cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Male and female runners demonstrate different sagittal plane mechanics as a function of static hamstring flexibility

Background: Injuries to runners are common. However, there are many potential contributing factors to injury. While lack of flexibility alone is commonly related to injury, there are clear differences in hamstring flexibility between males and females. Objective: To compare the effect of static hamstring length on sagittal plane mechanics between male and female runners. Method: Forty subjects (30.0±6.4 years) participated and were placed in one of 4 groups: flexible males (n=10), inflexible males (n=10), flexible females (n=10), and inflexible females (n=10). All subjects were free of injury at the time of data collection. Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were collected while subjects ran over ground across 2 force platforms. Sagittal plane joint angles and moments were calculated at the knee and hip and compared with a 2-way (sex X flexibility) ANOVA (α=0.05). Results: Males exhibited greater peak knee extension moment than females (M=2.80±0.47, F=2.48±0.52 Nm/kg*m, p=0.05) and inflexible runners exhibited greater peak knee extension moment than flexible runners (In=2.83±0.56, Fl=2.44±0.51 Nm/kg*m, p=0.01). For hip flexion at initial contact, a significant interaction existed (p<0.05). Flexible females (36.7±7.4o) exhibited more hip flexion than inflexible females (27.9±4.6o, p<0.01) and flexible males (30.1±9.5o, p<0.05). No differences existed for knee angle at initial contact, peak knee angle, peak hip angle, or peak hip moment. Conclusion: Hamstring flexibility results in different mechanical profiles in males and females. Flexibility in the hamstrings may result in decreased moments via active or passive tension. These differences may have implications for performance and injury in flexible female runners.
The testability features of the 3rd generation ColdFire/sup (R)/ family of microprocessors

A description of the DFT and test challenges faced, and the solutions applied, to the newest member of the ColdFire/sup (R)/ microprocessor family, the MCF5307, is described. The MCF5307 is the first member of the family to have on-chip, PLL-sourced, dual clock domains where the bus interface and the internal core microprocessor operate at different, but selectable, frequency ratios; and the internal microprocessor core of the MCF5307 was designed as a separate stand-alone core that contained multiple embedded memory arrays. The DFT challenges and solutions described involve the development of the at-speed AC scan test architecture and scan vectors in a multiple clock domain environment; the application of memory BIST to multiple embedded memories in a cost effective manner; and the handling of an on-chip PLL clock source.
Statistical emulators for pricing and hedging longevity risk products

We propose the use of statistical emulators for the purpose of analyzing mortality-linked contracts in stochastic mortality models. Such models typically require (nested) evaluation of expected values of nonlinear functionals of multi-dimensional stochastic processes. Except in the simplest cases, no closed-form expressions are available, necessitating numerical approximation. To complement various analytic approximations, we advocate the use of modern statistical tools from machine learning to generate a flexible, non-parametric surrogate for the true mappings. This method allows performance guarantees regarding approximation accuracy and removes the need for nested simulation. We illustrate our approach with case studies involving (i) a Lee–Carter model with mortality shocks; (ii) index-based static hedging with longevity basis risk; (iii) a Cairns–Blake–Dowd stochastic survival probability model; (iv) variable annuities under stochastic interest rate and mortality.
Exploiting Packing Components in General-Purpose Integer Programming Solvers

The problem of packing boxes into a large box is often only a part of a complex problem. For example in furniture supply chain applications, one needs to decide what trucks to use to transport furniture between production sites and distribution centres and stores, such that the furniture fits inside. Such problems are often formulated and sometimes solved using general-purpose integer programming solvers.
S-band phased patch array design for satellite applications

An S-band phased array was designed for communication between a satellite in geostationary orbit and a spacecraft in lower Earth orbit (LEO). A unique aspect of the design is the simulation of all models using Ansoft HFSS software. The array was designed for left-hand circular polarization (LHCP). It was also desired to develop an array with a minimum operational bandwidth of 4% to allow for fabrication and substrate tolerances. Multiple circularly polarized patch designs were considered, including nearly square and stacked nearly square patches with a single feed. However, since single feed patches have narrow axial ratio bandwidths of less than 1% for a 3 dB axial ratio, a dual feed square patch was chosen. A microstrip Wilkinson splitter followed by a quarter wave transformer was designed and integrated with the dual feed square patch in HFSS to provide LHCP centered at 2.2875 GHz resulting in an 8.7% bandwidth. Using the dual feed square patch antenna, a six by six element uniformly spaced planar array was modeled and simulated in HFSS. The array used tapered amplitude excitation to reduce sidelobes and a progressive phase shift to steer the main beam from the geostationary satellite toward the spacecraft in LEO.
Understanding Applicant Withdrawal: Can organizations prevent it and should they even try?

