cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adolescence Is a Sensitive Period for Housing Mobility to Influence Risky Behaviors: An Experimental Design.

Abstract Purpose Test whether neighborhood mobility effects on adolescent risky behaviors varies at different developmental ages and gender. Methods The Moving to Opportunity (MTO) study randomly assigned volunteer families (1994–1997) to receive a Section 8 voucher to move to lower poverty neighborhoods versus a public housing control group. We tested three-way treatment, gender, and age-at-randomization interactions using intent-to-treat linear regression predicting a risky behavior index (RBI; measured in 2002, N = 2,829), defined as the fraction of 10 behaviors the youth reported (six measuring risky substance use [RSU], four measuring risky sexual behavior), and the RSU and risky sexual behavior subscales. Results The treatment main effect on RBI was nonsignificant for girls (B = −.01, 95% confidence interval −.024 to .014) and harmful for boys (B = .03, 95% confidence interval .009 to .059; treatment-gender interaction p = .01). The treatment, gender, and age interaction was significant for RBI ( p = .02) and RSU ( p ≤ .001). Treatment boys 10 years or older at randomization were more likely ( p p Conclusions Moving families of boys aged 10 years or older with rental vouchers may have adverse consequences on risky behaviors but may be beneficial for girls' substance use. Developmental windows are different by gender for the effects of improving neighborhood contexts on adolescent risky behavior.
Novel Approaches in Mixture Modeling

This special issue of Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal focuses on advances in finite mixture modeling. Finite mixture models are an exciting class of statistical models for...
Preclinical Evidence That 5-HT1B Receptor Agonists Show Promise as Medications for Psychostimulant Use Disorders

Background 5-HT1B receptor agonists enhance cocaine intake during daily self-administration sessions but decrease cocaine intake when tested after prolonged abstinence. We examined if 5-HT1B receptor agonists produce similar abstinence-dependent effects on methamphetamine intake. Methods Male rats were trained to self-administer methamphetamine (0.1 mg/kg, i.v.) on low (fixed ratio 5 and variable ratio 5) and high (progressive ratio) effort schedules of reinforcement until intake was stable. Rats were then tested for the effects of the selective 5-HT1B receptor agonist, CP 94,253 (5.6 or 10 mg/kg), or the less selective but clinically available 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonist, zolmitriptan (10 mg/kg), on methamphetamine self-administration both before and after a 21-day forced abstinence period during which the rats remained in their home cages. Results The inverted U-shaped, methamphetamine dose-response function for intake on the fixed ratio 5 schedule was shifted downward by CP 94,253 both before and after abstinence. The CP 94,253-induced decrease in methamphetamine intake was replicated in rats tested on a variable ratio 5 schedule, and the 5-HT1B receptor antagonist SB 224,289 (10 mg/kg) reversed this effect. CP 94,253 also attenuated methamphetamine intake on a progressive ratio schedule both pre- and postabstinence. Similarly, zolmitriptan attenuated methamphetamine intake on a variable ratio 5 schedule both pre- and postabstinence, and the latter effect was sustained after each of 2 more treatments given every 2 to 3 days prior to daily sessions. Conclusions Unlike the abstinence-dependent effect of 5-HT1B receptor agonists on cocaine intake reported previously, both CP 94,253 and zolmitriptan decreased methamphetamine intake regardless of abstinence. These findings suggest that 5-HT1B receptor agonists may have clinical efficacy for psychostimulant use disorders.
Clevidipine versus sodium nitroprusside in acute aortic dissection: A retrospective chart review☆

Abstract Aim Intravenous vasodilators are often added to beta-blocking agents to reach blood pressure (BP) goals in aortic dissection. Control of BP using clevidipine has been described in hypertensive emergencies and cardiac surgery but not in aortic dissection. The aim of this study was to compare clevidipine versus sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as adjunct agents to esmolol for BP management in aortic dissection. Methods A single-center retrospective chart review evaluated patients diagnosed with aortic dissection. The primary outcome measure was time to reach patient specific systolic blood pressure (SBP PT ) goals after initiation of esmolol infusion. Efficacy of clevidipine and SNP was assessed using area under the curve analysis of positive and negative excursions outside of SBP PT goals (AUC SBPe ). Cost data was calculated using average wholesale price in U.S. dollars. Results Fourteen patients were included in final analyses. Median systolic BP immediately prior to initiation of esmolol was 162 mm Hg vs 161 mm Hg for clevidipine and SNP groups, respectively (p = 0.99). Median time to reach SBP PT goal was similar between clevidipine and SNP (1.68 versus 1.03 h [p = 0.99]). Median AUC SBPe was similar for clevidipine and SNP (206.9 versus 538.9 mm Hg ∗ min ∗ hr − 1 [p = 0.11]). Cost was significantly reduced using clevidipine versus SNP ($1223.28/day versus $7674.24/day [p Conclusions Clevidipine administration during initial medical management of aortic dissection showed similar efficacy compared to SNP when used as adjunct therapy to esmolol. These data suggest clevidipine is a less costly, reasonable alternative to SNP in acute aortic dissection as adjunct therapy to esmolol. Further studies are needed to validate these results.
Climate Change Effects on Respiratory Health: Implications for Nursing.

