cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymptotics of generalized depth-based spread processes and applications

Abstract In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of generalized depth-based spread processes, which include the scale curve of Liu et al. (1999) as a special case. Both uniform strong and weak convergences of the generalized depth-based spread processes are established. As applications, we obtain the asymptotic distributions of some nonparametric multivariate kurtosis measures. Applications to compare spread and kurtosis of two multivariate data sets, and to assess multivariate normality, are also discussed.
Characteristics And Spending Patterns Of Persistently High-Cost Medicare Patients.

One strategy for reducing health care spending is to target the Medicare beneficiaries who remain persistently high cost over time. Using a 20 percent sample of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiari...
Proceedings of the ACM international symposium on New ideas, new paradigms, and reflections on programming and software

Welcome to this year's Onward! Essays. Onward! is about the exploration of new ideas in software development and programming languages, a chance to investigate new lines of reasoning through writing. The essay is a notable format, and one that can be challenging to those who are not used to its conventions. It is quite distinct from the traditional research paper; while a research paper reports back on an investigation that its authors have already completed, an essay invites the reader to examine new ideas alongside its author, and then propels the reader forward. The best essays build to the presentation of a full-grown idea, yet plant seeds along the way that may continue to germinate in the reader's mind long after the closing paragraph. The Program Committee and I recognize that this format is an unusual one for most of our authors, and are extremely grateful to all those who took the time and trouble to submit their work. Additionally, I extend my personal thanks to all the authors, as well as to the Program Committee members, who provided constructive feedback in the hopes of increasing these essays' fruitfulness. We are proud to present three of them here. Meurig Beynon will present "Realising Software Development as a Lived Experience," in which he argues for an approach to software development rooted in the personal experiences of the developer. Andrea Janes and Giancarlo Succi will present "The Dark Side of Agile Software Development," in which they examine the Gartner Hype Cycle and other social phenomena that can threaten useful development paradigms. Richard Gabriel will present "The Structure of a Programming Language Revolution," in which he discusses the relationship between engineering and science, and subscribes to incommensurability. It is our fervent hope that you will take the arguments laid out in these writings and cultivate them: ponder, discuss, rework, and revisit them throughout the broader conference. Apply the lines of reasoning employed here to other subject matter, and see if they still hold up. Ask yourselves and your colleagues where you would take these ideas next. Then take them -- Onward!
Hydrogen passivation and microstructure fabrication in erbium silicates for optical amplification applications around 1.5 um (Conference Presentation)

Erbium (Er) has offered a means towards optical amplification around 1.5 µm due to the intra-4f transitions of Er3+ ions. Er silicates are of much interest due to a 3 order increase in the concentration of Er3+ ions in the film as opposed to different Er-doped materials. Unfortunately, the major hindrance toward optical gains in such erbium containing materials is the fast quenching of Er luminescence, mainly resulting from excitation energy dissipation at structural defects even with a small density, via resonant energy transfer processes among Er ions. In this work, we investigate effects of hydrogen passivation and micro/nano scale structures on the luminescence properties of Er silicates. Arrays of micron-sized erbium silicate structures are created via etching a silicon wafer followed by deposition of erbium metal onto the etched pits. After deposition, the photoresist is removed through lift off and the metal structures are subjected to high temperature oxygen annealing (1200˚C) for oxidation of the film. Hydrogen passivation is conducted in a H2 gas ambient between 500˚C and 900˚C. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) are used to determine the composition and crystal structure information of the resultant thin films and photoluminescence (PL) is measured for their luminescence properties. The results show a significant decrease of photoluminescence in the ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) range, accompanied by an increase in both the intensity and lifetime of the near-infrared (NIR) luminescence emission around 1.5 µm wavelength from Er oxide/silicate compound thin films, following passivation in a H2 gas. Furthermore, samples with arrays of micro-structured Er silicates exhibit stronger NIR luminescence than the thin film sample. Combining with computer simulations, we identify the possible mechanisms for the observed Er luminescence enhancement, and suggest promising routes toward optical amplification around 1.5 µm in Er compounds.
Incident management and analysis dashboard for fire departments: ICCPS demo

This work presents a dashboard tool that helps emergency responders analyze and manage spatial-temporal incidents like crime and traffic accidents. It uses state-of-the-art statistical models to learn incident probabilities based on factors such as prior incidents, time and weather. The dashboard can then present historic and predicted incident distributions. It also allows responders to analyze how moving or adding depots (stations for emergency responders) affects average response times, and can make dispatching recommendations based on heuristics. Broadly, it is a one-stop tool that helps responders visualize historical data as well as plan for and respond to incidents.
Parental Dual use of E-cigarettes and Traditional Cigarettes.

