cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The End of Doctrine: Private Arbitration, Public Law and the Anti-Lawsuit Movement

This story begins in 1980, when a budding anti-lawsuit movement found an energetic champion in a new conservative president. Over time, the movement became a dominant feature of political life, as its narrative of activist judges, jackpot justice and a thriving lawsuit industry stirred partisan passions. And yet, some thirty years on, it is clear that the primary legacy of the anti-lawsuit movement is the movement itself – not legislative achievements, which have been few and far between, but committed adherents, including future Supreme Court Justices, lower court judges, and business leaders. Meanwhile, and also in the early 1980s, federal courts began a long, slow, and initially apolitical process of invigorating the staid legal backwater of arbitration. Over the next thirty years, arbitration came fully of age. By 2013, the Supreme Court had held that companies may freely and openly use provisions mandating one-on-one, confidential arbitration in standard form agreements with employees, consumers and others to escape the judicial system – and avoid potential exposure to class actions. And finally, over these same thirty years, class actions became a dominant force in litigation, having managed to dodge the most serious reform initiatives of the anti-lawsuit movement. Class actions – for better or for worse – have proven to be extremely powerful weapons in a wide variety of subject-matter areas, accounting for billions of dollars in damages settlements. Companies of all stripes dearly want to avoid class exposure. And so, as these three movements have unfolded over the past thirty years – separately and together – we are now at a unique point in our legal history: one that portends, quite literally, the end of doctrinal development in entire areas of the law. Companies, anxious to avoid any and all exposure to class actions are highly motivated to insert confidential, one-on-one arbitration mandates into the standard-form agreements that, over these same thirty years, have come to govern their relationships with employees, consumers, direct purchasers, and all manner of counterparties. As a result, all disputes under these agreements – whether they would have otherwise been brought as class or individual claims – will now be shunted into the hermetically-sealed vault of private arbitration, where there is no public, transparent decision-making process, much less stare decisis or common law development.
Reconstructing B cell receptor sequences from short-read single cell RNA-sequencing with BRAPeS

RNA-sequencing of single B cells provides simultaneous measurements of the cell state and its binding specificity. However, in order to uncover the latter further reconstruction of the B cell receptor (BCR) sequence is needed. We present BRAPeS, an algorithm for reconstructing BCRs from short-read paired-end single cell RNA-sequencing. BRAPeS is accurate and achieves a high success rate even at very short (25bp) read length, which can decrease the cost and increase the number of cells that can be analyzed compared to long reads. BRAPeS is publicly available in the following link: https://github.com/YosefLab/BRAPeS.
High energy femtosecond laser peening of 2024 aluminum alloy

Abstract A femtosecond laser with a pulse energy of up to 100 mJ is used to investigate the feasibility of laser peening of a 2024 aluminum alloy that is widely used in aerospace industry. Laser beam directly irradiates the as-received aluminum sample surface in air without any protective coating for laser absorption and transparent overlay for plasma confinement. The effects of pulse energy, pulse duration and beam spot size on peening performance are studied. Optical microscope and SEM are used to examine the surface morphology of laser peened samples. Vickers hardness test is used to determine the microhardness on the surface. Residual stresses on the surface and at selected depths are measured using x-ray diffraction method. It is found that femtosecond laser can impart compressive residual stresses to a depth of more than 100 µm for this material, but the surface stress condition is not altered significantly.
High performance quantum dot lasers epitaxially integrated on Si

Silicon photonics promises scalable manufacturing of integrated photonic devices through utilization of established CMOS processing techniques and facilities. Unfortunately, the silicon photonics platform lacks a viable light source, which has historically been overcome through heterogeneous integration techniques. To further improve economic viability, the platform must transition to direct epitaxy on Si to bypass the scaling limits imposed by the small sizes and high cost of III-V substrates in heterogeneous integration. InAs quantum dots have demonstrated themselves as the most promising candidate for achieving high performance light emitters epitaxially grown on Si. Using molecular beam epitaxy, we have grown quantum dot lasers composed of InAs dot-in-a-well active layers on industry-standard, on-axis (001) Si substrates. In this report, we utilized p-doping of the quantum dot active region to increase gain for improved dynamic performance and reliability. These devices have been subjected to accelerated aging conditions at 60°C and a bias multiple of twice threshold current density. After 2,750 hours of continuous aging, an extrapolated lifetime of more than 100,000 hours has been calculated.
A systematic review and narrative synthesis on the histological and neurobehavioral long‐term effects of dexmedetomidine

