cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional Trade Agreements

Course Overview: This course will analyze in detail the legal structures of regional trade agreements (RTAs), including but not limited to NAFTA. It will review GATT Article XXIV and the economic and policy debate over the spread of RTAs and global vs. regional trade arrangements; discuss key aspects of NAFTA, including tariff elimination, rules of origin, intellectual property, services, the environment and settlement of investment and other disputes, often on a comparative basis with more recent U.S. FTAs. It will also analyze legal and policy issues relating to the Chile and Central American – Dominican Republic – United States FTA, the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and a number of other RTAs. At least one Amock@ investment arbitration exercise is contemplated. Attention will be given, inter alia, to developing U.S. trade policy issues affecting RTAs and to the long-standing dispute between Mexico and the United States over cross-border trucking services.
Direct and immediate drawing with CNC machines

We investigate how the immediate control of computer numerical control (CNC) machines can narrow the design-fabrication gap and combine manual art practice with digital fabrication. LINC (Live Interactive Numeric Control) is a sketch-based digital design tool for authoring 2D or 3D artworks in near-real time. To use LINC, users draw strokes which are then executed in one of three modes---static, manual, or as soon as possible---by either a large-scale or desktop-sized modified CNC router. We evaluate LINC through a study with eight artists.
“Once again, a meth lab exploded and somebody died”: Narratives of volatility and risk in the rural drug war:

Methamphetamine (“meth”) has received a massive amount of media attention in the United States over the last decade. In reporting, journalists, politicians, and police commonly link meth to widespr...
The Constitution and the Public/Private Divide: T. Sareetha vs Venkatasubbaiah

This paper examines the construction of the public/private divide under the Indian Constitution, within the broader debate on the nature, scope, and contours of the right to privacy. It takes as its basis a little-known, now forgotten judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court (T. Sareetha vs Venkatasubbaiah), which struck down Section 9 of the Hindu Marriage Act ("Restitution of conjugal rights") as unconstitutional, on the ground that it violated women's right to privacy (in terms of their decisional autonomy) within marriage, as well as having a disparate and unequal impact upon the lives of wives and husbands. Although T. Sareetha was swiftly overruled by the Supreme Court, this paper attempts to rehabilitate it as a crucial part of the Indian Constitutional canon, arguing that it advanced a transformative vision of the Constitution, one that defined privacy not in terms of spaces, or institutions, but in terms of a right to decisional autonomy within spaces and institutions (the "private sphere") that is commonly believed to be off-limits to State and constitutional intervention. In other words, the judgment in T. Sareetha was an attempt to democratise relationships within the private sphere, and this attempt - I shall argue - conformed both with judicial precedent, as well as with the Constitution's text, structure, and overarching vision of social transformation.
Two Treatments of Pluralism: Canada and the United States

Canada and the United States, while similar in many ways, diverge substantially when it comes to family law. Canada’s marriage and divorce law is national, while the U.S. family law is largely governed by state law. This makes rules in the United States heterogeneous compared to those in Canada, and thus easier to tailor to the preferences of people living in the various states. A more important difference between the two treatments is that Canada supports a diversity of relationships positively (through providing for financial assistance and legal recognition) and through its public policy. The United States, while tolerating most family forms, formally recognizes only marriage and adoption, leaving adults in heterodox relationships to private support or contract. In both these North American jurisdictions, people live in a variety of family forms. While most heterosexual couples marry, some do not. This paper considers the effects of the differing policies on young people in two minority groups, the Quebecois in Canada and African Americans in the United States, both of which groups de facto eschew formal marriage. Both are relatively impoverished groups, and both historically have suffered discrimination and been underrepresented among the national power elites. Yet despite these surface differences, the two groups diverge in terms of the mental health of their youth, and quite notably in terms of the rate at which they commit suicide. This chapter will attempt to portray these similarities and differences as well as propose several reasons for the differing results. Most of my interactions with Juergen Backhaus over the past 20 years stemmed from his editorship of the European Journal of Law and Economics. Some of these involved articles that were for some reason too controversial to find ready acceptance elsewhere.
Abstract 3174: The Impact of Annuloplasty Ring Geometry on Mitral Leaflet Curvature

