cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: Renaissance Gothic: Architecture and the Arts in Northern Europe, 1470–1540 by Ethan Matt Kavaler

Ethan Matt Kavaler Renaissance Gothic: Architecture and the Arts in Northern Europe, 1470–1540 New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2012, 344 pp., 80 color and 210 b/w illus. $75, ISBN 9780300167924 Ethan Matt Kavaler’s beautifully produced new book makes an extraordinary contribution to the growing discourse on “Late Gothic” artistic production in the last decades of the fifteenth and first decades of the sixteenth century. The very title chosen by the author—a “provocative oxymoron” (22)—complicates old notions of Gothic as a style that “develops” continuously over three centuries, entering into a period of “decline” before being swept aside by the Renaissance. The unruly and provocative material Kavaler deals with in this book is hard to cram into a traditional structure of chapter headings, and it has to be said that the introduction is disturbingly multifarious in its content. Yet the author’s argument is, for the most part, well served by the thematic organization into five chapters—“Ornament and Aesthetics,” “Flamboyant Forms,” “Microarchitecture,” “Natural Forms,” and, finally, “Deconstruction and Hybridity”—a sequence that conveniently allows the author to reserve his most original thinking for the later parts of the book. The introduction provides an overview of problems of taste and historiography: older historians of Gothic often professed a real dislike for this mode, which they considered to be “overcharged” with ornament of a kind that had broken loose from its old role of expressing architectural behavior. A few carefully chosen juxtapositions make the point: the “rational” forms of Saint-Maclou of Rouen (ca. 1440), in which slender filleted piers run smoothly into arches and ribs, is contrasted with the “jungle of overlapping shafts” (11) in the church at Brou, built some seventy-five years later for Margaret of Austria. Similarly juxtaposed, we see an austere geometric window (ca. 1300) from the nave of the minster at Freiburg im Breisgau with a window from the sixteenth-century choir where “designs have become fully emancipated from the mundane task of supporting the glass” (12). The coexistence of elements of …
Improvement in sexual function after ovarian cancer: Sexual therapy and rehabilitation after treatment for ovarian cancer (START-OC).

210Background: Sexual dysfunction is a distressing long-term effect after ovarian cancer (OC), affecting up to 90% of survivors for years. Despite its prevalence, treatment-related sexual dysfunction is underrecognized and undertreated for OC survivors. We developed and tested a brief, psychoeducational intervention for managing sexual dysfunction after OC. Methods: 45 OC survivors with sexual dysfunction received a single half-day group intervention that included sexual health education, relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to address sexual symptoms and a single tailored telephone booster call 4 weeks post-group. Assessment measures were completed at 4 time points: Baseline 1, Baseline 2 (after an 8 week no-treatment run-in period), and 2 and 6 months post-intervention. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) assessed sexual functioning and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) captured psychological distress. Results: Analyses examined changes from Baseline 1 to subsequent time point...
Variance in physician attitudes toward androgen deprivation therapy initiation for biochemical cancer recurrence

15626 Background: The optimal timing for starting Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for patients with recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) remains uncertain. In 2004, the American Society of Clinical O...
Cervical spine trauma

The following chapter will review in progression basic concepts of cervical trauma assessment and primary management and then address the more level-specific concerns separated into an upper and a lower cervical spine subsection.
Narrow resonances in 11 N and 15 F

Abstract I present calculations for an expected narrow resonance in 11 N at about 4.79 MeV, with a total proton decay width of about 74 keV, all but 2 keV of which is to the 2 + state of 10 C. I compare with a similar situation in 15 F, which has been long predicted and recently observed.
The rehabilitation enhancing aging through connected health (REACH) study: study protocol for a quasi-experimental clinical trial.

Mobility limitations among older adults increase the risk for disability and healthcare utilization. Rehabilitative care is identified as the most efficacious treatment for maintaining physical function. However, there is insufficient evidence identifying a healthcare model that targets prevention of mobility decline among older adults. The objective of this study is to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a physical therapy program, augmented with mobile tele-health technology, on mobility function and healthcare utilization among older adults. This is a quasi-experimental 12-month clinical trial conducted within a metropolitan-based healthcare system in the northeastern United States. It is in parallel with an existing longitudinal cohort study evaluating mobility decline among community-dwelling older adult primary care patients over one year. Seventy-five older adults (≥ 65–95 years) are being recruited using identical inclusion/exclusion criteria to the cohort study. Three aims will be evaluated: the effect of our program on 1) physical function, 2) healthcare utilization, and 3) healthcare costs. Changes in patient-reported function over 1 year in those receiving the intervention (aim 1) will be compared to propensity score matched controls (N = 150) from the cohort study. For aims 2 and 3, propensity scores, derived from logistic regression model that includes demographic and diagnostic information available through claims and enrollment information, will be used to match treatment and control patients in a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 from a Medicare Claims Registry derived from the same geographic region. The intervention consists of a one-year physical therapy program that is divided between a combination of outpatient and home visits (6–10 total visits) and is augmented on a computerized tablet using of a commercially available application to deliver a progressive home-based exercise program emphasizing lower-extremity function and a walking program. Incorporating mobile health into current healthcare models of rehabilitative care has the potential to decrease hospital visits and provide a longer duration of care. If the hypotheses are supported and demonstrate improved mobility and reduced healthcare utilization, this innovative care model would be applicable for optimizing the maintenance of functional independence among community-dwelling older adults. ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT02580409 (Date of registration October 14, 2015).
How does hepcidin hinder ferroportin activity