Purpose Greenhouse gases are driving climate change. This article explores the adverse health effects of climate change on a particularly vulnerable population: children and adults with respiratory conditions. Approach This review provides a general overview of the effects of increasing temperatures, extreme weather, desertification, and flooding on asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, and respiratory infections. We offer suggestions for future research to better understand climate change hazards, policies to support prevention and mitigation efforts targeting climate change, and clinical actions to reduce individual risk. Findings and Conclusions Climate change produces a number of changes to the natural and built environments that may potentially increase respiratory disease prevalence, morbidity, and mortality. Nurses might consider focusing their research efforts on reducing the effects of greenhouse gases and in directing policy to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. Nurses can also continue to direct educational and clinical actions to reduce risks for all populations, but most importantly, for our most vulnerable groups. Clinical Relevance While advancements have been made in understanding the impact of climate change on respiratory health, nurses can play an important role in reducing the deleterious effects of climate change. This will require a multipronged approach of research, policy, and clinical action.
Time-Resolved Measurement of Deformation of Metal Plates Due to High-Velocity Impacts

Abstract A methodology is presented for analysing the rear surface deformation of metal plates impacted at ordnance velocities to hypervelocities. Ultra-high-speed imaging and Photonic Doppler Velocimetry are used concurrently to provide a real-time, quantitative description of the plate bulge development and morphology. The utility of the described approach is demonstrated through time-resolved terminal ballistic experiments on metal plates impacted by copper spheres at 2200 m/s. The rear surface damage evolution was evaluated for projectile diameter to target thickness ratios of 1 and 2. The impactor diameter was held constant at 6.4 mm and two different plate thicknesses of approximately 3.2 and 6.4 mm were examined. The target materials included rolled homogenous armour (RHA) steel, titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, aluminium alloy Al-6061-T6, and magnesium alloy Mg-AZ31B-H24.
Semi-Supervised Prediction of Comorbid Rare Conditions Using Medical Claims Data

Medical insurance claims data offer a coarse view of a patient's medical profile, including information about previous diagnoses and procedures performed. These data have been exploited in the past to predict presence of unmanifested conditions. Rarer conditions however, provide an extremely limited amount of ground truth to train supervised models, but predicting relevant co-morbidities can help reduce failure to rescue from a treatable, yet potentially life threatening condition. In this paper, we aim at a formidable task of improving models built to predict comorbidity of rare conditions that emerge during hospitalization and present PreCoRC, a novel approach that leverages hierarchical structures of diagnosis and procedure codes to alleviate the relatively low prevalence of specific types of Failure to Rescue (FTR) incidents. It can be applied post-hoc over previously learnt predictive models, and used to discover parts of the underlying hierarchies that contribute to the task. Our experimental results demonstrate that PreCoRC carries promise for operational utility in clinical settings, and offer insights into potential leading indicators of life threatening complications.
Catalytic post-modification of alkene polymers: Chemistry and kinetics of dehydrogenation of alkene polymers and oligomers with pincer Ir complexes

Abstract The paper presents details of catalytic dehydrogenation reactions of two high molecular weight, highly branched hydrocarbons, a polymer of 1-hexene and an oligomer of 1-butene, and describes kinetic analysis of these reactions. The dehydrogenation reactions were catalyzed with two pincer Ir complexes, [4-methoxy-2,6-C6H3(CH2P-tert-Bu2)2]IrH2 and [4-methoxy-2,6-C6H2(CH2P-iso-Pr2)2]IrH2, and were carried out at 150 °C in p-xylene solutions with norbornene as a hydrogen acceptor. The structure of all dehydrogenation reaction products and the Ir species was determined by 1H and 31P NMR. Mechanistically, these reactions are similar to dehydrogenation reactions of low molecular weight alkanes. Kinetic analysis of the reactions yielded the values of effective rate constants for all major reaction steps in the catalytic cycle. The results show that catalytic dehydrogenation of branched polymers in the presence of an alkene hydrogen acceptor is feasible at increased temperatures and represents a viable route to post-synthetic modification of branched polyolefins.
New Community Approach

Communities wishing to come to grips with their crime problems need to adopt a fresh approach to their police agencies, just as urgently as police agencies need to utilize new approaches in relating to their communities. Gone would be the pretense of a politics-administration dichotomy. In its place would be a more open style of police policy-making and administration. The new form of police agency requires a genuine two-way policy interaction between the communities (represented by their elected officials) and the police institution—a new contract that will facilitate order enhancement. Both the politician and the professional must execute their policy leadership responsibilities if the advantages of the new form of police institution are to be realized. This chapter addresses this relationship from the viewpoint of the community; the next takes the vantage point of the agency.
CHAPTER 11 – Convergence

