cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis as a function of ovarian reserve in women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Objective To test the hypothesis that preovulatory follicles from women with diminished ovarian reserve contain fewer numbers of luteinized granulosa cells and have a greater percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis as compared with women with uncompromised ovarian reserve undergoing superovulation for IVF-ET. Design Comparative study. Setting Academic clinical practice. Patients Luteinized granulosa cell counts were determined from follicular aspirates harvested from 19 women with day 3 serum FSH≤6 mIU/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 1.00) and from 15 women with FSH levels≥10 mIU/mL. The second part examined the percent of proliferating and apoptotic cells harvested from nine women with day 3 serum FSH≤6 mIU/mL and from eight women with FSH levels≥10 mIU/mL. Main Outcome Measures Cell counts by hemacytometer and percent of proliferating and of apoptotic granulosa cells by flow cytometry. Results The mean number of viable cells isolated per follicle were 2.7 × 10 5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3 to 3.1 × 10 5 ) from the low FSH group and 1.8 × 10 5 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.3 × 10 5 ) from the high FSH group. Although the percentage of proliferating cells was the same, the mean percentage of apoptotic cells was 0.5% (95% CI 0.2% to 1.4%) from the low group and 2.0% (95% CI 1.1% to 3.7%) from the high group. Conclusions Women undergoing IVF with day 3 serum FSH≥10 mIU/mL have preovulatory follicles with fewer luteinized granulosa cells and an increase in the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis as compared with women with day 3 serum FSH≤6 mIU/mL.
Determination of kelthane and pyrethroid pesticide residues in vegetables by capillary column gas chromatography

Objective: To establish a method for simultaneous determination of kelthane and pyrethroid pesticide residues in vegetables.Methods:Kelthane and pyrethroid pesticide residues in the vegetables were extracted by acetone and dichloromethane,then analyzed with DB-1 capillary column.Meanwhile,they were determined with GC by controlling the temperature.Retention time of the peaks was used for qualitative analysis,while external standard method was used for quantitative analysis.Results:The linear ranges of Kelthane,Bifenthrin,Fenpropanate,Lambdacyhalothrin,Permethrin,Betacyfluthrin,Alphacypermethrin,Fenvalerate were 3.2～622,2.8～544,2.7～520,2.8～530,2.7～514,2.8～528,3.0～579,2.8～548 μg/kg,r≥0.9990.The lowest determination limit was 0.6~0.9 μg/kg,the rate of recovery 82.5%～112.5% and RSD 4.1%～11.2%.Conclusion:This method can separate efficiently and determine 8 kinds of Pyrethroid pesticide residues in vegetables and only needs 23 minutes.It is simple,rapid and sensitive.
Clinically occult Leydig cell tumor presenting with gynecomastia

An occult Leydig cell tumor is described in a patient who presented with gynecomastia. Diagnosis was established by means of testicular ultrasonography and selective testicular venous sampling. The pathophysiology and management of this rare disease entity are discussed.
Religious Meaning and Experience

By an experience I mean a modification of the content of consciousness. Such modifications are ‘intentional’ or ‘nonintentional’ according as they do or do not constitute apparent awareness of something external to one’s own consciousness. For example, the experience of ‘seeing a tree in front of me’ is (even if it should turn out to be hallucinatory) intentional, whilst the experiences of feeling unaccountably cheerful or feeling a generalised anxiety are non-intentional.
Motivation for utilizing new high-performance advanced materials in nuclear energy systems

Abstract Despite the very demanding operational environment in nuclear reactors, there have been relatively few advanced high-performance materials introduced into fission reactors during the past 50 years. Some of the regulatory and operational barriers to the introduction of high performance materials are briefly discussed, and several examples of potential improvement in current and planned fission reactor systems that could be enabled by advanced structural materials for in-core applications are outlined. Enhanced non-proprietary public-private research and development on advanced structural materials could yield numerous performance, economic, environmental and safety benefits for current boiling water and pressurized water reactors as well as future Generation IV reactor systems such as sodium cooled fast reactors or very high temperature gas cooled reactors.
Electrical and electronic equipment: end-of-life, safety, and regulatory issues for plastics containing brominated flame retardants

