cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Dating Behavior: The Role of Ambivalent Sexism

This research investigates whether ambivalent sexism impacts individuals’ perceptions of what is appropriate and valued dating behavior, as these perceptions may contribute to the perpetuation of traditional dating scripts. Two hundred seventeen undergraduate students from the Midwestern United States read a gender-stereotypic, gender-counter stereotypic, or egalitarian heterosexual dating vignette. Participants made judgments of appropriateness, warmth, and competence separately for the man and woman on the date. Overall, gender stereotypic dates were evaluated most positively, consistent with previous work suggesting that dating behaviors remain gendered. Evidence of the restrictive nature of the masculine gender role was obtained. Men in egalitarian and counter-stereotypic dating scenarios were evaluated negatively in terms of warmth, competence, and appropriateness, thus potentially experiencing backlash effects. Indeed, the man in the gender counter-stereotypic condition was rated as less competent, warm, and appropriate than the women, but the man in the gender stereotypic condition was rated as more competent, warm, and appropriate than the woman. Consistent with predictions, those high in ambivalent sexism had more negative reactions to gender counter-stereotypic dating scenarios than those low in ambivalent sexism. However, ambivalent sexism did not predict different reactions towards gender stereotypic and egalitarian dating scenarios, and egalitarian dates were rated as most typical regardless of participants’ ambivalent sexism. Thus, greater acceptance of gender counter-stereotypic dates was observed among those low in ambivalent sexism, and even those high in ambivalent sexism were accepting of egalitarian dating practices.
Hydrometeorological Response of the Modeled North American Monsoon to Convective Parameterization

This paper describes the second part of a study to document the sensitivity of the modeled regional moisture flux patterns and hydrometeorological response of the North American monsoon system (NAMS) to convective parameterization. Use of the convective parameterization schemes of Betts‐Miller‐Janjic, Kain‐Fritsch, and Grell was investigated during the initial phase of the 1999 NAMS using version 3.4 of the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University‐National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU‐NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) running in a pseudoclimate mode. Substantial differences in both the stationary and transient components of the moisture flux fields were found between the simulations, resulting in differences in moisture convergence patterns, precipitation, and surface evapotranspiration. Basin-average calculations of hydrologic variables indicate that, in most of the basins for which calculations were made, the magnitude of the evaporation-minus-precipitation moisture source/sink differs substantially between simulations and, in some cases, even the sign of the source/ sink changed. There are substantial differences in rainfall‐runoff processes because the basin-average rainfall intensities, proportion of rainfall from convective origin, and the runoff coefficients differ between simulations. The results indicate that, in regions of sustained, deep convection, the selection of the subgrid convective parameterization in a high-resolution atmospheric model can potentially have a hydrometeorological impact in regional analyses, which is at least as important as the effect of land surface forcing.
In an Infant with Previously Undiagnosed Hemophilia A: Treatment and Peri-operative Considerations

We report a 3-month-old infant who became paraplegic from an epidural hematoma caused by a diagnostic lumbar puncture for work-up of sepsis. The differential diagnosis of the cause of paraplegia was epidural hematoma formation versus spinal abscess. Hemophilia A was diagnosed when coagulation studies were discovered to be abnormal, and non-contrast CT scan revealed an epidural mass with spinal cord displacement. The coagulopathy was rapidly corrected preoperatively with an infusion of cryoprecipitate. A medially limited bilateral T8-L4 laminectomy allowed complete evacuation of the hematoma with maximum preservation of normal bone tissue, but no clinical improvement resulted.Coagulopathy should be highly suspect in an infant who becomes paraplegic after lumbar puncture. The coagulopathy may be rapidly corrected with deficient factor replacement, allowing major spinal surgery to be performed safely.
Heliospheric shocks and catastrophe theory

Various configurations of forward and reverse shocks that occur in the outer heliosphere can be classified using catastrophe theory. The existence of a forward shock is associated with a local maximum of a polynomial, and the existence of a reverse shock is associated with a local minimum of a polynomial. A configuration with N forward shocks and N reverse shocks corresponds to a polynomial with N maxima and N minima. The formation of forward and reverse shocks corresponds to the creation of maxima and minima of a polynomial, which is described by the separatrices of the catastrophes. The coalescence of two forward (reverse) shocks corresponds to the situation when two maxima (minima) of a polynomial have equal values, and the interaction of a forward shock with a reverse shock corresponds to a polynomial with a local maximum equal to a local minimum; these situations are described by the Maxwell sets of the appropriate catastrophes.
“Spreading” Properties and Mucolytic Activity of Leech Extracts

