembly, (3) imaging system, and (4) cluster computer. The brain specimen is embedded in a plastic block and mounted atop a threeaxis precision positioning stage. A custom diamond knife, rigidly mounted to a massive granite bridge overhanging the three-axis stage, cuts consecutive serial sections from the block. A white light source illuminates the brain tissue at the diamond knife tip with a strip of intense illumination. A microscope objective, aligned perpendicular to the top surface of the knife, images the light reflection from the knife-edge, as illustrated in Fig. 1(b). Thus, the diamond knife serves a dual use: as an optical prism and for physical sectioning. A high-sensitivity line-scan camera captures the newly-cut thin section just beyond the knife-edge, prior to subsequent deformation of the tissue ribbon. Finally, the digital video signal is passed through image acquisition boards and stored for subsequent analysis in a cluster computing system. The cluster consists of 5 servers, each dual processor (1.1-1.5 GHz), 2GB of memory, a combined 1 TB hard drive capacity, and linked by a Cisco gigabit/s switch.
Some Notes on Adjacent Channel Interference

This paper deals with a form of adjacent channel broadcast interference brought about largely as a result of nonlinearity, misadjustment, misoperation, or improper design of the broadcast transmitter and associated equipment. The nature and the significance of this particular form of interference was first pointed out by E. H. Armstrong and W. L. Carlson as restricting the further development of receiver selectivity and fidelity, and it was largely at their instigation that a study of the problem was made in Schenectady in cooperation with RCA Victor and Westinghouse engineers.
The Effectiveness of Epistemic Beliefs and the Role of Self-Efficacy in the Solving of Cross-Curricular Problems.

Graduates expect higher education to provide both subject-specific knowledge as well as cross-curricular competencies in order to handle new and unknown situations in their professional life. In th...
The Effects of Favor and Apology on Compliance

This study was designed to test the effects of favor and apology on compliance and to explain any potential effect via indebtedness, gratitude, and liking. Two experiments were devised to accomplish these ends. In the first experiment favor and apology were varied in the absence of a transgression to see if apologizing for not providing a favor can be used proactively to increase compliance. In the second experiment favor and apology were varied in a more common scenario, following a transgression. Results show that favor has a positive effect on compliance mediated by gratitude when using a general prosocial request and by liking when using a more altruistic request. Results also suggest that apology has a positive effect on liking and that apology has an indirect effect on compliance under certain conditions.
Antitumor effects of interferons.

Numerous studies have been reported, examining the effects of Interferons (IFNs) on tumors of different type and histology in various animal systems. Both IFNs and IFN inducers have been used to study inhibitory effects on virus, chemical and radiation induced tumors as well as transplantable and spontaneous tumors. These have been reviewed extensively elsewhere (2, 33, 83)
Emotion, Perception and Expression of

Emotions evolved to serve our need to communicate quickly and efficiently. Expressions serve as symptoms of our internal states, a signal appealing to others for action, and a symbol to convey information about an event. Expression produces outwardly visible cues interpreted by perceivers for their valuable information. Expression and perception is largely automatic, yet also results from norms in expressing and perceiving emotions. Although expressions may have originated from reflexive actions, they have evolved into a complicated system providing information about other people's reactions, attitudes, and likely behaviors. Reading these messages confers an advantage for interpersonal interactions.
Introduction: Dynamics of Contention Ten Years On

Ten years from the publication of Dynamics of Contention, written with Charles Tilly, the editors of Mobilization have asked us to identify work that reflects on the perspectives presented in that book. Dynamics of Contention attempted too many things: accounts of contention in Western and non-Western societies; consideration of a variety of forms of contention; a critique of the too-narrow focus on western reformist movements in social movement research; a call for a mechanism-and-process approach. For this symposium, we asked our colleagues to focus primarily on that final goal because we see it as the one making the most progress in this area since the publication of DOC. We dedicate this symposium to the memory and the example of Charles Tilly.
Court-Ordered Law Breaking

