bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Financial Crises and International Investment Agreements: The Case of Sovereign Debt Restructuring
Authors: Gallagher Kevin P.
Published: September 2012

The global community still lacks a regime for sovereign debt restructuring. There is increasing concern that international investment agreements may become a ‘court’ for sovereign workouts. Are international investment agreements the appropriate place for the global community to resolve sovereign debt restructuring in the event of a financial crisis? It has been often overlooked that the definition of a covered investment within international trade and investment agreements often includes sovereign debt. In lieu of this, this article analyses the extent to which investment provisions in various treaties may hinder the ability of nations and private creditors to comprehensively negotiate sovereign debt restructurings when a debtor nation has defaulted or is close to default on its government debt. It is found that the treatment of sovereign debt varies considerably in terms of strength and applicability across the spectrum of now thousands of trade and investment treaties in the world economy. It is also found that most treaties may restrict the ability to restructure debt in the wake of a financial crisis. These findings could undermine the ability of nations to recover from financial crises and could thus broaden the impact of such crises.

Policy Implications

 Exclude sovereign debt from IIAs. The exclusion of sovereign debt from ‘covered’ investments under future treaties would relegate sovereign debt arbitration to national courts and to international financial bodies. Many IIAs already exclude sovereign debt, such as NAFTA and others.

 Clarify that the essential security exceptions cover financial crises and that sovereign debt restructuring taken by host nations is ‘self‐judging’ and of ‘necessity’. Tribunals have recently acknowledged that nations acts to prevent and mitigate crises are acts of ‘essential security’, but need to make such decisions on their own (hence, ‘self‐judging’).

 Create safeguards for Sovereign Debt Restructuring (SDR). A handful of recent IIAs have included explicit provisions regarding SDR. While this is a positive development, such provisions may not prove to be fully adequate.

 State‐to‐state dispute resolution for SDR and crisis related instances may be more prudent given that governments need to weigh a host of issues in such circumstances. States attempt to examine the economy wide or public welfare effects of crises whereas individual firms rationally look out for their own bottom line. Investor‐state tips the cost‐benefit upside down, giving power to the ‘losers’ even when the gains to the winners of an orderly restructuring may far outweigh the costs to the losers.
The Molecular Mechanism of Thermal Noise in Rod Photoreceptors
Authors: Gozem Samer , Schapiro Igor , Ferré Nicolas , Olivucci Massimo
Published: September 2012

Responding to Light and Heat

The protein rhodopsin is sensitive to dim light, but its sensitivity is limited by signals caused by the noise of thermal activation. The basis of this relationship, known as the Barlow correlation, has long been debated. A recent study suggested that thermal activation involves a canonical isomerization reaction.

Gozem
et al.

(p.
1225
) confirm that isomerization is the rate-limiting step controlling thermal noise, and they provide a molecular understanding of the Barlow correlation. They use quantum mechanics coupled with molecular mechanics to show that the transition state mediating thermal activation has the same electronic structure as the photochemical excited state.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Mycobacterium marinum: New Insights into Host and Environmental Specificities
Authors: Broutin Vincent , Bañuls Anne-Laure , Aubry Alexandra , Keck Nicolas , Choisy Marc , Bernardet Jean-François , Michel Christian , Raymond Jean-Christophe , Libert Cédric , Barnaud Antoine , Stragier Pieter , Portaels Françoise , Terru Dominique , Belon Claudine , Dereure Olivier , Gutierrez Cristina , Boschiroli Maria-Laura , Van De Perre Philippe , Cambau Emmanuelle , Godreuil Sylvain
Published: September 2012

Mycobacterium marinum
causes a systemic tuberculosis-like disease in fish and skin infections in humans that can spread to deeper structures, resulting in tenosynovitis, arthritis, and osteomyelitis. However, little information is available concerning (i) the intraspecific genetic diversity of
M. marinum
isolated from humans and animals; (ii)
M. marinum
genotype circulation in the different ecosystems, and (iii) the link between
M. marinum
genetic diversity and hosts (humans and fish). Here, we conducted a genetic study on 89
M. marinum
isolates from humans (
n
= 68) and fish (
n
= 21) by using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) typing. The results show that the
M. marinum
population is genetically structured not only according to the host but also according to the ecosystem as well as to tissue tropism in humans. This suggests the existence of different genetic pools in the function of the biological and ecological compartments. Moreover, the presence of only certain
M. marinum
genotypes in humans suggests a different zoonotic potential of the
M. marinum
genotypes. Considering that the infection is linked to aquarium activity, a significant genetic difference was also detected when the human tissue tropism of
M. marinum
was taken into consideration, with a higher genetic polymorphism in strains isolated from patients with cutaneous forms than from individuals with deeper-structure infection. It appears that only few genotypes can produce deeper infections in humans, suggesting that the immune system might play a filtering role.
The Avascular Tumour Growth in the Presence of Inhomogeneous Physical Parameters Imposed from a Finite Spherical Nutritive Environment
Authors: Kariotou Foteini , Vafeas Panayiotis
Published: September 2012