Summary and Conclusions1. Leech extracts contain a powerful mucolytic enzyme, as shown by its effect on the viscosity of chicken tumor I extracts. 2. Leech head extracts exhibit a mucolytic activity considerably greater than that of similar extracts obtained from the rest of the leech body. A comparable quantitative relationship is found to exist between head and body extracts when tested for another property, e. g., their power to spread in the rabbit skin.3. The parallelism in the strength of various extracts, as regards both mucolytic activity and spreading power, supports the view that the “mucinase” and the leech spreading factor may be identical.4. A mucoprotein has been prepared from normal rabbit skin. 5. The viscosity of a skin mucoprotein solution is rapidly and considerably reduced by the action of leech extracts. 6. The effect of leech extracts on the skin mucoprotein in vitro suggests that their ability to spread through the skin may be due, at least in part, to their power to cause hydrolysi...
From the blade scale to the reach scale: A characterization of aquatic vegetative drag

Abstract Previous studies have considered vegetative drag at different scales, the blade scale, the patch scale, and the reach scale, but few studies have considered the connection between these scales. In this paper, we develop simple, physically-based models that connect processes affecting the drag generated by aquatic vegetation at the blade and patch scale to the hydraulic resistance produced by vegetation at the reach scale. For fully developed flows through submerged patches of vegetation, velocities can be successfully predicted using a two-layer model in which momentum transfer from the unobstructed flow to the vegetation patch is characterized using a constant friction factor. To account for vegetation flexibility in this two-layer model, we develop an iterative procedure that calculates the reduction in plant height and drag for a given flow speed based on the plant material properties, and feeds this information back into the momentum balance. This simple iteration accurately predicts vegetation heights and velocities for submerged flexible vegetation. Finally, we consider the effect of varying vegetation distribution patterns by extending the two-layer model to account for more complex channel and patch geometries. The total hydraulic resistance produced by vegetation depends primarily on the blockage factor, i.e. the fraction of the channel cross-section blocked by vegetation. For a constant blockage factor, the specific distribution of vegetation can also play a role, with a large number of small patches generating more resistance than a single large patch. By considering models with different levels of complexity, we offer suggestions for what field measurements are needed to advance the prediction of channel resistance.
Financing Imperialism: British and American Bankers as Vectors of Imperial Expansion in China, 1908–1920

Few would deny that British and American bankers played a large and often controversial role in the western imperialism that reached its zenith in China during the early years of the twentieth century. China had always seemed to be a country where large investments would bring handsome returns; many individuals hoped to take advantage of the situation; and capital invested there did indeed have far-reaching, unforeseen ramifications. Among the many contentious issues in the bankers' story, however, is the question of intent and motivation. Reduced to its simplest terms, did the bankers seek to manipulate national policy in an unbridled quest for profit? Or were they the willing, even altruistic agents of governments bent upon imperial ventures? Professor Davis assesses this question from the western perspective. Having based his research on financial, diplomatic, and personal records, he suggests that the objectives and activities of the bankers, vis-a-vis govenment policymakers, were far more shifting and complex than has been generally perceived.
Editorial Commentary: Antifungal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Progress: Getting It Right the First Time

As the populations of at-risk immunocompromised patients increases, the incidence of invasive mycosis has risen in parallel. Despite recent advances in antifungal pharmacology, the successful management of invasive fungal infections continues to pose a difficult challenge to clinicians. Numerous factors determine the outcome of these infections, including host immune status; pathogen-associated variables, including drug susceptibility; location of the infection; timing of the diagnosis relative to the initiation of antifungal therapy; and effective administration of the appropriate dose of the most potent and safest antifungal drug. The choices of antifungal drug and dosing regimen are among the few factors that the clinician can control. However, even if treatment with the appropriate drug and regimen is initiated, drug exposure at the site of infection may be inadequate because of pharmacokinetic variability and may contribute to treatment failure. Conversely, antifungal exposures may exceed anticipated concentrations and result in toxicity. The blood concentration of many antifungal drugs varies markedly because of inconsistent absorption, metabolism, elimination, or interaction with concomitant medications. Studies have demonstrated that an understanding of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of these drugs plays an important role in optimizing drug choice and dosing regimen design. One tool for detecting drug exposures outside of the therapeutic window is monitoring the drug concentration in blood [1]. The usefulness of this tool in informing drug choice and dosing decisions is being increasingly explored. Several factors must be considered in determining whether therapeutic drug monitoring is appropriate for patient management. First, an accurate and cost-effective assay for measuring blood concentrations of the drug must be readily available to the clinician. Second,
Estimating expected shortfall with stochastic kriging

We present an efficient two-level simulation procedure which uses stochastic kriging, a metamodeling technique, to estimate expected shortfall, a portfolio risk measure. The outer level simulates financial scenarios and the inner level of simulation estimates the portfolio value given a scenario. Spatial metamodeling enables inference about portfolio values in a scenario based on inner-level simulation of nearby scenarios, reducing the required computational effort. Because expected shortfall involves the scenarios that entail the largest losses, our procedure adaptively allocates more computational effort to inner-level simulation of those scenarios, which also improves computational efficiency.
Using a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut: Why FATCA Will Not Stand

