cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reproductive factors and ovarian cancer risk in African-American women

Purpose Reproductive characteristics, the most established ovarian cancer risk factors, differ markedly between African-American and white women. Studies in predominantly white populations suggest that associations between reproductive characteristics and ovarian cancer vary by timing of the events and menopause status. This analysis examined associations between number, duration, and timing of reproductive events and epithelial ovarian cancer among African-American women. Methods Data from a multicenter case-control study of ovarian cancer in African-American women (641 cases/752 controls) were used to examine associations with oral contraceptive (OC) use and pregnancy characteristics. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with reproductive characteristics were calculated with logistic regression models. Results OC use (OR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9), parity (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.6), and breastfeeding for >12 months (OR = 0.3, 95% CI 0.2-0.5) were inversely associated with ovarian cancer. More recent pregnancies and OC use had stronger associations with ovarian cancer than pregnancies or OC use that occurred earlier in life, especially among premenopausal women. Conclusions This study provides the first thorough documentation that pregnancy, breastfeeding, and OC use are inversely associated with ovarian cancer in African-American women, similar to what has been observed in white women. The associations with timing of the exposures suggest that these factors have both short- and long-term effects.
Conceptual knowledge representation: A cross-section of current research

How is conceptual knowledge encoded in the brain? This special issue of Cognitive Neuropsychology takes stock of current efforts to answer this question through a variety of methods and perspectives. Across this work, three questions recur, each fundamental to knowledge representation in the mind and brain. First, what are the elements of conceptual representation? Second, to what extent are conceptual representations embodied in sensory and motor systems? Third, how are conceptual representations shaped by context, especially linguistic context? In this introductory article we provide relevant background on these themes and introduce how they are addressed by our contributing authors.
Projections of 21st century climate of the Columbia River Basin

Simulations from 35 global climate models (GCMs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 provide projections of 21st century climate in the Columbia River Basin under scenarios of anthropogenic activity given by Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The multi-model ensemble 30-year mean annual temperature increases by 2.8 °C (5.0 °C) by late 21st century under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5) over the 1979–1990 baseline, with 18% (24%) more warming in summer. By late 21st century, annual precipitation increases by 5% (8%), with an 8% (14%) winter increase and a 4% (10%) summer decrease, but because some models project changes of opposite sign, confidence in these sign changes is lower than those for temperature. Four questions about temperature and precipitation changes were addressed: (1) How and why do climate projections vary seasonally? (2) Is interannual variability in seasonal temperature and precipitation projected to change? (3) What explains the large inter-model spread in the projections? (4) Do projected changes in climate depend on model skill? Changes in precipitation and temperature vary seasonally as a result of changes in large-scale circulation and regional surface energy budget, respectively. Interannual temperature variability decreases slightly during the cool seasons and increases in summer, while interannual precipitation variability increases in all seasons. The magnitude of regional warming is linked to models’ global climate sensitivity, whereas internal variability dominates the inter-model spread of precipitation changes. Lastly, GCMs that better reproduce historical climate tend to project greater warming and larger precipitation increases, though these results depend on the evaluation method.
Putin’s Arctic Strategy

Russia’s Arctic policy was inaugurated not only to harvest the vast economic resources to be found there, but also for the associated political benefits of restoring Russia’s status vis-a-vis the West and appealing to Russian pride, patriotism, and exceptionalism, notions especially important for Putin’s regime after the disturbances of 2011. While Russia’s activity in the region had been more collaborative than conflictual, since the 2013–2014 Ukrainian events a more confrontational approach has emerged—an approach driven by increasing disappointment and frustration with the West.
Optical steganography over a public DPSK channel

We propose to apply optical steganography to public DPSK transmission. The secretly transmitted data can be hidden under public DPSK signals and can be detected asynchronously after signal recovery.
Guest Editorial Special Section on Protection and Real-Time Monitoring of Transmission and Distribution Systems with High Penetration of Distributed Generation and Microgrids

