cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Process for the Dispossessed: Procedural Rights from Magna Carta to Modern International Law

Due process matters greatly to distinguished philosopher Larry May, who advocates for a vigourous assertion of procedural rights as constituting an international rule of law. He undertakes this ambitious, a la fois aspirational, task in Global Justice and Due Process. May understands due process rights as ‘‘procedural rights that set a moral minimum on what oversight is necessary for individuals who have been detained or incarcerated by governments’’ (2). For May, ‘‘international procedural rights can become the cornerstone of an ‘international’ rule of law that will cure many of the infirmities of international law today’’ (viii). May goes so far as to ensconce these rights as jus cogens, that is, peremptory norms of universal application from which no derogation is possible. He posits that the instantiation of due process through international law would have averted two decrepit infirmities: the legal black holes of Guantanamo and Bagram (141–2). May contends that enforcement of these due process norms would occur through an ‘‘international legal body that has the authority to hear claims of deprivation of basic procedural rights anywhere in the world [where] a person [is] in detention who claims that the charges against him or her do not support the detention’’ (6). Drilling down to operational specifics, for May this body could take the form of a global court of equity, an enhanced system of administrative rules, or an expanded role of the International Rights Committee and Human Rights Council. May’s preference is for the first option (205), buttressed by liberal standing rules. He conceptualizes the denial of due process rights as tortious conduct (207). May therefore advocates further juridification through judicialization.
MRSA chronic bacterial laryngitis: A growing problem

Objectives Chronic bacterial infection of the larynx is characterized by long-standing hoarseness and exudative laryngitis. Prolonged antibiotic therapy is required to clear the infection, and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be the responsible pathogen. The objective of this study was to describe the presentation, comorbidities, treatment response, and underlying etiology— including the incidence of MRSA—in our patient population with chronic bacterial laryngitis. Methods A review of patients with a diagnosis of chronic bacterial laryngitis from 2012 to 2016 was performed. Diagnosis of chronic bacterial laryngitis was based on clinical history and findings on flexible laryngoscopy. In selected cases, the diagnosis of bacterial laryngitis was confirmed by operative biopsy. Information regarding clinical presentation and course was collected. Results Twenty-eight patients were included in the study. Twenty-three were treated empirically with Amoxicillin-clavulonic acid for a minimum of 21 days. Twelve of the 23 (52%) had recurrence or nonresolution of infection. Seven of the 12 nonresponders (58%) were found to have MRSA by laryngeal tissue culture. Five patients were treated initially with Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, and all resolved the infection without the need for further treatment. There was a nonstatistically significant increase in smoking and reflux in the MRSA population compared to the non-MRSA group. Conclusion MRSA infection was documented in 30% of patients overall with chronic bacterial laryngitis. Based on the results of the study, a treatment algorithm for management of this unusual patient population is suggested. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 2017
A Biomechanical Comparison of Limited Open Versus Krackow Repair for Achilles Tendon Rupture

Background:Soft tissue complications after Achilles tendon repair has led to increased interest in less invasive techniques. Various limited open techniques have gained popularity as an alternative...
Evolution of Vertebrate Brains

The four major groups of living vertebrates – jawless fishes, cartilaginous fishes, ray-finned fishes, and the sarcopterygian radiation, which includes tetrapods – each have some members with relatively simple brains cytoarchitectonically (type I), characterized by relatively fewer neurons overall and less migration of them. Each group also has members with much more complex brains (type II), characterized by relatively greater neuronal proliferation and migration and that have evolved independently within each radiation. Most of the elaboration occurs in the developmentally dorsal part of the brain, the alar plate, but in different parts of it, depending on the particular taxon.
Long-Term Care Industry

The long-term care industry consists of health care services, social services, and residential services provided to disabled or elderly persons over a long period of time. Disabilities may be due to physical disease, severe mental disease, trauma, or mental retardation.
Scaling Approach for the Structure Factor of a Generalized System of Scatterers

A scaling approach for understanding the broad, general features of scattering of waves from nanoscale systems is presented. The approach uses the concept of a system of scatterers with arbitrary length scales, mass and surface fractal dimensions, and correlations between scatterers. It is based on comparing q−1, where q is the magnitude of the scattering wave vector, to the various length scales of the system of scatterers to determine whether the waves are scattered in phase or not. This comparison along with the fact that only fluctuations in the density of the scatterers scatter waves, yields power laws and cross over points which make up the structure factor. The system of scatterers can represent single spheres, fractal aggregates, or ensembles of such entities in a scattering volume. Hence a large range of experimental situations can be described and are unified under this comprehensive description.
The public's dilemma: race and political evaluations of police killings

