cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AVERAGE COPULATION DURATION AND INSEMINATION REACTION IN THE GENUS DROSOPHILA.

Drosophila insemination reactions were first reported by Patterson (1946). Although the intensity and duration of insemination reactions vary among species, a typical, strong response to copulation advances in the form of a massive secretion from the vaginal wall, swelling the cavity to several times its original size with a viscous mass that persists for about 8 h. After the mass has cleared, once-mated females may refrain from mating for several days; those that do remate form new reaction masses (Patterson, 1947). Patterson (1946) and Lee (1950) have shown that a non-sperm component of the ejaculate stimulates the vaginal secretions. Patterson (1946, 1947) speculated that intraspecific reactions may 1) serve preparatory roles in fertilization and egg production or, 2) function analogously to mating plugs as post-copulatory mechanisms against sperm competition. Wheeler (1947) extended the survey of intraspecific reactions to more than 70 Drosophila species. Roughly half of them formed pronounced, persistent reaction masses after mating; the remaining half were about equally divided into classes having either very slight reactions or no detectable reactions. If either of Patterson's interpretations about possible functions of insemination reactions is correct, the variability of manifested responses among Drosophila species is curious: how do species without the reaction get along? The genus is also diverse for copulation duration; species' averages range from under a minute to more than an hour (Spieth, 1952). Because prolonged copulation has been included as one of the mechanisms by which males of various species may guard sperm (see Smith, in press), perhaps the heterogeneity for insemination reaction and copulation duration in Drosophila reflect alternative systems against sperm competition. Or, perhaps, insemination reactions are more likely to arise in species with prolonged copulations. Whatever their functions might be, this survey was made to determine if an association between average copulation duration and insemination reaction exists in the genus Drosophila.
Global Analysis of a Multi-Product, Multi-Line Production System Using Q-GERT Modeling and Simulation

Abstract Numerous techniques and algorithms have been developed for the analysis of production flow line systems. However, due to the complex nature of such systems, it is often possible to analyze only a small segment of the production line system at one time. When solution designs result from this analysis and are then implemented within the overall system, inefficient results can and frequently do occur. As such, an overall methodology is needed to analyze complex production line systems in their entirety. Q-GERT network modeling and simulation offers unique possibilities for this purpose. Q-GERT, a derivative of GERT network modeling, includes such features as probabilistic branching, network looping, multiple node realizations, and queue nodes which make it applicable to complex network forms such as production flow lines. In this paper Q-GERT is demonstrated as an appropriate vehicle for analysis via a detailed case example of a multi-product, multi-line production system. The production system is f...
Studying the Reversibility of Multielectron Charge Transfer in Fe(VI) Cathodes Utilizing X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

The superiron salts BaFeO4 and K2FeO4 when utilized as battery cathodes both undergo a three electron charge transfer; however, they exhibit significantly different physical and electrochemical properties. K2FeO4 exhibits higher solid-state stability and higher intrinsic 3e– capacity (406 mAh/g) than BaFeO4 (313 mAh/g); however, the rate of cathodic charge transfer is considerably higher for BaFeO4. To understand these differences, primary coin cells of alkaline batteries containing either μm-BaFeO4, μm-K2FeO4, or nm-K2FeO4 (nm = nanometer, or μm = micrometer size particles) were constructed and discharged to various depths under a constant load. Discharged cathode composite were studied by ex-situ X-ray absorption measurements. The oxidation state of discharge product of the Fe local symmetry was followed by the magnitude of K-edge and pre-edge Fe 1s to 3d peak. To track structural changes, the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) χ functions of the partially discharged cathodes were subject ...
FROM SEGREGATION TO CELEBRATING DIVERSITY

The move from segregation of students with behaviour difficulties to one of inclusion required teachers to make a significant paradigm shift. This paper reviews the strategies used by the New South Wales state education department to facilitate, over time, paradigm shifts in teacher thinking. Are there factors which limit the success of these strategies? What can be learnt from this?
Infarct size reduction with the nucleoside transport inhibitor R-75231 in swine

Adenosine (Ado) has been reported to be cardioprotective in several models of myocardial ischemia. The nucleoside transport inhibitor R-75231 (R-75) has been reported to enhance local Ado concentrations and postischemic recovery of function, but little is known regarding its effects on myocardial infarct size. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of R-75 on infarct size and to measure myocardial regional Ado concentrations. Studies were conducted in pentobarbital-anesthetized swine undergoing 60 min of coronary artery occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion. Control pigs (n = 8) were compared with those receiving R-75 (0.1 mg/kg i.v.) 15 min before either occlusion (Pre R-75, n = 8) or reperfusion (Rep R-75, n = 8). Interstitial fluid (ISF) Ado, coronary venous Ado, and infarct size (% of the region at risk) were measured. In the Pre R-75 group, ISF Ado concentrations were significantly increased before and during ischemia, reaching a peak value of 71.8 +/- 8.6 microM (vs. 16.8 +/- 0.8 microM in control). ISF inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations were significantly reduced during ischemia in Pre R-75 animals. Infarct size was smaller in Pre R-75 compared with control (21.6 +/- 1.9 vs. 38.4 +/- 2.6%, P < 0.05). The Rep R-75 group had significantly elevated coronary venous Ado concentrations but no increases in ISF Ado or reduction in infarct size (33.5 +/- 3.5%). These data indicate that R-75 increases myocardial Ado and reduces infarct size when administered before coronary occlusion. The R-75-induced reduction in infarct size appears to be related to the augmentation of ISF Ado before ischemia rather than to increased plasma Ado during reperfusion.
Alfonso VIII, Cruzada y Cristiandad