Objectives Recently, we presented a finite element model describing the contribution of annular non-planarity to leaflet curvature and stress reduction. We hypothesize that annuloplasty ring shape influences leaflet curvature (stress) and potentially repair durability. We describe a novel methodolgy for quantifying mitral leaflet geometry and apply it to the description of mitral leaflet geometry following annuloplasty utilizing two distinct ring types. Methods Epicardial data sets were acquired in 8 adult male sheep at baseline. Four animals then underwent mitral annuloplasty utilizing a 30 mm Physio rindg while the remaining 4 animals underwent mitral annuloplasty utilizing a 30 mm “saddle” ring. Echocardiography was repeated in all animals following annuloplasty. Hybrid three-dimensional renderings were constructed for each cohort with color contouring determined by Gaussian curvature (K), septolateral curvature (K SL ) and intercommissural curvature (K IC ). Results K, K SL and K IC increased across both anterior and posterior leaflets when compared to baseline (Panel A) following implantation of the saddle ring (Panel B). While K IC increased across both anterior and posterior leaflets following implantation of the 30 mm Physio ring (Panel C), K was increased only across the posterior leaflet. and K SL did not increase across any leaflet region. Conclusions Mitral annuloplasty utilizing a custom designed saddle shaped annuloplasty ring augmented K, K SL and K IC across both anterior and posterior leaflets, while that utilizing a Physio ring augmented only K IC . These findings confirm that ring design influences leaflet curvature and potentially repair durabilitiy.
Reliability analysis for design of stake networks to measure glacier surface velocity

Measurement of glacier surface velocity provides some constraint on glacier flow models used to date ice cores recovered near the flow divide of remote high-altitude ice caps. The surface velocity is inferred from the change in position of a network of stakes estimated from the least-squares adjustment of geodetic observations – terrestrial and/or spaced-based – collected approximately 1 year apart. The lack of outliers in and the random distribution of the post-fit observation residuals are regarded as evidence that the observations contain no blunders. However, if the network lacks sufficient geometric redundancy, the estimated stake positions can shift to fit erroneous observations. To determine the maximum size of these potential undetected shifts, given the covariance of the observations and the approximate network geometry, expressions are developed to analyze a network for redundancy number and marginally detectable blunders (internal reliability), and the position shifts from marginally detectable blunders (external reliability). Two stake networks, one on the col of Huascar–n (9°–07'S, 77°–37'W; 6050 m a.s.l.) in the north-central Andes of Peru and one on the Guliya ice cap (35°–17'N, 81°–29'E; 6200 m a.s.l.) on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau in China, are examined for precision and internal and external reliability.
INV-ASKIT: A Parallel Fast Direct Solver for Kernel Matrices

We present a parallel algorithm for computing the approximatefactorization of an N-by-N kernel matrix. Once this factorizationhas been constructed (with N log2 N work), we can solve linearsystems with this matrix with N log N work. Kernel matricesrepresent pairwise interactions of points in metric spaces. Theyappear in machine learning, approximation theory, and computationalphysics. Kernel matrices are typically dense (matrix multiplicationscales quadratically with N) and ill-conditioned (solves can require100s of Krylov iterations). Thus, fast algorithms for matrixmultiplication and factorization are critical for scalability. Recently we introduced ASKIT, a new method, which resembles N-bodymethods, for approximating a kernel matrix. Here weintroduce INV-IASKIT, a factorization scheme based on ASKIT. Wedescribe the new method, derive complexity estimates, and conduct anempirical study of its accuracy and scalability. We report results onreal-world datasets including "COVTYPE" (0.5M points in 54dimensions), "SUSY" (4.5M points in 8 dimensions) and "MNIST"(2M points in 784 dimensions) using shared and distributed memoryparallelism. In our largest run we approximately factorize a densematrix of size 32M × 32M (generated from points in 64dimensions) on 4,096 Sandy-Bridge cores. To our knowledge theseresults improve the state of the art by several orders of magnitude.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Substituted 4,6-Dihydrospiro[[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-b]pyridine-7,3′-indoline]-2′,5(3H)-dione Analogues as Potent NS4B Inhibitors for the Treatment of Dengue Virus Infection

A series of substituted 4,6-dihydrospiro[[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-b]pyridine-7,3'-indoline]-2',5(3H)-dione analogues were synthesized and evaluated as potent dengue virus inhibitors. Throughout a structure-activity relationship exploration on the amide of the indolone moiety, a wide range of substitutions were found to be well tolerated for chemical optimization at this position. Among these compounds, 15 (JMX0254) displayed the most potent and broad inhibitory activities, effective against DENV-1 to -3 with EC50 values of 0.78, 0.16, and 0.035 μM, respectively, while compounds 16, 21, 27-29, 47, and 70 exhibited relatively moderate to high activities with low micromolar to nanomolar potency against all four serotypes. The biotinylated compound 73 enriched NS4B protein from cell lysates in pull-down studies, and the findings together with the mutation investigations further validated dengue NS4B protein as the target of this class of compounds. More importantly, compound 15 exhibited good in vivo pharmacokinetic properties and efficacy in the A129 mouse model, indicating its therapeutic potential against the dengue virus infection as a drug candidate for further preclinical development.
Everyday Technology in Healthcare: An Introduction