Abstract Background E-cigarettes are growing in popularity. Dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes is an increasingly common practice, but little is known about patterns of dual use in parents. We sought to describe smoking-related behaviors among dual-users. Methods Parent exit surveys were conducted following their child's visit in 5 control pediatric practices in 5 states participating in the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure trial. We examined factors associated with dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes versus cigarette-only smokers, assessed by self-report. Results Of 1382 smokers or recent quitters screened after their child's visit between April and October 2017, 943 (68%) completed the survey. Of these, 727 parents reported current use of cigarettes; of those, 81 (11.1%) also reported e-cigarette use, meeting the definition of dual use. Compared with cigarette-only smokers, dual users were more likely to have a child younger than 1 year old, planned to quit in the next 6 months, and had tried to quit in the past (had a quit attempt in the past 3 months, called the quitline, or used medicine to quit in the past 2 years; P Conclusions Parents who use both e-cigarettes and cigarettes may have greater rates of contemplating smoking cessation than parents who only smoke cigarettes. These parents may be using e-cigarettes for harm reduction or as a step toward cessation. Identification of these parents may provide an opportunity to deliver effective treatment, including nicotine-replacement therapies that do not expose infants and children to e-cigarette aerosol.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is defined as a depressive disorder, not otherwise specified, in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is characterized by mood, appetite, energy, and cognitive changes that occur during the late luteal (premenstrual) phase of the menstrual cycle and remit shortly after the onset of menses. Symptoms are severe enough to interfere with functioning at home, school, or work. It occurs in an estimated 5% of women, and if left untreated, may become more severe and extend in duration over time. Based on current evidence, serotonergic dysfunction appears to be linked with its hormonal etiology, as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) demonstrate efficacy and safety. Both fluoxetine and sertraline have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in PMDD. More recent studies suggest that at least among the SSRIs with longer half-lives, such as fluoxetine, the medication can be given in the second-half (luteal phase) only to achieve beneficial effects. Once the medication is stopped, however, symptoms recur in a majority of women within a few months. Other nonpharmacological approaches to treatment, such as sleep and light therapies, are being developed based on chronobiological hypotheses.
Determination of Heterocyclic Amines in Meat Matrices Using Enhanced Matrix Removal‐Lipid Extraction and Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

A simple, fast, and efficient method, "enhanced matrix removal of lipids" (EMR-lipid), was proposed, optimized, and validated for identifying five polar heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in meat samples that ranged from high-protein (beef and chicken) to high-fat (pork bacon) matrices. The protocol involves an initial solid-liquid phase extraction followed by a rapid dispersive solid-phase extraction using EMR-lipid sorbents and salting-out partitioning. Acetonitrile containing formic acid at two levels (1% and 2%) efficiently extracted HCAs from different meat matrices. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) with selective reaction monitoring mode was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The highest MS/MS responses and better peak separation of analytes were achieved by adjusting mobile phases to pH 3.0 with instrumental detection limits between 0.01 and 0.05 ng/mL. Good linearity of standard curves was obtained in both pure solvents and postspiked meat extracts between 0.5 and 50.0 ng/mL. The validation results showed good precision, accuracy, and sensitivity for detecting HCAs in spiked meat samples. Satisfactory recoveries of four HCAs were achieved: 65% to 111% in beef, 71% to 106% in bacon, and 42% to 77% in chicken. Matrix effects were also assessed and showed less than -20% of ion suppression in bacon extract, while a medium to high signal suppression was observed in beef (-37% to -55%) and chicken (-28% to -52%). This optimized EMR-lipid method provides acceptable results and advantages for determining trace level HCAs in complex meat matrices.
The influence of chick production on territory retention in Arctic-breeding Pacific and Yellow-billed loons

Adult birds may use the production of offspring as a measure of habitat quality when prospecting for territories, increasing competition for productive territories. We evaluated the impact of breeding success on territory retention of Pacific (Gavia pacifica) and Yellow-billed (G. adamsii) loons in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska using mark–resight data and multi-state modeling. We also used behavioral observations of brood-rearing adult loons to quantify the frequency of visits by prospecting loons. We hypothesized that increased competition for productive territories would result in a decrease in territory retention rates. Territory retention rates the year following successful breeding attempts were only slightly lower (0.90) than after failed breeding attempts (0.93), and few territories were consistently successful across years. Overall territory retention rates were high (0.92) and similar for both species, suggesting that adults were able to defend their territories successfully. Males had higher territory retention rates than females, but we found no influence of mass (a possible proxy for fighting ability) on territory retention. These observations, coupled with the high frequency of visits by prospecting loons, provide additional evidence that site familiarity may provide advantages to territory holders. Quantifying territory retention behaviors may also inform land management decisions for oil and gas development in areas where loons are present. High territory retention rates, frequency of visits by prospectors, and limited habitat where new territories can be established suggest that breeding habitat in northern Alaska is saturated and may be limiting Yellow-billed Loon populations. In contrast, Pacific Loons attempting to acquire a territory may be able to form new territories on smaller, unoccupied lakes.
Pediatric Alopecia Areata in Three Siblings