Crusading was the most effective method of integrating the Iberian Peninsula within Christendom. This fact is most evident when we consider the reign of Alfonso VIII of Castile. This monarch married the daughter of the king of England, arranged the marriage of his eldest daughter with the heir of the German Emperor and married another of his daughters with the future king of France. These actions convey the need for maximum integration which can be traced using several indicators –political, ideological, cultural...– that moreover reinforce the propaganda image of a king at the service and in defence of Christianity.
A Self-Portrait as Landscape Painter: Caspar David Friedrich and Phrenology

The article explores a precocious moment of interest in how the brain mediates aesthetic perception. Around 1810, Caspar David Friedrich drew himself with several features that derivate from his earlier self-portraits, including two bumps between the brows at the root of the nose. These cranial protuberances were associated with a cognitive faculty that the phrenologist Franz Joseph Gall insisted is common among landscape painters: "Ortssinn", characterized by a heightened ability to remember places and to measure distance and perspective. I argue that Friedrich's drawing is a self-portrait "as landscape painter", where the signifiers of identity are no longer conventional artistic or sartorial attributes but rather the contours of the cranium and, by implication, the fabric of the artist's mind.
The International Tax Treaty

This chapter describes and explains how tax treaties operate in cross-border transactions. The situs of an international investment is often determined by the existence of a low tax, reducing a tax treaty in force. However, careful examination must be made as several countries have adopted anti-tax-treaty provisions to challenge treaty benefits to some “residents.” The chapter also identifies the main methods of double taxation relief and their application.
Oil-Infused Superhydrophobic Silicone Material for Low Ice Adhesion with Long-Term Infusion Stability

A new approach for anti-icing materials was created to combat the effects of ice accretion and adhesion. The concept combines the strengths of individual characteristics for low ice adhesion based on elasticity, superhydrophobicity, and slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) for an optimal combination of high water repellency and ice-phobicity. This was achieved by replicating microtextures from a laser-irradiated aluminum substrate to an oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer, the result of which is a flexible, superhydrophobic, and lubricated material. This design provides multiple strategies of icing protection through high water repellency to retard ice accretion and with elasticity and oil infusion for low ice adhesion in a single material. Studies showed that an infusion of silicone oils with viscosity at 100 cSt and below 8 wt % in PDMS solution is sufficient to reduce the ice shear strength to an average of 38 kPa while maintaining contact angles and roll-off angles of above 15...
Capsule ultrasound device: Further developments

We are developing a capsule ultrasound (CUS) device - a pill with the capability to scan the gastrointestinal (GI) tract through ultrasound. In this paper, we discuss the design and fabrication of the main components of the CUS device including the CMUT array, front-end electronics, and the wireless transmitter. We demonstrate a successfully fabricated 128-element CMUT array with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-filled trenches and show their input impedance in air. The front-end electronics, measuring 6 mm by 6 mm and the high-data rate wireless transmitter, measuring 1 mm by 1.76 mm, have been fabricated. Our preliminary power analysis indicates that our total power consumption is less than 20 mW for the CUS device. Our future work involves integrating these core components for imaging experiments.
Effect of ocean oxidation on the chemical structure of marine kerogen

Abstract The burial of organic matter (OM) in marine sediments is an important control on global climate and petroleum formation on geological timescales. While the oxygen exposure time of sediment has been shown to affect the efficiency of organic carbon burial, and influence OM properties in recent sediments, the implications for the chemical composition of kerogen have not been tested. This study tests the hypothesis that oceanic redox conditions are an important control on the molecular structure and composition of kerogen. Samples from a number of outcropping Late Cretaceous mudstones of the Eagle Ford Formation were chosen, spanning a gradient of paleo-redox depositional conditions (oxic/sub-oxic to anoxic) and the bulk molecular composition of the kerogen was determined using solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR spectral properties of kerogen covaried with redox-sensitive trace metal abundance, whereas the thermal maturity and OM source biomarkers were relatively invariant. Anoxic environments favor the preservation of alkyl C moieties, while kerogen formed in oxic depositional environments was enriched in aromatic C. This study is the first to demonstrate that diagenetic consequences of bottom water redox conditions are retained in the molecular structure of the kerogen macromolecule on geological timescales.
ORAL TRANEXAMIC ACID REDUCES TRANSFUSIONS AND OPERATING ROOM TIME IN TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY

Background Intraoperative blood loss is a known potential complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce intraoperative blood loss and postoperative transfusion in patients undergoing TKA. While there are numerous studies demonstrating the efficacy of intravenous and topical TXA in patients undergoing TKA, there are comparatively few demonstrating the effectiveness and appropriate dosing recommendations of oral formulations. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 2230 TKA procedures at a single institution identified 3 treatment cohorts: patients undergoing TKA without the use of TXA (no-OTA, n=968), patients undergoing TKA with administration of a single-dose of oral TXA (single-dose OTA, n=164), and patients undergoing TKR with administration of preoperative and postoperative oral TXA (two-dose OTA, n=1098). The primary outcome was transfusion rate. Secondary outcomes included maximum postoperative decline in hemoglobin, number of blood units transfused, length of hospital stay, total drain output, cell salvage volume, and operating room time Results Transfusion rates decreased from 24.1% in the no-OTA group to 13.6% in the single-dose OTA group (p<0.001) and 11.1% in the two-dose OTA group (p<0.001), with no significant difference in transfusion rates between single- and two-dose OTA groups (p=0.357). Operating room time was reduced from 154 minutes in the no-OTA group to 144 minutes in the one-dose OTA group and 144 minutes in the two-dose OTA group (p<0.01). Additionally, maximum postoperative decline in hemoglobin was reduced from 4.3 g/dL in the no-OTA group to 3.5 g/dL in the single-dose OTA group (p<0.01) and 3.4 g/dL in the two-dose OTA group (p<0.01), without a significant difference between the single- and two-dose regimens (p=0.233). Conclusions OTA reduces transfusions and operating room time, with the potential advantages of greater ease of administration and improved cost effectiveness relative to other routes of administration. Further study such as a randomized clinical trial is needed to verify the effectiveness of OTA and further optimize dosing regimens in the TKA setting. Level of Evidence Therapeutic Level III.
Comparing Digital and Visual Evaluations for Accuracy and Precision in Estimating Tall Fescue Brown Patch Severity

Brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn), a destructive disease of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), is typically evaluated visually. The subjectivity of visual evaluations may be reduced using technology like digital image analysis (DIA). This study compared DIA and visual evaluations for accuracy and precision of brown patch ratings of glasshouse grown tall fescue plants. Across four experiments, 112 plants were inoculated with R. solani. Disease was rated visually and using DIA-WP (digital image analysis whole plant canopy). In two experiments, disease evaluations were replicated using three images and three visual evaluations per pot. Absolute error was calculated as the difference between actual disease severity [calculated using an individual leaf DIA method previously quantified as highly predictive of actual brown patch disease severity on tall fescue (r² = 0.99)] and DIA-WP and visual evaluations, respectively. Standard deviations within repeated measures were also calculated. A mixed-model ANOVA was used to determine differences (P < 0.05) in mean absolute error and mean standard deviation by method, disease range, and method by disease range. Disease ranged from 0 to 100%. Mean absolute error did not differ between methods but did by disease range, exhibiting a bell-shaped curve from 0% to 100% disease severity. Mean standard deviation exhibited significant method by disease range interaction. Mean standard deviation did not differ across the disease range within DIA-WP evaluations but did across the disease range within visual evaluations. The more consistent precision of DIA across the disease range could reduce variability in brown patch evaluations of tall fescue.
Deactivating Demographic Faultlines in Teams: A Threat Approach

Threat-rigidity theory suggests that there are significant adverse information processing effects to the introduction of threats and stressors in teams. However, research in social psychology has d...
Earth, Formation and Early Evolution

Earth formed as a silicateand metal-rich body in the context of the other inner solar system “terrestrial” worlds. In its early evolution, it separated into layers (core, ▶mantle, ▶ crust) as a consequence of the chemical and mechanical properties of the materials that accreted to the Earth. The surface zone stabilized within the first 200 million years of Earth’s existence and has hosted geochemical cycles modulated in whole or in part by the presence of liquid water and an atmosphere since about 4.4 Ga ago.
Classroom interventions to reduce failure & withdrawal in CS1: a field report

This paper reports on a set of classroom interventions at a public urban university to reduce the failure and withdrawal rate in CS1. Though unsuccessful in the original goal of reducing the withdrawal or failure rate, the interventions provided valuable information suggesting contributors to poor course outcomes and have spurred course revisions going forward.
Does Anyone Really Want Integration? A Discussion on the Desirability of Integration as a Mitigation Goal

