cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Fair Value of Economic Liberty

In Free Market Fairness, John Tomasi tries to show that ‘thick’ economic liberties, including the right to own productive property, are basic liberties. According to Tomasi, the policy-level consequences of protecting economic liberty as basic are essentially libertarian in character. I argue that if economic liberties are basic, just societies must guarantee their fair value to all citizens. And in order to secure the fair value of economic liberty, states must guarantee that citizens of roughly similar dispositions and talents are roughly equally able to use their economic liberties to develop and pursue a conception of the good. This, I will argue, is a very demanding standard that requires aggressive taxation and redistribution.
Is vitamin D deficiency a risk factor for prostate cancer? (Hypothesis).

Prostate cancer is a major cause of cancer death among males, yet little is known about its etiology. We hypothesize that Vitamin (Hormone) D deficiency may underlie the major risks for prostate cancer, including age, Black race, and northern latitudes. These factors all are associated with decreased synthesis of Vitamin D. Mortality rates from prostate cancer in the U.S. are inversely correlated with ultraviolet radiation, the principal source of Vitamin D. This hypothesis is consistent with known antitumor properties of Vitamin D, and may suggest new avenues for research in prostate cancer.
An Overlooked Cost: Disparities in Waiting Times at the Polls

With increasing economic inequality and widespread concerns about immigration, social justice and inequality within the electoral system have serious implications. This paper compares wait times at polling places in California’s Santa Barbara County during the 2010 general midterm election. While differences in benefits gained by minorities versus whites, especially psychological benefits, have been explored, the costs of voting have not been included in much of the literature. Specifically, no one has looked at the possible differences in wait time experienced by different racial and ethnic groups. The goal is to determine if residents of lower income and racially heterogeneous neighborhoods experience a longer wait time compared with those who live in well off mostly white areas. This could shed light on reasons behind lower turnout rates for African Americans and Latinos. This research seeks to determine if racial and ethnic minorities incur higher costs to voting on election day due to longer lines and undertrained poll workers at polling sites in lower class ethnic neighborhoods. Measurements of wait times are taken at a sample of polling sites, and an exit poll is conducted focusing on the difficulty of the voting experience.
Preference construction for database querying

In this dissertation, we develop methods of constructing preferences in the binary relation preference framework. This framework has been introduced recently to allow querying databases using preferences. Preferences here are strict partial order binary relations over objects. The framework allows for finite and infinite preference relations (represented as finite formulas). Having a high expressive power, the binary relation framework lacks simple user-oriented methods of constructing preferences. Therefore, special query interfaces need to be developed to simplify the process of building preferences. In order to make preference construction easier, we pursue the following research directions. First, we study the problem of attribute importance in preference relations. We propose a class of preference relations called p-skylines which extend widely used skyline preference relations with the notion of attribute importance. We show that attribute importance in p-skylines can be captured as graphs. We study properties of p-skyline relations and show methods of checking containment and dominance testing in this framework. We introduce an algorithm of computing minimal extensions of p-skyline relations. Second, we propose to use the sets of the most preferred and the most unpreferred objects to discover importance of attributes in the underlying p-skyline relations. We study the complexity of the discovery problem and show an efficient algorithm for discovery of p-skyline relations given sets of most preferred objects. Third, we propose to view a variant of the CP-net framework to construct preferences as preference relations. CP-nets is a well established graphical model of preference specification, widely used in AI. We introduce an original variant of CP-nets, which allows to work with infinite domains. We develop an algorithm of constructing polynomial-size formulas representing the relations induced by given CP-net instances. Fourth, we develop a method of constructing preference relations by discarding subsets of existing preference relations. Discarding preferences is a common way of changing preferences in real life. The operation of preference contraction we develop here allows for contracting finite and infinite preference relations represented as formulas. We propose several variants of the preference contraction operator, study their properties, and introduce algorithms for their evaluation.
Effect of Steroid Hormones on Urinary Excretion of Citrovorum Factor by Patients with Prostatic Cancer or Leukemia.

SummaryDaily measurements of urinary citrovorum factor (CF) have been made on 7 patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate and on 2 cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia. Changes in CF content of urine were followed prior and during therapy with ethinyl estradiol or prednisone and before and after castration or pituitary stalk section. The results indicated a significant elevation of urinary CF after estrogen or prednisone therapy and after castration. This increase in CF excretion was transient in all cases; however, it was either abrupt as in the case of the leukemia patient receiving prednisone and a prostatic cancer patient who underwent castration, or it was somewhat delayed as in majority of prostatic cancer patients receiving estrogen therapy. Urinary CF was lowered below a measurable level in a prostatic cancer patient who had pituitary stalk section and who received post-operatively a maintenance dose of cortisone acetate.
PS-034 Plasma Copeptin May Not Be A Sensitive Marker Of Perinatal Stress In Healthy Full-term Growth Restricted Fetuses