This paper explores perceptions of the killings of African-Americans by police officers. We show how characteristics of the victim, officer and surrounding environment, as well as political cues, s...
Of terrorism types and countermeasures: In need of a new framework

AbstractSince 2001, the focus of U.S. policymakers has been on Jihadi terrorism: Al Qaeda, its various affiliates, and, more recently, the challenges posed by ISIS/ISIL. Against this backdrop, it is easy to neglect other types of terrorism that exist, commonly referred to as ethno-separatist, left-wing, right-wing, or single-issue. Many Jihadi groups share similarities with or are influenced by some of these other types. This article expands on Bard O’Neill’s insurgency framework to distinguish between nine types of non-state terrorist groups. This more detailed categorization illustrates important overlaps between groups as well as differences and should help tailor counterterrorism strategies.
A phosphate starvation response gene (psr1-like) is present and expressed in Micromonas pusilla and other marine algae

Phosphorus (P) limits primary production in regions of the surface ocean, and many plankton species exhibit specific physiological responses to P-deficiency. The metabolic response of Micromonas pusilla, an ecologically relevant marine photoautotroph, to P-deficiency was investigated using environmental metabolomics and comparative genomics. The concentrations of some intracellular metabolites were elevated in the P-deficient cells (e.g., xanthine, inosine) and genes involved in the associated metabolic pathways shared a predicted conserved amino acid motif in the non-coding regions of each gene. The presence of the conserved motif suggests that these genes may be co-regulated, and the motif may constitute a regulatory element for binding a transcription factor, specifically that of Psr1 (Phosphate starvation response,), first described in the alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A putative phosphate starvation response gene (psr1-like) was identified in M. pusilla with homology to well characterized psr1/phr1 genes in algae and plants, respectively. This gene appears to be present and expressed in other marine algal taxa (e.g., Emiliania huxleyi) in field sites that are chronically phosphorus-limited. Results from the present study have implications for understanding phytoplankton taxon-specific roles in mediating P cycling in the ocean.
A Severed Space: The Suburbs of South Dublin in Contemporary Irish Fiction

This chapter focuses on the interrelations between geography, space, and identity in contemporary fictional representations of the south Dublin suburbs in the work of Barry McCrea, Kevin Power, and Justin Quinn. It argues that the affluent and culturally powerful south Dublin suburbs have always had a particular importance in the Irish imagination, dating back to the nineteenth century. During the Celtic Tiger period, the apparent economic and cultural detachment of these suburbs, not only from the rest of Ireland but also from the rest of Dublin, became exacerbated in the public mind, albeit in complex and nuanced ways which, it is argued here, often ironically draws attention to this same sense of detachment as ‘illusory’.
Developmental Remodeling of Thalamic Interneurons Requires Retinal Signaling

The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the mouse is a model system to study the development of thalamic circuitry. Most studies focus on relay neurons of dLGN, yet little is known about the development of the other principal cell type, intrinsic interneurons. Here we examined whether the structure and function of interneurons relies on retinal signaling. We took a loss-of-function approach and crossed GAD67-GFP mice, which express GFP in dLGN interneurons, with math5 nulls (math5-/-), mutants that lack retinal ganglion cells and retinofugal projections. In vitro recordings and 3-D reconstructions of biocytin-filled interneurons at different postnatal ages showed their development is a multistaged process involving migration, arbor remodeling, and synapse formation. Arbor remodeling begins during the second postnatal week, after migration to and dispersion within dLGN is complete. This phase includes a period of exuberant branching where arbors grow in number, complexity, and field size. Such growth is followed by branch pruning and stabilization, as interneurons adopt a bipolar architecture. The absence of retinal signaling disrupts this process. The math5-/- interneurons fail to branch and prune, and instead maintain a simple, sparse architecture. To test how such defects influence connectivity with dLGN relay neurons, we used DHPG [(RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine], the mGluR1,5 agonist that targets F2 terminals. This led to substantial increases in IPSC activity among WT relay neurons but had little impact in math5-/- mice. Together, these data suggest that retinal signaling is needed to support the arbor elaboration and synaptic connectivity of dLGN interneurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Presently, our understanding about the development of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus is limited to circuits involving excitatory thalamocortical relay neurons. Here we show that the other principal cell type, intrinsic interneurons, has a multistaged developmental plan that relies on retinal innervation. These findings indicate that signaling from the periphery guides the maturation of interneurons and the establishment of inhibitory thalamic circuits.
Electronics Supply Chain Integrity Enabled by Blockchain

