cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving rule of law and administration of justice through alternative dispute resolution in the Middle East and North Africa: Case study of Qatar

This research project explores the implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) programs within the broader rule of law program context. A case study is presented using field research and primary sources of one well-developed ADR country, Qatar. In particular, Qatar showcases how arbitration and mediation are being used as positive means of resolving legal disputes and working towards better administration of justice. ADR has been introduced as a method that offers newly-developed mechanisms and alternatives that greatly assist judges, barristers and legal experts in expediting legal cases, finding creative legal ways to solve court issues and facilitate the unclogging of institutional bottlenecks that usually characterize the Arab legal systems. As such, Qatar's example may have the potential to serve as a template for other MENA countries that are embarking on their own rule of law reforms, since it is perceived as model nation in the region (in terms of spearheading the adoption of ADR laws). However, ADR laws in the region as a whole, remain relatively undeveloped despite the existence of a supportive legal framework. My research would analyze the current legislative framework of ADR within MENA countries, with a focus on Qatar - given ADR advancements there, particularly the dispute settlement procedure and administration of justice. The research presents an important opportunity to consider the impact of ADR law on expanding access to justice, reducing burdens on court systems, introducing greater flexibility and creativity to the dispute resolution process, and opening avenues for conciliatory resolutions. Through the country case studies, this research seeks to place within the context of rule of law development, the use of ADR to increase access to justice and extend more widely the protections and benefits of the rule of law for advancing administration of justice by complementing the work of the formal justice system. Its essence is that it gives an in-depth look on the current ADR development challenges facing the Arab region and its future development as a means to resolve legal disputes, in accordance with national and traditional standards.
Reduced-order modeling framework for improving spatial resolution of data center transient air temperatures

A proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)-based modeling framework is developed for improving the spatial resolution of transient rack air temperature data collected in a heterogeneous data center (DC) facility. Blocking cooling air inflow into racks periodically, three sets of transient temperature data are collected at the outlets of electronic equipment residing in three different racks. Using various combinations of initial discrete data as ensembles, the capability of the proposed POD/ interpolation framework for predicting new temperature data is demonstrated. The accuracy of POD-based temperature predictions is validated by comparing it to corresponding experimental data. The root mean square deviations between experimental data and POD-based predictions are found to be on the order of 5%.
GABA induces metamorphosis in Haliotis, V: Stereochemical specificity

Abstract Larvae of the marine gastropod mollusc, Haliotis rufescens , display an absolute requirement for GABA (or specific GABA homologs and analogs) for induction of genetically programmed behavioral and developmental metamorphosis to the juvenile form. Systematic investigation of the Stereochemical specificity of this requirement, its sensitivity to inhibition by non-inducing GABA analogs, and the effects of neuropharmacological probes of GABA function reveal the involvement of GABA receptor and/or early processing sites similar to those in mammalian brain. Convenient, quantitative analyses of the GABA-dependent behavioral and developmental transition in these experimentally tractable larvae can provide fundamental information on the mechanisms of induction and control of developmental processes by this major neurotransmitter, and the sensitivities of these processes to GABA agonists and antagonists.
Human Trajectory Forecasting In Indoor Environments Using Geometric Context

A human trajectory is the likely path a human subject would take to get to a destination. Human trajectory forecasting algorithms try to estimate or predict this path. Such algorithms have wide applications in robotics, computer vision and video surveillance. Understanding the human behavior can provide useful information towards the design of these algorithms. Human trajectory forecasting algorithm is an interesting problem because the outcome is influenced by many factors, of which we believe that the geometry of the environment plays a significant role. In addressing this problem, we have built a model to estimate the occupancy behavior of humans based on the geometry and behavioral norms. We also develop a trajectory forecasting algorithm that understands this occupancy and leverages it for trajectory forecasting in previously unseen geometries. We perform experiments to quantify the error between our prediction model and the trajectories obtained from real world human subjects and compare them to state of the art models. Results obtained suggests a significant enhancement in the accuracy of trajectory forecasting by incorporating the occupancy behavior model.
Evaluation of High-Content Screening Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopic (HCS-FCS) Data

High-content screening fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (HCS-FCS) determines diffusion properties, local concentrations and molecular interactions of biologically relevant proteins in thousands of individual S. cerevisiae cells. We automated one color auto-correlation fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the properties of the yeast proteome. We also used two-color cross-correlation for interaction screens.For the proteome wide one-color yeast screen, we investigated more than 4000 of the approximately 6000 proteins known in S. cerevisiae. This resulted in over 200,500 measurements on more than 50,000 individual cells. This amount of data required automated tools for data quality control and analysis. Our pipeline started with the evaluation of transmitted light images of the measured cells. We extracted features from these images and trained a support vector machine (SVM) to classify them into healthy yeast cells and samples we wanted to exclude from further analysis. A similar approach enabled us to classify raw fluctuation data taken from the remaining cells and the auto-correlation curves we derived from them. As training sets, we used measured and simulated data.To analyze the correlation curves obtained from the fluctuation data, we fitted different diffusion models. We used mixed-effects models to extract averaged fit parameters for the same protein measured in multiple cells. To select the most appropriate diffusion model we used Akaike's ‘An Information Criterion’ (AIC).This approach not only allows the analysis of large data-sets as they occur in our HCS-FCS experiments and camera based FCS described in literature, but has the additional advantage of reducing the human bias.
Hepatic Neuroendocrine Metastases: Chemo- or Bland Embolization?