Background and aims Vasopressin plays a crucial role in the endocrine stress response to a variety of diseases, including insulin resistance and diabetes. Copeptin reliably mirrors vasopressin levels and is considered a marker of acute endogenous stress and insulin resistance. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) due to placental insufficiency is associated with chronic fetal hypoxia, and with a phase of enhanced fetal/early postnatal insulin sensitivity, followed by later insulin resistance. Methods Plasma copeptin concentrations were determined by ELISA in 50 cord blood samples from well-characterised non-distressed asymmetric IUGR (n = 30) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA, n = 20) singleton full-term pregnancies. Fetuses were classified as IUGR/AGA, based on customised birth-weight standards adjusted for significant determinants of fetal growth. Doppler studies were indicative of placental insufficiency. Results Fetal copeptin concentrations were similar in IUGR cases and AGA controls. In the AGA group, fetal copeptin concentrations were elevated in cases of vaginal delivery (p = 0.003). No association was recorded between cord blood copeptin concentrations and maternal age, parity, gestational age or fetal gender in both groups. Conclusions Cord blood copeptin concentrations are probably not affected by IUGR at term, in the absence of fetal distress, possibly due to a balance between copeptin up regulation by chronic fetal stress on the one hand, and copeptin down regulation in the presence of increased insulin sensitivity, on the other; thus, copeptin may not be a sensitive marker of perinatal chronic stress in healthy asymmetric IUGR infants. On the contrary, cord blood copeptin concentrations seem to primarily reflect perinatal stress associated with delivery mode.
Children's Perceptions of Hypothetical Peers With Undesirable Characteristics: Role of the Peers' Desire to Change, Source of Effort to Change, and Outcome.

ABSTRACT. The present study, involving sixth- to eighth-grade students, is an extension of a prior investigation (Barnett, Livengood, Sonnentag, Barlett, & Witham, 2010) that examined children's perceptions of hypothetical peers with various undesirable characteristics. Results indicate that children's perceptions of hypothetical peers with an undesirable characteristic are influenced by the peers’ desire to change, the source of effort to change, and the peers’ success or failure in changing the characteristic. The children anticipated responding more favorably to peers who were successful in overcoming an undesirable characteristic than peers who were unsuccessful. Regardless of the peers’ outcome, the children anticipated responding more favorably to peers who tried to change than peers who relied on the effort of adult authorities to motivate change. The children perceived successful peers as experiencing more positive affect than their unsuccessful counterparts, especially if the success was presente...
Structure and Electrical Properties of Cu/Ge Ohmic Contacts

Chemistry, crystal structure, interfacial microstructure and electrical characteristics of novel Cu-Ge alloyed ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs with a very low specific contact resistivity ((4–6)×10 −7 Ω·cm 2 for n∼1×10 17 cm −3 ) were investigated by various methods. The Cu-Ge alloys with a wide range of Ge concentration, from 15 to 40 at %, were prepared by depositing sequentially Cu and Ge layers (or vise versa ) onto GaAs substrates at room temperature followed by annealing at 400°C. It is shown that Cu reacts only with Ge to form the ξ and e 1 -Cu 3 Ge phases. The latter has an orthorhombic structure with average lattice parameters: a = 5.301 A, b o = 4.204 A, c o = 4.555 A, arising from the parent hexagonal ξ-phase by Cu-Ge ordering along a o . The interface with GaAs is atomically sharp and free from secondary phases. The e 1 -Cu 3 Ge ordered phase which is chemically inert with respect to GaAs, is believed to be responsible for high thermal stability (up to 450°C), interface sharpness, high contact layer uniformity and low specific resistivity of 6 μΩ cm. Formation of the Cu-Ge phases creates a highly doped n + -GaAs surface layer which leads to the low contact resistivity.
Interferon-γ+874 gene polymorphism in infant cytomegalovirus hepatitis

Objectives To determine the association of interferon(IFN)-γ +874 gene polymorphism with infant cytomegalovirus hepatitis.Methods Eighty-seven infants with cytomegalovirus hepatitis and 89 children without cytomegalovirus infection were included in this study.Gene polymorphism of IFN-γ promoter at 874 A/T was determined by TaqMan fluorescence polymerase chain reaction.Results The frequencies of IFN-γ +874 AA,AT,TT genotypes were 64,20,3 and 45,26,18 in the study and control groups respectively.There was significant difference between two groups(P 0.01=.The frequencies of IFN-γ +874 AA,AT,TT genotypes were 43,19,3 and 23,1,0 in the successfully treated and unsuccessfully treated groups respectively.There was significant difference between two groups(P 0.05=.Conclusions Gene polymorphism of IFN-γ promoter at 874 A/T was correlated with the susceptibility and reco-very of cytomegalovirus hepatitis.Infants with IFN-γ +874 AA may be more susceptible to cytomegalovirus infection and may have a slow recovery if they are infected.
THE DATA RESOURCE ORGANIZATION IN ENTERPRISE INFORMATION CONSTRUCTION

