cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acoustic Impulse Responses for Wearable Audio Devices

We present an open-access dataset of over 8000 acoustic impulse from 160 microphones spread across the body and affixed to wearable accessories. The data can be used to evaluate audio capture and array processing systems using wearable devices such as hearing aids, headphones, eyeglasses, jewelry, and clothing. We analyze the acoustic transfer functions of different parts of the body, measure the effects of clothing worn over microphones, compare measurements from a live human subject to those from a mannequin, and simulate the noise-reduction performance of several beamformers. The results suggest that arrays of microphones spread across the body are more effective than those confined to a single device.
Fluid dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid flow in perivascular spaces

The flow of cerebrospinal fluid along perivascular spaces (PVSs) is an important part of the brain's system for delivering nutrients and eliminating metabolic waste products (such as amyloid-β); it also offers a pathway for the delivery of therapeutic drugs to the brain parenchyma. Recent experimental results have resolved several important questions about this flow, setting the stage for advances in our understanding of its fluid dynamics. This review summarizes the new experimental evidence and provides a critical evaluation of previous fluid-dynamic models of flows in PVSs. The review also discusses some basic fluid-dynamic concepts relevant to these flows, including the combined effects of diffusion and advection in clearing solutes from the brain.
Treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury disorder with oral ketamine

Nonsuicidal self-injury disorder (NSSID) is the deliberate alteration or destruction of body tissue without conscious suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned. NSSID can cause significant morbidity and mortality, and despite being recognized as a clinical entity for many years, clear pharmacological guidelines on how to effectively treat these symptoms do not yet exist. Given the dearth of evidence regarding effective medication treatment of this condition, we present a case where remission of nonsuicidal self-injury was achieved through the use of oral ketamine.
A review of symbiotic gorgonian research in the western Atlantic and Caribbean with recommendations for future work

While scleractinian coral populations continue to diminish throughout the Caribbean, gorgonian corals are showing signs of resilience and in some areas are thriving. Despite their prominence on reefs, gorgonian species are notoriously difficult to field identify and as such have been underrepresented in most monitoring efforts. However, with reports of increased resistance to elevated temperatures, ocean acidification, and nutrient enrichment, there is now a growing interest in the ecological and physiological mechanisms that contribute to their success in changing environmental conditions. Here, we compile widely scattered taxonomical, biological, and ecological research on shallow-water symbiotic gorgonians in the wider Caribbean into a comprehensive resource document that can be used by researchers and managers to inform and promote future studies. Each section provides a brief summary of past research, accessible bibliography, and suggestions for future work.
Flexible, rule-based dose escalation: The cohort-sequence design

Abstract Phase I oncology trials seek to acquire preliminary information on the safety of novel treatments. In current practice, most such trials employ rule-based designs that determine whether to escalate the dose using data from the current dose only. The most popular of these, the 3 + 3, is simple and familiar but inflexible and inefficient. We propose a rule-based design that addresses these deficiencies. Our method, which we denote the cohort-sequence design, is defined by a sequence of J increasing cohort sizes n = ( n 1 , … , n J ) and corresponding critical values b = ( b 1 , … , b J ) . The idea is to begin with a small cohort size n 1 and escalate through the planned doses, increasing the cohort size when we encounter toxicities. By selection of J and a safety threshold tuning parameter θ, one can create a design that will efficiently identify a target toxicity rate, potentially including a built-in dose-expansion cohort. We compared our designs to the 3 + 3 under a range of toxicity scenarios, observing that our approach generally rapidly identifies an MTD without enrolling patients unnecessarily at low doses where both toxicity and response rates are likely to be low. We have implemented the design in the R package cohortsequence.
Software Implementation of a SRAM PUF-Based Password Manager

The main goal of narrating the password-management protocol is to reduce the prevalent attacks on cyber-physical systems such as the hacking of databases of User-ID-Password pairs and side-channel analysis. The architecture uses a hash function to hash the password and user ID has weakness can help to crack the password. So, the architecture utilizes both hash function and the Addressable Physical unclonable function (PUF) Generator (APG) to authenticate clients on the network without keeping the real format of passwords in the database. The hash function and APG together are more difficult to attack because they are unclonable, have a high level of randomness, and do not depend on storing information. This paper shows a simulation prototype for how the password manager protocol can work depending on the SHA-3-512 and SRAM PUF. Furthermore, the paper shows how to encrypt the database content of password manager by using the SRAM PUF and provides a software solution of the noise of SRAM PUF to reduce the rate of false rejections for the real user and false acceptance for the not existing user.
Rate, reasons, predictors, and burden of readmissions after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement

Background and aim Nationwide data on readmissions after the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure are lacking. We aimed to investigate the 30-day readmission rate after TIPS procedure, reasons, and predictors for readmissions and its impact on resource utilization and mortality in the USA. Methods We identified all adults who underwent an inpatient TIPS procedure between 2010 and 2014 using the National Readmission Database. Outcomes included all-cause 30-day readmission rate, reasons and predictors of readmissions, mortality rate, and mean hospitalization charges. Results Out of a total of 31 230 hospitalizations with TIPS procedure, 28 021 patients met the study criteria and were finally included. The mean age of patients was 56.90 years, and 63.84% were men. All-cause 30-day readmission rate was 27.81%. Hepatic encephalopathy with or without coma was the most common reason for readmissions in at least 36.43% patients. The in-hospital mortality for index hospitalization and 30-day readmission was 10.69% and 5.85%, respectively. The mean hospitalization charges for index hospitalization and readmissions were $153 357 and $45 751, respectively. Advanced age, Medicaid insurance, higher Charlson comorbidy index, ascites as indication of TIPS, and nonspecific or hepatitis C cirrhosis etiologies for cirrhosis were found to be independent predictors of 30-day readmissions after a TIPS procedure. Conclusions Our study found a high rate of readmission for patients undergoing TIPS procedure, and the majority of these readmissions were related to hepatic encephalopathy. Further studies highlighting areas for improvement, particularly for patient selection and post-discharge care, are needed to reduce readmissions.
Mobile Fluorescence Imaging and Protein Crystal Recognition

The crystallization of biological macromolecules like proteins is an important process to study their molecular structures. The quality of crystals is critical to be able to determine their structures using methods such as X-ray crystallography. Therefore, many wet-lab experiments are conducted using numerous screening plates to obtain successful crystal growth. High-throughput microscopy is useful to quickly collect images from the screening plates. Since the automated systems for imaging require high-end instrumentation, they are costly. This study investigates a small scale, mobile fluorescence imaging system, and application. Our system is composed of a mobile imaging system, a mobile app to capture images from plates, and a machine learning model to recognize the presence of crystals presence from images. For fluorescence imaging, we present an assembly of a smartphone or tablet integrated with a macro lens tube and illumination LEDs. The system presented in this study has magnification range from 20x to 250x macro. For the recognition of crystals, a convolutional neural network model was trained on a computer and then deployed on the mobile app. A data set of 1000 trace fluorescently labeled images was used to train and evaluate the model. The accuracy of the hold-out testing images was about 95%. The mobile app for imaging and protein recognition was developed to run on Apple iOS devices. To evaluate the system further, the recombinant inorganic pyrophosphatase protein from Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was expressed from E. coli, was crystallized using the trace fluorescent labeling method. Our system can capture quality images of protein crystals in both white and fluorescence lights. The overall accuracy of recognizing crystal or non-crystal outcomes on the pilot test is about 93%. This mobile imaging system can be useful for small group research labs and students.
SDR- and UAV-Based Wireless Avionics Intra-Communication Testbed

In the never ending search for better fuel efficiency and increased safety, the aviation technical community is exploring wireless avionics as a solution. In this work, a Wireless Avionics Intra Communication (WAIC) testbed is designed by using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a Software-Defined Radio (SDR). One of the key WAIC performance metrics, the aggregate power flux density (PSD) is measured at a defined radius from the aircraft in a hemispherical pattern of positions where the frequency spectrum is registered at six rings spaced by 15° around the grounded airplane, as required by Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) minimum aviation system performance standards (MASPS) for WAIC. The described measurement task is performed autonomously by using a hexacopter with a wingspan of 55 cm to fly a predefined programmed hemispherical path by using real-time kinematic GPS. A gimbal-controlled radar altimeter antenna is mounted to the UAV and connected to an on-board SDR and computer. GNU radio is used on an Nvidia Jetson TX2 along with a HackRF One SDR to record the power spectrum in the 4.2-4.4 GHz range. Average power readings are transmitted wirelessly to the operator to confirm system operation during flight, while the raw spectrum data is stored on-board for analysis after the UAV lands. Each measurement set is stored along with the GPS location of the UAV at the moment of testing, as it performs the hemispherical planned path. Another SDR is used on the ground to mimic the operation of a radio altimeter or other WAIC devices during the testing process.
Building an enabling legal environment: laws and policies on social enterprises in China

This article discusses China’s most recent social enterprise-related laws and policies in a systematic fashion. It first introduces the concept of social enterprise under the Chinese context. Then ...
Pack a STRIPAK with hubs inside a hub.

The highly conserved striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) multimeric complex regulates the Hippo signaling pathway through phosphatase activity. A recent structure of the core STRIPAK hub reveals how striatins tetramerize to serve as a scaffolding platform for the assembly of an intricate architecture, which is distinct from that of all other protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexes.
Development of Privacy Features on Anecdata.org, a Free Citizen Science Platform for Collecting Datasets for Climate Change and Related Projects.