Introduction Aggressive management of hepatic neuroendocrine (NE) metastases improves symptoms and prolongs survival. Because of the rarity of these tumors, however, the best method for hepatic artery embolization has not been established. We hypothesized that in patients with hepatic NE metastases, hepatic artery chemoembolization (HACE) would result in better symptom improvement and survival compared to bland embolization (HAE).
Hydrothermal Synthesis, Structural and Electrical Properties of Antimony (Sb 3+ ) Substituted Nickel Ferrites

Antimony (Sb3+) doped nickel ferrites have been synthesized by hydrothermal route using an autoclave at 160 ∘C for 12 hours. Pure spinel phase NiSb x Fe2−x O4 (x=0.0 to 0.1) with step increment of 0.035 has been prepared by sintering the precursor samples at 500 ∘C. Structural studies have been performed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Lattice parameter and X-ray density found to increase with increase in the antimony concentration. Average crystallite size lies in the range of 14 to 24 nm ± 2 nm. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) have been used to characterize the morphology and sizes of nanoparticles. Electrical properties were analyzed by measuring DC-electrical resistivity, complex dielectric permittivity, AC conductivity and complex electrical modulus analysis. DC resistivity of nickel ferrites decreases due to the substitution of antimony from 6.7×108 to 3.4×107 Ω-cm. Dielectric permittivity and losses were studied in the frequency range of 20 Hz–5 MHz and found to increase due to addition of Sb3+ in nickel nanoferrites at room temperature. High dielectric permittivity and conductivity made this material a compatible option for single-layered and multilayered chip inductors.
On multiphase flows of liquid crystal polymers

We examine the multiplicity of steady state solutions of polymeric liquid crystals in shear flow regimes. We study flow configurations exhibiting two or more phases arranged as bands parallel to the flow. We discuss stability of such texture configurations within a range of shear rates.
Foam Separation of Mercury Ion with Chelating Surfactant: The Selectivity of the Removal of Cadmium and Mercury lons with 4-Dodecyldiethylenetriamine

Abstract Foam separation techniques for the removal of mercury ion were studied which employed a surfactant specifically designed to chelate with the ion. The chelating surfactant was 4-dodecyldiethylenetriamine. Mercury ion was found to be removed almost quantitatively from aqueous solution using this surfactant, even in the presence of a large concentration of other metallic ions. Formation constants and surface tensions of Cd and Hg ionic complexes with the surfactant were measured. Selectivity of the removal of Cd and Hg ions is discussed.
Many-body effects in the photoemission from adsorbates

The changes in the density of states due to hydrogen atoms adsorbed on a jellium and a W[100] surface are calculated. Special emphasis is given to a subdivision into adsorbate and substrate effects as well as to many-body corrections. The scheme is based on work of Hubbard and of Brenig and Schonhammer and is developed in such a way that electron-electron interactions in the substrate can be treated within an effective potential approach, for example, the local density functional scheme.
Psychosocial risk factors for adverse outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation receiving warfarin.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to establish whether psychosocial risk factors for nonadherence, previously identified as negative predictors of warfarin prescribing, are predictors of adverse events for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation receiving warfarin.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Boards

The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was developed to assess board performance in six areas that previous research has shown to characterize highly effective boards. Data from 623 board m...
Studies of heterogeneity of angiotensin-converting enzyme and acid phosphatase in granulomatous lesions of skin.

Abstract Activities of angiotensin-converting enzyme and acid phosphatase were markedly elevated in the lesions of metal-induced hypersensitivity and foreign body types of granulomas. We biochemically studied these enzymes by means of gel filtration and electrophoresis and compared them with the same enzymes of normal dermis. Two forms of angiotensin-converting enzyme found in normal dermis were increased proportionally. Catalytic properties and heat stability of the enzyme in the lesions and normal dermis were the same. On the other hand, acid phosphatase in the lesions showed a different isozyme pattern from that seen in normal dermis. The enzyme from normal dermis had apparent molecular weights of 150000 and 90000, whereas an additional enzyme with a molecular weight of 230000 was detected in granulomatous lesions. Three isozymes were demonstrable in normal dermis but two additional isoenzymes appeared in granulomatous lesions: the isozyme patterns between the foreign body and hypersensitivity granulomas are different.
Approximate and Low Regularity Dirichlet Boundary Conditions in the Generalized Finite Element Method