A well-known mathematical model of radially symmetric tumour growth is revisited in the present work. Under this aim, a cancerous spherical mass lying in a finite concentric nutritive surrounding is considered. The host spherical shell provides the tumor with vital nutrients, receives the debris of the necrotic cancer cells, and also transmits to the tumour the pressure imposed on its exterior boundary. We focus on studying the type of inhomogeneity that the nutrient supply and the pressure field imposed on the host exterior boundary, can exhibit in order for the spherical structure to be supported. It turns out that, if the imposed fields depart from being homogeneous, only a special type of interrelated inhomogeneity between nutrient and pressure can secure the spherical growth. The work includes an analytic derivation of the related boundary value problems based on physical conservation laws and their analytical treatment. Implementations in cases of special physical interest are examined, and also existing homogeneous results from the literature are fully recovered.
An Unusual Presentation of Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis
Authors: Boyapati Ray , Papadopoulos George , Olver James , Geluk Michael , Johnson Paul D. R.
Published: September 2012

We present a case of a 65-year-old man with an acute alteration in mental state that was initially diagnosed as a functional psychiatric condition. After extensive workup, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was detected in the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and he responded rapidly to treatment with acyclovir. The case illustrates the importance of actively excluding organic causes in such patients, the need to have a low threshold of suspicion for HSV encephalitis, and the central role of CSF PCR testing for the diagnosis of HSV encephalitis, even in the absence of CSF biochemical abnormalities.
The Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in the Esophageal, Gastric, and Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Fucci Alessandra , Colangelo Tommaso , Votino Carolina , Pancione Massimo , Sabatino Lina , Colantuoni Vittorio
Published: September 2012

Tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are among the most frequent human malignancies and account for approximately 30% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors that control diverse cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. Owing to their involvement in so many processes, they play crucial roles also in the development and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Consistently, PPARs deregulation has been implicated in several pathophysiological conditions, including chronic inflammation and cancer development. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on the role that the various PPAR isoforms play in the pathogenesis of the esophageal, gastric, and intestinal cancer. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying PPARs' signaling pathways will provide insights into their possible use as predictive biomarkers in the initial stages of the process. In addition, this understanding will provide the basis for new molecular targets in cancer therapy and chemoprevention.
The Chaotic Prediction for Aero‐Engine Performance Parameters Based on Nonlinear PLS Regression
Authors: Zhang Chunxiao , Yue Junjie
Published: September 2012

The prediction of the aero‐engine performance parameters is very important for aero‐engine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. In this paper, the chaotic phase space of engine exhaust temperature (EGT) time series which come from actual air‐borne ACARS data is reconstructed through selecting some suitable nearby points. The partial least square (PLS) based on the cubic spline function or the kernel function transformation is adopted to obtain chaotic predictive function of EGT series. The experiment results indicate that the proposed PLS chaotic prediction algorithm based on biweight kernel function transformation has significant advantage in overcoming multicollinearity of the independent variables and solve the stability of regression model. Our predictive NMSE is 16.5 percent less than that of the traditional linear least squares (OLS) method and 10.38 percent less than that of the linear PLS approach. At the same time, the forecast error is less than that of nonlinear PLS algorithm through bootstrap test screening.
A Systems Approach and Skeletal Myogenesis
Authors: Ito Yoshiaki , Kayama Tomohiro , Asahara Hiroshi
Published: September 2012

Skeletal myogenesis depends on the strict regulation of the expression of various gene subsets. Therefore, the understanding of genome wide gene regulation is imperative for elucidation of skeletal myogenesis. In recent years, systems approach has contributed to the understanding of various biological processes. Our group recently revealed the critical genome network of skeletal myogenesis by using a novel systems approach combined with whole-mountin situhybridization (WISH) database, high-throughput screening, and microarray analysis. In this paper, we introduce our systems approach for understanding the myogenesis regulatory network and describe the advantages of systems approach.
Seroprevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Type 6 and 16 Vary by Anatomic Site of HPV Infection in Men
Authors: Lu Beibei , Viscidi Raphael P. , Wu Yougui , Nyitray Alan G. , Villa Luisa L. , Lazcano-Ponce Eduardo , Carvalho da Silva Roberto J. , Baggio Maria Luiza , Quiterio Manuel , Salmerón Jorge , Smith Danelle C. , Abrahamsen Martha , Papenfuss Mary , Giuliano Anna R.
Published: September 2012

Background: It is largely unknown if antihuman papillomavirus (HPV) serum antibody responses vary by anatomic site of infection in men.

Methods: This study assessed type-specific anti-HPV serum antibody prevalence associated with corresponding HPV DNA detection in the external genitalia and the anal canal of 1,587 heterosexual men and 199 men who have sex with men (MSM).

Results: We observed that HPV 6 and 16 seroprevalence was higher in the presence of same HPV-type infection in the anal canal compared with same HPV-type infection in the external genitalia only, and among MSM compared with the heterosexual men. Seropositivity to HPV 6 was strongly associated with HPV 6 DNA detection in the anal canal but not in the external genitalia alone among both heterosexual men [adjusted prevalence ratio (APR), anal+/genital+ vs. anal−/genital−: 4.2, 95% confidence interval (CI), 11.7–10.5; anal+/genital− vs. anal−/genital−: 7.9 (95% CI, 3.7–17.0)] and MSM [APR, anal+/genital+ vs. anal−/genital−: 5.6 (95% CI, 2.7–11.9); anal+/genital− vs. anal−/genital−: 3.2 (95% CI, 2.1–4.9)]. Similar associations between seropositivity to HPV 16 and anal HPV 16 DNA detection were only observed in MSM [anal+/genital+ vs. anal−/genital−: 3.1 (95% CI, 2.0–5.0); anal+/genital− vs. anal−/genital−: 2.2 (95% CI, 1.3–3.5)].