The process of applicant self-selection has received significant attention in the academic literature. However, scant attention has been devoted to parsing out controllable from uncontrollable reasons for applicant withdrawal. At a most basic level, recognition and management of the problems impeding test availability to an applicant is a starting point. This research aimed to gain a better understanding of why applicants withdraw from the selection process, after application, by investigating differential reasons for withdrawal based on minority status and test accessibility for individual applicants. This was accomplished by surveying applicants of an entry-level position within a variety of locations. The results indicate that the reasons for withdrawal are best described as obstructions (e.g., distance to testing facility) and are based less upon differences between minority subgroup and cognitive evaluations/attributions concerning the suitability of the focal position.
High-throughput low-latency fine-grained disk logging

Synchronously logging updates to persistent storage first and then asynchronously committing these updates to their rightful storage locations is a well-known and heavily used technique to improve the sustained throughput of write-intensive disk-based data processing systems, whose latency and throughput accordingly are largely determined by the latency and throughput of the underlying logging mechanism. The conventional wisdom is that logging operations are relatively straightforward to optimize because the associated disk access pattern is largely sequential. However, it turns out that to achieve both high throughput and low latency for fine-grained logging operations, whose payload size is smaller than a disk sector, is extremely challenging. This paper describes the experiences and lessons we have gained from building a disk logging system that can successfully deliver over 1.2 million 256-byte logging operations per second, with the average logging latency below 1 msec.
Anterior cervical spinal cord tethering after anterior spinal surgery: case report.

Objective and importance This is the first reported case of anterior cervical spinal cord tethering after anterior spinal surgery. A mechanistic hypothesis is presented to explain the observed phenomenon. Clinical presentation A patient developed cervical myelopathy 2 years after multiple anterior cervical discectomies complicated by cerebrospinal fluid leakage. She demonstrated reflex and motor changes as well as neuropathic pain. Intervention An anterior corpectomy was performed, with opening of the dura and detethering of an arachnoid band and then fusion and plating. Conclusion Reflex and motor changes improved, but pain did not. We hypothesize that mechanical deformation and scar formation after cerebrospinal fluid leakage may have led to tethering of the spinal cord.
EFFECT OF A BUNKER FUEL ON THE BEACH BACTERIAL FLORA

Studies at four sampling locations on three beaches in the San Francisco area affected by oil from an 840,000 gallon spill of Chevron bunker fuel have shown that the size of the bacterial population and distribution of bacterial genera within the beach was unaffected by the petroleum hydrocarbons remaining in the beach sand after completion of the cleanup operation. Only 15 percent of the beach bacteria were affected by a variety of petroleum components including the pentane soluble fraction of the bunker fuel. (Author)
C-FMS dependent HL-60 cell differentiation and regulation of RB gene expression

The dependence of induced myelomonocytic cell differentiation, and regulation of the RB tumor suppressor gene during this process, on the c-fms gene product, the CSF-1 lymphokine receptor, was determined in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Adding a monoclonal antibody with specificity for the c-fms gene product to cells treated with various inducers of myelomonocytic or macrophage differentiation, including retinoic acid and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, inhibited the rate of differentiation. During the period of inducer treatment usually preceding onset of differentiation, longer periods of antibody exposure caused greater inhibition of differentiation. In a stable HL-60 transfectant overexpressing the CSF-1 receptor at the cell surface due to a constitutively driven c-fms trans gene, the rate of differentiation was enhanced compared to the wild type cell, consistent with a positive regulatory role for the CSF-1 receptor. The anti-fms antibody caused much less inhibition of differentiation in the transfectants than in wild type cells, consistent with a larger number of receptors causing reduced sensitivity. During the induced metabolic cascade leading to differentiation, the typical early down regulation of RB gene expression was inhibited by the antibody. The antibody itself caused an increase in RB expression per cell, which offset the decrease normally caused by differentiation inducers (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 and retinoic acid). The changes in RB expression preceded changes in the RB protein to the hypophosphorylated state. Most of the RB protein in proliferating cells was phosphorylated and no significant accumulation of hypophosphorylated RB protein occurred until after onset of G0 arrest. Thus the metabolic cascade leading to myelomonocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells appears to be driven by a function of the c-fms protein. Inhibiting that process by attacking this receptor impedes differentiation and also compromises the early down regulation of RB tumor suppressor gene expression which normally precedes differentiation. These findings provide additional support for a potential role for down regulating RB expression in promoting cell differentiation, and suggest the possibility that RB may be either a target or intermediate mediator of CSF-1 actions.
Effects of the 1982–1983 El Nino on Humboldt penguin colonies in Peru

Abstract The Humboldt penguin Spheniscus humboldti is endemic to the Peruvian Current which flows northward along the coast of Chile and Peru. This species has greatly diminished from its former abundance. The coast of Peru is characterised by high biological productivity which concentrates fish such as the anchovy Engraulis ringens , the main prey item of marine predators including seabirds. In years of the abnormal oceanographic conditions of El Nino, the schools of anchovies become unavailable to the seabirds and they disperse in search of food. Massive mortality, especially of juveniles, results and there is nest desertation and lack of reproduction. This paper describes the effects of the 1982–1983 El Nino on Humboldt penguin colonies in Peru. There has been an overall population decline of 65% and the surviving population in 1984 was estimated to be between 2100 and 3000 adults. Although El Nino is a periodic event and the Humboldt penguin has evolved to adapt to such unpredictable changes, the environment has now been altered by man. Under these circumstances, the 1982–1983 El Nino has contributed to placing this species in a critical position.
Effect of positional dependence and alignment strategy on modeling transcription factor binding sites