The use of digitally enabled technologies facilitating exchange of clinical and administrative healthcare is generally accepted, offering value to all actors operating within healthcare environments. The increasing use of everyday technology within society identifies its multifaceted use, enhancing societal interconnectivity. The actor-network theory model importantly bridges the rise of everyday technology and human participation demonstrating both social and technological facets. Information communication technology (ICT) has become increasingly utilised for information and data transfer in the last decade. This has led to a number of countries implementing and continuously updating ICT systems within healthcare organisations in order to manage and enhance patient safety. R. Rawassizadeh et al. identified the approximate growth of smartwatch sales reaching 214 million by 2018 and penetrating health research since 2014, enabling technical function, supported with acceptability and effectiveness in order to enhance the everyday life of individuals.
The nonlinear effects of firm size on innovation: an empirical investigation

In conventional studies, large firms tend to emphasize more on process innovation than product innovation. This paper explores factors that could indicate a distinct pattern of firms’ innovation-si...
Defining Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Patient Acceptable Symptom State After Isolated Endoscopic Gluteus Medius Repair

Background:Endoscopic surgical repair has become a common procedure for treating patients with gluteus medius tears. However, meaningful clinical outcomes after the procedure have not been defined....
Framing Refuge: Media, Framing, and Sanctuary Cities

The refugee sanctuary movement in the United States has shifted to include undocumented immigrants fleeing violence and economic strife. Given the negative tenor of coverage of undocumented immigra...
Finding the local in locations: Working with GPS non-use in Nairobi

The Nairobi Accident Map crowdsourced traffic accident reports on social media and geocoded them using the landmarks and road names mentioned in social media posts. In doing so, the project centered the agency and local practices of Kenyan social media users.
Whole genome shotgun sequencing detects greater lichen fungal diversity than amplicon-based methods in environmental samples

In this study we demonstrate the utility of whole genome shotgun (WGS) metagenomics in study organisms with small genomes to improve upon amplicon-based estimates of biodiversity and microbial diversity in environmental samples for the purpose of understanding ecological and evolutionary processes. We generated a database of full-length and near-full-length ribosomal DNA sequence complexes from 273 lichenized fungal species and used this database to facilitate fungal species identification in the southern Appalachian Mountains using low coverage WGS at higher resolution and without the biases of amplicon-based approaches. Using this new database and methods herein developed, we detected between 2.8 and 11 times as many species from lichen fungal propagules by aligning reads from WGS-sequenced environmental samples compared to a traditional amplicon-based approach. We then conducted complete taxonomic diversity inventories of the lichens in each one-hectare plot to assess overlap between standing taxonomic diversity and diversity detected based on propagules present in environmental samples (i.e., the "potential" of diversity). From the environmental samples, we detected 94 species not observed in organism-level sampling in these ecosystems with high confidence using both WGS and amplicon-based methods. This study highlights the utility of WGS sequence-based approaches in detecting hidden species diversity and demonstrates that amplicon-based methods likely miss important components of fungal diversity. We suggest that the adoption of this method will not only improve understanding of biotic constraints on the distributions of biodiversity but will also help to inform important environmental policy.
Processing Noisy Vibration Responses of Dynamic Structural Flight Data: Single or Multichannel Approach?

Sounding rockets provide both a viable and convenient alternative to more costly vehicular flights with one of the major objectives being to test various types of sensors for monitoring components of high interest as well as developing real-time signal processing techniques. Signal processing, especially in real-time, presents an extreme challenge in this noisy flight or at sea environments. The estimation and tracking of modal frequencies from vibrating structures is the an important set of features that can provide information about the components under test; therefore, high resolution multichannel spectral processing is required. In this paper we discuss the application of both single/multichannel techniques that can be applied to solve this challenging problem in the case of noisy, uncertain accelerometer measurements.
Reducing Transfers among Long-Stay Nursing Facility Residents to Acute Care Settings: Effect of the 2013‒2016 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Initiative

Abstract Objectives From 2013 to 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents (“the Initiative”) tested a series of clinical interventions and care models, through organizations called Enhanced Care and Coordination Providers (ECCPs), with the goal of reducing avoidable inpatient hospital admissions among long-stay nursing home residents. We identify the effect of the Initiative on the probability and count of acute care transfers [capturing any transfer to the hospital, including hospitalizations (inpatient stays), emergency department visits, and observation stays]. Design We evaluate the effect of the Initiative on the probability and count of all-cause acute care transfers and potentially avoidable acute care transfers and estimate the average effect of the Initiative per resident per year. Setting and Participants We use 2011–2016 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Minimum Data Set, version 3.0, nursing home resident assessments linked with Medicare eligibility and enrollment data and Medicare inpatient and outpatient hospital claims. Our sample is limited to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in participating ECCP facilities and a comparison group of long-stay nursing facility residents. Methods We evaluate the effect of the Initiative on both the probability and count of all-cause acute care transfers and potentially avoidable acute care transfers using difference-in-differences regression models controlling for both resident-level clinical and demographic characteristics as well as facility-level characteristics. Results We found statistically significant evidence of a reduction in both the probability and count of all-cause and potentially avoidable acute care transfers among long-stay nursing facility residents who participated in the Initiative, relative to comparison group residents. Conclusions and Implications The clinical interventions and care models implemented by the ECCPs show that by using staff education, facility leadership and physician engagement, and/or clinical assessment and treatment of residents who experienced a change in condition, it is possible to reduce acute care transfers of nursing facility residents. This could lead to better outcomes and reduced cost of care for this vulnerable patient population.
Preparing for medical decision-making in response to concerns about suffering in children with severe neurologic impairment.

