cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Autoregressive Models to the Doppler Sonar Problem

The application of pth-order autoregressive time series analysis models to the estimation of the time (range)-evolving Doppler sonar reverberation power spectrum is reported. In the Doppler sonar problem, scatterers suspended neutrally buoyant in the water column are used as tracers for the remote sensing of water mass motion at successive range intervals from the transducer. With the aid of a reverberation model, it is shown that the spatial transfer function characteristics of a transducer have a significant influence on the time (range)-evolving shape of the reverberation power spectrum. Thus, it is suggested that the use of first-order models is inadequate for the purpose of Doppler shift estimation. The results of an exploratory analysis of pings from a 70-kHz Doppler sonar appear to confirm this caution.
Sex Differences in the Rat Cerebral Cortex

Sex differences are evident in the human cerebral cortex both in normal functioning and after damage (eg. Witelson, 1991), yet little is known about sex differences in the human cortex, especially at the cellular level. One approach to investigating sex differences in the cortex is to study sex differences in a simpler cortex - that of the rat. Even in the rat, the cortex is involved with diverse behaviors (Kolb and Tees, 1990). My students and I have been examining sex differences in the posterior (visual cortex) cortex of the hooded rat and the concomitant portion of the corpus callosum, the splenium (Figure la and b). An intricate series of differences are unfolding in these regions. There is also an added complication that the cerebral cortex is plastic in response to various environmental conditions. Thus the nature of sex differences can change depending on the environment to which rats have been exposed.
Data Management Plan for the Environmental Restoration Program

The purpose of this handbook is to assist environmental restoration (ER) projects in the preparation of a data management implementation plan (DMIP). The DMIP identifies and documents an ER project's requirements and responsibilities for the management, quality assurance, use, and archival of its environmental data. It is important that a project complete its DMIP in the early planning phase to ensure that the necessary and appropriate data management systems and personnel are in place before the project begins acquiring data. All ER projects that collect or use environmental data at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, the Oak Ridge K-25 Site, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, and surrounding onsite and offsite areas must prepare a DMIP. Project types that often collect environmental data include surveillance and maintenance, decontamination and decommissioning, remedial design/remedial action, and remedial investigation/feasibility studies. Even if a project does little environmental data management, a DMIP is required to document this fact.
IDENTIFIABILITY CONDITIONS IN A WELL-STIRRED COMPARTMENT WITH VARIABLE FLOW

This study examines the possibility of estimating blood flow in the medullary chemoreceptors by observing changes in ventilation due to step changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension. A model is proposed which consists of two well-stirred compartments; the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in one compartment controls the blood flow in the second compartment. It is found that the resting flow, the increase in flow with pCO2 and the time constant of the flow-controlling compartment cannot be independently estimated by observing the output of the flow-controlled compartment.
Analysis of feeder cattle-corn-fed cattle market arbitrage profit opportunities and pricing strategy alternatives

The financial risks associated with cattle feeding have increased substantially in recent years. Returns have been highly volatile and frequently low. Cattle feeders have available a number of marketing alternatives which they can use to help reduce price risks for major inputs such as corn and feeder cattle and for the final production of fed cattle. These alternatives include futures markets for these 3 commodities as well as options markets for corn and fed cattle. However, with the numerous marketing alternatives available to the producer the marketing decision can be complex. One tool that can aid the producer in making marketing decisions is price forecasts;Monthly price forecasts were developed for corn, feeder cattle, and fed cattle using several different techniques including: econometric models, ARIMA models, naive forecasts, expert opinion, and composites of these. These forecasts were analyzed both statistically for their accuracy and economically for their ability to signal market transactions that would reduce the risks and increase the profitability associated with cattle feeding. Hedging strategies for corn, feeder cattle, and fed cattle and options strategies for fed cattle were simulated over the July 1978 through 1985 period. The results of a mean-variance analysis indicated that forecast-signaled corn and feeder cattle hedges were able to increase profitability though not decrease variability of returns. Fed cattle forecast-signaled hedging strategies when combined with the feeder cattle and corn hedges resulted in both increased average returns and decreased variability. However, simple profit margin signaled hedges for fed cattle performed slightly better than the forecast-signaled hedges.
Outcomes of a Negative Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Test in Pregnant Women

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the negative predictive value (NPV) of a rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in pregnant women. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of pregnant women with a negative RIDT followed by confirmatory PCR for influenza A, H1N1, and B during the influenza seasons from 2012 to 2015. Results The NPV of the RIDT was 85.4% (211 of 247), 93.5% (231 of 247), and 97.9% (242 of 247) for influenza A, H1N1, and B, respectively. Antiviral treatment was administered to 47.2% (17 of 36) of women with a false-negative RIDT for influenza A compared with 9.0% (19 of 211) of women with a true-negative RIDT (p Conclusion Up to 14.5% of women with a negative RIDT in pregnancy had positive influenza A by PCR of whom more than half did not receive antiviral treatment.
Endoscopic techniques for full thickness intestinal biopsy.