In this issue of Blood , Aschemeyer et al found that hepcidin bound to the central cavity of ferroportin (Fpn) and occluded its iron export activity, thereby revealing a previously unrecognized mechanism for Fpn regulation. 1
Recent progress in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genomics and genomic selection

Abstract Alfalfa (M. sativa L.) is a highly valuable forage crop, providing >58 Mt of hay, silage, and pasture each year in the United States. As alfalfa is an outcrossing autotetraploid crop, however, breeding for enhanced agronomic traits is challenging and progress has historically not been rapid. Methods that make use of genotypic information and statistical models to generate a genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) for each plant at a young age hold a great deal of promise to accelerate breeding gains. An emerging genomic breeding pipeline employs SNP chips or genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to identify SNP markers in a training population, followed by the use of a statistical model to find associations between the discovered SNPs and traits of interest, followed by genomic selection (GS), a breeding program utilizing the trained model to predict breeding values and making selections based on the estimated breeding value (EBV). Much work has been done in recent years in all of these areas, to generate marker sets and discover SNPs associated with desirable traits, and the application of these technologies in alfalfa breeding programs is under way. However, GBS/GWAS/GS is still a new breeding paradigm, and work is ongoing to evaluate different models, software, and methods for use in such programs. In this review, we look at the progress of alfalfa genomics over the past half-decade, and review work comparing models and methods relevant to this new type of breeding strategy.
Plasmon Drag Effect and Opportunities for Sensing Applications

Photoinduced voltages in profile-modulated plasmonic surfaces demonstrate sharp dependence on the incidence angle and are very sensitive to dielectric environment, which provides opportunities for applications in compact plasmonic sensors with electrical detection.
The Past, Present, and Future of Bankruptcy Law in America

This essay reviews David A. Skeel, Jr., Debt's Dominion: A History of Bankruptcy Law in America. Although nominally a book about the history of bankruptcy law in America, Skeel's book is a comprehensive analysis of the past, present, and future of bankruptcy law in America. Skeel divides the history of bankruptcy law in America into three historical stages: the Nineteenth Century, the era of the 1898 Bankruptcy Act and the Great Depression, and the modern era of the 1978 Bankruptcy Code. As Skeel notes, the shape of bankruptcy law and practice throughout American history is at least as much a factor of political considerations and influence as economic considerations. To develop his point, Skeel draws on the fields of public choice and social choice, both of which apply the assumptions and tools of economics to the study of political science. Skeel uses these tools to shape his narrative, giving his argument an analytical edge that prior historical studies of American bankruptcy law have lacked. In particular, American bankruptcy law can be understood as resulting from the clash of three sets of interests: pro-debtor ideological interests (often spearheaded by law professors), creditors, and bankruptcy professionals (including bankruptcy judges). Although the outcome of this three-way struggle is unclear at any given moment, the dominant course of evolution of American bankruptcy law has been towards increasingly-generous bankruptcy laws that provide strong incentives for both individual and corporate debtors to file bankruptcy. Building on Skeel's insights, I then offer my own impressions of the current debate over the bankruptcy reform act as well as the future of bankruptcy law in America. Although largely explained by the factors identified by Skeel, the current debate over the bankruptcy reform act has introduced a new element to the traditional debate - an ideology of personal responsibility ushered in by the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994 that has offset the traditional dominance of prodebtor ideology. At the same time, the bankruptcy system has become sufficiently unbalanced in a prodebtor direction that creditors have been able to overcome the collective action problems that have undermined prior reform efforts. These historical developments have made bankruptcy reform possible, unlike reform efforts in the past. With respect to the future of bankruptcy law, this essay argues that the likely result will be global convergence on efficient bankruptcy laws. Building on prior work demonstrating convergence on efficient corporate law rules in the American federal system, this essay argues that globalization will drive a similar convergence on efficient bankruptcy laws. This will encourage countries with excessively prodebtor laws, such as the United States, to adopt less-generous laws; it should also induce European countries to loosen their laws so as to encourage greater entrepreneurship and risk-taking.
The Google-Doubleclick Merger, the FTC, and the Future of Transactional Privacy Inquiries in the United States

