cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of 9380 contact binaries from the CRTS Variable Sources Catalogue

We construct a sample of 9380 contact binaries (W UMa systems) by using the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey Variables Sources Catalogue. By measuring brightness change rates, light-curve statistics, and temperatures for this sample, we improve the understanding of contact binary light-curve characteristics, and luminosity variability on decadal time-scales. We show that binaries with convective outer envelopes have a different distribution of light-curve amplitudes and magnitude differences between eclipse minima than binaries with radiative outer envelopes. We find that more than 2000 binaries exhibit a linear change in mean brightness over the 8-yr timespan of observations with at least 3σ significance. We note that 25.9 per cent of binaries with convective outer envelopes exhibit a significant change in brightness, while only 10.5 per cent of radiative binaries exhibit a significant change in brightness. In 205 binaries (2.2 per cent), we find that a sinusoid model better describes the luminosity trend within the 8-yr observation timespan. For these binaries, we report the amplitudes and periods (as estimated using observed half-periods) of this sinusoidal brightness variation and discuss possible mechanisms driving the variation.
Beyond the staple motif: a new order at the thiolate-gold interface

Staple motifs in the form of -RS(AuSR)x- (x = 1, 2, 3, etc.) are the most common structural feature at the interface of the thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters, Aun(SR)m. However, the recently solved structure of Au92(SR)44, in which the facets of the Au84 core are protected mainly by the bridging thiolates, challenges the staple hypothesis. Herein, we explore the surface sensitivity of the thiolate-gold interface from first principles density functional theory. We find that the interfacial structures of thiolates on gold are surface sensitive: while a staple motif (such as -RS-Au-SR-) is preferred on Au(111), a bridging motif (-RS-) is preferred on Au(100) and Au(110). We show that this surface sensitivity is closely related to the coordination number of the surface Au atom on the different surfaces. We further confirm the preference of the bridging motif for self-assembled monolayers of two different ligands (methylthiolate and 4-tert-butylbenzenethiolate) on Au(100). With this surface sensitivity, we categorize the structure-known Aun(SR)m clusters into three groups: (1) no bridging; (2) ambiguous bridging; (3) distinct bridging. We further employ the surface sensitivity of the thiolate-Au interface to predict the protecting motifs of face-centered cubic (fcc) gold nanoparticles of different shapes. Our study provides a unifying view of the Aun(SR)m structures with guidelines for structure predictions for larger Aun(SR)m clusters of a fcc core.
Dietary Restriction Extends the Lifespan of Circadian Mutants tim and per

Dietary restriction (DR), or decreased consumption of nutrients such as protein, extends lifespan in multiple model organisms, including Drosophila (Fontana and Partridge, 2015). In a recent article in Cell Metabolism, Katewa et al. (2016) presented evidence indicating that arrhythmic Drosophila females lacking the circadian regulators period (per) or timeless (tim) exhibit truncated lifespan extension in response to DR (Katewa et al., 2016). In Drosophila, Per and Tim proteins are critical regulators of circadian rhythm, or daily oscillations in activity and physiological function.
Gifted Middle School Students’ Achievement and Perceptions of Science Classroom Quality During Problem-Based Learning:

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on student achievement and students’ perceptions of classroom quality. A group of students taught using PBL and a...
Facial Fractures: Associated Injuries and Complications:

JG Thomson, HC Brown, RA Brown, DM Fleiszer. Facial fractures: Associated injuries and complications. Can J Plast Surg 1994;1(4):160-165. The forces necessary to produce a facial fracture are often...
Introduction: The Need to Understand Obesity Risks in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Pediatric obesity has been a public health concern with many initiatives and treatments developed to reduce obesity risks. Children with autism spectrum disorder or other neurodevelopmental disorders are at a higher risk for comorbid obesity. However, most treatments for pediatric obesity including the obesity treatment stages were developed for a general pediatric population. This chapter will provide the basis for the need to address obesity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
New Agents and New Insights for Thrombolytic Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Focus on Anistreplase, Urokinase, and Prourokinase

Three new agents are currently undergoing clinical trials: anistreplase, intravenous urokinase, and prourokinase. Anistreplase (APSAC) is a complex of anisoylated lys-plasminogen and streptokinase which is injected in a dose of 30 U over 2–5 min. Reperfusion rates of 60+10% and patency rates of 70–75% have been observed when it is given in <4 h. Mortality was reduced 48% after anistreplase in one study (AIMS). Intravenous urokinase has yielded reperfusion or patency rates of 60–70% in limited trial experience, with equivalent effects of TPA in one trial (GAUS). Current usage includes a loading injection (eg, 1.5 million U) followed by a maintenance infusion (eg, 1.5 million U/60–90 min). Combinations of urokinase and TPA are also undergoing testing. Prourokinase is a fibrin-selective precursor form of urokinase undergoing initial trials both as a single agent and in combinations with urokinase and TPA. These agents expand the spectrum of thrombolytic options and may begin to impact clinical therapy in the near future.
Selective Hydrodeoxygenation of Vegetable Oils and Waste Cooking Oils to Green Diesel Using a Silica-Supported Ir-ReOx Bimetallic Catalyst.