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common non-scarring inflammatory hair loss disorder with an incompletely defined pathogenesis. Prior studies have examined familial expression of AA, but few cases in the literature describe concurrent presentation amongst siblings. Our case demonstrates the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors in the development of alopecia areata within families.
Studying the Benefits and Challenges of Immersive Dataflow Programming

Creating Virtual Reality (VR) applications normally requires advanced knowledge of imperative programming, 3D modeling, reactive programming, and geometry. Immersive authoring tools propose to reduce the learning curve of VR programming by allowing users to create VR content while immersed in VR. Immersive authoring can take advantage of many of the features that make VR applications intuitive and natural to use—users can manipulate programming primitives through direct manipulation, immediately see the output of their code, and use their innate spatial reasoning capabilities when viewing a program. In this paper, we investigate the benefits and challenges of immersive dataflow authoring. We implemented an immersive authoring tool that enables dataflow programming in VR and conducted a series of retrospective interviews. We also describe design implications for future immersive authoring tools.
Improved two-dimensional DOA estimation using parallel coprime arrays

Abstract The conventional coprime array consists of two uniform linear subarrays to construct an effective difference coarray with desirable characteristics. Such linear coprime arrays only provide one-dimensional (1-D) direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation. In this paper, we propose a novel coprime array configuration with parallel subarrays, along with an effective method for two-dimensional (2-D) DOA estimation. The 2-D DOA estimation problem is cast as two separate 1-D problems for reduced complexity and is solved using one of the two mechanisms based on the number of sensors and that of sources. When there are less sources than the number of sensors, subspace-based and rank-reduction estimation (RARE) techniques are sequentially applied to the physical array output. On the other hand, when the number of sources is equal to or larger than that of sensors, a virtual difference coarray is formed and group sparse reconstruction and least squares operations are then applied. In both scenarios, the proposed methods automatically pair the corresponding azimuth and elevation angles. The proposed methods resolve up to MN sources using 2 M + N − 1 sensors, which are the same as in the 1-D DOA estimation using conventional coprime arrays. Simulations results are presented delineating both the accuracy and resolution capability of the proposed method.
Policing the poor: The impact of vehicle emissions inspection programs across income

Abstract Comparing vehicle emissions inspection results with vehicle owner income shows that the Arizona vehicle emissions inspection program constrains the vehicle repair decisions of people in the low end of the income distribution more than people in the high end. Individuals who live in areas with lower annual income are both (i) more likely to drive vehicles that fail emissions inspections at a higher average rate, and (ii) more likely to fail emissions inspections conditional on vehicle characteristics. The top income quintile fails emissions inspections 20% less often than the bottom income quintile even when controlling for observable vehicle characteristics. This implies that owner characteristics, in addition to observable vehicle characteristics, have a non-negligible impact on vehicle emissions rates. Therefore, the impact of programs designed to reduce vehicle emissions could be greater if participation were subject to a means test.
Doomsday: A Response to Simpson's Second Question

The Doomsday Argument (DA) has sparked a variety of opinions. Here I address a key question posed by F. Simpson (2016) that confronts the views of DA proponents and those who, like me, oppose the DA. I agree that typical locations within a complete spatial distribution are calculable using ordinary frequentist probability. But I argue that the temporal probability distribution is unknown: we have records of our past yet are ignorant of our future. It is this asymmetry that upsets the idea of Copernicanism in time. Although frequentist methods do not apply to this asymmetric situation, Bayesian methods do apply. They show that the various Quick Doom and Distant Doom scenarios are equally likely. I conclude that the DA has no predictive power whatsoever.
Exposição “La Route de Soi”: entrevista com Philippe Dubé concedida a Nádia Maria Weber Santos

Sob a direcao cientifica de Catherine Bertho Lavenir (Sorbonne Nouvelle) et Philippe Dube (Universite Laval), esta exposicao foi realizada por uma equipe de artistas e de profissionais de museografia, para a qual alguns estudantes de segundo ciclo (Mestrado) contribuiram diretamente como parte de sua formacao no DESS em Museologia. Foi uma exposicao experimental sediada no EXPOLAB do LAMIC (Laboratorio de Museologia e de Engenharia da Cultura da Universite Laval/Quebec/Canada), durante todo o 81o Congresso do ACFAS (Association francophone pour le savoir). Os organizadores ofereceram uma rara possibilidade de viver uma experiencia atraves dos diarios pessoais de Anne-Marie Palardy, depositados nos Arquivos de Sagamie em Saguenay (Fundos J.-E.-A. Dubuc-Anne-Marie Palardy) e no Fundo Museal da mesma familia Dubuc, guardados em Pulperie de Chicoutimi. O produto final foi uma exposicao em uma sala altamente tecnica (EXPOLAB), tendo uma superficie de 100 metros quadrados, podendo acolher certo numero de visitantes num certo periodo. Esta realizacao faz parte de um processo de formacao para a valorizacao do patrimonio (aqui, arquivos escritos), a partir de meios que a tecnologia digital oferece atualmente ao campo da cultura. A museologia tera que se confrontar com estes novos patrimonios e devera encontrar meios originais de valoriza-los. Esta realizacao experimental permite mostrar novos caminhos que o museu nem sempre tem tempo de explorar.
The Immune Response to Infection