Conclusion: Our data showed that seroprevalence varied by anatomic site of HPV infection, suggesting differences in epithelium type present at these anatomic sites may be relevant.

Impact: Our finding is instrumental in advancing our understanding of immune mechanism involved in anatomic site–specific antibody response. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(9); 1542–6. ©2012 AACR.
Ambulatory ECG-based T-wave alternans and heart rate turbulence can predict cardiac mortality in patients with myocardial infarction with or without diabetes mellitus
Authors: Li-na Ren , Xin-hui Fang , Li-dong Ren , Jian Gong , Yong-quan Wang , Guo-xian Qi
Published: September 2012

Background

Many patients who survive a myocardial infarction (MI) remain at risk of sudden cardiac death despite revascularization and optimal medical treatment. We used the modified moving average (MMA) method to assess the utility of T-wave alternans (TWA) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) as risk markers in MI patients with or without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 248 consecutive patients: 96 with MI (post-MI patients); 77 MI with DM (post-MI + DM patients); 75 controls without cardiovascular disease (group control). Both TWA and HRT were measured on ambulatory electrocardiograms (AECGs). HRT was assessed by two parameters ─ turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS). HRT was considered positive when both TO ≥0% and TS ≤2.5 ms/R-R interval were met. The endpoint was cardiac mortality.

Results

TWA values differed significantly between MI and controls. Post-MI + DM patients had higher TWA values than post-MI patients (58 ± 21 μV VS 52 ± 18 μV,P = 0.029). Impaired HRT--increased TO and decreased TS were observed in MI patients with or without DM. During follow-up of 578 ± 146 days, cardiac death occurred in ten patients and three of them suffered sudden cardiac death (SCD). Multivariate analysis determined that a HRT-positive outcome [HR (95% CI): 5.01, 1.33–18.85;P = 0.017], as well as the combination of abnormal TWA (≥47 μV) and positive HRT had significant association with the endpoint [HR (95% CI): 9.08, 2.21–37.2;P = 0.002)].

Conclusion

This study indicates that AECGs-based TWA and HRT can predict cardiac mortality in MI patients with or without DM. Combined analysis TWA and HRT may be a convenient and useful method of identifying patients at high risk for cardiovascular death.
A possible primary cause of cancer: deficient cellular interactions in endocrine pancreas
Authors: Israël Maurice
Published: September 2012

Background

Cancer is a devastating type of disease. New and innovative ways to tackle cancers that have so far proved refractive to conventional therapies is urgently needed. It is becoming increasingly clear that, in addition to conventional therapeutics targeting by small molecules, that tumor cell metabolism presents new opportunities to target selectively specific cancer cell populations. Metabolic defects in cancer cells can be manifested in many ways that might not be readily apparent, such as altering epigenetic gene regulation for example.

The complex rewiring of metabolic pathways gives tumor cells a special advantage over differentiated cells, since they deplete body stores as fuel for their growth and proliferation. Tumor metabolism looks simpler when we consider that some enzymatic switches are in a neoglucogenic direction thereby depleting body stores. However, these pathways may be inadequately switched on by catabolic hormones (glucagon, epinephrine and cortisol) in a specific situation where anabolism is activated by, for example insulin released from beta pancreatic cells or IGF, inducing mitosis and synthesis that are powered by glucose catabolism. Such a hybrid metabolic situation would be reached if a pancreatic beta cell mechanism, mediated by GABA, failed to silence neighboring alpha cells and delta cells. The inhibitory transmitter GABA hyperpolarizes alpha and delta cells via their GABA A receptors, and blocks the release of glucagon and somatostatin. Alternatively, an anomaly of alpha cell channels, would lead to a similar situation. Whatever is the alteration, anabolism fails to silence catabolism and enzymatic switches controlled by kinases and phosphatases adopt an inadequate direction, leading to a hybrid metabolic rewiring found in cancer. It is daring to formulate such a hypothesis as this. However, it is quite possible that the starting point in cancer is an alteration of the endocrine pancreas, suppressing the mechanism by which beta cells silence the neighboring alpha and delta cells, with GABA and Zn2+.
A New Proof of the Wiener-Hopf Factorization via Basu's Theorem
Authors: Fralix Brian , Gallagher Colin
Published: September 2012

We illustrate how Basu's theorem can be used to derive the spatial version of the Wiener-Hopf factorization for a specific class of piecewise-deterministic Markov processes. The classical factorization results for both random walks and Lévy processes follow immediately from our result. The approach is particularly elegant when used to establish the factorization for spectrally one-sided Lévy processes.
A Branching Process for Virus Survival
Authors: Cox J. Theodore , Schinazi Rinaldo B.
Published: September 2012