Many consensus-based and Position Weight Matrix-based methods for recognizing transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) are not well suited to the variability in the lengths of binding sites. Besides, many methods discard known binding sites while building the model. Moreover, the impact of Information Content (IC) and the positional dependence of nucleotides within an aligned set of TFBS has not been well researched for modeling variable-length binding sites. In this paper, we propose ML-Consensus (Mixed-Length Consensus): a consensus model for variable-length TFBS which does not exclude any reported binding sites. We consider Pairwise Score (PS) as a measure of positional dependence of nucleotides within an alignment of TFBS. We investigate how the prediction accuracy of ML-Consensus is affected by the incorporation of IC and PS with a particular binding site alignment strategy. We perform cross-validations for datasets of six species from the TRANSFAC public database, and analyze the results using ROC curves and the Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-ranks test. We observe that the incorporation of IC and PS in ML-Consensus results in statistically significant improvement in the prediction accuracy of the model. Moreover, the existence of a core region among the known binding sites (of any length) is witnessed by the pairwise coexistence of nucleotides within the core length. These observations suggest the possibility of an efficient multiple sequence alignment algorithm for aligning TFBS, accommodating known binding sites of any length, for optimal (or near-optimal) TFBS prediction. However, designing such an algorithm is a matter of further investigation.
Some Economics of Trade Secret Law

Despite the practical importance of trade secrets to the business community, the law of trade secrets is a neglected orphan in economic analysis. This paper sketches an approach to the economics of trade secret law that connects it more closely both to other areas of intellectual property and to broader issues in the positive economic theory of the common law.
A spatially explicit techno-economic model of bioenergy and biofuels production in California

Abstract This study presents a spatially explicit techno-economic Bioenergy Siting Model (BSM) of the bioenergy production system in California. The model describes the bioenergy system in terms of facility siting and size, conversion technology, feedstock profile, and feedstock supply chain configuration for the year 2015. The BSM expands upon previous bioenergy siting work by optimizing the system using spatially explicit feedstock supply curves, multiple potential conversion technologies and geographically determined bioenergy demand. We present sensitivity analysis demonstrating the effect of market and policy change scenarios. The model couples transportation network analysis using a Geographic Information System (GIS) with a mixed integer-linear programming (MIP) optimization model. Scenario results show total biomass resource utilization between 18 and 25 million dry tons annually at biofuel prices from $2.20 to $4.00/gallon of gasoline equivalent.
Special Issue on Elderly Homicide: An Introduction

The topic of elderly homicide is important for two major reasons. First, nearly every publication on elderly homicide indicates that we are closing in on a very large increase in the elderly population. Second, while the number of elderly homicides is small, they have a number of characteristics that differentiate them from other age groups of victims. Language: en
Identification of 2-Amino-1,7-dimethylimidazo(4,5-g)quinoxaline: An Abundant Mutagenic Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine Formed in Cooked Beef

A previously unknown isomer of the carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amine (HAA) 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (8-MeIQx) was recently discovered in the urine of meat eaters and sub...
The gene for human chromogranin A (CgA) is located on chromosome 14.

Abstract Chromogranin A (CgA) is a protein that is present in most neuroendocrine tissues and is co-secreted with their resident hormones. We have assigned the CgA gene to human chromosome 14 by hybridization of a CgA cDNA probe cloned from a cDNA library of human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells to spots of individual human chromosomes flow-sorted onto nitrocellulose filters. Southern analysis of human genomic DNA with the same probe revealed only 1–3 restriction bands. These studies indicate that the CgA gene is probably single copy and not a member of a dispersed, multigene family. The CgA gene is not co-localized with the genes of any of the CgA-associated hormones.
A Strong Maximum Principle for the Laplace Equation with Mixed Boundary Condition

Abstract In this work we present a comparison result for two solutions of the Laplace equation in a smooth bounded domain, satisfying the same mixed boundary condition (zero Dirichlet data on part of the boundary and zero Neumann data on the rest). The result is in some sense a generalization of the Hopf lemma to the case of mixed boundary conditions, where the barrier function is not given explicitly, but as the solution of the Laplace equation with a constant right hand side and mixed boundary condition
Upper esophageal sphincter pressure recording: is an oval manometry catheter necessary?