The data resource organization is the key and basis of the enterprise information construction, the purpose is to communicate and share the data in entire enterprise. The primary problem of data resource construction is how to implement data integration. An integrated enterprise data system is the key to build the data model for whole enterprise domain, to get the relations of enterprise data entities and to integrate enterprise data on concept level. The standardization and normalization of data is the language base of data communication and sharing. Only all of us follow the standard and specification when developing the management information system, can we eliminate information "isolated island" and implement data integration deed. Sturdy organization is the guarantee of the data resource construction. The paper discusses the importance of the three viewpoints above in details.
The American Unconscious

This section elaborates in two stages what I mean by ‘the American Unconscious’: first, by concentrating on the unconscious dimension with an explanation of my psychoanalytic methodology; and secondly, by specifying more historically the constitutive features of the American unconscious — what, that is, American culture has to repress in order to constitute itself as such. Having established the theoretical and historical groundwork, the second section then focuses on the manifest relation of Snyder’s poetry to the American unconscious so delineated.
Leistungsteil und Steuerelektronik

In diesem Abschnitt wollen wir uns daruber im klaren werden, wie die in 4.5 beschriebenen Funktionen des Robot-Controllers hardwaremasig realisiert werden konnen und welche Hardware wir dazu in welcher Verschaltung benotigen.
Dynamic state estimation assisted posturing for generator out-of-step protection

Protective relays used in power system today measure external signals to diagnose the internal state of the equipment they protect. Based on measurements of voltage, current, frequency at the bus, the decision is made whether the equipment is healthy or faulty. Due to advances in sensing and computing, it has become possible to use the external measurements to dynamically estimate the internal state of an equipment in real time, thus achieving better insight into its status. Motivated by this emerging paradigm, this paper proposes a dynamic state estimation (DSE)-enabled algorithm to improve protection functions for large synchronous generators during out-of-step conditions. The DSE module is developed using a phasor measurement unit (PMU)-assisted particle filter. The estimated electromechanical state (rotor angle) and voltage phase angle of the high voltage-side of the step-up transformer are used as inputs to detect the out-of-step (OOS) events. Initial results of numerical simulations conducted on a 10-machine, 39 bus test system demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept, and show the potential to monitor and supervise the conventional protection device from misoperations.
Scaffold‐free tissue engineering of functional corneal stromal tissue

Blinding corneal scarring is predominately treated with allogeneic graft tissue; however, there is a worldwide shortage of donor tissue leaving millions in need of therapy. Human corneal stromal stem cells (CSSC) have been shown produce corneal tissue when cultured on nanofibre scaffolding, but this tissue cannot be readily separated from the scaffold. In this study, scaffold-free tissue engineering methods were used to generate biomimetic corneal stromal tissue constructs that can be transplanted in vivo without introducing the additional variables associated with exogenous scaffolding. CSSC were cultured on substrates with aligned microgrooves, which directed parallel cell alignment and matrix organization, similar to the organization of native corneal stromal lamella. CSSC produced sufficient matrix to allow manual separation of a tissue sheet from the grooved substrate. These constructs were cellular and collagenous tissue sheets, approximately 4 μm thick and contained extracellular matrix molecules typical of corneal tissue including collagen types I and V and keratocan. Similar to the native corneal stroma, the engineered corneal tissues contained long parallel collagen fibrils with uniform diameter. After being transplanted into mouse corneal stromal pockets, the engineered corneal stromal tissues became transparent, and the human CSSCs continued to express human corneal stromal matrix molecules. Both in vitro and in vivo, these scaffold-free engineered constructs emulated stromal lamellae of native corneal stromal tissues. Scaffold-free engineered corneal stromal constructs represent a novel, potentially autologous, cell-generated, biomaterial with the potential for treating corneal blindness. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of iron doping on tetravalent nickel content in catalytic oxygen evolving films

Iron doping of nickel oxide films results in enhanced activity for promoting the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Whereas this enhanced activity has been ascribed to a unique iron site within the nickel oxide matrix, we show here that Fe doping influences the Ni valency. The percent of Fe3+ doping promotes the formation of formal Ni4+, which in turn directly correlates with an enhanced activity of the catalyst in promoting OER. The role of Fe3+ is consistent with its behavior as a superior Lewis acid.
Phase I and Phase II Therapies for Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Update on Currently Studied Drugs in Clinical Research

Acute ischemic stroke is a devastating cause of death and disability, consequences of which depend on the time from ischemia onset to treatment, the affected brain region, and its size. The main targets of ischemic stroke therapy aim to restore tissue perfusion in the ischemic penumbra in order to decrease the total infarct area by maintaining blood flow. Advances in research of pathological process and pathways during acute ischemia have resulted in improvement of new treatment strategies apart from restoring perfusion. Additionally, limiting the injury severity by manipulating the molecular mechanisms during ischemia has become a promising approach, especially in animal research. The purpose of this article is to review completed and ongoing phases I and II trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, reviewing studies on antithrombotic, thrombolytic, neuroprotective, and antineuroinflammatory drugs that may translate into more effective treatments.
New Treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Deflazacort (Emflaza) is the first corticosteroid approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Adverse effects of deflazacort include weight gain, Cushingoid appearance, and an increased risk of infections.
Nationalism and Social Sanctioning Across Ethnic Lines: Experimental Evidence from the Kenya–Tanzania Border