High yields of diesel-range alkanes are prepared by hydrodeoxygenation of vegetable oils and waste cooking oils over ReOx -modified Ir/SiO2 catalysts under mild reaction conditions. The catalyst containing a Re/Ir molar ratio of 3 exhibits the best performance, achieving 79-85 wt % yield of diesel-range alkanes at 453 K and 2 MPa H2 . The yield is nearly quantitative for the theoretical possible long-chain alkanes on the basis of weight of the converted oils. The catalyst retains comparable activity upon regeneration through calcination. Control experiments using probe molecules as model substrates suggest that C=C bonds of unsaturated triglycerides and free fatty acids are first hydrogenated to their corresponding saturated intermediates, which are then converted to aldehyde intermediates through hydrogenolysis of acyl C-O bonds and subsequently hydrogenated to fatty alcohols. Finally, long-chain alkanes without any carbon loss are formed by direct hydrogenolysis of the fatty alcohols. Small amounts of alkanes with one carbon fewer are also formed by decarbonylation of the aldehyde intermediates. A synergy between Ir and partially reduced ReOx sites is discussed to elucidate the high activity of Ir-ReOx /SiO2.
Perioperative Cardiac Surgery Hypertension

Perioperative hypertension, independent of preexisting hypertension, is common, can have a large impact on surgical outcomes, and, importantly, occurs in patients without any prior history of hypertension. The etiology of perioperative HTN is multifactorial and mechanistically discrete from that of nonsurgical hypertension. Common perturbations and responses to the surgical experience including rapid intravascular volume shifts, changes in sympathetic tone due to anesthetic drugs, direct surgical stimulation, autonomic stress responses, and pain all contribute to the hemodynamic instability commonly encountered during the care of surgical patients. Unlike the consequences of nonsurgical HTN that take years to decades to manifest, those secondary to perioperative BP are appreciated on time scales ranging from minutes to days.
THE IMPACT OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS ON THE TREATMENT OF MUSCULOSKELETAL AND MOVEMENT DISORDERS.

Treatment plans employed by physical therapists involved in musculoskeletal rehabilitation may follow a conventional medical-model approach, isolating care at the tissue level but neglecting consideration for neurocognitive contributions to recovery. Understanding and integration of motor learning concepts into physical therapy practice is integral for influencing the human movement system in the most effective manner. One such motor learning concept is the use of verbal instruction to influence the attentional focus of the learner. Evidence suggests that encouraging an external focus of attention through verbal instruction promotes superior motor performance, and more lasting effects of a learning experience than an internal focus of attention. Utilizing an external focus of attention when instructing a patient on a motor task may facilitate improved motor performance and improved functional outcomes in treatment plans devised to address musculoskeletal injury and movement disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarize the basic principles of motor learning and available evidence on the influence an external focus of attention has on motor learning and performance, including the benefits of an external focus of attention over an internal focus of attention and how therapists may inadvertently encourage the latter. Furthermore, the benefits of possessing greater awareness of neurocognitive mechanisms are discussed to exhibit how implementing such concepts into musculoskeletal rehabilitation can maximize treatment outcomes. Level of evidence 5.
Trainees with Competence Problems in the Professionalism Domain

Increasingly, professionalism has been recognized as a core competency for health service professionals and is the domain in which vexing competence problems are observed in trainees. We begin by d...
Voting Rules and Constitutional Law

Anyone concerned that Bush v. Gore may have been unprincipled or at least insufficiently precise in its reasoning should have the same concern about the leading voting law case emanating from the 2012 presidential election, Obama for America v. Husted. That case is just as fact-specific in its holding as Bush v. Gore was. Moreover, both cases are signs of a pervasive problem in contemporary election law: the judicial evaluation of electoral rules under the prevailing Fourteenth Amendment jurisprudence is woefully indeterminate, as also revealed in the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in Indiana’s voter identification case (Crawford v. Marion County Election Board). When one attempts to put Crawford together with Bush v. Gore, as the lower courts attempted to do in Obama for America v. Husted and other voting related litigation in 2012, one is at a loss as to the specificity of the standard to apply to the facts of the pending case. This indeterminacy is especially problematic in election cases because it tempts judges to decide these politically fraught cases according to their own partisan preferences, rather than according to objectively discernible principles. An alternative approach would be to have federal judges focus explicitly on the problem of partisanship. The new test of a voting procedure’s constitutionality under the Fourteenth Amendment would be whether it was imposed as an effort to tilt the electoral playing field in favor of a particular political party. One advantage of this new test is that it would substitute a relatively straightforward single inquiry — did the relevant arm of state government engage in improper partisan manipulation of the electoral process? — for the currently incommensurate balancing of electoral burdens and administrative benefits. Another advantage of this new test would be that, by making federal judges more consciously (and, in their opinions, expressly) attuned to the risks of improper partisanship, it would increase the likelihood that federal judges would do a better job at policing their own temptations towards partisan rulings in high-stakes election cases.
Emotion Categories Across Languages