Purpose of review Accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal neuromuscular diseases requires full thickness biopsy for adequate histologic evaluation of the enteric neuromuscular and ancillary cells. Historically, this has been achieved by surgical approaches. An overview of procedure evolution and current techniques of endoscopic full thickness biopsy (EFTB) for diagnosis of gastrointestinal neuromuscular disorders will be presented. Recent findings Emergence and advancement of endoscopic full thickness resection techniques has offered a less invasive, nevertheless an effective modality of tissue acquirement. Recently, clip-assisted close-then-cut EFTB has been utilized in clinical practice under research protocol. Early experience has shown that this technique provides an adequate full-thickness specimen including the myenteric plexus and ganglia cells, with acceptable safety profiles. Summary EFTB is a promising means in diagnosing the nature of the disease and guiding therapy. Available animal and human studies have shown the noninferiority of endoscopic methods to surgical ones in term of adequacy of tissue samples, while potentially decreasing the risk and occurrence of complications. Further large prospective studies are needed to assess its efficacy, safety and impacts on patient's outcomes.
Application-Adaptable Chipless RFID Tag

Chipless RFID has gained prominence due to its application versatility and cost and complexity advantages over traditional RFID. However, chipless RFID tags are typically designed for a specific application instead of being deployable for a multitude of applications. In this paper, a new approach to adaptable chipless RFID tag is proposed that can be optimized for a variety of applications, including materials characterization with tags as embedded sensors. Additionally, the designed approach renders tags that can be interrogated with a linearly polarized probe and achieves bit densities up to 27.57 bits/cm 2,
The authority of God and the meaning of the atonement

Substitution and satisfaction theories of the atonement connect suffering or punishment to the possibility of forgiveness. I argue that even the most sophisticated versions of these theories cannot explain why the atonement was necessary. Instead, I suggest that the meaning of the atonement is in establishing the authority of God. God's authority, on this view, is analogous to the authority of a parent or friend. Christ's experience changed God to make him more like his children, and thereby to share a relationship of authority with them. On this proposal, the atonement is an act of divine humility.
CAvSAT: A System for Query Answering over Inconsistent Databases

Managing inconsistencies in databases is an old, but recurring, problem. An inconsistent database is a database that violates one or more integrity constraints. In the real-world, inconsistent databases arise in several different contexts, including data warehousing and information integration. The framework of database repairs and consistent query answering (CQA) is a principled way of handling inconsistencies. In this work, we propose a novel approach that has a potential to build a comprehensive and scalable CQA system. We report preliminary experimental results on a prototype CQA system CAvSAT (Consistent Answering via Satisfiability), implemented using this approach.
Giving Birth to Meaning: Understanding Parenthood Through the Psychology of Meaning in Life

In a long list of qualities that make us “uniquely human,” our capacity and urge to seek after an ultimate, abstract meaning for our lives surely must take a position near the top. Perhaps another entry might be our propensity to look for resources to help us understand our role as parent, learn how to be better at performing this role, and purchase books and gadgets that promise to make it all easier. Although there are large scholarly literatures on both meaning in life and on parenthood, there are surprisingly few entries that address both. We review this niche of literature and argue that viewing parenthood as an existential matter may yield new insights into the profound impact of parenting—or trying to become a parent—has in people’s lives. We present examples of a variety of parenthood domains and tasks conceptualized through a meaning in life lens and identify some of the difficulties people may encounter along the path of parenthood. We elucidate how the challenges and successes inherent in parenting experiences might contribute to or detract from the meaning people derive from parenting in addition to ways in which parenting may add to people’s overall sense of their lives as meaningful.
Chemisorption Can Reverse Defect-Defect Interaction on Heterogeneous Catalyst Surfaces.

Atomic-level understanding of roles of defect–defect interaction in the bonding of adsorbates on surfaces is critical for tailoring catalysts atom-by-atom and designing new catalysts. Here, from first-principles calculations, we propose a microscopic mechanism for the role of sulfur vacancy–vacancy interaction in hydrogen bonding on surfaces of MoS2, a nonprecious two-dimensional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction. We find that before hydrogen adsorption the interaction of a sulfur vacancy with others is repulsive, originating from the antibonding-like coupling of occupied in-gap vacancy states. When the sulfur vacancy is adsorbed by a hydrogen atom, its interaction with other unadsorbed sulfur vacancies becomes attractive, which can be attributed to the decoupling of repulsive vacancy–vacancy interactions and the occupying of bonding-like coupling states between the in-gap vacancy states that are unoccupied before hydrogen adsorption. This repulsive-to-attractive reverse of vacancy–vacancy interact...
3-Carb­oxy-2-(2,6-dimethyl­phenyl­amino)pyridinium trifluoro­acetate