The technological advances of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have had a great impact on our lives. Various brominated flame retardants have been used for many years in EEE. They provide an efficient and a viable method of achieving requiring flammability standards with given plastics. With its growth, the environmental effects of materials used in this market has to be addressed. End-of-life issues, such as reuse-reduce-recycle; fire safety; and compliance with regulatory matters are all of major concern. This paper has addressed issues related to benefits, risk in use, and end-of-life options for plastics containing brominated flame retardants. Results of recent research aimed at determining the recyclability of plastics containing brominated flame retardants under a variety of conditions. The conclusions of these evaluations show the benefits in terms of fire safety and the value of various end-of-life options for EEE containing brominated flame retardant resins.
An Evaluation of a Telepresence Robot: User Testing among Older Adults with Mobility Impairment

For older adults with mobility impairment, maintaining health and wellness while aging-in-place independently is crucial. Telepresence technology, such as Kubi, can be potentially beneficial for this target population to stay socially connected [1]. However, the Kubi robot is not specifically designed for older adults with mobility impairment. For this target population to adopt the technology successfully, it is important to ensure that they would not experience usability barriers. Thus, we conducted usability testing of Kubi with five older adults with self-reported mobility impairment. The findings indicated both hardware and GUI problematic issues for this population. Hardware problems were primarily related to the base. GUI usability issues were caused by system visibility and control of the robot. These findings provide direction for improving the usability of telepresence robots, particularly for adults aging with mobility impairment.
Elevated CO2 Accelerates Phosphorus Depletion by Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Association with Altered Leaf Biochemical Properties

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is a major limiting factor for plant productivity in many ecosystems and agriculture. The projected increase in atmospheric CO 2 is likely to result in changes in plant mineral consumption and growth. We studied phosphorus depletion by common bean plants cultured hydroponically under ambient (377 ± 77 µmol mol −1 ) or elevated (650 ± 32 µmol mol −1 ) CO 2, in media of low or high phosphorus. Compared to ambient CO 2 environment, under elevated CO 2 : 1) maximum phosphorus depletion rate increased by 98% at low phosphorus and 250% at high phosphorus, and phosphorus was depleted about 2 to 5 weeks sooner; 2) leaf acid phosphatase (APase) activity and leaf chlorophyll content both increased significantly; 3) root-to-shoot ratio increased significantly at high phosphorus, although it was unaffected at low phosphorus; 4) lateral root respiration rate had no change, suggesting that CO 2 did not affect phosphorus depletion via metabolic changes to the roots; 5) total biomass at final harvest was significantly higher at both low- and high- phosphorus. Our data show that the increased rate and amount of phosphorus depletion during growth under elevated CO 2 occurred in association with alteration in leaf biochemical properties, i.e., enhanced activities of leaf APase and increased leaf chlorophyll content.
Dynamic Modeling and Stochastic Simulation of Metabolic Networks

Increased technological methods have enabled the investigation of biology at nanoscale levels. Nevertheless, such systems necessitate the use of computational methods to comprehend the complex interactions occurring. Traditionally, dynamics of metabolic systems are described by ordinary differential equations producing a deterministic result which neglects the intrinsic heterogeneity of biological systems. More recently, stochastic modeling approaches have gained popularity with the capacity to provide more realistic outcomes. Yet, solving stochastic algorithms tend to be computationally intensive processes. Employing the queueing theory, an approach commonly used to evaluate telecommunication networks, reduces the computational power required to generate simulated results, while simultaneously reducing expansion of errors inherent to classical deterministic approaches. Herein, we present the application of queueing theory to efficiently simulate stochastic metabolic networks. For the current model, we utilize glycolysis to demonstrate the power of the proposed modeling methods, and we describe simulation and pharmacological inhibition in glycolysis to further exemplify modeling capabilities.
Corrective receding horizon EV charge scheduling using short-term solar forecasting