On April 13, 2007, Google, the world's largest search provider, announced that it would acquire DoubleClick, the largest existing online advertising company, in a cash merger. Within days, Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick was challenged by Microsoft and others on privacy and antitrust grounds. On April 20, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting that the Agency: (1) issue an injunction to prevent the Google-DoubleClick merger from proceeding, and (2) conduct an investigation regarding the circumstances of the merger. The FTC recently concluded an initial investigation into whether the Google-DoubleClick merger would promote unfair and deceptive trade practices substantially likely to harm consumers and not outweighed by countervailing benefits to consumers. Rather than clearing the transaction, however, the FTC requested that the parties submit significant volumes of additional information to allow the Agency to perform a more thorough investigation and analysis of the anticompetitive effects of a proposed merger. Despite the FTC's clear antitrust authority, however, the bulk of the EPIC complaint, and therefore presumably the thrust of the investigation, addresses privacy issues and not antitrust or competition concerns. This paper argues that the FTC has no authority to address the privacy concerns raised by the Google-DoubleClick merger. Section II will examine the FTC's authority both to review mergers and to investigate privacy concerns under § 5 of the FTC Act. Part III will review the two § 5 cases relied upon by EPIC to support its argument that the FTC has the authority to review the Google-DoubleClick merger. This section will argue that the present merger differs in significant ways from prior instances in which the FTC relied upon § 5 of the FTC Act. Finally, Part III will analyze EPIC's unfair trade practices claims under the § 5 standard, concluding that it is not likely that the merger will result in substantial harm to consumers not reasonably avoidable and not outweighed by countervailing benefits. Part IV will look to the future of the Google-DoubleClick merger in light of both U.S. and international pressures, concluding that judicial intervention is likely regardless of the decision of the FTC. Finally, in order to prevent the necessity of judicial intervention in the future, Part IV recommends the passage of legislation providing the FTC or another federal agency with the authority to require that companies collecting large volumes of nonpublic consumer data put comprehensive and effective data protection provisions into place or face sanction.
Central America, the Inter-American System, and Accountability for International Crimes

Central America is a hard case for proving the existence of a “justice cascade," that is, a strong tendency towards increased accountability for gross human rights violations. Despite having the largest numbers of Latin American victims of the repression and internal armed conflicts of the 1970s and 1980s, El Salvador and Guatemala are among the places where it has been most difficult for a consistent accountability norm to take root. So it was particularly noteworthy that in January 2012 a Guatemalan judge indicted the country’s former strongman, ex-General Efrain Rios Montt, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Rios Montt joins several other high-ranking former officers in the dock, while a number of lower-ranked soldiers have been sentenced to long prison terms for their role in massacres and disappearances. This book chapter discusses the evolution of the accountability norm in Guatemala, from almost total impunity to the filing of genocide charges. It considers in particular the key role of the Inter-American system in helping define and push forward that evolution. The article then briefly compares the Guatemalan case to events in El Salvador, and then draws some tentative conclusions.
A Flow Law for Temperate Glacier Ice

Uniaxial compressive creep tests were performed on polycrystalline samples of glacier ice at stresses ranging from 0.06 bar to 1.0 bar under conditions similar to those actually occurring in a temperate glacier. Tests were conducted in an ice tunnel on the Blue Glacier, Mt Olympus, Washington, U.S.A., thus ensuring that the temperature remained at the pressure melting point. The flow law proposed as an appropriate one-dimensional flow law for temperate glacier ice is a polynomial expression containing linear, cubic and fifth-order terms. This law provides a good fit to the data and is also consistent with the quasi-viscous creep data of Glen (1955).
Novel Educational Information Management Platform Improves the Surgical Skill Evaluation Process of Surgical Residents.

Objective We sought to increase compliance and timeliness of surgery resident operative evaluation, by providing faculty and residents with a Platform-linking evaluation to analytics and machine-learning-facilitated case logging. Design We built a HIPAA-compliant web-based Platform for comprehensive management of resident education information, including resident operative performance evaluations. To assess evaluation timeliness, we compared the lag time for Platform-based evaluations to that of end-of-rotation evaluations. We also assessed evaluation compliance, based on a time threshold of 5 days for Platform evaluations and 2 weeks for end-of-rotation evaluations. Setting University of Massachusetts, Baystate Medical Center, General Surgery Residency. Participants Twenty three attendings and 43 residents for the Platform cohort; 15 services and 45 residents for the end-of-rotation cohort. Results Three hundred and fifty-eight Platform evaluations were completed by 23 attendings for 43 residents for March through October 2017. Six hundred and ten end-of-rotation evaluations by 15 attendings for 45 residents were used for comparison (September 2015 through June 2017). Of Platform evaluations, 41.3% were completed within 24 hours of the operation (16.5% in 6 hours, 33.3% in 12 hours, and 62.2% in 48 hours), with 24.3% of evaluations completed within 3 hours after e-mail reminders. In the first 6 weeks (March 1 through April 12) 4.5 ± 3.7 evaluations were completed per week compared to 18.8 ± 5.8 in the last (September 18 through October 31). Evaluation lag times improved with the use of the Platform, both for median lag of 35 days earlier (1 ± 1.5 days Platform, 36 ± 28.2 days traditional, p Conclusions Our comprehensive Platform facilitated faculty compliance with evaluation requirements and timeliness of availability of performance information (often in near real time) for both residents and residency leadership. The added value of the Platform's integration of evaluations with resident and attending case logging may account for the rapidly increasing number of operative skill evaluations over the short time span since implementation.
Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography of the Vitreopapillary Interface in Acute Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