We propose a method for treating Dirichlet boundary conditions for the Laplacian in the framework of the Generalized Finite Element Method (GFEM). A particular interest is taken in boundary data with low regularity (possibly a distribution). Our method is based on using approximate Dirichlet boundary conditions and polynomial approximations of the boundary. The sequence of GFEM-spaces consists of nonzero boundary value functions, and hence it does not conform to one of the basic Finite Element Method (FEM) conditions. We obtain quasi-optimal rates of convergence for the sequence of GFEM approximations of the exact solution. We also extend our results to the inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary value problem, including the case when the boundary data has low regularity (i.e. is a distribution). Finally, we indicate an effective technique for constructing sequences of GFEM-spaces satisfying our assumptions by using polynomial approximations of the boundary.
Sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid: treatment with Mohs surgery.

. Sebaceous carcinomas of the eyelid are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Recurrence is common following conventional surgical or radiation therapy. Although Mohs surgery remains the treatment of choice, multicentric involvement and pagetoid spread may create outlying noncontiguous foci requiring careful follow-up and possible secondary Mohs procedures.
Application programming on a shared memory multicomputer

shared memory, fault containment, recovery, memory failures, multicomputers We present our experience investigating issues involved in writing applications for a multicomputer comprised of computing nodes coupled through global memory. Of primary interest is fault containment, preventing faults in one component from spreading to other components, and the means by which applications can increase their availability using shared state to aid in recovery from failures. Our architecture pursues application-level fault containment as strong as that of shared-nothing clusters within a shared-almost-everything environment. Applications freely employ a variety of global resources and explicitly recover from failures. We examine the challenges of programming in such an environment and investigate support our platform could provide to aid developers. We demonstrate these issues using a Web server file cache and present some performance scalability analysis. We also examine business issues related to the acceptance of such a platform in the commercial application marketplace.
Use of Insurance Against a Small Loss as an Incentive Strategy

The success of extended warranties and buyer protection plans suggests that insurance against a small loss has high decision utility. We explore whether the behavioral insight that people are highly averse to small chances of loss can be used to create a powerful incentive that has very low expected value. We compare decisions of individuals offered fixed payments for healthy choices to those offered insurance in exchange for healthy choices. We test the prediction that aversion to small losses will result in very high rates of health behavior uptake in exchange for insurance. Three hundred participants endowed with a $2 bonus randomly received one of two incentives for completing a scheduled health risk assessment: 1 an insurance guarantee against the 1% risk of losing the $2 bonus or 2 a fixed payment at the expected value of the insurance. Relative to the fixed payment condition, participants in the insurance intervention were 70% more likely to meet their health risk assessment appointment p < 0.01. Fixed payments of $2.59 were needed for every $1 spent on insurance to achieve the same behavioral effect. Loss aversion, probability weighting, and the certainty effect may account for this result. Incentive design may benefit from utilizing an insurance paradigm.
High level of expression of functional human platelet α2-adrenergic receptors in a stable mouse C127 cell line

Abstract We have generated, by transfection and proper selection, a stable mouse C127 cell line which expresses the human α 2 -adrenergic receptor gene. The size of the mRNA produced by the cloned gene is 1.8 kb. Electrophoretic analysis and autoradiography of cell membrane proteins photoaffinity labeled with p-[ 3 H]azidoclonidine gave a broad protein band of molecular mass of approx. 64 kDa. Saturation binding with [ 3 H]rauwolscine as ligand gave an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.29 ± 0.46 nM (mean ± S.D.) and binding capacity range of 18–35 pmol/mg membrane protein, with (3–6) · 10 6 receptors per cell. Antagonist competition experiments displayed the order of potency: yohimbine > rauwolscine > phentolamine ⪢ prazosin. Agonist competitions demonstrated the order of potency: p -aminoclonidine > (−)epinephrine ⪢ (+)epinephrine ⪢ (−)isoproterenol. This pharmacological profile is characteristic of the human platelet α 2 -adrenergic receptor. The expressed receptor is able to couple to the G i protein. Thus, when epinephrine competition for specific binding of [ 3 H]rauwolscine was performed in the presence of 1 mM MgCl 2 , 1 mM Gpp[NH]p increased the K i for epinephrine from 164 to 315 nM. Following preincubation of cultures with 1 mM isobutylmethylxanthine, 1 μM epinephrine decreased forskolin-stimulated cellular cyclic AMP accumulation by 72%. The response was biphasic, and the attenuation effect disappeared at 100 μM epinephrine. A transfected clone which did not demonstrate detectable α 2 -adrenergic receptor mRNA displayed low levels of α 2 -adrenergic receptor, (less than 50 fmol/mg membrane protein), similar to those found in the parent C127 cell line. In this clone, epinephrine did not attenuate but, rather, enhanced forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation. This new C127 cell line expressing high levels of α 2 -adrenergic receptor provides an abundant source of a single human adrenergic receptor subtype in membrane-bound conformation which is able to couple to the G i protein and inhibit forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. This cell line will facilitate studies of the structure: function relationship of the α 2 -adrenergic receptor and should aid in separating the components of various signal transduction mechanisms putatively attributed to this receptor.
A two-parameter spectrometer for unidirectional neutrons from about 5 to 200 MeV