In the title compound, C14H15N2O2+·C2F3O2−, the two aromatic rings of the cation are almost perpendicular to each other. The cations and anions are connected through hydrogen bonds into a one-dimensional network. There is an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond between the secondary amine group and the carboxylic acid group.
Compost and soil moisture effects on seasonal carbon and nitrogen dynamics, greenhouse gas fluxes and global warming potential of semi-arid soils

An 8-week incubation study was conducted to monitor soil inorganic nitrogen (N), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), greenhouse gases (GHG) [CO2, N2O and CH4] and cumulative global warming potential (GWP) in dryland soil. Soil was amended with variable rates of compost (zero, 15, 30 and 45 dry Mg ha−1) and soil moistures [5% (dry), 7% (normal) and 14% (wet) water filled pore space (WFPS)] and experienced biweekly temperature transitions from 5 °C (late winter) to 10 °C (early spring) to 15 °C (late spring) to 25 °C (early summer). The addition of 30 and 45 Mg ha−1 compost enhanced N mineralization with 13% more soil inorganic N (7.49 and 7.72 µg Ng−1 day−1, respectively) during early summer compared with lower compost rates. Normal and wet soils had 35% more DOC in the late spring (an average of 34 µg g−1 day−1) compared to the dry WFPS, but transitioning from late spring to early summer, DOC at all soil WFPS levels increased. Highest rates of compost were not significant sources of GHG with normal soil WFPS, compared with lower compost rates. Carbon dioxide emissions increased by 59 and 15%, respectively, as soil WFPS increased from dry to normal and normal to wet. Soils with normal WFPS were the most effective CH4 sink. One-time application of high compost rates to dryland soils leads to enhanced N and C mineralization under normal soil moisture and warmer temperature of the summer but will not pose significant global warming dangers to the environment through GHG emissions since soils are rarely wet.
Using captivate movies to enhance student skills with professional tools

Student use of professional tools in applied computer science courses can be a two edged sword. Potential productivity gains can be significantly offset by equally substantial learning curves. Some tools merely document features. While other tools may provide extensive documentation and examples, initial student exposure to the wealth of information can be daunting. Instructor demonstrations and directed laboratories are two means of jump-starting the learning process. This tutorial demonstrates how Captivate, an inexpensive screen capture program, can be used to create movies designed to teach students how to productively use new, complex tools. Participants will have the opportunity to create their own Captivate movie.
Phase-Field Modeling of Individual and Collective Cell Migration

Cell motion is crucial in human health and development. Cells may migrate individually or in highly coordinated groups. Cell motion results from complex intra- and extra-cellular mechanochemical interactions. Computational models have become a powerful tool to shed light on the mechanisms that regulate cell migration. The phase-field method is an emerging modeling technique that permits a simple and direct formulation of the moving cell problem and the interaction between the cell and its environment. This paper intends to be a comprehensive review of phase-field models of individual and collective cell migration. We describe a numerical implementation, based on isogeometric analysis, which successfully deals with the challenges associated with phase-field problems. We present numerical simulations that illustrate the unique capabilities of the phase-field approach for cell migration. In particular, we show 2D and 3D simulations of individual cell migration in confined and fibrous environments that highlight the mechanochemical interplay between the cell and the extracellular environment. We also show 2D simulations of cell co-attraction in non-confluent multicellular systems, in which the use of the phase-field method is crucial to capture the dynamics of the multicellular system.
Understanding the effects of radiative preheat and self-emission from shock heating on equation of state measurement at 100s of Mbar using spherically converging shock waves in a NIF hohlraum

Over the last six years many experiments have been done at the National Ignition Facility to measure the Hugoniot of materials, such as CH plastic at extreme pressures, up to 800 Mbar. The “Gbar” design employs a strong spherically converging shock launched through a solid ball of material using a hohlraum radiation drive. The shock front conditions are characterized using x-ray radiography. In this paper we examine the role of radiation in heating the unshocked material in front of the shock to understand the impact it has on equation of state measurements and how it drives the measured data off the theoretical Hugoniot curve. In particular, the two main sources of radiation heating are the preheating of the unshocked material by the high-energy kilo-electron-volt x-rays in the hohlraum and the heating of the material in front of the shock, as the shocked material becomes hot enough to radiate significantly. Using our model, we estimate that preheating can reach 4 eV in unshocked material, and that radiation heating can begin to drive data off the Hugoniot significantly, as pressures reach above 400 Mb.
PI-RADS score is associated with biochemical control and distant metastasis in men with intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer treated with radiation therapy.