The papers in this special section focus on protection and real-time monitoring of power transmission and distribution systems.Economic, political, environmental, societal and technical factors have encouraged the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DER), particularly distributed generation (DG), in transmission and distribution (T&D) systems. DG proliferation is already a reality in numerous markets around the world and can impact several aspects of T&D planning, operations, engineering, analysis, policy and regulation. The industry is actively engaged in evaluating the severity of those impacts on existing T&D grids and developing solutions to ensure seamless integration. The growing interest and increasing penetration levels of DG, particularly of renewable generation technologies such as photovoltaics, and the emergence of energy storage, have also spurred attention to revisiting the microgrid concept as a solution to effectively manage, integrate, and benefit from variable DG. This involves additional monitoring, protection, automation, and control challenges. Finally, it is expected that penetration levels of DG will continue growing, given the favorable business, regulatory and policy landscape, decreasing technology prices, and evolving end-user expectations (including the emergence of the prosumer). Widespread adoption of DG will increase the complexity of the T&D grid, accentuating the need for reliable real-time operations and control, and triggering additional engineering issues. In this context, one of the key topics that the industry needs to address is the development of new solutions for protection and real-time monitoring of T&D systems with high penetration of DG and microgrids.
Adaptations in Basal and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Activated Deoxycorticosterone Responses Following Ethanol Self-administration in Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Acute ethanol activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, while long-term exposure results in a blunted neuroendocrine state, particularly with regards to the primary endpoint, cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid produced in the adrenal cortex. However, it is unknown if this dampened neuroendocrine status also influences other adrenocortical steroids. Plasma concentration of the mineralocorticoid and neuroactive steroid precursor deoxycorticosterone (DOC) are altered by pharmacological challenges of the HPA axis in cynomolgus monkeys. The present study investigated HPA axis regulation of circulating DOC concentration over the course of ethanol (4% w/v) induction and self-administration in non-human primates (Macaca fasciculata, n=10). Plasma DOC, measured by radioimmunoassay, was compared at baseline (ethanol naive), during schedule-induced polydipsia, and following 6-months of 22 h/d access to ethanol and water. The schedule-induction of ethanol drinking did not alter basal DOC levels, but selectively dampened the DOC response to pharmacological challenges aimed at the anterior pituitary (ovine corticotrophin releasing hormone) and adrenal gland (post-dexamethasone ACTH), while pharmacological inhibition of central opioid receptors with naloxone greatly enhanced the DOC response during induction. Following 6-months of ethanol self-administration, basal DOC levels were increased more than 2 fold, while responses to each of the challenges normalized somewhat, but remained significantly different than baseline. These data show that HPA axis modulation of the neuroactive steroid precursor DOC is markedly altered by the schedule-induction of ethanol drinking and long-term voluntary ethanol self-administration. The consequences of chronic ethanol consumption on HPA axis regulation of DOC point towards allostatic modification of hypothalamic and adrenal function.
Life Satisfaction and Economic Position Relative to Neighbors: Perceptions Versus Reality

I examine the relationship between economic position relative to local neighbors and life satisfaction in rural Bangladesh. In particular, I exploit a novel household level census of three villages that includes the geospatial coordinates of every household and a perception measure of economic position relative to neighbors. This allows for exploring the sensitivity of the aforementioned relationship to (1) different objective definitions of neighborhood, and (2) the type of positional measure used, objective or perceived. I find that a higher perceived position improves life satisfaction while objective position has no statistically significant effect. This difference stems from a very low correlation between the objective and perceived positional measures. The low correlation can be explained by individual specific heterogeneity in definitions of neighbor. However, observable socioeconomic and demographic variables cannot explain the difference.
Uncertainty Analysis in 3D Equilibrium Reconstruction

AbstractReconstruction is an inverse process where a parameter space is searched to locate a set of parameters with the highest probability of describing experimental observations. Due to systematic errors and uncertainty in experimental measurements, this optimal set of parameters will contain some associated uncertainty. This uncertainty in the optimal parameters leads to uncertainty in models derived using those parameters. V3FIT is a three-dimensional (3D) equilibrium reconstruction code that propagates uncertainty from the input signals, to the reconstructed parameters, and to the final model. In this work, we describe the methods used to propagate uncertainty in V3FIT. Using the results of whole shot 3D equilibrium reconstruction of the Compact Toroidal Hybrid, this propagated uncertainty is validated against the random variation in the resulting parameters. Two different model parameterizations demonstrate how the uncertainty propagation can indicate the quality of a reconstruction. As a proxy for ...
School burnout and heart rate variability: risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension in young adult females

Emerging research documents the relationship between school burnout and some indicators of increased cardiovascular risk. Indicators of cardiovascular functioning assessed via ambulatory blood pres...
Modeling actuation of ionic polymer metal composites from the initial transient to back-relaxation

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) have been the object of intensive research in the last two decades. IPMC actuators promise to find application in medical and industrial settings, where large deformations and low operating voltages are of critical importance. Here, we present a detailed mathematical analysis of IPMC actuation to illuminate the role of counterion size and ionomer-metal composite layers on transient response and back-relaxation. We build on previous work by our group on thermodynamically-consistent modeling of IPMC mechanics and electrochemistry to afford important insight into the physics of actuation across different spatial and temporal scales.
Physicians’ Compassion, Communication Skills, and Professionalism With and Without Physicians’ Use of an Examination Room Computer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

This randomized controlled crossover study compares patients’ perception of physicians’ compassion and patients’ perception of physicians’ communication skills and professionalism and patients’ overall physician preference after watching two standardized scripted-video vignettes of physicians.
Prestige in a large-scale social group predicts longitudinal changes in testosterone.