Electronic systems are ubiquitous today, playing an irreplaceable role in our personal lives, as well as in critical infrastructures such as power grids, satellite communications, and public transportation. In the past few decades, the security of software running on these systems has received significant attention. However, hardware has been assumed to be trustworthy and reliable “by default” without really analyzing the vulnerabilities in the electronics supply chain. With the rapid globalization of the semiconductor industry, it has become challenging to ensure the integrity and security of hardware. In this article, we discuss the integrity concerns associated with a globalized electronics supply chain. More specifically, we divide the supply chain into six distinct entities: IP owner/foundry (OCM), distributor, assembler, integrator, end user, and electronics recycler, and analyze the vulnerabilities and threats associated with each stage. To address the concerns of the supply chain integrity, we propose a blockchain-based certificate authority framework that can be used to manage critical chip information such as electronic chip identification, chip grade, and transaction time. The decentralized nature of the proposed framework can mitigate most threats of the electronics supply chain, such as recycling, remarking, cloning, and overproduction.
A 39-Year-Old Woman with Intermittent Bilateral Foot and Leg Pain since Childhood

We describe a case of familial episodic pain syndrome with autosomal dominant inheritance that is caused by a gain-of-function mutation (Arg225Cys) in the SCN11A gene. In contrast to the phenotype of small fiber sensory neuropathy with mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels, our patient and her affected family members present with deep aching, mimicking fibromyalgia. In line with the feature of pain, patients respond well to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Moreover, there is no detectable large or small nerve fiber degeneration. Together, these characteristics make the familial episodic pain syndrome clearly distinctive from small fiber sensory neuropathy.
Effects of bubbles on the electrochemical behavior of hydrogen-evolving Si microwire arrays oriented against gravity

The size-distribution, coverage, electrochemical impedance, and mass-transport properties of H2 gas-bubble films were measured for both planar and microwire-array platinized n+-Si cathodes performing the hydrogen-evolution reaction in 0.50 M H2SO4(aq). Inverted, planar n+-Si/Ti/Pt cathodes produced large, stationary bubbles which contributed to substantial increases in ohmic potential drops. In contrast, regardless of orientation, microwire array n+-Si/Ti/Pt cathodes exhibited a smaller layer of bubbles on the surface, and the formation of bubbles did not substantially increase the steady-state overpotential for H2(g) production. Experiments using an electroactive tracer species indicated that even when oriented against gravity, bubbles enhanced mass transport at the electrode surface. Microconvection due to growing and coalescing bubbles dominated effects due to macroconvection of gliding bubbles on Si microwire array cathodes. Electrodes that maintained a large number of small bubbles on the surface simultaneously exhibited low concentrations of dissolved hydrogen and small ohmic potential drops, thus exhibiting the lowest steady-state overpotentials. The results indicate that microstructured electrodes can operate acceptably for unassisted solar-driven water splitting in the absence of external convection and can function regardless of the orientation of the electrode with respect to the gravitational force vector.
Overview of Neurotrophic Keratopathy and a Stage-Based Approach to Its Management.

ABSTRACT Neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) occurs because of disruption of corneal sensory innervation. There are many etiologies that can lead to NK, such as infection, trauma, topical medication use, cornea surgery, and intracranial tumors among others. We review the current available treatment options and provide a stage-based approach to its management.
Positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA with significant inflammatory state and thrombophilia after 12 weeks of initial diagnosis of COVID-19 infection

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected most countries in the world, with significant economic and public health implications. There is rising concern that patients who recover from COVID-19 may be at risk of reinfection. Another potential concern is the uncommon clinical scenario of a patient having persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA test over 3 months after the initial COVID-19 infection, as the patient presented. Whether presenting as a long-term infection (12 weeks) or reinfection, patients with COVID-19 will continue to have a severe inflammatory and prothrombotic state that could carry potential life-threatening thrombosis.
Applicability Of The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index In Index-Based Crop Insurance Design

AbstractIndex insurance is becoming increasingly popular because of its ability to provide low-cost, relatively easy to implement agricultural insurance for vegetation types whose productivity has been notoriously difficult to measure and to farmers in less-developed nations where traditional crop insurance schemes are not reasonable to implement. This study examines if the remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) can be an effective basis for index-based crop insurance over a diverse set of locations. To do this the authors compare Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) values to cumulative precipitation, extreme heat, and crop yields for 60 locations across the United States for the years 1982–2003. Quadratic regression equations are used to explore these relationships. The findings suggest that the relationship between NDVI, precipitation, extreme heat, and crop yields is highly variable and dependent on location-specific characteristics. Without site-specific calibration...
Planetary Tectonics and Volcanism: The Inner Solar System

Although Earth is the only planet in the solar system with active plate tectonics, the planetary bodies of the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars) display a familiar array of tectonic and volcanic features. Nonexplosive eruptions of basaltic lava are the most common volcanic activity on Earth and appear to have been the dominant volcanic behavior throughout the inner solar system. Mare-type wrinkle ridges (thrust faults with draping folds) are rare on Earth but are commonly observed on the terrestrial planets. Distributed extensional features are abundant on Mars and Venus; extension tends to be more localized on Mercury and the Moon.
Teleneurology in Contemporary Graduate Medical Education