The Anecdata website and its corresponding mobile app provide unique features to meet the needs of a wide variety of diverse citizen science projects from across the world. The platform has been developed with the help of continuous feedback from community partners, project leaders, and website users and currently hosts more than 200 projects. Over 8,000 registered users have contributed more than 30,000 images and over 50,000 observations since the platform became open to the public in 2014. From its inception, one of the core tenets of Anecdata’s mission has been to make data from citizen science projects freely accessible to project participants and the general public, and in the platform’s first few years, it followed a completely open data access model. As the platform has grown, hosting ever more projects, we have found that this model does not meet all project needs, especially where endangered species, property access rights, participant safety in the field, and personal privacy are concerned. We first introduced features for data and user privacy as part of “All About Arsenic,” a National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA)-funded project at MDI Biological Laboratory, which engages middle and high school teachers and students from schools across Maine and New Hampshire in sampling their home well water for analysis of arsenic and other heavy metals. In order to host this project on Anecdata, we developed features for spatial privacy or “geoprivacy” to conceal the coordinates of samplers’ homes, partial data redaction tools we call “private fields” to withhold certain sample registration questions from public datasets, and “participant anonymity” to conceal which user account uploaded an observation. We describe the impetus for the creation of these features, challenges we encountered, and our technical approach. While these features were originally developed for the purposes of a public health and science literacy project, they are now available to all project leaders setting up projects on Anecdata.org and have been adopted by a number of projects, including Mass Audubon’s Eastern Meadowlark Survey, South Carolina Aquarium’s SeaRise, and Coastal Signs of the Seasons (SOS) Monitoring projects.
“Hell You Talmbout?” Sighting confusion in the performance of Black Revolt

This essay considers how “confusion” shapes narrative strategies and understandings of the 1811 Uprising in Louisiana and how artistic practice, performance, and amateur documentation differently r...
InFO_oS (Integrated Fan-Out on Substrate) Technology for Advanced Chiplet Integration

The continuous pursuit of higher compute power with insatiable data bandwidth to meet relentless AI system demands from cloud computing, data centers, enterprise servers, supercomputers, network system and edge computing, has urged new system integration solutions with larger footprint, denser 3D interconnect, close proximity 3D inter-chip integration and new memory system. Recent years, chiplets integration has prevailed in high performance computing (HPC) for cost and performance consideration. For HPC networking applications, the network switch capacity has increased from 6.4 Tb/sec to 25.6 Tb/sec to meet ever-increasing big data growth in cloud and data center for AI training, deep learning, and inferencing. Single advanced node SoC switch chip solution no longer meets the switch capacity growing demand due to cost and performance consideration. To resolve this issue, we have developed InFO_oS (InFO on Substrate) technology featuring multiple tiers of high density $2/2\mu\mathrm{m}$ RDL line width/space to integrate multiple advanced node switch chiplets for cost and performance. In this paper, we present the industry's first 2.5x reticle size of fan-out (2100 mm2) with $110 \times 110\ \text{mm}^{2}$ substrate integration. The 2.5x test vehicle integrates 10 chiplets, 2 logic and 8 IO dies, through 5 layers of RDLs interconnection. Various stacking-via has been evaluated to provide more design flexibility and area miniaturization. InFO_oS is integrated on a wafer base, so it can fully leverage the tools, materials, process know-how, and manufacturing capacity of InFO technology platform for design flexibility, yield and fast time to market. Through process optimization, a promising high electrical yield has been achieved with D2D connection >95%. Process challenges and the results of component-level reliability (uHAST/TC/HTS) will be also addressed.
Cluster Analysis of Categorical Variables of Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic disease. No treatment stops its progression, and it presents symptoms in multiple areas. One way to understand the PD population is to investigate the clustering of patients by demographic and clinical similarities. Previous PD cluster studies included scores from clinical surveys, which provide a numerical but ordinal, non-linear value. In addition, these studies did not include categorical variables, as the clustering method utilized was not applicable to categorical variables. It was discovered that the numerical values of patient age and disease duration were similar among past cluster results, pointing to the need to exclude these values. This paper proposes a novel and automatic discovery method to cluster PD patients by incorporating categorical variables. No estimate of the number of clusters is required as input, whereas the previous cluster methods require a guess from the end user in order for the method to be initiated. Using a patient dataset from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) website to demonstrate the new clustering technique, our results showed that this method provided an accurate separation of the patients. In addition, this method provides an explainable process and an easy way to interpret clusters and describe patient subtypes.
Identification of a Novel LXXLL Motif in α-Actinin 4-spliced Isoform That Is Critical for Its Interaction with Estrogen Receptor α and Co-activators