Immunizations are among the safest and most effective medical interventions available. Current US recommended immunization schedules show the age at which each vaccine series should begin and the ideal range for the time interval between each dose. An appreciation for the rationale behind these recommendations can be achieved through the careful study and understanding of key concepts from the disciplines of biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, and infectious disease epidemiology. By combining the relevant aspects from each of these fields of study, the specialized discipline known as vaccinology begins to take focus. To begin, it is first important to gain a general understanding of the immune response to infection, because the same principles apply to the protective immune responses that can be achieved with vaccination.
The Changing Learning Technological Landscape for Trainers in the Wake of COVID-19

The ProblemDue to the unexpected and rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the world, training professionals are faced with three distinct problems: (1) lack of technological infrastructure; (2) the ...
The effects of wearing facemasks on oxygenation and ventilation at rest and during physical activity.

Background Facemasks are recommended to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but concern about inadequate gas exchange is an often cited reason for non-compliance. Research question Among adult volunteers, do either cloth masks or surgical masks impair oxygenation or ventilation either at rest or during physical activity? Study design and methods With IRB approval and informed consent, we measured heart rate (HR), transcutaneous carbon dioxide (CO2) tension and oxygen levels (SpO2) at the conclusion of six 10-minute phases: sitting quietly and walking briskly without a mask, sitting quietly and walking briskly while wearing a cloth mask, and sitting quietly and walking briskly while wearing a surgical mask. Brisk walking required at least a 10bpm increase in heart rate. Occurrences of hypoxemia (decrease in SpO2 of ≥3% from baseline to a value of ≤94%) and hypercarbia (increase in CO2 tension of ≥5 mmHg from baseline to a value of ≥46 mmHg) in individual subjects were collected. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used for pairwise comparisons among values for the whole cohort (e.g. walking without a mask versus walking with a cloth mask). Results Among 50 adult volunteers (median age 33 years; 32% with a co-morbidity), there were no episodes of hypoxemia or hypercarbia (0%; 95% confidence interval 0–1.9%). In paired comparisons, there were no statistically significant differences in either CO2 or SpO2 between baseline measurements without a mask and those while wearing either kind of mask mask, both at rest and after walking briskly for ten minutes. Interpretation The risk of pathologic gas exchange impairment with cloth masks and surgical masks is near-zero in the general adult population.
Foods and Nutritional Characteristics Associated With Addictive-Like Eating:

Emerging literature is exploring the contribution of specific nutritional characteristics and food additives to the development of addictive-like eating, implicating highly processed foods and thos...
Factional politics and foreign direct investment in China

This article uses quantitative analysis to discuss the effects of the Chinese Communist Party’s factional politics on the regional distribution of foreign direct investment inflows from 1993 to 201...
Clinical Readout Assessment for Nuclear Medicine Residents

2059 Objectives: Mini-clinical exam formats for formative and summative learning have been in common use since the 1990s in medical schools. Now used in many different medical specialty training programs, the mini-clinical exam is an observed clinical encounter involving a faculty evaluator and a trainee who performs the clinical duties. This observed encounter utilizes a rubric format to evaluate clinical performance and promote learning. In nuclear medicine, the trainee’s clinical work includes image interpretation, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic procedures. However, graduate medical education in nuclear medicine lacks evidence-based sources for formative and summative assessments of trainee learning. Our group is interested in developing a mini-clinical assessment tool for nuclear medicine trainees to enhance our field’s educational objectives. We are especially interested in an assessment for use with image interpretation skills of residents, as this is a nebulous area of nuclear medicine education, feedback, and assessment. Methods: Using a rubric format, we developed an image interpretation evaluation tool that encompasses the following skills or knowledge base: radiopharmaceutical, biodistribution, imaging protocol, indication and clinical context, findings, reporting, and conclusion. Specific skills or knowledge were each categorized as beginner, intermediate, or senior level. Results: The NM Standardized Readout Assessment tool is presented in Table 1. Note that this form has four pages. Page 1: Trainee, evaluator and case-specific information. Page 2: Clinical image interpretation exam. Page 3: Trainee and evaluator comments regarding learning achievements and areas for development. Page 4: Trainee and evaluator opinions regarding the exercise, including acceptability of the assessment. Conclusions: With specific skill and knowledge criteria and precise scoring categories, we provide a formative learning tool that can provide feedback and identify trainee knowledge gaps as well as a summative assessment tool that evaluates trainee performance in image interpretation. We expect this to have a positive impact on trainees and encourage learning and professional development.
Analyzing Cross-Sectionally Clustered Data Using Generalized Estimating Equations:

The presence of clustered data is common in the sociobehavioral sciences. One approach that specifically deals with clustered data but has seen little use in education is the generalized estimating...
QED Mesons, the QED Neutron, and the Dark Matter