Teleneurology, or the use of telemedicine to provide neurologic services, is being increasingly utilized in hospital systems, academic centers, and private practice. In the era of health-care reform, telemedicine is being leveraged as a way to reduce costs and improve the quality of care for patients. Competency in implementation, utilization, and incorporation into various modern health-care settings is becoming increasingly valuable. In order to adequately prepare future neurologists for practice in this evolving health-care landscape, contemporary graduate medical education in neurology training should include exposure to and formal training in telemedicine. This chapter discusses the evolving role of neurologists within this new health-care landscape as well as several proposed elements for integration into a formal telemedicine curriculum.
Mechanical Properties of Four Austenitic Stainless Steels at Temperatures Between 300° and 20°K

As part of a general program determining the effect of the martensitic transformation on some mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels, four alloys were tested at temperatures down to 20°K. These alloys were annealed USS Tension, AM 350, AISI202, and AISI304. With the exception of A1S1 304 there are few low-temperature mechanical property data available for these alloys.
Investigation on pinworm infection and the observation on treatment effect in Yanzhou City.

The total infection rate of pinworm was 38.7%(613/1583) in 2-6 years old children from 3 government kindergartens and 3 factories and mine kindergartens of Yanzhou City, and 26.5%(272/1026) and 61.2%(341/557) respectively for the two type of kindergartens as above. The infection rate of factory and mine kindergartens was higher than the government kindergartens (χ2=183.30, P0.01). The infection rate of 4-6 years children was higher than the children with 2-4 years. Albendazole was best anthelmintic and the effects altered with different expelling methods.
Ex Parte Communication by the Judiciary

The recent establishment of an Individual Assignment System in New York has introduced what one commentator has referred to as new "rules of the game". Nonetheless, the old rules still apply with respect to ex parte communication by judges which is governed by Canon 3(A)( 4) of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Canon 3(A)(4), as adopted by the New York State Bar Association in 1973, prohibits a judge from initiating or considering exparte communications concerning a pending or impending proceeding. This prohibition, which has been strictly construed by decisional law and bar association advisory opinions, has new significance under the lAS because of the new system's mandate that there be continuous supervision of each case by a single judge.
Generative Learning Strategies for the Survey of International Economics Course

Generative learning promotes less reliance on professors' lectures while simultaneously creating more self-reliance among students. This article offers a theoretical rationale that supports generative learning. Within this rationale, the authors describe specific generative strategies that provide students with opportunities to (1) organize course content, (2) integrate new content with students' current knowledge, and (3) elaborate on course content by making connections to real world events. In the second half of this article, the authors offer ideas for implementing generative strategies into the day-to-day events of an economics course. While the authors use Survey of International Economics as their example, the ideas in this article could be applied in a variety of economics courses.
Geometrically Necessary Twins in Bending of an AZ31 Sheet

Discrete arcs of twins were observed in an AZ31 rolled sheet Mg alloy after three point bending at room temperature. The arcs geometrically followed the contour of the bent specimens and were present in the tension zone where the stress state strongly disfavors the extension twinning. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis indicated that the twins in the arcs are \(\{ 10\bar 12\} \) extension twins, instead of \(\{ 101\bar 1\} \) contraction twins. Calculations showed that the twinned grains in the arcs have very low values of Schmid factor, even close to zero. The main tensile stress component in the tension zone was nearly perpendicular to the c-axis of the parent grains. Thus \(\{ 10\bar 12\} \) twinning in the tension zone was activated in a most unlikely scenario. The mechanism for such unusual twinning behavior was analyzed from the perspective of strain components that are generated by the \(\{ 10\bar 12\} \) twinning. It was demonstrated that the \(\{ 10\bar 12\} \) twins in the arcs in the tension zone of the bent specimen can be treated as “geometrically necessary twins”, similar to geometrically necessary dislocations and boundaries.
Using the World Wide Web to provide a platform independent interface to high performance computing

We have developed a set of techniques for providing interactive 3D graphics via the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of the " Whole Frog" project. The success of this project indicates that the Web and its associated browsers can serve as an easily used and powerful front end to high-performance computing resources. We utilize the Common Gateway Interface capability of WWW servers to provide an interactive 3D visualization front end through Web clients. These techniques have been used to make a "Virtual Frog Dissection Kit", available as http://www-itg.lbl.gov/vfrog. A student using this Kit has the ability to view various parts of a frog from many different angles, and with the different anatomical structures visible or invisible.
Field Comparison of Laboratory-Derived Acute and Chronic Toxicity Data

