cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translation and Appropriation: Greek Relics in the Latin West in the Aftermath of the Fourth Crusade

Following the fall of Constantinople to French, Flemish and Venetian forces at the conclusion of the Fourth Crusade, an unprecedented number of relics and other holy objects poured into the West between 1204 and c.1240. Sent as personal and diplomatic gifts, most holy objects moved in the open, with letters of authentication and identification, and not (as has often been suggested) as sacred theft. This article traces the work of translation, carried out by clerics, chaplains, monks, and laymen and women, and the mechanisms of appropriation that gave meaning to these objects in their new devotional contexts. Relics were demanding things; they needed to be enshrined, venerated, described and contextualized, and their movements needed to be accounted for and included within a broader Christian narrative that served to anchor the crusade movement to the apostolic past and to Christ's material presence in the West. Moreover, the materiality of the relics that moved from Constantinople was an important part of their significance and shaped devotional practices and connections, bridging differences between Greek and Latin culture and fostering conceptions of the material that facilitated other acts of Christian translation in the centuries to come.
Measurement in physical education and exercise science: A brief report on 2017

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this annual report is to provide a summary of measurement in physical education and exercise science-related activities in 2017. A recent trend for an annual increase in manuscript submissions to measurement in physical education and exercise science continued in 2017. Twenty-nine countries were represented (i.e., corresponding author) with the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, and Australia collectively accounting for slightly more than two-thirds of the submissions. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submissions from around the world in 2018. More than three-quarters of the manuscripts that were submitted to measurement in physical education and exercise science in 2017 were submitted to the exercise science section or the physical activity section or the research methodology and statistics section. Measurement in physical education and exercise science continues to welcome high-quality submis...
Ivermectinecrème als behandeling voor rosacea

Volgens de NHG-Richtlijn Rosacea is de eerstekeusbehandeling bij rosacea tweemaal daags metronidazolcreme. Deze CAT laat zien dat ivermectinecreme eenmaal daags een veelbelovende behandeling voor rosacea is. Slechts twee publicaties vergelijken metronidazol- en ivermectinecremes op basis van enkel door een farmaceut gesponsorde onderzoeken. Dit is vooralsnog onvoldoende om de huidige voorkeurbehandeling aan te passen.
Ligand Binding to Nucleic Acids

Among the preeminent compounds that bind to DNA are numerous anticancer and antibacterial therapeutics. The development of new chemotherapeutics has accelerated the need for sensitive and versatile analytical techniques that are capable of characterizing DNA/ligand interactions including determination of binding stoichiometries, selectivities, and affinities. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) has emerged as a useful technique for the analysis of complexes formed between DNA and small molecules due to its low sample consumption and fast analysis time. This chapter describes the exploration, optimization, and validation of ESI-MS methods for characterizing DNA–ligand interactions.
Thermal-Aware Gate-Level Placement for 3D IC

In this chapter, we study two methods used in 3D IC placement that effectively exploit the die-to-die thermal coupling in the stack. First, TSVs are spread on each die to reduce the local power density and vertically aligned across dies simultaneously to increase thermal conductivity to the heatsink. Second, we move high-power logic cells to the location that has higher conductivity to the heatsink while moving TSVs in the upper dies so that high-power cells are vertically overlapping below the TSVs. These methods are employed in a force-directed 3D placement successfully and outperform several state-of-the-art placers published in recent literature.
Metropolitan Achievement Tests. Walter A. Durost, Harold H. Bixler, J. Wayne Wrightstone, George A. Prescott, and Irving H. Balow

(1974). Metropolitan Achievement Tests. Walter A. Durost, Harold H. Bixler, J. Wayne Wrightstone, George A. Prescott, and Irving H. Balow. Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance: Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 204-208.
Editorial Commentary: What's Knot to Like? In the Biomechanics Laboratory, Knotless Shoulder Anchors Hold Their Own.

Abstract Arthroscopic knot tying remains challenging, and the knots are a weak link for many repair constructs. Knotless strategies continue to evolve, and in some cases, these methods enhance biomechanical repair characteristics. The associated impact on clinical outcomes remains unknown.
Perceptions of fairness in common-pool resource access: farmer responses to new agricultural water use restrictions in Idaho

This study examines farmers’ perceptions of fairness regarding an agricultural water use policy change in Idaho: the 2015 settlement agreement, a compromise between ground- and surface water farmer...
Long-term crash trends at single- and double-lane roundabouts in Washington State.