α-Actinins (ACTNs) are a family of proteins cross-linking actin filaments that maintain cytoskeletal organization and cell motility. Recently, it has also become clear that ACTN4 can function in the nucleus. In this report, we found that ACTN4 (full length) and its spliced isoform ACTN4 (Iso) possess an unusual LXXLL nuclear receptor interacting motif. Both ACTN4 (full length) and ACTN4 (Iso) potentiate basal transcription activity and directly interact with estrogen receptor α, although ACTN4 (Iso) binds ERα more strongly. We have also found that both ACTN4 (full length) and ACTN4 (Iso) interact with the ligand-independent and the ligand-dependent activation domains of estrogen receptor α. Although ACTN4 (Iso) interacts efficiently with transcriptional co-activators such as p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) and steroid receptor co-activator 1 (SRC-1), the full length ACTN4 protein either does not or does so weakly. More importantly, the flanking sequences of the LXXLL motif are important not only for interacting with nuclear receptors but also for the association with co-activators. Taken together, we have identified a novel extended LXXLL motif that is critical for interactions with both receptors and co-activators. This motif functions more efficiently in a spliced isoform of ACTN4 than it does in the full-length protein.
The simultaneous determination of hydrazine and hydroxylamine: An analytical application of chronopotentiometry

Abstract Mixtures of hydrazine and hydroxylamine may be analyzed by anodic chronopotentiometry. Hydrazine gives a four-electron wave ( E XXX = +0.36 V vs . S.C.E.) and hydroxylainine produces a six-electron wave ( E XXX = +0.83 V vs . S.C.E.) in 0.1 F sulfuric acid at a platinum anode. Mixtures having mole ratios as large as 50 : 1 hydrazine: hydroxylamine and as small as 1 : 50 have been successfully analyzed. The accuracy is within ±5% for most cases. At high hydrazine concentrations nitrogen bubbles form at the electrode surface and block the approach of hydroxylamine leading to low hydroxylamine results. Chloride ion interferes and must be removed.
Hyperkalemia in hospitalized patients

Objective: Evaluate the prevalence of hyperkalemia(potassium < 5.5 mmol/l) in hospitalized patientsnot on dialysis, as well as the association ofmedications, impaired renal function and comorbidconditions with hyperkalemia.Design: A retrospective case-control method.Setting: A tertiary care teaching hospital.Patients: Hyperkalemic adults not on dialysis withage and sex matched controls.Interventions: None.Main outcome measures: The use of medicationsassociated with hyperkalemia and renal function usinga calculated creatinine clearance were compared in thehyperkalemic and control groups.Results: 35 adult patients with hyperkalemia who werenot receiving dialysis were identified, with aprevalence in the hospitalized population of 3.3%.The hyperkalemic patients were older than the generalhospital population (p < 0.05). Compared withcontrols, hyperkalemic patients: had a lowercreatinine clearance (p < 0.05), were more likely tobe taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (p < 0.05), and had an increased frequency of diabetesmellitus (p < 0.001). All of the control patientssurvived their hospitalization, but the mortality rate in the hyperkalemic group was 17% (p < 0.0001). Noneof the deaths were directly attributable to hyperkalemia.Conclusions: Hyperkalemia is more frequent in olderpatients and is usually mild. Hyperkalemia isassociated with diabetes mellitus, diminished renalfunction and the use of angiotensin-converting enzymeinhibitors. An elevated serum potassium level in ahospitalized patient may be a marker for asignificantly increased risk of death, which is due tounderlying medical problems and is not a consequenceof the hyperkalemia.
Chlorination Roasting of Rare Earth Element Oxides

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has an interest in the recovery and processing of rare earth elements. At Montana Tech, elevated temperature chlorination of rare earth oxides is presently being investigated as a potential methods leading to the selective separation and recovery of rare earth elements from mineral ores and concentrates. After preliminary evaluation, ytterbium oxide was selected as a representative surrogate material for more extensive chlorination studies. Methods used to determine the conversion and recovery include X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis. These data have been used to establish and confirm process conditions that consistently yield high conversion efficiencies. Based on the promising results, further experimentation is underway to ascertain the metallurgical response of other rare earth oxides and carbonates to the roasting process. The end goal is to create a robust process for industrial application that has greater efficiency and reduced costs as compared to current practice.
Inhibition of Platelet Function by the Endothelium

Thromboregulation is the communication between endothelial cells and platelets to contain clot formation so that proper blood flow and vessel repair can occur simultaneously. There are three separate pathways of thromboregulation: 1) nitric oxide (NO); 2) eicosanoid prostacyclin; and 3) ecto-nucleotidase CD39. Each pathway will be discussed in detail in this chapter, focusing on the enzymes, the receptors, the signaling pathways, animal models, clinical investigations, the role of each pathway in disease progression, and genetic variants. By understanding how each thromboregulation pathway occurs and is interconnected, we can target therapeutics to control platelet function in vascular diseases.
Chapter 5 AlGalnP Light-Emitting Diodes