Standardized laboratory aquatic toxicity tests have been widely accepted as an appropriate means of obtaining the necessary toxicological data needed for conducting aquatic safety assessments of chemicals and for establishing water quality criteria. The need to confirm how well such data predict the toxicity of a chemical in natural environments has long been recognized. To provide insights into the relationship between laboratory and field data, parallel toxicity tests were conducted. Accepted laboratory methodologies were used for Daphnia magna acute and chronic toxicity tests and for fathead minnow acute toxicity tests and partial life-cycle studies in both the laboratory and the field. The test material was a commercial phosphate ester product containing tert-butylphenyldiphenyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, and ditert-butylphenylphenyl phosphate. For the field study, pond environments were simulated using twelve 3-m diameter tanks. The study demonstrates a good relationship between laboratory and field toxicity values for both the acute and chronic data.
Practical issues of input/output impedance measurements in switching power supplies and application of measured data to stability analysis

Measurements of converter input and output impedances are conducted to verify that the power system has been correctly modeled and designed. Many impedance measurement setups presented in the past are useful for tutorial purposes, but in practice their application is limited to low-power supplies. This paper presents practical impedance measurement circuits, which provide reliable measurements for a wide class of power supplies. The measured impedance data was applied to stability analysis of the computer distributed power system
Supervoltage beam films.

Abstract In order to determine the optimal technic for obtaining supervoltage beams films, electron emission measurements, phantom films and gradation studies were carried out with various films, metal foils and fluorescent screens. The best beam fihns were obtained with a combination of a regular diagnostic X-ray film sandwiched between two lead foils in a cassette, which provides good contact between film and lead foils. The back lead foil improves the contrast, while the front lead foil improves the sharpness of the beam film. The optimal foil thickness for the back lead foil is 0.1 mm for 60Co, 0.2 mm for 4 MV and 0.5 mm for 10 MV X-rays. The front lead foil should be twice as thick. The best films are obtained if the film is in contact with the body. Beam films taken with our combination required only about 1 10 of the radiation exposure of the commercially available “Localization film” and were far superior in contrast and sharpness.
Magnetic recording theories: Accomplishments and unresolved problems

The published theoretical treatments on the magnetic recording process are reviewed with particular emphasis on the validity of the models and the assumptions on which they are based. It is concluded that the existing theories fairly well describe the geometrical aspects of recording-transducer to medium spacing and gap lengths-but are deficient in describing analytically the magnetic state of the recording medium before and after demagnetization. Calculated magnetization distributions by harmonic analysis for different recording media are in support of the fact that the usually assumed linear and arctangent magnetization transitions are only rough approximations of the magnetic state of a recording medium between regions of opposite magnetization. Additional shortcomings of our theoretical understanding are indicated by the assumptions of uniform magnetization through the recording medium thickness, neglecting the perpendicular component of the magnetization, and not taking into account finite track widths and magnetostatic interactions between adjacent transitions.
Intermittent Early Afterdepolarizations Caused by Bistability

Early afterdepolarization (EAD) is one of the main triggers for cardiac arrhythmias. The intracellular sodium concentration ([Na]i) is critical in regulating both intracellular calcium (Ca) homeostasis and membrane voltage (V). However, the role of [Na]i in the formation of early afterdepolarizations (EADs) is not completely understood. In this study, we applied mathematical modeling to show that slow [Na]i accumulation can lead to a novel form of aperiodic voltage dynamics where a sequence of action potentials (APs) with EADs occurs intermittently during regular periodic pacing. We find that these trains of EADs occur quasi-periodically and lead to intermittent EAD propagation and arrhythmias. The mechanism for these intermittent EADs can be traced to the subtle feedback between Na and Ca fluxes (especially via Na/Ca exchange (NCX) and Na/K-ATPase (IPump)) and their effect on the AP duration (APD). We analyzed the whole system by separating the slow [Na]i from the fast V-[Ca]i subsystem. We found that the fast subsystem exhibits bistability which leads to the observed EADs by forming hysteresis loops as [Na]i slowly accumulates and dissipates. That is, [Na]i can gradually decline during stable short APDs, but this gradually diminishes outward currents via IPump and INCX, which can result in abrupt APD prolongation with EADs. But that long APD gradually reverse the [Na]i decline, and shifts IPump and INCX more outward, which at some point abruptly prevents EADs and reverses APD prolongation. We argue that these intermittent EADs are robust and can occur at physiological [Na]i. Our study further provides a possible novel mechanism for the intermittency of cardiac arrhythmias.
Fetal head detection and measurement in ultrasound images by a direct inverse randomized Hough transform