Abstract Background Novel methods of risk stratification are needed for men with prostate cancer. The Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) uses multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) to assign a score indicating the likelihood of clinically significant prostate cancer. We evaluated pretreatment mpMRI findings, including PI-RADS score, as a marker for outcome in patients treated with primary radiation therapy (RT). Methods One hundred and twenty-three men, 64% and 36% of whom had National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) intermediate-risk and high-risk disease, respectively, underwent mpMRI prior to RT. PI-RADS score and size of the largest nodule were analyzed with respect to freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) and freedom from distant metastasis. Results A PI-RADS score of ≤3, 4, or 5 was defined in 7%, 49%, and 44%; with a median nodule size of 0, 8, and 18 mm, respectively (P Conclusion mpMRI findings, including PI-RADS score and nodule size, may improve risk stratification in men treated with primary RT
Combined Effect of Rainfall and Shear Strength on the Stability of Highway Embankments Made of Yazoo Clay in Mississippi

Shallow slope failure repeatedly occurs in many highway slopes in Mississippi due to the abundance of expansive Yazoo Clay. The highly plastic clay soil undergoes repetitive wet–dry cycles, which reduces the shear strength to fully soften state. The current study focused on the progressive change in shear strength and the safety factor of slopes constructed out of Yazoo Clay. Undisturbed and remolded specimens were used to determine the peak, fully softened and residual shear strength, with effective normal stresses of 25, 50, and 100 kPa. The variations in shear strength were investigated with the 2D slope stability analysis software, which uses the Finite Element Method, Plaxis 2D. A highway slope in Jackson, MS was considered as the reference slope. Different rainfall volumes, 70.8 mm (2.78 in.) to 312.4 mm (12.29 in.), with a rainfall duration (30 min–7 days) based on 100-year return periods of Jackson, MS were utilized. Furthermore, three slope ratios 2H:1V, 3H:1V and, 4H:1V were selected for this study. The safety factor of the slope was determined based on peak shear strength soil test data. Later, the topsoil layer, which gets weathered within the active zone due to the repeated wet–dry cycle, was varied to fully softened and residual shear strengths. The slope stability analysis results showed that the safety factor reduces progressively from peak to residual shear strength. In addition, the factor of safety was critical when the soil reached its fully softened shear strength for 2H:1V and 3H:1V slopes with progressive rainfall. On the other hand, the 4H:1V slope reached failure at the residual phase with the presence of rainfall.
Price Gouging In A Hurricane: Do Free Market Forces Circumvent Price Controls?

This study analyzes gasoline prices in Florida and Georgia before and after Hurricane Irma, a major weather event that affected both states in 2017. The analysis reveals that gasoline prices in both states increased and stabilized well in advance of state of emergency declarations that triggered the states’ price gouging laws. Price gouging laws thus appear to be inconsequential. Free market forces determine prices unhindered by government price controls during hurricane emergencies.
Development and characteristics of a multidisciplinary colorectal cancer clinic.

Abstract Background Multidisciplinary cancer clinics deliver streamlined care and facilitate collaboration between specialties. We described patient volume and specialty service utilization, including surgery, of a multidisciplinary colorectal cancer clinic established at a tertiary care academic institution. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of adult patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma from 2012 to 2017. We performed a descriptive analysis of patient volume, percentage of rectal cancer patients, and the number of patients who saw and received surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation each year. Results Over 5 years, 1711 patients were served at the multidisciplinary clinic. Patient volume increased 37%, from n = 228 (annualized) to n = 312. The percentage of rectal cancer patients increased from 29% in 2013 to 42% in 2017. The highest rate of utilization was for surgery; 792 (46%) patients had surgery at the multidisciplinary clinic institution, and 510 (30%) received chemotherapy there. Out of 635 rectal cancer patients, 114 (18%) received radiation there. Conclusions Over the five-year experience of a colorectal cancer-focused multidisciplinary clinic, overall patient volume increased by 37%. Over the study period, 63% of patients seen at the multidisciplinary clinic ultimately received at least one treatment modality at the clinic institution. Overall, the clinic’s establishment resulted in the increased referral of complex patients.
Hybrid dust-tracking method for modeling Io's Tvashtar volcanic plume