Past research shows that ethnic diversity reduces the ability to sanction norm violators, ultimately undermining cooperation. We test this directly by experimentally varying the ethnic composition of groups playing a dictator game with third-party punishment among two ethnic groups along the Kenya–Tanzania border. We also implement a structurally identical game where the endowment division is randomly determined in order to isolate a punishment motivation from the motivation to rectify income inequality. While costly income adjustment in both games is driven primarily by norm violations and inequality aversion, the ethnic composition of groups also influences sharing and sanctioning behavior in Kenya but not Tanzania, consistent with documented differences in the strength of nationalism across the two countries. However, the way in which shared ethnicity affects sanctioning in Kenya—namely, increased punishment of out-group violations against in-group members—is at odds with theories that anticipate that costly sanctioning will primarily target coethnics.
Regional Economic Institutions in Latin America: Politics, Profits, and Peace

Politics, profits, and peace are key drivers of regional economic integration in the Americas. Politics. Unilateral trade liberalization prior to signing a regional agreement, and presidential leadership in agreement making, increase the likelihood of integration success. Profits. Unilateral liberalization and early agreement compliance signal businesses to propel regional trade. Peace. Prior inter-state peace settlements facilitate and consolidate agreements. Key regional design feature. Automatic rules worked better than intergovernmental negotiation, sustained interpresidential engagement, or delegation to supranational organizations. Seven cases are examined. In all but one, trade was liberalized successfully. In NAFTA and MERCOSUR, trade also grew and interstate peace was fostered. In Central America and the Andean Community, trade grew for periods as long as a decade, but with significant occasional setbacks; regional economic integration also had little impact on strengthening peace. In 2008, within-region trade was about 50% of the worldwide total for NAFTA countries but between 8 and 17% of the trade of the total for southern South American, Central American, and Andean countries.
Reciprocal longitudinal relations between weight/shape concern and comorbid pathology among women at very high risk for eating disorder onset

Understanding how known eating disorder (ED) risk factors change in relating to one another over time may inform efficient intervention targets. We examined short-term (i.e., 1 month) reciprocal longitudinal relations between weight/shape concern and comorbid symptoms (i.e., depressed mood, anxiety) and behaviors (i.e., binge drinking) over the course of 24 months using cross-lagged panel models. Participants were 185 women aged 18–25 years at very high risk for ED onset, randomized to an online ED preventive intervention or waitlist control. We also tested whether relations differed based on intervention receipt. Weight/shape concern in 1 month significantly predicted depressed mood the following month; depressed mood in 1 month also predicted weight/shape concern the following month, but the effect size was smaller. Likewise, weight/shape concern in 1 month significantly predicted anxiety the following month, but the reverse was not true. Results showed no temporal relations between weight/shape concern and binge drinking in either direction. Relations between weight/shape concern, and comorbid symptoms and behaviors did not differ based on intervention receipt. Results support focusing intervention on reducing weight/shape concern over reducing comorbid constructs for efficient short-term change. Level I, evidence obtained from a properly designed randomized controlled trial.
Implementation of Linear Discriminant Classifier in 130nm Silicon Process

In this paper, an analog implementation of a linear classifier is analyzed and its performance is measured on a classification task. Noise analysis is done for the classifier to show how noise varies with various design and usage parameters. A limit of accuracy is obtained from the multiplier for a given energy consumption. The performance of a fabricated chip of the analog classifier in a commercially available 130nm CMOS process is also presented. With four feature input currents and three classes the classifier consumes around 4nW of power. The testing process shows that the classifier is able to perform a basic classification task in the presence of noise.
Everyday technology use for men with multiple sclerosis: An occupational perspective

IntroductionEveryday technology has the potential to increase quality of life for individuals with disabilities. In a society that relies on technology for participation, exploring everyday technology use is a fundamental part of understanding lived experiences of occupation. The meaning and roles individuals with disabilities ascribe to technology may be influenced by sociocultural considerations, such as gender. This interpretive phenomenological study aimed to present an occupational perspective of everyday technology use for men with multiple sclerosis.MethodThree middle-aged men (50–57 years old) with multiple sclerosis participated in an individual semi-structured interview. Data were analysed using a hermeneutic approach of close reading. After the initial analysis, superordinate themes were examined relative to an occupational framework.FindingsThe identified themes were ‘searching online as means and end’ (doing); ‘connecting to others and society’ (belonging); and ‘seeing present and future self...
The Use of Slime-forming Bacteria to Enhance the Strength of the Soil Matrix