Object detection in ultrasound fetal images is a challenging task for the relatively low resolution and low signal-to-noise ratio. A direct inverse randomized Hough transform (DIRHT) is developed for filtering and detecting incomplete curves in images with strong noise. The DIRHT combines the advantages of both the inverse and the randomized Hough transforms. In the reverse image, curves are highlighted while a large number of unrelated pixels are removed, demonstrating a “curve-pass filtering” effect. Curves are detected by iteratively applying the DIRHT to the filtered image. The DIRHT was applied to head detection and measurement of the biparietal diameter (BPD) and head circumference (HC). No user input or geometric properties of the head were required for the detection. The detection and measurement took 2 seconds for each image on a PC. The inter-run variations and the differences between the automatic measurements and sonographers’ manual measurements were small compared with published inter-observer variations. The results demonstrated that the automatic measurements were consistent and accurate. This method provides a valuable tool for fetal examinations.
Wave scattering from a periodic dielectric surface for a general angle of incidence

Electromagnetic waves scattered from a periodic dielectric and perfectly conducting surface are studied for a general angle of incidence. It is shown that the one-dimensional corrugated surface can be solved by using two scalar functions: the components of the electric and magnetic fields along the row direction of the surface, and appropriate boundary conditions to obtain simple matrix equations. Results are compared to the case where the incident angle wave vector is perpendicular to the row direction. Numerical results demonstrate that energy conservation and reciprocity are obeyed for scattering by sinusoidal surfaces for the general case, which checks the consistency of the formalism.
Versatile software for collection, analysis and plotting of biochemical data using the IBM PC

Abstract A software package, OMNILAB, has been written for the IBM PC, XT and AT computers to be a general purpose system for data collection, analysis, and display. The program supports collection of data from a variety of absorbance detectors, from pH meters and from other instruments that output time-varying analog voltages in the ranges of millivolts or volts. The program includes capabilities for averaging of data, baseline subtraction, integration of curves, and versatile formatting for both video and hardcopy display of data.
Patching theorems for projective modules

In the first section of this paper, we prove several ‘Milnor-Mayer-Vietoris’-type patching theorems for projective modules. In the second section we apply these theorems to projective modules over polynomial rings and give some criteria for such modules to be extended. In the third section, the theorems are applied to the study of vector bundles over curves.
Insulin-like growth factor system gene expression in the human kidney.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have significant effects on renal function and have been implicated in renal development and hypertrophy. In order to investigate the renal IGF system in the human, we have used in situ hybridization to map the patterns of gene expression for IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF binding proteins-1 and -2 and both the type-I and type-II IGF receptors in the adult kidney. Since the rat is a model for the study of IGFs in renal physiology and pathophysiology, we compared patterns of IGF gene expression in the rat and human kidney. IGF-I messenger RNA (mRNA) is not detected in the human but is abundant in the rat kidney, while IGF-II is abundant in the human but not detected in the adult rat kidney. IGF-II mRNA is concentrated in renal vascular system, including afferent arterioles and the medullary interstitium. IGF-I and IGF binding protein-1 mRNAs are colocalized in the rat medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle's loops, but neither is detected in the human kidney. IGF binding protein-2 ...
Natural killer function in systemic lupus erythematosus

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) demonstrated significantly less cytotoxicity against two different lymphoblastoid cell lines and one myeloid cell line than peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal individuals. Short-term culture and other attempts to remove interfering immune complexes failed to restore low natural killer (NK) function. Six day culture in fetal calf serum resulted in increased cytotoxicity by mononuclear cells from normal individuals and some SLE patients, but this effect was shown to be dependent on Fc−, not Fc+, effector cells. Suppressor cells were not demonstrable as a cause for decreased NK activity.
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics

Forty-two corticosteroid-dependent asthmatics were studied to determine whether their underlying disease might be allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). The clinical and laboratory characteristics studied included age, sex, atopic status, mean corticosteroid doses, skin tests to Aspergillus fumigatus (Af), precipitins to Af, total serum IgE, and chest roentgenograms. Twelve patients had four or more of the seven primary criteria used and were considered as the ABPA suspect group. Further studies identified three patients who were considered to have definite ABPA and an additional three patients with probable ABPA. This study suggests that previously undiagnosed ABPA can be detected in populations of corticosteroid dependent asthmatics. Corticosteroid therapy may mask ABPA, and serial evaluations of these patients may be of value in detecting additional cases of the disease.
Twenty years of talking past each other : The theory of high Tc