Background: Recent experimental studies suggest that currently used anesthetics have neurotoxic effects on young animals. Clinical studies are increasingly publishing about the effects of anesthesia on the long‐term outcome, providing contradictory results. The selective alpha‐2 adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine has been suggested as an alternative nontoxic sedative agent. Aims: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the potential neuroprotective and neurobehavioral effects of dexmedetomidine in young animals and children. Methods: Systematic searches separately for preclinical and clinical studies were performed in Medline Ovid and Embase on February 14, 2018. Results: The initial search found preclinical (n = 661) and clinical (n = 240) studies. A total of 20 preclinical studies were included. None of the clinical studies met the predefined eligibility criteria. Histologic injury by dexmedetomidine was evaluated in 11 studies, and was confirmed in three of these studies (caspase‐3 activation or apoptosis). Decrease of injury caused by another anesthetic was evaluated in 16 studies and confirmed in 13 of these. Neurobehavioral tests were performed in seven out of the 20 studies. Of these seven rodent studies, three studies tested the effects of dexmedetomidine alone on neurobehavioral outcome in animals (younger than P21). All three studies found no negative effect of dexmedetomidine on the outcome. In six studies, outcome was evaluated when dexmedetomidine was administered following another anesthetic. Dexmedetomidine was found to lessen the negative effects of the anesthetic. Conclusion: In animals, dexmedetomidine was found not to induce histologic injury and to show a beneficial effect when administered with another anesthetic. No clinical results on the long‐term effects in children have been identified yet.
The “right to consume”? Re-thinking the dynamics of exclusion/inclusion in consumer society

ABSTRACTConsumption is a political relationship. This article considers competing political discourses around consumption as different versions of a hypothetical right to consume. In the first sect...
CHAPTER 5 – Dynamic Diversity in Fish Assemblages of Tropical Rivers

This chapter examines the temporal stability of fish assemblage structure in two tropical rivers and reviews similar information from other tropical rivers. The factors associated with population and assemblage change, and those associated with population persistence and long-term stability of assemblage structure are also discussed. Climatic regime and the abiotic environment can directly influence mortality and reproduction. In harsh or unpredictable climates, environmental factors can cause apparent stochastic mortality. Fishes in tropical floodplain habitats respond to changes in their abiotic and biotic environments, many of which are predictable on a seasonal or annual basis, but unpredictable in the short term. The fish assemblage and habitat characteristics of a seasonal creek and its floodplain in the Venezuelan Llanos are also examined. Each year, aquatic populations undergo massive die-offs and emigrations in response to the drying of the floodplain. Each year, rainy season causes extensive flooding and a renewal of aquatic habitats and populations. Fish assemblage variability is increased by the short-term unpredictability of precipitation and stochastic mortality associated with dry season conditions. Interannual variation is reduced by habitat selection during wet-season colonization, population resiliency, and species interactions during the late wet season.
Brain gene expression in the context of nicotine rewards: A focus on cholinergic genes

Abstract Nicotine addiction is a significant public health liability that currently lacks effective treatments that promote long-term abstinence. Many clinical studies examining the genetic risk factors associated with nicotine dependence and smoking cessation outcomes have identified numerous polymorphisms in cholinergic genes, such as those clustered around the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene locus. In addition, several preclinical studies have demonstrated a significant role of these cholinergic genes in mediating both the rewarding and aversive properties of nicotine. Polymorphisms within other neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems have also been identified as significant contributors to nicotine dependence, though less is known about these targets. While tremendous progress has been made in identifying key gene variants associated with nicotine dependence, the literature remains considerably inconsistent. We recommend that future research investigate factors such as neuropsychiatric comorbidity and epigenetics to more precisely elucidate the specific contributions of gene variants in nicotine dependence and relapse vulnerability.
Evaluating aquaculture as a diversification strategy for Maine's commercial fishing sector in the face of change

Abstract Aquaculture represents an increasingly significant share of the global supply of freshwater and marine resources. The distribution of benefits from aquaculture development will largely depend on who has the resources necessary to participate in the sector and how the sector is governed. We investigate the extent to which aquaculture is being utilized by commercial fishermen to expand and diversify their livelihoods in Maine, USA. Here, a network approach is used to delineate individuals' participation in aquaculture and wild-capture fisheries. Results show that while some fishermen are starting aquaculture businesses, aquaculture has had a limited effect on livelihood diversification for those engaged in the commercial fishing sector to date. These findings raise questions about who will benefit from aquaculture and how the continued growth will compete with existing marine resource sectors, including wild-capture fisheries. We argue that the extent to which aquaculture can foster livelihood diversification in the long term and fit within existing coastal economies will largely depend on the institutions that are established to govern the sector.
The Puzzling Metaphor: Teaching General Systems Theory to Marriage and Family Therapy Trainees:

This article aims to connect the general systems theory (GST) principle of Holism and structural family therapy (SFT) to highlight commonalities between theories. This article will discuss primary ...
2D DEM analysis of the interactions between bio-inspired geo-probe and soil during inflation–deflation cycles