A comparison was made between recording by a round and oval catheter of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressures in 20 normal volunteers. Each catheter had four radial side openings at 90°. The round catheter was 4 mm in diameter, which was identical to the smaller (antero posterior) dimension of the oval catheter. Studies were performed using a pneumohydraulic perfusion system with a random sequence of studies regarding the type of catheter and technique; station pull-through, or rapid pull-through. All pressures were evaluated by on-line computer analysis. There was no significant difference in mean, maximum, or minimum UES pressure recorded by the round or oval catheter. Consistently higher pressures were obtained during rapid pull-through with both the oval and round catheters. We conclude that UES pressures recorded in normal subjects vary with pull-through technique and that comparable UES pressures can be obtained with either an oval or round catheter configuration having at least four side openings at 90° intervals.
Intrabody-mediated knockout of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor in primary human T cells using a bicistronic lentivirus vector.

Intrabody-mediated knockout of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor in primary human T cells using a bicistronic lentivirus vector
Salary trends of selected occupations in the financial sectors: 2003-2011

The paper examines the salary trends and behaviour of 22 occupations in the three-digit NAICS sectors of finance, insurance, and real estate sectors from 2003 to 2011. Overall, the mean wages of the same occupations within each sector are statistically significant different from those across sectors over this period. However, the rate of salary changes in the different job categories can be quite diverse. For example, salaries in the insurance sector are more predictable than others. Salaries that are based heavily on commissions, such as those in the real estate sector, tend to fluctuate more with economic cycles. Interestingly, jobs in the investment industry consistently show the greatest gain during the decade. Finally, the largest salary growth in real dollars as well as in percentage is in the categories that are normally classified as management and the smallest changes are in those occupations that are typically classified as staff positions.
Arsenic in domestic well water and health in central appalachia, USA

Two hundred seventeen tap water samples, from homes in 26 counties of eastern Kentucky, western West Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and northeastern Tennessee, USA, were analyzed for arsenic (As) by Hydride Generation AAS. Nearly half of the 179 samples from private wells had detectable arsenic, and, of these, 43% had 0.5–1.0 ppb, 34%, 1.1–3.0 ppb, 6%, 3.1–5.0 ppb, 11%, 5.1–10.0 ppb, and 6% had As far exceeding the new Maximum Contamination Level (MCL) of 10 ppb recently set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Based on the National Research Council’s 2001 report to the USEPA, the lifetime risk of bladder and lung cancer from water arsenic exposure at 10 ppb is about one in 333 individuals, which is much higher than the standard of one in 10,000 individuals set for other carcinogens. Even at 5 ppb, the risk is 1 in 667, at 3 ppb, 1 in 1000, and at 1 ppb, 1 in 3100. The incidence of arsenic-related cancers and other diseases in this coal-mining region is high, and 57% of the well water samples tested in this study had levels over 1 ppb As. Since Central Appalachian families rely heavily on private wells, and the U.S. Federal 2006 compliance edict does not apply to private water sources, more extensive sampling and analysis of well water in the region, using the most sensitive methodology available, is recommended. A public awareness campaign and routine health screening for arsenic exposure is also recommended.
Human Ventricular Unloading Induces Cardiomyocyte Proliferation

Abstract Background The adult mammalian heart is incapable of meaningful regeneration after substantial cardiomyocyte loss, primarily due to the inability of adult cardiomyocytes to divide. Our group recently showed that mitochondria-mediated oxidative DNA damage is an important regulator of postnatal cardiomyocyte cell cycle arrest. However, it is not known whether mechanical load also plays a role in this process. We reasoned that the postnatal physiological increase in mechanical load contributes to the increase in mitochondrial content, with subsequent activation of DNA damage response (DDR) and permanent cell cycle arrest of cardiomyocytes. Objectives The purpose of this study was to test the effect of mechanical unloading on mitochondrial mass, DDR, and cardiomyocyte proliferation. Methods We examined the effect of human ventricular unloading after implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) on mitochondrial content, DDR, and cardiomyocyte proliferation in 10 matched left ventricular samples collected at the time of LVAD implantation (pre-LVAD) and at the time of explantation (post-LVAD). Results We found that post-LVAD hearts showed up to a 60% decrease in mitochondrial content and up to a 45% decrease in cardiomyocyte size compared with pre-LVAD hearts. Moreover, we quantified cardiomyocyte nuclear foci of phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein, an upstream regulator of the DDR pathway, and we found a significant decrease in the number of nuclear phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated foci in the post-LVAD hearts. Finally, we examined cardiomyocyte mitosis and cytokinesis and found a statistically significant increase in both phosphorylated histone H3–positive, and Aurora B–positive cardiomyocytes in the post-LVAD hearts. Importantly, these results were driven by statistical significance in hearts exposed to longer durations of mechanical unloading. Conclusions Prolonged mechanical unloading induces adult human cardiomyocyte proliferation, possibly through prevention of mitochondria-mediated activation of DDR.
Glycoalkaloids in potatoes