Recognition and mitigation of suffering is central to pediatric care, including the care of children with severe neurologic impairment (SNI). Medical decision-making for children with SNI often occurs in response concerns about suffering-whether in the present state or regarding concerns about potential suffering in the future. While discussion of suffering in this context may be widespread, fixing a precise definition can be challenging.
How did the world's poorest fare in the 1990s ?

Drawing on data from 265 national sample surveys spanning 83 countries, the authors find that there was a net decrease in the total incidence of consumption poverty between 1987 and 1998. But it was not enough to reduce the total number of poor people, by various definitions. The incidence of poverty fell in Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, changed little in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, and rose in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The two main proximate causes of the disappointing rate of poverty reduction: too little economic growth in many of the poorest countries, and persistent inequalities (in both income and other essential measures) that kept the poor from participating in the growth that did occur.
Maternity Care Preferences for Future Pregnancies Among United States Childbearers: The Impacts of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted maternity care decisions, including plans to change providers or delivery location due to pandemic-related restrictions and fears. A relatively unexplored question, however, is how the pandemic may shape future maternity care preferences post-pandemic. Here, we use data collected from an online convenience survey of 980 women living in the United States to evaluate how and why the pandemic has affected women's future care preferences. We hypothesize that while the majority of women will express a continued interest in hospital birth and OB/GYN care due to perceived safety of medicalized birth, a subset of women will express a new interest in out-of-hospital or "community" care in future pregnancies. However, factors such as local provider and facility availability, insurance coverage, and out-of-pocket cost could limit access to such future preferred care options. Among our predominately white, educated, and high-income sample, a total of 58 participants (5.9% of the sample) reported a novel preference for community care during future pregnancies. While the pandemic prompted the exploration of non-hospital options, the reasons women preferred community care were mostly consistent with factors described in pre-pandemic studies, (e.g. a preference for a natural birth model and a desire for more person-centered care). However, a relatively high percentage (34.5%) of participants with novel preference for community care indicated that they expected limitations in their ability to access these services. These findings highlight how the pandemic has potentially influenced maternity care preferences, with implications for how providers and policy makers should anticipate and respond to future care needs.
Social and Political Freedom: A Pastoral Theological Perspective—Part I

Pastoral theology can contribute to the discourse on social-political freedom. More specifically, the concepts of care and faith—theologically, existentially, and psychologically understood—provide an innovative and illuminating perspective on the notions of social and political freedoms as well as how they are related. A focus on the dynamics of faith and care vis-a-vis freedom, for instance, also renders a diagnosis of the social-political pathologies of neoliberal capitalism with its atomization of human beings, distortion of accountability, and exploitation of human beings and the earth. To move in this direction, part I of this paper offers a brief overview of some of the salient features of discourses on political freedom in the West, namely, justice, equality, rights, reason, and agency. Noticeably absent is any connection between political freedom and civic care and civic faith. This sets the stage, then, for a discussion on care and faith vis-a-vis social and political freedom, which is developed in part II of this paper. Part II, which will appear in the next issue of this journal, develops a view of freedom relying first on the pre-political space of parent–child interactions and how they relate to the child’s emerging experience of and capacity for social freedom. Once this is developed, I shift to differentiating between social and political freedoms, which allows me to reimagine political freedom in terms of the dynamics of care and faith.
Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts. II. Role of electron transfer.

