cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Steroid Hormones Regulate Gene Expression Posttranscriptionally by Altering the Stabilities of Messenger RNAs

Hormones exert powerful effects on reproductive physiology by regulating gene expression. Recent discoveries in hormone action emphasize that regulation of gene expression is not restricted to their alterations of the rate of gene transcription. On the contrary, hormonal effects on the stability of a specific mRNA can profoundly alter its steady-state concentration. The mRNAs encoding hormone receptors are commonly regulated by their own hormones to create autoregulatory feedback loops. Negative and positive autoregulatory feedback loops serve to limit or augment hormonal responses, respectively. After introducing the topics of mRNA degradation and regulated stability, this review focuses on steroid hormone effects on mRNA stabilities. Autoregulation of the mRNAs encoding estrogen, progesterone, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors by the steroid hormones in reproductive tissues is discussed. In addition, steroid hormone effects on the stabilities of many other mRNAs that are important to reproductive biology are reviewed. These include mRNAs that encode gonadotropin hormones, integrins, growth factors, and inflammatory response proteins. Through these posttranscriptional effects, steroid hormones impact the expression of a large population of genes. Studies of the molecular mechanisms of hormonally regulated mRNA stabilities continue to identify critical mRNA sequence elements and their interactions with proteins. Increased understanding of how hormones affect mRNA stability may yield novel approaches to the therapeutic control of hormone effects, including those essential to reproductive physiology in animals.
NUP98-PHF23 is a chromatin-modifying oncoprotein that causes a wide array of leukemias sensitive to inhibition of PHD histone reader function.

In this report, we show that expression of a NUP98-PHF23 (NP23) fusion, associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in humans, leads to myeloid, erythroid, T-cell, and B-cell leukemia in mice. The leukemic and pre-leukemic tissues display a stem cell-like expression signature including Hoxa, Hoxb, and Meis1 genes. The PHF23 PHD domain is known to bind H3K4me3 residues, and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the NP23 protein bound chromatin at a specific subset of H3K4me3 sites, including Hoxa, Hoxb, and Meis1. Treatment of NP23 cells with disulfiram, which inhibits the binding of PHD domains to H3K4me3 residues, rapidly and selectively killed NP23 myeloblasts; cell death was preceded by decreased expression of Hoxa, Hoxb, and Meis1. Furthermore, AML driven by a related fusion gene, NUP98-JARID1A (NJL), was also sensitive to disulfiram. Thus, the NP23 mouse provides a platform to evaluate compounds that disrupt binding of oncogenic PHD proteins to H3K4me3.
The pinacol rearrangement of cyclopentylcycloheptane-1,1'-diol

Abstract When cyclopentylcycloheptane-1,1'-diol was heated with dilute acid, the major product was spiro [5.6] dodecan-1-one. The diene, 1-(1-cyclopentenyl)cycloheptene, was a minor product, and no spiro [4.7] dodecan-6-one was found.
c-Met ectodomain shedding rate correlates with malignant potential.

Purpose: Many proteins are proteolytically released from the cell surface by a process known as ectodomain shedding. Shedding occurs under normal physiologic conditions and can be increased in certain pathologies. Among the many receptors for which ectodomain shedding has been shown is c-Met, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor tyrosine kinase. HGF stimulates mitogenesis, motogenesis, and morphogenesis in a variety of cellular targets during development, homeostasis, and tissue regeneration. Inappropriate HGF signaling resulting in unregulated cell proliferation, motility, and invasion occurs in several human malignancies. This can occur through paracrine signaling, autocrine loop formation, receptor mutation, gene amplification, or gene rearrangement, accompanied frequently with overexpression of ligand and/or receptor proteins. We hypothesized that c-Met overexpression in cancer might result in increased ectodomain shedding, and that its measure could be a useful biomarker of tumor progression. Experimental Design: We developed a sensitive electrochemiluminescent immunoassay to quantitate c-Met protein in cell lysates, culture supernatants, and biological samples. Results: A survey of cultured cell models of oncogenic transformation revealed significant direct correlations ( P t test or ANOVA) between malignant potential and the rate of c-Met ectodomain shedding that was independent of steady-state receptor expression level. Moreover, weekly plasma and urine samples from mice harboring s.c. human tumor xenografts ( n = 4 per group) displayed soluble human c-Met levels that were measurable before tumors became palpable and that correlated directly with tumor volume ( R 2 > 0.92, linear regression). Conclusions: For a variety of human cancers, c-Met ectodomain shedding may provide a reliable and practical indicator of malignant potential and overall tumor burden.
Comparison of conventional and inverted organic photovoltaic devices with controlled illumination area and extraction layers