Schwinger's boson solution for massless fermions in QED in 1+1D has been applied and generalized to quarks interacting in QED and QCD interactions, leading to stable and confined open-string QED and QCD boson excitations of the quark-QCD-QED system in 1+1D. Just as the open-string QCD excitations in 1+1D can be the idealization of QCD mesons with a flux tube in 3+1D, so the open-string QED excitations in 1+1D may likewise be the idealization of QED mesons with masses in the tens of MeV region, corresponding possibly to the anomalous X17 and E38 particles observed recently. A further search for bound states of quarks interacting in the QED interaction alone leads to the examination on the stability of the QED neutron, consisting of two $d$ quarks and one $u$ quark. Theoretically, the QED neutron has been found to be stable and estimated to have a mass of 44.5 MeV, whereas the analogous QED proton is unstable, leading to a long-lived QED neutron that may be a good candidate for the dark matter.
Mechanistic Enzymology of Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Vitamin A is vital for promotion of general growth, differentiation of epithelial tissues, visual function and reproduction. A connection between vitamin A and cancer was made 70 years ago when it was found that carcinomas of the stomach appeared in albino rats fed a vitamin A deficient diet (Fujimaki, 1926). The history of the carotenoids predates that of vitamin A. However, it was during the subsequent four years that the high vitamin A activity of carotene was demonstrated and its metabolism to vitamin A in the liver documented (for a review see Pawson, 1981). In 1930, Karrer presented a structural assignment for β-carotene and a year later, he proposed a structural formula for vitamin A alcohol (Karrer, 1938; Pawson, 1981).
The Poetry of Carl Rakosi

Having returned to poetry in 1965 after a twenty-five year silence, Carl Rakosi continues to enjoy a chiefly avant-garde reputation. Associating him with the so called Objectivist Group of the thirties, which included Louis Zukofsky, George Oppen and Charles Reznikoff, New Directions brought out a collection of his work, Amulet, in 1967, and his poetry has continued to appear in various little magazines. Like the other members of the group, which was held together more by financial necessity than by a common program, Rakosi has reluctantly ac cepted the Objectivist label. And, also like the others, he has done so because he has been able to interpret the term to suit his own aesthetic inclinations:
Hormonal regulation in in vitro fertilization.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hormonal regulation in in vitro fertilization. In vitro fertilization and embryo transfer represents only one of the rapidly emerging applied advances in reproductive medicine beginning in the late 1950s; these include “the pill” and the intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception and hormones for the infertile requiring gonadal stimulation by gonadotropins, clomiphene citrate, or bromocryptine. In vitro fertilization was first applied to patients with uncorrectable tubal disease; now the indications extend to a variety of disorders such as endometriosis, undiagnosed, diethylstilbestrol (DES), and anovulation. The indications for variations in the basic procedure are also described in the chapter. Insemination of normal females with donor sperm is a procedure used for many years to treat infertility because of inadequate sperm. The same can be done in a program of in vitro fertilization. Several abnormalities obviate harvesting of eggs from the female partner. These include congenital absence of the ovaries, premature menopause, or bilateral oophorectomy. The initial success with in vitro fertilization began with collection of one egg from the single dominant follicle of the natural ovarian/menstrual cycle.
Chapter 28. Applications of NMR Spectroscopy to Protein Structure Determination

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the experimental procedures and computational methods used in the determination of the spatial conformation of protein molecules. Topics such as conformational states and protein dynamics, receptor–ligand interactions, use of NMR and site-directed mutagenesis, and future directions have also been discussed in the chapter. With the advent of high magnetic field spectrometers and two dimensional techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) now compliments crystallography as a means of determining macromolecular conformations. NMR provides the opportunity to study the conformation of proteins in noncrystalline environments, most notably in aqueous solution or in micelles. The emergence of two dimensional NMR methods has greatly simplified this exercise. The NMR data can further be used to define the secondary structure of the protein. Finally, a three-dimensional structure can be determined, using constraints on inter-atomic distances and backbone torsional angles derived from the NMR data. Two-dimensional (2D) NMR methods achieve the necessary simplification, and their use has allowed the three-dimensional structure of proteins up to approximately 10 kDa in size to be solved. At present, it is possible to accurately determine the global polypeptide fold in solution of proteins up to 10 kDa in size, using a combination of NMR spectroscopy and computational methods. Two significant limitations of this approach are its lack of accuracy in the determination of localized structure and size limitation.
The Ideal of the Rule of Law

In this short essay I argue that the ideal of the rule of law is based on the thesis that it is good, morally speaking, to be governed by law. I present a structured argument in support of this thesis, which is not based on any controversial assumptions about the nature of law. Finally, I propose a reply to Raz's argument that the values of the rule are basically functional, and to the extent that there is any moral worth associated with these functional values they are only negative values.
Passive Hemagglutination-Inhibition Test for Typing Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

