cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policing Non-Class Aggregate Settlements: Empowering Judges Through the All Writs Act

Commentators have identified that one of the most significant problems in current MDL practice is the lack of judicial authority over non-class aggregate settlements. This paper explores the use of the All Writs Act to provide MDL judges with robust authority to manage, supervise, and ultimately review non-class aggregate deals that are the object of much recent criticism. It rejects the thesis that judicial supervision of non-class settlements is unwarranted because these deals are contractual, and that oversight therefore removes claimant autonomy and damages the adversarial system. Several MDL judges already have invoked the All Writs Act to police parallel class action settlements that might jeopardize pending MDL negotiations. This paper explores and endorses the argument that MDL judges may, with equal force, exercise power pursuant to the All Writs Act to police pending non-class settlements in their jurisdiction. As the MDL non-class settlement paradigm has evolved, some MDL judges have sought to intervene in settlement activities by invoking authority pursuant to three theories: (1) the quasi class action, (2) the inherent powers of the court, and (3) the All Writs Act. As critics note, the quasi class action and inherent judicial power have provided weak support for judicial intervention in non-class aggregate settlements. But to date, commentators have paid scant attention to judicial power under the All Writs Act or its use in MDL proceedings.The explosion of the MDL docket in the twenty-first century represents the most notable paradigm shift in the American legal landscape in several decades. Currently, the MDL panel assumes jurisdiction over almost all emerging aggregate mass tort and small claims consumer actions. With this marked proliferation of MDL proceedings, commentators have signaled various growing concerns with the MDL resolution of large-scale collective disputes. In particular, critics have focused on issues relating to non-class aggregate settlements accomplished under MDL auspices.The MDL statute provides judges with authority to supervise and manage coordinated pre-trial proceedings, but little else. Historically, MDL proceedings have proven effective vehicles for resolving mass disputes through class action settlements, subject to Rule 23 requirements and constraints. Currently, however, attorneys have pivoted to resolving aggregate disputes through non-class settlements that are negotiated and consummated outside class action procedures, which relieves parties of Rule 23 judicial supervision, oversight, and review.The MDL statute provides scant authority for judicial oversight of non-class aggregate settlements. This shift to non-class settlements has inspired concern regarding the substantive, procedural, and ethical dimensions of these deals. A major debate centers on the question of judicial authority in the non-class settlement arena and this paper seeks to provide that authority by focusing on judicial power under the All Writs Act.
Chinese Literary Thought in Modern Times: Shi, Xing, and Shishi

Modern Chinese literature is always already in the transculturation of non-Chinese concepts and discourses. My quibble with the current state of the field, however, has to do with the way we respond to the consequences of the transcultural traffic. While we assume a position of (moralist, political, or intellectual) sincerity, we tend to stop short of grappling with the “authenticity and viability” of our own theoretical frameworks regarding the subjects under critique. It has become a commonplace to criticize the uneven development of discursive agency in Chinese literary and cultural studies, with Western theory taking precedence over Chinese subjects (and subjectivities). But one cannot help noting that some of the most critical voices are themselves empowered by, or even sustaining, the Western canon they set out to subvert. Overcoming such a dilemma does not require us to retroactively claim either cultural essentialism or political historicism. Rather, we should seek to reengage theory, enacting “the mobility of ideas across time and space, which draws attention to the ways in which contexts both transform and are transformed by its movement.” I argue that the “mobility” of theory presumably inherent in the current theoretical paradigm has not taken us far enough in exploring new terrain. In this article, I propose that we triangulate the paradigm of modern Chinese literary and cultural studies, by bringing premodern Chinese literary thought to bear on theoretical engagement on the one hand and textual studies on the other.
Realtime Operating Systems For Distributed Process Control Systems

Abstract Conventional process control systems today are organized around a single computer with a realtime operating system as the key element. The function of the realtime operation system is to control resources in the system shared by application tasks including input/output devices, computer memory, and the CPU itself. Two developments forthcoming will affect realtime operating systems for process control. They are first, the trend toward line sharing and remote intelligent terminals; and second, the trend toward the use of multiple computers and microprocessors in semi-dedicated control functions but still integrated into the overall computer control system. Both of these trends indicate that the major impact on the realtime operating system will be in the distribution of the data base and intertask communication since both devices and data and tasks will be resident in possibly different computers. The objective of this paper is to examine techniques for communication between computers which can realize effective interprogram communication even when the tasks and data base are distributed among several process control computers or special purpose controllers. Some experimental results are presented.
The Execution of Euthanasia: The Right of the Dying to a Re-Formed Health Care Context