Abstract The impact of device architecture on organic photovoltaic device performance has been problematic to quantify due to extraction layer materials and device testing issues. In particular, published reports have used different pairs of hole and electron extraction layer materials for conventional versus inverted devices. The origins of the large apparent discrepancy in device J–V characteristics become difficult to understand, arising from differences in built-in potentials and in the extraction layers’ conductivities that can affect collection of stray current outside of device area. Here, we show that by using an identical pair of hole and electron extraction layers, and by precisely defining illuminated device area with a shadow mask, most of the differences in the performance of conventional and inverted P3HT:PCBM organic photovoltaic devices are eliminated. The remaining difference in short-circuit current density and EQE spectral shape can be explained primarily by the ratio of hole and electron mobility that leads to more efficient carrier extraction in the inverted devices, with a minor contribution from unintentional p-type doping of the active layer that influences the drift field profile.
Rethinking Grammatical Error Annotation and Evaluation with the Amazon Mechanical Turk

In this paper we present results from two pilot studies which show that using the Amazon Mechanical Turk for preposition error annotation is as effective as using trained raters, but at a fraction of the time and cost. Based on these results, we propose a new evaluation method which makes it feasible to compare two error detection systems tested on different learner data sets.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNITARY TAX APPORTIONMENT METHOD

Taxpayers and taxing jurisdictions are, by definition and motivation, opposing forces and, therefore, in continual conflict. Taxpayers strive to minimize their tax liabilities while taxing jurisdic...
Prebiotic Vesicle Formation and the Necessity of Salts

Self-assembly is considered one of the driving forces behind abiogenesis and would have been affected by the environmental conditions of early Earth. The formation of membranes is a key step in this process, and unlike large dialkyl membranes of modern cells the first membranes were likely formed from small single-chain amphiphiles, which are environment-sensitive. Fatty acids and their derivatives have been previously characterized in this role without concern for the concentrations of ionic solutes in the suspension. We determined the critical vesicle concentration (CVC) for three single-chain amphiphiles with increasing concentrations of NaCl. All amphiphile species had decreasing CVCs correlated to increasing NaCl concentrations. Decanoic acid and oleic acid were impacted more strongly than monoacylglycerol, likely because of electric shielding of the negatively charged headgroups in the presence of salt. There was no impact on the salt species as 100 mM NaBr, NaCl, and KCl all exhibited the same effect on CVC. This research shows the importance of salt in both the formation of life and in experimental design for aggregation experiments.
Management principles to treat nerve loss after violent trauma to the upper extremity

This article discusses nerve loss treatment options. The role of cable graft versus early tendon transfers are delineated. Vascularized grafts and the timing of nerve grafting also are discussed.
Between Progress and Apocalypse: A Reassessment of Millennialism in American Religious Thought, 1800-1880

A spate of recent scholarship confirms that Coxe's was indeed a hymn for the times. The images of the book of Revelation that inspired his song were virtually ubiquitous among nineteenth-century Americans. The Apocalypse prompted a few, such as the followers of William Miller, to expect the early end of the world and inspired many more in the mainstream denominations to promote revivals, missionary work, and other benevolent causes as a way of inaugurating the Kingdom of God on earth. Spilling into the secular realm, millennialism sometimes motivated social reforms (as well as opposition to them) and provided a major way in which Americans defined their country as a Redeemer Nation. In the 1860s the Civil War demonstrated how deeply millennial symbols had sunk into the collective psyche as writers and ministers seized the images of the Revelation to portray the struggle as an Armageddon of the Republic.2
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PREPARATIVE METHODS AND LONG-TERM THERMAL STABILITY OF POLY (4, 4′-OXYDIPHENYLENEPYROMELLITIMIDE) FIBER

The subject of the title was investigated. The higher crystalline fibers hot-drawn at temperature above 400°C had poor long-term thermal stability (290°C), regardless of imidization methods of the precursor fibers, presumably as a result of the physical deterioration which was accompanied by increase in crystallinity caused by the heat treatment. The lower crystalline fibers which were chemically imidized and drawn 1.1-1.2 times at 290°C had moderate tensile properties and excellent heat durability; i.e., percents of both tenacity and elongation retained after 65h at 290°C in air were about 100%.
Solid-State NMR Investigation Of Mixed-Alkali Distribution In Phosphate Glasses

The correlation between 31P and 23Na (or 133Cs) nuclei in a mixed-alkali phosphate glass has been investigated by TRAnsfer of Populations by DOuble Resonance (TRAPDOR) NMR spectroscopy. The variation in spatial proximity between 31P nuclei in phosphate tetrahedra and sodium (or cesium) modifier ions has been demonstrated in a phosphate glass with molar composition 25 Cs2O: 31 Na2O: 44P2O5. Interactions between 31P and 23Na (or 133Cs) nuclei are shown to exist even at low dephasing times indicating the short-range nature of these couplings. The ratios of resonance intensities from Q1 and Q2 phosphate units show different trends depending on whether couplings to 23Na or 133Cs are investigated, demonstrating the differing structural roles of the modifier alkali cations within the glass.
Presence in tumor tissue of a mouse mammary cancer accelerant.

