cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Sword of Damocles: Revisiting the Question of Whether the United Nations Security Council is Bound by International Law

Abstract This Article considers whether the United Nations Security Council is bound by international humanitarian law in the context of Chapter VII, which authorizes the Council to use force in response to aggression, threats to peace, and breaches of the peace. In the early 1990s, the Council took unprecedented measures that were seen by many as overreaching, raising the possibility that the leading institution of global governance might abuse its power. At the present moment, it seems that the matter is resolved politically and judicially. But it is not resolved constitutionally, and the abuse of power by the Security Council remains a possibility. If, in the future, a permanent member of the Council comes to hold considerable political and economic influence over the other permanent members, as was the case in the early 1990s, the possibility of an extraordinary abuse of power within the Security Council again becomes viable. Table of Contents I. Introduction 606 II. The History of the Question 608 III. The Issue of Chrerreaching......... ....616 A. Lockerbie, Iraq, and Bosnia 616 1. The Lockerbie case. 616 2. The humanitarian impact of the Iraq sanctions. .....618 3. Bosnia. 620 B. Other Concerns of Overreaching 621 IV. Responses to the Council's Activism.. ..623 A. Judicial and Scholarly Responses 626 1. The 1990s: revisiting the question. 626 2. The late 1990s through the present 632 B. The Question of Judicial Review 633 C. The Scholarly Literature: An Emerging Consensus... .....638 V. Conclusion.... .642 I. INTRODUCTION The early 1990s saw a dramatic increase in the activism of the United Nations Security Council. It was an extraordinary moment in the history of the Council, as the paralysis that had characterized it throughout the Cold War had ended. For the first time since its inception, it was possible for the Council to act assertively and consensually, particularly in the context of Chapter VII, which authorizes the Council to respond to aggression, breaches of the peace, and threats to the peace. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its replacement by Russia, there was no counterweight on the Council to the US and its allies. At the same time, a type of overreaching that had been anticipated at the formation of the United Nations, but had never before come close to actualization, became possible. Now, for the first time in human history, there was an institution of global governance that, in Chapter VII, had a mandate whose boundaries were uncertain, whose will would be implemented by virtually every nation on earth, and whose machinery could now be put in motion. Starting in 1990, a number of the Council's activities raised serious questions about whether its acts exceeded the scope of its mandate: if the United Nations Charter gave the Council such extensive powers "in order to ensure prompt and effective action,"1 how do we make sense of the fact that this body invoked Chapter VII to create tribunals, which have continued for years after the crisis passed? …
Incidence of surgical site infections in children: active surveillance in an Italian academic children's hospital.

Background Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) account for 16-34% of all health-care associated infections. This study aimed to assess the incidence rate of SSIs in children who underwent surgical procedures in an academic children's hospital in Italy. Study design Prospective cohort study. Methods We actively followed-up 0-17 year old children at 30 days of surgical procedures without implants conducted during one index week per quarter, from the second quarter of 2014, to the first quarter of 2016 (8 index weeks in total). Follow up data were collected by telephone interview, or derived by clinical records if patients were still hospitalized. SSIs were defined according to case definitions of Centers for Diseases Control, Atlanta, USA. We calculated cumulative incidence of SSIs per 100 surgical procedures, by patient characteristics, procedure characteristics, and quarter. To investigate variables associated with SSIs, we compared characteristics of procedures with SSIs with those of procedures without SSIs. Results Over the study period, SSI incidence was 1.0% (19 cases/1,830 surgical procedures). SSI incidence was significantly lower after ear, nose and throat procedures compared to all other procedures, and significantly decreased over time. Duration of surgery was a risk factor for SSIs; patients with SSIs had a significantly longer total length of stay (LOS), due to a prolonged post-operative LOS. Conclusion As reported in adults, this study confirms that SSIs are associated with longer hospitalizations in children. Active surveillance of SSIs is an important component of the overall strategy to reduce the incidence of these infections in children.
Macroborer presence on corals increases with nutrient input and promotes parrotfish bioerosion

Bioerosion by reef-dwelling organisms influences net carbonate budgets on reefs worldwide. External bioeroders, such as parrotfish and sea urchins, and internal bioeroders, including sponges and lithophagid bivalves, are major contributors to bioerosion on reefs. Despite their importance, few studies have examined how environmental (e.g., nutrients) or biological drivers (e.g., the actions of other bioeroders) may influence bioeroder dynamics on reefs. For example, internal bioeroders could promote external bioerosion by weakening the coral skeletal matrix. Our study investigated: (1) whether nutrient supply influences the dynamics between internal and external bioeroders and (2) how the presence of a boring bivalve, Lithophaga spp., influences parrotfish bioerosion on massive Porites corals. We hypothesized that nutrient supply would be positively correlated with Lithophaga densities on massive Porites colonies, and that as bivalve density increased, the frequency and intensity of parrotfish bioerosion would increase. To test these hypotheses, we analyzed six time points over a 10-yr period from a time series of benthic images and nitrogen content of a dominant macroalga from the fringing reefs around Moorea, French Polynesia. We found Lithophaga densities were positively correlated with nitrogen availability. Further, massive Porites that are more infested with Lithophaga had both a higher probability of being bitten by parrotfish and a higher density of bite scars from parrotfishes. Our findings indicate that increasing nutrient availability may strengthen the relationship between internal and external bioeroders, suggesting that colonies at more eutrophic sites may experience higher bioerosion rates.
Aviation Management Role Models in the Deregulated Era