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on a number of topics important to the development and production of high-performance aluminium gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP) light-emitting diodes (LED) devices. Active layer design of AlGaInP LEDs is described, with emphasis on the materials properties of the AlGalnP alloys. The LED structures that enhance light-output performance are discussed, including current spreading layers, current-blocking layers, and window layers. Light extraction technologies that enhance performance, such as distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) and wafer bonding of transparent substrates are then described, followed by a brief section on the AlGaInP LED wafer fabrication process. A discussion of AlGaInP device performance, including efficiency, color, electrical, and reliability data follow. Finally, the chapter presents concluding remarks and a discussion of the future outlook for AlGaInP LEDs.
Millennial Status Report As Debate Wanes

Mesozoic Birds Above the Heads of Dinosaurs. Luis M. Chiappe and Lawrence M. Witmer, Eds. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2002. 532 pp. $95, £66. ISBN 0-520-20094-2. Covering a wide variety of aspects of the nature and evolution of birds during the Mesozoic, the contributors discuss topics including the origin, phylogeny, functional transformations, and morphological diversity of the clade through its first 85 million years.
Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a hematopoietic growth factor involved in the development and functional activation of hematopoietic elements …
Phase I and pharmacologic study of irinotecan administered as a 96-hour infusion weekly to adult cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase I and pharmacologic study of a weekly 96-hour infusion of irinotecan to determine the maximum-tolerated dose, define the toxicity profile, and characterize the clinical pharmacology of irinotecan and its metabolites. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 26 adult patients with solid tumors, the duration and dose rate of infusion were escalated in new patients until toxicity was observed. RESULTS: In 11 patients who were treated with irinotecan at 12.5 mg/m2/d for 4 days weekly for 2 of 3 weeks, dose-limiting grade 3 diarrhea occurred in three patients and grade 3 thrombocytopenia occurred in two patients. The recommended phase II dose is 10 mg/m2/d for 4 days given weekly for 2 of 3 weeks. At this dose, the steady-state plasma concentration (Css) of total SN-38 (the active metabolite of irinotecan) was 6.42 ± 1.10 nmol/L, and the Css of total irinotecan was 28.60 ± 17.78 nmol/L. No patient experienced grade 3 or 4 neutropenia during any cycle. All other toxicities were mild to moderate. T...
A high performance work system: definitions, concepts, and practices

Based on a review of the literature, we have developed a prescriptive framework of a high performance work system (HPWS) and compared it to actual practices. We define a HPWS as a systemic approach to organizational design that seeks to align the organization and its environment as well as align the organisational structure, systems, and processes using team structures to achieve operational effectiveness, innovation, and high quality results for customers. We prescribe five foci necessary for achieving a HPWS that encompass specific organizational practices: (1) top leadership support; (2) employee empowerment and team-based structures; (3) innovative human resource management; (4) performance measures; and (5) knowledge management.
Small planar omni-directional circularly polarized antenna

Circularly polarized (CP) antennas are commonly needed for satellite communication, WLAN, RFID, Radar and many other systems. Circularly polarized waves can avoid the negative effects of polarization rotation in propagation channels, such as ionosphere. It can also reduce the effect of multipath fading for co-polarized transceiver systems as the odd bounce reflections change the handedness of the wave polarization. For many communication and radar problems with omni-directional antenna elements are needed. For the communication the reason is obvious as the direction of arrival or the orientation of the antenna is arbitrary. For the radar, distributed imaging network of transmitters and receivers are envisioned to create all direction imaging from a number of moving receivers. To reduce the direct signal between the transmitter and receivers CP antennas with orthogonal polarization can be used. Existing omni-directional CP antennas have complex 3D structures and are large in size. In this paper, a planar CP antenna having omni-directional pattern within a ring area is designed. The CP polarization is synthesized by combining two linearly polarized and omni-directional antennas and feeding them with signals having the same amplitude but 90 degree phase difference. The first antenna is a slot antenna on a finite and small ground plane which is made to have an omni-directional pattern on its E-plane. To achieve that, the radiation null on the E-plane that exists on conventional slot antennas is removed by constructing a parallel plate waveguide delay line between the two sides of the antenna and forming an antiparallel field distribution on the aperture of each side. As a result, the far field radiation from both apertures adds up in phase and becomes uniform. The other antenna consists of two PIFA elements which radiate omni-directionally on their H-plane. The feeding network splits the input power equally to excite both antennas and introduces an extra 90 degree phase delay for one of the antennas. The feeding network is realized by microstrip lines and is optimized to have an axial ratio lower than 2 within a bandwidth of 2–3%. The simulation results demonstrate that the antenna has a figure-eight pattern in elevation with a beamwidth of about 100 degree. The gain of this small antenna is 2dB with small fluctuation as a function of angle in the horizontal plane.
Bilateral Investment Treaties, Holdout Investors, and Their Impact on Grenada's Sovereign Debt Crisis