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) became law in 2010 and is an important development in combatting income tax evasion. Under FATCA, American individual and corporate taxpayers must provide comprehensive information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding foreign bank accounts. In addition, a more controversial part of FATCA requires foreign banks to report directly to the IRS certain information about financial accounts held by American taxpayers.These drastic changes in American tax policy are alarming to the international financial community. International banks are forced to implement expensive compliance programs to satisfy the information reporting requirements. An increasing number of foreign financial institutions will no longer want any involvement with American citizens or investments. Furthermore, Americans living abroad might be forced to denounce their American citizenship in order to gain access to insurance and basic banking options.In response to the unilateral imposition of FATCA, foreign governments and banks may lobby for its repeal. This Comment examines factors in the global movement to repeal FATCA and suggests several workable solutions that would be agreeable to the United States and foreign nations. Specifically, this Comment suggests how investment income withholding and increased IRS enforcement actions are a better solution to prevent income tax evasion.
On the Nature of the Faint Compact Narrow Emission-Line Galaxies: The Half-Light Radius-Velocity Width Diagram

We present new measurements of emission-line velocity widths for five faint compact narrow emission-line galaxies (CNELGs) with 20.5 #B #21.5 and redshifts z10.19 to 0.35. The spectra were taken at the Keck telescope using the HIRES spectrograph with a resolution of 8 km s 21 (FWHM). Emission-line profiles are roughly Gaussian with velocity widths s130 to 50 km s 21 . The new sdata, in combination withHubble Space Telescope(HST) measurements of half-light radiiRe, indicate that these CNELGs are low-mass stellar systems (i.e.,M110 9 MJ),whiletheirunusuallylowmass-to-lightratios(typically ,0.2MJ/LJ)areconsistentwithbeing undergoing a major burst of star formation. SinceRe and sare roughly independent of the fading of the stellar population, theRe‐sdiagram is particularly useful for comparing the properties of these young galaxies to those of evolved stellar systems. Several physical processes that may modify the position of CNELGs in this diagram during their evolution, including dissipation, mergers, stripping, and winds, are discussed briefly. We conclude that the new data support a simple evolutionary scenario in which these low-mass, young galaxies will fade after the starburst, without major changes inRe or s, to become today’s spheroidal galaxies. Subject headings: cosmology: observations—galaxies: compact—galaxies: evolution—galaxies: formation— galaxies: fundamental parameters
Thermospheric densities derived from spacecraft orbits: Accurate processing of two-line element sets

[1] This paper presents a new, fast, and accurate method for retrieving the total mass density of the upper atmosphere from routinely compiled trajectories of objects in low Earth orbit. Comparison to density values from state-of-the-art precision orbit determination calculations on routine tracking observations shows our results to be of comparable accuracy at vastly lower computational and administrative costs, a result both unprecedented and unforeseen. This means that the difficulty of obtaining raw observational data and precision orbit determination software is no longer an obstacle to the scientific analysis of orbits. The accessibility of orbital elements and the speed and accuracy of the new method enable the use of a vast and growing archive of global data for analysis of thermospheric evolution and responses to solar, and possibly geomagnetic, forcing. The new procedure defines precisely the effective density values that may be extracted from orbit data; these values are explicitly independent of any atmospheric model. The discussion also contrasts the new approach with past analytic methods and with standard precision orbit techniques.
Demo abstract, the next big one: Detecting earthquakes and other rare events from community-based sensors

Can cell phones be used to detect earthquakes? The Community Seismic Network (CSN) is building a dense sensor network from inexpensive and community owned sensors, such as cell phones and USB accelerometers. Detecting rare events such as earthquakes is a difficult sensing problem, and is compounded by the wide variations among sensors in a heterogeneous community network. We demonstrate an end-to-end system using Android cell phones and a cloud fusion center that allows participants to create “mock earthquakes”. Upon detecting such an event, the cloud fusion center issues real-time alerts to the phones. A map-based interface to the fusion center is projected nearby, displaying the information reported by the phones.
Macapagal, the Sabah Claim and Maphilindo: The politics of penetration

(1983). Macapagal, the Sabah Claim and Maphilindo: The politics of penetration. Journal of Contemporary Asia: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 210-228.
Natural language querying (session overview)