At risk of overstatement a physician and historian of medicine, Chester R. Burns, the past President of the Society for Health and Human Values, remarked that “Contemporary man is transforming death from a taboo to an obscenity” ([5], p. 3). As he rightly observes, there are books, articles, symposia, editorials, societies, panel discussions, political caucuses expressing ideologies and hospices. Distinguishing as we should the phenomenon of death from the concept and language in which the concept reveals itself, it is the latter which is in danger of becoming indecent, impure, and even obscene. The phenomenon of death was never taboo. However, only the explicit bringing to consciousness of the latent affect associated with the phenomenon was forbidden. Indeed, in many quarters the topic is still very much taboo, in spite of the fact that many of us move in circles where the phenomenon of death is “discussed.” We should not, after all, assume that our particular social nexus is typical. In truth it is more correct to say that authentic and open talk about death is still taboo and, especially in academic circles, at times even obscene. The reality, in short, is expressed by the conjunctive.
Correction to: Constitutionality in Montana: A Decade of Institution Building in the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area

The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes. See table for the complete list of corrections.
Accurate near surface air temperature measurements are necessary to gauge large-scale ecological responses to global climate change.

Author(s): Terando, Adam; Youngsteadt, Elsa; Meineke, Emily; Prado, Sara | Abstract: Linked Article: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3965.
Streets and social life in cities: a taxonomy of sociability

Evident in the urban revival of North American cities are planning and design strategies focused on attracting the downtown worker, the tourist, the conventioneer and the newly implanted suburbanite. In this wave of revival, many groups are marginalized, the reclaimed public space is often sanitized, gentrified and fortified, and not inclusive. However, there are urban public spaces that defy or at least resist these trends. Examining urban neighbourhood main streets reveals that even though the contemporary urban street can never be an unregulated place of unconstrained diversity, there are streets that counter the prevalent culture of consumption, and one can find visible signs of spontaneity and diversity of people and activities, and genuine social life. Using research in urban sociology, a taxonomy for sociability is developed, and the existing range of classifications of outdoor social activities is expanded. Through empirical examination, this paper explains how these streets perform as social spaces—how sociability is enacted, and what is the nature of planning, design and management, which supports social behaviours. Finally, the research emphasizes the role of the street as an ordinary public space in creating affordances for everyday social contacts that are crucial to personal well-being and social cohesion.
The Royal Chapel at Pyrga: Art, Agency, and Appropriation in Fourteenth-Century Cyprus

Scholars have traditionally dated the Royal Chapel at Pyrga, Cyprus to the year 1421 and attributed it to the patronage of the island’s Latin ruler Janus de Lusignan (r. 1398-1432). However, more recent stylistic, iconographic, and epigraphic analyses present a convincing argument for dating the chapel to the mid-fourteenth century. Ironically, though the chapel is most frequently associated with the death of Janus’s wife Queen Charlotte, the portraits of a Latin king and queen both appear as living, albeit anachronistic, attendants at Christ’s death in the chapel’s decoration. Their prayerful attitude at the base of the Cross on Golgotha, in conjunction with programmatic emphasis on sickness/death, salvation, and intercession, implies that the foundation was intended to be something other than a memorial funerary chapel for a specific royal person. This article, which supports a mid-fourteenth-century date, will argue that the chapel instead functioned as an ex-voto or visual prayer for the salvation of the Cypriot people from an outbreak of plague on the island. Evidence points to King Peter I de Lusignan (r. 1358-1369) and Queen Eleanora as likely patrons of the chapel and the role of St. Peter Thomas—monk, papal procurator, and bishop—as instigator of royal penitential display as a means of countering the spread of plague. Important to this revised date and context is the clear invocation of the True Cross—relic and palladium par excellence of the Crusades—that held special importance in the religious culture of Cyprus and for its royal dynasty.
A Statewide Quantitative Analysis of Computer Science: What Predicts CS in Georgia Public High School?

An estimated 35% of high school principals across the U.S. report teaching computer science (CS) at their schools, according to a 2018 code.org access report. Meanwhile, a growing number of organizations have missions of providing computer science to all students in primary and secondary schools. In order to reach all students with CS, we need to understand the choices students, teachers, and schools make regarding accessing CS education. In this poster, we present a regression model that predicts the percentage of students enrolled in a computer science course at a public high school in the U.S. state of Georgia.We choose a single state because the US school system is highly-distributed, so policy and standards contexts differ between states. Using publicly available data sets, we explore what could advance or diminish a school's choice to offer a CS course. Our results show that the explanatory variable that mostly highly correlates with and most strongly influences CS being offered in a school is whether CS has been offered before. The implication is that startup costs and inertia may be among the most critical factors, as opposed to wealth or size of the school district. Median income at the county level and enrollment numbers at a school do affect CS enrollment numbers, but only explain a small amount of the variance. We are currently undertaking qualitative work to understand the idiosyncratic factors that influence schools' decision to offer a CS course.
Siting analysis of PV Water Pumping System Using GIS-Based fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process