Abstract In 1988, the outline of an essentially correct theory of the high T c cuprates was published by two groups, Zhang et al. in Zurich and Kotliar et al. in the US, based on earlier suggestions. The rather startling experimental predictions: 1. that the gap would be real d-wave with nodes; 2. that the gap would greatly increase with underdoping; 3. that T c would exhibit a dome terminating linearly around x = 30%; were so bizarre that these papers gathered little attention from others, including myself and at least 8 other Nobel prize-winners, and as they came to be substantiated one by one nobody much noticed that fact until the method was revived a dozen years later by Paramekanti et al. and Sorella et al. I will discuss some recent achievements and generalizations of these methods.
Simple zeros of the Riemann zeta-function

Abstract By estimating the change in argument of a certain function it has been shown that at least 0.3474 of the nonreal zeros of ζ(s) are simple. It is shown here that a more general function containing a real parameter can be used. An optimal choice of which gives a proportion greater than 0.3532.
Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery and concurrent taxol in recurrent glioblastoma multiforme: A preliminary report

Abstract Purpose: Surgery and systemic chemotherapy offer modes benefit to patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. These tumors are associated with rapid growth and progressive neurological deterioration. Radiosurgery offers a rational alternative treatment, delivering intensive local therapy. A pilot protocol to treat recurrent glioblastoma was developed using fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery with concurrent intravenous (i.v.) Taxol as a radiation sensitizer. Methods and Materials: The treatment outcome was analyzed in 14 patients with recurrent glioblastoma treated with fractionated stereotactic rediosurgery and concurrent Taxol. Median tumor volume was 15.7 cc and patients received a mean radiation dose of 6.2 Gy at 90% isosdose line, 4 times weekly. The mean dose of Taxol was 120 mg/m 2 . Results: The mean survival was 14.2 months, 1-year survival was 50%. Conclusions: Survival for this small group of patients was similar to or better than historical controls or patients treated with single-fraction radiosurgery alone. This data should stimulate the investigation of both fractionated radiosurgery and the development of radiation sensitizers to further enhance treatment.
Regulation of androgen receptor expression at the onset of functional overload in rat plantaris muscle.

Skeletal muscle androgen receptor (AR) expression at the onset of functional overload (OV) has not been well described. It is also not known if overload and/or anabolic steroid differentially regul...
Outcomes for fetal echogenic bowel during the second trimester ultrasound

Objective. To investigate the association between fetal echogenic bowel (FEB) during the second trimester and perinatal outcome.Methods. A retrospective chart review of FEB during the second trimester over 3 years.Results. A total of 56 women were identified of 9067 screened (0.6%) women. Forty-seven agreed to genetic counseling (84%). Of those, 22 (39%) agreed to an amniocentesis. There were three cases of trisomy 21, one case of trisomy 18 and one case of fetal CMV infection. Twelve fetuses had an adverse outcome (21%), with only three of them having an echogenic bowel as the only finding.Conclusions. In our study, almost 80% of the fetuses had an uncomplicated perinatal outcome. FEB was present as the only finding in only 5% of the fetuses with an adverse outcome. A potential association with placental abnormalities and a low prevalence of viral infections was observed. These findings may be of use in counseling parents.
Mechanisms of Genetic Resistance in the Chicken to Rous Sarcoma Virus

Abstract SEVERAL workers have investigated the genetic nature of susceptibility and resistance of chickens to Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). Slightly different criteria as to what constitutes resistance have been employed. In all instances it was concluded that one pair of autosomal genes was responsible for the genetic response to the virus. Most studies have indicated that susceptibility is dominant to resistance. Prince (1958) proposed a pair of autosomal genes that influenced susceptibility and resistance of chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) to RSV (Bryan). This proposal was based on frequency of “non-reactor” CAMs presumed to be homozygous resistant embryos. Susceptibility was dominant to resistance. Waters and Burmester (1961) inoculated chicks intracerebrally with RSV (Bryan). Chicks that survived 35 days after inoculation were considered resistant. They concluded from ratios of susceptible to resistant birds in special matings that one pair of genes was involved, and that susceptibility was dominant to resistance. Crittenden et al. (1964) . . .
Simplified diffusion-limited aggregation models

Abstract Computer simulations have been used to explore two-dimensional diffusion-limited aggregation models in which growth is allowed only at the tips of needle shaped arms that are directed away from the origin. For the case of two adsorbing needles with growth velocities equal to the rate at which the needle tips capture random walkers the critical angle, θc, (between the two needles) for stable growth is about 30°–33° (in good agreement with the theoretical value of π[1 − ( 2 3 ) 1 2 ] or about 33.03° obtained by Derrida and Hakim (preprint, 1992). For the growth of n symmetrically directed arms with the same boundary conditions all n arms grow in a stable pattern for n ⩽ 6. For n ⩾ 7 the growth of n needles is not stable. Quite different results are reported for other needle growth models with different boundary conditions.
An economic approach to environmental indices