The interface between a user and a software system should match the needs and background of the user. Many query languages are built to aid clerks and managers in the performance of their jobs. Therefore, a good query language would require no low level programming skills of its users. Usually very high level nonprocedural languages are used because they eliminate low level artifacts such as loops. An appealing high level language would be the user's natural language. Natural language should require no training or refresher courses for successful use.Unfortunately, natural language interfaces have their own problems. Ambiguity is a major problem and can arise in a variety of ways. Ambiguous modifiers (e.g., “List the growers of orange trees.”) and ambiguous pronoun references (“Who was Doug Flutie's high school coach? Also, what are his statistics?”) are just two examples. A casual user of the system may also assume a shared background with the system. The Doug Flutie query assumes the system knows that Flutie is a football player and that his (or his coach's) statistics refer to football achievement; not academic, physical or other measures. Resolving these and other problems requires an extremely complex and, as yet, unachieved interactive interface.This complexity can be reduced if we settle for something less than unrestricted natural language. One simplification is to restrict the domain of discourse to the specific database being queried. Other possible restrictions would be on the allowable form of a query, vocabulary, pronoun references, etc. Many questions arise about restricted natural language query systems. Some of the possible questions are: How do various types of restrictions affect use of a natural language query system?How can we combine the strengths of restricted natural language, menus and formal language in an integrated query system?How does a restricted natural language query system perform in the “real world” compared to a formal language query system?The three papers in this session address themselves to these questions, respectively.
A Large-Scale Ku-Band Backscatter Model of the East-Antarctic Megadune Fields

The megadune region of East-Antarctica has a unique topology consisting of microrelief features, sastrugi and long, coherent snow dunes. The azimuth modulation signature in this region is characterized by higher backscatter, less modula- tion, and more local maxima than in a nearby non-dune region. We develop a fourth-order best-fit model to describe the azimuth modulation and apply it independently to two disjoint portions of the megadune region. I. INTRODUCTION In this study we consider the ku-band backscatter signa- ture of the East Antarctic megadune fields observed with QuickSCAT. Backscatter signature has been used to investigate many geophysical phenomena and to gain insight into the un- derlying mechanisms that produce it. The megadune region's unique combination of topography and extreme southern po- sition lends itself to a study of this kind. We first present background information about the structure of the megadune fields from geophysical studies and traverses. We then present an azimuth analysis of backscatter data from the megadune region. II. GEOPHYSICAL BACKGROUND Megadunes are periodic snow-pack surface ripples that oc- cupy more than 500,000 km 2 in East-Antarctica. The dominant features of the megadune region are the dunes themselves, with 2-4 m amplitude, 3-5 km period, and up to hundreds of kms in extension, and sastrugi, wind-formed erosional features of meter scale, nestled in the troughs of the dunes. The dunes extend transversely to the katabatic wind direction, while the sastrugi extend along the katabatic wind direction. Further features of the megadune region include large-grained, glazed firn on the leeward faces of the dunes, and what is termed "severe sastrugi" at the base of the windward faces of the dunes (1). This superposition of large-scale continental slope, meso-scale dunes and sastrugi, and small-scale surface features makes this region an interesting subject of study. For this study we consider two separate fields in the megadune region. These regions are superimposed upon the megadune field as described by Fahnestock et al. (2) in Figure 1. The study region near the top of the figure is referred to as the "west" dune field, and the other, which is nearer the bottom of the figure, is referred to as the "east" dune field. For simplicity we bound each field with a four sided polygon. The locations of the vertices of these boundaries are listed in table I. The regions are not continued farther south because visual images show that the dunes there are less coherent. The areas of the study regions are 27,200 km 2 in the west field and 77,700 km 2 in the east field. We also define a "non-dune field" outside the megadune region. which is shown in black in Figure 1.
Optic Disc Hemorrhages in Glaucoma

Optic disc hemorrhages are a significant clinical sign seen in patients with glaucoma and often herald glaucomatous progression. Longitudinal and population-based studies have shown that disc hemorrhages are most commonly seen in glaucoma, particularly normal tension glaucoma patients. The exact pathophysiology of an optic disc hemorrhage is not completely understood, but both mechanical rupture and vascular dysregulation theories have been proposed. Recent studies using spectral domain optic coherence tomography and visual field progression analysis have highlighted that structural and functional loss both precede and follow detection of an optic disc hemorrhage. The relationship between intraocular pressure and disc hemorrhages is not completely understood as some patients with disc hemorrhages may progress independent of intraocular pressure lowering therapy.
Complexio Oppositorum: Hugo Ball and Carl Schmitt*

On November 22, 1923, Emmy Hennings received an ecstatic letter from Hugo Ball, her husband and fellow founder of Zurich Dada, describing his “constant immersion in jurisprudence”: For months, I ha...
Laser-induced Dewetting Nanomorphologies in Single and Bilayer Metal Films

Spatially ordered patterns result under ns laser-induced dewetting of nanoscopic metallic films like Co and Ag on inert substrates like SiO2. In both cases, the observed ordering length scale is due to thin film hydrodynamic instability with spinodal-like character. However, the morphological pathway during dewetting is different for the two metals: occurring through development of bicontinuous structures in the case of Ag and by progression of cellular networks for Co. Dewetting in bilayer structures of Ag and Co on SiO2 show that the morphology evolution is dictated by the thicker of the two films in the bilayer structure. We applied linear stability analysis to predict the length scales in single and bilayer metal film. The experimental observations are in good agreement with theoretical predictions from the analysis. An important result was that the length scales for the bilayer film were significantly smaller than a single layer of the same thickness suggesting that further control of patterning length scales may be achieved through multilayer dewetting.
Elastoplastic BIE analysis of cracked plates and related problems. Part 1: Formulation