In both college and university settings, aviation management students benefit from being provided with credible role models. This paper offers a methodological and valid approach to identify aviation industry leaders in the era of deregulation. The research uses a literature review of highly credible national awards and a unique survey of senior industry managers.
Eventful Conversations and the Positive Virtues of a Listener

Political solutions to problems like global warming and social justice are often stymied by an inability to productively communicate in everyday conversations. Motivated by these communication problems, the paper considers the role of the virtuous listener in conversations. Rather than the scripted exchanges of information between individuals, we focus on lively, intra-active conversations that are mediating events. In such conversations, the listener plays a participatory role by contributing to the content and form of the conversation. Unlike Miranda Fricker’s negative virtue of testimonial justice, which neutralizes the listener’s identity-prejudices in their credibility judgments of the speaker’s testimony, we consider the positive virtues of a good listener. These positive virtues enable listeners to productively contribute to the conversation by helping create the fertile epistemic space of a non-adversarial, caring relationship that facilitates critical and creative thinking.
Decentralized Institutions for Public Goods: Entrepreneurial Responses to Wildfire Risk

We combine insights from theories of environmental and institutional entrepreneurship with the community resilience literature to investigate whether communities can create decentralized institutio...
Exploring Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder

One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understa...
Temporal Selective Exposure: How Partisans Choose When to Follow Politics

It is widely theorized that echo chambers contribute to polarization, yet behavioral evidence of partisan selective exposure in the real world is surprisingly tenuous. Why do partisans have polarized perceptions even though they have relatively balanced media diets? We argue that partisans vary in terms of when they pay attention to the news, not just in terms of the ideological media sources they follow. By leveraging national election surveys across seven decades, as well as the sudden change in the economic news environment that was induced by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, we show that partisans vary their political attentiveness and media consumption in response to whether news events are congenial to their party. These findings suggest that partisans can subject themselves to biased information flows even if their media diets are balanced. The temporal dynamics of selective exposure carry important implications for mass polarization.
Occupational sitting and work engagement among university employees.

This study sought to determine the relationship between occupational sitting and work engagement among university employees. Participants: Participants included 103 university employees (age: 48.5 ...
Response to Denis Noble’s Article “The Illusions of the Modern Synthesis,” Biosemiotics

The Modern Synthesis (MS) was based on Darwin’s gradualist view of evolution and early twentieth Century Mendelian and population genetics. Although early results in microbial and molecular genetics seemed to solidify MS views through the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology, accepting their basic concepts as permanent truths blinded MS proponents to the importance of incompatible discoveries in the second half of the 20th and early 21st Centuries. Discoveries based largely on the DNA record have provided a radically different view of genome complexity and biologically-mediated evolutionary change.
Postphenomenology, the Empirical Turn and “Transcendentality”

Ever since Achterhuis designated American philosophy of technology “empirical” there has been a Continental “push-back” defending the first generation of European—mostly Heidegger’s essentialistic “transcendental”—philosophy of technology. While I prefer a “concrete” turn—to avoid confusing with British “empiricism”—in a belief that particular technologies are different from others—this is a quibble. I admit I was very taken by Richard Rorty’s “anti-essentialism” and “non-foundationalism” in his version of pragmatism, and have adapted much of that stance into postphenomenology. In this contribution I reply to the comments of Lars Botin and Robert Rosenberger.
The Perceived Stigma Reduction Expressed by Young Adults in Response to Suicide Prevention Videos.

Evidence indicates that stigma impedes an individual’s chance of seeking professional help for a mental health crisis. Commonly reported aggregate-level results for stigma-reduction efforts obfuscate how much stigma reduction is needed to incur a practically meaningful change within an individual, defined here as an attitudinal shift and openness towards seeking mental health for oneself and/or support for others. When basing conclusions and recommendations about stigma-reducing interventions on aggregate scales, it is unclear how much stigma reduction is needed to incur meaningful change within an individual. We explored the impact of reductions in stigma of help-seeking scores in response to an online suicide prevention video among young adults in the United States, using online surveys to collect qualitative and quantitative data. We compared mean changes in the stigma scores from pre- to post-test (video exposure) of 371 young U.S. adults using standard t-tests and individual level analysis. A separate thematic analysis of free-text responses was also conducted from a smaller, randomly-selected subgroup, capturing individuals’ attitudes towards help-seeking for mental health problems. Great attention was given to participants to ensure that they were in a campus setting where counseling services were available. Four main themes emerged: (1) small changes in stigma scores were associated with individual reports of meaningful reductions in their attitudes towards professional counseling; (2) increased empathy towards victims of suicide and other mental health problems sometimes indicated increased empathy for victims of suicide and decreased openness in professional help; (3) empathy towards victims sometimes took the form of increased scores and grief or sadness, possibly thwarting the potential for help-seeking; and (4) self-reports of decreased stigma were not always associated with increased openness towards help-seeking. Results also indicated that small stigma score charges, not meeting statistical significance, were often associated with increased openness towards seeking help. These findings, discovered using mixed-methods, contribute to the body of literature regarding stigma towards suicide and help-seeking by demonstrating deficits in the aggregate-only analysis of stigma-reducing interventions specifically aimed at suicide prevention. Such individuation in stigma experiences indicates that public education on how to reduce the stigma of help-seeking for suicide prevention needs to consider individual-level analyses for improving target populations. Recommendations for future research include additional studies prior to releasing suicide prevention videos to public forums where they may be seen by individuals without access to help.
A Nearly Packaging-Free Design Paradigm for Light, Powerful, and Energy-Dense Primary Microbatteries