Abstract A two-parameter spectrometer has improved background discrimination capabilities over the previously reported one-parameter version for measuring unidirectional neutrons in the region from about 5 to 200 MeV. While both versions measure the time-of-flight of a neutron scattered elastically between two scintillation counters, the two-parameter spectrometer measures also the pulse-height of the recoil proton from a neutron-proton elastic scattering event in the first scintillator. The electronic system is capable of measuring recoil-proton pulse-heights over a dynamic range of 200 to 1. Measurements of thick-target neutron spectra in the region from 5 to 95 MeV with 4″ thick first detectors reveal that the combined backgrounds from neutron-carbon and plural-scattered neutrons constitute about 50% of the total events observed in a “good geometry” arrangement.
Ponderomotive Forces On Waves In Modulated Media

Nonlinear interactions of waves via instantaneous cross-phase modulation can be cast in the same way as ponderomotive wave-particle interactions in high-frequency electromagnetic fi eld. The ponderomotive effect arises when rays of a probe wave scatter off perturbations of the underlying medium produced by a second, modulation wave, much like charged particles scatter off a quasiperiodic field. Parallels with the point-particle dynamics, which itself is generalized by this theory, lead to new methods of wave manipulation, including asymmetric barriers for light.
Solvation effects on spectroscopic measurements

Abstract Solvent effects, often regarded as undesirable in molecular spectroscopy can, in fact, be exploited to probe solvation structure and dynamics. They can thus be used as a tool in both analytical spectroscopy and liquid chromatography.
ALCOHOL EXTRACTION OF GROWTH HORMONE FROM PLANT TISSUE

Two GENERAL methods are in use for assaying the growth hormone in plant tissues-the diffusion method (Went, 1928) and the extraction method (Thimann, 1934; Laibach and Meyer, 1935; Boysen Jensen, 1937; du Buy, 1938; Overbeek, 1938a). The former makes it possible to measure the amount of hormone that will diffuse from tissue into agar, and this has been interpreted as indicating the relative concentration of hormone in the tissue. The extraction method, on the other hand, makes possible an assay of the total quantity of hormone in the tissue or organ being tested. Both methods have their place, according to the problem being investigated; but the latter, as a truly quantitative method, marks an important advance in plant hormone studies. Aside from the extraction method used by Laibach and Meyer (1935), all others utilize chloroform or ether as the solvent. In contrast to the chloroform and ether extraction methods, Laibach and Meyer boiled plant tissue in acidulated 96 per cent alcohol in order to extract the plant growth hormnone. For purposes of testing, the concentrated extract was mixed with lanolin and applied unilaterally to Aventa coleoptiles (not decapitated). The extra time involved in extraction of growth hormones from impervious materials, such as seeds, and the possible loss of heat-labile growth promoting hormones by the Laibach and Meyer method, or the ether or chloroform destruction of them by the other procedures, led to the development of a method for their rapid extraction from ground plant material with cold absolute alcohol. Possible oxidation reactions destructive to growth hormones are prevented by the use of alcohol and the immediate grinding of the tissues. The method is based primarily upon extraction methods which are known to remove many pigments rapidly and completely from plant material (Strain, 1938). The procedure outlined here has been used for the past eight months; it gives reproducible and reliable results. Thus far it lias been used for the extraction of growth hormone from maize endosperms and dormant maize seeds. The following is an outline of the method:
Interactions between endogenous and exogenous attention during vigilance

The ability to remain vigilant over long periods of time is critical for many everyday tasks, but controlled studies of visual sustained attention show that performance declines over time when observers are required to respond to rare stimulus events (targets) occurring in a sequence of standard stimulus events (nontargets). When target discrimination is perceptually difficult, this vigilance decrement manifests as a decline in perceptual sensitivity. We examined whether sudden-onset stimuli could act as exogenous attentional cues to improve sensitivity during a traditional sustained attention task. Sudden-onset cues presented immediately before each stimulus attenuated the sensitivity decrement, but only when stimulus timing (the interstimulus interval [ISI]) was constant. When stimulus timing was variable, exogenous cues increased overall sensitivity but did not prevent performance decline. Finally, independent of the effects of sudden onsets, a constant ISI improved vigilance performance. Our results demonstrate that exogenous attention enhances perceptual sensitivity during vigilance performance, but that this effect is dependent on observers' being able to predict the timing of stimulus events. Such a result indicates a strong interaction between endogenous and exogenous attention during vigilance. We relate our findings to a resource model of vigilance, as well as to theories of endogenous and exogenous attention over short time periods.
A new isocenter shift method for ideal geometric matching of two adjacent fields.