In many social species, organisms adaptively fine-tune their competitive behavior in response to previous experiences of social status: Individuals who have prevailed in the past preferentially compete in the future, whereas those who have suffered defeat tend to defer and submit. A growing body of evidence suggests that testosterone functions as a “competition hormone” that coordinates this behavioral plasticity through its characteristic rise and fall following victory and defeat. Although well demonstrated in competitions underpinned by dominance (fear-based status derived from force and intimidation), this pattern has not been examined in status contests that depend solely on prestige—respect-based status derived from success, skills, and knowledge in locally valued domains, devoid of fear or antagonism. Thus, the hormonal mechanisms underlying prestige-based status are largely unknown. Here, we examine the effects of previous experiences of prestige—assessed using community-wide nominations of talent and advice provision—on intraindividual changes in testosterone in a large-scale naturalistic community. Results revealed that men who achieve high standing in the group’s prestige hierarchy in the initial weeks of group formation show a rise in testosterone over the subsequent 2 months, whereas men with low-prestige show a decline or little change in testosterone—a pattern consistent with the functional significance of context-specific testosterone responses. No significant associations were found in women. These results suggest that the long-term up- and downregulation of testosterone provides a mechanism through which past experiences of prestige calibrate psychological systems in a manner that adaptively guides future efforts in seeking and maintaining prestige. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
CD4+ and CD8+ T-Cell-Specific DNA Cytosine Methylation Differences Associated With Obesity.

OBJECTIVE Lifestyle factors associated with obesity may alter epigenome-regulated gene expression. Most studies examining epigenetic changes in obesity have analyzed DNA 5´-methylcytosine (5mC) in whole blood, representing a weighted average of several distantly related and regulated leukocyte classes. To examine leukocyte-specific differences associated with obesity, a pilot study examining 5mC in three distinct leukocyte types isolated from peripheral blood of women with normal weight and obesity was conducted. METHODS CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD16+ neutrophils were reiteratively isolated from blood, and 5mC levels were measured across >450,000 CG sites. RESULTS Nineteen CG sites were differentially methylated between women with obesity and with normal weight in CD4+ cells, 16 CG sites in CD8+ cells, and 0 CG sites in CD16+ neutrophils (q < 0.05). There were no common differentially methylated sites between the T-cell types. The amount of visceral adipose tissue was strongly associated with the methylation level of 79 CG sites in CD4+ cells, including 4 CG sites in CLSTN1's promoter, which, this study shows, may regulate its expression. CONCLUSIONS The methylomes of various leukocytes respond differently to obesity and levels of visceral adipose tissue. Highly significant differentially methylated sites in CD4+ and CD8+ cells in women with obesity that have apparent biological relevance to obesity were identified.
Operations in the atrioventricular valves in the presence of blunt cardiac trauma (Figs. 30–32)

Road accidents, sporting injuries and injuries at work are steadily increasing in our mechanized civilization. As the patients usually suffer multiple traumas, a blunt cardiac trauma is frequently overlooked at first and eventually seals the fate of the patient. It is the most common visceral injury associated with a fatal outcome. Blunt thoracic injury should always raise the suspicion of damage to the ribs, sternum, thoracic viscera, or spinal column. Serial ECG and enzyme measurement have been the historic method of diagnosis. These should raise suspicion, but specificity is low, hence echocardiography, transthoracic or transesophageal, is the investigation of choice, providing us a real time window for assessing myocardial injury and function. Echocardiography is inexpensive, rapid, and the procedure can be performed safely at the bedside.
Physarum flavicomum malate dehydrogenase isozymes

The structure and function of malate dehydrogenase isozymes isolated from Physarum flavicomum have been investigated. Two proteins, one localized in the cytosol and one in the mitochondria, demonstrated malate dehydrogenase activity. These proteins were purified by a combination of acetone fractionation, chromatography, and isoelectric focusing. Total purity was defined by electrophoretic, hydrodynamic, and conformational properties. Biochemical and biophysical characteristics established for both isozymes include sedimentation coefficients, molecular weight, subunit molecular weight, isoelectric point, total amino acid contents, and thermal stability. Both isozymes exhibited similar functional properties in regard to optimum pH, optimum substrate concentration, Michaelis constants, and response to certain substrate analogs. The effects of nucleoside phosphates were tested, also revealing a sensitivity of the mitochondrial form to adenosine phosphates, while the supernatant form was relatively unaffected. The extensive analyses offered here are compared with data on malate dehydrogenase isozymes from vertebral sources. The data suggest a strong conservation of the functional properties for these isozymes.
Temperature Effect on Molecular Dynamics in Micellar System. Proton Spin-Lattice Relaxation Study of Cetyltrimethylammmonium Bromide in Water-Dimethylsulfoxide Mixtures