Abstract A novel computational technique was used to simulate eruptions from Io's Tvashtar Catena region to better understand the origin of the visible structure of the gas/particulate plumes observed by the New Horizons spacecraft in its 2007 flyby of the Jovian system. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method was used to produce number density, temperature, and velocity fields for SO2 gas erupting from rectangular vents of aspect ratio 1:1, 3:1, 10:1, and 15:1. Simulations of eruptions of visible particles entrained in the gas were subsequently conducted in a separate MATLAB simulation by injecting particles at the vent and propagating them through the plume by interpolating the gas velocity fields. The temperature and number density fields were used to implement a particle growth model in which the grains grow/shrink via condensation/sublimation. With these simulations, we investigated the plume's lack of a prominent spout, how particulate structures in the vent are transformed as they move through the plume and how this could produce filamentary structure, and the origin of the traveling canopy wave observed in some of the images. Simulations showed that the presence of an observable spout in a given plume image can depend on several factors including vent aspect ratio, observer vantage point, particulate size, and eruption frequency. Several possible explanations for the lack of an observable spout in the Tvashtar images were explored, and the most plausible is that the particles are pulsed from the vent infrequently rather than being emitted in a continuous spray. The transformation of particulate structures in the vent as they travel through the plume depends primarily on vent aspect ratio and the structure's region of origin in the vent. Simulations showed that the continuous emission of particles from concentrated regions in the vent can produce filamentary structures similar to those seen in Tvashtar images, but the appearance of such structures is highly dependent on the observer's vantage point. The traveling canopy wave was replicated in simulations, to varying degrees, with two different mass flux functions: a traveling wave in the vent and the pulsing of particles out of thin cracks parallel to the vent's long axis. With a pulsing frequency of 10–15 min, the latter mass flux function was able to replicate, in a broad sense, much of the plume's interesting structure including the filaments, the traveling canopy wave, and the lack of an observable spout.
It’s Time to Retire The 'Guns Don’t Kill People — People Kill People' Argument. Guns Do Kill People.

The “guns don’t kill people” argument is flawed because it sidesteps the debate. The issue is not whether guns can spontaneously kill people on their own. The issue involves how incredibly easy a modern weapon makes killing. Both anecdotes and statistics help illustrate this point.
TGFβ signaling modifies hematopoietic acute inflammatory response to drive bone marrow failure.

Bone marrow failure syndromes (BMF) are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis due to impaired fitness of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). BMFs can be acquired during bone marrow stress or innate are associated with driver genetic mutations. BMFs are at higher risks of developing secondary neoplasms, including myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemia. Despite the identification of genetic driver mutations, the hematopoietic presentation of the disease is quite heterogeneous raising the possibility that non-genetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. The role of inflammation has emerged as an important contributing factors, but remain to be understood in detail. In this study, we examined the effect of increased TGFβ signaling in combination or not with an acute innate immune challenge using polyinosinc:polycytidilic acid (pIC) on the hematopoietic system without genetic mutations. We show that acute rounds of pIC alone drive a benign age-related myeloid cell expansion, increased TGFβ signaling alone causes a modest anemia on old mice. In sharp contrast, increased TGFβ signaling plus acute pIC challenge result in chronic pancytopenia, expanded hematopoietic stem and progenitor pools, and increased bone marrow dysplasia 3-4 months after stress, phenotypes similar to human bone marrow failure syndromes. Mechanistically, this disease phenotype is uniquely associated with increased mitochondrial content, increased reactive oxygen species and enhanced caspase-1 activity. Our results suggest that chronic increased TGFβ signaling modifies the memory of an acute immune response to drive bone marrow failure without the need for pre-existing genetic insult. Hence, non-genetic factors in combination are sufficient to drive bone marrow failure.
Envoi II: Photo Poem

Cranes, stones, and pallets; hand, tool, and stone dust. As we have worked at this book, I have learned a little about carving stones from Batya's stories. There is a kinship between carving stone and value sensitive design: look for the details and the outline, look for the stopping point and the next way forward, look for the interaction between hand and tool and materials, look for process and outcome, look for the changing points of view.
Randomness: Developing an Understanding of Mathematical Order

The three activities described show how order can be found in seemly random activities. The author has found that by using these activities on randomness, his students have developed a greater understanding of mathematical pattern and sequence. The teaching mathematical concepts in this way, engages and reinforces learning. It puts the ideas learnt into a setting and allows time for those ideas to be developed without any of the maths hang-ups which can sometimes occur in the classroom. By taking the maths beyond the classroom, we can more clearly illustrate the connections between the real world and what they are studying in school. In so doing students and teachers alike are enthused by the wealth of resources they have all around them in their own environments.
Scattering of neutrons by α-particles

Abstract The differential cross section for the scattering of neutrons by α-particles has been measured at neutron energies between 6 and 30 MeV. In the neighbourhood of the resonance at 22.16 MeV neutron energy, measurements were performed at closely spaced neutron energies. The present data as well as earlier measuremnts of elastic scattering and total cross sections, and previous polarization measurements were fitted with phase shifts which are based largely on the p-α phase shifts of Weitkamp and Haeberli. Satisfactory fits were obtained for neutron energies up to 30 MeV, including the region of the 22.16 MeV resonance. The analysing power of helium deduced from these phase shifts is presented in the form of a contour plot.
Managing livestock grazing for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on winter range in the Great Basin.