Purpose To use spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to assess whether epipapillary vitreous traction from evolving posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is mechanistically involved in the pathogenesis of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Setting : Single academic center. Patient or Study Population : Eighty eyes in 74 subjects presenting within 2 weeks of symptom onset of NAION. Intervention or Observation Procedures : SD-OCT imaging of the optic nerve head, macula, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) were reviewed for PVD and vitreopapillary traction (VPT). Main Outcome Measures : Prevalence and incidence of PVD and VPT, logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean deviation (MD) on automated perimetry, and pRNFL thickness at presentation and final follow-up. Results The co-prevalence of PVD at the time of acute presentation for NAION was 30% (n = 24/80). This was similar to the prevalence of PVD in contralateral uninvolved eyes (34.5%, n = 19/55). In 8 NAION eyes, PVD had been documented prior to the onset of NAION. No eyes had SD-OCT evidence of VPT on presentation or final follow-up. Only 5 eyes developed a PVD following the development of NAION, and this typically occurred months after resolution of optic disc edema. When comparing eyes with PVD and without PVD, there was no significant difference in BCVA, MD, and pRNFL thickness at baseline, final follow-up, or the change from baseline to final follow-up (all P > .10). Conclusions VPT was not mechanistically related to the development of classic NAION. Preexisting PVD did not preclude the future development of NAION. The co-prevalence of PVD with acute NAION had no impact on final visual outcome.
Functional Surfaces through Controlled Assemblies of Upper Critical Solution Temperature Block and Star Copolymers

Endowing surfaces with multiple advanced functionalities, such as temperature-controlled swelling or the triggered release of functional small molecules, is attractive for a large variety of applic...
For Me, For You, or For Them? Contrasting Prosocial and Proself Motivations in Organizations

Prosocial motivation—the desire to benefit other people or groups—is an increasingly critical performance lever in modern, highly competitive organizations. Research has begun to find, though, that...
Electro-Luminescent Refrigeration Enabled by Highly Efficient Photovoltaics

Recognition of the need to design for luminescence extraction has led to recent records in solar cell efficiency. These design principles also create opportunities to use the photovoltaic (PV) cell and its reciprocal device, the light-emitting diode (LED), in applications beyond solar energy. As LEDs approach the limit of unity external quantum efficiency, the outgoing photons carry away more energy than supplied to the device, and the phenomenon of electroluminescent cooling becomes accessible. We investigate a refrigeration scheme that uses an LED and a PV cell - both with near-unity quantum efficiency - on the two sides of a luminescent heat engine. With the best available materials, and a device design that maximizes light extraction, electroluminescent cooling can operate with a coefficient of performance that substantially exceeds that of other solid-state cooling technologies.
Analysis and Modeling of Inner Fringing Field Effect on Negative Capacitance FinFETs

We investigate the impact of inner fringing fields on the negative capacitance FinFET (NC-FinFET) and how this scales with the technology node. The 8-/7-nm technology node of the p-type body NC-FinFET is modeled using the Sentaurus technology-aided design (TCAD), which couples Poisson with Landau equations. It is found that the NC effect is beneficial for device scaling. The OFF current is well suppressed in short-channel devices (64.4% reduction at LG = 16 nm) because the inner fringing field induces negative gate charges and decreases the channel potential. For longer channel devices, the influence of inner fringing field disappears, and the depletion charges dominate the subthreshold characteristics. As reducing remnant polarization, the ON current is boosted (11.4% improvement at LG = 16 nm) for all lengths due to better matching between MOSFET and ferroelectric capacitances. In comparison with FinFET, the drain-induced barrier lowering of NC-FinFET is also well controlled (50% reduction at LG = 16 nm) due to the inner fringing field-induced gate charges, showing the scaling capability of NC-FinFET. Furthermore, a compact model to capture the spatial distribution of the inner fringing field is also proposed based on the Gaussian quadrature method, and it is validated with the TCAD simulated data with multiple gate lengths and remnant polarizations.
Analysis of bioperiodicity in physiological responses.