Abstract In this chapter, I assess the degree to which emotions are biologically endowed or culturally constructed, explore the nature of the similarity and difference among cultural emotion systems, and compare methods of carrying out that exploration. Rejecting both extreme universalism and relativism, I insist that emotions are at once absolutely biologically endowed and completely locally culturally constructed. I distinguish two major strategies for investigating the similarities and differences among cultural emotion systems. In the “translation method,” one proceeds by finding equivalent sets of emotion terms in two languages, asking native speakers to judge the similarity of the meanings of the terms, and assessing the degree to which the semantic relationships among the terms are similar for the two languages. In this case, translation is a prerequisite of the analysis. Unfortunately, this method presumes the answer to the research question itself. The degree of correspondence between emotion systems cannot be assessed if one presumes to know the corresponding terms from the outset. In the alternative “mapping method,” one proceeds by presenting emotionally evocative stimuli to native speakers, asking them to identify the emotion expressed in the emotional stimuli, and assessing the degree to which the implied similarity of the stimuli is similar for the two languages. In this method, translation is a consequence rather than a prerequisite of the analysis. I present the results of employing the mapping method to study the similarities and differences in the naming of emotional states from facial expressions and from emotional scenarios across a number of languages. I close with an outline of a research design for continued exploration of the patterns of similarity and difference among cultural emotion systems.
Serbia After Djindjic : War Crimes, Organized Crime, and Trust in Public Institutions

(2004). Serbia After Djindjic : War Crimes, Organized Crime, and Trust in Public Institutions. Problems of Post-Communism: Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 10-17.
Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for Older Adults in the United States: 2011 to 2014

Objectives To characterize antibiotics prescribed to older adults to guide efforts to improve antibiotic use. Design Descriptive analysis. Setting Ambulatory. Participants Adults aged 65 and older in the United States. Measurements Information on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions dispensed for older adults from 2011 to 2014 was extracted from the IQVIA Xponent database. A chi‐square trend analysis was conducted to assess annual changes in antibiotic prescribing rates. A descriptive analysis of prescribing rates by antibiotic, age group, sex, state, Census region, and provider specialty was conducted. Results From 2011 to 2014, outpatient antibiotic prescribing rates remained stable in older U.S. adults (P = .89). In 2014, older adults were dispensed 51.6 million prescriptions (1,115 prescriptions/1,000 persons). Persons aged 75 and older had a higher prescribing rate (1,157 prescriptions/1,000 persons) than those aged 65 to 74 (1,084 prescriptions/1,000 persons). Prescribing rates were highest in the South 1228 prescriptions/1,000 persons) and lowest in the West (854 prescriptions/1,000 persons). The most commonly prescribed class was quinolones, followed by penicillins and macrolides. Azithromycin was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin. Internists and family physicians prescribed 43% of antibiotic courses. Conclusion On average, in 2014, U.S. adults aged 65 and older received enough outpatient antibiotic courses for every older adult to receive at least 1. Quinolones and azithromycin are potential targets for assessing the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in this population. Interventions to improve use targeting internists and family physicians in the South Census region might have the potential to have the greatest effect.
Pattern of Planned Systemic Therapy Usage in Newly Diagnosed, Nonmetastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in a Commercially Insured Population in the United States

Background We analyzed systemic therapy plans submitted for commercially insured patients with untreated, newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) to investigate patterns of practice. Methods Consecutive chemotherapy treatment plans were submitted using Eviti Connect (https://www.marylandphysicianscare.com/content/dam/centene/maryland/pdfs/evitiConnectFactSheet.pdf) portal for preauthorization between June 1, 2011, and June 30, 2015, were analyzed. Results A total of 387 treatment plans were submitted for 340 patients; 68 and 272 patients were from academic centers and community practices, respectively. Single agent cisplatin (57%), cetuximab (18%), and carboplatin (9%) were the most commonly proposed regimens concurrent with definitive radiotherapy (RT). The frequency of cetuximab use was not significantly different between academic centers and community practices. A clinical trial was proposed in only 15% of patients. Conclusion Among commercially insured patients with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic SCCHN, the choice of systemic therapy in initial treatment plans was not significantly different between academic centers and community practices. Clinical trials are underutilized and should be encouraged.
Thermal and oxidative behavior of a tetraphenylsilane-containing phthalonitrile polymer:

Phthalonitrile polymers have potential for high-temperature applications in polymer matrix composites as electronic encapsulation compounds. To investigate the effect of inclusion of an organosilic...
The Home Stretch