Abstract Forecast errors can cause sub-optimal solutions in resource planning optimization, yet they are usually modeled simplistically by statistical models, causing unrealistic impacts on the optimal solutions. In this paper, realistic forecast errors are prescribed, and a corrective approach is proposed to mitigate the negative effects of day-ahead persistence forecast error by short-term forecasts from a state-of-the-art sky imager system. These forecasts preserve the spatiotemporal dependence structure of forecast errors avoiding statistical approximations. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on a receding horizon quadratic program developed for valley filling the midday net load depression through electric vehicle charging. Throughout one month of simulations the ability to flatten net load is assessed under practical forecast accuracy levels achievable from persistence, sky imager and perfect forecasts. Compared to using day-ahead persistence solar forecasts, the proposed corrective approach using sky imager forecasts delivers a 25% reduction in the standard deviation of the daily net load. It is demonstrated that correcting day-ahead forecasts in real time with more accurate short-term forecasts benefits the valley filling solution.
Mentoring Functions and Outcomes: An Integrative Literature Review of Sociocultural Factors and Individual Differences:

The purpose of this article was to examine the possible roles sociocultural and individual difference variables play in fostering mentoring relationships. Using the integrative literature review me...
Immune Checkpoint Blockade Is Associated With Durable Responses in Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma.

Abstract Background Advanced pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a variant of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with poor response to chemotherapy and a median survival of 4-6 months. PSC have a high frequency of PD-L1 positivity and high tumor mutational burden, which are markers of benefit with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) in NSCLC. The parameters of response and survival for PSC treated in the era of immune checkpoint inhibition are unknown. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of all cases of advanced PSC diagnosed at two institutions in Bronx, NY between 6/2015-6/2018 was performed. Responses were assessed by serial imaging obtained during routine care and graded by RECIST criteria v 1.1. Results Five cases of advanced Stage IV PSC are reported. The median age was 57 years and all had received ICPI. All cases were smokers with a median of 30 pack-years and TPS > 75%. Three patients received pembrolizumab as front-line therapy. Responses were seen in four out of five patients to ICPI, including one complete response. The fifth patient had prolonged disease stability. After a median follow-up of 13 months, none of the patients had progressed. One patient died of infectious complications after 23 months with no evidence of progression. Four patients continue to be alive with ongoing OS ranging between 14 and 33 months. Conclusions ICPI therapy is active in advanced PSC and offers an effective line of therapy in this otherwise treatment-refractory aggressive malignancy.
Malignant maxillofacial bone tumors

Purpose of review Malignant bone tumors of the head and neck region are rare. Due to the paucity of studies on these tumors, patients with these maxillofacial malignancies can suffer from high morbidity and mortality. Recent findings Currently, mainstay management of these tumors includes wide surgical resection with margins followed by radiotherapy and/or adjuvant chemotherapy. Although much progress has been made over the last few decades regarding the prognosis of many of these tumors, large multicenter trials are needed to better determine their optimal management. Summary The current review will provide a broad review of the most current epidemiology, pathogenesis, prognosis, and management of the most common bone malignancies of the maxillofacial skeleton.
Cytologic features of upper gynecologic tract adenocarcinomas exhibiting mesonephric-like differentiation.

Background Mesonephric adenocarcinomas are rare neoplasms which most commonly arise in the lateral cervix and vagina. Tumors with similar morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular characteristics recently have been described in the uterine corpus and ovary. Herein, the authors sought to characterize the cytomorphologic features of adenocarcinomas exhibiting mesonephric-like differentiation arising in the upper gynecologic tract. Methods Institutional databases were queried retrospectively for tumors of the upper gynecologic tract described as a "tumor of Wolffian origin" or "with mesonephric features" between 2007 and 2017. All available cytologic material was reviewed. Cytomorphologic characteristics were evaluated by 3 pathologists. Results The current study cohort consisted of 8 cases taken from 7 patients. Primary sites included the ovary (3 cases); endometrium (4 cases); and pelvis, not otherwise specified (1 case). All cases demonstrated tight 3-dimensional clusters of overlapping cells. Additional architectural features included tubular (5 of 8 cases; 63%) and papillary (3 of 8 cases; 38%) formations. Cells were small with scant (7 of 8 cases; 88%) to moderate (1 of 8 cases; 12%) cytoplasm. Three of the 8 cases (38%) demonstrated extracellular hyaline globules. Nuclei were uniform in size (6 of 8 cases; 75%) or showed mild anisonucleosis (2 of 8 cases; 25%). Nuclear grooves and indentations were observed in all cases. Mitoses (5 of 8 cases; 63%) and apoptotic bodies (4 of 8 cases; 50%), when present, were rare. No necrosis was noted. Conclusions Adenocarcinomas exhibiting mesonephric-like differentiation show a monotonous population of small cells with scant to moderate cytoplasm and abundant nuclear grooves arranged in tight, overlapping, 3-dimensional clusters. Occasionally, papillary or tubular architecture, as well as extracellular hyaline globules, may be seen. These features should prompt further testing (eg, immunohistochemistry) to confirm the diagnosis and to exclude potential mimics.
Fitz, Earl E. Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory: Language, Imitation, Art, and Verisimilitude in the Last Six Novels. Bucknell UP, 2019