Summary and Conclusions(1) In a series of 3 experiments involving 100 ZBC mice an accelerating factor was demonstrated in the unfiltered supernatant fluid which had been prepared by centrifugation repeatedly of a saline extract of fresh (unfrozen) mouse mammary carcinoma Z8352. This tumor, which originated in a female C3H mouse possessing the milk agent, is maintained by transplantation in ZBC mice not possessing the milk agent. (2) In a second series of 3 experiments involving 102 ZBC mice a similar accelerant was demonstrated in homogenates of Z8352 tumor tissue which had been stored in a deep freeze chest at —18 °C for from 63 to 118 days. (3) It is probable that the two factors, the “fresh (unfrozen) accelerant” and the “frozen accelerant”, are a single entity derived from the tumor tissue by two different methods.
A Prospective Randomized Study on the Risk of Bacteremia in Banding versus Sclerotherapy of Esophageal Varices.

Background: Esophageal variceal banding may be less likely to cause bacteremia than sclerotherapy. The existing data about the frequency of bacteremia after esophageal variceal banding are conflicting, and few studies include both banding and sclerotherapy. Aims: We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to compare the frequency of bacteremia after esophageal variceal banding and sclerotherapy. Methods: Over a two year period, patients with liver disease admitted for upper gastrointestinal bleeding or for outpatient elective variceal therapy were enrolled. New patients were randomized pre-procedure to either banding or sclerotherapy and subsequent sessions utilized the initial procedure. Groups consisted of banding, sclerotherapy and endoscopy without variceal therapy. Subjects underwent endoscopy by 1 of 3 gastroenterologists. Blood cultures were obtained before, 5 and 30 minutes after endoscopy to check for bacteremia. Results: Post-endoscopic blood cultures were positive following 4 of 139 (2.9%) sessions: 1 sclerotherapy and 3 control sessions. All post-endoscopic positive blood cultures were found following emergency sessions (4/92, 4.3%). One pre-endoscopic blood culture was positive in a patient with emergency banding. The rates of positive post-endoscopic blood cultures among groups with emergency banding (0/22, 0%), emergency sclerotherapy (1/41, 2.3%), and emergency control (3/29, 10.3%) were not significantly different. Post-endoscopic positive blood cultures were not found after elective sessions with either banding or sclerotherapy. Conclusions: Post-endoscopic bacteremia was infrequent following emergency endoscopy in patients with esophageal variceal bleeding. Bacteremia was not found after esophageal variceal banding, although this was not significantly less frequent than after sclerotherapy. Post-endoscopic bacteremia was not associated with elective variceal therapy.
Unconformity and transport hydrocarbon characteristic

This paper studies the unconformity and its upper and lower rock structure and characteristic,dividing them into upper bottom conglomerate,weathered clay and half-weathered rock. It proposes that communicating pores of the bottom conglomerate and the discharge-weathered fracture system of half-weathered rock are main channels of oil and gas transportation by uncomformity. The discharge-weathered fracture system has a stronger transportation capability than the communicating pores of the bottom conglomerate. For the uncomformity formed by non-uniform,brickle and hard formation wearthering,discharge-weathered fracture system and communicating pores of the bottom conglomerate are the main transportation channels.For the uncomformity formed by uniform,fine grained,clay contained and soft formation, discharge-weathered fracture system and communicating pores of the bottom conglomerate are the main transportation channels before the overlapped sedimentation charge reaches a certain amount. After that, only communicating pores of the bottom conglomerate is the main channel.
Photovoltaic Maximum Power Point Tracker Based on Fuzzy Control

A photovoltaic( PV) maximum power point tracker is designed on the basis of fuzzy control. First,the maximum power point tracking( MPPT) algorithm is designed on the basis of fuzzy control and applied to the PV maximum power point tracker based on the BUCK circuit. Then,the load resistance parameter of the BUCK circuit is designed and fuzzy control rules are established. Finally,the MPPT experimental results are given under different weather conditions.
Mobile robot planning to seek help with spatially-situated tasks