Abstract The most commonly used technique for matching two adjoining parallel opposed fields has been geometric matching with a skin gap calculation. Many modifications have been suggested in order to minimize the shortcomings of this technique. Most of these, however, are more complex and time consuming in clinical practice, with little dosimetric improvement. We propose a simple new method for adjacent field abutment that climinates hot and cold spots due to different beam divergences. This method is based upon the use of a single match plane for both the cephalad and caudad parallel opposed beams. The divergence angle of these opposed beams is forced to be equal at the junction through the use of the same field length and the same target axis distance (TAD). For the isocentric treatment case, the procedure is summarized as follows. After setting up the cephalad AP PA fields to midplane in the conventional manner, the patient support couch is shifted longitudinally in the cephalad direction by a precise distance equal to the cephalad field length. The superior collimator of the caudad field is kept the same as for the cephalad field to ensure equal divergence angles. The actual irradiated volume of the caudad field is adjusted as needed by a large block or an asymmetric jaw. An analogous procedure is described for the nonisocentric case. This new isocenter shift method culminates in several distinct advantages over the other geometric methods. It provides the best homogeneous physical dose distribution in the junctional area (film dosimetry shows no hot or cold spots); it saves substantial time and efforts of dosimetricsts and reduces simulation time since there is no need to do gap calculations (sloping surface and difference in patient separation do not affect the results); and it can be easily verified by radiographic techniques using either skin wires or vertebral bodies as a guide. The isocenter shift method is more accurate and easier to set up than previously reported techniques, with marked dosimetric improvement. Where asymmetric jaws are available, this method should be considered as standard practice.
The use of psoralen-modified DNA to probe the mechanism of enhancer action

Abstract Psoralen-modified DNA was used to study the SV40 enhancer-dependent transcription of the human β-globin gene. When the enhancer is separated from the β-globin gene by psoralen adducts on one side and plasmid vector sequences on the other, expression of the gene is strongly inhibited. When placed on the same side of the enhancer as the vector sequences, psoralen adducts have little effect on transcription unless they are located near the transcriptional start site. These results suggest that the inhibition of the transcription of a gene linked to an enhancer in a circular DNA requires the presence of blocking agents on both sides of the gene and that the vector sequences are already blocking enhancer action on one side. Psoralen monoadducts are sufficient to inhibit transcription; the formation of interstrand psoralen cross-links is unnecessary. We assess models for the enhancer mechanism in light of these results.
Layered schemes for large-alphabet secret key distribution

We discuss the design of practical codes for large-alphabet secret key distribution, motivated by the application of high-dimensional quantum key distribution. We introduce and study a simple scheme called layered scheme, which can be treated as a variant of coded modulation. The idea of layered schemes is to first split the observed large-alphabet symbols into bit layers, and to then encode all the bit layers either independently or jointly using binary codes. The channels that we are interested in are more general than the AWGN channels or Rayleigh fading channels studied in coded modulation. We present and compare different implementations of layered schemes, i.e., based on independent parallel encoding or joint encoding, and we investigate different approaches in how to map large-alphabet symbols into bit layers. Both theoretical analyses and simulation results show that layered schemes have good performances on q-ary channels such as uniform-error channels and limited-magnitude-error channels.
The Amplitude of Baroclinic Wave Triads and Mesoscale Motion in the Ocean

Abstract The finite-amplitude dynamics of a resonant triad of baroclinic waves in a slightly unstable barocliniccurrent is examined. The wave in the triad which is linearly unstable on the current is assumed to havenegligible cross-stream variation and therefore lacks a self-equilibrating mechanism. It is shown, however,that the triad cooperatively equilibrates although for certain initial conditions the amplitude of the wavesmay become quite large. The triad possesses the deformation radius as its characteristic scale in bothhorizontal directions. It is suggested, therefore, that this triad instability may be a mechanism for theproduction of intense mesoscale oceanic eddies. However, the dependence of the result on the choice ofinitial conditions does not make it possible to definitely scale the amplitudes with fixed and external oceanicparameters.
Evolution and Complexity of the Genes Encoding the Keratins of Human Epidermal Cells