Table of ContentsI. Introduction 251II. Background 253A. Sovereign Debt Restructuring 253B. Bilateral Investment Treaties 255C. Contractual Provisions 258III. International Investment Arbitration in ICSID 260A. The Holdings in Abaclat, Ambiente Uffido, and A/emanni 261B. Further Implications 264IV. Holdout Litigation in U.S. Federal Courts 265A. NML Capital Ltd. v. Argentina 266B. Exp.-Imp. bank of the Republic of China v. Grenada 267C. Implications from Increased Litigation in U.S. Courts 268V. Additional Solutions 270A. Better Contractual Provisions 270B. Novel Approaches to Restructuring 271C. Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanisms in Conjunction with the U.N 272VI. Grenada's Sovereign Debt Crises 274A. Grenada's Sovereign Debt Crisis in 2005 and Subsequent Selective Default 274B. Grenada's BITs 277VII. Conclusion 278I. IntroductionIn the wake of the 2009 global financial crisis a number of countries, including Greece, Belize, Jamaica, and Grenada have engaged in sovereign debt restructuring activities.' Greece has undertaken the largest debt restructuring campaign in the world to date.2 Grenada has been dragged into the U.S. court system by the Export-Import Bank of the Republic of China (Ex-Im Bank).3 Argentina has been engaged in a decade-long struggle with investors who pursued litigation and international arbitration rather than settle under the terms of the offered restructuring agreement.4 Other countries face severely impaired credit ratings as well.5 These recent situations highlight the importance of understanding the potential mechanisms for seeking redress in the event of a sovereign debt default.Many of the countries raising capital through the issuance of sovereign debt have also entered into Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) with the U.S. and other countries.6 BITs encourage foreign investment in developing countries by providing certain protections for investors, which in turn lower the risk of their investment.7 BITs typically provide that in the event of a dispute between a state and a foreign investor, the parties may file suit in a designated forum, often the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), to resolve any claims arising from the treaty.8 While these treaties were enacted to encourage foreign investment in developing economies, they have recently been used by holdout investors to disrupt some of the restructuring settlements proposed in sovereign debt defaults, thereby raising the risk of investment, rather than lowering it.Part of these shifts in the sovereign debt restructuring landscape can be attributed to a shift in the types of creditors buying debt on the secondary markets, including the infamous hedge funds that gamble on distressed bonds- colloquially, "vulture funds." 9 Vulture funds have tenaciously opposed recent restructuring processes, choosing to hold out and pursue claims in national courts and international arbitration forums. …
FOUNDATIONALISM AND ARBITRARINESS

: Nonskeptical foundationalists say that there are basic beliefs. But, one might object, either there is a reason why basic beliefs are likely to be true or there is not. If there is, then they are not basic; if there is not, then they are arbitrary. I argue that this dilemma is not nearly as decisive as its author, Peter Klein, would have us believe.
The HIV-1 rev trans-activator acts through a structured target sequence to activate nuclear export of unspliced viral mRNA.

HUMAN immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication requires the expression of two classes of viral mRNA. The early class of HIV-1 transcripts is fully spliced and encodes viral regulatory gene products. The functional expression of one of these nuclear regulatory proteins, termed Rev (formerly Art or Trs), induces the cytoplasmic expression of the incompletely spliced, late class of HIV-1 mRNAs that encode the viral structural proteins, including Gag and Env1–6. Here, we provide evidence that this induction reflects the export from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm of a pool of unspliced viral RNA constitutively expressed in the nucleus. The hypothesis that Rev acts on RNA transport, rather than splicing, is further supported by the observation that the cytoplasmic expression of a non-spliceable HIV-1 env gene sequence is also subject to Rev regulation. Here we show that this Rev response requires a specific target sequence which coincides with a complex RNA secondary structure present in the env gene. The response to Rev is fully maintained when this sequence is relocated to other exonic or intronic locations within env but is ablated by inversion. These results indicate that the HIV-1 rev gene product induces HIV-1 structural gene expression by activating the sequence-specific nuclear export of incompletely spliced HIV-1 RNA species.
The constructive reals as a Java library

Abstract We describe an implementation of the computable (or constructive) real numbers as a pure Java library. To the user, the library interface appears very similar to that of some other numeric types provided by the standard Java library. The primary goal of the implementation is simplicity, so that the implementation could be easily understood, and to allow simple informal correctness arguments. We hope to demonstrate that even such a basic implementation of constructive real arithmetic can be useful in a number of contexts, including in a desk calculator utility distributed with the package. A secondary goal was to demonstrate that some second-order functions on the reals, such as restricted inverse and derivative operations, can be implemented with sufficient performance to be useful.
Samples: to use or not to use?