Billions of internet connected devices used for medicine, wearables, and robotics require microbattery power sources, but the conflicting scaling laws between electronics and energy storage have led to inadequate power sources that severely limit the performance of these physically small devices. Reported here is a new design paradigm for primary microbatteries that drastically improves energy and power density by eliminating the vast majority of the packaging and through the use of high-energy-density anode and cathode materials. These light (50-80 mg) and small (20-40 µL) microbatteries are enabled though the electroplating of 130 µm-thick 94% dense additive-free and crystallographically oriented LiCoO2 onto thin metal foils, which also act as the encapsulation layer. These devices have 430 Wh kg-1 and 1050 Wh L-1 energy densities, 4 times the energy density of previous similarly sized microbatteries, opening up the potential to power otherwise unpowerable microdevices.
Prevalence and mortality of cardiovascular events in patients with hyperthyroidism: a nationwide cohort study in the United States.

Background Little is known about the implications of hyperthyroidism on cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarctions (MI), ischemic strokes, and hemorrhagic strokes. Previous studies implicate hyperthyroidism as a risk factor for MI and ischemic stroke. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US, and the possibility of hyperthyroidism contributing to this disease burden warrants investigation in a US patient population. Methods The National Readmission Database (NRD) from 2010 to 2017 was used to identify adults who had a new-onset diagnosis of MI, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke. Risk factors for mortality, prolonged hospital stay, and hospital cost were analyzed with binary logistic regression. Results A total of 278,609,748 hospital records were reviewed. Of these, 15,685,461 were hospitalized for adverse cardiovascular events with concomitant hyperthyroidism, roughly 4.5 per 1,000 cases. Patients with MI and hemorrhagic stroke with thyrotoxicosis had a lower mortality rate than euthyroid patients (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.78-0.84, P<0.001 and OR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.67-0.77, P<0.001, respectively). Thyrotoxicosis was associated with increased hospital stay (MI: OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.32-1.38, P<0.001; ischemic: OR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.35-1.41, P<0.001; hemorrhagic: OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.25-1.40, P<0.001), expenditures in ischemic (OR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.28-1.34, P<0.001) and hemorrhagic stroke patients (OR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.12-1.24, P<0.001). Conclusions Patients that experienced MI or hemorrhagic stroke with concomitant thyrotoxicosis were observed to have a lower mortality rate than euthyroid patients but had with an increased length of hospital stay. Patients who had ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with thyrotoxicosis had a significantly higher hospital cost. The hyperdynamic state underlying hyperthyroidism may be protective in these adverse events. Further studies into these physiological changes are warranted.
Associations between HIV, antiretroviral therapy and preterm birth in the US Women’s Interagency HIV Study, 1995–2018: a prospective cohort

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the associations of HIV infection with preterm birth (PTB), and of HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) with PTB. METHODS We analysed singleton live-born pregnancies among women from 1995 to 2019 in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, a prospective cohort of US women with, or at risk for, HIV. The primary exposures were HIV status and ART use before delivery [none, monotherapy or dual therapy, or highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)]. The primary outcome was PTB < 34 weeks, and, secondarily, < 28 and < 37 weeks. We analysed self-reported birth data, and separately modelled the associations between HIV and PTB, and between ART and PTB, among women with HIV. We used modified Poisson regression, and adjusted for age, race, parity, tobacco use and delivery year, and, when modelling the impact of ART, duration from HIV diagnosis to delivery, nadir CD4 count, and pre-pregnancy viral load and CD4 count. RESULTS We analysed 488 singleton deliveries (56% exposed to HIV) to 383 women. The risk of PTB < 34 weeks was similar among women with and without HIV, but the risk of PTB < 37 weeks was higher [32% vs. 23%; adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 1.43; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.91] among women with HIV. The risk of PTB < 34 weeks was lower among women with HIV receiving HAART than among those receiving no ART (7% vs. 26%; aRR:0.19; 95% CI: 0.08-0.44). The associations between HAART and PTB < 28 and < 37 weeks were similar. CONCLUSIONS Antiretroviral therapy exposure was associated with a decreased risk of PTB among a US cohort of women with HIV. Given the growing concerns about ART and adverse pregnancy outcomes, this finding that ART may be protective for PTB is reassuring.
Enhanced modeling and simulation of EO/IR sensor systems