The purpose of the chapter is to evaluate the desirability of integration as the end goal of desegregation. The research of Mallach (Inclusionary Housing Programs: Policies and Practices. Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 1984), Patterson (The Ordeal of Integration: Progress and Resentment in America’s “Racial” Crisis. Civitas Books, New York, 1998), Ogbar (Black Power: Radical Politics and African American Identity (Reconfiguring American Political History). The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2004), Bloom and Martin (Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party. University of California Press, Oakland, CA, 2012), Ivery and Bassett (Reclaiming Integration and the Language of Race in the “Post-Racial Era.” Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2015), Jabobus (Inclusionary Housing: Creating and Maintaining Equitable Communities (Policy Focus Reports). Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge, MA, 2015) and Stanley (An Impossible Dream? Racial Integration in the United States, Oxford University Press, New York, 2017) informed this focus group agenda. The topic was also shaped by primary source material that included the writings of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. The conversation had five main themes. One, while the civil rights legislation of the 1960s has been beneficial to individual African Americans, it has been detrimental to many black communities. Two, the nature of community life is changing for both whites and blacks. Three, the impact of design in bringing about segregation is limited. Four, while there are also constrains on what policy can accomplish, it is the optimal tool in achieving desegregation. Five, true integration is still the desired ultimate goal, yet America lacks the commitment to realize it. In the accompanying essay, “Unity of Research and Social Action: Models for Praxis in St. Louis,” Kenneth Jolly examines the black-nationalist writings in Proud, a St. Louis Black Studies journal published in the 1970s, to showcase the complex relationship between the concept of integration and black self-determination.
A dynamic semester-long social dilemma game for economic and interdisciplinary courses

AbstractThe authors present a semester-long game to teach the role of economics in natural resources management. The game is framed within a fisheries context: multiple student fisheries harvest fish to maximize yield/profit, which is measured using a piecewise linear function. There are prizes for both the student and the group with the highest semester-long catch, which brings forth the social dilemma associated with dynamic stock externalities in fisheries. The game can be played in large classes, is robust to student attrition, and requires 5–10 minutes per class period. Given its features, it can be used to teach behavioral economic principles in resource management, incentives versus command-and-control regulations, role of cheap talk, social preferences, punishment, and community management as well as solutions such as aquaculture.
The nephrology quiz and questionnaire: 2006.

The Nephrology Quiz and Questionnaire (NQQ) occurs at each American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Annual Meeting. Before the meeting, case questions are submitted to Training Program Directors and to the general ASN membership. The results are compiled and displayed at the annual meeting. The general
Clinicopathologic Assessment of Monoclonal Immunoglobulin-Associated Renal Disease in the Kidney Allograft. A Retrospective Study and Review of the Literature.

Background Monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg)-associated renal disease (MIgARD) comprises a group of disorders caused by direct deposition of paraproteins in the kidney. Allograft MIgARD is infrequently encountered and poorly characterized. Methods First, we assessed our allograft biopsies diagnosed with MIgARD between 2007 and 2018. The cohort included the following 26 patients: proliferative glomerulonephritis with MIg deposits (PGNMID) (n = 13), AL amyloidosis (n = 5), light chain deposition disease (n = 5), light chain proximal tubulopathy (n = 2), and light chain cast nephropathy (n = 1). Second, we conducted a literature review to evaluate the rare non-PGNMID entities. We identified 20 studies describing 29 patients that were added to our cohort (total n = 42). Results Part 1: Patients' median age was 55 years; 31% were women, and 19% were blacks. Twelve patients (46%) lost their grafts at a median of 8 months after diagnosis. Compared to non-PGNMID, PGNMID patients had lower frequency of detectable paraproteins (31% versus 92%, P = 0.004) and hematologic neoplasms (23% versus 77%, P = 0.02). Within PGNMID group, 6 patients changed their apparent immunofluorescence phenotype between monotypic and polytypic, while all 3 patients with hematologic neoplasms had substructure on electron microscopy. Part 2: Whereas light chain cast nephropathy occurred the earliest and had the worst graft survival, AL amyloidosis occurred the latest and had the best graft survival. Conclusions MIgARD in the kidney allograft is associated with poor prognosis. While posttransplant PGNMID can change its apparent clonality by immunofluorescence supporting oligoclonal immune responses, the presence of deposit substructure is an important indicator of underlying hematologic neoplasm. Non-PGNMID are often associated with hematologic neoplasms and varied prognosis.
Abstract 181: Community Paramedicine’s Impact on Readmission Reduction

Stroke readmissions within 30 days have been identified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a measure of hospital quality. Readmitted stroke patients experience greater mortali...
Imaging heterogeneity of NAD(P)H in individual extracellular vesicles using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)

Individual extracellular vesicles from human epithelial breast cancer cells were imaged using a custom two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system to assess and characterize the heterogeneity of their NAD(P)H content.
Vaccine inoculation rate of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in rural population and vaccination strategy in the Xi'an epidemic area