Effect of temperature on the molecular dynamics of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated by measuring proton spin-lattice relaxation rates for the methyl, N-methyl, and methylene groups at concentrations below and above the critical micellar concentration in water and water-dimethyl sulfoxide mixtures. The “effective activation energies” of various relaxation processes for the above groups were determined. These values support the previous conclusion about the molecular dynamics and the formation of micelles, i.e., 1) the increased “structuring” in the water-DMSO liquid system overcomes “hydrophobic effect” of the long alkyl chain of CTAB and hinders the formation of micelles, and 2) the CTAB micelles consist of three well-delineated areas: (1) the center containing the terminal methyl groups is fairly rigid, (2) a fluid region containing most of the methylene groups, and (3) a relatively rigid surface area consisting of essentially the N-methyl groups and the counter (Br) ions.
Cultural Heritage: Knowledge Extraction from Web Documents.

This article presents the use of NLP techniques (text mining, text analysis) to develop specific tools that allow to create linguistic resources related to the cultural heritage domain. The aim of our approach is to create tools for the building of an online knowledge network, automatically extracted from text materials concerning this domain. A particular methodology was experimented by dividing the automatic acquisition of texts, and consequently, the creation of reference corpus in two phases. In the first phase, on-line documents have been extracted from lists of links provided by human experts. All documents extracted from the web by means of automatic spider have been stored in a repository of text materials. On the basis of these documents, automatic parsers create the reference corpus for the cultural heritage domain. Relevant information and semantic concepts are then extracted from this corpus. In a second phase, all these semantically relevant elements (such as proper names, names of institutions, names of places, and other relevant terms) have been used as basis for a new search strategy of text materials from heterogeneous sources. In this case also specialized crawlers (TP-crawler) have been used to work on a bulk of text materials available on line.
The Value of Operational Response in Varied Industries During the Great Recession

What type of operational response did the U.S. stock market value during the 2008 Great Recession? Based on the contingency theory as an overarching framework, contingent on high-tech or low–medium technology (LMT) industry, we propose the role of survival (improving production efficiency or operational hedging) and adaptation (investing in new operational assets) related operational responses in firm performance. In a sample of 749 publicly traded U.S. manufacturing firms from 2003 to 2012 and using 2008 as the recession year, we find that for LMT firms, while the newness of operational assets or operational hedging has no effect on the market value (Tobin's Q ), increasing the production efficiency limits the decline in the market value. Conversely, for high-tech firms, the newness of operational assets has a negative influence, increasing the production efficiency has a positive influence, and operational hedging has no influence on the market value. The findings provide a much-needed understanding of the value of operational response during the 2008 recession.
Nodular fasciitis of the ear: A case report and literature review

Abstract We report the case of a 12-year old male with an enlarging mass of the left ear. Imaging and an incisional biopsy was performed to rule out malignancy. Subsequently, wide local excision was performed with local tissue rearrangement for reconstruction showing a final histopathology consistent with nodular fasciitis.
Operational space analysis of human muscular effort in robot assisted reaching tasks

Abstract Human motor performance is a key area of investigation in both biomechanics and robotics. In robotics, understanding human muscular control is important to synthesize prosthetic motions and ensure safe human–robot interaction. Building controllable biomechanical models can help in quantifying the characteristics of a subject’s motion and in designing effective treatments, like motion training. This paper presents the task-based motion analysis of muscular effort using an upper-body musculoskeletal model, validated through motion capture experiments and dynamic simulations. To study the contribution of robotic assistance in improving human motor skills, the muscular effort of the task of reaching with and without robotic assistance was investigated for 10 subjects. Reduction of 21.4% in the arm muscular effort was observed for the tasks with robotic assistance.
Mucoadhesive in situ forming gel for oral mucositis pain control.

Abstract The current first line therapy for oral mucositis pain control is unsatisfactory as it results in only a short duration of modest pain relief. Developing mucoadhesive in situ forming formulations to prolong pain relief is challenging due to their complex physicochemical properties and the unique requirements for oral mucosa application. The objective of this study is to develop a mucoadhesive in situ forming gel to deliver a novel drug molecule, Bupivacaine γ-linoleate (Bup-γL), for prolonged and more potent oral mucositis pain control. The formulation is sprayable at room temperature, and forms a mucoadhesive gel on contact with the oral mucosa. The pain would be managed by forming an adhesive protective layer from irritating agents (such as bacteria, food, etc.), and also by anesthetizing the nerve cells with Bup-γL. Pluronic® F127 and F68 were used to achieve in situ forming properties. Either Carbopol® or Noveon® was included as a mucoadhesion enhancer. Formulation preparation methods were extensively investigated. The physicochemical properties of the gels were characterized, including gelation behavior, ex vivo mucoadhesion, rheological properties, in vitro drug release and sprayability. The polymer mixing sequence was determined to have a profound impact on the preparation time of blank formulations. A final drug content in a range of 6.21–6.51 mg/mL was obtained using the optimized method. The gelation temperature was significantly reduced by the addition of hydrophobic Bup-γL. Both Carbopol® and Noveon® significantly improved mucoadhesion without compromising the other main properties of the system (such as gelation temperature and drug content). Drug release from the formulation showed pH sensitive responses where lower pH favored faster drug release due to the ionization of Bup-γL. This study offers a promising strategy to achieve prolonged oral mucositis pain control. Moreover, a promising platform for the mucoadhesive in situ gels that allows high loading of hydrophobic drugs has been developed.
Sacred, Revolutionary Teaching: Encountering Sacred Difference and Honest Hope

