cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Temperature Refractory Metasurfaces for Solar Thermophotovoltaic Energy Harvesting

Solar energy promises a viable solution to meet the ever-increasing power demand by providing a clean, renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels. For solar thermophotovoltaics (STPV), high-temperature absorbers and emitters with strong spectral selectivity are imperative to efficiently couple solar radiation into photovoltaic cells. Here, we demonstrate refractory metasurfaces for STPV with tailored absorptance and emittance characterized by in situ high-temperature measurements, featuring thermal stability up to at least 1200 °C. Our tungsten-based metasurface absorbers have close-to-unity absorption from visible to near-infrared and strongly suppressed emission at longer wavelengths, while our metasurface emitters provide wavelength-selective emission spectrally matched to the band-edge of InGaAsSb photovoltaic cells. The projected overall STPV efficiency is as high as 18% when a fully integrated absorber/emitter metasurface structure is employed, which is comparable to the efficiencies of the best currently available commercial single-junction PV cells and can be further improved to potentially exceed those in mainstream photovoltaic technologies. Our work opens a path forward for high-performance STPV systems based on refractory metasurface structures.
Inter-rater reliability of phenotypes and exploratory genotype-phenotype analysis in inherited hidradenitis suppurativa.

BACKGROUND Genotype-phenotype correlation measures the correlation between the presence of a physical trait with a group of similar mutations but is dependent on reliable phenotyping. It can provide information on disease pathogenesis, future disease progression, severity or activity. Such indicators would be valuable in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). OBJECTIVES To assess inter-rater reliability (IRR) of HS clinical phenotypes and perform exploratory genotype-phenotype correlation in cases of HS with identified sequence variants. METHODS Linkage disequilibrium between variants was assessed. Genotype-phenotype correlations were explored using Spearman correlation coefficients. IRR was calculated using Cohen's κ. Correlation between phenotype classifications was assessed using the χ2 statistic. RESULTS Forty-three sequence variants with clinical information were identified. Clinical phenotypes were classified as LC2 (n = 29; 67%), scarring folliculitis (n = 18; 42%), atypical (n = 38; 88%) and nodular (n = 26; 60%). LC1 phenotype was associated with regular (χ2 = 41·289, P < 0·001) and typical (χ2 = 29·013, P < 0·001) phenotypes. Cohen's κ was highest for van der Zee and Jemec (0·815), followed by Martorell-Calatayud et al. (0·813), Naasan and Affleck (0·774) and Canoui-Poitrine et al. (0·435) classifications. High linkage disequilibrium was seen between variants of Han Chinese pedigrees. No significant genotype-phenotype correlations were identified. CONCLUSIONS These findings may be influenced by selection, publication bias and the assumption that HS is a monogenic disorder. The poor IRR of existing phenotype measures suggests limited utility of existing measures. Further investigations into the correlation of clinical phenotypes with inflammatory biomarkers may aid in prognostic efforts for this disease. What's already known about this topic? Genotype-phenotype correlation can provide information regarding disease pathogenesis and predictions for future disease progression, severity or activity. The identification of such indicators in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) would be valuable for patients and clinicians alike, given the lack of biomarkers or clinical predictors of disease. What does this study add? Sixty-five sequence variants across 20 separate genes were identified. There was no significant correlation between phenotype classification in four separate classification schema and gene, mutation type or impact on Notch signalling. Utility of current phenotype measurements are limited. The lack of genotype-phenotype correlation in HS is suggestive that the underlying assumption of inherited HS as a monogenic disorder may need revision.
High-Sensitivity Wireless Displacement Sensing Enabled by PT-Symmetric Telemetry

Wireless inductive sensors have been deployed in the position and displacement sensing for a wide variety of applications ranging from manufacturing processes, medical systems, automotive, and aerospace industries, to civil infrastructures. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultrasensitive wireless displacement sensing technique based on the concept of parity-time (PT) symmetry or space-time reflection symmetry, first explored in quantum mechanics and later extended to wave physics. This PT-symmetric telemetric sensing system comprises an active – RLC tank (stationary reader) and a passive RLC tank (movable tag), which are linked in a wireless manner via inductive coupling. Specifically, such a non-Hermitian electronic system obeying the PT symmetry, when operated around the exceptional point (EP), can achieve drastic frequency responses and high sensitivity, well beyond the limit of conventional fully passive wireless displacement sensors. The proposed telemetric sensing system shows great potential for contactless, high-precision measurement of displacement, lift-off distance, position, and vibration, particularly suitable for emerging industrial and healthcare Internet-of-Things (IoTs).
Images of International Politics in Chinese Science Fiction: Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Problem

Scholars are increasingly exploring the links between the other worlds of science fiction and theorizations of our own reality. This article extends the scope of political science fiction studies b...
The DFS fused lasso: linear-time denoising over general graphs