Summary The United States Prescription Drug Marketing Act makes people think that samples are simply advertisement for the drug companies. However, this is not the only reason that they are used. Samples make up a large part of most drug companies’ budgets and are used by many clinics with very little control. We need to ensure that these products are being used appropriately. This is becoming a big issue as reports suggest that over 90% of family practise residency clinics allow personal use of drug samples and 60% of pharmaceutical representatives have either used samples for themselves or have given them to non-physicians. The other disturbing fact is that despite the high use of samples, fewer than 10% of family practise residencies in a Brotzman and Mark study reported having written policies regarding the use of samples. The purpose of this article was to review the literature concerning the reasons for use of drug samples, and the problems associated with such use, and then to discuss possible procedures that offices, especially those that train resident physicians, can implement to ensure good governance, if such use is permitted.
The influence of alloy microstructure on the oxide peg morphologies in a Co-10% Cr-11%Al alloy with and without reactive element additions

The addition of reactive elements such as yttrium or hafnium to heat-resisting alloys has marked beneficial effects on their high-temperature oxidation behavior, and in particular greatly improves the adhesion of the oxide scale to the substrate. In the case of alloys forming Al2O3 protective oxide scales, the improvement in adhesion appears to be related to the formation of intrusions of oxide into the metal—“pegs”—which hold the scale on. The morphology of these pegs is a function of alloy structure and of the reactive element. In particular, it appears that while the pegs of Hf-containing alloys grow as a result of a diffusion process, perhaps along the oxide-metal phase boundary, the pegs on Y-containing alloys seem to form too fast for this, and it is suggested that stresses established by the oxidation of the Co3Y inclusions lead to the formation of porous short-circuit paths.
Imperfection-sensitivity of cylindrical panels under compression using Koiter’s improved postbuckling theory

Abstract This paper deals with the use of Koiter’s improved postbuckling theory in axial buckling of integrally stiffened cylindrical panels. According to Koiter’s improved theory, the postbuckling coefficients are evaluated at the actual applied load rather than at the classical buckling load. Substantial positive shift of the postbuckling is found which indicates that the imperfection-sensitivity predicted by Koiter’s 1945 general theory may significantly overestimate the degrading effects of these imperfections. Such a positive shift is especially crucial in studying mode interactions such as local and overall buckling mode interactions of stringer-reinforced cylindrical shells.
Zooplankton distribution around four eastern North Pacific seamounts

Abstract The effects of seamounts on the distribution of zooplankton were investigated at four seamounts in the northeastern Pacific. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) mesoscale gaps of reduced abundance of migrating zooplankton develop over seamounts every night; (2) fine-scale patchiness is augmented within these gaps and in the region downstream of seamounts; and (3) increased numbers of crustacean carcasses occur over seamounts. Gaps are expected because most zooplankton that descend over shallow topography at dawn are either eaten by resident predators or are advected off the summit, while fine-scale patchiness should result from lateral shear between the gap and the surrounding zooplankton-rich waters. Copepod carcasses should be more abundant over seamounts than the surrounding water because of the increased predation at seamounts. Zooplankton distributions were determined from net samples and acoustic records. Water column properties were measured with a CTD and hydrocasts, and currents by moored current meters, acoustic current profilers and drifter drogues. Zooplankton gaps were found over three of the four seamounts surveyed, but not on every survey of each seamount. Only three of the surveys provided the information necessary to test the patchiness hypothesis; on two of these increased patchiness and carcass abundance were found associated with gaps. When no gap was observed over a seamount, there was no evidence of increased carcass abundance or enhanced patchiness, indicating that the three phenomena are temporally and spatially linked. Copepod carcasses were found in the intestines of small fish sampled at the same time as the zooplankton. The fish, along with crustacean predators like euphausiids, are the likely source for the carcasses. Seamounts appear to be an important cause of enhanced zooplankton patchiness on scales ranging from 100s of meters to areas larger than the seamounts themselves.
Inhibitive properties, adsorption and surface study of butyn-1-ol and pentyn-1-ol alcohols as corrosion inhibitors for iron in HCl

The inhibiting effect of several acetylenic alcohols, namely 2-butyn-1-ol, 3-butyn-1-ol, 3-pentyn-1-ol and 4-pentyn-1-ol has been investigated on the corrosion of iron in 1 M HCl. The Tafel extrapolation method, linear polarization resistance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy illustrate their inhibiting effect. Results show that all of these compounds suppress both the anodic and cathodic process, i.e., they are mixed-type inhibitors. The changes of charge transfer resistance are indicative of adsorption and inhibition. This effect increases with time over a 16 h period. Equivalent circuits are suggested as a model for the impedance spectra. The inhibition efficiency of the alkynol depends on the length of the carbon chain and the position of the triple bond. Some structural and electronic effects are discussed in relation to the inhibiting efficiencies. Determination of the chemical speciation, as well as elemental ratio were obtained via XPS and morphological changes were monitored by SEM.
A Review of the Stockton Training Series: Instructor Reports of Current Use and Future Application