The cone penetration test and the standard penetration test are perhaps the most versatile techniques for investigating soil properties in-situ. Advancing the probe through the soil requires substantial downforce due to friction between the probe and the soil. Inspired by the ability of worms to conform their body to the most mechanically advantageous shape while tunneling, an innovative self-excavating geo-probe has been developed and deployed in a laboratory environment. Analogous to a worm’s ability to expand its body, a soft balloon mounted behind a rigid cone is inflated or deflated by applying pressure or vacuum periodically to alter the cone penetration resistance. Laboratory experiments have shown promising results that the new geo-probe can penetrate the soil more efficiently. However, the interactions at balloon–soil–cone interfaces are complex and not fully understood. This numerical study focuses on the behavior of the geo-probe during balloon inflation and deflation. A two-dimensional discrete element model is developed to provide particle-level insight into the micromechanics of the interactions between the geo-probe and the soil. A baseline simulation is first conducted to study the failure mechanisms of the bulk soil during inflation and deflation. Additionally, the contact forces at balloon–soil and soil–cone interfaces are analyzed to show the variation of penetration resistance. The displacement field, shear strain field, and contact force chains are numerically investigated to gain a fundamental understanding of the tool–soil interaction. Then, the effect of balloon locations and overburden stresses on the behavior of the probe are studied by performing sensitivity analyses. This study provides a numerical technique to study the tool–soil interactions that was inaccessible in laboratory test. Implementation of the simulation results enables extrapolation of bench-scale testing to a wider range of stresses and boundary conditions.
Endovascular thoracic aortic transection repair has equivalent survival to open repair after blunt thoracic aortic injury.

BACKGROUND Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) is highly lethal and its management has evolved with the advent of endovascular approaches. We hypothesized that endovascular repair (ER) would have equivalent/improved survival compared to open repair (OR). The aim of our study was to review our center's morbidity and mortality after BTAI. METHODS Our Level I trauma center registry was queried for BTAI between 2002-2015. This cohort was stratified into three groups: ER, OR and those patients managed non-operatively (NOP). Primary endpoint was mortality and secondary endpoints included complications after repair and freedom from re-intervention at follow-up. RESULTS Among 81 patients with BTAI, there was a 58% mortality at presentation with a mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 65. From the remaining 34 patients alive after initial resuscitation, 12 (35%) patients were managed via OR, 12 (35%) via ER and 10 (30%) NOP. The mean ISS among these groups was 31, 44, and 30 respectively (P=0.6). 42% of patients in ER underwent coverage of the left subclavian artery without sequelae. There was one death in the OR and ER groups. Postoperative complications included one paraplegia after ER and one lower extremity weakness and vocal cord paralysis after OR. There was a shift in the year 2007 in the treatment of BTAI for ER instead of OR. Mean follow-up was 59.7±48.5months. None of the patients on follow-up required re-interventions. CONCLUSIONS Although BTAI still carries a high mortality rate, data from our trauma center suggest that ER has equivalent survival when compared to OR.
Postmarketing Safety-Related Regulatory Actions for New Therapeutic Biologics Approved in the United States 2002-2014: Similarities and Differences With New Molecular Entities.

We examined the relationship of regulatory and review characteristics to postmarketing safety-related regulatory actions for 61 new therapeutic biologics (NTBs) approved between October 1, 2002 and December 31, 2014. We also compared NTBs with small-molecule new molecular entities (NMEs) on these measures. Postmarketing safety-related regulatory actions were defined as a safety-related withdrawal or a safety-related update to a safety section of the label through June 30, 2018. Four NTBs were withdrawn, two for safety reasons. At least one safety-related update was added to the labels of 54 (88.5%) NTBs. Label updates occurred throughout the follow-up period. Time to the first safety-related regulatory action was shorter for NTBs approved under accelerated approval. The occurrence of safety events was more likely to occur with NTBs than with NMEs. This may be explained in part by the higher proportion of NTBs in the anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) classification categories with higher frequency of safety-related updates. NTBs also had shorter time to safety events than NMEs. These findings underscore the importance of continued development of the lifecycle safety surveillance system for both drugs and biologics with consideration for product type and its characteristics, including pharmacologic action.
Carbon Cycling and Habitability of Earth-Sized Stagnant Lid Planets

Models of thermal evolution, crustal production, and CO2 cycling are used to constrain the prospects for habitability of rocky planets, with Earth-like size and composition, in the stagnant lid regime. Specifically, we determine the conditions under which such planets can maintain rates of CO2 degassing large enough to prevent global surface glaciation but small enough so as not to exceed the upper limit on weathering rates provided by the supply of fresh rock, a situation which would lead to runaway atmospheric CO2 accumulation and an inhospitably hot climate. The models show that stagnant lid planets with initial radiogenic heating rates of 100-250 TW, and with total CO2 budgets ranging from ∼10-2 to 1 times Earth's estimated CO2 budget, can maintain volcanic outgassing rates suitable for habitability for ≈1-5 Gyr; larger CO2 budgets result in uninhabitably hot climates, while smaller budgets result in global glaciation. High radiogenic heat production rates favor habitability by sustaining volcanism and CO2 outgassing longer. Thus, the results suggest that plate tectonics may not be required for establishing a long-term carbon cycle and maintaining a stable, habitable climate. The model is necessarily highly simplified, as the uncertainties with exoplanet thermal evolution and outgassing are large. Nevertheless, the results provide some first-order guidance for future exoplanet missions, by predicting the age at which habitability becomes unlikely for a stagnant lid planet as a function of initial radiogenic heat budget. This prediction is powerful because both planet heat budget and age can potentially be constrained from stellar observations. Key Words: Exoplanets-Habitability-Stagnant lid tectonics-Carbon cycle-Volcanism. Astrobiology 18, 873-896.
Region proposal network for multi-organ segmentation in CT for pancreatic radiotherapy