Indoor autonomous mobile service robots can overcome their hardware and potential algorithmic limitations by asking humans for help. In this work, we focus on mobile robots that need human assistance at specific spatially-situated locations (e.g., to push buttons in an elevator or to make coffee in the kitchen). We address the problem of what the robot should do when there are no humans present at such help locations. As the robots are mobile, we argue that they should plan to proactively seek help and travel to offices or occupied locations to bring people to the help locations. Such planning involves many trade-offs, including the wait time at the help location before seeking help, and the time and potential interruption to find and displace someone in an office. In order to choose appropriate parameters to represent such decisions, we first conduct a survey to understand potential helpers' travel preferences in terms of distance, interruptibility, and frequency of providing help. We then use these results to contribute a decision-theoretic algorithm to evaluate the possible choices in offices and plan where to proactively seek help. We demonstrate that our algorithm aims to minimize the number of office interruptions as well as task completion time.
Duration of classicality in highly degenerate interacting Bosonic systems

Abstract We study sets of oscillators that have high quantum occupancy and that interact by exchanging quanta. It is shown by analytical arguments and numerical simulation that such systems obey classical equations of motion only on time scales of order their relaxation time τ and not longer than that. The results are relevant to the cosmology of axions and axion-like particles.
Proposed Adjustments to PI-RADS Version 2 Decision Rules: Impact on Prostate Cancer Detection

Existing Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) version 2 decision rules for determining the overall PI-RADS category were reasonable in terms of Gleason score of 7 or greater (GS ≥7) tumor detection; a number of exploratory proposed adjustments to the decision rules (in the transition zone [TZ], upgrading category 3 to 4 based on diffusion-weighted imaging score of 4 or a modified dynamic contrast enhancement score of positive; in either the peripheral zone or TZ, upgrading category 4 to 5 based on a size of 10–14 mm) also appeared to have value for detecting GS ≥7 tumors.
Solving the Photon Maze for Sensing and Imaging inside Scattering Media

This paper summarizes some of our recent achievements in suppressing light scattering. These technologies may have profound impacts in biomedical applications since most biological tissues are opaque to visible or near-infrared photons due to scattering.
Synthesis of Modified mRNA for Myocardial Delivery

Cardiac gene therapy shows tremendous promise in combating the growing problem of heart disease. Modified mRNA (modRNA) is a novel gene delivery system used in vitro or in vivo to achieve transient expression of therapeutic proteins in a heterogeneous population of cells. Incorporation of specific modified nucleosides enables modRNA to be translated efficiently without triggering antiviral and innate immune responses. ModRNA has been shown to be effective at delivering short-term robust gene expression to the heart and its use in the field of cardiac gene therapy is expanding. Here, we describe a stepwise protocol for the synthesis of modRNA for in vivo myocardial delivery.
JUSTICE AND RECIPROCITY: THE CASE FOR NONIDEAL THEORY

This essay discusses and criticizes the claim that normative political theory can be (justifiably and fruitfully) divided into two parts—a part having to do with ideal theory which assumes full compliance and abstracts away from issues having to do with implementation and, contrasting with this, a nonideal part having to do with implementation and with rules and institutions appropriate for conditions of partial compliance. On this conception of ideal theory, empirical facts about human behavior and motivation, connected to issues surrounding compliance and implementation, are irrelevant to ideal theory, although such facts can be relevant to the nonideal part of normative theory. I argue against this conception, holding instead that such empirical facts are relevant to most or all of normative political theory, including “fundamental” normative principles.
Magnetic Circular Dichroism, Theory

Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy is a type of electronic spectroscopy, derived from the Faraday or Zeeman effect, that can be a particularly useful and effective method for structural analysis. It is particularly effective for the characterization of the ligating environment of metal complexes, metallo-enzymes and haem containing proteins. The theoretical background, instrumental considerations and example applications are given.
Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan Virus in Ticks by a Multiplex Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR Assay.

ABSTRACT Ixodes scapularis ticks are implicated in transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Babesia microti, and Powassan virus. We describe the establishment and implementation of the first multiplex real-time PCR assay with the capability to simultaneously detect and differentiate all five pathogens in a single reaction. The application of this assay for analysis of ticks at sites in New York and Connecticut revealed a high prevalence of B. microti in ticks from Suffolk County, NY. These findings are consistent with reports of a higher incidence of babesiosis from clinicians managing the care of patients with tick-borne diseases in this region. IMPORTANCE The understanding of pathogen prevalence is an important factor in the determination of human risks for tick-borne diseases and can help guide diagnosis and treatment. The implementation of our assay addresses a critical need in surveillance of tick-borne diseases, through generation of a comprehensive assessment of pathogen prevalence in I. scapularis. Our finding of a high frequency of ticks infected with Babesia microti in Suffolk County, NY, implicates this agent as a probable frequent cause of non-Lyme tick-borne disease in this area.
Designtex, Inc. (A)