Quasispecies theory predicts that there is a critical mutation probability above which a viral population will go extinct. Above this threshold the virus loses the ability to replicate the best-adapted genotype, leading to a population composed of low replicating mutants that is eventually doomed. We propose a new branching model that shows that this is not necessarily so. That is, a population composed of ever changing mutants may survive.
Gde2 regulates cortical neuronal identity by controlling the timing of cortical progenitor differentiation
Authors: Rodriguez Marianeli , Choi Jeonghoon , Park Sungjin , Sockanathan Shanthini
Published: September 2012

The mammalian cortex is a multilaminar structure consisting of specialized layer-specific neurons that form complex circuits throughout the brain and spinal cord. These neurons are generated in a defined sequence dictated by their birthdate such that early-born neurons settle in deep cortical layers whereas late-born neurons populate more superficial layers. Cortical neuronal birthdate is partly controlled by an intrinsic clock-type mechanism; however, the role of extrinsic factors in the temporal control of cell-cycle exit is less clear. Here, we show that Gde2, a six-transmembrane protein that induces spinal neuronal differentiation, is expressed in the developing cortex throughout cortical neurogenesis. In the absence of Gde2, cortical progenitors fail to exit the cell cycle on time, remain cycling, accumulate and exit the cell cycle en masse towards the end of the neurogenic period. These dynamic changes in cell-cycle progression cause deficits and delays in deep-layer neuronal differentiation and robust increases in superficial neuronal numbers. Gde2−/− cortices show elevated levels of Notch signaling coincident with when progenitors fail to differentiate, suggesting that abnormal Notch activation retains cells in a proliferative phase that biases them to superficial fates. However, no change in Notch signaling is observed at the time of increased cell-cycle exit. These observations define a key role for Gde2 in controlling cortical neuronal fates by regulating the timing of neurogenesis, and show that loss of Gde2 uncovers additional mechanisms that trigger remaining neuronal progenitors to differentiate at the end of the neurogenic period.
Messung von Geschwindigkeitsfeldern in Flüssigmetallen mit der Ultraschall-Doppler Methode
Authors: Eckert Sven , Gerbeth Gunter
Published: September 2012

Der Mangel an kommerziell verfügbarer Messtechnik zum Einsatz in heißen, nichtransparenten Fluiden erschwert Strömungsmessungen in einer Reihe von technologischen Prozessen, in denen Flüssigmetalle oder Halbleiterschmelzen eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Ultraschall-Methoden erscheinen für derartige Anwendungen äußerst attraktiv, da sie in der Lage sind, quantitative Messdaten aus opaken Schmelzen zu liefern. Dieser Artikel gibt einen Überblick über internationale Forschungsaktivitäten der letzten 3 Jahrzehnte, die auf eine Nutzung dieser Methode für Strömungsmessungen in Metallschmelzen abzielen.
A System F accounting for scalars
Authors: Arrighi Pablo , Diaz-Caro Alejandro
Published: September 2012

The Algebraic lambda-calculus and the Linear-Algebraic lambda-calculus extend the lambda-calculus with the possibility of making arbitrary linear combinations of terms. In this paper we provide a fine-grained, System F-like type system for the linear-algebraic lambda-calculus. We show that this "scalar" type system enjoys both the subject-reduction property and the strong-normalisation property, our main technical results. The latter yields a significant simplification of the linear-algebraic lambda-calculus itself, by removing the need for some restrictions in its reduction rules. But the more important, original feature of this scalar type system is that it keeps track of 'the amount of a type' that is present in each term. As an example of its use, we shown that it can serve as a guarantee that the normal form of a term is barycentric, i.e that its scalars are summing to one.
Derivation Lengths Classification of G\"odel's T Extending Howard's Assignment
Authors: Wilken Gunnar , Weiermann Andreas
Published: September 2012

Let T be Goedel's system of primitive recursive functionals of finite type in
the lambda formulation. We define by constructive means using recursion on
nested multisets a multivalued function I from the set of terms of T into the
set of natural numbers such that if a term a reduces to a term b and if a
natural number I(a) is assigned to a then a natural number I(b) can be assigned
to b such that I(a) is greater than I(b). The construction of I is based on
Howard's 1970 ordinal assignment for T and Weiermann's 1996 treatment of T in
the combinatory logic version. As a corollary we obtain an optimal derivation
length classification for the lambda formulation of T and its fragments.
Compared with Weiermann's 1996 exposition this article yields solutions to
several non-trivial problems arising from dealing with lambda terms instead of
combinatory logic terms. It is expected that the methods developed here can be
applied to other higher order rewrite systems resulting in new powerful
termination orderings since T is a paradigm for such systems.
Formal proofs in real algebraic geometry: from ordered fields to quantifier elimination
Authors: Mahboubi Assia , Cohen Cyril
Published: September 2012