Delineation of organs-at-risk (OARs) is a labor-intensive and time-consuming procedure in radiation treatment planning process. This work aims to develop a deep learning-based method for rapid and accurate pancreatic multi-organ delineation with the goal of expediting the treatment planning process. A retrospective investigation has been carried out on twenty patients with contours delineated on CT simulation scan. Eight OARs including large bowel, small bowel, duodenum, left kidney, right kidney, liver, spinal cord and stomach were selected for automated segmentation. In order to achieve expert level of accuracy, we proposed a regional proposal network which consists of two stages of feature extraction from given CT images. A coarse feature map was first obtained using a backbone network, and then the refined feature map was extracted using mask regional convolutional neural network. Metrics including Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, specificity, Hausdorff distance 95% (HD95), mean surface distance (MSD) and residual mean square distance (RMSD) were computed to quantitatively assess the performance of our proposed method. DSC values of 0.90±0.09, 0.87±0.13, 0.82±0.12, 0.95±0.03, 0.95±0.06, 0.96±0.02, 0.90±0.03, and 0.94±0.02 were achieved for large bowel, small bowel, duodenum, left kidney, right kidney, liver, spinal cord and stomach, respectively.
The Compact Support Neural Network

Neural networks are popular and useful in many fields, but they have the problem of giving high confidence responses for examples that are away from the training data. This results in the neural networks being very confident while making gross mistakes, thus limiting their reliability for safety critical applications such as autonomous driving, space exploration, etc. In this paper, we present a more generic neuron formulation that contains the standard dot-product based neuron and the RBF neuron as two extreme cases of a shape parameter. Using ReLU as the activation function we obtain a novel neuron that compact support, which means its output is zero outside a bounded domain. We also show how to avoid difficulties in training a neural network with such neurons, by starting with a trained standard neural network and gradually increasing the shape parameter to the desired value. Through experiments on standard benchmark datasets, we show the promise of the proposed approach, in that it can have good prediction on in-distribution samples, and it can consistently detect and have low confidence on out of distribution samples.
Crystalens repositioning with scleral suture technique.

PURPOSE To present a surgical technique that allows rescue (repositioning) of a dislocated Crystalens model intraocular lens (IOL) using scleral sutures. METHODS The surgical technique is described with supplemental video. RESULTS The technique was used in one patient with 3 months of followup information. The IOL was well positioned and the visual acuity is 20/20, without adverse events. CONCLUSION Scleral suture techniques for repositioning of the Crystalens offers a suitable alternative to IOL exchange.
Hazard Evacuation Management and Resilience: Case Study Examples in the USA

Hazard evacuation management is a critical piece of the disaster management cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Community resilience is another important aspect of hazard evacuation management. However, current hazards and disaster literature often focuses on warning and risk communication, evacuation intentions and behavior, evacuation predictions, and evacuation models rather than connecting community resilience and hazard evacuation management. This chapter firstly provides the current research on evacuation management to show the gap in research exploring the explicit connection between evacuation management and community resilience. Secondly, background on community resilience is provided to build the connection between evacuation management and community resilience. Finally, Two case studies are provided to show how hazard evacuation management – or a lack of evacuation management – and community resilience relate to one another.
Toll-like receptors, environmental caging, and lung dysbiosis.

Recent studies have implicated lung microbiota in shaping local alveolar immune responses. Toll-like receptors are major sensors of microbiota and determinants of local epithelial homeostasis. The ...
Role of tissue factor in feto-maternal development: a xiphos.