The testing and evaluation process developed by the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) Modeling and Simulation Division (MSD) provides end to end systems evaluation, testing, and training of EO/IR sensors. By combining NV-LabCap, the Night Vision Integrated Performance Model (NV-IPM), One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF) input sensor file generation, and the Night Vision Image Generator (NVIG) capabilities, NVESD provides confidence to the M&S community that EO/IR sensor developmental and operational testing and evaluation are accurately represented throughout the lifecycle of an EO/IR system. This new process allows for both theoretical and actual sensor testing. A sensor can be theoretically designed in NV-IPM, modeled in NV-IPM, and then seamlessly input into the wargames for operational analysis. After theoretical design, prototype sensors can be measured by using NV-LabCap, then modeled in NV-IPM and input into wargames for further evaluation. The measurement process to high fidelity modeling and simulation can then be repeated again and again throughout the entire life cycle of an EO/IR sensor as needed, to include LRIP, full rate production, and even after Depot Level Maintenance. This is a prototypical example of how an engineering level model and higher level simulations can share models to mutual benefit.
Npsnet and the naval postgraduate school graphics and video laboratory

The Naval Postgraduate School Networked Vehicle Simulator IV NPSNET-IV is a low-cost, student-written, real-time networked vehicle simulator that runs on commercial, off-the-shelf workstations the Silicon Graphics IRIS family of computers. NPSNET-IV has been developed at the Naval Postgraduate School's NPS Department of Computer Science in the Graphics and Video Laboratory. It utilizes Simulation Network SIMNET databases and SIMNET and Distributed Interactive Simulation DIS networking formats. The DIS networking format is flexible enough to allow multiple players to game over the Internet. The availability of NPSNET-IV lowers the entry costs of researchers wanting to work with SIMNET, DIS, and follow-on systems. Without the contributions of the department's M.S. and Ph.D. candidates, the NPSNET project would be impossible to maintain and continue. The diversity of their interests accounts for the broad range of research areas within the project.
An Environmental Legal Practitioner's Guide to EPA’s Website

Amidst the birth of the United States (U.S.) environmental movement of the twentieth century, one of the most important and far reaching developments in terms of the federal government was the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an agency whose sole purpose was to ensure the protection, development, and enhancement of the natural environment. Since its birth in 1970, the EPA has grown from a relatively small, underfunded department to one of the largest independent agencies within the federal government, with regulatory responsibilities running the gamut from household cleaners to drinking water, to waste disposal and beyond. However, because of the breadth of the agency and its administrative responsibilities, locating useful information in a timely and effective manner can often be frustrating. In an effort to provide insight into this “green haze,” this article is designed to provide the environmental legal practitioner with an annotated guide to EPA.gov, the EPA’s public Internet portal. This article includes a discussion of various strategies for navigating the EPA website and identifies some key databases and general resources that will be of most assistance to the environmental legal practitioner.
The Rise and Fall of Culture History; Americanist Culture History: Fundamentals of Time, Space, and Form

The Rise and Fall of Culture History. R. Lee Lyman. Michael J. O'Brien. and Robert C. Dunnell. New York: Plenum Press, 1997.271pp. Americanist Culture History: Fundamentals of Time, Space, and Form. R. Lee Lyman. Michael J. O'Brien. and Robert C. Dunnell. eds. New York: Plenum Press, 1997.499 p
Inhibition of PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling in glioblastoma by mTORC1/2 inhibitors

Amplification of the gene encoding the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) occurs commonly in glioblastoma (GBM), leading to activation of downstream kinases, including phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). A serine-threonine kinase, mTOR controls cell growth by regulating mRNA translation, metabolism, and autophagy; acting as both a downstream effector and upstream regulator of PI3K. These signaling functions are distributed between at least two distinct complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2 with respect to pathway specificity. We have investigated mTOR signaling in glioma cells with the allosteric mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin, the mTORC1/2 inhibitor Ku-0063794, a dual PI3K/mTORC1/2 kinase inhibitor PI-103, and siRNA against raptor, rictor, or mTOR, and evaluated the value of mTOR inhibitors for the treatment of glioblastoma.
PTT.119, p-F-Phe-m-bis-(2-chloroethyl)amino-L-Phe-Met ethoxy HCl, a new chemotherapeutic agent active against drug-resistant tumor cell lines.