Objective To describe the vaccine inoculation rate of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and the movement characteristics of rural population in the Xi'an epidemic area. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. The study covered all the four HFRS traditional high incidence areas (counties): Zhouzhi, Huxian, Chang'an and Lintong. Three villages were selected in each county and 20 households were selected in each village in 2013. Participants included all the persons of these families. People 16-60 years old were interviewed face to face about their sociodemographic and environmental information, and at the same time related HFRS vaccine history and characters of migrant workers were collected. Results Nine hundred and ninety-six persons were investigated, 69.3 percent (690/996) were vaccinate-age population. Of all, 49.0 percent (338/690) had HFRS vaccine history and 53.9 percent (372/690) had worked away from home most of the year. The inoculation proportion of workers which worked in their own counties (56.8%, 67/118) were higher than that of workers worked outside (37.0%, 60/162; 39.1%, 36/92, χ2 = 10.74, 6.44, all P < 0.017). In the workers that went back home every week, 60.3 percent (76/126) had vaccinated. Workers that went back home once a year had the lowest proportion of inoculation (16.7%, 7/42). The morbidity of HFRS decreased significantly accompany with ascend of inoculation rate (Y=-0.524X + 38.319, t =-4.581, P < 0.05). Conclusions After the free vaccinations, there is still a gap between the vaccine inoculation rate and prevention benefit. The current vaccination strategies need to be adjusted. Key words: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome; Vaccine; Inoculation rate
Understanding Visual Memes: An Empirical Analysis of Text Superimposed on Memes Shared on Twitter

Visual memes have become an important mechanism through which ideologically potent and hateful content spreads on today's social media platforms. At the same time, they are also a mechanism through which we convey much more mundane things, like pictures of cats with strange accents. Little is known, however, about the relative percentage of visual memes shared by real people that fall into these, or other, thematic categories. The present work focuses on visual memes that contain superimposed text. We carry out the first large-scale study on the themes contained in the text of these memes, which we refer to as image-with-text memes. We find that 30% of the image-with-text memes in our sample which have identifiable themes are politically relevant, and that these politically relevant memes are shared more often by Democrats than Republicans. We also find disparities in who expresses themselves via image-with-text memes, and images in general, versus other forms of expression on Twitter. The fact that some individuals use images with text to express themselves, instead of sending a plain text tweet, suggests potential consequences for the representativeness of analyses that ignore text contained in images.
Insights on Potential Formation Damage Mechanisms Associated with the Use of Gel Breakers in Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing using water-soluble polymers has been extensively used to enhance the productivity of oil and gas wells. However, the production enhancement can be significantly impaired due to polymer residue generated within the proppant pack in the created fractures. This work describes an approach to establish a suitable fracturing fluid cleanup process by characterizing broken polymer residues generated from the use of different gel breaker types. Commonly used gel breakers such as inorganic oxidizers (bromate and persulfate salts), specific enzymes, and acids were evaluated in this work. The influence of each gel breaker was examined using High-Pressure/High-Temperature (HP/HT) rheometer, aging cells, zeta potential, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (ESEM/EDS). Experiments were performed on a carboxymethylhydroxypropyl guar (CMHPG) fracturing fluid at temperatures up to 300 °F. The developed GPC methodology showed that the size of the broken polymer chains was mainly dependent on the type of gel breakers used. Moreover, laboratory tests have revealed that some gel breakers may negatively influence the performance of polymeric clay stabilizers. Additionally, this work showed damaging precipitations that can be generated due to the interactions of gel breakers with H2S.
Origin of pressure induced second superconducting dome in Ay?Fe2?xSe2 [A?=?K, (Tl,Rb)]

Recent observation of a pressure induced second superconducting phase in AyFe2−xSe2 [A = K, (Tl,Rb)] calls for the models of superconductivity that are rich enough to allow for multiple superconducting phases. We propose the model where pressure induces renormalization of band parameters in such a way that it leads to changes in Fermi surface topology even for a fixed electron number. We develop a low-energy effective model, derived from first-principles band-structure calculation at finite pressure, to suggest the phase assignment where a low pressure superconducting state with no hole pocket at the Γ point is a nodeless d-wave state. It evolves into a s± state at higher pressure when the Fermi surface topology changes and the hole pocket appears. We analyze the pairing interactions using a five band tight binding fitted band structure and find that a strong pairing strength is dependent on pressure. We also evaluate the energy and momentum dependence of neutron spin resonances in each of the phases as verifiable predictions of our proposal.
Negotiations of a Woman’s Self: Liminal Experiences and Dialogic Reconsiderations in Anna Banti’s Un grido lacerante