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the convergence question for the nonlinear case. Nonlinear terms can be expanded in the An polynomials that approach zero for high n and consequently, the decomposition method yields an accurate solution. The chapter estimates the radius of convergence. With rapidly converging solutions, it is possible to examine radii of convergence very simply. The chapter reviews the conditions that are natural and satisfied in physical applications. In the deterministic case, the smooth function does not have jump discontinuities. In nature, jump discontinuities are rare. There can be a rapid transition, and it has been mathematically convenient to represent such a transition as a jump discontinuity. Thus, discontinuities in solutions of hyperbolic equations or shock waves should be viewed as merely regions of rapid variation. Such physically realistic solutions should be arrived at by the decomposition method because no linearization is necessary.
Introducing Programmers to Pair Programming: A Controlled Experiment

Pair programming is a key characteristic of the Extreme Programming (XP) method. Through a controlled experiment we investigate pair programming behaviour of programmers without prior experience in XP. The factors investigated are: (a) characteristics of pair programming that are less favored (b) perceptions of team effectiveness and how they relate to product quality, and (c) whether it is better to train a pair by giving routine tasks first or by giving complex tasks first. Our results show that: (a) the least liked aspects of pair programming were having to share the screen, keyboard and mouse, and having to switch between the roles of driver and navigator (b) programmers solved complex problems more effectively in pairs compared to routine problems, however, perceptions of team effectiveness was higher when solving routine problems than when solving complex problems and (c) programmers who started pair programming with routine tasks and moved on to complex tasks were more effective than those who started with complex ones and moved on to routine ones. We discuss how these results will assist the industry in inducting programmers without prior pair-programming experience into XP process environments.
Invisible Empire of Hate: Gender Differences in the Ku Klux Klan's Online Justifications for Violence

Abstract This article presents a systematic linguistic approach to mapping gender differences in the formulation and practice of right-wing ideology. We conducted a set of content- and text-analyti...
Gold nanostructure microelectrode arrays for in vitro recording and stimulation from neuronal networks

An ideal microelectrode array (MEA) design should include materials and structures which exhibit biocompatibility, low electrode polarization, low impedance/noise, and structural durability. Here, the fabrication of MEAs with indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes deposited with self-similar gold nanostructures (GNS) is described. We show that fern leaf fractal-like GNS deposited on ITO electrodes are conducive for neural cell attachment and viability while reducing the interfacial impedance more than two orders of magnitude at low frequencies (100-1000 Hz) versus bare ITO. GNS MEAs, with low interfacial impedance, allowed the detection of extracellular action potentials with excellent signal-to-noise ratios (SNR, 20.26 ± 2.14). Additionally, the modified electrodes demonstrated electrochemical and mechanical stability over 29 d in vitro.
Bimodal Morphology Transition Pathway in the Synthesis of Ultrasmall Fluorescent Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Morphological transitions during the surfactant-directed synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are of great interest, as these materials are highly desirable for applications in catalysis, separation, and drug delivery. We investigate the transition pathway in the formation of ultrasmall fluorescent MSNs of two different morphologies synthesized through micelle templating. Increasing the concentration of pore expander, trimethylbenzene [TMB], drives a transition from single-pore MSNs to silica rings. We show that in the transition region, although their relative composition varies, both particle structures maintain constant pore and particle sizes as a function of [TMB]. Beyond the transition region, an increase in the size of the silica rings is observed. The bimodal nature of this transition is corroborated by a combination of gel permeation chromatography, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy investigations and can be influe...
Quantum Enhancement of Advanced LIGO Detector Using Squeezed Vacuum States

The Advanced LIGO detector measures the distortion of spacetime from gravitational waves using Michelson interferometers. By injecting a squeezed vacuum state, we have demonstrated shot noise reduction, which enhanced the sensitivity of the LIGO detector. © 2019 The Author(s)
Self Concept and the Retarded: Research and Issues

Education and psychology have not adequately scrutinized the belief that retarded individuals are inevitably the victims of negative self concepts. This article reviews the research in this area, focusing specifically on the use of self report nstruments with retarded children. Of significance to the current debate in education is the inability of such research to generate support for the segregated placement of children. In a general sense, however, the validity and standardization of most self concept scales are open to question and the findings which emanate from their use is, at best, inconclusive.
Biomarkers in Obstructive Airway Diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represent the two most common obstructive lung diseases worldwide, imparting a significant global public health burden. Both are now recognized as umbrella terms capturing heterogeneous collections of disorders, rather than a single disease, and the existence of subset of individuals with asthma–COPD overlap (ACO) further contributes to this complexity. Consequently, it is increasingly recognized that a one-size-fits-all therapeutic approach is insufficient to manage these obstructive lung diseases, and that phenotypic characteristics alone are insufficient to define them. Instead, the field is turning to endotyping, that is, identifying subgroups of similar individuals based on the pathobiological mechanisms underlying their disease, and using this mechanistic information to target therapeutics. There have been a number of notable successes for certain endotypes of asthma in this regard, particularly for Type 2-driven asthma. However, developments for non-Type 2 asthma, COPD and ACO are lagging behind. Omics technologies (i.e., genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) represent a compelling new approach for the generation of endotyping and therapeutic biomarkers for the spectrum of these disorders. However, technological and analytical advances, and an improved biological understanding are required before precision medicine initiatives can be translated into common clinical practice for obstructive lung diseases.
Designing a Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration to Reduce Overuse of Neuroimaging for Minor Head Injury and Atraumatic Headache