This paper presents a fuzzy multicriteria decision-making within ArcGIS applied in remote Areas, for the selection of suitable areas for photovoltaic pumping plants in Ghardaia (southern Algeria). In this work we propose to use a combination of FAHP (fuzzy Analytic hierarchy process) approach usually used to determine the fuzzy normalized weights and ArcMap. Its importance is paramount in the site selection process using GIS environment. We have analyzed six criteria in the process, including sunshine, altitude, the water’s areas and lines, ground water, vegetal cover and finally the remoteness from road. It results a useful suitability map to identify the most appropriate areas for photovoltaic water pumping facilities.
Families and Social Policy

The 1970s and the early 1980s have witnessed the politicization of the American family. Conservatives and liberals alike have couched political agendas in a family rhetoric. Concurrently with this war with words, with advocates on both sides of the political spectrum invoking such goals as family welfare, stability, and sanctity, it is fair to say that the well-being of families, especially their economic well-being, has steadily declined. This chapter seeks to move beyond rhetoric to an examination of the interplay between public policies and families in the United States.
Loss of Ventricular Function After Bidirectional Cavopulmonary Connection: Who Is at Risk?

Decline of single ventricle systolic function after bidirectional cavopulmonary connection (BDCPC) is thought to be a transient phenomenon. We analyzed ventricular function after BDCPC according to ventricular morphology and correlated this evolution to long-term prognosis. A review from Mayo Clinic databases was performed. Visually estimated ejection fraction (EF) was reported from pre-BDCPC to pre-Fontan procedure. The last cardiovascular update was collected to assess long-term prognosis. A freedom from major cardiac event survival curve and a risk factor analysis were performed. 92 patients were included; 52 had left ventricle (LV) morphology and 40 had right ventricle (RV) morphology (28/40 had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)). There were no significant differences in groups regarding BDCPC procedure or immediate post-operative outcome. EF showed a significant and relevant decrease from baseline to discharge in the HLHS group: 59 ± 4% to 49 ± 7% or − 9% (p < 0.01) vs. 58 ± 3% to 54 ± 6% or − 4% in the non-HLHS RV group (p = 0.04) and 61 ± 4% to 60 ± 4% or − 1% in the LV group (p = 0.14). Long-term recovery was the least in the HLHS group: EF prior to Fontan 54 ± 2% vs. 56 ± 6% and 60 ± 4%, respectively (p < 0.01). With a median follow-up of 8 years post-BDCPC, six patients had Fontan circulation failure, four died, and three had heart transplantation. EF less than 50% at hospital discharge after BDCPC was strongly correlated to these major cardiac events (HR 3.89; 95% Cl 1.04–14.52). Patients with HLHS are at great risk of ventricular dysfunction after BDCPC. This is not a transient phenomenon and contributes to worse prognosis.
Genetically Engineered Mouse Models for Studying Radiation Biology and Radiosensitizers

Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) are powerful research tools that have improved our understanding of cancer and enabled the identification of novel targets for the radiosensitization of human cancer. The use of GEMMs in cancer has evolved significantly since early models of organism-wide oncogene knock-in and tumor suppressor knock-out mice. Advances in recombinase technology have enabled the development of GEMMs with site- and tissue-specific genetic manipulation and temporal control of multiple genetic alterations. There are multiple advantages to using GEMMs to study radiation biology when compared to in vitro or transplant in vivo models. First, they provide a robust platform for the study of normal tissue injury generated by treatment with radiation therapy and radiosensitizers. Second, tumors develop in a native microenvironment, which preserves the stromal and vascular compartments. Third, they allow precise spatial and temporal control of multiple genetic alterations, allowing scientists to dissect the effect of specific genetic mutations on tumor development and radiation response. Finally, these mice have an intact immune system that co-evolves with tumor formation, which is critical to evaluating combined radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Here we review current approaches to mouse modeling for the study of radiation biology and radiosensitizers.
A Prospective Trial of Radiation Therapy Efficacy and Toxicity for Localized Mucosa-associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALT) Lymphoma