Abstract Our experiments showed that the strength of soil can be enhanced by either applying slime-forming bacteria directly to the soil matrix to produce a biopolymer inside it, or by applying biopolymer from slime-forming bacteria or commercial products such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), xanthan gum, and sodium alginates to the soil matrix. The cross-linked support networks result from the interaction of biopolymer with the soil matrix. Zonal bioremediation or environmental encapsulation are potential applications of this research. Reduction of soil erosion and enhancement of the soil strength in the foundations of hydraulic systems may also be good prospects for geotechnical and agricultural exploration.
COSMOCHEMICAL EVOLUTION AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE ON EARTH

The 20th century has been characterized, among other things, as the century of science and technology. Aside from important discoveries made during this century, three of the major concepts and areas of knowledge that have acquired singular preeminence are the Universe, Life and Man. In the last century Charles Darwin quite successfully applied the concept of evolution by natural selection to living creatures. In more general terms the concept of evolution by natural causes can be applied to the inanimate world and to the Universe as a whole including all the cosmic bodies, namely galaxies, stars, circumstellar and interstellar clouds, chemical elements, interstellar molecules, planetary systems, planets, comets, asteroids, meteorites, etc. It is within this context that we can speak of cosmochemical evolution and its presumed relation to the origin of life on the planet Earth. More specifically, in this paper, we will focus our attention on the origin and evolution of life and we will briefly cover the pertinent physical and chemical aspects of cosmic evolution which were responsible for the formation of the main biogenic elements in stars, which aside from H include C, N, O, S and P; and the circumstellar and interstellar organic and other molecules which constitute the dust and gas clouds of the interstellar medium. We will discuss the formation of both the Solar and the Earth-moon systems, the role of comets in providing the water and the biogenic precursors necessary for the formation of biochemical compounds on the early Earth, the probable processes of chemical evolution that presumably preceded the emergence of Darwin’s ancestral cell from which all other living systems have evolved on the Earth, including this chimerical and probably ephemeral creature we call Homo sapiens sapiens.
Spleen Morphology and Lymphoproliferative Activity in Short Photoperiod Exposed Hamsters

One of the major functions of the pineal gland is believed to be the seasonal regulation of physiological capability in a variety of species (Reiter, 1983). Those species which modify their physiological state on an annual basis are believed to use the pineal gland and its hormone, melatonin, to prepare and respond to upcoming seasons. The pineal utilizes the photoperiod to alter its synthesis of melatonin on a daily basis. This rhythm in melatonin production is interpreted by structures, presumably in the central nervous system, which reorganize the animals’ physiologic systems (Hastings, 1989). This reorganization would increase the probability of survival of the animals and their offspring. The regulation of the reproductive system has received extensive investigation, while other physiologic systems have received only cursory examination. One of the systems that is receiving increasing study is the seasonal and photoperiodic regulation of the immune system. The pineal has been implicated as a major participant in immunomodulation modifying both the response to infection (Maestroni, Conti, and Pierpaoli, 1988) and the response to neoplastic cells (Blask, 1984; Lissoni, et al., 1989); for additional information, see articles by these authors within these proceedings.
Mechanics of self-healing polymer networks crosslinked by dynamic bonds

Abstract Dynamic polymer networks (DPNs) crosslinked by dynamic bonds have received intensive attention because of their special crack-healing capability. Diverse DPNs have been synthesized using a number of dynamic bonds, including dynamic covalent bond, hydrogen bond, ionic bond, metal-ligand coordination, hydrophobic interaction, and others. Despite the promising success in the polymer synthesis, the fundamental understanding of their self-healing mechanics is still at the very beginning. Especially, a general analytical model to understand the interfacial self-healing behaviors of DPNs has not been established. Here, we develop polymer-network based analytical theories that can mechanistically model the constitutive behaviors and interfacial self-healing behaviors of DPNs. We consider that the DPN is composed of interpenetrating networks crosslinked by dynamic bonds. The network chains follow inhomogeneous chain-length distributions and the dynamic bonds obey a force-dependent chemical kinetics. During the self-healing process, we consider the polymer chains diffuse across the interface to reform the dynamic bonds, being modeled by a diffusion-reaction theory. The theories can predict the stress-stretch behaviors of original and self-healed DPNs, as well as the healing strength in a function of healing time. We show that the theoretically predicted healing behaviors can consistently match the documented experimental results of DPNs with various dynamic bonds, including dynamic covalent bonds (diarylbibenzofuranone and olefin metathesis), hydrogen bonds, and ionic bonds. We expect our model to be a powerful tool for the self-healing community to invent, design, understand, and optimize self-healing DPNs with various dynamic bonds.
The impact of using donor sperm in assisted reproductive technology cycles on perinatal outcomes