This article focuses on the authorial figure in Anna Banti’s last work, Un grido lacerante. An introspective portrait of an aging author whose life and career have been shaped by remorse over a lost vocation, the novel has traditionally been interpreted as an expression of the autobiographical and historical dimension of Banti’s work. Moving away from notions of self-confessional narratives in favor of an analysis of textual strategies, this study investigates the role of the protagonist within a self-research that opens up to shared experiences and problems of existential, interpersonal and socio-cultural importance. This universalist focus engages in particular Bakhtin’s concepts of dialogic construction and narrative space-time. While the “chronotope” of the threshold encloses the liminality of the protagonist between contradictory identities and inclinations, the idea of a “dialogic self” accentuates the function of this unresolved intermediate position in promoting a subject that is negotiated in relation to internal and external constraints. By formulating an unconventional idea of self and a narrative that develops in a fragmentary and contradictory way to overcome the limits of its own fiction, the novel confronts the constraints women face in pursuing their inclinations and aspirations and addresses issues of a more humanistic nature concerning the right to construct and define one’s own identity independently of conceptions and norms of gender behaviour.
Debt Capacity and Tests of Capital Structure Theories

We examine the impact of explicitly incorporating a measure of debt capacity in recent tests of competing theories of capital structure. Our main results are that if external funds are required, in the absence of debt capacity concerns, debt appears to be preferred to equity. Concerns over debt capacity largely explain the use of new external equity financing by publicly traded firms. Finally, we present evidence that reconciles the frequent equity issues by small, high-growth firms with the pecking order. After accounting for debt capacity, the pecking order theory appears to give a good description of financing behavior for a large sample of firms examined over an extended time period.
Integrated stress response control of granulosa cell translation and proliferation during normal ovarian follicle development

Mechanisms that directly control mammalian ovarian primordial follicle (PF) growth activation and the selection of individual follicles for survival are largely unknown. Follicle cells produce factors that can act as potent inducers of cellular stress during normal function. Consistent with this, we show here that normal, untreated ovarian cells, including pre-granulosa cells of dormant PFs, express phenotype and protein markers of the activated integrated stress response (ISR), including stress-specific protein translation (phospho-Serine 51 eukaryotic initiation factor 2 α ; P-EIF2 α ), active DNA damage checkpoints, and cell cycle arrest. We further demonstrate that mRNAs upregulated in primary (growing) follicles versus arrested PFs mostly include stress-responsive upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Treatment of a granulosa cell (GC) line with the PF growth trigger tumor necrosis factor alpha results in the upregulation of a 'stress-dependent' translation profile. This includes further elevated P-eIF2 α and a shift of uORF-containing mRNAs to polysomes. Because the active ISR corresponds to slow follicle growth and PF arrest, we propose that repair and abrogation of ISR checkpoints (e.g. checkpoint recovery) drives the GC cell cycle and PF growth activation (PFGA). If cellular stress is elevated beyond a threshold(s) or, if damage occurs that cannot be repaired, cell and follicle death ensue, consistent with physiological atresia. These data suggest an intrinsic quality control mechanism for immature and growing follicles, where PFGA and subsequent follicle growth and survival depend causally upon ISR resolution, including DNA repair and thus the proof of genomic integrity.
COVID-19 Skepticism in Relation to Other Forms of Science Skepticism

Efforts to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have encountered skepticism among the public, but COVID-19 is not the only medical or scientific issue that receives such skeptic...
Arterial Hypertension and the Eye

Arterial hypertension is a common systemic disease. In the middle-aged and elderly population, there is a trend toward a rise in blood pressure (BP) which often becomes steeper with age [1]. Systemic mortality and morbidity are markedly higher in hypertensives than in normotensives; for example, hypertensives are seven times as likely to develop stroke as normotensives, four times as likely to have congestive heart failure, three times as likely to have coronary artery disease, and twice as likely to have peripheral arterial disease; and the hypertensive’s risk of total and cardiovascular mortality is twice that of the normotensive [2].
Electron Techniques, Introduction

Electrons are highly versatile probes of materials because they are first, easily accelerated, second, readily focused by electromagnetic fields and third, they interact strongly with matter. At low energies they interact with materials surfaces, while at high energy they can probe the bulk (at least the interior of a thin specimen). In addition, at high energies they have very short wavelengths, for example, 3.7 pm when accelerated to 100 kV, and, given atomic spacings in materials are 100 – 200 pm, in principle fast electrons are easily capable of providing atomic resolution images. Electrons also lose energy to atomic excitations, bringing another plethora of spectroscopic techniques for analysis of surfaces and bulk compositions and electronic structure. This chapter provides overviews of the key methods developed to exploit these characteristics of electrons to probe the structure, composition and chemical bonding of materials, their internal microstructure and the nature of their surfaces and interfaces. Keywords: electron techniques; introduction
Review of "Primate Parasite Ecology: The dynamics and study of host-parasite relationships" by Michael A. Huffman and Colin A. Chapman (Eds.)