The fused lasso, also known as (anisotropic) total variation denoising, is widely used for piecewise constant signal estimation with respect to a given undirected graph. The fused lasso estimate is highly nontrivial to compute when the underlying graph is large and has an arbitrary structure. But for a special graph structure, namely, the chain graph, the fused lasso--or simply, 1d fused lasso--can be computed in linear time. In this paper, we revisit a result recently established in the online classification literature (Herbster et al., 2009; Cesa-Bianchi et al., 2013) and show that it has important implications for signal denoising on graphs. The result can be translated to our setting as follows. Given a general graph, if we run the standard depth-first search (DFS) traversal algorithm, then the total variation of any signal over the chain graph induced by DFS is no more than twice its total variation over the original graph. This result leads to several interesting theoretical and computational conclusions. Letting m and n denote the number of edges and nodes, respectively, of the graph in consideration, it implies that for an underlying signal with total variation t over the graph, the fused lasso (properly tuned) achieves a mean squared error rate of t2/3n-2/3. Moreover, precisely the same mean squared error rate is achieved by running the 1d fused lasso on the DFS-induced chain graph. Importantly, the latter estimator is simple and computationally cheap, requiring O(m) operations to construct the DFS-induced chain and O(n) operations to compute the 1d fused lasso solution over this chain. Further, for trees that have bounded maximum degree, the error rate of t2/3n-2/3 cannot be improved, in the sense that it is the minimax rate for signals that have total variation t over the tree. Finally, several related results also hold--for example, the analogous result holds for a roughness measure defined by the l0 norm of differences across edges in place of the total variation metric.
Assessing Retrobulbar Hyaluronidase as a Treatment for Filler-Induced Blindness in a Cadaver Model.

Background Retrobulbar injection of hyaluronidase is a proposed but unproven treatment for blindness induced by hyaluronic acid gel fillers. This study examines the viability of this treatment by determining whether hyaluronidase can diffuse through the dural sheath of the optic nerve to clear a filler-mediated occlusion of the central retinal artery. Methods Six human cadaveric optic nerves were studied in vitro. One optic nerve was selected as a control and maintained at physiologic temperature, without any exposure to hyaluronic acid gel or hyaluronidase. Another optic nerve was randomly selected to simulate the filler-induced central retinal artery occlusion with subsequent retrobulbar hyaluronidase injection. To simulate a central retinal artery occlusion, this experimental nerve and additional controls were injected with hyaluronic acid gel. These hyaluronic acid gel-injected nerves were then either injected directly with hyaluronidase to establish a control for intraneural hyaluronidase exposure, or immersed in undiluted hyaluronidase to simulate retrobulbar hyaluronidase injection. To control for passive diffusion of hyaluronic acid gel from neural parenchyma, one nerve was immersed in saline. Following fixation, the nerves were grossly and microscopically assessed for the quantity and distribution of hyaluronic acid. Results Intact hyaluronic acid gel was observed grossly and microscopically in the control optic nerves injected directly with filler and not with hyaluronidase. The control optic nerve injected with intraneural hyaluronidase exhibited partial digestion of the filler. Immersion in undiluted hyaluronidase led to no apparent gross or microscopic digestion of injected intraneural hyaluronic acid gel. Conclusion Hyaluronidase does not demonstrate the ability to cross the dural sheath of the optic nerve, suggesting that retrobulbar hyaluronidase injection is unlikely to alleviate hyaluronic acid gel-mediated central retinal artery occlusion and blindness.
Dilemmas of Interdisciplinary Outpatient Care: An Approach Towards Their Amelioration

After briefly reviewing the American Psychiatric Association’s guidelines for psychiatrists in consultative, supervisory, or collaborative relationships with nonmedical therapists, the authors describe some of the clinical and educational dilemmas of interdisciplinary care they have struggled with in the outpatient psychiatry department of a teaching hospital. They conclude with guidelines derived from their experience which have served patients well in their setting.
Challenges and Lessons Learned From a Mobile Health, Web-Based Human Papillomavirus Intervention for Female Korean American College Students: Feasibility Experimental Study

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) and Web-based research methods are becoming more commonplace for researchers. However, there is a lack of mHealth and Web-based human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention experimental studies that discuss potential issues that may arise. Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of research procedures and discuss the challenges and lessons learned from an mHealth and Web-based HPV prevention experimental study targeting female Korean American college students in the United States. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in an mHealth and Web-based platform with 104 female Korean American college students aged 18-26 years between September 2016 and December 2016. Participants were randomized to either the experimental group (a storytelling video intervention) or the comparison group (a nonnarrative, information-based intervention). Outcomes included the feasibility of research procedures (recruitment, eligibility, randomization, and retention). Results: From September 2016 to October 2016, we recorded 225 entries in our initial eligibility survey. The eligibility rate was 54.2% (122/225). This study demonstrated a high recruitment rate (95.6%, 111/122) and retention rate (83.7%, 87/104) at the 2-month follow-up. Conclusions: Findings from this study demonstrated sufficient feasibility in terms of research procedures to justify a full-scale RCT. Given the increased possibility of invalid or misrepresentative entries in mHealth and Web-based studies, strategies for detection and prevention are critical.
Postexposure Prophylaxis, Monitoring, and the Exposure Control Plan