Abstract Introduction: Despite the proven safety benefits, crashes still occur at roundabouts. This study examined long-term trends in total crash counts, crash severity, and crashes involving common driver errors (failing to yield the right-of-way and speeding) in the period following the completion of single- and double-lane roundabouts in Washington state. Method: Crashes occurring during 2010–2016 at single- and double-lane roundabouts completed between 2009 and 2015 in Washington state were included. Poisson regression examined changes in annual total crash counts over time. Logistic regression estimated average annual changes in the odds that a crash involved an evident/incapacitating/fatal injury and that a crash involved a driver error. Regression models were estimated for single- and double-lane roundabouts separately. Results: Annual total crash counts declined significantly by 8.8% over time at double-lane roundabouts and increased nonsignificantly over time at single-lane roundabouts. The study estimated a significant 32.1% annual reduction in the odds that a crash involved an evident or incapacitating injury at double-lane roundabouts and a nonsignificant 18.9% reduction at single-lane roundabouts. There was a significant 10.6% annual decline in the odds that a crash was right-of-way related at double-lane roundabouts and a significant 19.1% annual decline in the odds that a crash was speeding-related at single-lane roundabouts. Conclusions: The current study demonstrates that safety can improve over time at double-lane roundabouts as drivers gain experience navigating them. At the same time, it is important that roundabouts include design elements that will prevent right-of-way mistakes and reduce speeds. Practical applications: Communities installing double-lane roundabouts may find that their benefits will increase the longer they are in place, even if initial changes in crashes and injuries are underwhelming.
Therapeutic Potential of Two Visible Light Responsive Luminescent photoCORMs: Enhanced Cellular Internalization Driven by Lipophilicity.

Herein we report the synthesis, characterization, and cellular internalization properties of two visible-light active luminescent Mn-based photoCORMs. The enhanced membrane permeability of the phot...
Pairwise Multi-marginal Optimal Transport and Embedding for Earth Mover's Distance

We investigate the problem of pairwise multi-marginal optimal transport, that is, given a collection of probability distributions $\{P_\alpha\}$ on a Polish space $\mathcal{X}$, to find a coupling $\{X_\alpha\}$, $X_\alpha\sim P_\alpha$, such that $\mathbf{E}[c(X_\alpha,X_\beta)]\le r\inf_{X\sim P_\alpha,Y\sim P_\beta}\mathbf{E}[c(X,Y)]$ for all $\alpha,\beta$, where $c$ is a cost function and $r\ge1$. In other words, every pair $(X_\alpha,X_\beta)$ has an expected cost at most a factor of $r$ from its lowest possible value. This can be regarded as a locality sensitive hash function for probability distributions, and has applications such as robust and distributed computation of transport plans. It can also be considered as a bi-Lipschitz embedding of the collection of probability distributions into the space of random variables taking values on $\mathcal{X}$. For $c(x,y)=\Vert x-y\Vert_2^q$ on $\mathbb{R}^n$, where $q>0$, we show that a finite $r$ is attainable if and only if either $n=1$ or $0<q<1$. As $n\to\infty$, the growth rate of the smallest possible $r$ is exactly $\Theta(n^{q/2})$ if $0<q<1$. Hence, the metric space of probability distributions on $\mathbb{R}^n$ with finite $q$-th absolute moments, $0<q<1$, with the earth mover's distance (or 1-Wasserstein distance) with respect to the snowflake metric $c(x,y)=\Vert x-y\Vert_2^q$, is bi-Lipschitz embeddable into $L_1$ with distortion $O(n^{q/2})$. If we consider $c(x,y)=\Vert x-y\Vert_2$ (i.e., $q=1$) on the grid $[0..s]^n$ instead of $\mathbb{R}^n$, then $r=O(\sqrt{n}\log s)$ is attainable, which implies the embeddability of the space of probability distributions on $[0..s]^n$ into $L_1$ with distortion $O(\sqrt{n}\log s)$, and improves upon the $O(n\log s)$ result by Indyk and Thaper. The case of the discrete metric cost $c(x,y)=\mathbf{1}\{x\neq y\}$ and more general metric and ultrametric costs are also investigated.
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in Africa: Cultural Brokerage, “Going Native,” and Colonial Nostalgia

CNN’s award-winning Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown has captured the interest of American and global audiences, and Bourdain has been praised for his humanizing storytelling and diverse culinary itinerary. This study draws on postcolonial theory to question whether celebrations of Bourdain’s representations of sub-Saharan Africa are warranted. Specifically, we explore cultural brokerage as an instrument of African agency, assess Bourdain’s “going-native” approach against evidence of self-reflexivity, and probe traces of colonial nostalgia in the episodes. We propose a three-category conceptualization of cultural brokers: immersed, hybrid, and inherent brokers. We commend Bourdain’s deployment of hybrid and inherent cultural brokers, his actively self-reflexive going-native style, and his efforts to historicize and contextualize African locations. However, we argue that some of Bourdain’s narrative choices—uses of immersed brokers, reduced self-reflexivity in challenging sites, and evidence of colonial nostalgia—trap the show in cliched representations of Africa reminiscent of a colonial gaze.
The Psychosocial Aspects of Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Beyond

Purpose Feeding challenges are common for infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While sufficient oral feeding is typically a goal during NICU admission, this can be a long and complic...
Effects of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning on matrix metallo proteinases-9 and high mobility group box 1 in rats after skin flap transplantation