This chapter discusses the analysis of bioperiodicity in physiological responses. Bioperiodicity is an integral part of physiological responses to nutrients and diets. A mathematical model can be used to establish the occurrence of rhythms and quantify the rhythm characteristics of components identified by spectral analysis. Deterministic, biological rhythms (chronobiologic rhythms) have four measurable parameters: the mean, amplitude, acrophase, and period. The periodicities in growth rates display infradian rhythms, and these rhythms appear to be endogenous. Chronobiological analysis gives new insights to relationships between nutrition and physiological response. However, certain procedures that interfere with recognition of biorhythms are: use of purified rather than integrated samples; use of large samples that appear to produce synchronous activity; and the search for homeostasis rather than perturbation. Recognition of these factors will improve understanding and interpretation of many biological experiments.
Earnings Stripping under the BEAT

The Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax is generally regarded as among the most important changes wrought by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which is itself regarded as among the most important pieces of tax legislation in the last several decades. This paper evaluates the new BEAT provision along with recently proposed regulations. The analysis makes several points about the nature of earnings stripping, the interaction of the BEAT with the new limitation on deducting business interest, the treatment of costs of goods sold under the BEAT, and the BEAT’s approach to depreciable and amortizable property whether purchased, leased or licensed.
At home, in public, and in between: gender differences in public, private and transportation pro-environmental behaviors in the US Intermountain West

Research in environmental sociology finds differences between men and women in the performance of pro-environmental behaviors, but gender effects change over time, and vary by location and type of ...
Dynamic Structuring in Cellular Self-Organizing Systems

Conventional mechanical systems composed of various modules and parts are often inherently inadequate for dealing with unforeseeable changing situations. Taking advantage of the flexibility of multi-agent systems, a cellular self-organizing (CSO) systems approach has been proposed, in which mechanical cells or agents self-organize themselves as the environment and tasks change based on a set of rules. To enable CSO systems to deal with more realistic tasks, a two-field mechanism is introduced to describe task and agents complexities and to investigate how social rules among agents can influence CSO system performance with increasing task complexity. The simulation results of case studies based on the proposed mechanism provide insights into task-driven dynamic structures and their effect on the behavior, and consequently the function, of CSO systems.
Uncertain Context: Uncertainty Quantification in Machine Learning

Machine learning and artificial intelligence will be deeply embedded in the intelligent systems humans use to automate tasking, optimize planning, and support decision-making. However, many of these methods can be challenged by dynamic computational contexts, resulting in uncertainty in prediction errors and overall system outputs. Therefore, it will be increasingly important for uncertainties in underlying learning-related computer models to be quantified and communicated. The goal of this article is to provide an accessible overview of computational context and its relationship to uncertainty quantification for machine learning, as well as to provide general suggestions on how to implement uncertainty quantification when doing statistical learning. Specifically, we will discuss the challenge of quantifying uncertainty in predictions using popular machine learning models. We present several sources of uncertainty and their implications on statistical models and subsequent machine learning predictions.
Epicuticular wax and its effect on canopy temperature and water use of Sorghum

Abstract Epicuticular wax is thought to enable sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] plants to cope with drought. Increased reflectivity of solar radiation and reduced conductance of water vapor are mechanisms responsible for aiding plants in water conservation. Increased reflectivity should lead to a decrease in canopy temperature and water use, whereas decreased conductance should lead to an increase in canopy temperature because of a decrease in evaporative cooling. It is not clear how these competing effects exert control over water use in a crop such as sorghum. To better understand the role of epicuticular waxes on the energy balance of sorghum, experiments were conducted to determine the effects of waxes on field-scale energy fluxes using near-isogenic lines of grain sorghum having different levels of epicuticular wax loading. Waxes caused an overall 2% increase in albedo, and about 86% of the reflected energy between 400 and 1100 nm was from near-infrared wavelengths. This is at variance with recent reports that suggest that waxes can substantially increase the reflectivity of sorghum. Instead, our results indicated that the amount of reflected radiant energy due to waxes was small. When water was non-limiting, waxes caused a 22% decrease in canopy conductance compared to a 2% increase in albedo on average. Consequently, at the expense of higher canopy temperatures, waxes caused a 5% reduction in latent heat flux when water was not limiting. Without rain, water became limiting to plants with lower wax load sooner than it did for plants with higher wax load. The high wax load canopy then was on average 0.4 °C cooler, had 24% greater canopy conductance and 13% greater latent heat fluxes compared to the low wax one. Results suggested that the primary mechanism through which waxes affect the energy balance of sorghum is by means of reduced conductance of water vapor.
A DIFFICULT CASE OF CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS DUE TO RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Acute pericarditis is a disease of relatively low incidence. Often an initial manifestation of a variety of infectious, autoimmune, and malignant etiologies. It frequently presents as a self-limiting condition; however, can develop as constrictive pericarditis. A 66-year-old morbidly obese male
Hominin Stone Flaking and the Emergence of ‘Top-down’ Design in Human Evolution