Purpose We report the long-term results of a prospective trial conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of radiation therapy (RT) alone in treating localized mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Methods and Materials Patients with localized MALT lymphoma were eligible and treated with involved field RT to doses of 24 to 39.6 Gy. Relapse-free survival (RFS) was the primary endpoint. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate RFS, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) defined from time of study entry. Preplanned subgroup analyses were performed based on site of involvement. Results From 2000 to 2012, 75 patients were accrued; 73 received protocol-specified RT. Median follow-up was 9.8 years. Thirty-four patients had gastric MALT, 17 orbital, 13 head and neck nonorbit, 4 skin, and 5 disease of other sites. Thirteen of 34 patients with gastric MALT were Helicobacter pylori positive at the time of initial diagnosis and underwent 1 to 3 courses of triple antibiotic therapy. All gastric MALT patients had documented persistent MALT without H. pylori on endoscopy before enrollment in the study. All patients achieved a complete response with a median time of 3 months. Eleven patients (15%) had disease relapse, 9 of which were at sites outside the RT field with median time to progression of 38.3 months. Median PFS was 17.5 years, and median RFS and OS were not reached. The 10-year relapse-free rate was 83% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74%-93%). The 10-year PFS rate was 71% (95% CI, 60%-84%). The 10-year OS rate was 86% (95% CI, 77%-96%). RFS, PFS, and OS did not differ by disease site (P = .17, .43, and .50, respectively). All relapses were successfully salvaged. One patient developed metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma and was found to also have recurrent MALT on biopsy. Otherwise, all relapsed patients were alive without evidence of disease at last follow-up, and no patient died of MALT lymphoma. Sixty-seven patients (92%) experienced acute toxicity during radiation, all of which were grade 1 and 2, with only 1 grade 3 toxicity. Twenty-two patients (30%) experienced late toxicity, with only 1 grade 3 toxicity. Conclusions This prospective study confirms that RT for MALT lymphoma provides excellent long-term RFS with acceptable rates of toxicity. Current efforts are focused on RT de-escalation in an effort to further avoid treatment-related morbidity. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04465162 .
Economic and environmental strategies against targeting energy subsidy in Iranian meat market: A game theory approach

Abstract This study sought to investigate the economic-environmental effects of Targeted Subsidy Policy on energy in the meat market of Iran within a game theory framework. The welfare of players in economic game, determined by equilibrium displacement model, and the environmental losses (benefits) from Greenhouse Gas emissions were considered as game payoffs based on the behavior of three players: producers, consumers, and government. Results show an increase in the piece of energy carriers as a policy deterred from enhancing environmental losses and reducing the welfare of each market player. Therefore, eliminating energy subsidy, and redistributing its revenue toward producers to improve technology are regarded as the government's strategy for economic-environmental equilibrium, while removing energy subsidy without repaying is considered as equilibrium strategy in which the effects of Targeted Subsidy Policy are only considered economically or environmentally. Finally, the effect of losses from Greenhouse Gas emissions, caused by increasing the production of livestock products, on reduced energy consumption related to each production unit in meat market was further compared with the positive effect of technology improvement. Therefore, shrinking government size beside its monitoring increase can play an effective role in improving the situation of the meat market.
Depression in independent young adults on the autism spectrum: Demographic characteristics, service use, and barriers:

Depression is a common problem for adults on the autism spectrum, but little is known about depression-related service receipt in this group. To understand depression diagnostic and treatment statu...
Unexpected Primary Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of Bone in Amputation and Arthroplasty Specimens

Objectives Amputation due to gangrene and arthroplasty for degenerative joint disease are common orthopedic procedures and are expected to increase as populations age. Histopathologic examination of these specimens can identify unsuspected diseases. Methods We reviewed gangrenous amputations and large joint arthroplasty specimens for diagnosis of unexpected lymphoma, January 2014 to January 2020. Pathology and medical records were reviewed to determine diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. Results Five cases (0.08%) of unexpected primary extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) centered in bone were identified in 1,624 amputations for gangrene and 4,163 arthroplasty specimens. The female-to-male distribution was 3:2. Median age was 71 years (range, 62-87). The 3 cases arising in the setting of gangrene involved the first toe phalanges and metatarsals, and the femoral head was involved in all cases of joint disease (2 cases). The bone showed variable (10%-80%) infiltration by dense populations of small lymphoid cells with MZL immunophenotype. One patient died from sepsis 18.5 months after diagnosis; all others are alive with a median follow-up of 27.45 months. Conclusions Histopathologic examination of nonneoplastic orthopedic specimens identifies unexpected primary bone extranodal MZL in a small percentage of cases. This neoplasm may be the result of chronic antigenic stimulation in some circumstances.
Equilibrium Positive Interest Rates: A Unified View

This article develops precise connections among two general approaches to building interest rate models: a general equilibrium approach using a pricing kernel and the Heath, Jarrow, and Morton framework based on specifying forward rate volatilities and the market price of risk. The connections exploit the observation that a pricing kernel is uniquely determined by its drift. Through these connections we provide, for any arbitrage-free term structure model, a representative-consumer real production economy supporting that term structure model in equilibrium. We put particular emphasis on models in which interest rates remain positive. By modeling the dynamics of the drift of the pricing kernel, we construct a new family of Markovian-positive interest rate models.
Clinical and pathologic findings in an outbreak in rabbits of natural infection by rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 in the northwestern United States.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) causes an often-fatal disease of rabbits that has resulted in outbreaks in rabbitries in Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. RHD has historically been ch...
The Effects of Select Hydrocolloids on the Processing of Pâté-Style Canned Pet Food.