Susan Lyons, a vice president at DesignTex, a firm that develops high-end custom-fabric collections, wants to create an environmentally responsible fabric that will provide a model for sustainable design. Lyons consults with William McDonough, a noted designer of environmentally sustainable buildings and materials, whose stated ideal is that no environmental risk is acceptable. The A case follows the development of a new furniture fabric, and asks students to decide whether McDonough's principles go too far--whether it is really necessary or feasible to redesign the chemical protocols to produce a completely compostable product that emerges from an absolutely clean manufacturing process. See also the B case (UVA-E-0100).
Surrogates for Single-Phase Conjugate Heat Transfer Validation Experiments at Light Water Reactor Prototypical Conditions

Because of the complexity of the flow within light water reactor (LWR) cores, numerous small-scale phenomena locally influence heat transfer and critical heat flux (CHF). They include development o...
Targeting Specificity of the CRISPR/Cas9 System

CRISPR/Cas9 system has accelerated research across many fields since its demonstration for genome editing. CRISPR also offers vast therapeutic potential, but an important hurdle of this technology is the off-target mutations it can induce. In this viewpoint, we will discuss recent strategies for improving CRISPR specificity, emphasizing how a complete mechanistic understanding of CRISPR/Cas9 can benefit such efforts. We also propose that agreeing upon a consensus protocol with the highest specificity could benefit researchers working on CRISPR-based therapies. In addition to improving CRISPR/Cas9 specificity, accurate detection of off-target events is also crucial, and we will discuss various unbiased off-target detection methods in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. We suggest that using a combination of cell-based and cell-free methods can prove more useful. In addition, we point out that improving predictive algorithms for off-target sites would require pooling of the available off-target ana...
Network Hazard and Bailouts

This paper studies a model of firms with endogenous bilateral exposures and government bailouts. It is shown that the anticipation of bailouts makes firms less concerned with the counterparty choices of their counterparties. This “network hazard” gives rise to large central firms. Bailouts can mitigate contagion but they can not restore output losses. Consequently, idiosyncratic bad shocks to large central firms generate large welfare losses. As such, bailouts create welfare volatility and systemic risk. Surprisingly, moral hazard on risk-return dimension is mitigated by bailouts. Ex-ante regulations can induce discontinuous changes in the network.
Too hot to handle? Analytic solutions for massive neutrino or warm dark matter cosmologies

Author(s): Slepian, Z; Portillo, SKN | Abstract: We obtain novel closed-form solutions to the Friedmann equation for cosmological models containing a component whose equation of state is that of radiation (w =1/3) at early times and that of cold pressureless matter (w=0) at late times. The equation of state smoothly transitions from the early- to late-time behaviour and exactly describes the evolution of a species with a Dirac delta function distribution inmomentum magnitudes | p0| (i.e. all particles have the same | p0|). Such a component, here termed 'hot matter', is an approximate model for both neutrinos and warm dark matter. We consider it alone and in combination with cold matter and with radiation, also obtaining closed-form solutions for the growth of superhorizon perturbations in each case. The idealized model recovers t(a) to better than 1.5 per cent accuracy for all a relative to a Fermi-Dirac distribution (as describes neutrinos). We conclude by adding the second moment of the distribution to our exact solution and then generalizing to include all moments of an arbitrary momentum distribution in a closed-form solution.
Evaluating the impact of market-assisted land reform in Brazil

Abstract This paper evaluates the impact of land reforms on household agricultural investments, livelihood strategies, and income levels in Brazil. Given the persistence of rural poverty in Northeast Brazil and the existence of both land and credit market failures, land reforms remain important policy tools for alleviating poverty and increasing growth. This paper evaluates the impact of the recent National Program of Land Credit, a controversial market-assisted land reform program that provides access to land through private land markets. Household-level panel data covering similar beneficiary and control groups allows for identification using both propensity score weighting and difference-in-difference methodologies. The evidence indicates that the Land Credit successfully transitions households into agriculture, with land holdings and investments increasing as a result of the program. As with many earlier land reform programs in Latin America, the new wave of market-assisted land reforms does not increase access to private credit. While land reforms have the potential to drive redistribution, poverty reduction, and growth, these findings suggest that ensuring greater access to credit, irrigation, and higher return economic activities remains important.
The Value of Energy Efficiency in the Anchorage Residential Property Market

The residential sector is a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions. Improving the energy efficiency of the housing stock can reduce carbon emissions and increase property values. In this paper, we examine whether residential energy efficiency improvements are capitalized into home prices in Anchorage, Alaska. The impact of a residential energy efficiency program on single-family house prices is estimated using both a hedonic pricing framework and a difference-in- differences estimator. The results indicate that participating homes sell for a premium of 4.2% compared to similar properties that did not participate in the program.
Non-oxide (Silicon Carbide) Fibers