Abstract This study uses the directional output distance function from economic productivity theory as an alternative approach to environmental index construction. We use the directional output distance function to aggregate multiple environmental objectives into one measure of environmental performance. We apply this method to a set of watershed data and compare our results to the existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) index values. When modeling the same set of objectives, the directional output distance function and the existing EPA index yield similar measures of environmental performance. We discuss the mathematical properties of both indices using the axioms of economic index theory, and explore the possible advantages to our approach. The mathematical properties of the directional output distance function are well established and this approach provides a nonparametric way to aggregate individual characteristics. This advances the standard use of a priori -weighted summation, and circumvents the often contentious selection of index weights.
Microstructure characteristics of rapidly solidified alloys

Abstract The microstructural characteristics of rapidly solidified materials were examined in terms of the effect of high velocity on the physical processes that govern microstructure formation. Under rapid solidification conditions, non-equilibrium conditions at the interface and a modified diffusional instability condition play critical roles in the selection of morphology and its microstructural scales. These effects were examined in terms of their influence on the physical processes. Appropriate characteristics lengths of physical processes for rapid solidification were developed, and relationships obtained for low and high growth rate conditions which characterize microstructural transition conditions and microstructural scales of cellular, dendritic and eutectic structures under free and constrained growth conditions. It is shown that all the results at low and high growth rates can be represented by unified expression in terms of redefined characteristics lengths.
Pharmacogenetics and cancer chemotherapy

Cancer chemotherapy is limited by significant inter-individual variations in responses and toxicities. Such variations are often due to genetic alterations in drug metabolising enzymes (pharmacokinetic polymorphisms) or receptor expression (pharmacodynamic polymorphisms). Pharmacogenetic screening prior to anticancer drug administration may lead to identification of specific populations predisposed to drug toxicity or poor drug responses. The role of polymorphisms in specific enzymes, such as thiopurine S-methyltransferases (TPMT), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH), glutathione S-transferases (GST), uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl-transferases (UGTs) and cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) enzymes in cancer therapy are discussed in this review.
Testing Communities That Care: The Rationale, Design and Behavioral Baseline Equivalence of the Community Youth Development Study

Recent advances in prevention science provide evidence that adolescent health and behavior problems can be prevented by high-quality prevention services. However, many communities continue to use prevention strategies that have not been shown to be effective. Studying processes for promoting the dissemination and high-quality implementation of prevention strategies found to be effective in controlled research trials has become an important focus for prevention science. The Communities That Care prevention operating system provides manuals, tools, training, and technical assistance to activate communities to use advances in prevention science to plan and implement community prevention services to reduce adolescent substance use, delinquency, and related health and behavior problems. This paper describes the rationale, aims, intervention, and design of the Community Youth Development Study, a randomized controlled community trial of the Communities That Care system, and investigates the baseline comparability of the 12 intervention and 12 control communities in the study. Results indicate baseline similarity of the intervention and control communities in levels of adolescent drug use and antisocial behavior prior to the Communities That Care intervention. Strengths and limitations of the study’s design are discussed.
Rule Formation in a Rapid-Timing Task: A Test of Schema Theory

Abstract The manipulation of a rapid-timing task in which the relationship between the force produced and the resulting velocity could be nonlinear, provided a test of whether motor learning is based on (a) a schema (Schmidt, 1975) relating force and velocity, or (b) a representation of the mean force used in prior movements. Each of eight groups practiced under one of the possible combinations of linear or nonlinear force-velocity rules, variable or constant practice, and transfer to an internal or external target. For transfer performance, no main effects of training conditions were significant, nor was the predicted interaction between type of practice and type of rule. The movement time on the initial transfer trial also was examined. The results do not strongly support either the schema notion of skill acquisition or the mean-based notion. The value of a research approach which attempts to test directly the notion of rule formation is discussed.
Stability conditions and phase diagrams for two-component Fermi gases with population imbalance

Superfluidity in atomic Fermi gases with population imbalance has recently become an exciting research focus. There is considerable disagreement in the literature about the appropriate stability conditions for states in the phase diagram throughout the BCS to Bose-Einstein condensation crossover. Here we discuss these stability conditions for homogeneous polarized superfluid phases, and compare with recent alternative proposals. The requirement of a positive second-order partial derivative of the thermodynamic potential with respect to the fermionic excitation gap $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ (at fixed chemical potentials) is demonstrated to be equivalent to the positive definiteness of the particle number susceptibility matrix. In addition, we show the positivity of the effective pair mass constitutes another nontrivial stability condition. These conditions determine the (local) stability of the system towards phase separation (or other ordered phases). We also study systematically the effects of finite temperature and the related pseudogap on the phase diagrams defined by our stability conditions.