Abstract Isolated chloroplasts, upon illumination, undergo a cyclic peroxidation causing degradation of chlorophyll and tri-unsaturated fatty acids, and production of malondialdehyde. The role of electron transport in this process has now been investigated. Electron transport cofactors (potassium ferricyanide, manganous ion, phenazine methosulfate, and dichlorophenol indolphenol) inhibit malondialdehyde production. As pH increases, the linear rate of peroxidation increases concurrently with decreased activity of photosystem II reaching a maximum at pH 8.8. Only noncyclic cofactors manifest a marked pH dependence. Phenazine methosulfate retards loss of tri-unsaturated fatty acids of illuminated chloroplasts. Antioxidants (butylated hydroxytoluene, sodium ascorbate, purified β-carotene, α-tocopherol) inhibit, while bivalent ions (cupric, cobaltous) stimulate, consistent with the occurrence of a cyclic peroxidation. The results suggest that at high light intensities, overloading of the chlorophyll collection system results in energy being channeled into destructive cyclic peroxidation processes involving the membrane fatty acids. Acceleration of electron flow, e.g., by adding cofactors, simulates an “antioxidant” action perhaps by either removing the excess energy by electron transport or by direct inhibition of the peroxidation process.
Organometalloidal derivatives of the transition metals : V. A 1,2-alkyl shift from lead to a transition metal

Abstract The complexes (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO) 2 PbR 3 (R = Me and Et) have been synthesized and characterized. The trimethyllead complex is extremely labile with respect to thermal and photochemical decomposition that leads to the formation of (Me) 4 Pb, Pb, and (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO) 2 Me. This new type of methyl transfer from Pb to Fe does not occur for the triethyllead complex thermally, but does occur to a limited extent photochemically, and helps explain certain zinc treatments for removal of organolead compounds from industrial effluents.
On some sequencing problems

Abstract : The (mxn) sequencing problem may be characterized as follows: There are m machines which can produce a piece consisting of n parts. Each part has a determined order in which it is processed through the machines. It is assumed that each machine cannot deal with more than one part at a time and that the processing required for each part can be accomplished only on one machine. The problem is to find the best production plan consisting in sequencing the different parts so as to make the whole amount of time from the beginning of work till the piece is completed the shortest possible. Such a plan is called an optimum one. In the first 4 sections of this paper, the problem (2xn) is solved for the (2xn) case in which the order in which parts come on the machine is not constrained by futher assumptions. The remainder of the paper then takes up: i, the (3xn) problem of Bellman-Johnson (viz. the technological processing order through the machine is the same for all parts), for several new special cases; ii, the 2xn problem of sequencing when delay times must also be considered; and, iii, some properties of an approximating method for solving (mxn) problems including a delineation of cases when the approximating method will yield optimal solutions.
SEROLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PATHOGENIC FUNGI BY MEANS OF FLUORESCENT ANTIBODIES I. Antigenic Relationships between Yeast and Mycelial Forms of Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis

Kaufman, Leo (Communicable Disease Center, Atlanta, Ga.) and William Kaplan. Serological characterization of pathogenic fungi by means of fluorescent antibodies. I. Antigenic relationships between yeast and mycelial forms of Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis. J. Bacteriol. 85:986–991. 1963.—Four antiglobulins prepared against the yeast and mycelial forms of Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. Cross-staining and adsorption techniques enabled the discernment of five antigenic factors in the fungi studied. The yeast-phase cells of H. capsulatum and B. dermatitidis contained the respective distinct antigens B and D, and a common factor E. In addition, the yeast-phase cells of these two species shared antigen C with the mycelial elements of H. capsulatum. The mycelial cells of H. capsulatum and B. dermatitidis shared antigen A with the yeast-phase cells of these two organisms and contained no distinct antigens.
Sustainable urban water supply in south India: Desalination, efficiency improvement, or rainwater harvesting?

[1] Indian megacities face severe water supply problems owing to factors ranging from growing population to high municipal pipe leakage rates; no Indian city provides 24/7 water supply. Current approaches to addressing the problem have been “utility centric,” overlooking the significance of decentralized activities by consumers, groundwater extraction via private wells, and aquifer recharge by rainwater harvesting. We propose a framework that makes it possible to evaluate a wider range of centralized and decentralized policies than previously considered. The framework was used to simulate water supply and demand in a simulation model of Chennai, India. Three very different policies, supply augmentation, efficiency improvement, and rainwater harvesting, were evaluated using the model. The model results showed that none of the three policies perfectly satisfied our criteria of efficiency, reliability, equity, financial viability, and revenue generation. Instead, a combination of rainwater harvesting and efficiency improvement best meets these criteria.
Music in Lubavitcher Life

Music in Lubavitcher Life. Ellen Koskoff. Champagne: University of Illinois Press, 2001. 225 pp.
On the global dynamics of attractors for scalar delay equations

A semi-conjugacy from the dynamics of the global attractors for a family of scalar delay differential equations with negative feedback onto the dynamics of a simple system of ordinary differential equations is constructed. The construction and proof are done in an abstract setting, and hence, are valid for a variety of dynamical systems which need not arise from delay equations. The proofs are based on the Conley index theory. INSTITUTE FOR DYNAMICS, UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45221-0025 E-mail address: chris .mccorduc .edu CENTER FOR DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS AND NONLINEAR STUDIES, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECH- NOLOGY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30332 E-mail address: mischaikfmath.gatech.edu This content downloaded from 157.55.39.27 on Wed, 07 Sep 2016 05:19:39 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Cl- fluxes related to fluid secretion by the rat parotid: involvement of Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange

Muscarinic-induced 36Cl- and 86Rb+ (K+ substitute) fluxes were studied in rat parotid acini. Stimulation resulted in a rapid [half time (t1/2) less than 30 s] decrease in both Cl- and Rb+ content (approximately 50 and 30%, respectively) followed by a slower partial recovery (t1/2 approximately 3-4 min) to approximately 80% of resting levels for both ions. Cl- loss was inhibited by the venom of Leiurus quinquestriatus, which contains the maxi-K+ channel blocker charybdotoxin. Cl- recovery was blunted in the presence of bumetanide, an inhibitor of Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- cotransport, or on HCO3- removal and was completely blocked in the presence of bumetanide and 4,4' diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2' disulfonic acid (DIDS), an inhibitor of Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange. In HCO3(-)-containing medium a rapid (t1/2 less than 1 min), DIDS-inhibitable cytoplasmic alkalinization (approximately 0.4 pH unit) was observed in acini switched to a Cl(-)-free solution. This alkalinization was not seen in HCO3(-)-free medium but persisted in the absence of Na+, consistent with the presence of a potent Na(+)-independent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger. Kinetic studies indicated that the half-maximal effect of this exchanger for extracellular Cl- was approximately 18 mM. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that secretagogue-induced KCl loss by salivary acinar cells occurs via electrically coupled K+ and Cl- channels. In addition, they provide strong evidence that Cl- entry into, and thus fluid secretion by, these cells is mediated by both Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange and Na(+)-K(+)-Cl- cotransport.
Preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) below 10 μg/L predicts neither the presence of prostate cancer nor the rate of postoperative PSA failure

Recent information on the relationship of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to prostate cancer and new reports on death rates in men warrant a reassessment of how we diagnose and treat prostate cancer. We now know for the first time that the annual death rate from prostate cancer in men ≥65 years of age is only 226 per 100 000 men. At least 40 000 of 100 000 men over age 65 (40%) have invasive prostate cancer as judged by examination of prostates in 3- to 4-mm step-sections. Thus, only 1 of every 177 men 65 years of age or older (226 in 40 000) with invasive prostate cancer dies annually from his cancer. Serum PSA between 2 and 10 μg/L is used almost universally as an indication to biopsy the prostate. When 10–20 biopsies are commonly taken, it is not surprising that ∼40% of men are biopsy-positive for prostate cancer. Despite this reliance on serum PSA as an indication for biopsy, data at Stanford show no clinically useful relationship between preoperative serum PSA (in the range 2–10 mg/L) and the volume of Gleason grade 4/5 cancer or the volume of Gleason grades 3, 2, and 1 cancer, nor can we show any useful relationship of such preoperative PSA concentrations (2–10 μg/L) to biochemical PSA failure rates after radical prostatectomy. We urgently need a better serum marker for prostate cancer. Because PSA biochemical failure rates after radical prostatectomy are directly proportional to the amount of Gleason grade 4/5 cancer in the prostate, a serum marker of Gleason grade 4/5 carcinoma could be ideal.
The Americanization of the British National Health Service.

Prologue: Since the release of its much-discussed White Paper, Working for Patients , in 1989, the British government has been quietly going about the business of reforming its National Health Service (NHS). Three major changes proposed in that document, and implemented since then, are (1) to create an internal market to separate the financing of care from its provision; (2) to set hospitals up as self-governing trusts with budgetary autonomy and the ability to sell services to various purchasers; and (3) to establish general practitioners (GPs) as fundholders on behalf of their patients. The chief criticism of the reforms on the part of physicians and Labor Party liberals was that the NHS was being privatized and commercialized beyond recognition. Observers in the United States watched with interest as the British moved to “Americanize” their venerable NHS, in the words of David Mechanic. In this paper Mechanic, long a participant-observer of and commentator on the US. health care system, transfers his m...
Defending symbolic convergence theory from an imaginary Gunn

(2003). Defending symbolic convergence theory from an imaginary Gunn. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 89, No. 4, pp. 366-372.
Post-Newtonian gravitational radiation and equations of motion via direct integration of the relaxed einstein equations. V. Evidence for the strong equivalence principle to second post-Newtonian order