Earl Fitz’s Machado de Assis and Narrative Theory proposes that the Brazilian author problematizes the very tool—language—that makes such things knowable. Importantly, the book introduces methodical doubt about the extent to which, when it comes to Machado, ideas deriving from his fiction can be confidently discerned.
Exploring Ways to Improve Access to and Minimize Risk from Lung Cancer Screening

Despite ample evidence of benefit, adoption of lung cancer screening efforts remains low. This commentary focuses on current efforts to improve awareness of the benefits of lung cancer screening and the available screening programs.
Muslim civic engagement in metropolitan Detroit: motivating forces and challenges

Muslims in the U.S. have a long history of being active in their communities, but September 11th marked a turning point for involvement due to backlash against Islam. While we know that Muslim civi...
Elucidation of Principles of Gas Exchange by Means of Soluble Tracer Species

Because the lung is inaccessible to direct evaluation of events on a fine regional basis in-vivo, its properties are usually inferred from global gas exchange data taken from arterial blood and expired gas. This presentation briefly reviews the many uses of tracer gases of varying physicochemical properties in estimating both global and distributed physiological parameters. In each, the necessary mathematical and physiological underpinnings will be discussed, as will the information content and associated limitations. Approaches to be covered include: (1) Using gases of different molecular weight to infer the importance of rates of diffusion in gas exchange processes that involve both diffusive and convective movement; (2) Using gases of different blood: gas partition coefficients to infer the importance of the convective processes involved in gas exchange, and ventilation/perfusion mismatching, in particular; (3) Using carefully selected gases and procedures to measure variables related to global function (eg, pulmonary blood flow, lung tissue volume, lung gas volume, and lung closing volume); and (4) Using gases with unique chemical properties to determine the importance of chemical rates of reaction between hemoglobin and the gaseous ligands O2, CO2, and CO. While all of these techniques have well-known limitations, they have at the same time greatly increased our understanding of how the lung works. When used within the constraints imposed by those limits, they continue to form a group of very useful investigative tools that continue to increase our insights into both normal and abnormal gas exchange processes.
Improving the quality of Portuguese SMEs through competence evaluation

Problem and goal. Since we are going through a key moment in terms of technological advances and their effect on the labour field, the investigation of the on-the-job training processes gains a predominant role. Moreover, the need to research an approach that promotes a balance between the four spheres of development of learning - economic, sustainable, community and personal - is emerging. This study was conceived as a result of this urgency, aiming to respond to the following problem: to what extent does a training model, based on the VPL (Validation of Prior Learning) approach and supported by principles of the educational sciences, can contribute to individual empowerment and, consequently, to an improvement in the organizational quality of Portuguese SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)? Methodology. The division of the research into two parts - Study 1 and Study 2 - allowed the collection and analysis of structural data (Study 1) that served as a basis for the definition of a dynamic strategy (Study 2). Although undertaken at different times, they have thus proved to be complementary. In fact, the design of the training model was based, firstly, on the results obtained through exploratory interviews with key informants and, secondly, on the data obtained throughout the training process that involved ninety-two employees from ten Portuguese SMEs from diverse categories and sectors. Results. The training model, which emerged from the interaction between the theoretical reflection and the practical context, comprises five components: distance learning, recognition of skills, language skills, intercultural skills and an individual action plan. Conclusion. This study, being an important contribution to the topic of on-the-job training in Portuguese SMEs, at the same time opens the way for the continuation of the research.
Guest Editorial—“Green Open Access is ‘Just’ Publishing”