The philosopher Daniel Dennett argues that complex structures in the natural and cultural worlds emerge from two types of design. Bottom-up design involves the rote action of a simple algorithm in an environment constrained by physical laws. Top-down design involves deliberation and planning, and is unique to modern humans. Identifying the emergence of top-down design in the hominin lineage is an important research challenge, and the archaeological record of stone technology is our best evidence for it. A current view is that artefact types and flaking methods increased in complexity from 3.3 to c. 0.3 million years ago, reflecting improving capacities at spatial cognition and working memory, culminating in top-down design perhaps as early as 1.75 million years ago. Recent experimental work, however, has shown that a simple ‘remove flake’ algorithm constrained by the laws of fracture mechanics—a form of bottom-up design—can produce stone tool attributes thought to be evidence of top-down design. Here, these models are reviewed and critiqued in light of the new experimental evidence. A revised working memory-based model, focusing on the recursive aspects of stone flaking, is proposed.
Introducing ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and Resilience to First-Year Medical Students.

Introduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes and predictive of higher sociodemographic risk. Introducing ACEs into undergraduat...
Predictive constraint solving and analysis

We introduce a new idea for enhancing constraint solving engines that drive many analysis and synthesis techniques that are powerful but have high complexity. Our insight is that in many cases the engines are run repeatedly against input constraints that encode problems that are related but of increasing complexity, and domain-specific knowledge can reduce the complexity. Moreover, even for one formula the engine may perform multiple expensive tasks with commonalities that can be estimated and exploited. We believe these relationships lay a foundation for making the engines more effective and scalable. We illustrate the viability of our idea in the context of a well-known solver for imperative constraints, and discuss how the idea generalizes to more general purpose methods.
Three-dimensional interactions between enhancers and promoters during intestinal differentiation depend upon HNF4.

Cells in renewing tissues exhibit dramatic transcriptional changes as they differentiate. The contribution of chromatin looping to tissue renewal is incompletely understood. Enhancer-promoter interactions could be relatively stable as cells transition from progenitor to differentiated states; alternatively, chromatin looping could be as dynamic as the gene expression from their loci. The intestinal epithelium is the most rapidly renewing mammalian tissue. Proliferative cells in crypts of Lieberkuhn sustain a stream of differentiated cells that are continually shed into the lumen. We apply chromosome conformation capture combined with chromatin immunoprecipitation (HiChIP) and sequencing to measure enhancer-promoter interactions in progenitor and differentiated cells of the intestinal epithelium. Despite dynamic gene regulation across the differentiation axis, we find that enhancer-promoter interactions are relatively stable. Functionally, we find HNF4 transcription factors are required for chromatin looping at target genes. Depletion of HNF4 disrupts local chromatin looping, histone modifications, and target gene expression. This study provides insights into transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing homeostasis in renewing tissues.
Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with the All-Soft Tissue Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Has Acceptable Early and Intermediate-Term Outcomes

Purpose The purposes were to (1) examine early to intermediate-term clinical outcomes and complications of revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using all-soft tissue quadriceps tendon (QT) autografts, and (2) compare quadriceps strength between patients who had hamstring versus patella tendon autografts in their previous reconstruction. Methods One hundred patients (52 males/48 females; 22.6 ± 8.0 years) undergoing revision ACLR with all-soft tissue QT autografts were prospectively followed. All revision procedures were performed by a single surgeon, using a minimally invasive graft harvest technique and suspensory fixation. Subjective assessment of knee function was obtained before and after surgery with the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) survey. Postoperative knee laxity and isokinetic quadriceps strength were collected at regular intervals. Strength was reported as limb symmetry index (LSI; surgical side divided by nonsurgical side). Complications including hematomas, postoperative loss of knee extension, and graft failures were recorded. To determine clinical significance (P ≤ .05), outcomes were compared using analysis of variance or paired samples t-tests. Results The mean IKDC scores significantly improved (54.3 ± 13.0 vs 82.8 ± 13.8), with an average follow-up of 42.2 ± 21.2 months. There were no significant changes in knee laxity side-to-side differences: 6 weeks (1.2 ± 1.5 mm), 3 months (1.2 ± 1.8 mm), 6 months (1.4 ± 1.6 mm). Quadriceps LSIs significantly improved from 71.6% ± 19.3% at 6 months to 81.5% ± 19.3% at 12 months for 60°/s isokinetic testing and 76.6% ± 16.4% at 6 months to 83.9% ± 16.9% at 12 months for 180°/s testing. Graft harvest site hematomas developed in 2 patients, postoperative loss of knee extension in 4 patients, and graft failure in 11 patients. No significant differences in quadriceps or hamstrings LSIs were noted between patients with previous hamstring versus patella tendon autografts (P > .050). Conclusion Revision ACLR with all-soft tissue QT autografts has acceptable early and intermediate-term outcomes with reasonable complication rates (11/80 patients with follow-up). Secondary insult to the extensor mechanism via QT autograft harvest does not adversely affect strength after prior patellar tendon versus hamstring autograft. Level of Evidence Level IV, cases series subgroup analysis.
Amplitude setting and dopamine response of finger tapping and gait are related in Parkinson’s disease