Objective To assess the impact of using donor sperm in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles on perinatal outcomes. Design Historical cohort study. Setting US national database from the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SART CORS) from 2012 to 2013. Patient(s) Patients undergoing the first fresh autologous ART cycle using either donor or partner sperm. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Miscarriage, preterm birth, low birthweight rates. Results A total of 134,710 fresh autologous ART cycles were evaluated from the SART CORS database. Following exclusion criteria and after restricting to the first cycle, 2,123 donor sperm and 42,799 partner sperm ART cycles were included in the final analyses. After adjusting for all confounding variables (including maternal age, race, body mass index, smoking status, gravidity, history of preterm birth, highest follicle stimulating hormone count, blastocyst transfer percentage, total embryo transferred, and etiology of infertility), no statistically significant differences in miscarriage rates, preterm births, very preterm births, low birthweight, and very low birthweight were observed. Birthweight was significantly lower in the partner sperm group than in the donor sperm group (3,292 ± 601 and 3,233 ± 592 g in donor and partner sperm groups, respectively, adjusted P value 0.003); however, this small absolute difference (adjusted effect estimate 42 g, 95% CI 14.7–70.9) does not carry clinical significance. Conclusions The use of donor sperm in fresh autologous ART cycles was not associated with increased miscarriage, preterm births, or low birthweights, as compared to cycles using partner sperm. This information can be used in patient counseling to reassure patients using donor sperm in ART cycles.
Transition States for Alkane Oxidations by Dioxiranes

The mechanism of the oxygen insertion by dioxiranes into alkane C−H bonds has been investigated theoretically. Becke3LYP hybrid DFT calculations with the 6-31G* basis set on the reactions of dioxirane and cyanodioxirane with methane and on the reactions of cyanodioxirane with ethane, propane, and isobutane predict that the reactions are concerted with highly asynchronous transition states. The transition states have considerable diradical character, but are polarized as well. Substituent effects, stereoselectivity, and the possibility of the formation of radical pairs are discussed.
A novel liquid-mediated nucleation mechanism for explosive crystallization in amorphous germanium

Abstract We report a novel mechanism for explosive crystallization in amorphous germanium (a-Ge), which operates through liquid-mediated nucleation occurring under extreme thermal gradient conditions. The crystallization kinetics of sputter-deposited films with thicknesses ranging from 30 to 150 nm were characterized using in situ movie-mode dynamic transmission electron microscopy (MM-DTEM). After localized heating from a short laser pulse, explosive liquid phase nucleation (LPN) was observed to occur during the early stage ( 50 nm) films deposited on silicon nitride substrates. The crystallization front propagated at ∼12–15 m/s and produced nanocrystalline microstructure with ∼50 nm grains. A mechanism involving the existence of a relatively thick (>100 nm) transient liquid layer and a high nucleation rate is proposed to explain the behavior. The key thermodynamic and kinetic features as well as the feasibility of the mechanism are further explored by employing parametric and systematic phase-field modeling and simulations.
Influence Activities, Coalitions, and Uniform Policies: Implications for the Regulation of Financial Institutions

We examine a setting in which agents can form lobbying coalitions to influence a policy maker. Policy uniformity causes agents to free ride on each other’s lobbying and gives them an incentive to f...
Upregulation of NCX Protein in Hepatopancreas and Antennal Gland of Freshwater Crayfish Associated with Elevated CA2+ Flux

The molting cycle of the freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii has emerged as an ideal model to study cellular/molecular mechanisms of Ca homeostasis because of its ability to maximally absorb Ca from a Ca deficient environment. Freshwater contains only 1 mM Ca as opposed to the 10 mM Ca afforded by marine environments. The model is based on a negligible net transepithelial Ca flux during intermolt that changes to vectorial Ca flux around ecdysis. During premolt, 20% of cuticular Ca is reabsorbed for deposition into CaCO3 disks and the remainder is excreted. Postmolt is characterized by net environmental Ca uptake rates of 2-10 mmol/kg/h and remobilization of stored Ca. Both sources are subsequently used for the calcification of a new exoskeleton. The Ca transporting epithelia are the gills, antennal gland (kidney), hepatopancreas (liver) and cuticular hypodermis. Arthropod molting is coordinated by the steroid ecdysone and unknown environmental cues. Previous studies have shown a marked increase in basolateral Ca pump expression during postmolt, suggesting that Ca transporting proteins are upregulated during periods of elevated transepithelial Ca uptake. Kinetic studies suggest that the NCX is the primary extrusion mechanism for basolateral Ca efflux. Therefore, we propose that the NCX may be upregulated during premolt and postmolt compared with intermolt in hepatopancreas and antennal gland.
A specific enhanced recovery protocol decreases opioid use after thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