Hydrocolloids are commonly used in canned pet food. However, their functional effects have not been quantified in this food format. The objective was to determine the effects of select hydrocolloids on batter consistency, heat penetration, and texture of canned pet food. Treatments were added to the formula as 1% dextrose (D) and 0.5% guar gum with 0.5% of either dextrose (DG), kappa carrageenan (KCG), locust bean gum (LBG), or xanthan gum (XGG). Data were analyzed as a 1-way ANOVA with batch as a random effect and separated by Fisher’s LSD at p < 0.05. Batter consistency (distance traveled in 30 s) thickened with increasing levels of hydrocolloids (thinnest to thickest: 23.63 to 2.75 cm). The D treatment (12.08 min) accumulated greater lethality during the heating cycle compared to all others (average 9.09 min). The KCG treatment (27.00 N) was the firmest and D and DG (average 8.75 N) the softest with LBG and XGG (average 15.59 N) intermediate. Toughness was similar except D (67 N·mm) was less tough than DG (117 N·mm). The D treatment showed the greatest expressible moisture (49.91%), LBG and XGG the lowest (average 16.54%), and DG and KCG intermediate (average 25.26%). Hydrocolloids influenced heat penetration, likely due to differences in batter consistency, and affected finished product texture.
Pain in the Fetus

All the recent data about the physiology of the fetus and its active role into the womb allow us to consider the fetus as a biological protagonist in the intrauterine environment. This capacity can be detected during both the embryonic and the fetal period. The pre-implantation blastocyst is biologically autonomous, because it can provide nutriments for itself during the trip from the oviduct to the site of implantation [1] and has an active role in the choice of the implantation site [2].
Unbounded Linear Operators On a Hilbert Space

So far we have spent a great deal of time focusing our attention on bounded operators, when, indeed, our interest is in dealing with differential operators which are unbounded. The reason for this is that in order to properly attack the problems associated with them, a foundation concerning bounded operators must be laid first. The spectral resolution for a bounded self-adjoint operator, $$\begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {A = \int_{{m - }}^{M} {\lambda dE(\lambda ),} } & {has its unbounded counterpart} & {A = \int_{{ - \infty }}^{\infty } {\lambda dE(\lambda ),} } \\ \end{array}$$ but the proof, which is considerably more complicated, is derived by looking at a certain unitary operator, the Cayley transform. Hence the need for the preceding work. We follow the path ingeniously described by John von Neumann.
Financial Globalization: Gain and Pain for Developing Countries

This paper discusses the benefits and risks that financial globalization entails for developing countries. Financial globalization can lead to large benefits, particularly to the development of the financial system. But financial globalization can also come with crises and contagion. The net effect of financial globalization is likely positive in the long run, with risks being more prevalent right after countries liberalize. So far, only some countries, sectors, and firms have taken advantage of globalization. As financial systems turn global, governments lose policy instruments, so there is an increasing scope for some form of international financial policy cooperation.
Monte Carlo simulation of electron acceleration in modified relativistic shocks

We give a brief review of Monte Carlo simulations of nonlinear Fermi shock acceleration and then give new results on electron acceleration in SNRs and in relativistic parallel shocks. The acceleration of low energy electrons in shocks is poorly understood, but even when energetic electrons are considered, where electron and proton scattering should be qualitatively similar, dramatic differences result between electron and proton acceleration in relativistic shocks. If the shocked plasma is a mixture of electrons and protons, the electrons are accelerated much less efficiently than protons. We predict that only e(-)-e(+) pair dominated plasmas can produce significant radio emission in relativistic flows if the standard Fermi mechanism operates in parallel shocks.
Imaging and Absolute Extinction Cross-Section Measurements of Nanorods and Nanowires through Polarization Modulation Microscopy†

This paper describes an experimental technique for measuring the extinction cross-section of anisotropic nanomaterials. The experiments are performed by focusing a laser beam to a diffraction-limited spot under an optical microscope, and using a photoelastic modulator (PEM) to rotate the polarization of the light beam. Monitoring the transmitted beam with a lock-in amplifier referenced to twice the resonant frequency of the PEM yields the difference in extinction for light polarized parallel and perpendicular to the optical axis of the nanostructure. These experiments are the single particle analog of polarization modulation microscopy (PMM). Experimental results for gold nanorods and CdSe nanowires are presented that demonstrate the sensitivity and properties of this technique. In particular, we show that by collecting images at two laser polarizations separated by 45° it is possible to construct an extinction cross-section image. The advantages and disadvantages of the PMM technique compared to existing...
Winter Cover Crops and Vinegar for Early-Season Weed Control in Sustainable Cotton