Editor’s Note: To learn more about open access, go to the UO Libraries’ guide at https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/oa. See also Green Open Access: An Introduction at https://youtu.be/-5Huht3B6pU. This video was prepared by the University of Oregon Libraries and the Senate Sub Committee on Open Access in Association with Kindea Labs – 2020.
Cryogenic C-band wavelength division multiplexing system using an AIM Photonics Foundry process design kit

Cryogenic environments make superconducting computing possible by reducing thermal noise, electrical resistance and heat dissipation. Heat generated by the electronics and thermal conductivity of electrical transmission lines to the outside world constitute two main sources of thermal load in such systems. As a result, higher data rates require additional transmission lines which come at an increasingly higher cooling power cost. Hybrid or monolithic integration of silicon photonics with the electronics can be the key to higher data rates and lower power costs in these systems. We present a 4-channel wavelength division multiplexing photonic integrated circuit (PIC) built from modulators in the AIM Photonics process development kit (PDK) that operate at 25 Gbps at room temperature and 10 Gbps at 40 K. We further demonstrate 2-channel operation for 20 Gbps aggregate data rate at 40 K using two different modulators/wavelengths, with the potential for higher aggregate bit rates by utilizing additional channels.
Network optimization approach to delineating health care service areas: Spatially constrained Louvain and Leiden algorithms

Constructing service areas is an important task for evaluating geographic variation of health care markets. This study uses cancer care as an example to illustrate the methodology, with the nine-state Northeast Region of the U.S. as the study area. Two recent algorithms of network community detection are implemented to account for additional constraints such as spatial connectivity and threshold region size. The refined methods are termed "spatially-constrained Louvain (ScLouvain)" and "spatially-constrained Leiden (ScLeiden)" algorithms, corresponding to their predecessors Louvain and Leiden algorithms, respectively. Both are network optimization methods that maximize flows within delineated communities while minimizing inter-community flows. The service areas derived by the methods, termed "Cancer Service Areas (CSAs)", are more favorable than the commonly used comparable unit, Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs) for evaluating cancer-specific variation in care. Between the two, the ScLeiden performs better than ScLouvain in modularity, localization index and computational efficiency, and thus is recommended as an effective and efficient approach for defining functional regions.
Effect of Resistance and Ethaboxam Seed Treatment on the Management of Phytophthora Root Rot in Illinois and Iowa

Phytophthora root and stem rot (PRR) is a limiting factor for soybean production. Seed treatments are used for early-season management, but efficacy can depend on seed selection and the local envir...
Fundamental Trade-Offs in Noisy Super-Resolution with Synthetic Apertures

This paper concerns understanding the fundamental performance benefits of co-array based super-resolution techniques in low SNR settings. Proper sensor placement in the form of a sparse nested array allows the generation of difference co-arrays with large virtual apertures that offer higher resolution. However, the performance of super-resolution aperture synthesis techniques is known to degrade in presence of large noise levels. The main contribution of this paper is to rigorously establish that nested arrays provide lower Cramer-Rao bounds than a ULA (with the same number of sensors) in the low SNR regime, and therefore can lead to better resolvability of closely spaced sources. Numerical experiments are performed to validate theoretical claims, including demonstration of MUSIC spectra with two closely-spaced sources using ULA and nested arrays in various SNR settings.1
Life-Span Learning and Development and Its Implications for Workplace Training:

Researchers often focus on age-related declines rather than the development associated with lifelong learning. Focusing on working-age people (those between the ages of 18 and 70), I describe age-r...
Abstract 770: High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the oropharynx: A rare entity with prognosis unaffected by HPV