Perhaps the strangest legal phenomenon of the past decade is the extraordinary surge in US courts ordering individuals and companies to violate foreign law. The very concept of court-ordered law breaking is a strange one. Indeed, until fairly recently, it was virtually unheard of for a US court to order the violation of foreign laws. Over the past decade, however, this phenomenon has increased at an exponential rate. A full sixty percent of all instances of courts ordering the violation of foreign laws have occurred within the past five years.What happened?The question of whether or not to order the violation of foreign law typically arises in the context of US discovery. Plaintiffs have demanded that banks and companies produce documents in discovery that are prohibited from production by foreign law (such as bank secrecy and financial privacy laws). In its 1987 Aerospatiale decision, the Supreme Court set forth a five-factor test that courts use when determining whether or not to order the violation of foreign law. Four of the five factors in this test require courts to make subjective judgments (for example, whether the information sought is “important”). But are US courts actually able to carry out this analysis without being biased towards US discovery?The five-justice majority and four-justice dissent disagreed sharply on this question, with the dissent warning that trial court decisions would be riddled with “pro-forum bias.” This paper is the first to statistically analyze whether the prediction of pro-forum bias, made by the four-justice Aerospatiale dissent and by numerous commentators, has come true. A review of all cases applying the five-factor Aerospatiale test reveals strong pro-forum bias. US courts have found that each of the four subjective factors weigh in favor of violating foreign law by lopsided ratios (as high as thirteen-to-one). These extreme results suggest that the fears of pro-forum bias expressed by the Aerospatiale dissent and by commentators have proven correct. Moreover, results to date are suggestive that US courts may have a further bias against non-Western nations.Perversely, US courts often require foreign nations to punish companies that obey US court orders. If the foreign nation does not punish a company for obeying a court order and producing documents in violation of the foreign state’s laws, then US courts will conclude that the foreign state is unserious about its laws.The overwhelming pro-forum bias of US courts has encouraged litigants to demand documents in violation of foreign law. The result is abusive discovery that traps entities between conflicting legal requirements, often forcing unwarranted settlements. The end result is an exponential increase in requests for courts to order violations of foreign law. There have been 2,500% more cases seeking the production of documents in violation of foreign law in the past 10 years than in the first 10 years after the Aerospatiale ruling.Courts themselves are responsible for the phenomenon of court-ordered law-breaking.
A systematic review of evidence for silver nanoparticle-induced mitochondrial toxicity

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are extensively used for their antibacterial properties in a diverse set of applications, ranging from the treatment of municipal wastewater to infection control in hospitals. However, the properties of AgNPs that render them conducive to bactericidal use in commerce may influence their potential toxicity to non-bacterial organisms. Based on the physiological and phylogenetic similarities between bacteria and mitochondria within eukaryotic cells, mitochondria are a likely intracellular target of AgNP toxicity. Mitochondria-specific outcomes of AgNP exposures have been identified in multiple cell types, including (but not limited to) loss of membrane potential, inhibition of enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, and changes in calcium sequestration. However, the biological significance of mitochondrial toxicity due to AgNP exposure is currently incompletely understood. This review examines the existing evidence of mitochondrial toxicity induced by AgNP exposure, with discussions of the role of the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles themselves in mitochondrial toxicity. The impacts of potentially differential cell- and tissue-specific significance of AgNP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction are also discussed.
Absorption Cross Sections of Surface-Adsorbed H2O in the 295–370 nm Region and Heterogeneous Nucleation of H2O on Fused Silica Surfaces

We have determined absorption cross sections of a monolayer of H2O adsorbed on the fused silica surfaces in the 295–370 nm region at 293 ± 1 K by using Brewster angle cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Absorption cross sections of surface-adsorbed H2O vary between (4.66 ± 0.83) × 10–20 and (1.73 ± 0.52) × 10–21 cm2/molecule over this wavelength range, where errors quoted represent experimental scatter (1σ). Our experimental study provides direct evidence that surface-adsorbed H2O is an absorber of the near UV solar radiation. We also varied the H2O pressure in the surface study cell over the 0.01–17 Torr range and obtained probe laser absorptions at 295, 340, and 350 nm by multilayer of adsorbed H2O molecules until the heterogeneous nucleation of water occurred on fused silica surfaces. The average absorption cross sections of multilayer adsorbed H2O are (2.17 ± 0.53) × 10–20, (2.48 ± 0.67) × 10–21, and (2.34 ± 0.59) × 10–21 cm2/molecule at 295, 340, and 350 nm. The average absorption cross sections of transi...
A comparison of tele-education versus conventional lectures in wound care knowledge and skill acquisition:

We conducted a randomized controlled study to compare conventional lectures with tele-education for delivering wound care education. Education was delivered by the two methods simultaneously to two classes. Forty-eight paramedics received a live didactic presentation and 41 paramedics received the same lecture via videoconferencing. The participants were evaluated by a multiple-choice examination and a practical test of their wound closure skills. There were no significant differences in any category of the practical skills test, and no difference in the results of the written examination: the mean total score was was 109.0 (95% CI 105.7-112.4) in the conventional lecture group and 110.3 (95% CI 106.2-114.3) in the video group (P = 0.63). In a survey at the end of the study the live lecture group rated the overall effectiveness of teaching significantly higher than the video-based group: the median scores for effectiveness of teaching were 6.0 (IQR 5.5-6.0) in the live lecture group and 4.0 (IQR 3.0-5.0) in the video group (P < 0.001). Videoconferencing was at least as effective as live didactic presentation.
Effects of chronic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone administration on gonadotropin dynamics of adult male rats.