Summary. In this review, the dual role of tissue factor (TF) in pregnancy is described. On the one hand, TF is required for embryonic and placental development in a successful pregnancy, and on the other hand, pathologic expression of TF can lead to serious pregnancy complications in humans and mice. Human studies show increased TF levels in plasma, amniotic fluid and and/or placentas of abnormal pregnancies affected by miscarriages, preterm birth, or pre-eclampsia. Interestingly, using two mouse models, we found that blood-borne TF plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications. TF on neutrophils and monocytes is a critical mediator in trophoblast injury and embryo damage in pregnancy loss induced by antiphospholipid antibodies and in the antibody-independent CBA/J × DBA/2 model of miscarriages. Blockade of TF or genetic diminution prevented pregnancy complications, suggesting that TF may be a good target for therapy in patients with recurrent miscarriages, pregnancy loss, and pre-eclampsia. In addition, statins, which downregulate TF, may constitute a good therapeutic option for women with pregnancy complications. Clinical trials should be conducted to confirm these observations in women.
Phase-change memory: Feasibility of reliable multilevel-cell storage and retention at elevated temperatures

Multilevel-cell (MLC) storage is a typical way for achieving higher capacity and thus lower cost per bit in memory technologies. In phase-change memory (PCM) MLC storage is seriously hampered by the phenomenon of resistance drift and the impact of temperature. Drift and temperature resilience is achieved through the use of a specific non-resistance-based cellstate metric. A statistical experimental characterization of PCM test devices in the presence of drift and at elevated temperatures is performed, and I-V characteristics are measured. The comparison of conventional resistance and a new enhanced (eM) metric demonstrates for the first time that reliable 2 bits/cell storage and subsequent data retention can be achieved in PCM cell arrays in the presence of temperature variation of the 50 °C magnitude. This development opens up the possibility for practical MLC storage in PCM chips.
Case Studies of Seismic Tomography and Earthquake Location in a Regional Context

We present three case studies of traveltime tomography applied to regional imaging of the earth's crust and upper mantle. The first case study investigates the imaging of Poisson's ratio using measurements of compressional and shear wave traveltimes. Inversions schemes that jointly fit both types of traveltime data and that selectively damp the compressional to shear wave velocity ratio are shown to be very effective. The second case study focuses on the ability of joint inversions of crustal and Moho-reflected wave traveltimes to image both crustal velocity structure and Moho topography. The ability of this kind of tomography to distinguish Moho topography and lower crustal heterogeneity is shown to be poor. The third case study examines the ability of teleseismic tomography to determine the shape of a mantle plume. A new test for departures from an axial shape is proposed and tested. We also present a case study of earthquake location, that compares locations made with traditional P and S wave traveltimes to those based on differential P wave traveltimes (that is, the double-difference method). The underlying tomography software, raytrace3d that is used in this study and which is publicly and freely available is described, and the technical elements of traveltime tomography are fully documented in an appendix.
Genetics of Neurospora

Many advances, particularly in molecular techniques, have transformed work on Neurospora crassa. All areas of biological research have felt their impact. These include the areas of basic genetics begun by Dodge, Lindegren, and the Beadle and Tatum group prior to 1955 (Horowitz 1991); biochemical genetics, enzymology, and morphogenesis between 1945 and the present; and regulation and compartmentation of biochemical activities since 1965 (see Perkins 1992a). Most of the work in these areas might have been abandoned without molecular approaches, particularly in view of the spectacular development of yeast as an experimental system for genetic, cellular, and biochemical problems. The most recent edition (the fourth) of the classic treatise, Fungal Genetics, by Fincham et al. (1979) should be consulted for the status of work in N. crassa, especially genetics, up to that time.
Circadian Rhythms of Serum and Urinary Estrogens in Pregnancy1

Diurnal variations in serum unconjugated estradiol-17β (SE2), serum total estriol (SE3), total urinary estrogens (UE), and UE/creatinine ratios (E/C) were determined on samples obtained at 4-hr intervals from 22 women in the third trimester of normal pregnancy. Analysis of variance indicated significant variations in SE2 (p < 0.001), UE (p < 0.01), and E/C (p < 0.05). Multiple comparison of means showed maximum values at 12 pm to be significantly greater than minimum values at 12 am (p < 0.01). The SE3 rhythm was less marked with individual daytime (8 am–12 pm–4 pm) means significantly greater (p < 0.001) than those at nighttime (8 pm–12 am–4 am). It is proposed that this rhythm reflects changes in availability of estrogen precursors known to be secreted rhythmically by the maternal adrenal.
The relationship between psychosocial variables and pain reporting in osteoarthritis of the knee

Psychosocial factors may explain some of the variation in pain reporting among individuals with knee OA. This has important potential implications for management; indeed, several studies (reviewed in ref. 56) have demonstrated that interventions may reduce knee pain without apparent halting or reversing of structural damage. Such interventions have included the simple provision of support by monthly telephone calls (57), self-management programs (58), and cognitive-behavioral approaches designed to teach patients ways of coping with their pain (59). These programs are even more effective if the spouse is involved (60). It should be noted that there may be a large placebo effect in these interventions, and the degree to which patients are responding simply to an interest being taken in them and their problems is unclear; at least one study has shown that formal cognitive-behavioral therapy is no better than didactic education at improving pain and function in knee OA (though both are beneficial) (61). Many studies examining the role of psychosocial factors have suffered from poor design; many, for example, fail to control for radiographic severity. Future studies should define how pain is identified (dichotomous, ever/never/current, severity), differentiate community and hospital subjects, and separate patients by type and location of OA. Studies should also control for other factors potentially associated with pain: obesity, comorbidity, muscle weakness, and aerobic fitness. Prospective studies would allow clarification of the cause and effect relationship between anxiety, depression, and pain, both in the community and in patients who have elected to seek medical help. In this way, we may increase our understanding of the complex interaction between mood, social factors, and pain reporting in knee OA and, thus, improve the effectiveness, already equivalent to many pharmacologic interventions, of treatments designed to address psychosocial factors.
Study of quark propagator solutions to the Dyson-Schwinger equation in a confining model