Abstract The glycoalkaloids present in the cultivated potato plant might result in their being unacceptable by present-day food standards, if that vegetable were introduced today. The alkaloids are derived biosynthetically from cholesterol. The range of glycoalkaloids found in nature is given. Two main methods of determining these alkaloids have been developed, enabling a general screening procedure to be employed by growers. The advent of protoplast techniques has opened up the possibility of many new species and they present the chemist with new problems. There can be a conflict between the requirement of pest- and disease-resistant potatoes and those with low levels of glycoalkaloids. Damage and microbial infection to potatoes may cause glycoalkaloids to develop. In the end, the consumer must be the final arbiter.
Variable herbicide responses among Illinois waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis and A. tuberculatus) populations

Abstract To determine the extent of herbicide resistance in the common and tall waterhemp populations of Illinois, USA, research was conducted to survey 59 waterhemp populations from 28 counties in Illinois for responses to several herbicides. Herbicides used in the survey included two acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitors, glyphosate, a triazine, and a diphenylether. Using greenhouse experiments, six plants from each waterhemp population were treated with each herbicide and phenotypically evaluated 2 weeks after application. Herbicides were applied at rates that resulted in 50% injury (I 50 ) of a control population in preliminary experiments. Using I 50 rates of atrazine at 1.3 kg ai ha −1 , fomesafen at 33 g ai ha −1 , glyphosate at 210 g ai ha −1 , or imazethapyr at 35 g ae ha −1 , significant differences in herbicide responses were identified among the waterhemp populations to atrazine, glyphosate, and imazethapyr, but not fomesafen. Several populations were identified with differential responses to the two ALS-inhibiting herbicides, suggesting different mutations conferring ALS-inhibitor resistance. Results of this study confirmed that waterhemp is highly variable in response to herbicides, and numerous resistant populations exist in Illinois.
Current trends in pediatric cochlear implant candidate selection and postoperative follow-up.

Purpose In this article, the authors describe current pediatric cochlear implant (CI) assessment and postoperative scheduling protocols in the United States. Method A survey was conducted in 2 phases. Results Response rates were similar between Phase I (10%) and Phase II (13%). Across phases, nearly all respondents reported assessing speech perception both preoperatively and postoperatively. The most frequently used parent questionnaires were the Infant–Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (Robbins, Renshaw, & Berry, 1991), the Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (Robbins et al., 1991), and LittlEARS (Kuehn-Inacken, Weichboldt, Tsiakpini, Coninx, & D'Haese, 2003). The most commonly used speech perception measure for children <23 months of age was the Early Speech Perception Test–Low Verbal (ESP-LV; Moog & Geers, 1990). The most commonly used measures for children 24–35 months of age were the ESP-LV, the Northwestern University of Children's Perception of Speech (Elliot & Katz, 1980), and the Mr...
AeroADL: applying the integration of the Suomi-NPP science algorithms with the Algorithm Development Library to the calibration and validation task

A common problem for the off-line validation of the calibration algorithms and algorithm coefficients is being able to run science data through the exact same software used for on-line calibration of that data. The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program solved part of this problem by making the Algorithm Development Library (ADL) available, which allows the operational algorithm code to be compiled and run on a desktop Linux workstation using flat file input and output. However, this solved only part of the problem, as the toolkit and methods to initiate the processing of data through the algorithms were geared specifically toward the algorithm developer, not the calibration analyst. In algorithm development mode, a limited number of sets of test data are staged for the algorithm once, and then run through the algorithm over and over as the software is developed and debugged. In calibration analyst mode, we are continually running new data sets through the algorithm, which requires significant effort to stage each of those data sets for the algorithm without additional tools. AeroADL solves this second problem by providing a set of scripts that wrap the ADL tools, providing both efficient means to stage and process an input data set, to override static calibration coefficient look-up-tables (LUT) with experimental versions of those tables, and to manage a library containing multiple versions of each of the static LUT files in such a way that the correct set of LUTs required for each algorithm are automatically provided to the algorithm without analyst effort. Using AeroADL, The Aerospace Corporation’s analyst team has demonstrated the ability to quickly and efficiently perform analysis tasks for both the VIIRS and OMPS sensors with minimal training on the software tools.
Process and properties of PM AL-Si-X alloys

The automotive, home appliance, and other civil industries need alloys which could replace cast iron and steel products. The alloys’ qualities should include high strength, wear resistance, high modulus of elasticity, low thermal expansion, good machinability, and good deformability. Rapidly solidified powder metallurgy (PM) Al-Si-X alloys provide such properties. The effects of rapid solidification make it possible to refine crystals, eliminate large intermetallic compound formation, and extend the solid solubility. However, these features are not thermally stable, and, therefore, the consolidation process condition is carefully optimized. This paper describes the process and properties of rapidly solidified PM Al-Si-X alloys.
Instrumentation for multistep excitation of lithium atoms to Rydberg states.