Non-oxide ceramic fibers are being considered for many applications, but are currently being developed and produced primarily as continuous-length structural reinforcement for ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Since only those fiber types with compositions based on silicon carbide (SiC) have demonstrated their general applicability for this application, this chapter focuses on commercially available SiC-based ceramic fiber types of current interest for CMC and on our current state of experimental and mechanistic knowledge concerning their production methods, microstructures, physical properties, and mechanical properties at room and high temperatures. Particular emphasis is placed on those properties required for successful implementation of the SiC fibers in high-temperature CMC components. It is shown that significant advances have been made in recent years concerning SiC fiber production methods, thereby resulting in pure near-stoichiometric small-diameter fibers that provide most of the CMC fiber property requirements, except for low cost.
The Kaputian Program and Its Relation to DNR-Based Instruction: A Common Commitment to the Development of Mathematics with Meaning

The Kaputian program for research in mathematics education is characterized by five foci: equity, quantitative reasoning, gradual development through the grades, advanced technology grounded in classroom context, and a particular epistemology. Its research questions concern the development and implementation of mathematics curricula that are founded on and organized around these characteristics. In this paper, I discuss (1) these characteristics as they pertain to students’ engagement with the mathematics of change and variation and (2) the relation of the Kaputian program to DNR-based instruction in mathematics.
Oscar Wilde: The Unrepentant Years. By Nicholas Frankel. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017. Pp. 374. $29.95.)

This new book represents an important revisionist take on the final years of the iconic artist whose name has come to be virtually synonymous with fin‐de‐siecle Britain. This very readable book sho...
Automatic strategy for CHO channel reduction in x-ray angiography systems

Multiple efforts have been made in x-ray angiography to transition from traditional image quality metrics to mathematical observer models. Recent works have successfully implemented the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) model for x-ray angiography systems. However, in these works the channel selection process is ambiguous and limits to identifying a range of frequencies and other channel parameters that are believed to represent the most relevant features of the imaging tasks. This channel selection rationale can be sufficient for certain simple scenarios but it might not be enough for more complex ones. On the other hand, it has been shown that besides dealing with the well-known bias caused by a finite number of samples, there is also another source of bias in the estimation of the detectability index in x-ray angiography. Such source of bias has been attributed to nonrandom differences in noise between images acquired at different time points, also referred as temporally variable nonstationary noise. This work proposes a task-specific automated method for optimal channel selection and corrects for the influence of bias due to temporally variable nonstationary noise, particular from x-ray angiography systems. The proposed method is computationally inexpensive, provides time efficient selection of optimal channels, and contributes to minimize bias, all of these without significantly compromising the accuracy of the detectability index estimation. This method for channel optimization can be readily adapted to other imaging modalities.
Applied Uses of Growth Substances — Growth Inhibitors

Plant growth regulating chemicals are used in agriculture to increase the efficiency of production. Production efficiency “standards” change as economic conditions, consumer needs, and desires change. When considering the present and future uses of plant growth regulators (PGR’s), this fact becomes important. Yield of a crop per unit area is certainly important but yields must be considered also in relation to cost of production, which changes with demand and improved technology. The total world market for PGR’s (including defoliants and desiccants) is projected to be about $ 150 million by 1984 — up from about $ 59 million in 1974 (1). Even though this 150% increase seems impressive, it represents only a little over 1% of the world pesticide sales which are projected to be almost $ 10 billion by 1984. In 1974 the total cost of treatment for plant defoliation or regulation in the U.S. was nearly $ 35 million (2). Hardy (3) associates several factors with the slow development of PGR’s, but he also indicates that a number of factors suggest an improved future of them.
A Review of Bonnie Ruberg’s Video games have always been queer

Histories of video games have often been written through a heteronormative lens, and underrepresented or harmfully misrepresented LGBTQ subjects and their experiences (Ruberg, 2019, pp. 1–3). The m...
Computational Discovery of the Origins of Life

In silico reaction discovery using ab initio molecular dynamics shows that the chemistry of life could have originated from two simple inorganic molecules (HCN and water).
FFTX for Micromechanical Stress-Strain Analysis

Porting scientific simulations to heterogeneous platforms requires complex algorithmic and optimization strategies to overcome memory and communication bottlenecks. Such operations are inexpressible using traditional libraries (e.g., FFTW for spectral methods) and difficult to optimize by hand for various hardware platforms. In this work, we use our GPU-adapted stress-strain analysis method to show how FFTX, a new API that extends FFTW, can be used to express our algorithm without worrying about code optimization, which is handled by a backend code generator.
Impact of epilepsy training on school teachers and counselors: An intervention study in Lebanon.