We solve the Dyson-Schwinger equation for the quark propagator in a model with singular infrared behavior for the gluon propagator. We require that the solutions, easily found in configuration space, be tempered distributions and thus have Fourier transforms. This severely limits the boundary conditions that the solutions may satisify. The sign of the dimensionful parameter that characterizes the model gluon propagator can be either positive or negative. If the sign is negative, we find a unique solution. It is singular at the origin in momentum space, falls off like 1/{ital p}{sup 2} as {ital p}{sup 2}{r_arrow}+/{minus}{infinity}, and is truly nonperturbative, in that it is singular in the limit that the gluon-quark interaction approaches zero. If the sign of the gluon propagator coefficient is positive, we find solutions that are, in a sense that we exhibit, unconstrained linear combinations of advanced and retarded propagators. These solutions are singular at the origin in momentum space, fall off like 1/{ital p}{sup 2} asympotically, exhibit {open_quotes}resonantlike{close_quotes} behavior at the position of the bare mass of the quark when the mass is large compared to the dimensionful interaction parameter in the gluon propagator model, and smoothly approach a linear combination of free-quark advanced and retardedmore » two-point functions in the limit that the interaction approaches zero. In this sense, these solutions behave in an increasingly {open_quotes}particlelike{close_quotes} manner as the quark becomes heavy. The Feynman propagator and the Wightman function are not tempered distributions and therefore are not acceptable solutions to the Schwinger-Dyson equation in our model. On this basis we advance several arguments to show that the Fourier-transformable solutions we find are consistent with quark confinement, even though they have singularities on the real {ital p}{sup 2} axis. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Metamaterial-Enhanced Nonlinear Terahertz Spectroscopy

We demonstrate large nonlinear terahertz responses in the gaps of metamaterial split ring resonators in several materials and use nonlinear THz transmission and THz-pump/THz-probe spectroscopy to study the nonlinear responses and dynamics. We use the field enhancement in the SRR gaps to initiate high-field phenomena at lower incident fields. In vanadium dioxide, we drive the insulator-to- metal phase transition with high-field THz radiation. The film conductivity increases by over two orders of magnitude and the phase transition occurs on a several picosecond timescale. In gallium arsenide, we observe high-field transport phenomena, including mobility saturation and impact ionization. The carrier density increases by up to ten orders of magnitude at high fields. At the highest fields, we demonstrate THz-induced damage in both vanadium dioxide and gallium arsenide.
A new approach for integration of min-area retiming and min-delay padding for simultaneously addressing short-path and long-path constraints

This article describes a polynomial time algorithm for min-area retiming for edge-triggered circuits to handle both setup and hold constraints. Given a circuit G and a target clock period c, our algorithm either outputs a retimed version of G satisfying setup and hold constraints or reports that such a solution is not possible, in O(mVm3logmVmlog(mVmC)) steps, where mVm corresponds to number of gates in the circuit and C is equal to the number of registers in the circuit. This is the first polynomial-time algorithm ever reported for min-area retiming with constraints on both long and short-paths. An alternative problem formulation that takes practical issues into consideration and lowers the problem complexity is also developed. Both the problem formulations have many parallels with the original formulation of long path only retiming by Leiserson and Saxe and all the speed improvements that have been obtained on that problem statement are also demonstrated in simulation for the approach presented here. Finally, a basis is provided for deriving efficient heuristics for addressing both long-path and short-path requirements by combining the techniques of retiming and min-delay padding.
Accelerated aging of unidirectional hybrid composites under the long-term elevated temperature and moisture concentration

Despite their high performances, composites with polymer matrix are very sensible to the increase in temperature and moisture concentration. During long years of services, both phenomena cause a critical transient hygrothermal transverse stresses, particularly at first-ply; i.e. at two edges of the composite plates. Therefore, significant degradation of hygrothermal characteristics and ultimate strengths of materials are occurred. To get an explicit relation between the durability and the damage probability of the composite, quadratic failure criterion in stress space is used. This criterion enables us to find a direct relation between transient hygrothermal stresses produced by the increase in temperature and moisture concentration and the ultimate strengths. It is necessary to calculate the strength ratio R from initial to saturation time for each condition imposed of temperature and moisture concentration. The strength ratio gives a point of view on the damage probability of the composite plates, where the rupture occurs if R = 1. In order to limit the consequences of simultaneous effects of temperature and moisture concentration, unidirectional hybrid composites in graphite epoxy was proposed. To reach this aim, hygrothermal transverse stresses are calculated through the thickness of unidirectional hybrid plate. Finally, the strength ratio was evaluated along of the plate with a gradual increase in temperature and moisture concentration.
Choline influx across the brush border of guinea pig jejunum