Prevention is paramount and the development of standard operating procedures modeled after evidence-based infection control measures designed to prevent or limit the spread of infection in dentistry are key to the safety of both workers and patients alike. Equally important is the training and education of dental health-care providers about these procedures and their use, monitoring for compliance to see where there is need for improvements, and implementing measures for change to prevent or minimize future noncompliance. Unfortunately, noncompliance with safety measures will always be an issue for some, and despite the use of safety measures, accidents will still occur and occupational exposures will occur. These must be managed according to the various national guidelines. This includes prompt referral to a qualified health-care provider for evaluation of the exposed individual and, where warranted, postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and appropriate monitoring and follow-up. All of these policies should be clearly written in the office’s Exposure Control Plan. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance for all institutions and private offices to have an exposure control plan (ECP) with clear policies and procedures designed to help dental health-care providers, not only to prevent the spread of infection, but also to know how to manage an occupational exposure incident. This chapter will review the principles of Postexposure Monitoring and Prophylaxis and what goes into an Exposure Control Plan.
Get Real! Inflation Adjustments of Educational Finance Data:

Use of education finance data is ubiquitous. Yet, because the academic calendar circumscribes two calendar years, researchers have linked the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to three different dates: fa...
Why does a mitochondrion need its individual cristae to be functionally autonomous

We demonstrated that individual cristae in one mitochondrion function as autonomous electrochemical units, with this autonomy being maintained by cristae junction modulators. Here, I will summarize our novel findings, discuss the advantages of cristae insulation and reconcile this newly characterized cristae autonomy with previous studies showing coordinated cristae function.
Video Modeling of Cooperative Discussion Group Behaviors with Students with Learning Disabilities in a Secondary Content-Area Classroom

Peer-mediated instructional strategies such as cooperative learning are commonly used in general education classrooms in secondary schools; however, students with disabilities often lack the group interaction and discussion skills necessary to fully benefit from evidence-based interventions. The present study used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the use of video modeling to promote the cooperative behaviors and higher level discussion skills of high school students with learning disabilities participating in a Numbered Heads Together (NHT) group discussion strategy in a secondary social studies class. Results indicate that the simple technological intervention of video modeling effectively and efficiently promoted the use of group social skills and discussion skills among students with learning problems who experience difficulty with peer-mediated instructional strategies in secondary content-area classes.
Chapter 7 – Switchgear

Publisher Summary Switchgear is used to connect and disconnect electric power supplies and systems. The switching devices may be fitted with auxiliaries that normally take the form of small switches attached to the main device. These auxiliary switches provide means of indication and monitoring of the position of the switch. There are switching devices that are motor-assisted to open and close the contacts, and some have tripping devices incorporated into the mechanism to open the switch under circuit conditions outside the protective characteristics of the fuse. Both the air circuit breaker and the molded case circuit breaker (mccb) comprise the features—a contact system with arc-quenching and current-limiting means; a mechanism to open and close the contacts; and auxiliaries that provide additional means of protection and indication of the switch positions. The modern air circuit breaker is generally used as an incoming device on the supply side of a low voltage switchboard, and it represents the first line of protection on the load side of the transformer.
Pathways to efficient neuromorphic computing with non-volatile memory technologies

Historically, memory technologies have been evaluated based on their storage density, cost, and latencies. Beyond these metrics, the need to enable smarter and intelligent computing platforms at a low area and energy cost has brought forth interesting avenues for exploiting non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies. In this paper, we focus on non-volatile memory technologies and their applications to bio-inspired neuromorphic computing, enabling spike-based machine intelligence. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) based on discrete neuronal “action potentials” are not only bio-fidel but also an attractive candidate to achieve energy-efficiency, as compared to state-of-the-art continuous-valued neural networks. NVMs offer promise for implementing both area- and energy-efficient SNN compute fabrics at almost all levels of hierarchy including devices, circuits, architecture, and algorithms. The intrinsic device physics of NVMs can be leveraged to emulate dynamics of individual neurons and synapses. These devices can be connected in a dense crossbar-like circuit, enabling in-memory, highly parallel dot-product computations required for neural networks. Architecturally, such crossbars can be connected in a distributed manner, bringing in additional system-level parallelism, a radical departure from the conventional von-Neumann architecture. Finally, cross-layer optimization across underlying NVM based hardware and learning algorithms can be exploited for resilience in learning and mitigating hardware inaccuracies. The manuscript starts by introducing both neuromorphic computing requirements and non-volatile memory technologies. Subsequently, we not only provide a review of key works but also carefully scrutinize the challenges and opportunities with respect to various NVM technologies at different levels of abstraction from devices-to-circuit-to-architecture and co-design of hardware and algorithm.
Delays and disparities in diagnosis for adults with epilepsy: Findings from U.S. Medicaid data.