ObjectiveMovement amplitude setting is affected early in Parkinsons disease (PD), clinically manifesting as bradykinesia. Our objective was to determine if amplitude setting of upper limb bimanual movements and bipedal gait are similarly modulated in PD. Methods27 PD and 24 control participants were enrolled. Participants performed a bimanual anti-phase finger tapping task wearing gloves with joint angular sensors, and an instrumented gait assessment. Motor load was varied by asking participants to perform movements at a normal and fast pace. PD participants were evaluated OFF (PD-OFF) and ON (PD-ON) levodopa. ResultsPD-OFF participants had shorter tap interval, smaller tap amplitude, and greater tap amplitude variability than controls in the more affected hands (all p<0.05). Tap amplitude and stride length (p=0.030), and tap frequency and gait cadence (p=0.011) were correlated in PD-OFF. Tap frequency and amplitude were also correlated with motor UPDRS (p<0.005) and bradykinesia motor (p<0.05) and ADL (p<0.005) UPDRS subscales. Levodopa improved mean tap amplitude and stride length during fast tapping in PD participants. ConclusionIn PD-OFF, mean finger tapping amplitude and gait stride length were correlated and showed similar dopaminergic response. SignificanceFuture studies manipulating upper limb amplitude could help provide greater understanding of the networks responsible for amplitude setting in PD.
Accuracy of administrative and clinical registry data in reporting postoperative complications after surgery for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Background The purpose of this study was to describe and compare how postoperative complications after oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) surgery are reported in medical records, institutional billing claims, and national clinical registries. Methods The medical records of 355 previously untreated patients who underwent surgery for oral cavity SCC at our institution were retrospectively reviewed for postoperative complications. Information was compared with claims and National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data. Results We identified 219 patients (62%) experiencing 544 complications (10% major). Billing claims identified 29% of these patients, 36% of overall complications, and 98% of major complications. Of overlapping patients, NSQIP identified 27% of patients, 33% of overall complications, and 100% of major complications noted on chart abstraction. Conclusion The incidence of minor postoperative complications after oral cavity SCC surgery is relatively high. Both claims data and NSQIP accurately recorded major complications, but were suboptimal compared to chart abstraction in capturing minor complications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: 851–861, 2015
Minimally invasive tubular access for posterior cervical foraminotomy.

Aim: BIM deletion polymorphism was deemed to be associated with downregulation of BIM, resulting in a decreased apoptosis induced by epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, accumulating evidences concerning the association between BIM deletion polymorphism and efficacy of EGFR-TKI and survival in EGFR-mutation-driven NSCLC patient reported contradictory results. Materials and Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted by combing six original eligible studies including 871 NSCLC patients. Results: Our study showed that BIM deletion polymorphism was significantly associated with poor response to EGFR-TKI therapy in mutant EGFRNSCLC patients (P h = 0.309, P z = 0.001, OR = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23-0.67). Disease control rate (DCR) in mutant EGFRNSCLC patient with treatment of EGFR-TKI was significantly decreased in patients with BIM deletion polymorphism comparing to patients harbored BIM wild variant (P h = 0.583, P Z = 0.007, OR = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.25-0.85). EGFR mutation-derived NSCLC patient carrying BIM deletion polymorphism had a shorter progression-free survival (PFS; P h Conclusion: These results suggested that BIM deletion polymorphism might be a cause that contributes to primary EGFR-TKI resistance, and it could be used as a genetic predictor for EGFR-TKI outcome and an independent prognostic factor of EGFR mutation-driven NSCLC patient.
Structural integration in hypoxia-inducible factors

The hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) coordinate cellular adaptations to low oxygen stress by regulating transcriptional programs in erythropoiesis, angiogenesis and metabolism. These programs promote the growth and progression of many tumours, making HIFs attractive anticancer targets. Transcriptionally active HIFs consist of HIF-α and ARNT (also called HIF-1β) subunits. Here we describe crystal structures for each of mouse HIF-2α-ARNT and HIF-1α-ARNT heterodimers in states that include bound small molecules and their hypoxia response element. A highly integrated quaternary architecture is shared by HIF-2α-ARNT and HIF-1α-ARNT, wherein ARNT spirals around the outside of each HIF-α subunit. Five distinct pockets are observed that permit small-molecule binding, including PAS domain encapsulated sites and an interfacial cavity formed through subunit heterodimerization. The DNA-reading head rotates, extends and cooperates with a distal PAS domain to bind hypoxia response elements. HIF-α mutations linked to human cancers map to sensitive sites that establish DNA binding and the stability of PAS domains and pockets.
China's Economic and Political Penetration in Africa