As 1987 began, with the Reagan administration starting its final two years in the White House, much of the optimism about the ability to put the United States on a new course in space had dissipated. The Challenger accident and the long and contentious process of developing a launch recovery strategy had diverted administration attention from the possibility of setting long-range space objectives. Reagan’s signature space initiative, the space station, was in budget trouble, and, with the grounding of the shuttles, there was little progress in space commercialization. During 1987–1988, the interagency rivalries that had emerged over the roles of the shuttle and expendable launch vehicles shifted their focus to the NASA space station and a potential commercial alternative, the Industrial Space Facility. Having survived its budget problems and after a redesign, the space station was given a name: Freedom.
Systematic Approaches To Tailor the Morphologies and Transport Properties of Solution-Cast Sulfonated Pentablock Copolymers

Sulfonated block polymers are widely studied for applications in water management and electrochemical devices because they combine the properties of ionomers and thermoplastic elastomers in a singl...
Essential Tremor: Lesions

The treatment of medication-refractory tremor with cerebral lesioning has significantly evolved since its inception in the 1930s. While originally a highly morbid procedure, innovations in stereotactic localization and image guidance have led to several safe and efficacious methods for the surgical treatment of essential tremor. Current targets include the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus and posterior subthalamic area. Radiofrequency ablation, Gamma Knife radiosurgery, and magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound are modern lesioning modalities in the treatment of essential tremor, and individual patient characteristics and expectations are taken into account when choosing a particular technique. The irreversibility of cerebral lesioning in the setting of current neuromodulation technology has reduced its enthusiasm; but recent advancements in transcranial procedures, patient-specific targeting, and image guidance are reinvigorating lesioning as a surgical option for tremor.
COVID-19 in Patients with Kidney Disease.

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has caused a major global pandemic with over 8 million infections worldwide and over 430,000 deaths as of mid-June 2020. Kidney disease is a common chronic disease. The patients with kidney disease who appear most at risk for COVID
Cone Identification in Choroideremia: Repeatability, Reliability, and Automation Through Use of a Convolutional Neural Network.

Purpose Adaptive optics imaging has enabled the visualization of photoreceptors both in health and disease. However, there remains a need for automated accurate cone photoreceptor identification in images of disease. Here, we apply an open-source convolutional neural network (CNN) to automatically identify cones in images of choroideremia (CHM). We further compare the results to the repeatability and reliability of manual cone identifications in CHM. Methods We used split-detection adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy to image the inner segment cone mosaic of 17 patients with CHM. Cones were manually identified twice by one experienced grader and once by two additional experienced graders in 204 regions of interest (ROIs). An open-source CNN either pre-trained on normal images or trained on CHM images automatically identified cones in the ROIs. True and false positive rates and Dice's coefficient were used to determine the agreement in cone locations between data sets. Interclass correlation coefficient was used to assess agreement in bound cone density. Results Intra- and intergrader agreement for cone density is high in CHM. CNN performance increased when it was trained on CHM images in comparison to normal, but had lower agreement than manual grading. Conclusions Manual cone identifications and cone density measurements are repeatable and reliable for images of CHM. CNNs show promise for automated cone selections, although additional improvements are needed to equal the accuracy of manual measurements. Translational relevance These results are important for designing and interpreting longitudinal studies of cone mosaic metrics in disease progression or treatment intervention in CHM.
Yemen: the challenge of delivering aid in an active conflict zone

Introduction: In March 2015 a Saudi-led coalition began an air campaign and ground offensive in Yemen. The conflict has resulted in at least 100,000 people killed and 3.2 million people internally ...
Use of a 3D virtual dynamic hip model to quantify the amount of osteoplasty required in femoroacetabular impingement patients.

OBJECTIVE Compare required osteoplasty predicted by a 3D virtual dynamic hip model in femoroacetabular impingement patients to actual osteoplasty performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective study on 20 consecutive FAI patients with a preoperative CT who underwent arthroscopy from October 2016 to September 2017. A 3D virtual dynamic hip model was created from the CT. The model displayed virtual osteoplasty depth required to restore physiologic range of motion on an osteoplasty map. Depths of virtual osteoplasty and actual osteoplasty at surgery were compared and correlated with alpha angle, lateral center edge angle, femoral version, and acetabular version. RESULTS Actual femoroplasty depth correlated with alpha angle (r = 0.85, p ≤ 0.001) and actual acetabuloplasty depth correlated with lateral center edge angle (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). Virtual osteoplasty depth did not correlate with alpha angle (p = 0.25), lateral center edge angle (p = 0.50), femoral version (p = 0.09), or acetabular version (p = 0.09). The 3D model predicted a mean virtual osteoplasty of 6.2 ± 0.3 mm compared to mean actual osteoplasty of 5.9 ± 1.1 mm. There was no significant difference between the two means (p = 0.26), though there was a significant difference in variance (p = 0.001). There was poor test reliability between virtual osteoplasty compared with actual osteoplasty (ICC = 0.30). CONCLUSION 3D model predicted virtual osteoplasty depths varied with actual osteoplasty and was independent of 2D measurements.
Charleston: An Archaeology of Life in a Coastal Community: by Martha A Zierden and Elizabeth J. Reitz, Gainesville, University of Florida Press, 2016, xxi, 350 pp., illustrations, maps, notes, references, index, $34.95 (hardcover), ISBN: 978-0-8130-6290-7