Abstract In addition to currently used serological tests for the occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a specific „passive” hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) test has been developed as a supplement. Serial twofold dilutions of antiserum (0.05 ml) were mixed with 0.05 ml of a constant concentration of FMDV. After incubating for 30 min at 37 C, agglutinating antibodies were determined by adding 0.1 ml of 2.5% virus-sensitized erythrocytes. The minimum concentration of antiserum required to agglutinate the erythrocytes defined the inhibition in the HAI test. Similar tests using different concentrations of virus to inhibit antibodies were carried out in parallel fashion. The relationship between the logarithm of the HAI titer and the concentration of inhibiting virus was nearly first order (P > 0.25). The slope was used as a measure of the relative specificities of the antigen-antibody interaction and was independent of concentration. The HAI test was type-, subtype-, strain-, and variant-specific with the viral antigens used. In particular, typing was performed directly on bovine antisera.
MONOMERS IN COAL MACROMOLECULES

The objective of this study is to elucidate the nature of the thermally stable monomers released from coal macromolecules upon heating. Although these species represent only a portion of the coal structure which varies with rank, these molecules pay important roles in a variety of coal reactions. These reactions include: pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, and the early stages of liquefaction, gasification and combustion. In addition to characterization of the pyrolysis fragments, the solvent extractable material which may or may not be thermally extractable requires detailed characterization. The approaches used in this study rely on a number of mass spectrometric techniques, including: fast atom bombardment (FAB) MS, laser desorption (LD) time-of-flight MS, and desorption chemical ionization (DCI) MS, along with tandem MS and high resolution (HR) MS. The eight coals from the Argonne Premium Coal Sample Bank are used in this study along with these coals demineralized, and solvent extracted and the extracts themselves. 10 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
E 6 inspired supersymmetric models with exact custodial symmetry

The breakdown of ${E}_{6}$ gauge symmetry at high energies may lead to supersymmetric models based on the standard model gauge group together with extra $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\psi}}$ and $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ gauge symmetries. To ensure anomaly cancellation the particle content of these ${E}_{6}$ inspired models involves extra exotic states that generically give rise to nondiagonal flavor transitions and rapid proton decay. We argue that a single discrete ${\stackrel{\texttildelow{}}{Z}}_{2}^{H}$ symmetry can be used to forbid tree-level flavor changing transitions, as well as the most dangerous baryon and lepton number violating operators. We present $5D$ and $6D$ orbifold grand unified theory constructions that lead to the ${E}_{6}$ inspired supersymmetric models of this type. The breakdown of $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\psi}}$ and $U(1{)}_{\ensuremath{\chi}}$ gauge symmetries that preserves ${E}_{6}$ matter parity assignment guarantees that ordinary quarks and leptons and their superpartners, as well as the exotic states which originate from 27 representations of ${E}_{6}$, survive to low energies. These ${E}_{6}$ inspired models contain two dark matter candidates and must also include additional TeV scale vectorlike lepton or vectorlike down-type quark states to render the lightest exotic quark unstable. We examine gauge coupling unification in these models and discuss their implications for collider phenomenology and cosmology.
Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Photosynthetic Gas Exchange Responses to Irradiance of Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus Altissima) in Contrasting Urban Environments

Sun-and shade-adapted plants of Ailanthus altissima utilized thermal-dissipative photoprotection (NPQ) across a range of photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD), with higher NPQ and lower maximum quantum yield of photosystem 2 photochemistry (Fv/Fm) in sun-adapted individuals, suggesting increased engagement of antennae-based quenching. Photosynthetic quantum requirements (Qreq; number of photons per CO2) were similar in sun and shade plants, but were low and comparable to forest understory species. Diurnal measurements showed that PPFDs in both habitats were consistently above photosynthetic compensation irradiance, and frequently exceeded saturating values. In addition, sun- and shade-adapted individuals possessed stomata that tracked short-term fluctuations in PPFD. Thus A. altissima may be unique in that it couples high, shade-plant like photosynthetic efficiency with high photosynthetic capacity in high-irradiance, while stomatal attributes that optimize water use efficiency are maintained in the shade. These features may contribute to success of A. altissima in establishing in disturbance-prone urban systems, and facilitate its spread into more PPFD-limited and competitive natural ecosystems.
Nuclear Inheritance of Erythromycin Resistance in Human Cells: New Class of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis Mutants

The characterization of two new erythromycin-resistant mutants of HeLa cells is described. The strains ERY2305 and ERY2309 both exhibited resistance to erythromycin in growth assays and cell-free mitochondrial protein synthesis assays. The erythromycin resistance phenotype could not be transferred by cybridization. The mutation appeared to be encoded in the nucleus and inherited as a recessive trait. These two mutants, therefore, represent a new class of erythromycin-resistant mutants in human cells that is distinct from the cytoplasmically inherited mutation in strain ERY2301 described previously.
Resolution Limits of a Negative Refractive Index Lens