Objective To explore the effects of HBO preconditioning on the inflammatory reaction induced by ischemia-reperfusion following skin flap transplantation in rats.Methods Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 7 different groups:the sham group,the ischemia-reperfusion(IR)day 1 group,the IR day 3 group,the IR day 5 group,the HBO+ischemia-reperfusion day 1 group,the HBO+ischemiareperfusion day 3 group and the HBO+ischemia-reperfusion day 5 group.First,the abdominal pedicle skin flap model was developed and the animals were treated with HBO preconditioning.Then,levels of MMP-9 and HMGB1 were measured with ELLSA.Results The MMP-9 levels of IR d 1 and d 3 groups,the HMGB1 levels of d 1,3,5 groups were significantly higher than those of the sham group[(13.74±2.04)、(11.05±1.35)μg/L](P＜0.01).The MMP-9 level of IR d 5 group[(16.66±2.45)μg/L]was higher than that of the sham group(P＜0.05).The MMP-9 levels of the HBO+ischemia-reperfusion d 1 and d 3 groups were lower than that of the IR group on the same day(P＜0.05).The HMGB1 level of the HBO+ischemia-reperfusion d 5 group was obviously lower than that of the IR group on the same day(P＜0.01).Conclusions Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning might alleviate inflammatory reaction induced by ischemia-reperfusion through the access of decreasing the serum levels of MMP-9 and HMGB1 in rats following skin flap transplantation. Key words: Hyperbaric oxygen; Skin flap; MMP-9; HMGB1
CSQ System: A System to Support Constrained Skyline Queries on Transportation Networks

Skyline queries find the representative data points from a multi-dimensional dataset, which are better than other data points on at least one dimension. A multi-cost transportation network (MCTN) can be modeled as a multi-dimensional dataset. The MCTN-constrained skyline query (CSQ) is a type of skyline queries on MCTN where the query point and the skyline answer-objects are points of interest (POI) that are off the network, and the answer-points need to be reached from the query point by utilizing the MCTN. CSQ is useful in many applications such as trip planning and apartment selection. For example, when a person wants to find an apartment, he/she may consider not only the price and the number of rooms of the apartment but also the cost and travel time of using public transportation from his apartment to his/her office.In this paper, we present a system to answer MCTN-constrained CSQs, namely CSQ system. This system is implemented as a web application, which allows users to input a query point from a web interface, get the skyline result by using several algorithms, and display the result on the web interface. We load the POIs and public transportation networks of three cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York) to the system, and explain how users can interact with the CSQ system.
Processing and Promoting Local Produce as Part of Farm to School Programs: Perspectives of School Nutrition Staff

Farm to school (FTS) programs provide opportunities for schools to serve local produce to students. Hourly school nutrition staff are key to FTS success as they process and promote local produce. T...
Thoughts on the Looming Pension Problems Facing Chicago, Cook County and Illinois

Recent increases in Cook County’s property taxes have reignited longstanding political controversies about public-sector expenditures of the City of Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois. These fiscal problems leave Illinois with among the worst fiscal health of any of the fifty states. Much of the state’s poor fiscal condition is attributable to the unfunded pension liabilities of its various governmental entities. These liabilities have an adverse impact on property values (due to increased property taxes, uncertainty about how these unfunded pension liabilities are to be ultimately resolved, and the crowding out of public-sector services). Partly as a result of these harmful forces, the Chicago area has seen the lowest home appreciation rate of any major metropolitan area in the country. Importantly, these fiscal problems are expected to worsen, as the gap between the pension plans’ assets and liabilities is expected to widen considerably over the coming decades. Moreover, it is challenging to raise taxes in an environment where Illinois’ overall taxes are the third-highest in the country (and, specifically, its property taxes are the second-highest in the country and its sales taxes are the seventh-highest in the country). Without a comprehensive plan to arrest these runaway pension liabilities, the economic engine that is the Chicago metropolitan area will slowly falter. Now that the Democrats control the governorship as well as both legislative bodies, it would seem an appropriate time to consider a “grand bargain.” I propose three bold items: a) all new public-sector employees are to be enrolled in defined-contribution pension plans, b) all new significant sources of revenue, cost-cutting mechanisms and the monetization of the state’s assets are to be dedicated to the pay-down of unfunded pension benefits, and c) a constitutional amendment is needed to moderately reduce the future benefits (of the current defined-benefit pension plans) of the existing public-sector employees (and their beneficiaries).
CP-Violating Neutrino Nonstandard Interactions in Long-Baseline-Accelerator Data.

U.S. Department of EnergyUnited States Department of Energy (DOE) [DE-SC0012704]; U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) programUnited States Department of Energy (DOE); ORAU [DE-SC0014664]
Provocateurs