This paper describes a formalization of discrete real closed fields in the
Coq proof assistant. This abstract structure captures for instance the theory
of real algebraic numbers, a decidable subset of real numbers with good
algorithmic properties. The theory of real algebraic numbers and more generally
of semi-algebraic varieties is at the core of a number of effective methods in
real analysis, including decision procedures for non linear arithmetic or
optimization methods for real valued functions. After defining an abstract
structure of discrete real closed field and the elementary theory of real roots
of polynomials, we describe the formalization of an algebraic proof of
quantifier elimination based on pseudo-remainder sequences following the
standard computer algebra literature on the topic. This formalization covers a
large part of the theory which underlies the efficient algorithms implemented
in practice in computer algebra. The success of this work paves the way for
formal certification of these efficient methods.
Earl Warren's California Health Insurance Plan: What Might Have Been
Authors: Mitchell Daniel J. B.
Published: September 2012

In the mid-1940s, Governor Earl Warren failed to obtain legislative enactment of a universal single-payer state health insurance plan for California workers. Had he succeeded, the California example might well have been emulated by other states, producing a very different state and national health care system than what actually developed. But a combination of miscalculation on Warren's part and divided support from organized labor doomed three separate versions of tfie Warren health plan.
Bound for California: Chilean Contract Laborers and "Patrones" in the California Gold Rush, 1848-1852
Authors: Sisson Kelly J.
Published: September 2012

Hired Chilean laborers who ventured to California during the early years of the gold rush rarely appear in the historical record. However, notarized contracts signed in the cities of Valparaíso and Santiago between 1848 and 1852 illuminate how hired laborers, mostly illiterate peons, actively shaped companies and expeditions bound for California. By reading these for evidence of what the Latin Americanist Arnold Bauer has identified as a "system" of "give and take, choice and accommodation,"¹ we can better understand how even the most marginalized workers made the transnational spaces of the North American West and the Pacific world comprehensible within their own schemas and patterns. This paper proposes that hired laborers were central to the organization of Chileans' emigration patterns in the California gold rush; that their relations were far more complex than the "free" or "unfree" binary representations supposed; that they actively mapped the relations of production they expected to deploy in California's physical and social spaces; and that by turning to alternative archival sources, U.S.-based historians can better link the histories of the Pacific world to those of the North American West.
Delano Diary: The Visual Adventure and Social Documentary Work of Jon Lewis, Photographer of the Delano, California Grape Strike, 1966-1970
Authors: Street Richard Steven
Published: September 2012

An account of Jon Lewis, photo-journalist and participant in the National Farm Workers Association's (NFWA) Delano, California, grape strike and march on Sacramento in 1966, that explores the struggle to treat participants with dignity while experiencing first-hand the hardships they underwent. In retrospect, Lewis helped to define César Chávez, La Causa, and photo-journalism.
"A City of Picture Buyers": Art, Identity, and Aspiration in Los Angeles and Southern California, 1891-1914
Authors: Schad Jasper G.
Published: September 2012

In less than twenty-five years, Los Angeles and other southern California urban centers evolved from culturally sterile communities into vibrant art centers. That remarkable transformation resulted from a combination of social, economic, and political changes that drew residents to landscape paintings. They enjoyed widespread popularity because residents invested them with meanings that transcended art. They became icons of identity, bolstered visions of an unspoiled suburban Eden, and helped southern California's white middle-class to cope with the mounting stress of modern urban life.
Water Politics and the San Fernando Valley: The Role of Water Rights in the 1915 Annexation and 1996-2002 Secession Campaigns
Authors: Scavo Jordan
Published: September 2012

Municipal water rights played the central role in the 1913-1915 campaign to annex San Fernando Valley communities to the city of Los Angeles. Jordan Scavo explores why the water issue was downplayed by both sides in the 1996-2002 Valley secession campaign. He finds that the water rights debates are a measure of the extent to which the Valley and the city have become bound to each other.
The Conscience of a Public Official: Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron and Japanese Removal
Authors: Hoffman Abraham
Published: September 2012

LOS Angeles mayor Fletcher Bowron was a key proponent of Japanese internment and a leading voice of anti-Japanese prejudice during World War IL But after the December 1944 Supreme Court case Ex Parte Endo permitted loyal Nisei to return to the West Coast, the mayor turned to the issues of housing and re-integration of the returning internees and called for amity and fair treatment toward the returnees. After the war, Mayor Bowron apologized. The article establishes Bowron's share of the responsibility for this dark chapter of American history but also acknowledges his later expression of conscience.
Toward an Environmental History of the Book: The Nature of Hubert Howe Bancroft's Works
Authors: Andrews Thomas G.
Published: September 2012

Every historian of early California is familiar with the thirty-ninevolume The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft. This article takes us beyond its author(s) to the commodity chain the books represent: from their financing, labor, printing, promotion—all the way to the glue in their bindings, creating the first known environmental history of a book.
"I Am Almost More at Home with Brown Faces than with White": An Americanization Teacher in Imperial Valley, California, 1923-1924
Authors: Andrés Benny J.
Published: September 2012

The diary of Nora Kreps, a young Anglo teacher of adult Americanization in the Imperial Valley, 1923-1924, reveals not only her own attitudes toward immigrant cultures and race, class relations, and gender and sexuality, but those on which the Americanization program was based. Her account, written at the request of the Survey of Race Relations at Stanford University, offers us a window into the complicated racial hierarchy of the region. Kreps' candid remarks about her students and her contacts with the community's elites uncover immigrant and African American agency in pursuit of upward mobility as well as the prejudices and goals of the local agribusiness-dominated society. In the mid-1920s₁ in a wave of nativist sentiment, Kreps' observations were swept aside. Now rediscovered, they provide a valuable tool for understanding the complex social and cultural interactions in the early twentiethcentury Imperial Valley.
Electric Field Induced Fluorescence Modulation of Single Molecules in PMMA Based on Electron Transfer
Authors: Chen Ruiyun , Gao Yan , Zhang Guofeng , Wu Ruixiang , Xiao Liantuan , Jia Suotang
Published: September 2012