History and technical literature describing potential effects of livestock grazing on mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus ) populations and winter range habitat are reviewed. Recommendations for livestock grazing on winter ranges within the Great Basin are advanced.
DEMYSTIFYING THE DETERMINATION OF FOREIGN LAW IN U.S. COURTS: OPENING THE DOOR TO A GREATER GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING

With globalization and the proliferation of international commercial interaction, U.S. courts commonly encounter issues governed by the laws of other sovereigns. These encounters arise by virtue of private agreements or choice-of-law rules covering contractual relationships, cross-border conduct, tortuous acts, employment matters, intellectual property rights, and various other legal foundations. Because the substantive law applied in an international lawsuit can be outcome-determinative, it is important to accurately ascertain and determine the relevant law. In fact, the proper functioning of private international law in a domestic system is based on the appropriate application of law.U.S. federal and state courts are presumed competent to apply foreign law. They also have a broad range of tools available to determine, interpret, and apply it. However, many courts hesitate to delve into territory comprised of unfamiliar legal rules and norms. Because most U.S. judges have neither intensively studied nor practiced foreign law, many fear that cases involving foreign law are extraordinarily difficult and time consuming. Other courts dread situations in which the litigants, their expert witnesses, and available legal materials paint conflicting pictures of the relevant foreign law. As such, judges may tend to shy away from foreign law issues or even look for ways to dismiss claims involving foreign law. In many instances, such fears are overblown and the resulting dismissals are unjustified.To overcome ongoing hesitation and concerns, it is time for U.S. court systems to explore more efficient, effective, and precise ways of determining and applying foreign law. U.S. courts need to more openly embrace the application of foreign law as global commerce and interaction depend upon a stable, predictable, and fair system of dispute resolution. This article examines the tools currently available to U.S. courts to determine foreign law, and suggests how to better utilize such tools. It also advocates that U.S. court systems should seriously consider adopting certain innovative techniques to ensure the fair, objective, and expert application of foreign law. Such techniques include the formation of formal or informal judicial exchange agreements that enable U.S. courts to directly solicit the assistance of foreign courts and governments when addressing disputed issues or unsettled questions of foreign law. Enhanced and innovative techniques can not only help U.S. courts streamline the process of determining foreign law, but can also help increase accuracy when doing so.
Living with Tied Priority

This article analyzes a recent California appellate decision holding that two lenders had equal priority because their mortgages were deemed received by the county recorder’s office at the same time when the overnight mail was opened.
Exploring the Bidirectionality of Emotion Understanding and Classroom Behavior with Spanish- and English-speaking Preschoolers Attending Head Start

The present study investigated time-dependent relationships between emotion understanding and the behavioral adjustment of preschoolers over a single school year using a latent variable structural equation modeling framework. Teacher reports of child behavior (hyperactivity, emotion symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, and prosocial behavior) and performance assessments of emotion understanding were obtained twice at a 6-month interval for a sample of 281 preschoolers (159 boys and 122 girls, with mean age = 52.40 months) from English- (N = 158) and Spanish-speaking (N = 123) backgrounds. Emotion understanding and behavior were stable over time, and cross-sectional associations between them were in expected directions. Cross-lagged paths revealed that the behavior variables significantly associated with emotion understanding across time were hyperactivity, emotion symptoms, and peer problems, and that behavior variables were generally better predictors of emotion understanding than vice versa. Differences across gender and language groups suggest a stronger and more complex bidirectional relationship between emotion understanding and behavior for girls and for Spanish-speaking children compared wth boys and English-speaking children. Results are discussed with respect to the value of exploring cross-lagged relationships and the potential importance of gender and culture as determinants of those relationships.
Remarks on pitch in Skidegate Haida

L'A. propose quelques remarques critiques concernant l'article de Hirofumi Hori Pitch assignment rules in Skidegate Haida (1996). Il montre que, outre des erreurs de transcription particulierement penibles, la faute la plus importante commise dans cet article est la confusion d'une propriete syllabique abstraite (la hauteur ou mieux, le ton) avec une propriete intonative et phonetique (la realisation du ton)
Spectroscopy with Highly Coherent Radiation

Abstract The origins and history of Spectroscopy with coherent radiation is reviewed from the earliest molecular beam magnetic resonance experiments up to the development of the laser.
Experimental and theoretical studies of pulsating turbulent flow