ABSTRACT Weeds may be suppressed by winter cover crops and the use of organic herbicides such as vinegar. Black oat (Avena strigosa) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) winter cover crops were planted for 2 years as part of a sustainable production system for cotton in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and were till-killed each spring prior to cotton planting. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palme ri), common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) were frequently-encountered winter and spring weeds. Both cover crops controlled winter weeds as well as did winter tillage without cover. Black oats plots had 8% and 17% more total winter weed cover than no-cover and hairy vetch plots, respectively. Seven weeks after cotton planting, cotton cover was 10% to 15% less in former winter hairy vetch and no-cover sustainable plots than in former black oats plots, but cotton height did not vary by winter cover crop. Total spring weed, pigweed, and purslane cover did not vary between former hairy ...
Sinusoidal profile precision roughness specimens

Abstract The design, specifications, fabrication, testing and potential use of a series of sinusoidal profile precision roughness specimens are described. These specimens were designed primarily to provide a means for optimum transfer of an accurate roughness average Ra value from primary to secondary laboratories. However, properties of the specimens also make them very useful for evaluating instrumentation and computational algorithms designed to measure the statistical parameters and functions now being investigated in many laboratories. Specimens with an Ra value of 1.0 μm and spatial wavelengths of 40, 100 and 800 μm are being fabricated. For the wavelength of 100 μm, specimens are also being fabricated with Ra values of 3.0 and 0.3 μm. Fabrication using numerically controlled diamond lathes has produced specimens with very high quality sinusoidal profile waveforms with uniform Ra values across the surfaces and with very low amounts of waviness over a test area of about 2 cm2.
Stratigraphy and geochronology of the Comondu Group near Loreto, Baja California sur, Mexico.

Abstract Upper Oligocene to Middle Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks in the Loreto region, Baja California Sur, are widely exposed and make up the Comondu Group as redefined here following McFall. The Comondu Group is part of a volcanic arc and forearc basin that formed along the northwestern margin of Mexico. Regional to detailed scale mapping, stratigraphic analysis, and geochronology in a 10–20-km-wide and 70-km-long belt from the gulf escarpment to the coast near Loreto reveal three main units in the Comondu Group and a composite thickness of ∼1.5–2 km. (1) The lower clastic unit (∼30–19 Ma) contains 200–300 m of fluvial sandstone and conglomerate with probable local eolian deposits and numerous felsic tuffs and basalt flows that accumulated in a forearc basin. (2) The middle breccia and lava flow unit (∼19–15 Ma) is up to 750 m thick and consists of massive andesite breccia that was deposited as proximal debris flows interbedded with minor andesite lava flows. (3) The upper lava flow and breccia unit (∼15–12 Ma) consists almost entirely of up to ∼600 meters of andesite lava flows a few kilometers west of Loreto that are part of a composite volcano. North and south of Loreto for up to 25 km, the unit is composed of andesite lava flows and massive andesite breccia that formed from thick debris flows near that and other volcanic centers. The three units of the Comondu Group in the Loreto area correlated with the Salto, Pelones, and Ricason formations of the Bahia Concepcion area. The lower clastic unit of this study is time equivalent to the marine San Gregorio, El Cien, and Isidro formations on the western and southern Baja California peninsula. The middle and upper units of the Loreto area are the proximal equivalent to the type section of the Comondu Group near the village of Comondu. During deposition of the lower part of the Comondu Group, the arc lay to the east on mainland Mexico in the Sierra Madre Occidental, and then migrated to the position of the Gulf of California at about 25 Ma. At ∼19 Ma the proximal part of the arc migrated abruptly >50 km westward to approximately the position of Carmen Island and at 15 Ma the arc once again stepped west forming eruptive centers along the coast near Loreto until ∼12 Ma. Also at 15 Ma, the proximal forearc region changed from aggradational to neutral or erosional such that no rocks of the upper unit are preserved in the gulf escarpment.
Development of a Plasma Driven Permeation Experiment for TPE.

Abstract Experiments on retention of hydrogen isotopes (including tritium) at temperatures less than 800 °C have been carried out in the Tritium Plasma Experiment (TPE) at Idaho National Laboratory [1] , [2] . To provide a direct measurement of plasma driven permeation in plasma facing materials at temperatures reaching 1000 °C, a new TPE membrane holder has been built to hold test specimens (≤1 mm in thickness) at high temperature while measuring tritium permeating through the membrane from the plasma facing side. This measurement is accomplished by employing a carrier gas that transports the permeating tritium from the backside of the membrane to ion chambers giving a direct measurement of the plasma driven tritium permeation rate. Isolation of the membrane cooling and sweep gases from TPE's vacuum chamber has been demonstrated by sealing tests performed up to 1000 °C of a membrane holder design that provides easy change out of membrane specimens between tests. Simulations of the helium carrier gas which transports tritium to the ion chamber indicate a very small pressure drop (∼700 Pa) with good flow uniformity (at 1000 sccm). Thermal transport simulations indicate that temperatures up to 1000 °C are expected at the highest TPE fluxes.
Near‐threshold charge pump circuit using dual feedback loop