We present a method to modulate the fluorescence of non-polar single squaraine-derived rotaxanes molecules embedded in a polar poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix under an external electric field. The electron transfer between single molecules and the electron acceptors in a PMMA matrix contributes to the diverse responses of fluorescence intensities to the electric field. The observed instantaneous and non-instantaneous electric field dependence of single-molecule fluorescence reflects the redistribution of electron acceptors in PMMA induced by electronic polarization and orientation polarization of polar polymer chains in an electric field.
Nontraumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: Endoscopic Visualization of Its Avascular Burden
Authors: Brannon James K.
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intraosseous use of a flexible endoscope during core decompression in identifying avascular bone in the femoral head that did not meet magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic criteria for osteonecrosis. The flexible endoscope was used to visually examine and locate avascular bone in the entire core track. A high-speed burr was then used to debride the avascular bone. This debridement process was continued until a host bed of porous bleeding cancellous bone was observed, comprising thorough debridement of the femoral head. Autologous cancellous bone graft was then packed into the residual cavity and stabilized. Ten patients (13 hips total) with an average age of 49 years (range, 34–58 years) were included in the study. Eight patients were fully ambulatory at 3 weeks (range, 1–3 weeks). For all 13 hips, the mean preoperative Harris Hip Score was 43 (range, 30–75) and improved to a mean of 93 (range, 60–100) postoperatively. Eighty-five percent of patients (11 of 13 hips) demonstrated a good to excellent outcome at a minimum 2-year follow-up (range, 27–45 months). Flexible intraosseous endoscopy helped identify avascular bone that did not appear on the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, safely widen the surgical margins of the core decompression track, and achieve thorough debridement of the femoral head using a minimally invasive technique.
Level of Evidence Gap in Orthopedic Research
Authors: Baldwin Keith D. , Bernstein Joseph , Ahn Jaimo , Mckay Scott D. , Sankar Wudbhav N.
Published: September 2012

Level of evidence is the most widely used metric for the quality of a publication, but instances exist in which a Level I study is neither feasible nor desirable. The goal of this study was to evaluate the level of evidence gap in current orthopedic research, which the authors defined as the disparity between the level of evidence that would be required to optimally answer the primary research question and the level of evidence that was actually used. Five orthopedic surgeons (K.D.B., J.B., J.A., S.D.M., W.N.S.) evaluated blinded articles from the first 6 months of 2010 in the
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume)
(JBJS-Am), classifying the study type and design and extracting a primary research question from each article. Each evaluator then defined the study type and method, along with the level of evidence that would ideally be used to address the primary research question. The level of evidence gap was then calculated by subtracting the actual level of evidence of the manuscript from the level of evidence of the idealized study. Of the 64 JBJS-Am manuscripts eligible for analysis, the average level of evidence was between Level II and III (mean, 2.73). The average level of evidence gap was 1.06 compared with the JBJS-Am–designated level of evidence and 1.28 compared with the evaluators’ assessment. Because not all questions require Level I studies, level of evidence alone may not be the best metric for the quality of orthopedic surgery literature. Instead, the authors’ concept of a level of evidence gap may be a better tool for assessing the state of orthopedic research publications.
Determining the Structure of Neighbourhood Cohesion
Authors: Hermes Kerstin , Poulsen Michael
Published: September 2012

Social cohesion is an important determinant of functioning and healthy communities but its spatial distribution and relation to residential segregation within cities has not been adequately addressed due to the lack of small area data. A disconnect exists between the social capital and segregation literature. This paper presents how neighbourhood cohesion is spatially distributed in Sydney and Los Angeles using synthetic spatial microdata. The results indicate that Sydney has a relatively dense clustering of neighbourhood cohesion, whereas in Los Angeles it is more dispersed. In both cities, cohesion is highest in Anglo/white concentrations, and lowest in ethnically diverse areas. In Los Angeles, neighbourhood cohesion is significantly higher in African American concentrations than in Hispanic and Asian concentrations. Overall cohesion rises with the economic status in Los Angeles but not in Sydney.
Sweeping Effect on Witricity
Authors: Gundogdu Askin Erdem , Afacan Erkan
Published: September 2012

Wireless power transmission has become very popular since 2007 and there are many movements to integrate this new technique into our daily lives rapidly. For now, the main drawback in this technology is efficiency in long range. Whenever this challenge is tackled and many devices charging without cables enter daily life, there will be a desire to charge them at the same time without trouble. In this paper, the investigation results of sweeping are presented which seems to be the most appropriate approach for charging many devices at the same time. Experimental results offer that narrow MHz band is suitable for a few devices to supply power whereas a wide range of MHz band gives the opportunity to power up much more devices without remarkable efficiency loss. It is believed that these results will inspire new thoughts and point the way of new designs.
Symbolic Powers Versus Regular Powers of Ideals of General Points in ℙ1× ℙ1
Authors: Guardo Elena , Harbourne Brian , Van Tuyl Adam
Published: September 2012