Abstract Choline uptake across the mucosal border of guinea pig jejunum was measured to determine the characteristics of this step in intestinal absorption. Unidirectional influx of [ 14 C]choline appears to proceed primarily by a saturable, carrier-mediated process at low mucosal choline concentrations; at high concentrations (>4 mM) the influx rate is approximately linearly related to the mucosal choline concentration, suggesting that absorption by passive diffusion predominates. Influx was only minimally reduced by elimination of Na + from the mucosal test solution or by reduction of the intracellular Na + concentration. Preincubation of tissue samples with metabolic inhibitors or with ouabain did not markedly reduce influx. These results are consistent with a model of choline transport across the brush border membrane by a carrier-mediated mechanism which is similar to that involved in fructose absorption but different from the Na + -dependent mechanism which participates in active transport of sugar and amino acids. At low lumenal choline concentrations, influx into colonic mucosa is slower than in jejunum and appears to be attributed solely to simple diffusion.
Not dead yet! A longitudinal study of query type and ready reference accuracy in live chat and IM reference

Abstract Research reveals that users of virtual reference services (VRS) value accurate answers to their queries and a pleasant interpersonal encounter. Findings from a longitudinal study compare two sets of randomly selected VRS transcripts, one of 850 live chat sessions from 2004 to 2006, and the second of 560 live chat and instant messaging (Qwidget) sessions from 2010. The investigation of the international QuestionPoint (OCLC, 2012) transcripts includes comparisons by query type (e.g., ready reference, policy and procedural, subject search) and by accuracy of answers to the subset identified as ready reference (e.g., fact-based queries). Findings indicate that percentages of ready reference queries are remaining stable, having increased slightly from 27% (243 of 915 queries found in 850 transcripts) in 2004–2006 to 31% (179 of 575 queries found in 560 transcripts) in the 2010 dataset. Additionally, accuracy of answers was found to have improved. The percentage of correct and complete responses with citations given by VRS librarians or staff members answering ready reference questions was found to have increased from 78% (141) in 2004–2006 to 90% (151) in 2010.
Structured specification of a Security Kernel

Certifying an entire operating system to be reliable is too large a task to be practicable. Instead, we are designing a Security Kernel which will provide information security. The kernel's job is to monitor information flow in order to prevent compromise of security.Sound design is encouraged by using a technique called Structured Specification, in which successively more detailed models of the Security Kernel are developed. The initial model, M0, is an abstract description which formalizes governmental security applied to computer systems.Subsequent levels of modeling provide increasingly more detail, and gradually the models begin to resemble a particular system (Multics in this case). The second model, M1, defines a tree-structured file system, and an interagent communication system while M2 adds details concerning segmentation in a dynamic environment.It is intended that the final level of modeling will specify the primitive commands for the kernel of a Multics-like system and will enumerate precisely those assertions which must be proved about the implementation in order to establish correctness.
Volumetric and functional liver blood flow are both increased in the human transplanted liver

This study measured volumetric liver blood flow and galactose clearance concurrently during orthotopic liver transplant in human subjects. Ultrasound transit time flowmeters measured hepatic artery and portal vein flow 1–3 h after reperfusion. Galactose (100 mg/min) was infused over 45–60 min to steady state for calculation of clearance. Mean±S.D. total volumetric flow was 1966±831 ml/min with portal flow contributing 86%. Mean galactose clearance was 1988±641 ml/min. There was a significant correlation ( p r = 0.61) between volumetric total liver blood flow and galactose clearance. The data show that: (i) the newly transplanted liver is capable of metabolizing galactose within 1–3 h of reperfusion; and (ii) liver blood flow is high in the newly implanted liver. The clinical importance of this observation is that there is increased clearance of high first pass substances by the transplanted liver which may be of importance in patient management.
Intramolecular migration of deuterium and tritium during enzymic hydroxylation of p-deuteroacetanilide and p-tritioacetanilide.