The boundary-integral equation formulation for two-dimensional, planar fracture mechanics based on the use of a special Green's function forms the basis of this analytical paper. The Green's function method is extended to problems of anelastic strain distributions (e.g. elastoplasticity, thermal gradients, residual strains) through a volume (area) integral. The role of the elastic Green's function for the crack problem on the distribution of elastoplastic strains is reviewed. Further, new analytical results for elastic stress intensity factor models for the residual strain and thermal gradient problems are presented. Part 2 of this paper outlines the numerical solution strategy and results for several test problems.
Designing a scientific and technical information system: Organizational dimensions and administrative decisions

Abstract A series of interrelated questions are examined regarding the acquisition and utilization of scientific and technical information among public and private organizations concerned with urban affairs. These questions provide a framework for synthesizing current research in organization and administrative theory. The concern for scientific information is not limited to those situations where special technical problems arise or particular technical departments are involved. Rather. it is assumed that sophisticated administration in most complex organizations requires appropriate scientific information. Special emphasis is placed on analyzing those administrative decisions which have the greatest potential for improving the scientific information acquisition and utilization process. For example, organization structure, boundary spanning. task structure, personnel staffing, and information system design are considered. The basic analytical tool is a general systems model which provides a broadened managerial perspective.
How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations.

OBJECTIVES. Project DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is the most widely used school-based drug use prevention program in the United States, but the findings of rigorous evaluations of its effectiveness have not been considered collectively. METHODS. We used meta-analytic techniques to review eight methodologically rigorous DARE evaluations. Weighted effect size means for several short-term outcomes also were compared with means reported for other drug use prevention programs. RESULTS. The DARE effect size for drug use behavior ranged from .00 to .11 across the eight studies; the weighted mean for drug use across studies was .06. For all outcomes considered, the DARE effect size means were substantially smaller than those of programs emphasizing social and general competencies and using interactive teaching strategies. CONCLUSIONS. DARE's short-term effectiveness for reducing or preventing drug use behavior is small and is less than for interactive prevention programs.
From the Front Lines of Welfare Reform: An Analysis of Social Worker and Welfare Recipient Attitudes

Social workers and welfare recipients operate within the same institutional framework and share a working and/or lived knowledge of poverty, but they occupy different social and economic positions. To gain a better understanding of intergroup attitudes, the author compared how social workers and welfare recipients explain poverty and perceive the welfare system. The results highlight important similarities and differences between the two groups. Although the author did not find differences for individualistic attributions, welfare recipients regarded prejudice as playing a greater role in causing poverty than did social workers. Welfare recipients also expressed stronger support for increased welfare funding and progressive welfare policies than did social workers. The author discussed implications for strengthening interclass alliances, particularly the relationship between social service providers and welfare recipients.
Inhibitory kappa B kinase-β is a target for specific nuclear factor kappa B-mediated delayed cardioprotection

Objective Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury remains a vexing problem. Translating experimental strategies that deliver protective agents before the ischemic insult limits clinical applicability. We targeted 2 proteins in the nuclear factor-κB pathway, inhibitory kappa B kinase-β, and 26S cardiac proteasome to determine their cardioprotective effects when delivered during reperfusion. Methods C57BL/6 mice underwent left anterior descending artery occlusion for 30 minutes. An inhibitory kappa B kinase-β inhibitor (Compound A), a proteasome inhibitor (PS-519), or vehicle was administered at left anterior descending artery release or 2 hours afterward. Infarct size was analyzed 24 hours later. Pressure-volume loops were performed at 72 hours. Serum and left ventricular tissue were collected 1 hour after injury to examine protein expression by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. Results Inhibitory kappa B kinase-β and proteasome inhibition significantly attenuated infarct size and preserved ejection fraction compared with the vehicle groups. When delivered even 2 hours after reperfusion, Compound A, but not PS-519, still decreased infarct size in mice. Finally, when delivered at reperfusion, successful inhibition of phosphorylated-p65 and decreased interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels occurred in mice given the inhibitory kappa B kinase-β inhibitor, but not in mice with proteasome inhibition. Conclusion Although inhibitory kappa B kinase-β and proteasome inhibition at reperfusion attenuated infarct size after acute ischemia/reperfusion, only inhibitory kappa B kinase-β inhibition provided cardioprotection through specific suppression of nuclear factor-κB signaling. This feature of highly targeted nuclear factor-κB inhibition might account for its delayed protective effects, providing a clinically relevant option for treating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion associated with unknown periods of ischemia and reperfusion as seen in cardiac surgery and acute coronary syndromes.
Preterm and Term Cervical Ripening in CD1 Mice (Mus musculus): Similar or Divergent Molecular Mechanisms?