We have developed a diode laser apparatus to excite Li from its ground 2S state, through 2P and 3S, to its Rydberg states with three cw diode lasers operating at λ = 671 nm, 813 nm, and 630–635 nm. A He–Ne laser at λ = 633 is sometimes used in place of the 635-nm diode laser for the last step. The output power of each of these lasers was ~1 mW. We describe our technique of locking the first two lasers on Li resonance lines by obtaining a fluorescent signal from the second decay (3S → 2P) that is normally overpowered by a strong background of fluorescent light from the first decay (2P → 2S). We used two balanced photodiodes to reject the strong fluorescent light without loss of collection efficiency. A rejection ratio as high as 100 has been obtained.
Implementing the convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against internationally protected persons, including diplomatic agents

Abstract The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons was negotiated by the Sixth Committee of the U.N. General Assembly on the basis of a draft by the International Law Commission. The Convention represents a major move against terrorism aimed at diplomats and others who have special status under international law. The United States Government was successful in obtaining fairly rapid approval of the text and also in obtaining the necessary U.S. legislative action to put it into effect. The United States has been hampered, however, by the fact that the two federal agencies, the F.B.I, and the U.S. Marshal's service normally do not engage in the type of activity required to protect persons covered by the Convention. Local U.S. authorities are overburdened with their normal duties and there is extremely limited federal authority to extend financial assistance to the states. More far‐reaching measures to counter the growing terrorist threat are needed.
Pituitary gland: New pathways in the pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas.

Acromegaly is caused by a growth-hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma. Mutations in the AIP gene predispose patients to young-onset pituitary adenomas that are resistant to somatostatin analogue therapy. Chalal et al. describe a potential mechanism by which AIP modulates responsiveness to somatostatin analogues and identify PLAGL1 as a potential modulator of therapeutic activity.
A Bayesian sensitivity analysis of out-of-hospital 12-lead electrocardiograms: implications for regionalization of cardiac care.

Background The effectiveness of out-of-hospital regionalization of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients to hospitals providing primary percutaneous coronary intervention depends on the accuracy of the out-of-hospital 12-lead electrocardiogram (PHTL). Although estimates of sensitivity and specificity of PHTL for STEMI have been reported, the impact of out-of-hospital STEMI prevalence on positive predictive value (PPV) has not been evaluated. Objectives To describe the relationship between varying population STEMI prevalences and PHTL predictive values, using ranges of PHTL sensitivity and specificity. Methods The authors performed a Bayesian analysis using PHTL, where values for sensitivities (60%–70%), specificities (98%), and two prevalence ranges (0.5%–5% and 5%–20%) were derived from a literature review. PPV prediction intervals were compared with three months of prospective data from the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency STEMI regionalization program. Results When the estimated prevalence of STEMI in the out-of-hospital population is 5%–20%, the median PPV of the PHTL is 83% (95% credible interval [CrI] = 53% to 97%). However, if the population prevalence of STEMI is between 0.5% and 5%, the median PPV is 43% (95% CrI = 12% to 86%). When the PPV prediction intervals were incorporated with the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency data, the PPV was 66%. Conclusions Even when assuming high specificity for PHTL, the false-positive rate will be considerable if applied to a population at low risk for STEMI. Before broadening application of PHTL to low-risk patients, the implications of a high false-positive rate should be considered.
UnAfrican Americans: Nineteenth-Century Black Nationalists and the Civilizing Mission

Though many scholars will acknowledge the Anglo-Saxon character of black American nationalism, few have dealt with the imperialistic ramifications of this connection. Now, Nigerian-born scholar Tunde Adeleke reexamines nineteenth-century black American nationalism, finding not only that it embodied the racist and paternalistic values of Euro-American culture but also that nationalism played an active role in justifying Europe's intrusion into Africa. Adeleke looks at the life and work of Martin Delany, Alexander Crummell, and Henry McNeal Turner, demonstrating that as supporters of the mission civilisatrice ("civilizing mission") these men helped lay the foundation for the colonization of Africa.
New experimental technique for the study and analysis of solid particle erosion mechanisms

Abstract A theoretical dynamic analysis of a new laboratory technique is presented for the study of solid particle erosion mechanisms of brittle, ductile, and semi-ductile materials. Samples mounted on a rotating disk were air-blasted by erodent particles. The rotating disk movement allows the reduction or increase of the relative particle tangential velocity. Also, the system enables the users to separately study the effect of the particle velocity components, normal and tangential, on the erosion rates and mechanisms. In addition to the separation of the normal and tangential velocities effects of the erodent particles, this technique introduces a radial motion of the particles with respect to the samples. A theoretical dynamic analysis of the system demonstrated that the erosive effect of the radial motion is negligible during the contact period between the particles and samples. An additional advantage of this technique is that it provides erosion rate values at very low angles of impact and at high particle velocities. The air-blasting–rotating disc system enhances our ability to study the erosion acting mechanisms. To show the benefits of this system, erosion tests at very low angles of impact and at high velocities were conducted using alumina as abrasive particles. S-glass, aluminum, and epoxy resin representing brittle, ductile, and semi-ductile materials were selected for this study and their erosion rates as a function of the particle angle of impingement and particle velocity were determinated.
Two New Species of Sandersiella (Cephalocarida), Including One From the Deep Sea 1)