The keratins are a family of proteins (Mr = 40–70 K) that form 8-nm intermediate filaments in the cytoplasm of most vertebrate epithelial cells. Each epithelial cell expresses its own subset of keratins, which consists of about 2 to 5 polypeptides. In epidermis, the keratins are especially abundant, comprising 30 to 85 percent of the total protein of these cells. Four major keratins (Mr 46, 50, 56, and 58 K) are expressed in the basal cells, whereas the larger keratins (60–70 K) are found only in differentiating epidermal cells. We have shown that in human epidermis there are multiple mRNAs for the keratins. These RNAs can be grouped into two distinct classes as judged by their ability to hybridize to one of two separate classes of cloned keratin cDNA sequences. Each of these two classes of sequences is encoded by a multigene family of about 10 genes each, and these two families are coordinately conserved throughout vertebrate evolution [21]. Recently, we have determined the DNA sequence of a cloned cDNA insert that is complementary to greater than 90 percent of the coding region for the 50 K keratin and which shares homology with 46 K keratin mRNA [13]. A comparison of the predicted amino acidsequence of this cytoskeletal keratin with partial sequences of keratins of epidermal appendages, e.g., wool, shows that there is a distinct relation with the fibrous keratins of wool, but little or no relation with the matrix keratins. A comparison of the 50 K keratin sequence with the partial sequences known for other intermediate-filament proteins indicates that the keratins may be the most distantly related of this class of 80- to 100-A filamentous proteins. This is in contrast to the actins and tubulins, which are highly conserved components of vertebate cytoskeletons. The wide flexibility in the amino acid sequence of intermediate filament proteins suggests that these proteins have evolved to meet subtly different requirements in the cytoskeletal architecture.
Stereoselective metabolism of 7-nitrobenz(a)anthracene to 3,4- and 8,9- trans-dihydrodiols

Metabolism of 7-nitrobenz(a)anthracene (7-NO2-BA) by rat liver microsomes yielded 7-NO2-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol and 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol as major metabolites. Proton NMR spectral analyses indicate that 7-NO2-BA trans-3,4-dihydrodiol preferentially adopts a quasidiequatorial conformation and that 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol adopts a mixture of quasidiequatorial and quasidiaxial conformations. Circular dichroism spectral analyses of these compounds and their diacetoxy derivatives indicated that the major enantiomers of both dihydrodiols have R,R absolute stereochemistries. The identification of 7-NO2-BA trans-8,9-dihydrodiol as a metabolite of 7-NO2-BA indicates that oxidative metabolism can occur at position peri to the nitro substituent.
Technology advanced mini-eyesafe rangefinder (TAMER)

The Technology Advanced Mini-Eyesafe Rangefinder (TAMER) module is a portable, lightweight (7 lbs), hand-held, target determination system. This rapid prototype program involved the integration of a Motorola 68360 microprocessor, electronic compass, laser range finder, GPS, 4 PCMCIA expansion slots, 0.7-inch micro display, digital camera, floating point unit, and various communications interfaces. The CPU computes an absolute target position based on laser range to target, C/VAM azimuth and inclination inputs, and absolute GPS position. This target position is automatically formatted into a standard military surveillance report and stored in local non- volatile memory. The operator can attach to a SINCGARS radio or to any RS232 compatible system (e.g., cellular telephone). To facilitate the above functionality, the TAMER system utilizes various power saving strategies including software- geared power reduction, power supply configuration, external device integration, and incorporation of low-power ICs. Additionally, TAMER utilizes state-of-the-art digital image compression technology. This custom image coder is based on wavelet decomposition and trellis-coded quantization (TCQ). The algorithm enables TAMER to transmit useful imagery over its severely disadvantaged wireless link.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
FAITH AND DOUBT IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

One of the contexts in which religion and science come into conflict is with regard to faith and doubt. Generally speaking, we associate faith with religion, which is opposed to doubt, and doubt with science, which is opposed to faith. Some critics of science have argued that science is also based on faith; others have shown that there is doubt in the religious context also. In this essay I clarify these positions by defining different types of faith and different types of doubt.
Waterflood Tomography: Mapping High Contrast Permeability Structures Using Injection/Production Data

The paper presents a novel method to detect the existence and determine the orientation of high permeability channels between injection and production wells in a waterflood. We apply the concept of transmission tomography and model a waterflood reservoir by considering water injection rates as inputs and measured production rates as outputs. We solve the inverse problem, in which the goal is to determine the existence and location of high permeability channels in the field by measuring the lag time in response to the variation in the injection rate. The main advantage over other methods (e.g., tracer testing) is that this technique can be applied without significantly affecting daily operation. We show that the lag times at the producers can be estimated by monitoring production rates, given that known time-varying injection rates are applied. We propose a mixture model to characterize the lag time for each injector-producer pair, where the system is initialized by assuming that multiple candidate fractures exist. Our algorithm iteratively modifies the length, orientation and location of each high permeability candidate in order to match the measured response time between wells. It is well known that the solution may not be unique if we only have limited measurement data. Thus, in order to choose between possible models, we propose to use the “total length” of high permeability channels as regularization metric. Our method will select the model that fits the measured lag time with minimum total high permeability channel length. It is also possible within our framework to adjust the regularization so that it takes into consideration other type of prior information, e.g., preferred orientation known to exist in a given field. To validate our approach, we use a commercial simulator to test a synthetic line drive and a 5-spot waterflood. In the first case, we test a five spot with hydraulic fracture located in the central production well. In the second case, we test a single fracture with 45 degree orientation located between rows of producers and injectors. Our results show that our method can provide very accurate estimates of fracture orientation, with decreased uncertainty as the well density in the field increases.
Ascorbyl free radical as a real-time marker of free radical generation in briefly ischemic and reperfused hearts. An electron paramagnetic resonance study.