Abstract Despite recommendations to limit the use of neuroimaging for evaluation of minor head injury and atraumatic headache in children, many children receive unnecessary imaging without clear history or physical exam indications in the emergency department (ED) or other outpatient settings. This overuse of neuroimaging has not previously been explored across clinical settings, nor for the diagnosis of atraumatic headache. We convened a multi-stakeholder design meeting to discuss reasons for overuse of neuroimaging in children and brainstorm potential interventions to reduce overuse. The meeting included didactic sessions on the risks and benefits of neuroimaging and quality improvement methodology. There were also small group discussions of challenges and potential interventions. Participants included ED physicians and nurses, radiologists, Medicaid health plan representatives, a pediatric neurologist, a pediatric primary care provider and a parent. Reasons for overuse included family anxiety and expectations for neuroimaging, pediatric phone triage protocols directing patients to the ED for evaluation, time pressures within primary care and the ED clinics, and reluctance among payers to institute prior authorization for ED-based imaging studies. Several potential interventions were identified and organized into three key driver diagrams: one each for primary care, the ED, and Medicaid health plans. Convening a multi-stakeholder meeting was feasible and resulted in the identification of common reasons for overuse of neuroimaging in children and many potential interventions across clinical settings. Similar multidisciplinary approaches may be helpful for others interested in reducing the overuse of imaging in children. Discussions from a multi-stakeholder meeting with representation from primary care, pediatric emergency departments, and Medicaid health plans resulted in the identification of common reasons for overuse of neuroimaging in children and many potential interventions across clinical settings.
Dectin-1 limits central nervous system autoimmunity through a non-canonical pathway

Pathologic roles for innate immunity in neurologic disorders are well-described, but protective aspects of the immune response are less understood. Dectin-1, a C-type lectin receptor (CLR), is largely known to induce inflammation. However, we found that Dectin-1 is protective in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), while its canonical signaling mediator, Card9, promotes the disease. Notably, Dectin-1 does not respond to heat-killed Mycobacteria, an adjuvant to induce EAE. Myeloid cells mediate the protective function of Dectin-1 in EAE and upregulate gene expression of neuroprotective molecules, including Oncostatin M (Osm) through a non-canonical Card9-independent pathway, mediated by NFAT. Furthermore, we found that the Osm receptor (OsmR) functions specifically in astrocytes to reduce EAE severity. Our study revealed a new mechanism of protective myeloid-astrocyte crosstalk regulated by a non-canonical Dectin-1 pathway and identifies novel therapeutic targets for CNS autoimmunity.
Removal of Cr (VI), As (V), Cu (II), and Pb (II) using cellulose biochar supported iron nanoparticles: A kinetic and mechanistic study

Abstract Magnetic iron-carbon nanoadsorbents synthesized using cellulose biochar as the carbon support have demonstrated great potential for removal of heavy metals (Cr (VI), As (V), Cu (II), and Pb (II)). The effects of initial solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration and different iron mass loadings on metal ion adsorption were examined. In an attempt to avoid the capital and operating costs associated with mixing, all the adsorption experiments were conducted under no mixing conditions. Non-linear regression analysis was used to determine kinetic and isotherm parameters. The kinetics of Cr (VI), As (V), and Pb (II) uptake followed pseudo-second order while Cu (II) adsorption best fit pseudo-first order model. Weber intraparticle diffusion model applied to heavy metal uptake revealed multiple rate limiting steps representing different adsorption stages. The adsorption isotherms of all four heavy metals in this study were well fitted by three-, four- and five- parameter models indicating carbon encapsulated iron nanoparticles (CEINPs) possessed a heterogeneous surface. 40 wt% iron loaded CEINPs showed a maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 688.6 mg g−1 for the uptake of As (V), a significantly high value when compared to all previously tested iron-based adsorbents in literature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements on the CEINPs before and after metal ion adsorption confirmed that heavy metal adsorption process involved interactions with the metallic iron core. Further, a detailed adsorption mechanism for each metal was postulated based on the observed results.
Fragility of the Fractional Josephson Effect in Time-Reversal-Invariant Topological Superconductors

Time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor (TRITOPS) wires host Majorana Kramers pairs that have been predicted to mediate a fractional Josephson effect with 4π periodicity in the superconducting phase difference. We explore the TRITOPS fractional Josephson effect in the presence of time-dependent "local mixing" perturbations that instantaneously preserve time-reversal symmetry. Specifically, we show that just as such couplings render braiding of Majorana Kramers pairs nonuniversal, the Josephson current becomes either aperiodic or 2π periodic (depending on conditions that we quantify) unless the phase difference is swept sufficiently quickly. We further analyze topological superconductors with T^{2}=+1 time-reversal symmetry and reveal a rich interplay between interactions and local mixing that can be experimentally probed in nanowire arrays.
The role of polygenic susceptibility to obesity among carriers of pathogenic mutations in MC4R in the UK Biobank population.