When a provocateur intentionally provokes a deadly affray, the law of self-defense holds that the provocateur may not use deadly force to defend himself. Why is this so? Provocateurs are often seen as just one example of the problem of actio libera in causa, the causing of the conditions of one’s defense. This article rejects theories that maintain a one-size-fits-all approach to actio libera in causa, and argues that provocateurs need specific rules about why they forfeit their defensive rights. This article further claims that provocateurs need to be distinguished from their cousins, initial aggressors, as initial aggressors engage in conduct that grounds the permissibility of the defender’s behavior whereas the provocateur’s behavior does not justify the respondent’s use of force against him. In addition, this article rejects that the basis of this forfeiture can be found in the doctrines surrounding when and why mitigation for provocation is appropriate for the respondent. Provocateurs forfeit their defensive rights for the very simple reason that they start the fight. This forfeiture occurs when they behave culpably, meaning that they subjectively appreciate that they are running the risk of causing force to be used against them and they engage in this behavior without justification or excuse. The question of when the provocateur’s behavior is justified is incredibly complex. It requires analysis of when it is that one is justified in increasing the risk of another’s wrongdoing. Any analysis of this justification must take seriously the liberty rights of the potential provocateur to engage in otherwise permissible behavior. Moreover, the determination of whether the provocateur is justified will turn on whether the later acts that he puts into motion are themselves justified. Thus, when Charles Bronson in the movie Death Wish presents himself as a victim so that muggers will attack him, the justifiability of his conduct in appearing as a vulnerable victim will turn on whether he is entitled to engage in this conduct, intending to later defend himself. This article argues that in Death Wish-type cases, the reason that the provocateur is not justified is because he becomes a vigilante, thereby usurping the role of the state and undermining rule of law values.
Sharing personal experiences and online consumer engagement: A case study of Glossier

Social media has become influential in the fashion and beauty marketplace where digital communication centers around consumer interests in products and brands. This case study examines how sharing ...
RADIOPOTENTIATING ACTION OF 1-$beta$-D-ARABINOFURANOSYLCYTOSINE IN A XENOGRAFTED HUMAN COLONIC CARCINOMA.

SummaryLow, nontumoricidal, single daily doses of ara-C had radiopotentiating effects when combined with 300 R X-rays in the GW-39 human colonic carcinoma growing in the cheek pouch of unconditioned golden hamsters. At the same total dosage (12 mg/kg day), a divided daily dose schedule of ara-C proved more effective both when administered alone and in combination with X-radiation.
Effects of glutamine supplementation on muscle function and stress responses in a mouse model of spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in loss of muscle function due to rapid breakdown of contractile proteins. Glutamine supplementation improves clinical outcomes, but its effects on muscle function after SCI are unknown. The benefits of glutamine in non-skeletal muscle tissues involve elevated heat shock protein (Hsp)70 and Hsp25, but the muscle response may differ because it is the largest contributor to plasma glutamine. We tested the hypothesis that glutamine preserves muscle function after SCI and that this is associated with increased heat shock protein and reduced inflammatory factors, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα). Changes in plantarflexor force, fatigability and total myofibrillar, Hsp70, Hsp25, IL-6 and TNFα muscle protein levels were measured 7 days after sham or spinal cord transection surgery in mice receiving daily placebo or glutamine. Compared with placebo, after SCI glutamine significantly attenuated the reductions in maximal isometric force (0.22 ± 0.01 versus 0.31 ± 0.03 N, respectively) and fatigue resistance (34 ± 4 versus 59 ± 4% of initial force, respectively). Glutamine significantly ameliorated the loss of myofibrillar protein with spinal cord transection. Spinal cord transection was associated with decreased Hsp70 and Hsp25 with glutamine only (45 ± 3 and 44 ± 5% of placebo, respectively). Glutamine significantly reduced spinal cord transection-associated increases in IL-6 and TNFα compared with placebo (38 ± 6 and 37 ± 8% of placebo, respectively). Functionally, early reductions in contractile protein, force and fatigue resistance after SCI were reversed with glutamine. Spinal cord transection-associated reductions in Hsp70, Hsp25, IL-6 and TNFα with glutamine versus placebo suggest lower stress in the muscle, possibly related to a reduced need to produce glutamine. These findings support glutamine as a therapeutic intervention to accelerate recovery of muscle function after SCI.
Spectroscopic determination of the bandgap crossover composition in MBE-grown AlxGa1?xAs

The aluminum concentration dependence of the energies of the direct and indirect bandgaps arising from the Γ and X conduction bands are measured at 1.7 K in the semiconductor alloy AlxGa1−xAs. The composition at which the bands cross is determined from photoluminescence of samples grown by molecular-beam epitaxy very close to crossover at x ≈ 0.4. The use of resonant laser excitation and the improved sample linewidth allows excitation intensities as low as 10−2 W/cm2, giving a precise determination of the bound exciton transition energies and their Γ and X crossover. Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy is then used to measure the binding energies of the donor-bound excitons and the Γ free exciton binding energy. After correcting for the Γ- and X-dependence of these quantities, the crossover of the bandgap is determined to be at x = 0.401 and E = 2.086 eV.
Hysteresis and Reversible Cold Inactivation of Maize Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase

Maize (Zea mays L.) leaf phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (PEPCase) (EC 4.1.1.31) showed a lag in activity when assayed after storage at 0-4 °C. The lag was promoted by high pH on storage (7.8 -8.5) and was observed over a range of assay pH (7.1 -8.5). Thermal reacti­vation of the cold-stored enzyme by assay temperature (18 °C) accounted for most of the hysteretic effect, but presence of PEP in the reaction mixture was required to completely eliminate the lag. Based on steady-state rates after the lag, stability of PEPCase in the cold was inde­pendent of protein concentration . It is suggested that low temperature and high pH induce a change in the oligomerization state of PEPCase, resulting in a less active but relatively stable form of the enzyme. The lag probably reflects a reversal of this process, promoted by assay temperature and presence of PEP.
CA2+ STIMULATES THE MG2+-ATPASE ACTIVITY OF BRUSH BORDER MYOSIN I WITH THREE OR FOUR CALMODULIN LIGHT CHAINS BUT INHIBITS WITH LESS THAN TWO BOUND