A near-threshold charge pump circuit suitable for a phase-locked loop-based frequency synthesiser is presented. The charge pump uses gate switches and dual feedback loops to achieve good up/down current matching characteristics in low-voltage operation. The applied gate switches reduce the leakage current and the feedback loops provide a more stable operation. Post-layout simulation results demonstrate that the proposed charge pump circuit consumes only 60 µW with a 0.5 V supply voltage. The charge pump circuit is implemented in a 0.13 µm CMOS process.
Multivitamin use among multi-ethnic, low-income adults

There has been growing interest in the protective health benefits of multivitamin use (MVU). Relatively little research has investigated factors associated with MVU among adults across a broad age range, particularly among lower-income, racially/ethnically diverse adults. In light of standing MVU recommendations and documented health benefits for certain groups, as well as ongoing studies evaluating the potential health benefits of multivitamins, vitamin D, and calcium, research among this understudied population is warranted. The aims of this paper were to assess the association between MVU and 1) sociodemographic, 2) preventive/health, and 3) patient/provider factors among a racially and ethnically diverse adult sample of over 1500 low-income housing residents living in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were the primary analytic strategy for investigating these associations. In multivariable analyses, sociodemographic factors (female gender, older age, and White or Other race/ethnicity) were significantly associated with regular MVU (p≤ .05). Preventive/health variables (health status, physical activity, and body mass index) and characteristics of patient/provider relationships (having a regular provider, last provider visit, decision-autonomy, and quality of relationship) were not significantly associated with MVU. While more evidence is needed to understand the benefits of MVU, future studies should address low use of MVU among lower income, multi-ethnic populations, particularly in light of health disparities.
Generalization refactorings for reusable aspects

Aspect-oriented programming techniques have shown potential for improving the modularity of software by factoring out the code related to implementing cross-cutting concerns into separate aspect modules. The necessary cross-cutting functionality is then injected into the application as needed at runtime or compile-time by the aspects. Refactoring catalogs exist to provide guidance for this refactoring but could be expanded to improve the reusability of the resulting aspect code. This work presents three new aspect refactorings that provide generally-applicable guidance for improving the reusability of refactored aspects. The proposed refactorings further modularize the aspects themselves by separating the general concern-related code from the application-specific concern-related code, thus improving the potential reusability of the aspects.
The photochemistry of polyhaloarenes XIII. The photohydrodehalogenation of 3,4-dibromobiphenyl

Irradiation of 3,4-dibromobiphenyl (BpBr2) in acetonitrile resulted in the formation of 4-bromobiphenyl (BpBr) and 3-bromobiphenyl (3-BpBr) in a ratio of 7.6 ± 0.1 up to 22% conversion of starting material. The dependence of the reciprocal of the quantum yield (1Φ) upon 1BpBr2 is linear. Reduction of BpBr2 with lithium di-tert-butylbiphenylide generates a 3.6:1.0 ratio of BpBr to 3-BpBr, while photohyrodebromination of BpBr2 in the presence of triethylamine produces a similar ratio of 1.8:1.0. Product determining radical stability was assessed by radical debromination of BpBr2 using Ph3SnH in THF, which resulted in a BpBr:3-BpBr ratio of 1.5:1.0. AM1 calculations on the product determining radicals provide the basis for rationalization of products via excimer and radical anion intermediates.
Indirect Oxidation of Co(II) in the Presence of the Marine Mn(II)-Oxidizing Bacterium Bacillus sp. Strain SG-1

Cobalt(II) oxidation in aquatic environments has been shown to be linked to Mn(II) oxidation, a process primarily mediated by bacteria. This work examines the oxidation of Co(II) by the spore-forming marine Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium Bacillus sp. strain SG-1, which enzymatically catalyzes the formation of reactive nanoparticulate Mn(IV) oxides. Preparations of these spores were incubated with radiotracers and various amounts of Co(II) and Mn(II), and the rates of Mn(II) and Co(II) oxidation were measured. Inhibition of Mn(II) oxidation by Co(II) and inhibition of Co(II) oxidation by Mn(II) were both found to be competitive. However, from both radiotracer experiments and X-ray spectroscopic measurements, no Co(II) oxidation occurred in the complete absence of Mn(II), suggesting that the Co(II) oxidation observed in these cultures is indirect and that a previous report of enzymatic Co(II) oxidation may have been due to very low levels of contaminating Mn. Our results indicate that the mechanism by which SG-1 oxidizes Co(II) is through the production of the reactive nanoparticulate Mn oxide.
A Comparative Study and Analysis of Semi-Active Vibration-Control Systems

Semi-active (SA) vibration-control systems are those which otherwise passively generated damping or spring forces are modulated according to a parameter tuning policy with only a small amount of control effort. SA units, as their name implies, fill the gap between purely passive and fully active vibration-control systems and offer the reliability of passive systems, yet maintain the versatility and adaptability of fully active devices. During recent years there has been considerable interest towards practical implementation of these systems for their low energy requirement and cost. This paper briefly reviews the basic theoretical concepts for SA vibration-control design and implementation, and surveys recent developments and control techniques for these systems. Some related practical applications in vehicle suspensions are also presented.
Cell-mediated cytotoxicity to moloney sarcoma in syngeneic and allogeneic rats.