Abstract PTT.119 [ p- F-Phe -m- bis -(2- chloroethyl ) amino - l - Phe-Met ethoxy HCl ], a new synthetic tripeptide, was highly effective against the l -phenylalanine mustard ( l -PAM) resistant (L1210/ l -PAM and P388/ l -PAM) tumor lines, as well as the sensitive L1210 leukemia. Cytolytic activity of PTT.119 against all three leukemias was significantly greater than equimolar doses of l -PAM. These in vitro results paralleled the significant increases in mean survival times of hosts and, in some cases, abrogations of tumor formation observed in the in vivo bioassays of PTT.119-treated L1210 and L1210/ l -PAM cells. Dose-response studies failed to demonstrate cross-resistance to the tripeptide by l -PAM resistant cells. Doses of PTT.119 required to reduce the viable fraction by 50% (tissue culture dose 50, TCD50) or 100% (TCD100) were 1.3- to 3-fold lower for the l -PAM resistant cells than for the L1210 leukemia. In comparison, l -PAM was unable to completely eliminate cell survival; 0.2 to 3% of the cells in all three leukemias remained viable even at doses of 75 and 163 μM. In similar studies, L1210 leukemia cells made resistant to methotrexate (L1210 MTX) and cisplatin (L1210DDP) were also completely susceptible to PTT.119; TCD50 values of the two resistant lines were 1.94 μM for L1210 MTX and 0.525 μM for L1210DDP compared to 2.38 μM for the susceptible parent L1210S leukemia. Continuous low-dose PTT.119 treatment of MJY-alpha mammary tumor cells for 8 months and exposure of L1210 leukemia to escalating levels of tripeptide for over 100 passages failed to select or induce drug-resistant phenotypes in either cell line. PTT.119 appears to be a poor mutagen and is unlikely to readily increase the probability of drug-resistant mutants in the tumor cell populations.
Biphasic, Opposing Modulation of Cloned Neuronal α1E Ca Channels by Distinct Signaling Pathways Coupled to M2 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Neuronal α1E subunits are thought to form R-type Ca channels. When expressed in human embryonic kidney cells with M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, Ca channels encoded by rabbit α1E exhibit striking biphasic modulation. Receptor activation first produces rapid inhibition of current amplitude and activation rate. However, in the continued presence of agonist, α1E currents subsequently increase. Kinetic slowing persists during this secondary stimulation phase. After receptor deactivation, kinetic slowing is quickly relieved, and current amplitude over-recovers before returning toward control levels. These features indicate that inhibition and stimulation of α1E are separate processes, with stimulation superimposed on inhibition. Pertussis toxin eliminates inhibition without affecting stimulation, demonstrating that inhibition and stimulation involve distinct signaling pathways. Neither inhibition nor stimulation is altered by coexpression of Ca channel β2a or β3 subunits. Stimulation is abolished by staurosporine and reduced by intracellular 5′-adenylylimidodiphosphate, suggesting that phosphorylation is required. However, stimulation does not seem to involve cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase C, cGMP-dependent protein kinase, tyrosine kinases, or phosphoinositide 3-kinases. Stimulation does not require a Ca signal, because it is not specifically altered by varying intracellular Ca buffering or by substituting Ba as the charge carrier. In contrast to those formed by α1E, Ca channels formed by α1A or α1B display only inhibition and no stimulation during prolonged activation of M2 receptors. The dual modulation of α1E may confer unique physiological properties on native R-type Ca channels. As one possibility, R-type channels may continue to mediate Ca influx during steady inhibition of N-type and P/Q-type channels by muscarinic or other receptors.
A Learning Design for Reducing Hypothetical Bias in the Contingent Valuation Method

Over the last few years a great deal of research has focussed on hypothetical bias in value estimates obtained with the contingent valuation (CV) method and on means for ameliorating if not eliminating such bias. To date, efforts to eliminate hypothetical bias have relied on calibration techniques or on word-smithing of one kind or another to induce subjects to provide responses to hypothetical questions that mimic responses made by subjects facing actual payments in the valuation experiment. This paper introduces a different approach for eliminating hypothetical bias. A design for a CV survey format is presented which provides subjects with the opportunity to “learn” how the CV institution works. Sequential referenda are conducted where respondents gain experience in CV settings by participating in both hypothetical and real referenda. The logic of this Learning Design is a straightforward application of the trials process used in experimental economics. We demonstrate that the Learning Design is effective in eliminating hypothetical bias in surveys concerning donations to two different public goods.
Ribosomal RNA Analysis of Microorganisms as They Occur in Nature

Advances in molecular biology are now providing the means for solving long-standing problems in microbiology. One of the best examples is the development of a rational approach to the phylogenetic classification of microorganisms, based on comparative analysis of slowly evolving molecular components, most notably ribosomal RNAs (Woese, 1987). Molecular biologists and microbiologists have been quick to recognize how rRNA sequence variation could be used to answer major questions limiting progress in microbial ecology. Only a few years after the initial rRNA-based phylogenetic observations were published (Woese and Fox, 1977), the 16S rRNA molecule was used to characterize Prochloron, an uncultivated symbiont of marine invertebrates (Seewaldt and Stackebrandt, 1982), and the smallest ribosomal RNA molecule, 5S rRNA, was used to analyze the composition of a few simple microbial communities (Stahl et al., 1984, 1985; Lane et al., 1985b). Some further ecologic work with 5S rRNA has appeared (Colwell et al., 1989), but extensive community analysis with this molecule is complicated by the difficulty of physically separating 5S rRNAs, and by the relatively small size and thus limited information content of this molecule. In the last few years, considerable emphasis has been given in both microbial phylogeny and microbial ecology to the development of methods for studying the larger and more informative rRNAs. Most of the work has been with small ribosomal subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA, 16S in prokaryotes and 18S in eukaryotes), though a limited amount of work has been done with the larger rRNAs of large ribosomal subunits (here termed LSU rRNA, 23S in prokaryotes and 28S in eukaryotes) and with internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions separating rRNA genes.
Mupirocin Prophylaxis Misses by a Nose