Brush border myosin I from chicken intestinal microvilli is a membrane-associated, single-headed myosin composed of a 119-kDa heavy chain and several calmodulin light chains. We first describe in detail a new procedure for the rapid purification of brush border myosin I in greater than 99% purity with a yield of 40%, significantly higher than for previous methods. The subunit stoichiometry was determined to be 4 calmodulin light chains/myosin I heavy chain by amino acid compositional analysis of the separated subunits. We have studied the effects of Ca2+ and temperature on dissociation of calmodulin from myosin I and on myosin I Mg2(+)-ATPase and contractile activities. At 30 degrees C the actin-activable ATPase activity is stimulated 2-fold at 10-700 microM Ca2+. Dissociation of 1 calmodulin occurs at 25-50 microM Ca2+, but this has no effect on actin activation. The contractile activity of myosin I, expressed as superprecipitation, is greatly enhanced by Ca2+ under conditions in which 1 calmodulin is dissociated. This calmodulin is thus not essential for actin activation or superprecipitation. Myosin I was found to be highly temperature-sensitive, with an increase to 37 degrees C resulting in dissociation of 1 calmodulin at below 10(-7) M Ca2+ and an additional 1.5 calmodulins at 1-10 microM Ca2+. A complete loss of actin activation accompanies the Ca2(+)-induced calmodulin dissociation at 37 degrees C. Our conclusion is that physiological levels of Ca2+ can either stimulate or inhibit the mechanoenzyme activities of brush border myosin I in vitro, with the mode of regulation determined by the number of associated calmodulin light chains.
Is Twitter a forum for disseminating research to health policy makers

Findings from scientific research largely remain inside the scientific community. Research scientists are being encouraged to use social media, and especially Twitter, for dissemination of evidence. The potential for Twitter to narrow the gap on evidence translated into policy presents new opportunities. We explored the innovative question of the feasibility of Twitter as a tool for the scientific community to disseminate to and engage with health policy makers for research impact. We created a list of federal "health policy makers." In December 2014, we identified members using several data sources, then collected and summarized their Twitter usage data. Nearly all health policy makers had Twitter accounts. Their communication volume varied broadly. Policy makers are more likely to push information via Twitter than engage with constituents, although usage varied broadly. Twitter has the potential to aid the scientific community in dissemination of health-related research to health policy makers, after understanding how to effectively (and selectively) use Twitter.
Functions of the MRE11 complex in the development and maintenance of oocytes

The MRE11 complex (MRE11, RAD50, and NBS1) is a central component of the DNA damage response, governing both double-strand break repair and DNA damage response signaling. To determine the functions of the MRE11 complex in the development and maintenance of oocytes, we analyzed ovarian phenotypes of mice harboring the hypomorphic Mre11 (ATLD1) allele. Mre11 (ATLD1/ATLD1) females exhibited premature oocyte elimination attributable to defects in homologous chromosome pairing and double-strand break repair during meiotic prophase. Other aspects of meiotic progression, including attachment of telomeres to the nuclear envelope and recruitment of RAD21L, a component of the meiotic cohesin complex to the synaptonemal complex, were normal. Unlike Dmc1 (-/-) and Trp13 (Gt/Gt) mice which exhibit comparable defects in double-strand break repair and oocyte depletion by 5 days post-partum, we found that oocyte attrition occurred by 12 weeks in Mre11 (ATLD1/ATLD1) . Disruption of the oocyte checkpoint pathway governed by Chk2 gene further enhanced the survival of Mre11 (ATLD1/ATLD1) follicles. Together our data suggest that the MRE11 complex influences the elimination of oocytes with unrepaired meiotic double-strand breaks post-natally, in addition to its previously described role in double-strand break repair and homologous synapsis during female meiosis.
Defense Pacts: A Prescription for Peace?

Do military alliances lead to peace or to war? Research has suggested that defensive alliances to potential targets deter dispute initiation (Leeds 2003b:427). This would seem to suggest that forming defensive alliances is a good policy prescription for those seeking to encourage peace. Yet, some argue that even if defense pacts have a deterrence effect, defense pacts may also have other effects that increase militarized conflict in the international system. Specifically, defense pacts may encourage member states to initiate and/or escalate disputes. In an analysis covering the period from 1816 to 2000, we evaluate these three potential effects of defense pacts—deterrence, initiation, and escalation. We find support for the hypothesis that defensive alliances deter the initiation of disputes but no evidence in support of the claims that states with defensive allies are more likely to initiate disputes in the international system or that targets with allies are more likely to respond to dispute initiation with further militarization. We conclude that defensive alliances lower the probability of international conflict and are thus a good policy option for states seeking to maintain peace in the world.
In Vivo Markers of Oxidative Stress and Therapeutic Interventions