The role of free radicals in myocardial reperfusion injury remains controversial. We have developed a new method using ascorbyl free radical (AFR) as a real-time, quantitative marker of free radical generation during myocardial reperfusion. A total of 35 dogs were studied. Twelve open-chest dogs underwent either 5 minutes (n = 5) or 20 minutes (n = 7) of coronary artery occlusion and 30 minutes of reperfusion. Seven additional animals undergoing 20 minutes of coronary occlusion also received the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, beginning 10 minutes before occlusion through the end of reperfusion. Exogenous ascorbate was infused intravenously, and the concentration of AFR in the great cardiac vein was continuously measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Preocclusion AFR concentration was similar in the three groups. Upon reperfusion, AFR rose significantly in each animal group (P < .05). However, the AFR rise in the 20-minute-occlusion group, 38 +/- 17%, was significantly greater than in the 5-minute-occlusion group, 27 +/- 14% (P < .002). In addition, in the animals that received superoxide dismutase and catalase, the rise in the AFR was markedly attenuated, 13 +/- 6% (P < .002). Two dogs that received ascorbate but did not undergo coronary artery occlusion/reperfusion sequences showed no change in coronary venous AFR signal, indicating the stability of the signal over time. Five dogs received ascorbate while undergoing interventions to alter coronary venous flow: intravenous saline, dobutamine, dipyridamole, and nitroglycerin. Coronary venous AFR changes were minimal despite large coronary flow alterations, indicating that the AFR signal is independent of changes in coronary venous flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Digestive and nutritional status after total gastrectomy with a long Roux‐en‐Y reconstruction

Nineteen patients underwent clinical and nutritional review 1–5.5 years after gastrectomy and long Roux-en-Y jejunal reconstruction. Of these, 79% had little or no restriction of daily activity and only one patient became housebound. Although body weight was only maintained at postoperative levels, body protein status, as measured by arm muscle circumference, creatinine height index and plasma proteins, was normal. Body fat stores were reduced, indicating that fat or carbohydrate digestion was impaired. Mild asymptomatic anaemia in six patients was due to iron deficiency in three and folate deficiency in three. Eight patients had low red cell folate values and these patients had low folic acid intakes. It is concluded that a total gastrectomy using a long Roux-en-Y loop is usually associated with a satisfactory nutritional and digestive outcome but long-term supplements of iron and folic acid should be taken.
The Logic of Gamson's Law: Pre-election Coalitions and Portfolio Allocations

Gamson's Law-the proposition that coalition governments will distribute portfolios in proportion to each member party's contribution of seats to the coalition-has been one of the most prominent landmarks in coalitional studies since the 1970s. However, standard bargaining models of government formation argue that Gamson's Law should not hold, once one controls for relevant indicators of bargaining power. In this article, we extend these bargaining models by allowing parties to form pre-election pacts. We argue that campaign investments by pact signatories depend on how they anticipate portfolios will be distributed and, thus, signatories have an incentive to precommit to portfolio allocation rules. We show that pacts will sometimes agree to allocate portfolios partly or wholly in proportion to members' contributions of seats to the coalition; this increases each signatory's investment in the campaign, thereby conferring external benefits (in the form of a larger probability of an alliance majority) on other coalition members. Empirical tests support the model's predictions.
Solutions in the Large for the Nonlinear Hyperbolic Conservation Laws of Gas Dynamics

The constraints under which a gas at a certain state will evolve can be given by three partial differential equations which express the conservation of momentum, mass, and energy. In these equations, a particular gas is defined by specifying the constitutive relation e = e(u, S), where e = specific internal energy, v = specific volume, and S = specific entropy. The energy function e = -In u + (S/R) describes a polytropic gas for the exponent y = 1, and for this choice of e(V, S), global weak solutions for bounded measurable data having finite total variation were given by Nishida in [lo]. Here the following general existence theorem is obtained: let e,(v, S) be any smooth one parameter family of energy functions such that at E = 0 the energy is given by e&v, S) = -In v + (S/R). It is proven that there exists a constant C independent of E, such that, if E . (total variation of the initial data) < C, then there exists a global weak solution to the equations. Since any energy function can be connected to e&V, S) by a smooth parameterization, our results give an existence theorem for all the conservation laws of gas dynamics. As a corollary we obtain an existence theorem of Liu, Indiana Univ. Math. J. 26, No. 1 (1977) for polytropic gases. The main point in this argument is that the nonlinear functional used to make the Glimm Scheme converge, depends only on properties of the equations at E = 0. For general n x n systems of conservation laws, this technique provides an alternate proof for the interaction estimates in Glimm’s 1965 paper. The new result here is that certain interaction differences are bounded by E as well as by the approaching waves.
Evaluation of neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet capsulotomies in eyes implanted with AcrySof intraocular lenses.