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity in the primary immune response to Moloney sarcoma tumor (MST) in allogeneic and syngeneic rats was found to be predominantly T-cell-dependent. A minor non-T-cell cytotoxic activity may also have been detected. CMC was presumably directed against tumor and viral related antigens in the syngeneic host and primarily against alloantigens in the allogeneic host. CMC was more vigorous in the allogeneic recipient than in the syngeneic host. This may be due to differences in quantities or immunogenicities of the various antigens involved. Two peaks of T-cells in effector populations were observed during a 20-day post-inoculation period. The first peak corresponded to peak T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity on day 8 and the second peak occurred on days 13 or 14 when CMC was minimal or undetectable.
Taoist Leadership Ethics

This essay addresses ethical issues raised by the growing popularity of Taoist leadership concepts. Western leaders seeking the benefits of Taoism should first consider its assumptions and how thes...
SUPERCONFORMAL GAUGE THEORIES AND NONCRITICAL SUPERSTRINGS

We consider effective actions for six-dimensional noncritical superstrings. We show that the addition of N units of RR flux and of Nf space–time filling D5-branes produces AdS5×S1 solutions with curvature comparable to the string scale. These solutions have the right structure to be dual to supersymmetric SU(N) gauge theories with Nf flavors. We further suggest bounds on the mass-squared of tachyonic fields in this background that should restrict the theory to the conformal window.
Vectorless verification of RLC power grids with transient current constraints

Vectorless power grid verification is a powerful method that evaluates worst-case voltage noises without detailed current waveforms using optimization techniques. It is extremely challenging when considering RLC power grids since inductors are difficult to tackle and multiple time steps should be evaluated after the discretization of the system equation. In this paper, we study integrated RLC power grids with both VDD and GND networks and rigorously prove that their vectorless verification can be decomposed into two sub-problems -- the well-studied transient power grid analysis problem and an optimization problem that maximizes an affine function of currents under current constraints. We further introduce transient constraints to restrict the waveform of each current source for realistic scenarios and design the RLCVN algorithm to solve the vectorless verification problem of RLC power grids. Results confirm that our algorithm is an effective approach for practical RLC power grid verification, and the proposed transient constraints make the noise estimations more realistic.
The biogeochemical sulfur cycle in the marine boundary layer over the Northeast Pacific Ocean

The major components of the marine boundary layer biogeochemical sulfur cycle were measured simultaneously onshore and off the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. during May 1987. Seawater dimethysulfide (DMS) concentrations on the continental shelf were strongly influenced by coastal upwelling. Concentration further offshore were typical of summer values (2.2 nmol/l) at this latitude. Although seawater DMS concentrations were high on the biologically productive continental shelf (2-12 nmol/l), this region had no measurable effect on atmospheric DMS concentrations. Atmospheric DMS concentrations (0.1-12 nmol/l), however, were extremely dependent upon wind speed and boundary layer height. Although there appeared to be an appreciable input of nonsea-salt sulfate to the marine boundary layer from the free troposphere, the local flux of DMS from the ocean to the atmosphere was sufficient to balance the remainder of the sulfur budget.
Design of combined membrane and distillation processes

Abstract The performance of three hybrid membrane and distillation processes is compared theoretically, using the separation of propylene and propane as a representative case. For each system configuration the effect of the main design variables is illustrated through parametric studies. Results dealing with both design of new processes and retrofit of existing distillation-based separation processes are presented. The results show qualitative trends which may serve as guidelines for design of hybrid membrane and distillation processes. If the membrane is placed parallel to the column, the optimal position for the membrane feed stream is close to the column feed plate, which represents a potential pinch point in the column. The optimal membrane cut rate for this configuration is generally close to the molefraction of propylene in the membrane feed stream. The comparison of the systems performances indicates that placing the membrane in parallel or on the bottom stream of the column gives the best performance of the hybrid process, both in terms of compressor duty and in terms of installed membrane area.
Corporate Level Software Management

Software management is considered from the corporate headquarters viewpoint. This perspective encompasses all facets of management, but specifically dealt with are those that are brought to bear on software management obstacles and ways to cope with them are presented. Standardization is presented as the most effective management device available at the corporate level for enhancing the overall software posture. Corporate management actions available for favorably influencing the quality of software over its life cycle and research initiatives are described.