AbstractThe studies reported herein were conducted to determine the sequential effects of chronic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) or D-Trp6-Pro9-NEt-LHRH (LHRHa) administration on LH, FSH, and T dynamics. Adult male rats (n = 6/group) were injected subcutaneously with 1 μg of LHRH or LHRHa once daily at 8:00 am for 1 through 7 days. The rats were decapitated at various times postinjection and their blood, pituitaries, and testes collected. When measured 24 hr after each injection, significant (P ≤ 0.01) decreases were observed in concentrations of serum T and pituitary LH and FSH as well as testicular volume; whereas basal serum concentrations of LH and FSH were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) elevated from Days 3 through 7 in both LHRH and LHRHa-treated rats. LH was secreted in a large single peak 1 hr after each LHRH injection, increasing 54-fold above preinjection concentrations on Day 1 and lessening to a 34-fold increase on Days 3 through 7. The magnitude of the FSH response was not altered wit...
Economic Output as an Organizational Effectiveness Measure for Universities

The article discusses a survey pertaining to assessing the effectiveness of a public university. Specifically the 1977 study reports the results of estimating the income and employment impacts on t...
Use of Pathogen-Specific Antibody Biomarkers to Estimate Waterborne Infections in Population-Based Settings

This review discusses the utility of pathogen-specific antibody biomarkers for improving estimates of the population burden of waterborne infections, assessing the fraction of infections that can be prevented by specific water treatments, and understanding transmission routes and the natural history and ecology of disease in different populations (including asymptomatic infection rates). We review recent literature on the application of pathogen-specific antibody response data to estimate incidence and prevalence of acute infections and their utility to assess the contributions of waterborne transmission pathways. Advantages and technical challenges associated with the use of serum versus minimally invasive salivary antibody biomarkers in cross-sectional and prospective surveys are discussed. We highlight recent advances and challenges and outline future directions for research, development, and application of antibody-based and other immunological biomarkers of waterborne infections.
Proportionality graphs, units analysis, and domain constraints: improving the power and efficiency of the scientific discovery process

An important subproblem of scientific discovery is quantitative discovery, finding formulas that relate some set (or subset) of a collection of numerical parameters. Current work in quantitative discovery suffers from a lack of efficiency and generality. This paper discusses methods that are efficient and yet general for discovering equations which try to avoid exponential search. Importantly, these methods can derive equations that cover subsets of the data and derive explicit descriptions of when the equations are applicable. These methods are fully implemented in a system named ABACUS which is described and some of its results are presented.
A multilevel homotopy MCMC sequential Monte Carlo filter for multi-target tracking

In this paper, we propose an enhanced sequential Monte Carlo filter through the design of a sophisticated Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedure. This MCMC procedure is appended after the resampling step of the generic sequential Monte Carlo filter to efficiently resolve the degeneracy of the algorithm. In this work, we use the effective sample size as a learning criterion to monitor the levels of homotopy in the MCMC procedure at each time instant so that the computational cost is reduced without undermining the accuracy of estimation. We test the algorithm on a multi-target tracking problem and compared to other contemporary approaches such as the bootstrap particle filter and the auxiliary particle filter (APF). Based on two scenarios, the proposed algorithm is administrated to have a significant increase in accuracy.
X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopic Characterization of Nanomaterial Catalysts in Electrochemistry and Fuel Cells

Definition of Topic X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a nondestructive synchrotron-based technique that measures the changes in x-ray absorption coefficient of a material as a function of energy of the x-rays. The technique has an advantage over other spectroscopy techniques as it can resolve the short-range arrangement of atoms. Since many of today’s catalysts for electrochemical systems are in particles of a few nanometers in size (nanoparticles) and the technique can resolve the inner atomic structure of the nanoparticle, XAS quickly became a powerful tool for studying electrochemical catalysts, particularly in the field of fuel cells.
Controlling Industrial Pollution: The Economics and Politics of Clean Air