A senior American specialist on China and noted geographer presents a study of that country's economic and political penetration into the African continent. The author identifies three key elements of China's objectives and plan, namely (1) support for Chinese policies in international affairs, particularly with regard to Taiwan, (2) search for oil and other mineral resources, and (3) creation of a new market for Chinese goods and services in tandem with additional jobs in China. The paper includes four case studies highlighting economic activities stimulated by Chinese loans and investments in the Republic of South Africa, Egypt, Sudan, and Angola. Considerable attention is devoted to oil imports, exports of cheap consumer goods, and construction and repair of infrastructure by Chinese technicians and laborers, as well as the competition between Chinese imports and host-country manufacturing and the PRC's diplomatic support of rogue African nations. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers:...
Elementary Pre-service Teacher Preparation in the Area of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems

Youth social, emotional, and behavioral problems continue to be of great concern and are costly to individuals and society. Teachers are in an ideal position to recognize symptoms of these problems and to provide or obtain appropriate services. Thus, it is critical to examine the training that pre-service teachers receive. In the present study, we evaluated the curriculum requirements for certification in randomly selected college/university elementary teacher training programs. Course syllabi were examined to determine the amount and type of training future elementary teachers received related to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Results indicated limited exposure to such information. The findings are discussed with respect to implications for college/university teacher preparation programs, student outcomes, and future research.
Amino acid recognition and gene regulation by riboswitches

Riboswitches specifically control expression of genes predominantly involved in biosynthesis, catabolism and transport of various cellular metabolites in organisms from all three kingdoms of life. Among many classes of identified riboswitches, two riboswitches respond to amino acids lysine and glycine to date. Though these riboswitches recognize small compounds, they both belong to the largest riboswitches and have unique structural and functional characteristics. In this review, we attempt to characterize molecular recognition principles employed by amino acid-responsive riboswitches to selectively bind their cognate ligands and to effectively perform a gene regulation function. We summarize up-to-date biochemical and genetic data available for the lysine and glycine riboswitches and correlate these results with recent high-resolution structural information obtained for the lysine riboswitch. We also discuss the contribution of lysine riboswitches to antibiotic resistance and outline potential applications of riboswitches in biotechnology and medicine.
Irritant contact dermatitis

Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is the most common form of contact dermatitis. It represents the cutaneous response to the toxic/physical effects of a wide variety of environmental agents. Nowadays, it is recognized that irritancy does not represent a single monomorphous entity but rather a complex biologic syndrome with diverse pathophysiology and clinical manifestations. The clinical presentation is highly variable depending on several factors, including properties and strength of the irritant, dose, duration and frequency of exposure, environmental factors, and skin susceptibility. The pathophysiological mechanism depends on activation of the innate immune system and involves skin barrier disruption, cellular changes, and release of proinflammatory mediators that directly recruit and activate T lymphocytes. The diagnosis of irritant contact dermatitis is often clinical, and involves a comprehensive history and examination, as well as the exclusion of allergic contact dermatitis with patch testing. Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis as well as better awareness of the clinical significance of ICD will lead to a improved care for our patients.
Vanadate stimulates the pumped movements of Na in skeletal muscle

We have measured the effects of concentrations of vanadate ranging between 0.01 and 10 mM on the22Na efflux of frog sartorius muscles. The addition of vanadate had no effects when concentrations lower than 0.5 mM were used; higher concentrations increased Na efflux. The increase was abolished by the addition of ouabain (10−5M). In muscles pretreated with ouabain vanadate did not modify Na efflux. The stimulatory effects of vanadate on Na efflux were also observed in Na-free solutions indicating that the effux of vanadate was not caused mainly either by an increase in the exchange of Na for Na or by an increase in Na entry into the muscle. We also examined the effects of vanadate on muscles immersed in solutions containing 20 mM K+; both vanadate and increased K+ produced stimulations of Na efflux that were additive. Similarly when the effects of vanadate and insulin were measured on the Na efflux of the same muscle, additive effects were found. As the ouabain-sensitive Na efflux in frog muscle is generally agreed to be due to the activity of the Na-K ATPase, our findings suggest that the net effect of vanadate in intact muscle cells is an increase in the activity of the Na pump. Since vanadate affects many enzymes it is quite possible that the stimulatory action is not due to a direct effect on the Na-K ATPase but may be mediated through an intermediary step. Regardless of the specific mechanism, it is evident that, our results as well as other findings in the literature, strongly indicate that Na pumping by intact cells can be increased by vanadate administration. Hence it is not justified to attribute the physiological modifications caused by vanadate administration to blockade of the Na-K ATPase unless the attribution is justified by specific experimental evidence.