Book review of "Primate Parasite Ecology: The dynamics and study of host-parasite relationships" by Michael A. Huffman and Colin A. Chapman (Eds.)
The Environmental Implications of Population Dynamics

Abstract : The Earth's population doubled between 1960 and 1999, increasing from three billion to six billion people. During that period, human-induced changes in the global environment accelerated in unprecedented fashion. Given continued population growth and environmental degradation, it has become paramount that we deepen our understanding of the role played by human population dynamics in environmental change. Drawing from the scientific literature, this report presents a synthesis of what is known about the role played by human population factors in environmental change. Specifically, the report discusses the following: * The relationship between population factors-size, distribution, and composition-and environmental change. The primary forces that mediate this relationship: technology, the institutional and policy contexts, and cultural factors. * Two specific aspects of environmental change that are affected by population dynamics: climate change and land-use change. Implications for policy and further research.
SPICE-based DC and microwave characterization of InAlAs/InGaAs HBTs used for large-bandwidth integrated transimpedance amplifiers

The DC and small-signal microwave performance of InAlAs/InGaAs single HBTs (SHBTs) used for large-bandwidth monolithically integrated transimpedance amplifiers is characterized based on a new HBT model built in SPICE. Several effects observed from InGaAs SHBTs, which are not accounted for in the conventional Gummel-Poon BJT model, are modeled through a macromodeling approach. The developed HBT model accompanied by a detailed parameter-extraction process predicts accurately measured DC and AC characteristics of the HBTs and transimpedance amplifiers.
Is International Law Part of Natural Law

The affinity of international law to natural law goes back a long way to the classic writers of international law. "Natural law" is the method of dispute resolution based on a conscious attempt to perpetuate past similarities in dispute resolution. "International law" has a deep affinity to this natural law method, for it consists of those practices that have "worked" in inter-nation conflict resolution.
Local Diabetic Retinopathy Prediction by Multifocal ERG Delays over 3 Years

Purpose To derive and validate a model for use in predicting local retinal areas in which nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) lesions will develop over a 3-year period, by using primarily the implicit time (IT) of the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Methods Eighteen diabetic patients were examined at baseline and at three annual follow-ups. Ophthalmic examinations, including fundus photographs and mfERG testing, were performed at each visit. Thirty-five retinal zones were constructed from the 103-element stimulus array, and each zone was assigned the maximum IT z-score within it based on 30 age-similar control subjects. Logistic regression was used to investigate the development of retinopathy in relation to baseline mfERG IT delays and additional diabetic health variables. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the models. Results Retinopathy developed in 77 of the 1208 retinal zones, of which 25 had recurring retinopathy. Multivariate analyses yielded baseline mfERG IT, duration of diabetes, and blood glucose concentration as the most important predictors of recurring retinopathy. mfERG ITs were not predictive of transient retinopathy. ROC curves based on the multivariate model for the prediction of recurring retinopathy resulted in an area under the curve of 0.95, sensitivity of 88%, and specificity of 98%. Ten-fold cross-validation confirmed the high sensitivity and specificity of the model. Conclusions The development of recurring retinopathy over a 3-year period can be well predicted by using a multivariate model based on mfERG implicit time. Multifocal ERG delays are promising candidate measures for trials of novel therapeutics directed at preventing or slowing the progression of NPDR.
SUBJECT‐IVE AND OBJECTIVE

Adoptant la these de la verite litterale, selon laquelle les jugements moraux sont litteralement vrais, l'A. mesure l'espace separant la verite litterale du realisme moral, fonde sur l'independance metaphysique de la subjectivite humaine. L'A. introduit la notion de non-su(b)ject-ivte pour trancher le debat entre realisme et anti-realisme moral
Nonlinear finite element analysis of curved beams

Abstract Mixed curved-beam finite elements are developed for the geometrically nonlinear analysis of deep arches. The analytical formulation is based on a form of the nonlinear deep-arch theory with the effects of transverse shear deformation and bending-extensional coupling included. The fundamental unknowns consist of the six internal forces and generalized displacements of the arch. The generalized stiffness matrix is obtained by using a modified form of the Hellinger-Reissner mixed variational principle. Numerical studies are presented to demonstrate the high accuracy of the solutions obtained by the mixed models and to show that their performance is considerably less sensitive to variations in the arch geometry than that of the displacement models.
Dse and Limitations of the Truncated Area Under the Curve in Bioequivalence Testing

AbstractComputer simulations were used to evaluate the truncated area under the plasma level-time curves (AUC.) as indicators of the bioequivalence between test and reference products. Plasma concentrations were simulated from one and two compartment open models using first order absorption rate constants (Ka) and bioavailability (F) ranging respectively from 45 to 200% and 60 to 140% of the reference values. The pharmacokinetic parameters were selected to cover a wide range of disposition rate constants (0.01-0.79 hr.−1). The area under the blood level-time curves was calculated using the trapezoidal rule at each time point (t) according to a conventional sampling regimen. The extent of absorption (AUC.inf) was calculated, using integrals of the general blood equations. The ratios of AUC.: test to reference and AUCL to AUC.were determined. For most simulations, the ratios changed very little between the end of the absorption period, the last time point and the time infinity. AUC, was not a good parameter...
Synorogenic crustal fluid infiltration in the Idaho‐Montana Thrust Belt