Sacred teaching takes many forms across religious traditions, focusing on creation and sacramentality in Christianity, God’s nature and creation of human beings in Judaism, and spiritual and social...
Ion Gating in Nanopore Electrode Arrays with Hierarchically Organized pH-Responsive Block Copolymer Membranes.

Inspired by biological ion channels, artificial nanopore-based architectures have been developed for smart ion/molecular transport control with potential applications to iontronics and energy conversion. Advances in nanofabrication technology enable simple, versatile construction methods, and post-fabrication functionalization delivers nanochannels with unique ion transport-control attributes. Here, we characterize a pH-responsive, charge-selective dual-gating block copolymer (BCP) membrane composed of polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS48400-b-P4VP21300), capable of self-organizing into highly ordered nanocylindrical domains. Because the PS-b-P4VP membrane exhibits pH-dependent structural transitions, it is suitable for designing intelligent pH-gated biomimetic channels, for example, exhibiting on-off transport switching at pH values near the pKa of P4VP with excellent anion permselectivity at pH 102. In addition, BCP@NEAs exhibit extraordinary pH-gated ion selectivity, resulting in a 3380-fold current difference between anion and cation probes at pH 3.0. This hierarchically organized BCP-gated NEA system can serve as a template for the development of other stimulus-responsive ion gates, for example, those based on temperature and ligand gating, thus exploiting the intrinsic advantages of NEAs, such as enhanced sensitivity based on redox cycling, which may lead to technological applications such as engineered biosensors and iontronic devices.
Cost-effectiveness of implementing 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for U.S. adults aged 19 years and older with underlying conditions

In June 2019, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) changed the recommendation for routine 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) use in immunocompetent adults aged ≥65 ...
Information, Community, and Change: A Call for a Renewed Conversation About First Amendment Rationales

Information is a building block of reality. If we understand information in this way, the rationales we choose to safeguard the flow of information are a crucial concern. This essay contends that paradigmatic changes in the flow of information and resulting shifts in how citizens understand themselves and others in democratic society require a renewed discussion about how we interpret the First Amendment’s free-expression safeguards. This essay does not argue for specific changes, but instead seeks to catalyze a conversation about whether existing rationales for free expression, many of which were constructed upon widely questioned assumptions about society and the marketplace of ideas, are still the bedrock assumptions on which to construct a free society. In doing so, this essay explores three potential focus areas for such conversations: Change in community, technology, and self in the networked era; the marketplace and its assumptions; and the E.U.’s divergent understandings for free expression.
Causal reductionism and causal structures.

Causal reductionism is the widespread assumption that there is no room for additional causes once we have accounted for all elementary mechanisms within a system. Due to its intuitive appeal, causal reductionism is prevalent in neuroscience: once all neurons have been caused to fire or not to fire, it seems that causally there is nothing left to be accounted for. Here, we argue that these reductionist intuitions are based on an implicit, unexamined notion of causation that conflates causation with prediction. By means of a simple model organism, we demonstrate that causal reductionism cannot provide a complete and coherent account of ‘what caused what’. To that end, we outline an explicit, operational approach to analyzing causal structures. In this Perspective, Tononi and colleagues argue that while knowledge of elementary mechanisms is enough to predict everything about the dynamics of a system, only the analysis of causal structures can provide a coherent account of ‘what caused what’.
Much Ado about Sleep: Current Concepts on Mechanisms and Predisposition to Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a form of sleep-disordered breathing characterized by upper airway collapse during sleep resulting in recurring arousals and desaturations. However, many aspects of this syndrome in children remain unclear. Understanding underlying pathogenic mechanisms of OSA is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies. In this article, we review current concepts surrounding the mechanism, pathogenesis, and predisposing factors of pediatric OSA. Specifically, we discuss the biomechanical properties of the upper airway that contribute to its primary role in OSA pathogenesis and examine the anatomical and neuromuscular factors that predispose to upper airway narrowing and collapsibility.
The impact of device parameter variations on the frequency and performance of VLSI chips