Background: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is associated with a better prognosis in oropharynx squamous cell carcinomas. Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the oropharynx is a rare variant that can be associated with HPV infection, however little is known regarding clinical behavior and the impact of HPV infection on its prognosis. This study aims to evaluate clinical and pathologic features of oropharyngeal high-grade NEC and to investigate the prognostic value of HPV and smoking in this rare histological subtype. Methods: Patients with high-grade NEC from oropharynx were identified through electronic medical records queries from 1997 to 2020. A cohort of 27 patients with sufficient pathological and clinical data were included in the analysis. Neuroendocrine differentiation was confirmed by immunoreactivity for synaptophysin, chromogranin and/or CD56. P16 immunohistochemistry staining or HPV in situ hybridization or polymerase chain reaction were performed in all patients9 samples. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to assess difference in survival between groups. Results: Of 27 patients, 25 were male and 10 had a heavy smoking history (≥10-pack-years). P16 staining was positive in 24 (89%) samples and HPV was confirmed in 15 (62.5%). Most patients (22/27; 81.5%) presented with locoregional disease, 8 (35%) received induction chemotherapy, and 18 of 23 (78%) achieved a complete response after definitive therapy (surgery and/or radiation); among them, 7 (30%) recurred. Most recurrences were distant and common sites of metastasis was liver (56%), bone (56%) and lymph nodes (50%). In the palliative setting, 85% of patients received platinum-based chemotherapy and preferred combined agents were etoposide (6/14) and docetaxel (5/14). The overall response rate to first- and second-line systemic therapy were 50% and 0%, respectively. The median DFS for those patients who achieved a complete response to definitive therapy was 61.0 months (95% CI 13.0-NA) and 1- and 2-year DFS rates were 73.3% and 56.4%, respectively. The median OS was 28.8 months (95%CI 14.3-NA) for the overall population. Metastasis at diagnosis was associated with lower median survival (9.5 versus 62.0 months, p= 0.016). We have not found differences in median OS according to HPV status(positive 28.9 versus negative 28.8 months, p= 0.93) or smoking exposure (≥10pack/year 47.2 versus Citation Format: Luana Sousa, Felippe Lazar, Danice Torman, Kaiyi Li, Andrew Sikora, Amy Moreno, Ehab Hanna, Jack Phan, Bonnie Glisson, Diana Bell, Renata Ferrarotto. High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the oropharynx: A rare entity with prognosis unaffected by HPV [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 770.
Effects of cultural transmission of surnaming decisions on the sex ratio at birth.

Abstract The patriarchal tradition of surnaming a child after its father in Han Chinese families may contribute to their preference for sons, a major cause of the abnormally high SRB (sex ratio at birth) in China. This high SRB can subsequently contribute to the marriage squeeze on males of marriageable age. Encouraging matrilineal surnaming has been proposed as a strategy that could potentially reduce son preference and help to adjust the imbalance in SRB. Here, we model factors that are likely to influence surnaming decisions, including cultural transmission of parents’ surnaming decisions, the cultural value of a daughter, reward given to matrilineal surnaming, and awareness of current imbalance in SRB. Mathematical and computational analyses suggest that offering a significant reward and raising public awareness of the problems inherent in an excess of marriage-age males may overcome the son preference and reduce the male-biased SRB.
SARS-CoV-2 infection generates tissue-localized immunological memory in humans.

Adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection have been extensively characterized in blood; however, most functions of protective immunity must be accomplished in tissues. Here, we report from ...
The Composition of Oxygen Functionals Groups at the Surface of Carbon-Based Graphitic Anode

In lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the quality of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms at the electrode/electrolyte interface substantially affects the stability and lifetime of the devices. One of the major determinants of the morphology and properties of SEI is the surface structure and composition of the graphitic anode used. The presence of oxygenated surface groups at the graphitic anode facilitates the formation of SEI at the interface that stabilizes LIBs. A series of DFT calculations reveal that at typical operating conditions (temperature, pH) of LIBs, the (1120) edge facet of graphite anode will be fully oxygenated, while the basal sites remain unsaturated. The oxygen functional groups at the edge sites are comprised of mostly hydroxyl and ketonic groups, with carboxyl and carbonyl groups are present in small amounts. Furthermore, we observe transformation of carbonyl group into ketonic group in the presence of empty surface carbon sites, which further stabilize the graphite surface. Meanwhile, carboxyl groups are more stable when all surface sites within a carboxyl layer are all populated. On the contrary to the edge plane, a small amount of oxygen functional groups may be forced to adsorb on the basal surface upon application of an external potential.
DDK inhibition disrupts replication leading to mitotic catastrophe in Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma is the second most common bone malignancy in children and adolescents. Patients with upfront metastatic or recurrent disease have poor outcomes with 5-year survival rates of
Macintosh Clip Art