Over the last decade, significant data has accumulated to suggest that biomarkers of oxidative stress accurately reflect the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, the extent of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cardiovascular outcomes. This cumulative evidence has supported the approval of several of these biomarkers for clinical applications. For example, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) mass assays are now available to assist clinicians in determining overall cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic patients thought to be at increased risk or in patients with cardiovascular symptoms. However, it is not yet firmly established whether and to what extent these oxidative biomarkers reflect changes in response to therapeutic interventions. This article reviews the latest data on MPO, isoprostanes, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, oxidized phospholipids, and Lp-PLA2 biomarker assays, and it assesses their role in reflecting therapeutic interventions to treat CVD.
"Acting Out the Oedipal Wish": Father-Daughter Incest and the Sexuality of Adolescent Girls in the United States, 1941-1965

The impact of Freudian psychoanalysis on the interpretation of father-daughter incest in courts of law, the social sciences and child-serving agencies during the postwar period was not, as has commonly been assumed, to uniformly silence discussion and prosecution. In fact, psychoanalysts themselves began to pursue case histories of incest between fathers and adolescent daughters in the 1940s. These case histories - couched as examinations of female adolescent Oedipal behavior - reinforced ideas about paternal power by focusing on girls' psychological need for paternal sexual attention. Court cases from Cook County, Illinois, dating from the same period reveal that judges often believed girls' claims of incest, even when contradicted by testimony from adult members of the family. While psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic social workers diminished and even dismissed the idea that father-daughter incest was damaging to adolescent girls, and concentrated instead on the importance of Oedipal desire, lawyers and judges viewed father-daughter incest as a particularly heinous crime. That psychoanalytic social workers and the legal community were so at odds with one another suggests that postwar society was conflicted about father-daughter incest, rather than uniformly invested in denial as a way to shore up paternal power and the ideological parameters of familialism.
Quantitative nondestructive evaluation

Abstract Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) provides techniques to assess deterioration of a material or a structure, and to detect and characterize discrete flaws. It plays, therefore, an important role in the prevention of failure. QNDE techniques are used in processing, manufacturing and for in-service inspection. QNDE is particularly important for the in-service inspection of high-cost and critical load-bearing structures whose failure could have tragic consequences. In this paper, we briefly review the most important techniques, and then we focus the discussion on quantitative ultrasonics, particularly for crack detection and for the determination of elastic constants. The important role of measurement models is emphasized. New techniques in quantitative ultrasonics are discussed, including laser-based ultrasonics and acoustic microscopy. The possible applications of neural networks are indicated. Attention is also devoted to the probability of detection concept and its relation to probabilistic fatigue methods and fatigue reliability.
Response Surface Modeling for the Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Green Peppers (Capsicum annuum) by Ozone Gas Treatment

ABSTRACT: : The effects of ozone gas concentration (2 to 8 mg/l), relative humidity (RH) (60 to 90%), and treatment time (10 to 40 min) on inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on green peppers were studied using response surface methodology. A 3-factor Box-Behnken experimental plan was designed and microbial log reduction was measured as a response. The statistical analysis of developed predictive model suggested that ozone gas concentration, RH, and treatment time all significantly (P < 0.01) increased the rate of log reduction of E. coli O157:H7. Among the 3 factors, the effect of ozone gas concentration on bacterial inactivation was the greatest, while the effect of RH was the least. The interaction between ozone gas concentration and RH exhibited a significant and synergistic effect (P < 0.05).
Functionally substituted derivatives of (η5-cyclopentadienyl)triisopropoxytitanium and (η5-cyclopentadienyl)trichlorotitanium

Abstract A series of new functionally substituted (η5-cyclopentadienyl)titanium trichlorides and triisopropoxides are described. (η5-Pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl)- (1)- and (η5-diphenylphosphinylcyclopentadienyl)titanium triisopropoxide (2) have been obtained in good yield from reactions of (C5Ph5)Na and (C5H4PPh2)Li, respectively, with chlorotitanium triisopropoxide. Treatment of 1 with hydrogen chloride in refluxing toluene forms (η5-pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl)titanium trichloride (6) in quantitative yield. (η5-N,N-Dimethylaminocyclopentadienyl)titanium trichloride is produced in 54% yield from a reaction between equimolar amounts of (C5H4NMe2)Li and titanium tetrachloride in pentane solution. A reaction between titanium tetrachloride and carbomethoxytrimethylsilycyclopentadiene, formed from (C5H4CO2Me)Na and C1SiMe3, products (η5-carbomethoxycyclopentadienyl)titanium trichloride in 78% yield.
Population structure and survival in a solitary wasp (Microbembex cubana: Hymenoptera, Sphecidae, Nyssoninae).