Premature cervical ripening is believed to contribute to preterm birth (PTB). Preterm cervical ripening may be due to an aberrant regulation in timing of the same processes that occur at term, or may result from unique molecular mechanisms. Using mouse models of PTB, this study sought to investigate if the molecular mechanisms that govern cervical ripening were similar between preterm and term. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is infused into the uterine horn to create a mouse model of inflammation-induced PTB. For a noninfectious model of PTB, RU486 was administered. Both models result in delivery of pups in 8–24 h. Cervical tissues were collected from these models, as well as throughout gestation. Cervical tissues from E15 (preterm), E15 LPS (preterm inflammation), and E18.5 (term) were used for microarray analysis (n ¼ 18). Additional experiments using gestational time course specimens were performed to confirm microarray results. Specific gene pathways were differentially expressed between the groups. Genes involved in immunity and inflammation were increased in the cervix in inflammation-induced PTB; term labor was not associated with differential expression of immune pathways. Cytokine expression was not increased in cervices during term labor, but was increased in the pospartum period. Epithelial cell differentiation pathway was significantly altered in term, but not preterm, labor. Activation of immune pathways may be sufficient for cervial ripening, but does not appear necessary. Differential expression of the epithelial cell differentiation pathway appears necessary in the process of cervical repair. Our results indicate that the molecular mechanisms governing preterm and term cervical ripening are distinctly different. cervical remodeling, cervical ripeing, cervix, parturition, pregnancy, preterm birth
Intralesional chemotherapy for head and neck carcinoma: A review of the literature

In the last decade chemotherapy has gained widespread acceptance in the treatment of oral and pharyngeal cancer. Current standard treatment for advanced lesions consists of concomitant radiation and chemotherapy. This approach has provided marginal improvement of prognosis for Stage III-IV disease. Recent studies have explored the idea that locally delivered cytotoxic drugs could further improve prognosis in this patient population. We review this literature with the objective of popularizing these data and suggesting future directions for treatment and clinical research for head and neck cancer.
Unlocking the Door to Neuronal Woes in Alzheimer's Disease: Aβ and Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore

Mitochondrial dysfunction occurs early in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid-β peptide has deleterious effects on mitochondrial function and contributes to energy failure, respiratory chain impairment, neuronal apoptosis, and generation of reactive oxygen species in Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms underlying amyloid-β induced mitochondrial stress remain unclear. Emerging evidence indicates that mitochondrial permeability transition pore is important for maintenance of mitochondrial and neuronal function in aging and neurodegenerative disease. Cyclophilin D (Cyp D) plays a central role in opening mitochondrial permeability transition pore, ultimately leading to cell death. Interaction of amyloid-β with cyclophilin D triggers or enhances the formation of mitochondrial permeability transition pores, consequently exacerbating mitochondrial and neuronal dysfunction, as shown by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, impaired mitochondrial respiration function, and increased oxidative stress and cytochrome c release. Blockade of cyclophilin D by genetic abrogation or pharmacologic inhibition protects mitochondria and neurons from amyloid-β induced toxicity, suggesting that cyclophilin D dependent mitochondrial transition pore is a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
From Safety Net To Trampoline: Labor Market Activation in the Netherlands and Denmark

In recent years Denmark and the Netherlands have made dramatic shifts from passive to active labor market policies. Though often portrayed as a necessary response to high levels of structural unemployment, such changes are more than a mere technical adjustment of welfare programs to a changing economic climate. They represent new ideas about the goals of public policy and the social rights of citizenship. This article surveys the politics of labor market policies in the two countries to demonstrate that the recent activation programs reflect a departure from the ideas and goals of the postwar welfare state.
Influence of Cultivar and Environment on Water-Soluble and Water-Insoluble Arabinoxylans in Soft Wheat

ABSTRACT Arabinoxylans are hydrophilic nonstarch polysaccharides found in wheat grain as minor constituents. Arabinoxylans can associate with large amounts of water through hydrogen bonding and can form oxidative gels. These properties are important factors in end-use quality of wheat. The objective of this study was to delineate the influence of wheat cultivar and growing environment on variation in water-soluble (WS-AX), waterinsoluble (WI-AX), and total (TO-AX) arabinoxylan contents of flour and whole grain meal. This study included seven spring and 20 winter soft white wheat cultivars grown in 10 and 12 environments, respectively (each evenly split over two crop years). Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of variance with canonical analysis (MANOVA) was used to evaluate sources of variation. Variation in arabinoxylan contents and absolute amounts (xylose equivalents) among the two cultivar sample sets (spring and winter) was similar, and both cultivar and environment were...
Fast pacing facilitates discontinuous action potential propagation between rabbit atrial cells.