Abstract Objective To identify disparities in care pathways and time from first seizure to epilepsy diagnosis, we examined 2010–2014 Medicaid claims (including pharmacy) data from 16 States for individuals with incident epilepsy. Methods We identified adults (18–64) with an incident epilepsy diagnosis from 1/2012 through 6/2014. These individuals were enrolled in Medicaid for the entire study period and had no history of anti-epileptic drug (AED) use before their first seizure claim. We identified care pathways and calculated the duration from initial seizure to epilepsy diagnosis. We tested associations between these pathways and race/ethnicity, as well as time differences between care pathways using a Chi-squared and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results The 14,337 adults followed five different care pathways. Their overall median duration from first seizure code to epilepsy diagnosis code was 19.0 months (interquartile range: 4.6, 30.4), and 56.0% filled an AED prescription. Some minorities were more likely to follow pathways with increased durations and delay to diagnosis, and the duration to diagnosis varied significantly across the care pathways. Significance The many different care pathways seen in people with epilepsy show substantial and significant time delays between first seizure diagnosis and epilepsy diagnosis, including significant racial/ethnic disparities that warrant attention.
A Nonstationary Spatial Covariance Model for Processes Driven by Point Sources

We introduce a new nonstationary spatial covariance model for analyzing geostatistical point-referenced data that contain point sources (i.e., known locations that impact the outcome). Our model is based on viewing the spatial domain on the polar coordinate scale, with the point source representing the reference location. As a result, we incorporate distances from the point source and angles of the separation vector with respect to the point source into the covariance model definition in order to describe complex correlation patterns that may be induced by the point source. We apply the new model and several competing options to analyze the impact of a hog lot on house sales prices in Cedar Falls, Iowa. We find that the new model offers improved model fit and predictive ability through Watanabe–Akaike information criterion and cross-validation, respectively. Additionally, we design a simulation study to determine the impact that mean misspecification has on each model’s ability to produce quality predictions. Overall, the new model is shown to consistently outperform the competitors and is useful even when the point source has no impact on the outcome.
Physical activity during and after breast cancer therapy and associations of baseline physical activity with changes in cardiac function by echocardiography.

Background Observational studies suggest that regular physical activity may reduce cardiovascular morbidity and cancer recurrence in survivors of breast cancer. The association between physical activity and cardiac function with breast cancer therapy is unknown. Methods Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire at repeated intervals in a longitudinal cohort study of 603 breast cancer participants treated with doxorubicin and/or trastuzumab. Multivariable regression models estimated associations between clinical variables and physical activity. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for prespecified variables estimated associations between baseline physical activity and longitudinal echocardiographic measures of systolic and diastolic function. Results Physical activity was low at baseline, prior to cancer therapy initiation. More than half of participants reported no moderate-strenuous physical activity, and only 12.1% met guideline recommended levels of physical activity. Physical activity increased after chemotherapy completion; however, only 26.0% of individuals were sufficiently active 3 years after cancer diagnosis. Body mass index, hyperlipidemia and higher cancer stage were significantly associated with lower total physical activity at baseline. Higher baseline physical activity was very modestly associated with an attenuation in the absolute decline in left ventricular ejection fraction over time (β 0.4%, 95% CI 0.1, 0.7, P = .02 for each 10-unit increase in total activity). There tended to be a cardioprotective association with cardiotoxicity risk, although this was not statistically significant (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.66, 1.04, P = .097). Conclusions A small proportion of breast cancer patients and survivors are engaged in regular moderate-strenuous physical activity. While only modest associations between self-reported physical activity and left ventricular systolic function were observed, our findings do not exclude a cardioprotective benefit of exercise.
Once upon a time in France

Once Upon a Time in France was first published as Il etait une fois en France, by Nury and Vallee in six volumes from 2007 to 2012 with Editions Glenat. The series as a whole was a best-seller, ear...
Salsa: static analysis of serialization features