Background Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency, caused by mutations in MC4R, is the most common cause of monogenic forms of obesity. However, these mutations have often been identified in small-scale, case-focused studies. Here, we assess the penetrance of previously reported MC4R mutations at a population level. Furthermore, we examine why some carriers of pathogenic mutations remain of normal weight, to gain insight into the mechanisms that control body weight. Methods and findings We identified 59 known obesity-increasing mutations in MC4R from the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) and Clinvar. We assessed their penetrance and effect on obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) in >450,000 individuals (age 40-69 years) of the UK Biobank, a population-based cohort study. Of these 59 mutations, only 11 had moderate-to-high penetrance and increased the odds of obesity by more than 2-fold. We subsequently focused on these 11 mutations and examined differences between carriers of normal weight and carriers with obesity. Twenty-eight of the 182 carriers of these 11 mutations were of normal weight. Body composition of carriers of normal weight was similar to noncarriers of normal weight, whereas among individuals with obesity, carriers had a somewhat higher BMI than noncarriers (1.44 ± 0.07 standard deviation scores [SDSs] ± standard error [SE] versus 1.29 ± 0.001, P = 0.03), because of greater lean mass (1.44 ± 0.09 versus 1.15 ± 0.002, P = 0.002). Carriers of normal weight more often reported that, already at age 10 years, their body size was below average or average (72%) compared with carriers with obesity (48%) (P = 0.01). To assess the polygenic contribution to body weight in carriers of normal weight and carriers with obesity, we calculated a genome-wide polygenic risk score for BMI (PRSBMI). The PRSBMI of carriers of normal weight (PRSBMI = -0.64 ± 0.18) was significantly lower than of carriers with obesity (0.40 ± 0.11; P = 1.7 × 10-6), and tended to be lower than that of noncarriers of normal weight (-0.29 ± 0.003; P = 0.05). Among carriers, those with a low PRSBMI (bottom quartile) have an approximately 5-kg/m2 lower BMI (approximately 14 kg of body weight for a 1.7-m-tall person) than those with a high PRS (top quartile). Because the UK Biobank population is healthier than the general population in the United Kingdom, penetrance may have been somewhat underestimated. Conclusions We showed that large-scale data are needed to validate the impact of mutations observed in small-scale and case-focused studies. Furthermore, we observed that despite the key role of MC4R in obesity, the effects of pathogenic MC4R mutations may be countered, at least in part, by a low polygenic risk potentially representing other innate mechanisms implicated in body weight regulation.
Experimental Determination of Threshold Powers for the Onset of HF-Enhanced Plasma Lines and Artificial Ionization in the Lower F-Region Ionosphere

HF heating experiment, with linear power ramp from 50 to 92 dBW, was conducted to determine the HF threshold power levels for the onset of detectable plasma waves and the onset of artificial ionization inferred from HF-enhanced plasma lines (HFPLs). The threshold free-space electric field at 200-km altitude, where HFPLs were detected, is about 53 mV/m. However, the HF electric field near the reflection height is enhanced by a swelling factor ~ 3.76 and also conversion to a linear dipole pump mode ( $\surd 2$ ); the actual threshold field is about 281 mV/m that is consistent with theory. Artificial ionization in the lower region was detectable via UHF radar. Short wavelength upper-hybrid waves, which were excited parametrically by the HF heating wave at higher threshold, implement Doppler shifted harmonic-cyclotron resonance interaction, via finite Larmour radius effect, to effectively accelerate electrons. Monitoring the spectral power of the parametric decay instability (PDI) line in the HFPLs by radar was shown to determine the artificial ionization onset time more precisely than that by observing the start of a sharp downward trend in the altitude of the HFPLs; at this time, the HF free-space electric field slightly below 200-km altitude is about 550 mV/m. Langmuir cascade lines in the HFPLs are separated by intervals about double the ion-acoustic frequency (about 4–5 kHz) generated by the PDI. These lines, observed at lower power facilities, were not observed. The upper-hybrid OTSI and PDI excited at HighPower Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) and the mode competition nonlinear-damping mechanism are suggested as the processes, suppressing cascade enhanced HFPLs.
Safe Harbors from Fair‐Cross‐Section Challenges? The Practical Limitations of Measuring Representation in the Jury Pool