Two new species of Cephalocarida, Sandersiella calmani from shallow Peruvian waters, and S. bathyalis from deep water off Southwest Africa, allow realistic determination of the generic characteristics of this previously monotypic genus. This re-evaluation of Sandersiella necessitates rediagnosis of the other two genera, Hutchinsoniella and Lightiella. Full enumeration of known localities shows the cephalocarids to have a disjunct, cosmopolitan distribution with broad environmental range. Nevertheless, the morphological range of this subclass is quite limited. This pattern is like that of other primitive arthropods, including the Mystacocarida, Leptostraca, and Xiphosura.
The Validation of Procedures to Assess Prevocational Task Preferences in Retarded Adults.

Three severely retarded young adults between the ages of 19 and 21 years participated in a prevocational training program, and worked regularly on six different tasks during the scheduled six-hour day. The study attempted to assess each subject's preferences for the six tasks: collating, stuffing, sorting, pulley assembly, flour-sifter assembly, and circuit-board stuffing. In Phase I, the procedure consisted of randomly pairing each task with all other tasks in a two-choice situation that required the subjects to select one task from each pair combination to work for a seven-minute period. The selection procedure consisted of presenting two representative task objects on a tray and requesting the subject to pick up one object and place it on the work table. The object selected represented the task worked for that period. The 15 possible pair combinations were presented randomly every two days for a period of 34 days to determine the preferences. During the validation phase (Phase II), each subject's least- and most-preferred tasks were paired separately with moderately-preferred tasks. As expected, these manipulations confirmed the baseline data, as choices for the moderately-preferred tasks decreased when consistently paired with the preferred tasks and increased when consistently paired with the least-preferred tasks.
Relation between Ga ordering and magnetostriction of Fe-Ga alloys studied by x-ray diffuse scattering

Transmission synchrotron diffraction was employed to characterize the Ga ordering in magnetostrictive ${\text{Fe}}_{100\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Ga}}_{x}$ alloys with Ga concentrations from 0 to $20.3\text{ }\text{at}\text{.}\text{ }\mathrm{%}$. The experiments focused on the development of atomic short-range ordering (SRO) by analysis of the diffuse scattering appearing at superlattice positions of the $\text{D}{0}_{3}$ ordered alloy structure. No SRO was found for Ga concentrations less than $4\text{ }\text{at}\text{.}\text{ }\mathrm{%}$. Between 13 and $20.3\text{ }\text{at}\text{.}\text{ }\mathrm{%}$, $\text{D}{0}_{3}$-type SRO clusters are observed whose size increases with Ga concentration for both slow-cooled and quenched samples. Thermal quenching of the samples suppresses the cluster sizes when compared to slow-cooled samples of the same concentration. For quenched samples with large Ga concentration, Ga pairing is evidenced by growing B2-type correlations. At low concentrations, the presence of SRO appears to have little (if any) effect on the enhanced magnetostriction. However, the dramatic suppression of magnetostriction near $\ensuremath{\sim}20\text{ }\text{at}\text{.}\text{ }\mathrm{%}$ Ga can be linked rapid growth of SRO just before the onset of long-range chemical order.
The Development of the Embryonic Outflow Tract Provides Novel Insights into Cardiac Differentiation and Remodeling

The embryonic cardiac outflow tract (OFT) connects the developing ventricles with the aortic sac. In birds and mammals, OFT cardiomyocytes are generated from a "secondary (anterior)," heart-forming field well after the formation of the primitive heart tube. The OFT cardiomyocytes have unique properties and developmental fates as compared with the myocytes of the atrial and ventricular chambers. Many of the OFT cardiomyocytes of the avian embryo are eliminated by programmed cell death (PCD) during OFT remodeling in the transition from a single- to a dual-series circulation. Targeted PCD gain and loss-of-function studies indicate that PCD drives the shortening and rotation of the OFT required for the aorta and pulmonary artery to connect with the left and right ventricles, respectively. Defects in this process model aspects of the relatively common and often life-threatening congenital human conotruncal heart defects. Using indicators of tissue hypoxia, we suggest that OFT myocardial hypoxia may be the trigger for the PCD-dependent remodeling of the OFT. This review discusses these aspects of the formation and remodeling of the embryonic OFT in the context of the broader questions of cardiac muscle biology.
Surface charge on plasmodium knowlesi and P. coatneyi-infected red cells of Macaca mulatta.