The distance-correlated (continuous) within-die (WID) process variations of transistor parameters appears to be approximately scaling with process generations. Furthermore, shrinking clock cycles and the scaling of functional block dimensions in complex chips (e.g. CPUs), cause a shortening of interconnect distances. These effects mitigate correlated variations' impact on delay changes across a die. Temperature has a small effect, and supply distribution can be well-understood and designed. Furthermore, uncorrelated (random) variations (e.g. RDF, & LER) currently have a small impact on speed-setting paths, and even multiplying their effect (as processes shrink), would not make them very significant. Coupled with methods for estimating the shift in the maximum operating frequency (F/sub max/) of a die (due to variations), it is shown that variations will continue to have a small effect on product speeds through the mid-term future.
Transnational Legal Process

Transnational legal process provides the key to understanding the critical issue of compliance with international law. This chapter argues that transnational legal process has been the dominant mode of international legal scholarship for the last few decades. Transnational law transforms, mutates, and percolates up and down, from the public to the private, from the domestic to the international level and back down again. Participation in the transnational legal process helps constitute the identity of a state as one that obeys the law, but what is critical is the interaction, not the label that purports to identify a state as liberal or not. Transnational legal process forces states to become more law-abiding by incorporating international law into their domestic legal and political structures. A lens of transnational legal process calls upon lawyers to exercise all of their interdisciplinary tools, without asking them to forsake their traditional lawyerly skills.
Child development after pregnancies complicated by low urinary estriol excretion and pre-eclampsia

Abstract A study is reported of maternal estriol excretion and subsequent child development in 16 pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia. Eight mothers with pre-eclampsia had abnormally low estriol excretion patterns and 4 of their children were small for dates. On follow-up examination, 3 of these children had major problems in development or function: microcephaly, seizure disorder, and developmental retardation with hyperactivity. Neurological abnormalities on follow-up examination were confined to children whose mothers had chronically low rather than precipitately dropping estriol levels. Eight mothers had normal estriol excretion with toxemia, and all 8 children weighed more than 2,500 grams and were normal on follow-up. The data suggest that if infants are of appropriate gestational ages when precipitate drops in maternal estriol excretion occur the infants should be delivered immediately because they do well. However, infants delivered after chronically low maternal estriol values are frequently defective.
Identification of intrinsic ab-plane pinning in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ thin films and coated conductors

The angular-dependent critical current density J/sub c/ in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ films grown by pulsed laser deposition exhibit a sharp peak for magnetic field orientations near the ab plane, which arises from the combined effects of intrinsic pinning and extended defects parallel to the planes. An analysis of the temperature and field dependence of the height and width of this peak allows us to distinguish both contributions. We find that, in a film on single crystal substrate, the peak at low fields is due primarily to the extended defects, but at high fields it is dominated by intrinsic pinning. We compare these results with those of coated conductors with a larger density of ab-oriented correlated defects. We show a novel effect consisting in an inverse correlation between J/sub c/ and the power law exponent (N) of the I-V curves that only occurs in the intrinsic-pinning dominated regime, and we present an interpretation of its origin.
The Relationship Between Tolerance of Ambiguity and Stereotyping: Implications for BSW Education

Ambiguity tolerance and intolerance can influence one’s professional practice. The study of such influences remains sparse within the social work literature. Behaviors that reduce uncertainty, including categorizing or stereotyping, are used by those who feel discomfort in ambiguous situations. This study explores explore the relationship between Tolerance of Ambiguity and Acceptance of Stereotyping. Results of survey responses from 238 undergraduate students indicate that those less tolerant of ambiguity are more accepting of the use of stereotyping in everyday situations. Implications for social work education including the development of student self-awareness of discomfort in uncertainty, emergence of stereotyping behavior, and professional socialization of common attitudes toward and use of ambiguity in practice are discussed.
The antibody response to gram negative organisms: an explanation of the differences between bacterial and hemagglutinating antibody titers.

1. 0 antigens to one strain each of Klebsiella type 55-97, Paracolon 0, Group 3, and S. Choleraesuis produce antibodies in rabbits which can be measured by the following techniques: bacterial agglutination, indirect hemagglutination using red blood cells sensitized with bacterial suspension, bacterial polysaccharide or Seitz filtrate of broth culture of the bacteria, and the hemolytic modificaion of the hemagglutination test using bacterial suspension or polysaccharide sensitized red blood cells as antigen. 2. The highest absolute titers are recorded with bacterial suspension sensitized red blood cells in either the hemagglutination test or the hemolytic modification of this test. Titer differences between paired sera are measured as well by the bacterial agglutination test as by the indirect hemaglutination test. This is true for any of the three bacterial antigens studies. 3. Cross absorption tests with a Klebsiella antiserum and four forms of the homologous antigen indicate that the Klebsiella organism least two antigenic components giving rise to distinct antibodies. 4. Differences in titer between bacterial and hemagglutinating antibodies for Klebsiella are the result of the existence of two distinct antigenic components in the bacteria which are measured separately by each test.
RF MEMS phase shifters: design and applications