The U.S. Constitution guarantees criminal defendants the right to an impartial jury selected from a jury pool that reflects the demographic composition of the geographic community served by the court. Yet there is little consensus in case law from state and federal courts about the most appropriate method of measuring demographic representation or the degree of underrepresentation that would violate the fair-cross-section requirement. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently addressed these issues for the first time since Duren v. Missouri, its opinion in Berghuis v. Smith did little to settle the questions. In the present article, the authors use demographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau and information about jury operations in state courts from the National Center for State Courts to estimate the potential impact of competing proposals about how to measure demographic representation at different threshold levels of constitutional tolerance. Given the demographic composition of counties in the United States and the size of the jury pool in most courts, the authors find that a bright-line rule using either of the two most common measures of representation (absolute disparity and comparative disparity) would create “safe harbors” in which the courts in a majority of jurisdictions across the country would become effectively immune from fair-cross-section challenges.
Taxes and Merger Activity: Evidence From a Quasi-Natural Experiment

Using staggered changes in state corporate income tax rates, we document that firms are more likely to undertake an acquisition and pay cash for it when taxes increase. The likelihood is greater for financially constrained firms. We find no change in the CAR and takeover premia after tax increases, suggesting that mergers are only used to undo the negative effect of higher taxes on firm value. Finally, we demonstrate that a target is more likely to be acquired if its state corporate income tax rate decreases. The acquisition of targets in lower tax states is followed by a shift in operations by the acquiring firm to the state of the target to reduce its tax burden.
Beyond Strickland Prejudice: Weaver, Batson, and Procedural Default

A Batson violation is structural error, “not amenable” to harmless error analysis on direct appeal. By definition, structural errors evade traditional prejudice analysis. Yet a number of circuits demand a showing of Strickland prejudice when a petitioner seeks relief for trial counsel’s ineffective failure to object to a Batson violation. As some of these courts recognize, they demand the impossible. In 2017, the Supreme Court in Weaver v. Massachusetts suggested that structural errors that “always result in fundamental unfairness” should not be subjected to a prejudice analysis. Though often misread, Weaver marked an important shift in Strickland doctrine. I argue that, since Batson violations always result in fundamental unfairness, they merit a presumption of Strickland prejudice. But many Strickland-Batson claims arise on federal habeas corpus review, and the Weaver Court had no occasion to apply its ruling to the habeas context. Habeas doctrine includes its own prejudice standard: to excuse procedural default, a petitioner must generally demonstrate “cause” for the failure to raise the claim in state court, and “prejudice” suffered from the underlying error. If it continues to demand a showing of prejudice, procedural default threatens to preclude federal review of the newly viable Strickland-Batson claims for which Weaver clears the way. Where Martinez supplies cause, I argue, Weaver must supply prejudice.
The Challenges of Seeking Security While Respecting Privacy

Security is a concern for persons, organizations, and nations. For the individual members of organizations and nations, personal privacy is also a concern. The technologies for monitoring electronic communication are at the same time tools to protect security and threats to personal privacy. Participants in this workshop address the interrelation of personal privacy and national or societal security, from social, technical and legal perspectives. The participants represented industry, the academy and the United States Government. The issues addressed have become, if anything, even more pressing today than they were when the conference was held.
On Using U.S. Diplomatic Records for Research on African Constitutions: A Guide to the Archives

A rich, but unexpected, source for research in African constitutional history is records of the U.S. Department of State at the National Archives. Because the State Department followed African constitutional politics, particularly as African nations moved toward independence in the 1950s and 60s, U.S. diplomatic records document African constitutional developments, and sometimes include local sources, such as competing constitutional proposals. Drawing upon her own research on constitutional politics in Kenya in the early 1960s, the author describes the sort of primary sources that might be found in U.S. diplomatic records. Because these sources are rarely used by legal scholars, this essay provides a practical guide to constitutional history research in U.S. diplomatic records.
An improved analysis of Sigma Delta modulators with bandlimited Gaussian inputs

Three results on Sigma Delta modulation are presented. First, a change of variables is presented that demonstrates that two of the parameters in a Sigma Delta modulator do not affect the system performance. Second, a successive parameterization approach is used to determine the probability density function (PDF) at the input to the quantizer of a second-order Sigma Delta modulator. Third, this calculated PDF is used to determine the minimum mean-square error linearizing gains for a second-order Sigma Delta modulator and an expression for the variance of the noise at the input to the quantizer. >
The benefits of exposing calls and returns

Regular languages have robust theoretical foundations leading to numerous applications including model checking. Context-free languages and pushdown automata have been indispensable in program analysis due to their ability to model control flow in procedural languages, but the corresponding theory is fragile. In particular, non-closure under intersection and undecidability of the language inclusion problem disallows context-free specifications in model checking applications.
Recent productivity trends