The influence of loss in a negative refractive index slab is described using a plane wave expansion. Sensitivity of the decaying fields to small loss has an adverse impact on resolution
The Russian Orthodox Church in the millennium year: What it needs from the Soviet state

The Moscow Patriarchate has made lavish plans to celebrate the thousandth anniversary of the baptism of Kievan Rus' by Prince Vladimir. In July 1987 the Patriarchate opened an information centre where Soviet and foreign journalists could be briefed on the preparations for the "millennium" and receive literature on the position of religion in the USSR. 1 By now the church will have held its local council (Sobor) at the Trinity-St Sergius Lavra in Zagorsk (6-9 June), only the fourth such council in the entire Soviet period (the previous Sobory had been convoked in 1917-18, 1945 and 1971, and on each occasion a new patriarch of the Russian Church had been elected). The main ceremony to mark the millennium will have taken place on 10 June at the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Moscow's Danilov Monastery. Ceremonies have also been planned for Kiev, Leningrad, Minsk and Vladimir, to be attended by delegates to the council as well as by visitors from abroad. Special worship services have been scheduled in all dioceses and parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate. 2 To the untrained Western eye, all of this suggests that religious life is flourishing in the Soviet Union. But unfortunately, appearances can be deceptive. The true status of the Russian Orthodox Church today can be understood only after one has become aware of the legal framework within which the Russian Church must lead its existence. In this context, it is instructive to look at how the state-controlled Soviet press is covering the millennium what are Soviet citizens being told about the event? --:and to com.pare what the press says with the arguments advanced in a number of recent samizdat statements by Orthodox believers.
Energy determination of Cs 137 K conversion electrons

The electrostatic analyzer, previously used to determine the photodisintegration thresholds of deuterium and beryllium, has been used to measure the absolute energy of the $K$-conversion electrons from ${\mathrm{Cs}}^{137}$. A value of 625.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.9 kev was obtained, in agreement with the measurements of others.
Cathodic chronopotentiometry of peroxydisulfate at platinum electrodes

Abstract The electro-reduction of the peroxydisulfate anion has been studied chronopotentiometrically. It was found that two distinct sets of potential oscillations or fluctuations occurred in the wave under certain conditions in the absence of a supporting electrolyte. The effects of electrode pre-treatment, electrode material, pH, and supporting electrolyte on the wave characteristics are described. A possible explanation of the types of reactions involved in the reduction mechanism is proposed.
Carbon-Nitrogen-Oxygen Line Radiation and the X-Ray Bowen Fluorescence Mechanism in Optically Thick, Highly Ionized Media

Radiative transfer effects due to overlapping X-ray lines in a high-temperature, optically thick, highly ionized medium are investigated. One particular example, in which the O VIII Lyalpha doublet (2(sup 2) P(sub 1/2,3/2)-1(sup 2) S(sub 1/2) coincides in frequency with the N VII Lyzeta lines (7(sup 2) P(sub 1/2,3/2)-1(sup 2) S(sub 1/2) is studied in detail to illustrate the effects on the properties of the emergent line spectrum. We solve the radiative transfer equation to study the energy transport of resonance-line radiation in a static, infinite, plane-parallel geometry, which is used to compute the destruction/escape probabilities for each of the lines for various total optical thicknesses of the medium, as well as destruction probabilities by sources of underlying photoelectric opacity. It is found that a large fraction of the O vIII Lyalpha line radiation can be destroyed by N VII, which can result in a reversal of the O VIII Lyalpha/N VII Lyalpha line intensity ratio similar to what may be seen under nonsolar abundances. Photoelectric absorption by ionized carbon and nitrogen can also subsequently increase the emission-line intensities of these ions. We show that line ratios, which are directly proportional to the abundance ratios in optically thin plasmas, are not good indicators of the true CNO abundances. Conversely, global spectral modeling that assumes optically thin conditions may yield incorrect abundance estimates when compared with observations, especially if the optical depth is large. Other potentially important overlapping lines and continua in the X-ray band are also identified, and their possible relevance to recent high-resolution spectroscopic observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton are briefly discussed.
Neutrophils, but not lymphocytes or monocytes, infiltrate maternal systemic vasculature in women with preeclampsia.

Objective: Leukocytes are activated in women with preeclampsia, but the class of leukocytes that infiltrates the maternal vasculature and, therefore, is most likely to cause vascular dysfunction is not known. Methods: Subcutaneous fat biopsies were obtained at Cesarean section or abdominal surgery from 7 normal non-pregnant women, 7 women with normal pregnancies, and 7 women with preeclampsia. Tissues were immunohistochemically stained for CD14, a monocyte/macrophage antigen, CD99, a lymphocyte antigen, and CD66b, a neutrophil antigen. Results: CD14 stained cells were found infiltrated into fat tissue but were not present in vessels for any of the groups. CD99-stained cells were present in approximately 20% to 30% of vessels with no difference among groups. CD66b-stained cells were present in all groups with a significantly greater percentage of vessels stained for preeclamptic than normal pregnant or normal non-pregnant women (70 ± 6 vs. 43 ± 9 vs. 21 ± 5%, respectively, p < 0.01). CD66b cells were the m...
Influence of Doppler sample volume location on the assessment of changes in mitral inflow velocity profiles.