Static analysis has the advantage of reasoning over multiple possible paths. Thus, it has been widely used for verification of program properties. Property verification often requires inter-procedural analysis, in which control and data flow are tracked across methods. At the core of inter-procedural analyses is the call graph, which establishes relationships between caller and callee methods. However, it is challenging to perform static analysis and compute the call graph of programs with dynamic features. Dynamic features are widely used in software systems; not supporting them makes it difficult to reason over properties related to these features. Although state-of-the-art research had explored certain types of dynamic features, such as reflection and RMI-based programs, serialization-related features are still not very well supported, as demonstrated in a recent empirical study. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce Salsa (Static AnaLyzer for SeriAlization features), which aims to enhance existing points-to analysis with respect to serialization-related features. The goal is to enhance the resulting call graph's soundness, while not greatly affecting its precision. In this paper, we report our early effort in developing Salsa and its early evaluation using the Java Call Graph Test Suite (JCG).
Abdominal ultrasound and clinicopathologic findings in 22 cats with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

Background Awareness of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) in cats has increased since the development of an assay for feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity (fTLI). Ultrasound findings in cats with EPI have only been reported rarely and described as nonspecific. Hypothesis/objectives To describe the ultrasonographic findings, clinical signs, and concurrent diseases in cats with EPI. Animals Twenty-two client-owned cats with EPI. Methods Multicenter retrospective descriptive study including cats with serum fTLI concentration ≤8 μg/L and an abdominal ultrasound examination performed within 6 weeks of fTLI measurement. Sonographic measurements of maximal pancreatic thickness and maximal pancreatic duct diameter as well as ratios of pancreatic duct diameter to pancreatic thickness were obtained. Additional sonographic findings, concurrent conditions, and clinical signs were recorded. Results The most common clinical sign was weight loss (15/22 cats). Chronic enteropathy was the most common concurrent disease (13/22 cats). In 39% of cats, the pancreas had minimal or no sonographic alterations. Pancreatic duct dilatation (>2.5 mm), pancreatic duct tortuosity with variable diameter, or both were seen in 6/13 cats. The pancreatic parenchyma was subjectively thin in 6 cats. A significant relationship was found between subjectively thin pancreatic parenchyma and increased pancreatic duct size : pancreatic thickness ratio (P = .004). Diffuse gastrointestinal dilatation with echogenic content was observed in 8/22 cats. Conclusion Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency often causes minimal to no sonographic pancreatic changes. Nonetheless, the findings of thin pancreatic parenchyma, pancreatic duct dilatation, or diffuse small intestinal dilatation with echogenic contents in cats with unexplained weight loss or unformed feces should raise clinical suspicion for EPI.
Holocaust Drama: The Theater of Atrocity

The Holocaust - the systematic attempted destruction of European Jewry and other 'threats' to the Third Reich from 1933 to 1945 - has been portrayed in fiction, film, memoirs, and poetry. Gene Plunka's study will add to this chronicle with an examination of the theatre of the Holocaust. Including thorough critical analyses of more than thirty plays, this book explores the seminal twentieth-century Holocaust dramas from the United States, Europe, and Israel. Biographical information about the playwrights, production histories of the plays, and pertinent historical information are provided, placing the plays in their historical and cultural contexts.
Financing the Delivery of Public-Sector Animal Health Services in Jamaica: Pre- and Post-Privatization

Lack of adequate financing was a major reason for the privatization of veterinary services in Jamaica in 1992. The belief was that, with privatization, funding of animal health services delivery would improve, since staff numbers and clinical activities undertaken by the Veterinary Division were reduced. However, analyses of data revealed that, in most cases, privatization neither improved nor stemmed the declines, that had started before privatization, in the measures or indicators used. It was concluded that privatization of veterinary services did not result in any appreciable improvement in the financing of the delivery of public-sector animal health services in Jamaica in the short term.
The relation between structure and reactivity in five-membered heteroaromatic compounds—II: CNDO/2 calculations on azolium cations and on the zwitterions resulting from their deprotonation

Abstract Olofson's group and Norris and Henry have reported proton exchange rates for a variety of azolium cations in aqueous solution. They found that ring protons in positions located α- to pyrrole-type N atoms exchange much faster than those located β- to such nitrogens, and that addition of pyridine-type nitrogen to the ring also caused a large increase in rate of exchange. This report describes the results of CNDO/2 calculations on azolium cations representative of those studied experimentally, and on the zwitterions resulting from the deprotonation of these cations. The calculated vapor-phase energies of deprotonation are in agreement with the structure-reactivity trends summarized above, but the calculated effect of added nitrogen is unexpectedly small relative to the effect of interchanging α- and β- pyrrole-type N atoms. The calculated charge distributions and one- and two-atom contributions to the calculated energies of deprotonation are analyzed in terms of classical organic mechanisms for transmission of substituent effects. The results of this analysis suggest that the relative reactivities of isomeric tetrazolium cations are determined primarily by coulombic effects, but that relative reactivities of isomeric positions in the imidazolium and pyrazolium series are apparently determined primarily by inductive and hybridization effects. π-Electron resonance (contributions from carbenoid resonance forms) is apparently not of overriding importance. When nitrogen is added to the ring in an α-position relative to the CH group undergoing exchange, the resulting increase in CH acidity seems to be due to inductive and hybridization effects, partially offset by a coulombic effect due to the negative charge on the added nitrogen. If classical σ-inductive and hybridization effects from an added β-nitrogen are at all influential, they seem much less so than from an added α-nitrogen; thus according to CNDO/2 these effects alone apparently cannot explain the observed large rate increase due to added β-nitrogen. The possible importance of solvent effects, delocalization of the added negative charge into the σ-framework and coulombic effects due to the added nitrogen are discussed.
The Search for Shared Idioms: Contesting Views of Laiklik Before the Turkish Constitutional Court