For much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the port city of Charleston was arguably the largest coastal commercial center south of Philadelphia. From its beginnings in the late seventeent...
Modification of pulse proteins for improved functionality and flavor profile: A comprehensive review

Consumers' preference to have a healthy eating pattern has led to an increasing demand for more nutrient-dense and healthier plant-based foods. Pulse proteins are exceptional quality ingredients with potential nutritional benefits, and might act as health-promoting agents for addressing the new-generation foods. However, the utilization of pulse protein in foods has been hampered by its relatively poor functionality and unpleasant flavor. Protein structure modification has been proved to be a useful means to improve the functionality and flavor profile of pulse protein. This paper begins with a brief introduction of hierarchical structure of pulse protein materials to better understand the structure characteristics. A comprehensive review is presented on the current techniques including chemical and enzymatic modifications and molecular breeding on pulse protein structure and functionality/flavor. The mechanism and the limitations and the toxicological concerns of these approaches are discussed. We conclude that understanding protein structure-functionality relationship is extremely valuable in tailoring proteins for specific functional outcomes and expanding the availability of pulse proteins. Furthermore, selective protein modification is a valuable in-depth toolkit for generating novel protein constructs with preferable functional attributes and flavor profiles. Innovative structure modification with special focus on the molecular basis for the exquisite protein designs is a pillar of pulse protein access to the desired functionality.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI): Current Clinical Approaches

The purpose of this paper is to review the history of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), discuss its pathophysiology and clinical presentation, identify radiographic parameters used to characterize FAI, and provide an updated summary of outcome-based non-operative and surgical treatments for FAI syndrome based on recent trends and developments. Recent literature has shed further light onto the detailed pathophysiologic mechanisms of FAI syndrome, particularly in its relation to both osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia. This and recent outcome data have led to the development of improved diagnostic and treatment algorithms that incorporate specific radiologic studies and parameters, allowing for better patient selection for non-operative and operative treatment strategies. Along with a detailed history and physical examination, specific radiographic parameters allow for more precise identification FAI. These include, but are not limited to, the alpha angle, head-neck offset (HNO), lateral center edge angle (CEA), femoral version, and acetabular version. The clinician should also evaluate for concomitant cartilage degradation, labral pathology, and the presence of dysplastic features or instability, which have been shown to significantly affect treatment outcomes. This is reflected in recent best practice guidelines.
Life-cycle cost and sustainability analysis of light-frame wood residential communities exposed to tornados

Tornadoes pose a significant threat to residential communities, causing enormous physical damage and losses to their social fabric. The dominant type of single-family residential buildings in the USA is light-frame wood construction, which is especially susceptible to tornado effects. Previous studies considering resilience of light-frame wood buildings have focused primarily on assessing damage, developing damage functions, and exploring different repair methods. Studies related to sustainability have focused mainly on environmental impacts or carbon usage. Practically all of these studies have been geared to assessment of individual buildings. In this study, we couple resilience and sustainability to evaluate their tradeoffs or alignments at the community level from a life-cycle stance. The life-cycle cost and carbon footprint are reflected in the construction and repair of damages due to the tornado hazard, as well as regular repair and maintenance that occurs during the life of the residence. Uncertainties in the randomness in tornado occurrence, size of the tornado footprint, and variation in wind speed intensities within the tornado footprint, and capacities of the building structure and envelope play a significant role in building performance and are considered. We explore a number of repair strategies that might be adopted at the community level in decision-making and policy formulation for homeowners, home builders and community planners. These strategies provide a framework for integrating minimum cost and carbon footprint objectives in risk-informed decision-making, a topic that appears to be lacking in the literature.
Quantization of gravity in the black hole background

We perform a covariant (Lagrangian) quantization of perturbative gravity in the background of a Schwarzschild black hole. The key tool is a decomposition of the field into spherical harmonics. We fix Regge-Wheeler gauge for modes with angular momentum quantum number $l\ensuremath{\ge}2$, while for low-multipole modes with $l=0$ or 1---for which Regge-Wheeler gauge is inapplicable---we propose a set of gauge-fixing conditions which are 2D background covariant and perturbatively well defined. We find that the corresponding Faddeev-Popov ghosts are nonpropagating for the $l\ensuremath{\ge}2$ modes, but are in general nontrivial for the low-multipole modes with $l=0$, 1. However, in Schwarzschild coordinates, all time derivatives acting on the ghosts drop from the action and the low-multipole ghosts have instantaneous propagators. Up to possible subtleties related to quantizing gravity in a space with a horizon, Faddeev's theorem suggests the possibility of an underlying canonical (Hamiltonian) quantization with a manifestly ghost-free Hilbert space.
Building Confidence in Elections: The Case of Electoral Monitors in Kosova