Recent work of Ein–Lazarsfeld–Smith and Hochster–Huneke raised the problem of which symbolic powers of an ideal are contained in a given ordinary power of the ideal. Bocci–Harbourne developed methods to address this problem, which involve asymptotic numerical characters of symbolic powers of the ideals. Most of the work done up to now has been done for ideals defining 0-dimensional subschemes of projective space. Here we focus on certain subschemes given by a union of lines in ℙ3that can also be viewed as points in ℙ1✗ ℙ1. We also obtain results on the closely related problem, studied by Hochster and by Li and Swanson, of determining situations for which each symbolic power of an ideal is an ordinary power.
Accuracy and Reliability of Volume Measurements by 3D Ultrasound: A Prospective Study Performed by Novices
Authors: Nguyen Tho Quynh , Flores Melanie , Ortiz Melchor , Lee Soyoung , Mulla Zuber D
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This study evaluates the accuracy and reliability of off-line volume measurement using virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCALTM) and two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound by novices.

Methods

Thirty medical students, 15 sonographers and three experts were recruited to measure a liver, a gestational sac and a breast cancer lesion using 2D ultrasound and threedimensional (3D) VOCALTM method. The VOCALTM measurements produced by the experts were used as the gold standard for comparison. Accuracy and reliability were assessed by analysis of variance followed by a mean separation procedure.

Results

The t-test revealed with statistical significance that in measuring the liver, students outperformed sonographers regardless of 2D or VOCALTM methods; also, VOCALTM generated more accurate measurements than 2D ultrasound in both groups. In regards to the gestational sac, students continued to perform well with both 2D and VOCALTM while the sonographers were accurate by using VOCALTM only. Both groups of novices were not accurate with measuring the breast lesion. VOCALTM increased the novices’ interobserver reliability but not intraobserver reliability.

Conclusion

Students and sonographers can measure regularly shaped structures, such as the gestational sac accurately and reliably using VOCALTM. VOCALTM increased interobserver reliability in all groups of operators.

How to cite this article

Nguyen TQ, Flores M, Ortiz M, Lee S, Mulla ZD, Plavsic SK. Accuracy and Reliability of Volume Measurements by 3D Ultrasound: A Prospective Study Performed by Novices. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2012;6(3):219-224.
Diagnosis and Management of Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Rossi A Cristina , Addario Vincenzo D’
Published: September 2012

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a complication unique to monochorionic twin pregnancies, in which the two twins share a common placenta and unequal blood exchange from one twin (donor) to the cotwin occurs through placental arterovenous anastomoses. The diagnosis is posed with the sonographic detection of oligohydramnios in the donor's sac, as a consequence of hypovolemia, and polyhydramnios in the recipient's sac, resulting from hypervolemia. The severity of TTTS is assessed according to Quintero staging system, which is based on five stages that range from visualization of the donor's bladder to intrauterine demise of one or both twins. Because laser therapy has revealed the optimal treatment for TTTS, management of twins affected with TTTS consists in preoperative and postoperative assessment of the twins by ultrasound examination. The aim of this review was to describe the diagnosis and management of TTTS and discuss controversies and limitations of current literature.

How to cite this article

Rossi AC, D'Addario V. Diagnosis and Management of Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2012;6(3):286-289.
Isolated Primary Subglottic Laryngeal Amyloidosis Presenting as Sudden Airway Obstruction
Authors: Nayar Ravi C , Kakkillaya Shreekantha B , Tandon Shantanu
Published: September 2012

Laryngeal amyloidosis of head and neck is a rare benign disease of unknown etiology. It accounts for less than 1% of all the benign laryngeal tumors. It is seen most commonly in the 5th to 7th decade of life with 3:1 male to female predominance. It may present with hoarseness, pain or difficulty in breathing.

We report a case of isolated laryngeal amyloidosis in a 46-year-old female who presented to us as a surgical emergency in stridor, requiring a tracheostomy. The patient was managed by staged microlaryngoscopy and CO2laser excision, and is on regular follow-up.

Laryngeal amyloidosis is an uncommon benign pathology, and can present with acute airway obstruction. Isolated subglottic laryngeal amyloidosis should be kept in mind in any case presenting with acute upper respiratory tract obstruction. Longterm follow-up is essential because of the slowly progressive nature of the disease.

How to cite this article

Vamanshankar H, Kakkillaya SB, Tandon S, Nayar RC. Isolated Primary Subglottic Laryngeal Amyloidosis Presenting as Sudden Airway Obstruction. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2012;2(1):30-32.
The Efficacy of Treatment for Vocal Fold Bowing with Pulsed Dye Laser
Authors: Koo Yong Cheol , Chung Hyo Jin , Suh Michelle J , Choi Hong-Shik
Published: September 2012

Bowing of the vocal folds can result from aging, atrophy or idiopathic causes, such as an injudicious vocal cord surgery. Bowing results in dysphonia due to inadequate approximation of the vocal folds.