Using post-Newtonian equations of motion for fluid bodies valid to the second post-Newtonian order, we derive the equations of motion for binary systems with finite-sized, nonspinning but arbitrarily shaped bodies. In particular we study the contributions of the internal structure of the bodies (such as self-gravity) that would diverge if the size of the bodies were to shrink to zero. Using a set of virial relations accurate to the first post-Newtonian order that reflect the stationarity of each body, and redefining the masses to include 1PN and 2PN self-gravity terms, we demonstrate the complete cancellation of a class of potentially divergent, structure-dependent terms that scale as ${s}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and ${s}^{\ensuremath{-}5/2}$, where $s$ is the characteristic size of the bodies. This is further evidence of the strong equivalence principle, and supports the use of post-Newtonian approximations to derive equations of motion for strong-field bodies such as neutron stars and black holes. This extends earlier work done by Kopeikin.
Optical and mechanical properties of zinc sulphide diamond composites

Abstract Pure ZnS, an infrared transparent but mechanically weak material, was toughened with diamond particles. The optical properties of the pure material were preserved in the composite when the diamond particles were uniformly dispersed. Careful control of the hot pressing parameters was required in order to: (a) limit the phase transformation to a non-cubic phase of ZnS at high temperatures, and (b) maintain a small grain size. Measurement of the reflectivity of this composite in the region of the lattice vibration spectrum was used to compare the measured electrodynamic properties with those predicted by two differential theoretical models that assume different microstructural morphology. Good agreement was found with the Bruggemann model that assumes both components in the composite have the same type of interconnectedness. The mechanical properties of the 10% diamond composite showed a two fold increase in toughness without a change in the hardness with respect to pure ZnS. The bulk modulus and the shear modulus of the composite were measured and were found in agreement with a composite sphere model that assumes a good interfacial bonding between ZnS and diamond. The increase in toughness was explained in terms of the lowering of the local stress intensity factor (relative to the applied value) in the presence of diamond particles.
Review: Screening and treating asymptomatic adults with carotid artery stenosis lead to no net benefit

Source Citation Jonas DE, Feltner C, Amick HR, et al. Screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Inte...
When buildings don't work: The role of architecture in human health.

Abstract We spend upwards of 90% of our lives within buildings, yet we know much more about the effects of ambient environmental conditions on human health than we do about how buildings affect our health. This article employs the heuristic of psychological stress to generate a taxonomy of architectural dimensions that may affect human health. Specific interior design elements illustrating each of these architectural dimensions are provided. There is little existing evidence that specific design features directly impact human health. The aim of this article is to provoke further thinking and research on this possibility. @ 1998 Academic Press
Electroejaculation Versus Vibratory Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injured Men: Sperm Quality and Patient Preference

AbstractPurpose: We compared semen quality and patient preference between penile vibratory stimulation and electroejaculation in spinal cord injured men.Materials and Methods: We treated 11 spinal cord injured men with penile vibratory stimulation and electroejaculation in random order. End points examined were semen analysis, sperm functional assessment, and patient pain scores (1 to 10) and preferred procedure. Differences between the procedures were determined with the paired Student t test.Results: There was no difference in antegrade sperm count but penile vibratory stimulation specimens had greater motility (26.0 versus 10.7%), viability (25.2 versus 9.7%) and motile sperm count (185.0 x 106 versus 97.0 x 106). The retrograde sperm count was greater (but not significant) in electroejaculation patients. The total (antegrade plus retrograde) and motile sperm counts were not different. There was no difference in immunobead test (all negative), cervical mucus penetration or sperm penetration assay, alth...
Load compensating responses of human abdominal muscles.

1. We studied abdominal muscle responses to positive pressure loads applied suddenly to the external airway while subjects held a constant lung volume against steady pressure. The pre-loading holding pressure was 6 cm H(2)O, and the loading pressures were 6 or 12 cm H(2)O lasting for 2 sec.2. Surface electromyograms (e.m.g.) were recorded over the internal oblique, external oblique, and rectus abdominis muscles. The latency and pattern of the e.m.g. reactions were studied by measuring the raw record for each loading trial, and by averaging the rectified e.m.g. for many trials.3. No responses were obtained if subjects were instructed not to respond to the loads. When instructed and trained to maintain their pre-load position in spite of the load, a two-phase compensatory response was found. The initial response (phase I) was 100-300 msec in duration; it was followed by a continuous e.m.g. discharge (phase II) which continued to the offset of the pressure load. Subjects were also trained to make a single respiratory effort as quickly as possible after the load onset or after just an auditory stimulus. These were simple reaction time tasks of a traditional kind and the e.m.g. responses elicited were single, brief bursts.4. For all subjects and experimental conditions the e.m.g. response of the internal oblique occurred first, followed by the external oblique and then the rectus abdominis. For the ;maintain position' task, phase I latencies (internal oblique) averaged 66-90 msec for individual subjects, but for single trials with optimal conditions of practice and preparatory intervals these ranged from 42 to 110 msec with a third of the reactions occurring within 50-60 msec.5. The latencies for reaction time responses to loading were about 6 msec shorter than the phase I latencies. The latency distributions for the two types of responses were similar, and both were affected to the same degree by practice, and changing the length and variability of the preparatory interval. Because of these similarities we suggest that the phase I reaction was a learned response of a ;simple reaction time' type, and not comparable to late stretch reflexes such as the M2 of limb muscles.6. Arm muscle responses to respiratory pressure changes were measured in three subjects under identical conditions used to obtain load reaction times of abdominal muscles. These simple reaction times averaged 61-71 msec, and ranged from 42 to 97 msec. Therefore very short proprioceptive reaction times are not peculiar to the respiratory system, or to load perturbations of the responding muscle.7. Mechanical adjustments of airway pressure and lung volume in response to loading are first expressed at the mouth about 90 msec after abdominal muscle activity begins. In the ;maintain position' task, the accuracy with which pressure and volume adjustments were made during the last 1.5 sec of the loading period approximated that reported in the literature for trained singers holding a tone using constant expiratory pressure.
The molecular genetics of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: the beginning of the end?