Laiklik,1 Turkish secularism, as it has been constructed, upheld and sustained by the Turkish state, and especially the Court, has become the mechanism through which all those who would like to see a shift in its definition and boundaries have been rendered the unacceptable and integrity-threatening other of Turkish society. I am interested in how the subjects of the law, as well as the interpreters and the sustainers of the law, perceive the Turkish concept of secularism, laiklik, and how these perceptions inform the cases before the Court.
The evolution of ‘bizarre structures’ in dinosaurs: biomechanics, sexual selection, social selection or species recognition?

‘Bizarre structures’ in dinosaurs have four main traditional explanations: mechanical function, sexual selection, social selection and species recognition. Any of these can be plausible for individual species, but they fail to be persuasive when other lines of evidence cannot adequately test them. The first three also fail as general propositions when phylogenetic analyses based on other characters do not support scenarios of selective improvement of such functions in their clade (or the explanation simply does not apply to any other species in the clade). Moreover, the hypothesis of sexual selection requires significant sexual dimorphism, which has never been conclusively established in dinosaurs. We propose instead that species recognition may have been a more general force that drove the evolution of bizarre structures in dinosaurs. That is, the bizarre structures communicate to other individuals a variety of possible associational cues, including species identification, potential protection and social habits and the appropriateness of potential mates. In other words, bizarre structures amount to an advertisement for positive association. Neither species recognition nor any other hypothesis should be a ‘default’ explanation. Although direct observation is impossible, we propose two tests. First, contrary to adaptive, social or sexual selection, under the species recognition model morphology should be expected to evolve without obvious directional trends, because the only objective is to differ from one's relatives. Hence, patterns of evolution of bizarre structures should be relatively proliferative and non-directional. Second, several contemporaneous species should overlap in geographic range (sympatric, parapatric, peripatric). Fossil species often show evidence of this pattern in the past by ‘ghost ranges’ of related taxa. These tests together could reinforce or weaken an argument for species recognition.
Design of semi-autonomous robots for competitive robotics

This paper presents the first-generation design of two classes of semi-autonomous competitive robots created in-house at University of Texas at San Antonio for iTEC, the educational outreach program sponsored at the university. The robots created for the outreach program will compete with each other in games of sumo-wrestling and soccer. Design of the robots involved the choice on the physical configuration of the robot systems, electronics systems, sensor suites, semi-autonomous behaviors, human control overrides and computer programming methodologies utilized. This paper will go over highlights of each system and remarks over the design process.
Freud on the Court: Reinterpreting Sexting and Child Pornography Law

Although many developments in child pornography law are troubling, perhaps the most disconcerting is the growing number of cases in which children are being charged with violating child pornography laws for engaging in "sexting," or sending sexually explicit photographs via cellular phones or over the Internet. Although the law implicitly considers children the victims of child pornography and the photographer and audience as punishable perpetrators, this logic is challenged by sexting cases. Yet in many instances, children who take and send "lascivious" pictures of themselves have been charged with violating the very law designed to protect them from the harms associated with child pornography. As a result, many scholars have recently decried the law as unjust and questioned its confusing motives.Existing scholarship has roundly criticized the situation's ostensible absurdity, but little work has been done to understand the legal motives for charging juveniles in sexting cases. This Article endeavors to better understand the motivation behind the law's perplexing stance on teenage sexting. A close analysis of recent sexting cases reveals a remarkable correlation between Freud's theory of sexuality and sexting jurisprudence. Beginning with the first Supreme Court decision on child pornography, New York v. Ferber, subsequent Supreme Court and District Court decisions on child pornography and sexting have been based on a strikingly Freudian logic. Perhaps fittingly, the alignment with Freud is subconscious: no court has acknowledged that its decision rests on a reading of Freud. Yet, as this article shows, Freud offers an extraordinarily accurate theoretical account of what judges have done in recent sexting cases.Understanding sexting cases in light of Freud does more than just explain the bewildering decisions of state and federal courts to uphold convictions against children for violating child pornography laws. In light of this unexpected finding, this article also provides a new basis from which to assess the goals of the law. As prosecutors continue to bring charges against teenagers for sexting, this article offers judges an alternate model for thinking about these difficult cases. Moreover, as more state legislatures draft new rules governing teenage sexting - in 2012 thirteen states considered resolutions aimed at sexting - this article proposes that lawmakers either abandon or correct their subconscious Freudianism in sexting cases, offering suggestions about how better to deal with teenagers who sext.
Determination of conjugated and total bilirubin in serum of neonates, with use of bilirubin oxidase.