Abstract Red cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum, P. coatneyi, and P. knowlesi adhere to venous endothelium. The possible role of red cell surface charge in the adhesiveness was investigated. The electrophoretic mobility of red cells from monkeys infected by P. knowlesi and P. coatneyi was not significantly different from mobilities determined before infection. When the infected red cells were concentrated by density gradient, they still showed normal electrophoretic mobility. Surface charge distribution was studied by binding positively charged ferric oxide hydrosols to glutaraldehyde-fixed red cells. Colloid binding was similar between the red cells infected with P. knowlesi and P. coatneyi and the uninfected red cells. Furthermore, knoblike membrane protrusions on red cells infected by P. coatneyi showed similar colloid binding as adjacent membranes. Therefore, neither the net surface charge nor the charge distribution on the red cell surface was altered by these infections. The knoblike protrusions in P. coatneyi-infected red cells have radii of curvature of 28–98 nm. Since these low radii would theoretically allow two similarly curved surfaces to approach within 0.5–1.0 nm of each other, knoblike protrusions may form the basis of adhesion. Knoblike protrusions of P. falciparum-infected red cells have similar dimensions and are the apparent site of attachment to venous endothelium.
Strengthening of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Columns with FRP Wrap

A compressive strength model for confined concrete wrapped with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has been developed which is an extension of Mohr's strength theory. This model explicitly relates the confined compressive stress, f’ sub cc, to the confining pressure, f’ sub l. It is shown that in the general form this model requires information about the uniaxial compressive strength, f’ sub c, the uniaxial tensile strength, f’ sub t, and a quantity, n, relating to the shape of Mohr's envelope of ultimate strength states. A second-order parabolic model, developed analytically, is proposed for use with FRP-confined concrete. The proposed model has been verified using existing tests of normal strength concrete (f sub c less than or equal to 8000 psi) specimens confined by FRP wrap and tube previously reported in the engineering literature. For comparison, an empirical model using the same data was also developed. An application example for strengthening a reinforced concrete bridge column is also provided.
Expression of PDGF and PDGF receptors in human astrocytoma operation specimens supports the existence of an autocrine loop

Established cell lines derived from human malignant astrocytomas typically express a combination of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and PDGF receptor which could form an autocrine loop. In this study, we screened for the essential components of a PDGF autocrine loop in fresh surgical isolates of human astrocytomas, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques. Eight malignant astrocytomas (6 glioblastomas and 2 anaplastic astrocytomas), 5 low-grade astrocytomas and 4 non-neoplastic glial specimens (mesial temporal sclerosis) were evaluated. Malignant astrocytomas, and to a lesser extent low-grade astrocytomas, expressed more PDGF-A and PDGF-B than non-neoplastic glia. PDGF-alpha-receptor expression was elevated both in malignant and in low-grade astrocytomas. These data support the argument that PDGF autocrine loops contribute to the unregulated growth of human astrocytomas. Expression of PDGF and PDGF receptor in low-grade astrocytomas suggests that activation of PDGF autocrine loops may be an early event in the pathogenesis of malignant astrocytomas.
Response of a turbulent boundary layer to sinusoidal free-stream unsteadiness

In this paper, selected findings of a detailed experimental investigation are reported concerning the effects of forced free-stream unsteadiness on a turbulent boundary layer. The forced unsteadiness was sinusoidal and was superimposed locally on an otherwise-steady mainstream, beyond a turbulent boundary layer which had developed under constant-pressure conditions. Within the region over which free-stream unsteadiness was induced, the sinusoidal variation in pressure gradient was between extremes of zero and a positive value, with a positive average level. The local response of the boundary layer to these free-stream effects was studied through simultaneous measurements of the u- and v-components of the velocity fieldAlthough extensive studies of unsteady, turbulent, fully-developed pipe and channel flow have been carried out, the problem of a developing turbulent boundary layer and its response to forced free-stream unsteadiness has received comparatively little attention. The present study is intended to redress this imbalance and, when contrasted with other studies of unsteady turbulent boundary layers, is unique in that: (i) it features an appreciable amplitude of mainstream modulation at a large number of frequencies of forced unsteadiness, (ii) its measurements are both detailed and of high spatial resolution, so that the near-wall behaviour of the flow can be discerned, and (iii) it allows local modulation of the mainstream beyond a turbulent boundary layer which has developed under the well-known conditions of steady, two-dimensional, constant-pressure flowResults are reported which allow comparison of the behaviour of boundary layers under the same mean external conditions, but with different time dependence in their free-stream velocities. These time dependences correspond to: (i) steady flow, (ii) quasi-steadily varying flow, and (iii) unsteady flow at different frequencies of mainstream unsteadiness. Experimental results focus upon the time-averaged nature of the flow; they indicate that the mean structure of the turbulent boundary layer is sufficiently robust that the imposition of free-stream unsteadiness results only in minor differences relative to the mean character of the steady flow, even at frequencies for which the momentary condition of the flow departs substantially from its quasi-steady state. Mean levels of turbulence production are likewise unaffected by free-stream unsteadiness and temporal production of turbulence appears to result only from modulation of the motions which contribute to turbulence production as a time-averaged measure.
Non perturbative anomalies in higher dimensions

Abstract We study how nonperturbative anomalies can occur in dimensions higher than four and their implications on the consistency of the theory.