Recent results obtained with MEMS phase shifters demonstrate that their performance is much better than GaAs phase shifters using either standard (switched-line, reflect-line) or distributed designs. The reliability of MEMS phase shifters is worse than of single switches since they employ 8-16 MEMS switches and do not tolerate a failure in any of the switches. On the other hand, a large phased array will still function properly, albeit with a slightly decreased efficiency and higher sidelobes if 3-4% of the phase shifters fail. Currently, the failure mechanisms of MEMS switches are being investigated and will greatly benefit the reliability of MEMS phase shifters. Also, the hermetic packaging of MEMS phase shifters is not straightforward, due to their relatively large size. It is for these reasons that the authors believe that MEMS phase shifters will be mostly used in satellite and defense applications in the next five years.
Two separate Li+ ionic motions observed by 7Li and 11B NMR in xLi2S + (1 − x)B2S3 glassy fast ionic conductors

Abstract Studies of ion dynamics in the highly conductive glassy fast ionic conductor (FIC) xLi 2 S + (1 − x ) B 2 S 3 ( x = 0.65 and 0.70) were made with NMR nuclear spin lattice relaxation (NSLR) R 1 ( ω , T ) of both mobile 7 Li and immobile 11 B ions, and 7 Li NMR line narrowing δν ( T ). The possible dependence of ion dynamics on the short range order structures (SRO) and the distribution of activation energies (DAE) in this highly conductive FIC was investigated. Two Gaussian DAE were employed to fit 7 Li NSLR data, where each Gaussian DAE was correlated to a separate 11 B NSLR in a BS 3 and in a BS 4 group. The long range diffusion of Li ions among BS 3 groups and a seemingly localized ionic hopping motion around BS 4 group is suggested as a microscopic model for the ion dynamics in thioborate glasses, namely a ‘two channel relaxation’.
Modeling CO2 Chemical Effects on CO Formation in Oxy-Fuel Diffusion Flames Using Detailed, Quasi-Global, and Global Reaction Mechanisms

Interest in oxy-fuel combustion as one of the leading carbon capture technologies has grown significantly in the past two decades. Experimental studies have shown higher CO concentration in oxy-fuel diffusion flames than in traditional air-fuel flames of both gaseous and solid fuels. The higher CO concentration changes the flame profiles, and it may have impacts on pollutants formation. This article presents a numerical study regarding the chemical effects of CO2 on CO formation in the flame region, and their modeling approaches in CFD simulations. Equilibrium calculation confirms higher CO concentration associated with fuel-rich stoichiometry in CO2 diluted combustion environment. One-dimensional counter-flow diffusion flame simulation using detailed reaction mechanisms reveals that the reaction enhances CO formation in the presence of high CO2 concentration, leading to a significantly higher CO concentration under oxy-fuel combustion conditions. High CO2 concentration also impacts the reaction via OH ra...
High dependency care: impact of lack of facilities for high-risk surgical patients

The difference between the level of care available on general ward areas and intensive care units (ICUs) has resulted in the development of high dependency units (HDUs). This study examined the current perioperative management techniques and clinical care settings of high-risk surgical patients in a hospital without a HDU. A prospective audit of high-risk surgical patients was performed over an eight-week period. Using a pre-operative questionnaire, the anaesthetist categorised patient suitability for one of three post-operative care areas. In addition, desired and actual post-operative monitoring, pain management and organ support were indicated. Seven (25%) of 28 patients admitted to ICU were rated HDU suitable indicating inappropriate use of resources, while 27 (75%) of 36 patients admitted to the general ward were categorised as fulfilling HDU admission criteria. A total of 21/27 (78%) and 12/27 (44%) of this latter group had alteration of idealised post-operative pain management and haemodynamic invasive monitoring plans respectively. The absence of an intermediate care area facility in a tertiary hospital without an acute pain team impacts on the type of perioperative care provided to patients and the optimal use of resources.
Plasma lipids in fat deficiency.