Recently published Total Factor Productivity trend data are analyzed to ascertain whether there is a difference in trend between the Services Sector and the Goods Sector. These data represent performance of the 100 largest U.S. companies for the year ending October 31, 2002. It is noted that the growth rate for the Goods Sector exceeds the rate for the Service Sector by approximately one percentage point. Since the Services Sector represents approximately eighty percent of the economy, there is significant opportunity for a major impact on the economy if parity between the two sectors were achieved through the improvement of a single percentage point in the Services Sector.
Stochastic Finite Element Analysis for Multiphase Flow in Heterogeneous Porous Media

This study is concerned with developing a two-dimensional multiphase model that simulates the movement of NAPL in heterogeneous aquifers. Heterogeneity is dealt with in a probabilistic sense by modeling the intrinsic permeability of the porous medium as a stochastic process. The deterministic finite element method is used to spatially discretize the multiphase flow equations. The intrinsic permeability is represented in the model via its Karhunen–Loeve expansion. This is a computationally expedient representation of stochastic processes by means of a discrete set of random variables. Further, the nodal unknowns, water phase saturations and water phase pressures, are represented by their stochastic spectral expansions. This representation involves an orthogonal basis in the space of random variables. The basis consists of orthogonal polynomial chaoses of consecutive orders. The relative permeabilities of water and oil phases, and the capillary pressure are expanded in the same manner, as well. For these variables, the set of deterministic coefficients multiplying the basis in their expansions is evaluated based on constitutive relationships expressing the relative permeabilities and the capillary pressure as functions of the water phase saturations. The implementation of the various expansions into the multiphase flow equations results in the formulation of discretized stochastic differential equations that can be solved for the deterministic coefficients appearing in the expansions representing the unknowns. This method allows the computation of the probability distribution functions of the unknowns for any point in the spatial domain of the problem at any instant in time. The spectral formulation of the stochastic finite element method used herein has received wide acceptance as a comprehensive framework for problems involving random media. This paper provides the application of this formalism to the problem of two-phase flow in a random porous medium.
On processing and registration of forward-scan acoustic video imagery

Producing high-resolution underwater imagery in range of visibility conditions is a capability of critical demand for a number of applications. New generation of forward-scan acoustic video cameras, becoming available for commercial applications in recent years, produce images with considerably more target details than optical systems in turbid waters. Previous computer processing of sonar imagery has dominantly involved target segmentation, classification and recognition by exploiting 2D visual cues from texture, or object/shadow shape in a single frame. Processing of video is becoming more and more important because of various applications that involve target tracking, object identification in search and inspection, self localization and mapping, among many other applications. This paper addresses the image registration problem for acoustic video, and the preprocessing steps to be applied to the raw video from a DID-SON acoustic camera for image calibration, filtering and enhancement to achieve reliable results.
Processing of Recombinant Listeria monocytogenes Proteins for MHC Class I Presentation Follows a Dedicated, High-Efficiency Pathway

CD8 + T lymphocytes recognize short peptides of ∼8–10 aa bound to MHC class I molecules (pMHC) on the surface of APCs. These peptides can be generated from either endogenous proteins synthesized by the biosynthetic machinery of the presenting cell or from exogenously sourced proteins. Because much of the research characterizing the MHC class I processing pathway has focused on endogenously synthesized proteins, it is not known whether differences exist in the processing pathway followed by endogenously synthesized versus exogenously sourced proteins. To highlight potential differences in the processing of endogenous versus exogenous proteins, we developed a model system to measure the efficiency of pMHC generation from nearly identical recombinant proteins expressed from vaccinia virus and Listeria monocytogenes . In these experiments, we uncovered a striking difference in the way recombinant Listeria Ags are processed and presented when compared with endogenously synthesized viral proteins. Specifically, we find that pMHC production from secreted Listeria proteins occurs at the same rate, independent of the cellular half-life of the protein from which it is derived, whereas the rate of pMHC production from endogenously synthesized viral proteins is absolutely dependent on its protein half-life. Accordingly, our data demonstrate the existence of a distinct and highly efficient MHC class I presentation pathway used for the processing of at least some exogenously synthesized proteins.
Facile resolution of constrained geometry indenyl-phenoxide ligation

The 2-(inden-3-yl)phenoxide ligand can be resolved at both tetrahedral and octahedral Group 4 metal centers using chiral binaphthoxide ligands.
Serum theophylline levels in asthmatic children receiving sustained-release theophylline tablets