A number of treatments have been proposed for this condition. Intracordal injection of biological materials including liquid silicon and Teflon and various types of thyroplasty have been utilized. However, full voice recovery has never been fully achieved.

We present a case involving a 64-year-old Asian man with dysphonia for 30 years. The patient's vocal fold bowing was examined on laryngoscopy. The disease was effectively treated with pulsed dye laser (PDL) followed by speech therapy.

Observation of the patient over 1 year did not show any signs of recurrence. Our analysis revealed voice quality improvement.

How to cite this article

Koo YC, Chung HJ, Suh MJ, Choi HS. The Efficacy of Treatment for Vocal Fold Bowing with Pulsed Dye Laser. Int J Phonosurg Laryngol 2012;2(1):46-48.
Credit Crisis with Focus on Level Three Valuations and FAS 157: Analysis and Recommendations for Change
Authors: Hoti Arber
Published: September 2012

The paper examines the effect of level three valuations and FAS 157 implications on investors, auditors’ work, valuation disclosures and gives recommendations for improvements based on best practices. The aim of this research is to demonstrate that the fair value measurements should not be suspended. The standards provide for measurement of fair value in all market conditions. Therefore, level 3 measurements or mark-to-model is an answer for many issuers that are not sure how to measure their assets and liabilities at the fair value. The paper concludes that fair value measurement has not caused the current crisis and has no pro-cyclical effect and suggests several recommendations for policy makers and regulators.
“None but Myself Shall Play the Changeling”:
Authors: Buccola Regina
Published: September 2012

This essay explores the overlap between many standard features of the gypsy stereotype in early modern England and early modern beliefs about fairies. Ultimately, this feminist reading of these intersecting early modern dramatic narratives concludes that the “folly” characteristic of fairy and gypsy narratives is, quite often, empowering for the women whose lives it touches: in The Spanish Gypsy, the gypsy patriarch's response to Constanza's headstrong assertion “None but myself shall play the changeling” is “Do what thou wilt” (2.1.124–25).
Impact d’un effluent urbain de la ville de Taourirt sur la structure des communautés de macroinvertébrés de l’oued Za (Maroc oriental)
Authors: Fagrouch Abdeslem , Berrahou Ali , El Halouani Hassane
Published: September 2012

Le présent travail s'insère dans le cadre de l'étude de l'impact des rejets domestiques de la ville de Taourirt, sur la qualité physico-chimique et biologique des eaux courantes de l'oued Za, affluent permanent de la rive droite de la Moulouya. Il reçoit ces rejets sans aucun traitement préalable. Cette étude a porté sur trois stations, une station de référence en amont et les deux autres stations en aval des agglomérations. Les prélèvements quantitatifs des macroinvertébrés sont réalisés à l'aide d'une épuisette de type Surber de 0,4 mm vide de maille permettant d'échantillonner une surface réduite de 0,025 m2. L'inventaire faunistique révèle une diversité taxonomique de 47 familles avec 64 taxons qui ont été récoltés dans les échantillons quantitatifs. Le suivi spatio-temporel de plusieurs paramètres physico-chimiques et biologiques nous a fourni l'image d'une pollution relativement intense. Cette pollution se traduit par une importante charge minérale et organique à l'aval du rejet et qui diminue au fur et à mesure qu'on s'éloigne du rejet grâce à la dégradation d'une partie de la charge organique ou à sa consommation par les microorganismes, à la sédimentation, au facteur de dilution et par les phénomènes naturels d'autoépuration. Les métriques et les indices biotiques, tels que le pointage Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP), le Average Score Per Taxa (ASPT), l'indice de diversité, l'indice biotique (IB), la richesse taxonomique et l'équitabilité, ont différencié le site de référence (Pont de Taourirt) des sites légèrement altérés (Ouled Lefkir) et altérés (Rejet Principal). Ces indices biotiques diminuent avec l'augmentation de la dégradation de la qualité des eaux. Par contre, l'indice de Simpson (D) et l'indice biotique de Hilsenhoff modifié (mHBI) augmentent dans les eaux de mauvaise qualité. L'organisation des communautés aux différentes stations est étroitement liée aux conditions du milieu: régime hydrologique, caractéristiques chimiques, végétation riveraine, conditionnant ainsi la richesse taxonomique et l'abondance des macroinvertébrés.
Régionalisation des débits moyens mensuels en Algérie du nord
Authors: Touazi Mustapha , Bhiry Najat , Laborde Jean-Pierre , Achour Farid
Published: September 2012

L'identification des régions ayant des caractéristiques hydrologiques homogènes en Algérie du Nord représente l'objectif principal de cette étude. L'analyse en composantes principales (ACP) et la classification par les composantes principales dynamiques (CPD) ont été appliquées sur les débits moyens mensuels de 51 stations hydrométriques. Les résultats de l'ACP ont montré l'existence de trois groupes hydrologiquement homogènes. La mise en oeuvre de la méthode CPD a aussi mis en évidence les trois mêmes groupes. Les types de régimes mis en évidence avec les deux méthodes sont de types simple, mixte et complexe. Le type de climat qui caractérise ces groupes est méditerranéen pour le premier, transition entre méditerranéen et semi-aride pour le deuxième et semi-aride pour le troisième groupe.