We examined the critical coupling conductance (G C) for propagation at different pacing cycle lengths (CLs) (1,000 and 400 ms). AsG C was progressively reduced, propagation failed at a CL of 1,000 ...
Annotating Inter-Sentence Temporal Relations in Clinical Notes

Owing in part to the surge of interest in temporal relation extraction, a number of datasets manually annotated with temporal relations between event-event pairs and event-time pairs have been produced recently. However, it is not uncommon to find missing annotations in these manually annotated datasets. Many researchers attributed this problem to “annotator fatigue”. While some of these missing relations can be recovered automatically, many of them cannot. Our goals in this paper are to (1) manually annotate certain types of missing links that cannot be automatically recovered in the i2b2 Clinical Temporal Relations Challenge Corpus, one of the recently released evaluation corpora for temporal relation extraction; and (2) empirically determine the usefulness of these additional annotations. We will make our annotations publicly available, in hopes of enabling a more accurate evaluation of temporal relation extraction systems.
Ultra-Low Carbon Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants through Bio-Oil Co-Firing and Biochar Sequestration

This study investigates a novel strategy of reducing carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants through co-firing bio-oil and sequestering biochar in agricultural lands. The heavy end fraction of bio-oil recovered from corn stover fast pyrolysis is blended and co-fired with bituminous coal to form a bio-oil co-firing fuel (BCF). Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per kWh electricity produced vary from 1.02 to 0.26 kg CO2-eq among different cases, with BCF heavy end fractions ranging from 10% to 60%, which corresponds to a GHG emissions reduction of 2.9% to 74.9% compared with that from traditional bituminous coal power plants. We found a heavy end fraction between 34.8% and 37.3% is required to meet the Clean Power Plan's emission regulation for new coal-fired power plants. The minimum electricity selling prices are predicted to increase from 8.8 to 14.9 cents/kWh, with heavy end fractions ranging from 30% to 60%. A minimum carbon price of $67.4 ± 13 per metric ton of CO2-eq was estimated to make BCF power commercially viable for the base case. These results suggest that BCF co-firing is an attractive pathway for clean power generation in existing power plants with a potential for significant reductions in carbon emissions.
Q3D-Wing: Validation of a Modern Lifting-Line Method for Application to Clean and Iced Wings

Though computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on the Navier-Stokes equations are useful in analyzing the aerodynamics of finite wings, they are impractical for studying wings that have ice formed on them because of the enormous number of grid points/cells needed to resolve the ice geometry. In this study, a practical engineering method for computing the aerodynamics of clean and iced wings, referred to as Q3DWing, is presented and evaluated. With this method, two-dimensional (2D) CFD analyses are generated for a number of airfoil sections as a function of angle of attack, and these 2D CFD results are then connected to form the wing by the lifting-line theory to predict 3D clean or iced wings aerodynamics. Q3D-Wing is evaluated by comparing predictions with those from 3D CFD simulations as well as by wings for which there are experimental data for the 2D airfoil sections and 3D wings formed by those 2D airfoil sections. Results obtained show Q3D-Wing to provide good agreement for clean and iced wings.
First Paleogene Caecidae (Gastropoda: Truncatelloidea) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean and the earliest record for the genus Caecum Fleming, 1813

Abstract Minute fossils of the gastropod genus Caecum Fleming, 1813, family Caecidae Gray, 1850, are present in early Eocene rocks of the Crescent Formation and the latest Eocene or earliest Oligocene Gries Ranch Formation in western Washington State. Caecum benhami, new species, and another unidentified species were found in the Crescent Formation, and C. bensoni, new species, was found in the Gries Ranch Formation. These are the first Paleogene records of the family Caecidae from the northeastern Pacific Ocean, and among the few Paleogene records worldwide. The fossils from the Crescent Formation in Washington State are 50 to 55.6 million years in age (Ypresian) and are the earliest known record for the genus Caecum and the subfamily Caecinae Gray, 1850. The Crescent Formation fossils are also as old, or even older, than the previous oldest known record for the family Caecidae from 50 to 52 Ma rocks in New Zealand. These fossils demonstrate that the family Caecidae had diversified into at least two subf...
The incentive effects of malpractice liability rules on dental practice behavior.