Abstract The hydroxylation of p -tritio- or p -deuteroacetanilide with the aryl hydroxylase of rabbit liver microsomes leads to the production of m -tritio- and m -deutero- p -hydroxyacetanilide, respectively. Studies with the tritiated material show that 45–50% of the tritium is retained in the product. The radioactivity of the substrate is not randomized or exchanged prior to hydroxylation. The radioactivity of the product is not lost upon further incubation with the enzyme. The tritium not retained in the product can be found as tritiated water. Initial experiments show that the amount of retention can be varied by varying the pH of the incubation. Nonenzymic hydroxylation with a modified Fenton's reagent led to complete removal of the p -tritium as tritiated water. These and other data indicate that enzyme-catalyzed aromatic hydroxylation is accompanied by a stepwise intramolecular migration of the group displaced by hydroxyl. A mechanism for this migration is presented and discussed.
Potentiation of N‐Methyl‐d‐Aspartate‐Stimulated Dopamine Release from Rat Brain Slices by Aluminum Fluoride and Carbachol

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) stimulated the release of endogenous dopamine from striatal slices prepared from adult Sprague-Dawley rats. A mixture of sodium fluoride and aluminum chloride (AlF4-) added to the slices significantly potentiated the NMDA-stimulated release of dopamine in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The AlF4- mixture had no effect on the nonstimulated basal efflux of dopamine, and no increases in NMDA-stimulated release were observed when NaF was replaced with NaCl. Similarly, AlCl3 or a mixture of NaCl and AlCl3 had no effect on NMDA-stimulated release. The AlF(4-)-induced increase in NMDA-stimulated dopamine release was totally blocked by magnesium or the selective NMDA glycine antagonist 7-chlorokynurenic acid. Striatal slices depolarized with KCl (15 mM) also released dopamine and this release was similarly potentiated by AlF4-. However, KCl-stimulated dopamine release from striatal synaptosomes was not potentiated by concentrations of AlF4- that greatly increased release from striatal slices. NMDA did not stimulate the release of dopamine from striatal synaptosomes in the absence or presence of aluminum fluoride. Modulators of adenylate cyclase (forskolin) and protein kinase C (phorbol esters) did not enhance NMDA-stimulated dopamine release. The protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 also did not reduce the potentiating effects of AlF4-. The mixed cholinergic agonist carbachol and the calcium ionophore A23187 mimicked the AlF4- effect although the increase in NMDA-stimulated dopamine release produced by these agents was less than that seen with AlF4-.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Linearly solvable Markov games

Recent work has led to a novel theory of linearly solvable optimal control, where the Bellman equation characterizing the optimal value function is reduced to a linear equation. Already, this work has shown promising results in planning and control of nonlinear systems in high dimensional state spaces. In this paper, we extend the class of linearly solvable problems to include certain kinds of 2-player Markov Games. In terms of modeling power, the new framework is more general than previous work, and can apply to any noisy dynamical system. Also, we obtain analytical solutions for the optimal value function of continuous-state control problems with linear dynamics and a very flexible class of cost functions. The linearity leads to many other useful properties: the ability to compose solutions to simple control problems to obtain solutions to new problems, a convex optimization formulation of inverse optimal control etc. We demonstrate the usefulness of the framework through examples of forward and inverse optimal control problems in continuous as well as discrete state spaces.
Dose to contralateral breast: A comparison of four primary breast irradiation techniques

Abstract Purpose : Contralateral breast dose from primary breast irradiation has been implicated in the risk of second breast malignancies. It has previously been shown that the use of half-beam blocking can increase the opposite breast dose by a factor of five. This study evaluates four different breast treatment techniques to compare radiation dose to the contralateral breast. Methods and Materials : Dose measurements were made using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) capsules, which were placed in the Rando phantom in the following locations in the contralateral breast: seven along the central axis plane, one at 5 cm superior to, and one 5 cm inferior to the central axis plane. One TLD capsule was placed in the midcenter of the treated breast. The following radiation techniques were used: (a) half-beam with a custom block (HB+CB), (b) half-beam using asymmetric collimator jaw (HB/AJ), (c) half-beam using asymmetric collimator jaw with custom block (H/AJ+CB), and (d) isocentric technique with nondivergent posterior borders [Joint Center for Radiation Therapy (JCRT) technique]. For each technique, isodose distributions for the Rando phantom were optimized using (a) 15 degree medial and lateral compensating wedges, and (b) a single 30 degree lateral compensating wedged. The phantom was treated with 6 MV photons. Each technique was repeated six times, and the TLD readings were averaged. Results : The custom cerrobend half-beam block technique gives the highest contralateral breast dose, regardless of wedge. The remaining techniques give results in a similar range, with the asymmetric jaw with no medial wedge technique giving the lowest total dose (p = not significant). The use of a medial wedge increases the opposite breast dose for all techniques. The asymmetric half-beam technique gives significantly less dose than the cerrobend half-beam technique, due to decrease transmission through the asymmetric collimators. The asymmetric jaw vs. JCRT technique results in similar contralateral breast dose. Conclusions : As expected, dose to the contralateral breast increases with the use of a medial wedge. Cerrobend half-beam blocking gives the highest opposite breast dose. The lowest contralateral breast dose is with the asymmetric jaw with no medial wedge and no block. The asymmetric jaw technique with block yields equivalent contralateral breast doses to the JCRT technique.