While most research on electoral monitors has focused on the effect of electoral monitors on politicians and their behavior in terms of committing electoral fraud, this study examines the effect of electoral monitors on citizens, and their effect, in particular, on people's perceptions of electoral integrity and behavior in terms of turnout at the polls. To examine this relationship, I conducted a field experiment around the 2009/2010 municipal elections in Kosova, which varied the amount of information people had about the responsibilities of monitors in these elections. In the experiment, people who had more information about the monitors' responsibilities believed that the elections were more free and fair than those who had less information, and also believed that the monitors helped make these elections more free and fair, even though they were not more likely to vote as a result.
The alternating central extension for the positive part of Uq(slˆ2)

Abstract This paper is about the positive part U q + of the quantum group U q ( sl ˆ 2 ) . The algebra U q + has a presentation with two generators A , B that satisfy the cubic q-Serre relations. Recently we introduced a type of element in U q + , said to be alternating. Each alternating element commutes with exactly one of A, B, q B A − q − 1 A B , q A B − q − 1 B A ; this gives four types of alternating elements. There are infinitely many alternating elements of each type, and these mutually commute. In the present paper we use the alternating elements to obtain a central extension U + q of U q + . We define U q + by generators and relations. These generators, said to be alternating, are in bijection with the alternating elements of U q + . We display a surjective algebra homomorphism U q + → U q + that sends each alternating generator of U q + to the corresponding alternating element in U q + . We adjust this homomorphism to obtain an algebra isomorphism U q + → U q + ⊗ F [ z 1 , z 2 , … ] where F is the ground field and { z n } n = 1 ∞ are mutually commuting indeterminates. We show that the alternating generators form a PBW basis for U q + . We discuss how U q + is related to the work of Baseilhac, Koizumi, Shigechi concerning the q-Onsager algebra and integrable lattice models.
C/EBPαp30 SUMO wrestles C/EBPαp42

In this issue of Blood , Geletu and colleagues demonstrate that the dominant-negative effect of C/EBPαp30 on full-length C/EBPαp42 is mediated through up-regulation of Ubc9, which sumoylates p42 and thereby inhibits its ability to activate transcription. Mutations in the CEBPA gene occur in
Blocking fairness in two-service EONs with uneven arrival rates

Routing and Spectrum Assignment (RSA) algorithms play a key role in achieving good spectrum utilization in Elastic Optical Networks (EONs). A metric that is often used to evaluate RSA algorithms is the overall blocking probability experienced by circuit requests. In a previous study, the authors introduced an additional performance indicator that can be used to quantify the level of fairness (or lack thereof) experienced by two types of service requests, each type requiring a distinct amount of reserved spectrum. Their study is extended in this paper to account for circuit requests with uneven arrival rates.
Clinical experience with pregneninolone

I N 1938 Inhoffen and Hohlweg,‘” by adding the ethynil radical to estradiol, produced the synthetic estrogen ethynil estradiol. This substance was remarkable in that it was very effective when given by mouth, but it had too many undesirable side-actions for clinical 71~. These same workers added the ethynil radical to testosterone, and prrsented a new synthetic product called variously n 4-pregnene-in, l’i-01, 3-one, ethynil testosterone, anhydro-oxy-progesterone, or pregneninolone.’ In this paper it will be called pregneninolone. It was unique in having a marked corpus luteumlike effect upon the endometrium of rabbits when given orally. Even pure progesterone, generally considered to he the corpus luteum hormone, has no appreciable action when giyrn 0rally.l Yet it was shown that the minimal effective dose of pregneninolone in immature female rabbits (first “primed” with estrogen:) was only 4 mg., while 60 mg. of progesterone orally had no cflect. Clauberg and tistiin* and Salmon, Walter, and Geist” hare shown that in postmenopausal patients a secretory endometrium ensues wht>u estrogenic therapy is followed by 300 to 500 mg. of pregneninolone orally. Hamblen and co-workers I1 have reported the production of’ :I secretory type of endometrium in irregularly menstruating women with pregneninolone. Zondek and Rozin” were able to induce bleeding in it normally menstruating female in midcycle with 280 mg. of this suhstanec given orally, an effect which also followed the injection of 50 mg. of progesterone.sl lo They also induced bleedin, v in secondary amenorrhea with 300 mg. of pregneninolone by mouth, but not tufter only 220 mg.” (:!ourrier and Jo&? have maintained pregnancy in rabbits vastrated dwing pregnancy with oral pregneninolone. Because of the possibility of ohviatin g costly and time-consuming injections of progesterone, and also because of the academic interest
Dickkopf-1 promotes prostate cancer cell growth within the bone