A study reported in this issue indicates that general inpatient populations, even if screened and selected for Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization, do not benefit from intranasal mupirocin. Wh...
Mutual information analysis under the view of higher-order statistics

Mutual Information Analysis (MIA) is a generic attack which aims at measuring dependencies between side-channel signals and intermediate data during cryptographic operations. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to estimate the mutual information based on higher-order cumulants. The simulation and experimental results show that the cumulant-based MIA can be a good method in both first- and second-order attacks. The implementation of the proposed method is practical and its extension to higher-order analysis does not require any additional development. Under higher-order statistics, we confirm the generality of MIA by recognizing the similitude between classical analysis and the cumulant-based MIA.
Attorneys' Fees and the Conflict Between Rule 68 and the Clean Water Act's Citizen Suit Provision

Environmental “citizen suit” statutes provide incentives for citizens to bring enforcement actions by awarding successful plaintiffs reasonable attorneys’ fees. Defendants have attempted to use Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 68 to block a successful plaintiff’s recovery of attorneys’ fees. Under Rule 68, defendants may offer to allow a judgment to be issued against them for a axed dollar amount. Plaintiffs may either accept this judgment offer or proceed to trial. If plaintiffs proceed to trial, however, they must receive a judgment more favorable than the offer or pay the defendants’ litigation costs. Defendants argue that the word “costs” as used in Rule 68 applies to attorneys’ fees in addition to other litigation costs. If so, the use of Rule 68 can have a great inouence on the economics of citizen suit litigation. This Note explores whether or not Rule 68 should be read to apply to attorneys’ fees in citizen suits under the Clean Water Act and other environmental statutes.
Tumor bearer T cells suppress BCG-potentiated antitumor responses: II. Characteristics of the efferent phase suppressor

Abstract T cells (Ts) from BALB/c mice bearing 6-day-old syngeneic Meth A tumors can mediate suppression of the efferent limb of the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response elicited by immunization with irradiated Meth A cells as well as the augmented response obtained when the immunogen is inoculated into BCG-primed sites. Ts in the spleen are Lyt 1 − 23 + and bear I-J determinants. Their induction is thymus dependent. Hydrocortisone depletes the thymus of Ts but spares Ts in the spleen. Ts are metabolically active and dividing as evidenced by their sensitivity to low doses of cyclophosphamide (CY) (20 mg/kg body wt), a 15-hr pulse with vinblastine (Vbl), and irradiation with 600 rad or more. Ts adhere to Sephadex G-10 columns but are unaffected by treatment with carbonyl iron and magnetism. Their phenotype and mechanism of action appear to be comparable to those of Ts 2 cells defined in models of DTH to simple haptens.
Early Energy-Dependent Step in the Entry of Transforming Deoxyribonucleic Acid

It was found that cyanide can partially reverse as well as arrest the transformation of a newly transformed deoxyribonuclease-treated culture for 6 to 8 min after the addition of the enzyme. These findings strongly suggest that deoxyribonucleic acid which attained deoxyribonuclease-insensitivity is not necessarily in the cell, but stored in some region peripheral to the membrane, and that a rate-limiting, energy-dependent step is required to transport this deoxyribonucleic acid into the cell.
Razed, repressed and bought off: The demobilization of the Ogoni protest campaign in the Niger Delta

Abstract This study examines the demobilization of the Ogoni protest campaign in the oil producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria in the mid-1990s. The contentious politics literature suggests that protest campaigns demobilize as a consequence of the polarization between radical and moderate protesters. In this study, we offer a different causal mechanism and argue that protest campaigns can demobilize before such polarization occurs if states respond to the expansion of a protest campaign with brutal and indiscriminate repression. Moreover, states can prevent the subsequent radicalization of a protest campaign followed by harsh repression by coopting the radicals and the remaining moderate elites while continuing to use repression to prevent collective action. Our conclusion assesses how relations between extractive industry firms and their local host communities have or have not changed in the twenty years since the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995.
Optical characterization of the cathode plasma sheath during the biasing step for diamond nucleation on silicon