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the immediate impact of an epilepsy training through the administration of a questionnaire (in Arabic) before and immediately after the intervention in Lebanese public and private schools. This project is part of an awareness campaign applied to 3 groups of teachers and counselors and consisted of a pretest, a unified conference and a posttest. The statistical analysis used the McNemar and Stuart Maxwell tests (statistical significance level of 0.05). 73 participants completed the questionnaires. The majority were female (68.5%), aged less than 39 years (57%) and familiar with epilepsy. A positive impact of the training was found regarding the effect of epilepsy on schooling, seizures manifestations, psychological effects, seizure first aid and the possibility of curing epilepsy with surgery. Most of our participants recognized that children with epilepsy have a comparable IQ to others. They did not exhibit a discriminatory attitude against people with epilepsy in terms of the direct attitude towards them, employment or marriage. This is one of few studies done worldwide demonstrating an immediate positive effect of epilepsy training among school teachers. Future research should be undertaken to develop robust training models to destigmatize epilepsy.
Childhood Trauma Exposure Exacerbates the Impact of Concurrent Intimate Partner Violence Exposure on Women's Posttraumatic Symptoms

Although it is well established that intimate partner violence (IPV) is detrimental to women's mental health, it remains unclear to what extent symptoms can be attributed to the proximal effects of IPV exposure itself as opposed to more stable scarring effects or co-occurring risk factors. Heterogeneity in the magnitude of IPV effects further suggests that IPV-exposed individuals are differentially susceptible to disorder, and an investigation of moderating factors that may make women more vulnerable is warranted. We used a prospective longitudinal study of low-income mothers followed from 3 to 18 months postpartum to distinguish the concurrent mental health effects of IPV exposure from overall person-level IPV-mental health associations, as well as to test the moderating role of prior relational traumatic experiences in the form of childhood maltreatment. Multilevel modeling results demonstrated a unique concurrent association between increasing IPV and women's posttraumatic symptoms over time, even after controlling for an overall association between mean IPV and symptom levels. The effects of concurrent IPV were heightened in women who reported a history of childhood maltreatment. Model effects were medium to large, R2 = .27-.35. The implications of these findings for the identification of and intervention with women at the highest risk for relational trauma-related mental health difficulties are discussed.
The employment discrimination experiences of younger and older Americans with cancer under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The goal of the research was to describe discrimination, both actual and perceived, that has occurred against younger individuals with cancer (i.e., 35 years of age and under) in comparison with older individuals with cancer (i.e., over age 35) through analysis of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Integrated Mission System (IMS) database. An ex post facto, causal comparative quantitative design was used to examine Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) Title I complaints received by the EEOC from younger people with cancer from 2009 through 2016 (n = 1001) in comparison with older people with cancer over the same time period (n = 8874). Results revealed statistically significant differences in the patterns of issues alleged by the two groups. When compared with older charging parties with cancer, the younger charging parties with cancer had proportionally more individuals who were male and who identified as African American and proportionally fewer individuals who identified as Caucasian. Younger people with cancer were more likely to allege discrimination in the areas of promotion, training, reinstatement, and referrals to other employers. They were less likely to allege discrimination in the area of benefits. The younger group was also significantly less likely than the older group to find that EEOC investigations of their allegations resulted in merit-based case resolutions, that is, discrimination had indeed occurred. Psychosocial programs and vocational programming assisting young adults with career development should focus on the types of discrimination that young adults experience, which is unique compared with older adult cancer survivors.
A Parametric Test for the Distinction between Unemployed and Out of the Labor Force Statuses

Whether or not to empirically consider two (employed versus not employed) or three (employed, unemployed, out-of-labor-force) classifications in labor supply studies is a controversial issue. We develop a generalized censored probit likelihood function that nests both possibilities. A novelty of this likelihood function is that it allows researchers to test which representation of the labor market is appropriate as well as to estimate the degree to which classification errors may cloud inferences. Our empirical results demonstrate that classifying the three groups is useful to identify individuals’ labor force and employment decisions separately. However, failure to incorporate classification ambiguities may result in unemployed rates that are understated and out-of-labor-force rates that are overstated. JEL Classification Codes: C3, C5, J6.
Topographic Mapping in Alaska

Alaska has presented many challenges to mapmakers in the form of terrain, weather, and logistics problems. At the same time it has been an opportune proving ground for the development of new and en...
Incidence of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Patients With Newly Implanted Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices.