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 3978 Prostate cancer (CaP) frequently metastases to the bone where its growth yields mixed lesions that are both osteolytic (increased bone resorption) and osteoblastic (increased bone production). CaP cells produce many factors that are implicated in tumor-induced osteoblastic activity including Wnts. Wnts are cysteine-rich glycoproteins that mediate bone development in the embryo and promote bone production in the adult. We previously demonstrated that blocking canonical Wnts by over-expressing the soluble Wnt inhibitor dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) transforms osteoblastic C4-2B CaP cells into a highly osteolytic tumor in vivo suggesting that Wnts contribute to the osteoblastic component of CaP osseous lesions. We now investi gate the role of DKK-1 as a mediator of CaP induced osteolytic component. To assess a role of DKK-1 in osteolysis, small hairpin RNAs to DKK-1 were over-expressed in DKK-1+, osteolytic PC-3 cells. Two individual clones with greater than 80% reduction in DKK-1 protein were injected into the tibia and subcutis of nude mice (10 mice/group) and followed over six weeks. We show that increasing Wnt activity by reducing DKK-1 expression blocked the development of lesions within the bone compared to shRNA control cells. DKK-1 suppression also reduced the incidence and size of subcutaneous tumors but not attachment dependent growth in vitro suggesting that restoration of Wnt signaling in PC-3 cells had a generalized anti-tumor effect in vivo . Our data on Wnt/DKK-1 activity fits a model of CaP-induced bone remodeling occurring in a continuum composed of an osteolytic phase, mediated by osteolytic factors such as RANKL, PTHRP and DKK-1; a transitional phase, where environmental alterations promote expression of osteoblastic factors (Wnts) and decreases osteolytic factors (i.e., DKK-1); and an osteoblastic phase, in which tumor growth-associated hypoxia results in production of vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelin-1, which have osteoblastic activity. This model suggests that targeting both osteolytic activity and osteoblastic activity will provide efficacy for therapy of CaP bone metastases.
Record extrinsic transconductance (2.45 mS/µm at V DS = 0.5 V) InAs/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As channel MOSFETs using MOCVD source-drain regrowth

We report InAs/In0.53Ga0.47As channel MOSFETs using source-drain regrown contact and surface digital etching. A device with 40 nm-Lg shows 2.45 mS/μm extrinsic peak transconductance gm at VDS = 0.5 V and 214 Ω-μm Ron. A long-channel device (Lg = 510 nm) exhibits 1.06 mS/μm gm at VDS = 0.5 V and 93 mV/dec at VDS = 0.05 V. At all gate lengths, the devices exhibit the highest extrinsic gm among published results on III-V MOSFETs and MOSHEMTs.
Immunological Sculpting: Natural Killer Cell Receptors and Ligands

Abstract Natural Killer (NK) cells are a unique subset of lymphocytes genetically programmed to locate and destroy cellular malignancies. They accomplish this through unique cell surface receptors that, upon contacting a target cell, transmit either inhibitory or activating intracellular signals, ultimately determining whether the target cell will be killed or spared. Acquisition of the capacity to kill comes only after the NK cell is rendered tolerant to healthy self cells through interaction with naturally expressed MHC I molecules. The resulting functional NK cell is endowed with both repressive and stimulatory receptors that recognize MHC I or MHC I-related proteins, and stress-induced proteins that are not normally expressed by healthy cells, respectively. The respective signaling pathways are generally conserved among receptors; consequently, mechanisms that dysregulate NK-cell surface receptor density may directly impair NK responsiveness towards cancerous cells by affecting the ratio of inhibitory-to-activating signals. Furthermore, activating receptors can be downregulated, suggesting a targeted evasion strategy that specifically converts the NK cell towards an inhibitory phenotype.
Early Failure of Class II Resin Composite Versus Class II Amalgam Restorations Placed by Dental Students

Using the information from remake request slips in a dental school's predoctoral clinic, we examined the short-term survival of Class II resin composite restorations versus Class II dental amalgam restorations. In the student clinic, resin composite is used in approximately 58 percent of Class II restorations placed, and dental amalgam is used in the remaining 42 percent. In the period examined, Class II resin composite restorations were ten times more likely to be replaced at no cost to the patient than Class II dental amalgam restorations. A total of eighty-four resin composite restorations and six amalgam restorations were replaced due to an identified failure.
Steven Polgar Prize Essay (1991). Medicalization of Racial Features: Asian American Women and Cosmetic Surgery

This article presents findings of ethnographic research in the San Francisco Bay Area, exploring the recent phenomenon of Asian American women undergoing cosmetic surgery to have their eyelids restructured, their nose bridges heightened, and the tips of their noses altered. This research suggests that Asian American women who undergo these types of surgery have internalized not only a gender ideology that validates their monetary and time investment in the alteration of their bodies, but also a racial ideology that associates their natural features with dullness, passivity, and lack of emotion. With the authority of scientific rationality, medicine effectively promotes these racial and gender stereotypes and thereby bolsters the consumer-oriented society, of which it is apart and from which it benefits. Data are drawn from structured interviews with plastic surgeons and patients, medical literature and newspaper articles, and basic medical statistics.
r-invariant curves for linear regression

The planar locus where one additional point can be placed so that the correlation coefficient has the same numerical value as in the original data is found and explored. The sensitivity function of the correlation coefficient is zero on this locus. These points, however extreme, are not ‘detected’ by this coefficient. This locus suggests some restrictions on the usefulness of the correlation coefficient.
Spore wall development in Andreaea (Musci : Andreaeopsida)