ABSTRACT For the past decade, the Stockton training series has offered instructors a valuable training tool for use in a variety of clinical settings. Counselor educators were asked to reflect upon the series and its application for beginning leader training. Specifically, surveys were distributed to a wide range of instructors who train group leaders; their responses were summarized. Their impressions of the videos and the videos' impact on the field of group work were described. Current and future applications of the training series in the classroom were discussed.
Cl- channels in basolateral renal medullary membrane vesicles: IV. Analogous channel activation by Cl- or cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

We examined the interactions of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and varying aqueous Cl− concentrations in modulating the activity of Cl− channels obtained by fusing basolaterally enriched renal outer medullary vesicles into planar lipid bilayers. Under the present experimental conditions, thecis andtrans solutions face the extracellular and intracellular aspects of these Cl− channels, respectively. Raising thetrans Cl− concentration from 2 to 50mm increased the channel open-time probability, raised the unit channel conductance, and affected the voltage-independent determinant (ΔG) of channel activity but not the gating charge (Winters, C.J., Reeves, W.B., Andreoli, T.E. 1990.J. Membrane Biol. 118:269–278). With 2mm trans KCl,trans addition of the catalytic subunit of PKA (C-PKA) plus ATP increased channel open-time probability and altered the voltage-independent determinant of channel activity without affecting either unit channel conductance or gating charge. The effect was ATP specific, did not occur with (C-PKA plus ATP) addition tocis solutions, and was abolished by denaturing C-PKA. Finally, (C-PKA plus ATP) activation of channel activity was not detected with relatively high (50mm)trans Cl− concentrations. These data indicate that (C-PKA plus ATP) might modulate Cl− channel activity by phosphorylation at or near the Cl−-sensitive site on the intracellular face of these channels.
Fraunhofer oscillations in a multilayer system with Josephson coupling of layers.

The equations for gauge-invariant phases are obtained for superconductors with Josephson coupling of the layers. Using these equations, we find the condition under which Fraunhofer oscillatory dependence of the critical current on parallel magnetic field H can be observed in such compounds: The width of the sample along the ab plane in the direction perpendicular to H should be smaller than the Josephson length ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathit{J}}$=${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{\mathit{s}}$, where \ensuremath{\gamma} is the penetration depth anisotropy ratio and s is the interlayer spacing. We show that in the presence of weak disorder such oscillations are more pronounced in a multilayer system than in a single Josephson junction with the same level of disorder. We present the expression for the c-axis critical density that is inherent to the intrinsic interlayer Josephson effect.
Helix formation upon acidification of protein-dodecyl sulfate complexes

Abstract The pH dependence of circular dichroism spectra has been studied for dodecyl sulfate complexes formed by 25 proteins and for a random copolypeptide of glutamic acid and alanine. The pH range covered is that in which titration of side-chain carboxyl groups is to be expected. Circular dichroism spectra signify an increase in helical content upon acidification, although in many cases the increase is quite small. For all but three of the proteins studied, the spectral changes are in reasonable agreement with those expected because helix propagation by glutamyl and aspartyl residues is enhanced when the state of the side-chain carboxyl changes from COO − to COOH. This simple explanation seriously underestimates conformational changes reported for gastrin, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and tropomyosin. Changes in charge density appear to play an important role in these proteins.
Orexin-B modulates luteinizing hormone and growth hormone secretion from porcine pituitary cells in culture

Abstract To test the hypothesis that orexin-B acts directly on the anterior pituitary to regulate LH and growth hormone (GH) secretion, anterior pituitary cells from prepuberal gilts were studied in primary culture. On day 4 of culture, 10 5 cells/well were challenged with 0.1, 10 or 1000nM GnRH; 10, 100 or 1000nM [Ala 15 ]-hGRF-(1–29)NH 2 or 0.1, 1, 10 or 100nM, orexin-B individually or in combinations with 0.1 and 1000nM GnRH or 10 and 1000nM GRF. Secreted LH and GH were measured at 4h after treatment. Basal LH and GH secretion (control; n =6 pigs) was 183±18 and 108±4.8ng/well, respectively. Relative to control at 4h, all doses of GnRH and GRF increased ( P P P P P P
Treatment of necrolytic migratory erythema in glucagonoma syndrome

The glucagonoma syndrome is characterized by elevated serum glucagon, a pancreatic α-cell tumor, anemia, hypoaminoacidemia, and necrolytic migratory erythema. Necrolytic migratory erythema may cause marked morbidity and is frequently misdiagnosed. A 42-year-old white woman with a 1½-year history of refractory dermatitis (most severe on the lower extremities) had the glucagonoma syndrome. Her severe morbidity was markedly relieved with the administration of intravenous amino acids. This therapy was successful in controlling the necrolytic migratory erythema through recurrences after somatostatin (SMS 201-995), surgical debulking, and chemotherapy proved inadequate.