(1984). Controlling Industrial Pollution: The Economics and Politics of Clean Air. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 1213-1215.
Generation of nanocrystalline surface layer in short pulse laser processing of metal targets under conditions of spatial confinement by solid or liquid overlayer

Abstract The effect of spatial confinement by a solid or liquid overlayer on short pulse laser-induced surface microstructure modification is investigated in a series of large-scale atomistic simulations performed for Ag targets irradiated in the regime of melting and resolidification, below the thresholds for laser spallation and ablation. For Ag targets with free surfaces, the formation of a nanocrystalline region with random crystallographic grain orientation is observed under irradiation conditions leading to the generation of numerous sub-surface voids that slow down the solidification process. When no voids are generated, the resolidification produces grains misoriented with respect to the bulk of the target by just several degrees and separated from each other by low angle grain boundaries or dislocation walls. The presence of a liquid or solid overlayer suppresses nucleation of sub-surface voids, provides an additional pathway for cooling through the heat conduction to the overlayer, and facilitates the formation of nanocrystalline structure in a region of the metal target adjacent to the overlayer. Moreover, the stabilizing effect of the solid overlayer may result in an incomplete melting of metal in the vicinity of the interface, making it possible for grains growing from the interface to retain “memory” of the target orientation and to produce nanocrystalline interfacial region with small misorientation of grains with respect to the bulk of the target. In all simulations, the nanocrystalline layers generated by laser processing of single crystal Ag targets are characterized by a high density of stacking faults, twin boundaries, and point defects produced in the course of the rapid resolidification.
Investigating Student Plagiarism Patterns and Correlations to Grades

We analyzed 6 semesters of data from a large enrollment data structures course to identify instances of plagiarism in 4 assignments. We find that the majority of the identified plagiarism instances involve cross-semester cheating and are performed by students for whom the plagiarism is an isolated event (in the studied assignments). Second, we find that providing students an opportunity to work with a partner doesn't decrease the incidence of plagiarism. Third, while plagiarism on a given assignment is correlated with better than average scores on that assignment, plagiarism is negatively correlated with final grades in both the course that the plagiarism occurred and in a subsequent related course. Finally, we briefly describe the Algae open-source suite of plagiarism detectors and characterize the kinds of obfuscation that students apply to their plagiarized submissions and observe that no single algorithm appears to be sufficient to detect all of the cases.
Analysis of Nonstationary Time Series for Biological Rhythms Research

This article is part of a Journal of Biological Rhythms series exploring analysis and statistics topics relevant to researchers in biological rhythms and sleep research. The goal is to provide an overview of the most common issues that arise in the analysis and interpretation of data in these fields. In this article on time series analysis for biological rhythms, we describe some methods for assessing the rhythmic properties of time series, including tests of whether a time series is indeed rhythmic. Because biological rhythms can exhibit significant fluctuations in their period, phase, and amplitude, their analysis may require methods appropriate for nonstationary time series, such as wavelet transforms, which can measure how these rhythmic parameters change over time. We illustrate these methods using simulated and real time series.
Prognostic Value of Primary Tumor Volume Changes on kV-CBCT during Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Introduction Kilovoltge cone beam computed tomography (kV-CBCT) allows for tumor localization and response assessment during definitive chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced NSCLC. We hypothesize that significant tumor volume loss occurs early during radiotherapy and that the extent of volume loss correlates with clinical outcomes. Methods A total of 52 patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy were reviewed. kV-CBCT images were used to contour primary gross tumor volumes at four time points during treatment. Patients were dichotomized according to absolute and relative volume changes at each time point. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate correlations between volume changes and clinical outcomes. Results The median gross tumor volumes were 77.1, 48.3, 42.5, and 29.9 cm3 for fractions 1, 11, 21, and final, respectively. Greater relative volume loss between fractions 1 and 21 correlated with improved distant control (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13–0.94, p = 0.038) and overall survival (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.16–0.98, p = 0.046). Greater relative volume loss between fractions 11 and 21 correlated with improved progression-free survival (HR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17–0.88, p = 0.02) and trended toward improved overall survival (HR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.17–1.06, p = 0.07). On multivariate analysis, greater relative volume loss between fractions 11 and 21 correlated with improved progression-free survival (HR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.16–0.97, p = 0.041) and overall survival (HR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.11–0.88, p = 0.027). Conclusions Significant primary tumor volume loss occurs early during radiotherapy for locally advanced NSCLC. Greater relative tumor volume loss during treatment correlates with improved disease control and overall survival. Thus, kV-CBCT has potential to be used as a practical prognostic imaging marker.