The objective of this investigation was to study the effects of small amplitude sinusoidal pulsations on fully developed turbulent flow in a tube from both experimental and theoretical viewpoints. Theoretical models for the macroscopic behavior of pulsating turbulent tube flow were developed for the two cases of very low and very high pulsation frequencies. The models are based on assumptions of quasi-steady and frozen eddy viscosity flow behavior, respectively. The models successfully predict unsteady velocity profiles, thereby supporting the currently proposed definitions of frequency regimes in pulsating turbulent flow. Experimental measurements were made of the time-dependent pressure drop and velocity profiles over the range of frequency-to-Reynolds number ratios from 0.0095 to 0.24. The two macroscopic models developed in this study predict unsteady velocity profiles which are in moderately good agreement with the experiments in their respective frequency regimes, and a previously developed quasi-steady model is found to predict experimental velocity profiles well in both the quasisteady and the frozen eddy viscosity frequency regimes. The effect of flow pulsations on the dissipation of turbulence energy in the vicinity of the wall was measured in the lower transition frequency regime. The long-time averaged dissipation was observed to be unchanged from the steady flow dissipation, within the accuracy of the experiment. A theoretical model of the periodic viscous sublayer was also developed and applied to pulsating flow in a tube, in order to investigate the effects of flow pulsations on the rate of production of turbulence in the region of the wall. The periodic viscous sublayer model predicts sublayer growth periods in steady flow which agree with the published experimental data. When the model is applied to pulsating flow, the response of the sublayer growth period falls into three frequency regimes, the parameters of which are in approximate agreement with the frequency regimes which are defined on the basis of macroscopic flow behavior. The sublayer renewal cycle exhibits quasi-steady flow behavior when the sublayer growth period is much less than the pulsation period, transition behavior when these two periods are approximately equal, and frozen eddy viscosity behavior when the sublayer period is much longer than the pulsation period. The effect of the sublayer growth and renewal cycle on the level of turbulence was investigated by two methods. The velocity fluctuations seen by a point velocity probe located close to the wall were predicted from the model in one method and the rate of turbulence production was estimated from the frequency of sublayer renewal events in the other.
Which lives and why.

Book reviewed in this article: Morality, Mortality: Death and Whom to Save from It. By Frances Kamm.
Disability insurance risks: The Argentinian case: Disability insurance risks in Argentina

This article analyses the risk of disability facing workers who contribute to the Argentinian Integrated Social Security System (Sistema Integrado Previsional Argentino— SIPA). Using administrative records as our source of data for the period 2000-2006, the results indicate that 1.46 workers per 1,000 became disabled annually during that period. The risk of disability rates were higher for men than for women, but increased with age for both sexes. The risk of disability rates have also been broken down by pathology and social security scheme, taking the effects of age and sex into account. To conclude, international comparisons are presented.
Florence Rena Sabin (1871-1953), William Osler (1849-1919) and tuberculosis.

Florence Rena Sabin received her MD from the Johns Hopkins University in 1900. She was one of the first women to become a medical intern at Johns Hopkins and worked for the year of her internship (1900–01) under William Osler. At Johns Hopkins from y>1902 to 1925, Sabin studied embryology and histology with mentor Franklin Mall. She became the first woman professor of histology at an American school. Recruited to the Rockefeller Institute (1925), she focused on tuberculosis immunology, tubercle-bacillus biochemistry and haematology. She was the first woman department head at the Rockefeller and, in 1925, the first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Settling in Colorado in 1938, she entered public health, emphasizing tuberculosis control. She received the Trudeau Award in 1945 and the Lasker Award in 1951. Her experience with tuberculosis under Osler's tutelage defined the shape of her work in basic tuberculosis research and in public health.
Surgical treatment of high-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of anal squamous intraepithelial lesions is high among human immunodeficiency virus-positive homosexual males and, to a lesser extent, among human immunodeficiency virus-negative homosexual males. Furthermore, the incidence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, the putative precursor lesion to invasive cancer, is also high. We report the first prospective study of high-resolution anoscopy-directed surgical treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. METHODS: A prospective study of patients undergoing surgical treatment of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (excision/cauterization of lesions visualized with high-resolution anoscopy) was performed. Follow-up anoscopy with biopsy and Papanicolaou smear was performed every three to six months. RESULTS: Patients diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions during the course of their participation in a prospective cohort study of anal squamous intraepithelial lesions were identified. From this group, 37 patients who were treated surgically between 1995 and 1999 were studied. Of these, 29 had tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus and 8 were negative for the virus. Mean patient age was 45 ± 8 years. Mean duration of follow-up was 32.3 ± 20.6 months in the human immunodeficiency virus-negative group and 28.6 ± 12.9 months in the human immunodeficiency virus-positive group. No human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient developed recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Twenty-three of 29 human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients had persistent or recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (P = 0.003; mean time to recurrence, 12 months). Six patients underwent reoperation for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (4 recurred by 6 months). No patients developed incontinence, stenosis, postoperative infection, or significant bleeding after surgical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical intervention directed by high-resolution anoscopy is safe and eliminates high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients. The high persistence or recurrence rate in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients suggests that multiple staged procedures and continued surveillance may be necessary.
Diffractive doublet corrected on-axis at two wavelengths

Purely diffractive doublets are corrected on-axis at two wavelengths. The doublets are then optimized with respect to their design parameters to achieve wideband imaging on-axis. Completed extensions to this design are also described. 2.
Characterization and 2D self-assembly of CdSe quantum dots at the air-water interface.