A new, simple, and rapid assay for conjugated bilirubin that does not require serum-matrix standards was developed by using the enzyme bilirubin oxidase (EC 1.3.3.5). This procedure can also be modified to measure total bilirubin. Measurements from these assays were compared with results obtained with the Sigma 605 (Jendrassik-Grof method), Sigma 550/551 (Walters-Gerarde method), and Kodak Ektachem (BuBc) bilirubin assays. The one-year study involved serum specimens from 283 infants younger than 30 days. Linear-regression analysis of data for conjugated bilirubin collected by this assay and by the Kodak Ektachem assay yielded a slope of 0.975, an intercept of 0.088, an Syx of 1.47 mg/L, and a correlation coefficient of 0.94 for a total of 49 specimens. Correlation was also good (r = 0.95) between results for total bilirubin by this assay and both the Sigma 605 and the Kodak Ektachem methods.
Multicenter, Phase II Trial of Exemestane as Third-Line Hormonal Therapy of Postmenopausal Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: To assess the antitumor activity, safety, and hormone-suppressive effects of the irreversible aromatase inactivator, exemestane (Aromasin, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI), administered as third-line hormone therapy to postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer that is refractory to tamoxifen and megestrol acetate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Exemestane was administered at a dose of 25 mg/d orally until patients experienced disease progression. The efficacy and safety of exemestane were clinically and radiographically evaluated. The impact of exemestane treatment on tumor-related signs and symptoms was assessed. The effect of exemestane on serum levels of estrogens and other steroidal hormones was determined. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were treated. There were four complete responses (CR) and eight partial responses (PR), for an objective response rate of 13% in the entire treated population. The overall success rate (CR, PR, or stable disease [SD] ≥ 24 weeks) was 30%. The median duration o...
Suppression of cold ischemic injury in stored kidneys by the antimicrobial peptide bactenecin

Abstract Background Cold ischemic injury plays an important role in short- and long-term function of kidneys after transplant. Antimicrobial peptides have not previously been studied for their impact on cold ischemia in transplanted kidneys. Methods Bactenecin ( l - and d -forms) was added to University of Wisconsin (UW) preservation solution for 3-day cold storage of dog kidneys. Effects on membrane permeability were studied in synthetic liposomes and in kidney cortex tissue slices. The role of bactenecin as a tissue mitogen and direct cytoskeletal stabilizer were studied with cultured cells and in vitro. Results Bactenecin (both l - and d - forms) resulted in significant decreases in postoperative serum creatinine and time required for return of creatinine to the normal range showing the effect was independent of chirality. Bactenecin permeabilized synthetic liposomes and altered kidney cortex tissue slice membrane permeability characteristics, irrespective of chirality. Neither did bactenecin act as a mitogen for either primary renal tubule or Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells stored in UW solution, nor did it appear to directly affect cytoskeletal dynamics. Conclusions These results show that the antimicrobial peptide bactenecin can improve the quality of static cold storage of kidneys. The mechanism of its action is independent of receptor binding and does not appear to involve either an effect on the cytoskeleton or via activity as a mitogen. Current evidence best supports the hypothesis that bactenecin protects against cold ischemic injury by a controlled permeabilization of the membranes of the kidney during cold storage.
Creative Applications of a Web-Based E-Resource Registry

SUMMARY Electronic resources have become a staple feature of mainstream library access. Librarians are employing several methods to provide enhanced access to e-resources for end users and to make maintenance more efficient for staff. This paper shows how the e-resource registry approach can be integrated with existing custom Web-based services in order to extend their functionality to provide enhanced access to e-resources. The paper describes the e-journals relational database that describes resources licensed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign Library and illustrates its interactions with other Web applications developed at the Grainger Engineering Library.
Video Podcasting in Perspective: The History, Technology, Aesthetics, and Instructional Uses of a New Medium:

An examination of the current state of the art of podcasting, with a focus on video podcasting. Included are a review of the history and technical aspects of podcasting and an overview of current e...
Instructional control of the components of alcoholic drinking behavior