Objectives The impact of malpractice liability rules on dental practice behavior was estimated using data from a 1992 nationwide survey of US general dentists. The study examined the premise that malpractice liability rules can affect quality of care and related resource allocation decisions by dentists, but that market features, such as relatively complete and "non-experience rated" malpractice insurance, are likely to weaken the incentive effects of malpractice liability. Methods General practice dentists in the United States were selected randomly, and 3,048 dentists were studied by mail survey. Secondary data on county-level characteristics were used to measure market area factors. Quality-of-care measures were derived from the survey about self-reported practice policies and behavior and participation in continuing education. Legal measures were assembled from state statutes and appellate court decisions. Ordinary least squares was used to assess the relation between legal variables and dependent variables of quality of care, continuing education, and the rate of dental output. Results Hypotheses about the effects of malpractice law on practice quality and participation in continuing education were not supported. The relation between pro-dentist law and output was supported. A number of legal provisions related to differences in practice behavior, but often in ways opposite to the expected direction. Conclusions The direct effects of specific malpractice liability rules on dentist practice behavior often failed to point in the direction predicted by theory and were economically insignificant. It is possible that relatively complete malpractice liability insurance, coupled with "noisy" liability rules, substantially dulls the deterrent effect of malpractice liability. Other forces, such as the dentist's past malpractice claims experience, were more significant in shaping dentist behavior.
Super-resolution imaging by high-index microspheres embedded in an elastomer layer

We demonstrated super-resolution imaging using microsphere-embedded cover slides. We performed imaging, with resolution improvement by a factor of 2-3, by using barium titanate glass microspheres with diameters ~30–150 µm and refractive index ~1.9–2.1 embedded in a layer of polydimethylsiloxane elastomer placed over the specimen.
Urological complications following chemonucleolysis.

Abstract Urinary complications following chemonucleolysis have not been reported in the urological literature. We report a case of urinary retention, perineal hypoesthesia and penile dysesthesia following L5 to Si chemonucleolysis with chymopapain and review the literature in this area.
Efficient Portfolio Selection in a Large Market

Recent empirical studies show that the estimated Markowitz mean–variance portfolios oftentimes perform rather poorly when there are more than several assets in the investment universe. In this article, we argue that such disappointing performance can be largely attributed to the estimation error incurred in sample mean–variance portfolios, and therefore could be improved by utilizing more efficient estimating strategies. In particular, we show that this "Markowitz optimization enigma" (Michaud, 1989) could be resolved by carefully balancing the tradeoff between the estimation error and systematic error through the so-called subspace mean–variance analysis. In addition to the consistent improvement observed on real and simulated data sets, we prove that, under an approximate factor model, it is possible to use this strategy to construct portfolio rules whose performance closely resemble that of theoretical mean–variance efficient portfolios in a large market.
Reinscriptions of “stateless” socialities in South Africa: some thoughts on “Metropolitan nomads: a journey through Jo’burg’s ‘little Mogadishu’”

In this commentary, Daniel K. Thompson critically assesses Nereida Ripero-Muniz and Salym Fayad’s photo essay, “Metropolitan Nomads: A Journey through Jo’burg’s ‘Little Mogadishu.’ The essay is published alongside this commentary.
Treating an oft-unrecognized and troublesome entity: using gastric electrical stimulation to reduce symptoms of malignancy-associated gastroparesis.

Malignancy-associated gastroparesis (MAG) is a cause of morbidity in cancer patients but therapies are lacking. Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is a novel treatment for MAG. Here, we describe 19 patients with MAG who underwent temporary GES placement. Nineteen patients (6 males, 13 females) with various malignancies were reviewed for symptom scores and physiologic measures at baseline and after temporary GES placement. Symptoms were scored by three variables: nausea (N), vomiting (V), and GI total symptom score (TSS). Physiologic profiles were measured by solid and liquid phase gastric emptying scans (GET) at 1, 2, and 4 h and cutaneous electrogastrogram (EGG) and mucosal electrogram (EG) frequencies. Symptoms were measured for 5 days after temporary endoscopic GES placement, and measures were repeated post GES placement. Baseline GET results displayed delayed gastric emptying in 16 of 19 patients (mean solid retention 21.7 % at 4 h, normal <10 %; mean liquid retention 10.4 % at 4 h, normal <5 %). Cutaneous EGG (mean frequency 5.5 cpm) and EG (mean proximal frequency 5.1 cpm; mean distal frequency 5.1 cpm) showed evidence of neuromuscular dysfunction (normal 2.5–3.3 cpm). Symptom scores in N, V, and TSS showed statistically significant reduction after GES placement. A small sample of patients with MAG and receiving temporary GES experienced symptom improvement, with less change on gastric emptying time or gastric electrical amplitude or frequency. GES may provide a potential therapeutic option for symptomatic management of MAG and evaluation of these MAG patients after permanent GES placement is ongoing. Prospective studies of MAG using temporary and permanent GES may be warranted.
Dielectric Breakdown in Copper Interconnects

The theory introduced in Chap. 7 was primarily applied to scenarios involving intrinsic failure. The model was used to describe the dynamics of dielectric breakdown as caused by the transport of charge carriers and the formation of traps. In this chapter, the role of Cu and ionic species on catalyzing dielectric failure is explored and integrated into the theory. Experimental evidence demonstrating the presence and transport of ions is discussed. Ultimately, a complete depiction of dielectric breakdown as caused by the complex interplay between charged species is presented.