Previous studies that have validated Doppler indexes of mitral inflow have used pulsed wave sample volume locations either at the level of the mitral valve anulus or at the tips of the mitral valve leaflets. Although significant differences between absolute values for peak velocities and velocity time integrals at these sample volume locations have previously been reported, no information exists that has compared changes in inflow profiles after an intervention to improve left ventricular filling. To address this question, 13 patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure, 50 ± 13 mm Hg) caused by chronic thromboembolic disease were studied with use of Doppler echocardiography immediately before and after surgical reduction of pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary vascular resistance decreased from 916 ± 413 to 233 ± 89 dynes · sec · cm 5 ). This clinical model has been shown to have abnormal mitral inflow velocity profiles that improve markedly after surgery. Doppler measures of early and late peak velocities were significantly lower both before and after surgery when sampling at the mitral anulus compared with the leaflet tips, although late filling parameters and the deceleration of early flow velocity tended to differ little. With surgery, the significant increase in peak early velocity and the ratio of early to late velocity was present regardless of the sample volume location (peak E at leaflet tips, 47.1 ± 16.0 to 68.9 ± 15.4 [ p p p
Photonuclear reaction cross sections for 12C, 14N and 16O

Abstract The results of an evaluation of the available photonuclear-reaction data for 12 C, 14 N and 16 O are presented. While some reaction-yield data are given for energies up to 50 MeV, the primary emphasis is on the excitation-energy range extending from the proton separation energies up to 30 MeV. In addition to photodisintegration measurements, cross-section data derived from inverse particle-capture and electrodisintegration experiments are considered. Data are presented in graphical as well as tabular form. Included in the tables are: energy-weighted moments of the cross sections, bremsstrahlung induced reaction-yield data, radioactive-properties of reaction products, and reaction separation energies.
Therabot™: A Robot Therapy Support System in Action

Therabot™ is an assistive-robotic therapy system designed to provide support during counseling sessions and home therapy practice to patients diagnosed with conditions associated with trauma. It has the form factor of a floppy-eared dog with coloring similar to that of a beagle, and comfortably fits in a person's lap.
A cathodic stripping voltammetric method for nanomolar concentrations of labile and total iron and zinc in soil solutions 1

Abstract Linear sweep cathodic stripping voltammetric methods were modified to measure labile and total concentrations of Fe3+ and Zn2+ in the nanomolar range in soil solutions. Labile concentrations of Fe (25–220 nmol/L) and Zn (37–208 nmol/L) were measured in 0.5 mL aliquots of filtered (0.4 μm) distilled water extracts (solution:soil ratio= 1) of four agricultural soils. After decomposition of complexed forms of the metals by evaporation of the solutions in HNO3, total soluble Fe and Zn were measured. Labile Fe comprised approximately 1% of total soluble Fe, while labile Zn comprised 13–43% of total Zn in the four soil solutions. The methods provide a linear range of 5 ‐100 nmol/L and sufficient precision to detect concentrations of labile and total Fe and Zn likely to occur in soil solutions.
When Attention-Getting Advertising Tactics Elicit Consumer Inferences of Manipulative Intent: The Importance of Balancing Benefits and Investments

This research examines two attention-getting tactics commonly used in television advertising and explores how the use of these tactics might sometimes lead consumers to infer that the advertiser is attempting to manipulate the audience. The article explores how inferences of manipulative intent might arise if a consumer's perceptions of personal investments, personal benefits, advertiser's investments, and advertiser's benefits associated with the ad are not in balance. The data show that inferences of manipulative intent are related to measures of personal benefits, personal investments, and advertiser's investments as predicted and that these variables mediate the relationship between the attention-getting tactics and inferences of manipulative intent. Inferences of manipulative intent are found to lower advertising persuasion as measured by ad attitudes, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions.
THE CLASSICAL TURN IN ENLIGHTENMENT STUDIES

Antiquity is back. In some respects, it is surprising it ever went away: for the last forty years, Peter Gay's magisterial survey, which connected the “little flock” of philosophes with “pagan” authors, has loomed large over the field of Enlightenment studies. But shortly after its publication, a methodological sea change pulled the field in an opposite direction. Robert Darnton hailed this rising tide of social and cultural history in a 1971 largely critical review of Gay's two volumes. The hyper-longue duree of Gay's historical panorama, which extended from the age of Virgil to that of Voltaire, was soon to be displaced by more focused inquiries into the history of the book, forms of enlightened sociability, and national difference. Intellectual history, particularly of Gay's epic brand, soon became scarce, despite the lasting presence of Gay's two volumes on bibliographies and course syllabi.