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate (1) the influence of instructions on modifying the components of the drinking behavior of alcoholics in the direction of controlled social drinking and (2) the interrelationships among these components. Three inpatient chronic alcoholic males were permitted to drink alcoholic beverages on a daily basis. All drinking sessions were videotaped and occurred within a simulated living room setting. Within a multiple baseline single case experimental design, subjects were sequentially instructed to decrease sip amount, increase intersip interval, and decrease potency (% of alcohol to mix) of their drinks. Instructional control was demonstrated for each component with all subjects. With two subjects, a negative reactivity among components was observed so that positive changes (i.e., toward a controlled drinking pattern) in one component resulted in negative changes (i.e., toward a more “alcoholic” drinking pattern) in other components. For example, as sip amount decreased, intersip interval also decreased so that subjects were drinking more rapidly.
Social data in evaluation of the pediatric patient: Deficits in outpatient records*

The medical records of 283 children presenting to a university outpatient department with a variety of chronic or subacute complaints were reviewed for the amount and quality of social information recorded. Only 29 per cent of the charts contained the minimal amount of social data thought necessary to recognize a major social component of the patient's illness, if such were present. After investigating the relationship between the amount of social information in the chart and such factors as type of patientcomplaint, duration of patient contact with the medical center, and the professional role of the person taking the history, it was concluded that the physicians' attitude about the usefulness of social information had been the factor most likely responsible for its presence in the hospital records examined.
Consumption and price effects of state-run liquor monopolies

Uniform pricing policies practiced by state monopoly liquor systems are not consistent with a stated objective of revenue-maximization from liquor sales. If some residents in a monopoly state buy alcoholic beverages in neighboring, lower-priced states, the monopoly state could increase revenues by lowering prices in the appropriate border counties. The empirical analysis looks at Ohio and finds that residents tend to purchase fewer and less expensive bottles of liquor in state-run stores which border states with lower liquor prices. The result is several million dollars a year of lost revenue to Ohio.
Allelic deletion at chromosome 9p21(p16) and 17p13(p53) in microdissected sporadic dysplastic nevus

A critical area of chromosomal loss at region p16(9p21-22) and p53(17p13) has been implicated in the genesis of malignant melanoma. It is still unclear whether the genetic alterations can be detected in dysplastic nevus, a premalignant lesion of malignant melanoma. We have searched the frequency of p16 and p53 deletion in nine dysplastic nevi and 13 benign intradermal nevi with five microsatellite markers. Hemizygous deletion was detected in seven of nine (78%) dysplastic nevi at one or more loci for p16 and three of seven (43%) for p53, respectively. No loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected in any of the benign intradermal nevi. All three dysplastic nevi with LOH for p53 also showed LOH at p16. However, not all dysplastic nevi showing p16 deletion showed p53 gene deletion. Therefore, these data suggest that deletion of p16 may play an important role in the development of dysplastic nevus as an early event and that the changes may represent an early event in the development of malignant melanoma.
Sparse aperture coding for compressive sampling

For many years, the basic goal of sparse aperture design has been to maximize the support of the modulation transfer function (MTF). Golay apertures and related nonredundant arrays are typically used to achieve this objective. Unfortunately, maximizing the support of the MTF has the necessary effect of decreasing the magnitude of the MTF at mid-band spatial frequencies. Fienup has shown that the decreased magnitude of the MTF for nonredundant arrays contributes as much as reduced throughput to the loss of SNR in sparse apertures relative to full aperture systems. This paper considers the use of periodic sparse arrays to improve the mid-band MTF at the cost of reduced spatial frequency coverage. We further consider methods to recover lost spatial frequencies using multispectral and multiframe sampling and decompressive inference.
Septal Q wave in exercise testing: Angiographic correlation

Abstract A study of septal Q wave response in lead CM 5 was carried out to evaluate its usefulness in predicting coronary artery disease. Q wave amplitude was measured in 50 patients with coronary artery disease and 50 normal subjects before and immediately after exercise. In the 100 patients evaluated with coronary angiography, the septal Q wave in lead CM 5 was smaller in patients with coronary artery disease than in normal subjects at rest (probability [p] p 5 was significantly more frequent in patients with coronary artery disease than in normal subjects both at rest (76 versus 48 percent) and after exercise (82 versus 16 percent). The sensitivity for S-T depression was 52 percent, the specificity 74 percent and the predictive value 70 percent. The respective values for the Q wave were 82,88 and 87 percent. These differences were not significant ( p p p 5 with S-T depression after exercise identified a true positive response in 100 percent of cases. These findings suggest that low Q wave voltage and its failure to increase after exercise imply abnormal septal activation, reflecting loss of contraction associated with ischemia. This finding may be a useful marker for ischemia; the increase in the septal Q wave with exercise may be of value in identifying a false positive S-T segment response.