Langmuir film properties, UV−vis spectroscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to study CdSe quantum dots (QDs) in 2D. By combining these results, it was possible to determine the molar absorptivity, limiting nanoparticle area, luminescence property, and arrangement of the QDs in the monolayer films at the air−water interface. Either trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) or 1-octadecanethiol (ODT) stabilized the QDs. The data collected reveal that TOPO forms close-packed monolayers on the surface of the QDs and that ODT-stabilized QDs undergo alkyl chains interdigitation. It was also found that varying the nanoparticle size, nature of surfactant, surface pressure, and mixed monolayers could help engineer the 2D self-assembly of the QDs at the air−water interface. Of practical importance is the transfer of these monolayer films onto hydrophilic or hydrophobic solid substrates, which could be successfully accomplished via the Langmuir−Blodgett film deposition technique.
Using clay to control harmful algal blooms: deposition and resuspension of clay/algal flocs

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V, 2005. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Harmful Algae 4 (2005): 123-138, doi:10.1016/j.hal.2003.12.008.
A safety critical network for distributed smart traffic signals

Distributed control can improve and expand the current methods of intersection management by using a different infrastructure, having sensors to provide detection of pedestrians and vehicles and using a smart control process that can use this information. Since January 2006, researchers at the University of Idaho's National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT) have investigated methods of applying network-based distributed control in the operation of traffic signal lights. Public safety is a top priority and it is necessary to ensure safe and reliable operation of the control system for industry and public acceptance. In this paper, we describe a current traffic controller system and then discuss the hardware and software architecture for implementing a safety critical network using a time-triggered protocol for distributed smart traffic signals.
The Mechanism of Epipodophyllotoxin-Induced Thymocyte Apoptosis: Possible Role of a Novel Ca2+-Independent Protein Kinase

Abstract The epipodophyllotoxins, etoposide (VP-16) and teniposide (VM-26), inhibit topoisomerase II activity by stabilization of the cleavable complex between the enzyme and DNA and formation of protein-bound double-stranded DNA breaks. While it is thought that these agents are cytotoxic by preventing cells from completing the S phase or undergoing mitosis, recent evidence suggests that these agents are also potent inducers of programmed cell death or apoptosis in both normal and malignant cells. We have examined the intracellular pathway leading to epipodophyllotoxin-induced apoptosis in normal mouse thymocytes. Epipodophyllotoxin-induced apoptosis may proceed via a mechanism that is independent of inhibition of topoisomerase activity per se because novobiocin and coumermycin, which inhibit the ATPase subunit of topoisomerase II, were relatively inefficient inducers of apoptosis in these cells, under conditions where strong apoptosis by the epipodophyllotoxins and dexamethasone could be observed. In addition, camptothecin, which inhibits topoisomerase 1 by stabilization of the cleavable complex between that enzyme and DNA, was also a poor inducer of apoptosis in these cells. Our data suggest that epipodophyllotoxin-induced mouse thymocyte apoptosis, like that induced by dexamethasone, proceeds via a mechanism that involves protein kinase C (PKC) or a similar enzyme. Apoptosis induced by VM-26 or by dexamethasone was inhibited by 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine dihydrochloride (H7), an inhibitor of both PKC and cAMP-dependent protein kinases, but was relatively unaffected by N -(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (HA1004), a more specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinases. A more specific inhibitor of PKC, sangivamycin, also inhibited both VM-26-induced and dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. Both VM-26- and dexamethasone-induced apoptosis were unaffected by EGTA, a calcium (Ca 2+ ) chelator, under conditions that inhibited apoptosis induced by the Ca 2+ ionophore A23187. Moreover, while strong increases in intracellular Ca 2+ were observed in thymocytes treated with A23187, we failed to detect increases in intracellular Ca 2+ in cells induced to apoptose with either VM-26 or dexamethasone within the first 2 hr of culture. These results suggest that in mouse thymocytes there are at least two intracellular pathways leading to apoptosis: one, utilized by glucocorticoid and the epipodophyllotoxins, that proceeds in the absence of detectable increases in intracellular Ca 2+ and possibly requires a novel Ca 2+ -independent PKC-like enzyme and another, utilized by Ca 2+ ionophores, that is at least partially dependent on increased intracellular Ca 2+ .