Mississippian carbonates in the Sevier thrust belt in Idaho-Montana show shifts in δ18OV-SMOW, from marine carbonate values to as low as +11‰, which are best explained by exchange with externally-derived, low-δ18O fluids. Late-stage, synkinematic calcite veins are depleted in 18O relative to the host-rocks and earlier-formed veins, many having δ18O of +5 to +10‰. These veins could have equilibrated with H2O with δ18O of −7.5 to +2.5‰, perhaps reflecting infiltration of the Sevier thrust wedge by nearshore meteoric waters to depths of ∼10 km. Calcite veins in the hangingwall and footwall of the Pioneer Metamorphic Core Complex, produced during later Paleogene extension, have δ18O of −8.7 to +1.4‰ consistent with equilibration with meteoric waters with δ18O as low as −14‰. Transition from a Cretaceous crustal fluid regime influenced by the nearby Western Interior Seaway to one influenced by lower-δ18O, more inland meteoric waters is consistent with seaway retreat during thrust wedge emergence and Paleogene uplift and subaerial volcanism.
Specific heat of thulium metal between 0.38 and 3.9 K

The specific heat ${C}_{p}$ of thulium metal has been measured in a ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ cryostat. Between 0.38 and 3.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K ${C}_{p}=2.839{T}^{3}+17.94T+23.43{T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\ensuremath{-}1.79{T}^{\ensuremath{-}3}\ensuremath{-}0.066{T}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ (in mJ/mole \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K). The last three terms represent the nuclear specific heat ${C}_{N}$. On the basis of earlier estimates, we put ${C}_{L}=0.243{T}^{3}$ and ${C}_{E}=10.5T$ for the lattice and electronic specific heats, respectively. According to the simple spin-wave theory, the magnetic specific heat ${C}_{M}$ is proportional to ${T}^{3}$ for a ferrimagnetic metal; experimentally one finds ${C}_{M}=6.2{T}^{\frac{5}{2}}$ for thulium, which has a rather complicated ferrimagnetic structure. Further, there seems to be no evidence in ${C}_{M}$ for an exponential factor, to be expected because of magnetic anisotropy. All conclusions on ${C}_{M}$ are tentative, however, until data at temperatures between 4 and 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K become available. ${C}_{N}$ does not fit to the simple picture as given by Bleaney either. Since $I=\frac{1}{2}$ for the only stable thulium isotope ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{169}$, quadrupole interactions are zero and there are only two nuclear energy levels, their separation being determined by the magnetic hyperfine constant ${a}^{\ensuremath{'}}$. This would give a nuclear specific heat with even powers of $T$ only, with ${a}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ determining the values of the coefficients. The observed ${C}_{N}$ cannot be fitted into an equation of this type which indicates that other interactions, probably nuclear exchange interactions, are present. Formally, the experimental situation may be expressed by writing ${a}^{\ensuremath{'}}={a}_{0}\ensuremath{-}\frac{b}{T}$, instead of treating ${a}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ as a constant. Our results are in good agreement with recent M\"ossbauer data by Kalvius et al. who found 22.9 for the coefficient of the ${T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ term.
Reggio Emilia's Commitment to Children and Community: A Reconceptualization of Quality and DAP 1

1An earlier version of this paper was originally published in Canadian Children (Spring, 1997). Portions of this paper are drawn from a keynote address given at a national conference on asili nido (infant/toddler child care) in Parma, Italy: Il nido compie 20 anni: La qualitia delle relazione (Child Care celebrates 20 years: The quality of relations), November 14/15. 1996.
Molecular basis for the enantioselective binding of a novel class of cytochrome bc1 complex inhibitors

The recently solved co-crystal structures of mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex with inhibitors have provided an important structural framework for the elucidation of modes of binding of various bc1 complex inhibitors. N-Phenyl triazolones, a novel class of bc1 complex ubiquinol oxidation (Qo)-site inhibitors, were found to exhibit atropisomerism; in few cases, the atropisomers were resolved and shown to express different biological activities. However, the underlying mechanism for such differential binding of the enantiomers to bc1 complex is unknown. Here molecular docking is used to examine the binding modes of the N-phenyl triazolones fungicides. Our docking studies allow the molecular basis for the enantioselective binding of atropisomeric triazolones to be elucidated. Furthermore, the mode of binding of azoxystrobin has also been clarified.
Widely separated MIMO radar with adaptive waveform for target classification

In prior work, we have shown the advantage of adaptive waveforms for monostatic radar target recognition performance. In this paper, we extend our approach to the widely separated multi-input multi-output (MIMO) radar scenario. MIMO radar exploits a diversity of radar waveforms and target scattering to improve radar performance. We present an iterative information-based waveform design method that results in waveforms having narrow, disjoint bands so as not to interfere with each other. Applying a constant modulus constraint causes spectral spreading, but we study the impact of this spreading and find that the performance loss is minimal.