Abstract Background Enhanced recovery protocols have not been investigated previously for cervical endocrine surgery. The study aim was to determine whether systematic implementation of an enhanced recovery protocol specific for thyroid/parathyroid surgery can improve postoperative outcomes. Methods A customized enhanced recovery protocol for thyroid/parathyroid surgery was designed and utilized systematically for all patients who underwent parathyroidectomy, thyroid lobectomy, or total thyroidectomy. Outcomes were assessed 12 months before enhanced recovery protocol implementation (n = 464 patients) and after enhanced recovery protocol implementation (n = 654 patients). Results Enhanced recovery protocol implementation was associated with a 72% decrease in mean oral morphine equivalents utilized in-house (before 82 ± 64 versus after 23 ± 28; P Conclusion The systematic use of a simple, cervical, endocrine surgery-specific enhanced recovery protocol decreased perioperative opioid use by ~70%, with significantly less postoperative nausea and vomiting. Implementation of a multidisciplinary enhanced recovery protocol may be an important initial step toward limiting opioid overuse during common operative procedures.
Radiological outcomes following manual and robotic-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Aims The purpose of this study was to compare the radiological outcomes of manual versus robotic-assisted medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Methods Postoperative radiological outcome...
Primal-Dual Algorithms for Indivisible Concave Allocation with Bounded Local Curvature.

We study a general allocation setting where agent valuations are specified by an arbitrary set of monotone concave functions. In this model, a collection of items must be uniquely assigned to a set of agents, where all agent-item pairs have a specified bid value. The objective is to maximize the sum of agent valuations, each of which is a nondecreasing concave function of the agent's total spend. This setting was studied by Devanur and Jain (STOC 2012) in the online setting for fractional assignments. In this paper, we generalize the state of the art in the offline setting for indivisible allocations. In particular, for a collection of monotone concave functions and maximum bid value $b$, we define the notion of a local curvature bound $c_\ell\in (0,1]$, which intuitively measures the largest multiplicative gap between any valuation function and a local linear lower bound with $x$-width $b$. For our main contribution, we define an efficient primal-dual algorithm that achieves an approximation of $(1-\epsilon)c_\ell$, and provide a matching $c_\ell$ integrality gap, showing our algorithm is optimal among those that utilize the natural assignment CP. Additionally, we show our techniques have an interesting extension to the Smooth Nash Social Welfare problem (Fain et al. EC 2018, Fluschnik et al. AAAI 2019), which is a variant of NSW that reduces the extent to which the objective penalizes under-allocations by adding a smoothing constant to agent utilities. This objective can be viewed as a sum of logs optimization, which therefore falls in the above setting. However, we also show how our techniques can be extended to obtain an approximation for the canonical product objective by obtaining an additive guarantee for the log version of the problem.
The Called, the Chosen, and the Tempted: Psychologists, the Church, and the Scandal

In 2002, the U.S. Catholic bishops finally accepted that the sexual abuse of minors by priests was a widespread problem within the church that required action. The bishops asked researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to study the problem. The John Jay reports (2004 2011) found a thirty-year trend of rising incidents between 1950 and 1980, followed by a sharp decline during the 1980s. These incidents involved nearly 4,500 accused priests and nearly 11,000 different alleged victims. More than eighty percent of the victims were male. Failing to find a psychological profile that differentiated perpetrators from non-perpetrators, the researchers argued that many priests succumbed to situational temptations involving male minors, due to changing socio-cultural values about sexual activity associated with “the Sixties.” The John Jay studies showed little awareness that an increasingly close relationship existed between the church and Catholic psychologists during the very decades that the incidents were rising. This relationship involved professional psychologists assessing candidates for the priesthood in order to screen out those with serious psychopathologies, including various forms of sexual deviancy, as well as psychologists and psychiatrists who treated priests for aberrant sexual behavior. Assessment psychologists detected no systemic proclivity for future child sexual abuse (although patterns of psychosexual immaturity, sociopathy, and homosexuality seem suspiciously relevant in hindsight). At the time, child sexual abuse had not been identified by the public as a serious social problem, no method existed for detecting this potential, and psychologists as a broader discipline struggled to understand the complexity of human sexual identity and behavior. Even so, there were two and possibly three points before 2002 when clergy sexual abuse might have been detected and acted on as a systemic problem within the church: the late 1930s, 1965–1971, and 1985–1986. When considered together, the work of psychologists in screening candidates, therapists in treating priests, and the John Jay data suggest that perhaps two-thirds of priests in the 1950s and 1960s were psychosexually immature and that a subset of these priests who also were sociopathic, attracted to minors, or open to same-sex activity for various reasons, including a fear of women, accounted for a sizeable share of the problem. Why these apparently relevant factors may have characterized candidates and priests to a greater degree between 1950 and 1980 is not clear.
The United Nations in Latin America: Aiding Development

1. Introduction 2. The United Nations and Development 3. Poverty in the Americas 4. Meeting Basic Human Needs 5. Women in the Americas 6. Promoting Gender Equity 7. Ecology of the Americas 8. Preserving Natural Environments 9. Aiding Development in the Americas. Appendix 1: Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Appendix 2: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Appendix 3: Declaration on the Right to Development. Appendix 4: United Nations Millennium Declaration. Appendix 5: Millennium Development Goals. Appendix 6: Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable Development.
Filling the Blanks