Abstract In-situ nucleation by negatively biasing the substrate in the microwave plasma is of crucial importance for diamond deposition on silicon, especially for the production of oriented diamond nuclei. We have characterized the cathode plasma sheath above the substrate by measuring the optical emission of the hydrogen Balmer lines during the biasing step. From the Stark splitting of the lines we deduce a field strength of about 1.5kV cm −1 directly at the silicon surface, increasing to about 3.5kV cm −1 when the surface is covered with a diamond film. At the same time the voltage drop moves closer to the cathode and the current increases by an order of magnitude. The superimposed broadening due to the Doppler effect is decomposed into several components. The broadest component results from hydrogen atoms with several tens of electronvolts of kinetic energy.
Differential expression of capillary VEGF isoforms following traumatic brain injury

Abstract Objectives: While it is known that angiogenesis occurs after trauma, we sought to characterize the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) subtypes, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and angiopoietin within capillaries of animals subjected to traumatic brain injury (TBI). Further, we sought to characterize pericyte cell death in isolated capillaries. Methods: We used Marmarou's acceleration impact model to induce head trauma and measured VEGF, VEGFR2 and angiopoietin levels in isolated capillaries. TUNEL was used to determine pericyte cell death. Results: The VEGF response was restricted to the VEGF120 isoform. No increase in transcripts for VEGF164 and VEGF188 was observed. VEGFR2 was marginally increased and angiopoietin was increased. A subset of pericytes were TUNEL-positive. Discussion: These results show a distinct expression pattern of angiogenic factors following injury and suggest that pericyte involvement in adaptive angiogenesis may be altered follo...
9 Radical hysterectomy

Radical hysterectomy for the treatment of cervical cancer was first performed just over 100 years ago. Refinements of surgical technique and improvements in supportive measures, such as transfusions and antibiotics, have brought about a marked decrease in morbidity and mortality from surgery and improvement in overall survival. The indications for operation, pre-operative investigations and preparation, surgical technique, post-operative complications and their management, and factors influencing prognosis are discussed.
PROPERTY A AND GRAPHS WITH LARGE GIRTH

This note gives new examples of spaces without property A: the main result is that a sequence of graphs with all vertex degrees bounded between three and some upper bound, and with girth tending to infinity, does not have property A.
Live/electro-acoustic music — a perspective from history and California

(1991). Live/electro-acoustic music — a perspective from history and California. Contemporary Music Review: Vol. 6, Live Electronics, pp. 91-106.
Epithelial Na+ channel subunit stoichiometry

Ion channels, including the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC), are intrinsic membrane proteins comprised of component subunits. Proper subunit assembly and stoichiometry are essential for normal physiological function of the channel protein. ENaC comprises three subunits, alpha, beta, and gamma, that have common tertiary structures and much amino acid sequence identity. For maximal ENaC activity, each subunit is required. The subunit stoichiometry of functional ENaC within the membrane remains uncertain. We combined a biophysical approach, fluorescence intensity ratio analysis, used to assess relative subunit stoichiometry with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, which enables isolation of plasma membrane fluorescence signals, to determine the limiting subunit stoichiometry of ENaC within the plasma membrane. Our results demonstrate that membrane ENaC contains equal numbers of each type of subunit and that at steady state, subunit stoichiometry is fixed. Moreover, we find that when all three ENaC subunits are coexpressed, heteromeric channel formation is favored over homomeric channels. Electrophysiological results testing effects of ENaC subunit dose on channel activity were consistent with total internal reflection fluorescence/fluorescence intensity ratio findings and confirmed preferential formation of heteromeric channels containing equal numbers of each subunit.
Effect of Magnesium Administration on Oxygen Free Radical Generation during In-utero Hypoxia in the Fetal Guinea Pig Brain. • 327

Previous studies have shown that hypoxia increases production of oxygen free radicals in fetal guinea pig brain. The present study tests the hypothesis that pretreatment with Mg++, a non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-ion channel, will prevent the hypoxia-induced increase in oxygen free radicals. Term guinea pig fetuses were divided into 4 groups: normoxic (n=7), hypoxic (n=7), Mg++ treated normoxic (n=6) and Mg++ treated hypoxic (n=6). The normoxic and the hypoxic groups were exposed for 60 min to 21% or 7% oxygen, respectively. An initial bolus of MgSO4 (600/mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to the mothers of the Mg treated group 1 hr prior to hypoxia and 30 min later by a second dose(300 mg/kg). Fetal cerebral cortical tissue was homogenized in N2-bubbled ice-cold 100 mM μ -phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) to trap oxygen free radicals. PBN spin adducts were extracted in toluene and free radicals were measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) at -20C. Peak height of the spin adduct signal was used as an index of the intensity of free radical formation, expressed as units/g dry tissue. Fetal brain hypoxia was documented biochemically by decreased tissue levels of ATP and phosphocreatine. Without Mg++ treatment, cortical tissue from hypoxic fetuses showed a significant increase in spin adducts (normoxic: 33.8±9.3 MM/g tissue vs. hypoxic: 57.9±9.2 MM/g tissue, 71% increase, p<0.01). In Mg++ treated groups spin adduct levels in cortical tissue from hypoxic fetuses did not significantly differ from the normoxic fetuses (30.2±9.9 MM/g tissue, Mg++ normoxic vs. 30.6±8.1MM/g tissue, Mg++ hypoxic). The results demonstrate that Mg++ administration significantly attenuates the hypoxia-induced increase in oxygen free radicals in fetal guinea pig brain. Since intracellular Ca++ is known to increase activity of several oxygen free radicalgenerating pathways, blockade of Ca++ entry via thereceptor-ion channel may be the mechanism by which Mg++ pretreatment prevents hypoxia-induced free radical generation.
Supersensitivity of brain opiate receptor subtypes after chronic naltrexone treatment