The Banbury Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, PO Box ,534, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA. In 1966 MacFarlane Burnet wrote that moleculzr biology, far from being a benefit, might even be an 'evil thing' for medicinel; but this was before the development of recom- binant DNA techniques began to revolutionize our knowledge and understanding of human inherited disorders. Progress has been extraordinarily rapid, and the most remarkable example comes from studies of the X-linked disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD has been the subject of intensive research for over 20 years, but the results have been contradictory 2 and none sufficiently compelling to decide among the various theories that have been pro- posed to account for its pathogen- esis. The pace of recent discoveries in the molecular genetics of DMD can be judged from the fact that although Monaco and Kunkel s reviewed this research in Trends in Genetics as recently as February 1987, there has been an outpouring of papers since July 1987, when cloning of the DMD cDNA was reported. No less than seven papers 4-1° appeared in the space of two weeks in Nature, Cell, Science and The EMBO Journal, and in the last weeks of 1987, Kunkel's group described the expression of the DMD gene in cultured cells 1~, the isolation of the DMD protein
Dispersion index: Measuring trend assessment of geographical inequality in health—The example of under-five mortality in the Middle East/North African region, 1980–1994

A Dispersion Index for the measurement of geographical inequality in the distribution of health status indicators across space and time is proposed. The Dispersion Index is computed independently of the mean and is robust to changes in distributional shape over time. Therefore, the Dispersion Index is shown to possess more desirable statistical properties as compared to the coefficient of variation for assessing trends in the geographical distribution of health status indicators. Application of the Dispersion Index to the 1994 under-five mortality data from the Middle East/North African region shows that regional inequality in the distribution of under-five mortality was reduced by 47% as compared to 1980. Curve-fitting illustrated that the trend in the Dispersion Index values was non-monotonic from 1980 through 1994. We suggest that apart from the World Summit for Children's under-five mortality target for the year 2000, intraregional targets to reduce geographical inequalities in under-five mortality should be specified. We also suggest that changes in the magnitude of the Dispersion Index be used for the assessment of progress made by a region or nation in achieving the specified numerical targets. From a policy perspective, the Dispersion Index has the potential to be useful in the evaluation of specific health strategies designed to reduce intraregional geographical inequality in the distribution of health status indicators within a specified period.
Comparison of the amblyopia treatment study hotv and electronic-early treatment of diabetic retinopathy study visual acuity protocols in children aged 5 to 12 years

Abstract Purpose To compare two established visual acuity protocols: the Amblyopia Treatment Study HOTV (ATS HOTV) visual acuity protocol and the Electronic-Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (E-ETDRS) protocol, in children aged 5 to 12 years. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Crowded HOTV optotypes and crowded ETDRS optotypes were presented to 236 consecutive children aged 5 to 12 years using an electronic visual acuity tester (Palm handheld, personal computer, and monitor). Twenty-three percent of the children were classified as amblyopic, 35% as having uncorrected refractive error, 36% as normal, and 6% as other. Visual acuity test results were converted to logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) units for analysis. Results In developmentally normal children (n = 230), testability was 100% for HOTV in 5- to 12-year-olds and 100% for E-ETDRS in 7- to 12-year-olds. The E-ETDRS testing could be completed in 52% of 5-year-olds and in 87% of 6-year-olds. Visual acuity performance was better when measured by HOTV compared with E-ETDRS (median difference 0.06 logMAR [three letters on a chart with five letters/line], P = .0001), and the difference was found in normal eyes, eyes with refractive error, and amblyopic eyes. Conclusions The ATS HOTV protocol yields slightly better visual acuity performance compared with E-ETDRS in 5- to 12-year-olds, but on average by less than a logMAR level. This systematic difference is important when a physician changes testing modality as a child matures and should be considered when interpreting the results of recent and ongoing clinical trials in amblyopia.