Now that the parsing mechanism has been elucidated, we can discuss some issues in detail. In this chapter, we describe the process of “safe” attachment to which we referred in the last chapter, we describe Cleopatra’s treatment of relative clauses, adverbial clauses as objects of after and before, conjunctions, and ellipsis, and finally we return to the subject of confidence-levels.
Ultrathin Film Electrodeposition of Conjugated Polymers on Conducting Surfaces

The class of π-conjugated polymers as solid state materials has been investigated ranging from its use as electrically conducting polymers to electroluminescent (EL) and laser-active materials.1 Synthesis using mainly aromatic and heteroaromatic polymer structures has been investigated.2 In particular, the study of polyfluorenes and its derivatives are of recent interest as photoactive fluorescent and laser-generating materials.3, 18 The systematic synthesis of microstructured polyfluorene materials with fluoren-2,7-diyl units either by Pd4 or Ni-catalyzed 5 coupling of 2,7-dibromofluorenes has found applications in the fabrication of blue polymer light emitting diode (PLED) devices. The chemical oxidation of fluorenes with FeCl3 6 or electrochemical oxidation of fluorenes has also been reported.7 Substitution on the 9-fluorenyl position enhances the solubility and processability of the resulting polyfluorene polymers.8
Legal Inferencing with Computers: An Inference Engine

This article presents a computer program that allows anyone to build a simple legal inferencing engine. Essentially, the user provides conditions and consequences. The user can then provide a goal, and query the engine to determine whether the goal is obtained by using either forward chaining (inferencing from known facts to desired consquences) or backward chaining (reasoning from desired consequences to possible hypotheses that support those consequences). The article also presents a sketch of various approaches to artificial intelligence. It is of interest as an aid to teaching law since it permits non-programmers to create a legal knowledge base to test hypotheses about the interrelationship of legal facts.
Chapter 35 Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and multifocal motor neuropathy

Publisher Summary The chapter describes immune-mediated demyelinating neuropathies resulting from autoimmune attacks, primarily on the myelin sheaths of peripheral nerves. Although myelin is the primary site of the immune insult, these neuropathies are invariably associated with some degree of secondary axonal degeneration and therefore, their clinical and electrophysiological findings include both demyelinating and axonal features making the diagnosis challenging in many cases. These neuropathies typically cause relapsing or progressive weakness and often numbness, and generally respond to immune suppressive therapies. These neuropathies share several common clinical features and may have similar pathogenesis. They are immunemediated and often respond to some form of immune therapy. Also, many patients have, or develop over time, overlapping clinical and electrophysiological features, suggesting that they form a continuum of a spectrum. However, some of these, in particular multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and distal acquired demyelinating sensory and motor neuropathy (DADS), have distinct clinical features and treatment responses, suggesting rather distinct pathogenetic mechanisms.
A review of virtual sensing technology and application in building systems

A virtual sensor uses low-cost measurements and mathematical models to estimate a difficult to measure or expensive quantity. Virtual sensors have been sucessfully developed and applied in other fields within the past two decades. This article reviews developments of virtual sensors in other fields and early applications for buildings. It is believed that widespread application of virtual sensors for buildings would enable a level of building optimization and improvement not previously considered to be economical. It is hoped that this article can provide a resource for these future developments and applications.
Thrombosis on Bjork-Shiley aortic valve prosthesis: Clinical, arteriographic, echocardiographic and therapeutic observations in seven cases

Abstract Seven patients with massive thrombosis on a Bjork-Shiley aortic valve prosthesis are described. This complication was documented in 5 percent of our patients with a Bjork-Shiley valve and occurred 3 to 19 months (mean 13 months) after insertion of the prosthesis. Only one patient had adequate anticoagulant therapy at the time of diagnosis. All patients had acute or subacute clinical deterioration. Anginal chest pain was the presenting symptom in four patients, and acute left ventricular failure in three. In all patients, the closing click of the Bjork-Shiley prosthesis was not heard, and new aortic systolic or diastolic murmurs were audible. Cardiac catheterization and aortic root cinearteriography were performed in five patients. Severe prosthetic regurgitation was found In four patients and mild regurgitation in one. Abnormal disc motion—fixation of the disc in the open position, abnormal limited opening of the disc or imperfect closure—was demonstrated in all arteriographic studies. Echocardiograms revealed an immobile disc in two patients. Five patients were surgically treated by thrombectomy and debridement of the prosthetic valve; the original prostheses were left in situ. Four of these patients are alive and one died. Two patients who did not undergo surgical treatment died. Thrombosis on the Bjork-Shiley aortic valve has a high fatality rate. Suspicion of this complication should be followed by emergency catheterization and surgery. In critically ill patients, surgery may be required even without angiography. The occurrence of this serious complication, mostly in patients with a normal coagulatory state, indicates the need for permanent anticoagulation in patients with a Bjork-Shiley aortic valve prosthesis.