Background:Heparin exposure and device-related thrombocytopenia complicate the diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in patients receiving mechanical circulatory support (MCS). To imp...
Whither Formal Contracts

To measure the benefits of formal contract enforcement for society, I create a market with merchants and buyers, in which buyers can choose whether to buy, and whether to pay. A set of multiple “state‐favored” ethnic groups control the state. I experimentally vary whether formal contracts are required and the composition of buyer‐merchant pairs. The design separately identifies the effect of the contracts on the buyers' incentive to pay and on their incentive to buy. I document two ways in which society limits the benefits of contracts. First, contracts reduce buyer cheating, thus increasing merchants' profits, if, and only if, the merchant is state‐favored. Buyers' beliefs suggest that the merchants can enforce the contracts if, and only if, the merchant is state‐favored. Second, holding constant whether the pair is state‐favored, contracts only influence buyer choices when the buyer and the merchant belong to two, different, state‐favored ethnic groups. Buyers' choices and beliefs confirm that, in that case, the contracts are expected to be enforceable, but they have no effect on buyers' choices because reputation already governs the incentives to cheat within groups. The findings temper the view of the state as independent from society, offer a rationale for why contracts are not adopted, and nuance the notion of state weakness.
Truth Commissions and Transitional Societies: The Impact on Human Rights and Democracy

Despite the increasing frequency of truth commissions, there has been little agreement as to their long-term impact on a state's political and social development. This book uses a multi-method approach to examine the impact of truth commissions on subsequent human rights protection and democratic practice. Providing the first cross-national analysis of the impact of truth commissions and presenting detailed analytical case studies on South Africa, El Salvador, Chile, and Uganda, author Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm examines how truth commission investigations and their final reports have shaped the respective societies. The author demonstrates that in the longer term, truth commissions have often had appreciable effects on human rights, but more limited impact in terms of democratic development. The book concludes by considering how future research can build upon these findings to provide policymakers with strong recommendations on whether and how a truth commission is likely to help fragile post-conflict societies. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of Transition Justice, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict Studies, Democratization Studies, International Law and International Relations.
Emerging Perspectives on Human Babesiosis

Babesial parasites have special historical significance because the babesial agent of Texas cattle fever, characterized by Smith and Kilborne in 1893, was the first arthropod-transmitted pathogen described in vertebrates. The first case of human babesiosis in an individual from the eastern United States was reported in 1969 and attracted the interest of the medical community because it was a fulminating case in a spleen-intact patient. The first clinical studies of human babesiosis described erythema chronicum migrans-like lesions in the early stages of disease. Awareness of human babesiosis has prompted the identification of new human cases worldwide. Reports of human babesiosis around the world underscore the likelihood that many such cases go undetected, possibly because of unfamiliarity of physicians with the disease. Similarly, in South Africa, two human cases initially diagnosed as malaria were later recognized as cases of human babesiosis after reexamination of blood smears revealed merozoites in erythrocytes without pigment but with nonstaining vacuoles and many multiply infected erythrocytes, all of which are charactersitic of babesial infections. An increasing population of immunocompromised individuals will result in an increase in the number of human babesiosis cases. Parasitemias in human infection with Babesia divergens range from 1 to 50% of the erythrocytes. In chronically infected individuals, the sensitivity of the PCR technique targeting the 18S ss rRNA gene would be low due to the small number of parasites in a sample and the small number of target genes present in Babesia spp.
Maximal clique based distributed coalition formation for task allocation in large-scale multi-agent systems

We present a fully distributed algorithm for coalition formation among autonomous agents. The algorithm is based on two main ideas. One is a distributed computation of maximal cliques (of bounded sizes) in the underlying graph that captures the interconnection communication topology of the agents. Hence, given the current configuration of the agents, the coalitions that are formed are characterized by a high degree of connectivity, and therefore a high fault tolerance with respect to the subsequent node and/or link failures. The second idea is that each agent chooses its most preferable coalition based on how highly the agent values each such coalition in terms of the coalition members' combined resources or capabilities. Coalitions with sufficient resources for fulfilling are preferable to the coalitions with resources that suffice only for completing less valuable tasks. We envision variants of our distributed algorithm presented herein to prove themselves useful coordination subroutines in many massively multi-agent system applications where the agents may repeatedly need to form temporary groups or coalitions of modest sizes in an efficient, online and fully distributed manner.
Court Standards for Terminating Employees Under the ADA: Some Questions and Answers for Managers

Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, managers have had to wrestle with the question of what to do when employees become disabled and can no longer perform their jobs as they had before. By law, managers are required to retain such employees if, with reasonable accommodations, they are able to perform their jobs' essential functions. But the written law leaves a number of issues in doubt, such as how managers should (1) determine whether an employee's impairment qualifies as a disability, (2) identify the job functions that are essential, and (3) decide how far to go when granting an accommodation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued volumes of regulatory guidelines that deal with these questions. Only now, however, is a body of case law beginning to emerge. Because case law takes legal precedence over EEOC interpretations, managers must keep abreast of court decisions, especially when the courts' edicts conflict with those published by the EEOC. This article describes ADA case law in the form of answers to questions frequently posed by managers. It is based on a review of 44 ADA court cases dealing with wrongful termination claims, 4 of which were decided by the Supreme Court.