SummaryThe composition of the plasma lipids of fat deficient rats had been compared with that of normal fed and fasted animals using a recently developed chromatographic method. Total plasma lipid was about 64% of normal but the percent distribution of the various classes at this lower level was not significantly different with the exception of phospholipid which was relatively higher.
Light-dependence of carbon and sulfur production by polar clones of the genus Phaeocystis

Blooms of the marine prymnesiophyte genus Phaeocystis link the oceanic and atmospheric compartments of the carbon and sulfur cycles. Modeling the fluxes of dimethylsulfide from the ocean to the atmosphere has been limited due to a lack of information on functional responses to environmental variables. In this study, the light-dependence of extracellular carbon production and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) production by non-axenic polar clones of Phaeocystis spp. was examined at different growth stages. Comparative experiments were run with non-axenic arctic clones of the diatoms Thalassiossira nordenskioeldii and Skeletonema costatum. A large portion of carbon incorporated by the colonial stage of Phaeocystis spp. is released extracellularly, in particular in stationary colonies. This extracellular production can be modeled as a function of irradiance, as for carbon incorporation. In Phaeocystis spp., cellular and extracellular carbon incorporation represent different uptake rates, indicating the formation of two distinct carbon pools. The release of extracellular carbon by polar Phaeocystis spp. was not a constant fraction of total production over the irradiance range used. We observed little extracellular carbon production by cells at high irradiance, and maximal rates were observed at intermediate irradiance. Newly incorporated carbon that accumulates in the mucilage of the colonial stage of antarctic Phaeocystis sp. during photosynthesis was not reutilized for cellular growth during the dark period, as observed for temperate clones. In contrast, only a minor fraction of the radiocarbon incorporated by the diatoms was released extracellularly for all growth stages. The production of DMS was an order of magnitude higher for Phaeocystis spp. than for diatoms. The chlorophyll-specific production of DMS and DMSP (dimethylsulphoniopropionate, the precursor to DMS) by Phaeocystis spp. showed a hyperbolic response to irradiance, while arctic diatoms (weak or non-producers of DMS), on the other hand, did not show any light-dependency of DMS production. An inverse relationship between DMS and DMSP production in stationary clones of arctic P. pouchetii was observed, but not for the exponentially growing antarctic clone. Stationary colonies also had higher DMS and dissolved DMSP production rates than exponentially growing ones. These relationships can be extrapolated to the field in areas where Phaeocystis spp. dominates.
The Hero as Traveler, The Traveler as Hero

This article uses an insight from the French scholar Michel de Certeau to the effect that all stories are travel stories involving spatial transference and the theories of the Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp, as elaborated in his classic work Morphology of the Folktale, to argue all heroes are travelers of one sort or another. It suggests, that in addition to the fact that all heroes are travelers, all travelers are—broadly speaking—heroes and heroines.
Effects of atmosphere in filament formation on a superplastically deformed aluminum–magnesium alloy

Filaments with diameters of the order of 1 μm were observed on fracture surfaces of a fine-grained aluminum–magnesium alloy following superplastic deformation in air. No filaments were observed on fracture surfaces of the same material after superplastic deformation at identical temperature and strain rate in vacuum. Filaments contain oxygen and more magnesium than does the as-received specimen surface. These data support the theory that filaments are formed on fracture surfaces by growth of magnesium-rich oxide.
Efficient simulation for positioning and utilizing of multiple cameras

Abstract This paper proposes the efficient camera placement method that considers spatial information and gives priorities of spaces in the viewpoint of people moving pattern. To efficiently cover realistic environments, camera performance and installation cost are included in our model. Simulation results show that the proposed placement method not only optimally determines the number of cameras but also coordinates the position and orientation of cameras in a utility-maximized way. Furthermore, this paper can provide a near optimal solution at a very low computational cost based on peak detection and Kullback–Leibler divergence concepts. The proposed method is evaluated and compared in terms of the computational cost and the coverage rate with the greedy approach.
Interface effects on the adhesion of thin aluminum films

Differences in the adhesion and fracture toughness of aluminum films on sapphire due to the presence of controlled contaminants are being investigated. Adhesion is evaluated by use of nanoindentation and continuous scratch tests. A comparison was made of the properties of textured thin films of aluminum (178 to 1890 nm) that were vapor deposited onto (0001) oriented sapphire substrates. A very thin (10 {angstrom}) layer of carbon was deposited at the interface of selected samples prior to the vapor deposition of the aluminum. Spalling was observed during continuous scratch testing in specimens with carbon at the interface but not in specimens without carbon at the interface.
Relating Glucosinolate Content and Flavor of Broccoli Cultivars

: Flavor and glucosinolate contents of multiple broccoli cultivars (Brassica oleracea var. italica) were compared to determine whether a relationship existed between sensory and chemical attributes. Glucosinolates have been associated with the anticarcinogenic activity and flavor of cruciferous vegetables. A trained sensory descriptive panel developed 19 descriptive terms for aroma and flavor attributes and evaluated 19 broccoli cultivars. All 19 genotypes were assayed for individual and total glucosinolate content by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography). Broccoli varieties differed significantly in their sensory and glucosinolate profiles. Using correlation and principal component analysis, we found little evidence that the glucosinolates were responsible for the distinctive flavor notes of broccoli.