Abstract Chronic administration of the narcotic antagonist naltrexone resulted in a marked increase in brain opiate receptors. Similar changes were observed for putative Mu, Delta, and Kappa opiate receptor subtypes. In contrast, only a modest increase was observed for the putative Sigma receptor. Withdrawal from chronic naltrexone treatment resulted in a decrease from elevated receptor levels to nearly control receptors levels in a period of about 6 days, as revealed by [3H] etorphine binding. These results may shed light on the mechanisms of opiate dependence and withdrawal.
Novel evaluation method of silicon epitaxial layer lifetimes by photoluminescence technique

A novel method, the short wavelength laser excited photoluminescence (PL) technique at room temperature, is applied to evaluate carrier lifetime characteristics of silicon epitaxial (epi) layers, which are grown on heavily doped p+ substrates with approximately 1019 cm-3 of boron. The band-edge PL intensity of the epi-layer is closely related to the carrier recombination lfietime at room temperature. The carrier excitation at 488 nm wavelength and the existence of the p/p+ structure, which acts as a stopper for the excess carrier diffusion, enable one to evaluate the epi-layer lifetime characteristics of the epi-layer thicker than 3 micrometers . Applying the method to epi-quality evaluation of the p/p+ epi-wafers, trace metallic contamination in epi-layers introduced by the epi- growth processes has been evaluated successfully. It has been found that a dilute HF cleaning is enough for the sample preparation instead of surface passivation heat treatment, which is usually required for other lifetime measurements. This is a great advantage of the method which enables one to do an in-line epi-quality monitoring. We also found that molybdenum contamination degraded the epi-lifetime and the time dependent dielectric breakdown of thin oxide films grown on p/p+ epi-wafers in this study.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A note on the effects of crude oil on microbial activities in a stream sediment

Abstract The influence of crude oil on normal metabolic processes occurring in river sediments has been largely neglected. The work described was a pilot study designed to demonstrate the effects of spilt oil on a wide range of microbial activities in a stream mud. Rates of CO2 production, nitrogen fixation and methanogenesis, Vmax for glucose, and phosphatase levels were all determined in the presence and absence of crude oil. Four weeks after the oil addition the Vmax and phosphatase levels were significantly reduced and remained so, but methane and CO2 production rates were both significantly increased. Nitrogen fixation was not affected by 0·1% (v/v) oil, but was reduced after 8 weeks by 1·0% oil.
Technical Note-Stopping Rules for War Games or Combat Simulations with Exponential Life-Times

Present war game simulations on computers must be run many times because of random outcomes of two-sided conflict that might obscure or not be very sensitive to engineering changes or design objectives for military equipment. Thus, there is a need for stopping rules that will control risks of erroneous judgments in war game simulations or computer games. In view of a new formulation of basic Lanchester combat theory, it is now possible, when games are analyzed in terms of time-to-kill data, to formulate stopping rules in terms of hypothesis testing procedures and reliability theory. This paper develops procedures that not only give explicit stopping rules, but also control the risks of erroneous judgments to acceptable levels for exponential life-times of combat elements.
Intergranular fracture of polycrystalline Ni3Al at 77K

Environmental embrittlement of grain boundaries in polycrystalline Ni[sub 3]Al, involving moisture in air, has recently been observed in alloys with and without boron. This environmental embrittlement phenomenon is reported to be similar to that observed in many other ordered intermetallics, except that the fracture mode in Ni[sub 3]Al is intergranular while it is transgranular in many other intermetallics. The proposed mechanism for this moisture-induced embrittlement is similar to that proposed for moisture induced embrittlement of aluminum and its alloys, which involves the reaction of aluminum with water to generate hydrogen, which then embrittles the alloy. The environmental component of the brittleness is evidenced by comparing tensile ductility in moist air, vacuum, and dry oxygen. In general, testing in dry oxygen has been shown to increase the ductility of alloys susceptible to water vapor induced embrittlement, presumably due to formation of an oxide film that inhibits the formation of hydrogen and its transport into the alloy. Room temperature tensile elongation of Zr doped substoichiometric Ni[sub 3]Al was shown to increase from 6-9% in water, and 11-13% in air, to 48-51% in oxygen environment. This observation raises questions about whether grain boundaries in Ni[sub 3]Al are really intrinsically brittle, and suggests amore » new explanation for the boron effect.'' Based on these observations, the ductilizing role of boron has been proposed to involve the suppression of the environmental embrittlement, by blocking the diffusion of hydrogen at grain boundaries.« less