The spore wall of Andreaea rothii (Andreaeopsida3 is unique among mosses studied by transmission electron microscopy. The exine of other mosses is typically initiated on trilaminar structures of near unit membrane dimensions just outside the plasma membrane. The exine of Andreaea is initiated in the absence of such structures as discrete globules within the coarsely fibrillar network of the sporocyte wall. The sequence of wall layer development, nevertheless, is essentially like that of other mosses. The intine is deposited within the exine and the perine accumulates on the surface of the exine during the latter stages of spore maturation. The mature spore is weakly trilete and inaperturate. The wall consists of three layers, the inner intine, the spongy exine consisting of loosely compacted irregular globules of sporopollenin, and an outer layer of perine. The perine differs ultrastructurally from the exine only in its greater degree of electron opacity. This ultrastructural evidence of departure from the fundamental pattern of exine development in mosses supports the taxonomic isolation of Andreaea from mosses of the Sphagnopsida and Bryopsida.
Analysis of pits induced stresses due to metal corrosion

The corrosion damage due to pitting is commonly observed in a wide range of aluminum alloys and structural steels that are being used for aerospace and naval structural applications. In order to predict the nucleation of cracks resulting from nucleation and growth of pits, there is a need to obtain the stress environment around pits. The objective of this study is to investigate the pits induced stresses responsible for possible crack nucleation using the photomicrographs of corroded aluminum 5059 alloy samples using stress analysis. An analysis procedure is developed using CAD and finite element analysis to predict stresses due to single and/or multiple corroded pits. The analysis was performed to investigate stress distributions on the corrosion surface as a function of sensitization time. The results obtained indicate that as the duration of the specimen sensitization increased from 50 days to 74 days, the highest stress levels have increased by about 56%. However, further increase in the sensitization time from 74 to 100 days has very little effect on the stress level. The observed severe exfoliation or the tearing of the sample surface layers in and around the pits is due to the nucleation and coalescence of fine cracks. The cracks are nucleated because of the production and the buildup of differential stresses along the sample thickness.
Lp-PLA2—A novel marker of atherosclerosis: To treat or not to treat?

Inflammatory process contributes significantly to the initiation, progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques [1]. A number of classic alongwith novel, which are still under investigation, inflammatory biomarkers, have been proposed during the last years, evaluating the contribution of inflammation in atherogenesis [2]. Data have demonstrated also that inflammatory biomarkersmay be able to predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) events [2]. Thus, apart from the widely studied C-reactive protein (CRP) and among several novel biomarkers examined for their role in CVD, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an emerging inflammatory marker playing a key role in vascular inflammation and importantly in atherosclerosis evolution (Fig. 1). More specifically, Lp-PLA2 is an enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids to generate lysophospholipids as well as oxidized free fatty acids, while having a predictive role for future CVD events. Although there is an encouraging amount of Lp-PLA2-associated data, little is known about the involvement of Lp-PLA2 in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, CVD risk prediction, its association with cardiovascular indices and its potential as a therapeutic target for future medical treatments. In this issue of the Journal Charniot et al. [3] aimed to assess relationships between Lp-PLA2 levels, cardiac disease and treatments and to evaluate the association of Lp-PLA2 levels with the severity of angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) and the extracoronary atherosclerosis. They reported that interpretation of Lp-PLA2 levels needs a good assessment of cardiac parameters and treatments, especially statins and ACEi/ARA2. In addition, Lp-PLA2 levels are significantly associated with coronary heart disease and with the extension
Environmental Soil Chemistry, Second Edition.

DONALD L. SPARKS. Academic Press, San Diego, CA 92101-4495. 2003. Hard bound, 352 pp., $49.95. ISBN 0-12-656446-9. The first edition of this text, published in 1995, has been a popular selection for junior/senior and beginning graduate level courses that teach soil chemistry in the context of
Butoxyethanol Ingestion with Prolonged Hyperchloremic Metabolic Acidosis Treated with Ethanol Therapy

Background: Severe toxic ingestions of butoxyethanol (CAS No. 111-76-2) are rare despite the prevalence of this glycol ether in products such as glass and surface cleaners. Manifestations of acute butoxyethanol toxicity include metabolic acidosis, hemolysis, hepatorenal dysfunction, and coma, but vary widely in reported cases. Furthermore, the optimal therapeutic approach is not yet established. Much of the toxicity of butoxyethanol has been ascribed to its aldehyde and acid metabolites which are similar to those produced by oxidative metabolism of methanol and ethylene glycol. Although the roles of alcohol dehydrogenase inhibition with ethanol or fomepizole and hemodialysis are clear in the case of toxic ingestions of methanol and ethylene glycol, they remain poorly defined for butoxyethanol poisoning. Case Report: We report the case of a 51-year-old female who ingested up to 8 ounces of Sanford Expo White Board Cleaner® (butoxyethanol and isopropanol). She developed prolonged hyperchloremic metabolic ac...