Serum theophylline levels produced in asthmatic children by sustained-release theophylline tablets (TheoDur) were studied. Nineteen patients received for 14 days a dose of 5.5 to 13.1 mg/kg (mean 9.1 mg/kg) of amhydrous theophylline (as sustained-release TheoDur tablets) every 12 hours. Theophylline serum levels were assayed, by cation-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography, immediately before and at 4, 6 and 10 hours after the first day-five dose. Symptoms of asthma and theophylline toxicity were recorded. Mean peak-trough difference for the 6-to-10-years age group (4.5 +/- 1.6 microgram/ml) was not significantly different than that of the 11-to-17-year age group (5.2 +/- 3.2 micrograms/ml) (p greater than 0.1). Therapeutic serum theophylline levels (8 to 20 micrograms/ml) were maintained throughout a 12-hour period in 12 patients. Two patients had side effects possibly attributable to theophylline. Four patients reported asthamtic symptoms on two or more evenings; none required emergency treatment. The study suggests that sustained-release theophylline tablets administered every 12 hours can maintain therapeutic serum levels in children.
INTEGRAL TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO SUBLIMATION DRYING WITH RADIATION BOUNDARY CONDITION

SUMMARY– An analytical solution is presented for the temperature distribution in a semi-infinite slab with a radiation boundary condition and sublimating phase front. 2 cases are considered. First, a solution is presented for the transient surface temperature holding the heater temperature constant. Secondly, a solution is presented for the heater temperature variation required to hold the surface at the same prescribed value reached in the first case. The application of this technique to sublimation drying is considered, along with calculations to demonstrate the effect of various parameters on the drying time. For example, a steak 1/2-in. thick with a porosity of 0.8 can be dried 35% faster if the initial heater temperature is 200 rather than 150°F. In contrast, for the same sample, the drying time is increased by only 15.5% if the initial heater temperature is 250 instead of 200°F. Graphs are included to show how optimum drying rates may be obtained.
Interference Projection Exposure System

An interference projection exposure system is presented for single-exposure fabrication of low-spatial-frequency functional elements in a high-spatial-frequency, all-surrounding periodic pattern. Photonic crystal devices are demonstrated.
Measuring inflation in the soviet machinebuilding sector, 1960–1973☆

Abstract This article examines the behavior of machinery wholesale prices in the Soviet Union during the 1960–1973 period. Many Western experts hypothesize that Soviet enterprises escape fixed prices by making cosmetic changes in established products in order to raise their prices—the so-called new-product-pricing phenomenon. The hedonic technique—the use of regression analysis to examine the connection between price change and quality improvements in machinery items—is used in the study to test for the presence of this phenomenon and to determine what impact, if any, it had on machinery price levels over the period studied.
The influence of sampling variability upon model output error statistics

Abstract The robustness of relationships between forecast model output and forecast skill is tested using a 14-winter set of Northern Hemisphere 500-mb geopotential height analyses and forecasts produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts operational model. During the period of record, model skill improved substantially at the medium range, as the model itself went through many upgrade cycles. It is found, through independent trials using subsamples of the full 14-winter record, that apparently useful forecast correction and skill prediction relationships are sensitive to sampling variability and are of limited use in an operational setting. Interannual variability and nonstationarity in the time series of forecasts both appear to contribute to the lack of robustness. The occurrence or nonoccurrence of El Nino conditions appears to have a large effect on the form of many of the results. The amplitude of mean errors associated with the day-10 forecast shows no dependence on the initi...
Fiscal dependence on trade taxes and economic development: additional results and a reconciliation of the empirical evidence

Using Brazilian data spanning the period 1910–75,new evidence is presented on the hypothesis that a country's fiscal dependence on trade taxes is inversely related to her level of economic development, at least once the latter passes a certain threshold. Unlike previous studies, this study uses methods which highlight the dynamic and temporal nature of the underlying relationships. The results indicate strong support for the hypothesis and also suggest that the conflicting time-serious evidence can be reconciled.
Intravenous Administration of l-Citrulline to Pregnant Ewes Is More Effective Than l-Arginine for Increasing Arginine Availability in the Fetus

l-Arginine administration may be useful for the treatment of intrauterine growth restriction, but concerns remain about effective precursors for administration into pregnant dams. Therefore, we used an ovine model to test the hypothesis that infusion of l-citrulline into the maternal circulation increases l-arginine availability to the fetus. On d 135 ± 1 of gestation, ewes received an i.v. bolus dose of l-citrulline (155 μmol/kg body weight) or the same dose of l-arginine-HCl. Maternal and fetal arterial blood samples were obtained simultaneously at −120, −60, 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min relative to the time of amino acid administration. Concentrations of arginine in maternal plasma increased to peak values within 5 min after its injection in ewes and declined rapidly thereafter, whereas concentrations of arginine in fetal plasma increased between 15 and 30 min and returned to baseline values by 60 min. In contrast, administration of citrulline increased concentrations of citrulline and arginine in maternal and fetal plasma between 5 and 60 min and values remained elevated thereafter. The differential pharmacokinetics for arginine compared with citrulline infusion was consistent with the observation that the half-life of citrulline was twice that of arginine in ewes. We conclude that i.v. administration of citrulline is more effective than arginine in sustaining high concentrations of arginine in the maternal and fetal circulations of pregnant ewes. These novel findings provide support for studies of the clinical use of arginine and citrulline as therapeutic means to prevent or ameliorate fetal growth retardation in mammals.