Abstract Purpose As of December 31, 2000, the neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser posterior capsulotomy rate for the Alcon AcrySof intraocular lens (IOL) as measured in our database was 3.3%. This was the lowest of any IOL model used in the United States. Only 12 of 361 cases required treatment. We analyzed possible surgical reasons that may have been responsible for the posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in this small group. Special attention was given to the three surgical factors that we had previously identified as being important for PCO reduction: (1) quality of cortical clean up, (2) type of haptic fixation, and (3) continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC) size and shape. Design Comparative autopsy tissue analysis. Participants Three hundred sixty-one human eyes obtained postmortem with Alcon AcrySof IOLs, accessioned between January 1995 and December 2000 from Lions Eye Banks. Methods The eyes were evaluated by the Miyake-Apple posterior photographic technique. Main outcome measures The area and intensity of Soemmering's ring and type of fixation were studied in 361 eyes. The size and shape of the CCC and relation of the CCC edge to the IOL's optic rim were analyzed in 168 eyes. Results The amount of Soemmering's ring formation was significantly larger in the group of IOLs requiring Nd:YAG capsulotomy (Nd:YAG group). The not in-the-bag fixated IOLs required more Nd:YAG capsulotomies. Although the trend was clear, the number of specimens was not large enough to acquire statistical significance. The Nd:YAG group showed a highly significant difference compared with the No Nd:YAG group with regard to the amount of clock hours of the CCC edge on the optic rim's surface ( P P Conclusions The amount of Soemmering's ring correlates with the quality of cortical clean up. Cells within the Soemmering's ring are the direct precursors of PCO. This study confirms our previous laboratory studies and the clinical assumption that the incidence of PCO and thus the need for Nd:YAG capsulotomy is correlated with the cortical clean up. A second clinical assumption, that poor IOL fixation increases the risk of PCO, is also strongly suggested in this study. This study also verifies the relation of the CCC to PCO and the Nd:YAG laser, namely that a relatively small CCC without tears is best to prevent this complication. Use of a high-quality IOL combined with diligent attention to these three surgical factors should lower further the incidence of PCO.
Survival and Growth of Age-0 Steelhead after Surgical Implantation of 23-mm Passive Integrated Transponders

Abstract Little information is available on the effects of implanting 23-mm passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in salmonids less than 90 mm fork length (FL). Using juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss (range, 73–97 mm FL), we compared instantaneous growth rates and survival among three experimental groups: control, surgery with no tag, and surgery with tag. Survival rate was lower for tagged fish (86%) than for control and surgery−no tag fish (virtually 100% in each group). Approximately 90% of the mortalities occurred during days 1–3. Growth rate for the tagged group was lower for the first two 10-d measurement intervals; however, during the third 10-d interval, growth rates for tagged fish equaled or exceeded values for the other groups. These results suggest that tagged fish recovered by day 20. Growth rates for the control and surgery−no tag groups did not differ from one another during any measurement interval. Tag retention rate was 97% over the 30-d period of the study. It appears that the...
The DØ Run II Trigger System

The DO trigger system has been upgraded for Run II at the Tevatron. I present the current status of the DO trigger.
Calculating the beta function from three common particle size distributions

Etude comparative de cette methode de calcul par rapport au calcul par regression non lineaire. La fonction beta modifiee est appliquee aux distributions normale, log-normale et Rosin-Rammler
Tropical cyclone formation and motion in the Mozambique Channel

Although tropical cyclones (TCs) forming in the Mozambique Channel are relatively close to land and have affected vulnerable populations, few studies specifically examine these storms. This study analysed formation frequency and location and storm motion during 1948–2010. A geographic information system was employed to calculate storm trajectory and determine whether or not landfall occurred. Reanalysis data from NCEP/NCAR were examined to identify environmental conditions such as 500 hPa geopotential heights and precipitable water. Nonparametric statistical tests explored relationships between these conditions, TC attributes, and four teleconnections known to influence circulation patterns in the greater Southwest Indian Ocean: the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Subtropical Dipole (IOSD), Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Results show that 94 TCs formed in the channel, with approximately 50% making landfall. Formation frequency varied under different phases of the SAM, IOSD, and MJO. Findings differed when the study period was divided into half, suggesting that inclusion of data prior to 1979 be interpreted cautiously. During the second period, formation tended to occur in the northern (southern) portion of the channel when the IOSD and SAM were negative (positive). The MJO and SAM were associated with differences in precipitable water values, while the MJO and IOSD were associated with track curvature. Geopotential height anomalies at 500 hPa varied under the three phases of ENSO.