This paper documents population structure in a solitary wasp, Microbembex cubana (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae, Nyssoninae), on a small (15 km2) Bahamian island. A relatively isolated portion of this population was studied April–June 1985. The population comprised small aggregations of territorial males and nesting females. Individuals of both sexes were with rare exceptions faithful to a “home” aggregation during their one- to two-month adult lifespans, conducting all reproductive activities there. Individuals from different aggregations, however, mixed daily during these activities: feeding on nectar, hunting for provisions and retiring to clustered sleeping burrows. Significant variation occurred among the nine breeding aggregations in size, density, sex-ratio (which was on average 2:1 in favor of males) and survival (which was 0.93–0.99 per individual/per day and which was not higher for females than for males). Aggregations retained the same characteristics for longer than the life expectancies of individuals in them. Factors affecting reproductive success and survivorship in M. cubana are complex: they are apparently only partially overlapping between males and females and subject to spatial variation. Patterns in the data suggest several hypotheses about how behavior, morphology and habitat interact to shape population processes. I propose that aggregations arise and are characterized by considerable behavioral inertia because individual M. cubana use conspecifics as sources of information on resource quality. Because M. cubana occurs in secondary habitats, individuals retain flexibility in responding to better opportunities for reproduction, but this population exhibits more viscosity than reported for other ground-nesting solitary Hymenoptera.
Teaching LD Students Critical Reading Skills: A Systematic Replication.

Two approaches to teaching elementary-level LD students three critical reading skills were contrasted. Students were randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: (a) direct instruction and (b) discussion/workbook. The former featured training in using specific rules and strategies to detect instances of faulty arguments whereas subjects in the latter group were taught via a discussion/workbook approach, encouraging student involvement through discussions on how to use critical reading skills. Both treatment groups received 40-minute lessons for 12 consecutive school days. Three dependent measures designed to assess students' knowledge of the three critical reading skills were administered. Subjects in the direct instruction group were found to significantly outperform their counterparts in the discussion/workbook group on each measure. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for development of effective practices for teaching comprehension.
Commercial support for CME courses sponsored by medical schools

Potential benefits and problems associated with commercial support of CME courses are often discussed. To put the discussion in a more concrete context, the extent of commercial funding for medical-school-based CME courses is examined along with the frequency of various uses of commercial support and the prevalence of some procedural policies regarding support. In 1988, 58 medical schools with membership in the Society of Medical College Directors of Continuing Medical Education responded to a survey inquiring about commercial support for CME courses. The results found that medical schools vary widely in the commercial support received. Overall, almost half of CME courses receive some commercial support. Most courses with commercial support would have been held without it. Compared to medical schools with larger CME programs, medical schools with smaller numbers of courses were more likely to have commercial support represent a larger portion of their CME revenue. The most frequent uses for commercial dollars are a general grant to a course and payment of speakers' honoraria and travel expenses. Procedural policies for handling support vary considerably. The results indicate that commercial support is a sizable secondary source of CME revenue which warrants monitoring and study. Screening for potentially inappropriate commercial influence in CME programs could focus on institutions with a high percentage of revenue from commercial sources and on CME programs with large amounts of support going to items not directly associated with the educational effort. Research efforts could be directed toward better understanding the extent of bias in the most frequent situation: a course with limited commercial support paying for a speaker's honorarium and travel.
Medial Axis Transformation of a Planar Shape

The medial axis transformation is a means first proposed by Blum to describe a shape. In this paper we present a 0(n log n) algorithm for computing the medial axis of a planar shape represented by an n-edge simple polygon. The algorithm is an improvement over most previously known results interms of both efficiency and exactness and has been implemented in Fortran. Some computer-plotted output of the program are also shown in the paper.
Lung reduction as bridge to lung transplantation in pulmonary emphysema

We present a case of bridging to lung transplantation by means of laser ablation of emphysematous bullae in a lung transplant candidate. The patient underwent successful left single-lung transplantation 17 months after lung reduction. He is now well 3 months after transplantation.
Solution Structure of a Nonpolar, Non-Hydrogen-Bonded Base Pair Surrogate in DNA

We describe the structure in aqueous solution of a DNA duplex containing a base pair that is structurally analogous to A−T but which lacks hydrogen bonds. Base analogues F (a nonpolar isostere of thymine) and Z (a nonpolar isostere of adenine) are paired opposite one another in a 12 base pair duplex. The sequence context is the binding site of recently studied transcription factor hSRY. The Z−F pair has been shown to be replicated surprisingly well and selectively by DNA polymerase enzymes, considering that it is destabilizing and lacks Watson−Crick hydrogen bonds. The enzymatic studies led to the suggestion that part of the functional activity arises because the pair resembles a natural one in geometry. The present results show that, despite the absence of Watson−Crick hydrogen bonds, the Z−F pair structurally resembles an A−T pair in the same context. This lends support to the proposal that shape matching is an important component in replication, and suggests the general utility of using Z−F as a nonpol...
Egocentrism in Elementary School Children: Validity and Application of Assessment Techniques:

Scores on a newly constructed measure of social egocentrism were correlated with those on measures of spatial egocentricity and communicative egocentricity and with two measures of school-related behaviors, popularity with peers and academic achievement, for 12 boys and 12 girls at each grade/age. At the kindergarten level, visual-motor skills and auditory skills correlated significantly with social egocentricity, .43 (p < .01), and .49 (P < .01), respectively. Correlations of academic achievement and egocentricity at Grades 2, 4, and 6 were all low and non-significant. Similarly, all correlations between egocentricity and popularity were low with only one correlation of .18 for communicative egocentrism and popularity being significant. The three measures of egocentricity intercorrelated moderately, the highest between spatial and communicative egocentrism (r = .45, p < .01).
An Attempt to Adapt Superacid Chemistry for “Living” Carbenium Ion Polymerizations

Abstract The discovery that carbocations can be stabilized in super acid media, e.g., SbF5-SO2, etc., raises the possibility of “living” carbenium ion polymerization. Polymerization experiments with isobutylene and styrene carried out at high acid concentrations and in the virtual absence of nucleophile, i.e., under conditions conducive for living polymerization, failed to indicate a linear conversion vs molecular weight relationship and/or block copolymer formation. Additional model experiments with 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene substantiate our conclusions that “living” carbocation polymerizations are unlikely to be produced by superacid chemistry.
Wavelength-Dependent Photolysis of Methylglyoxal in the 290−440 nm Region

Photodissociation of methylglyoxal (CH3COCHO; MGLY) in the 290−440 nm region has been investigated at 10 nm intervals by using dye laser photolysis in combination with cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Absorption cross sections of methylglyoxal were obtained at each wavelength studied. The HCO radical was a photodecomposition product. The formation yield of HCO, determined by monitoring its absorption at 613.8 nm, decreased with increasing MGLY pressure in the 1−10 Torr range. The HCO yields (extrapolated to zero MGLY pressure) were unity in the 320−360 nm region, consistent with the photodissociation mechanism CH3COCHO + hν → CH3CO + HCO (P1). The HCO yields decreased at both the shorter (290−310 nm) and the longer (370−440 nm) wavelength end. The dependence of the HCO yields on nitrogen buffer gas pressure was also examined. The HCO radical yields were independent of nitrogen pressure (10−400 Torr) between 290 and 370 nm, but decreased with increasing nitrogen pressure in the 380−440 nm region. The coeffic...
Synthesis and Characterization of Group 4 Amidinate Amide Complexes M[CyNC(Me)NCy]2(NR2)2 (R = Me, M = Ti, Zr, Hf; R = Et, M = Zr)

Amidinate amide complexes M[CyNC(Me)NCy]2(NR2)2 (M = Ti, R = Me (1); M = Zr, R = Me (2), R = Et, (3); M = Hf, R = Me (4); Cy = cyclohexyl) have been prepared, and their crystal structures show dist...
Ornithine decarboxylase and polyamines in developing rat brain and heart: Effects of perinatal hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism induced by perinatal administration of propylthiouracil (PTU) had profound effects on growth of the heart, with major organ weight deficits persisting well beyond the termination of drug treatment. These effects were preceded by disruption of the developmental patterns of cardiac ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and the polyamines, which are thought to be intracellular modulators of cellular maturation. Activity of cardiac ODC was depressed in the PTU-treated group and putrescine and spermidine levels were markedly subnormal. PTU administration also affected brain growth, but much less so than in the heart. The disruption of the brain ODC/polyamine system was also less pronounced, with relatively small degrees of spermidine depletion and a slight elevation of ODC. For both tissues, the biochemical effects of perinatal hypothyroidism were opposite to those found previously for administration of exogenous thyroid hormones. These results support the views that:
Brief counselling: A user's guide for traditionally trained counsellors

This article presents a model of brief counselling applicable to individual counselling in a variety of settings. Therapeutic and theoretical orientations and counselling procedures provided are intended to compliment the practitioners preferred style of counselling.
Generation of a nested series of interstitial deletions in yeast artificial chromosomes carrying human DNA

We have generated a nested series of interstitial deletions in a fragment of human X chromosome-derived DNA cloned into a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) vector. A yeast strain carrying the YAC was transformed with a linear recombination substrate containing at one end a sequence that is uniquely represented on the YAC and at the other end a truncated long interspersed repetitive element (LINE 1, or L1). Homologous recombination between the YAC and the input DNA resulted in a nested series of interstitial deletions, the largest of which was 500 kilobases. In combination with terminal deletions that can be generated through homologous recombination, the interstitial deletions are useful for mapping and studying gene structure-function relationships.
Total joint arthroplasty: trends in medicare reimbursement and implant prices.

Abstract Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) continues to be a popular target of cost control efforts. In order to provide a unique overview of financial trends facing TJA, we analyzed Medicare databases including 100% of beneficiaries, as well as industry surveys of implant list prices. Although there was a substantial increase in TJA utilization over the period 2000–2011 (+26.9%), growth has been stagnant since 2005. New coding schemes have made complicated cases more lucrative for hospitals (+2.5% to 6.5% per year), while reimbursements for uncomplicated cases have fallen (−0.7% to −0.6%). Physician reimbursements have declined on all case types (−2.5% to −2.1% per year), while list prices of orthopedic implants have risen (+4.8% to 5.5%). These trends should be kept in mind while contemplating future changes to TJA payment.