AbstractAs schools increasingly integrate computers and technology into the curriculum, students are given the opportunity to develop skills deemed important in an Information Age society. Two groups identified as at risk regarding such opportunities are women and minorities. There appears to be a cultural stereotype that casts computers and technology as the domain of white males. Cues regarding this stereotype come from many sources, one of which may be the computer itself. This study investigated the representation of women and minorities in computer clip art available for the Macintosh computer and raised the following question: Are women and minorities represented in the clip art they use on the computer, or are they primarily exposed to images of white males? Two coders rated 1,474 images of Macintosh computer clip art from five different software publishers. A chi-square test revealed that women were underrepresented and men overrepresented (p < .001) when compared to the proportion of each group i...
Managing the PCOS-Related Symptoms of Hirsutism, Acne, and Hair Loss

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-aged women. It is typically characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, and the presence of polycystic ovaries. Dermatologic manifestations commonly encountered in women with PCOS include hirsutism, acne vulgaris, and androgenic alopecia or female hair loss. This chapter reviews the treatments for these clinical manifestations that are attributed to androgen excess in women with PCOS.
Some Parallels Between Currency and Banking Crises

There is a sizeable literature on the causes of speculative attacks on fixed exchange rates and a large literature on the determinants of bank runs. Surprisingly, these two literatures rarely overlap, even though both types of crises involve attacks on asset price-fixing schemes. This paper draws a number of parallels between the work on currency crises and the work on banking crises and examines some of the new insights that are coming out of a more integrated approach in the aftermath of the Asian financial crises.
Serine Transhydroxymethylase A KINETIC STUDY OF THE SYNTHESIS OF SERINE IN THE ABSENCE OF TETRAHYDROFOLATE

Abstract Serine transhydroxymethylase was shown to catalyze the synthesis of l-serine from glycine and formaldehyde in the absence of tetrahydrofolate. Initial velocity, product inhibition, and exchange reaction studies showed that the addition of substrates was ordered, with glycine adding first. The effect of tetrahydrofolate on increasing the rate of serine synthesis was correlated with the effect of this coenzyme on the exchange of the α-hydrogen of glycine with protons of the solvent. The data were interpreted to mean that formaldehyde is transferred from serine to 5,10-methylene tetrahydrofolate through an intermediate enzyme-formaldehyde complex.
IS TAX SHARING OPTIMAL? AN ANALYSIS IN A PRINCIPAL-AGENT FRAMEWORK

We study the effects of a statutory wage tax sharing rule in a principal - agent framework with moral hazard (a la Holmstrom, 1979) using the approach of Bose, Pal, Sappington (2007) to model the stochastic relationship between the agent's unobserved effort and his observed performance. The analysis indicates that tax sharing with positive legislated contributions from both the employer and employee does not maximize any of the outcomes - employee effort, wages, prots or welfare. Moreover, a rule which species a corner solution, with 100% of the tax statutorily levied on the employer will maximize effort, expected prot and expected welfare while 100% of the tax statutorily levied on the employee will maximize expected wages. JEL codes: D8, H2 During the past three decades, the principal-agent framework has become an integral part of the economics literature with incomplete information. (For a survey, see Sapping- ton, 1991, and also Laffont and Martimort, 2002). In this paper, we study the effect of a statutory wage tax sharing rule on wages, effort, prots and aggregate welfare, in a princi- pal agent framework with moral hazard. Our results show that any interior tax sharing rule with positive legislated contributions from both the employer and employee, will not optimize any outcomes for the principal, agent or the government. Additionally, a statutory rule with 100% of the tax levied on the employer, will maximize effort, expected prot and expected welfare while, under some conditions, a statutory rule of 100% of the tax on the employee will maximize expected wage. Thetaxation ofwageincome invariousforms, iscommonpracticeand itis equally com- mon to have sharing rules that spilt the tax burden in some fashion between employer and employee. In approximately half of all OECD countries, the shares of employer/employee contributions toward a social security tax, for example, have been stable at approximately 25% of total labor costs. Yet, the distribution of this share between employer/employee varies across countries. There is a 50:50 split in Germany, Switzerland, United States, Luxembourg and Japan. In most other countries, employers typically pay the major share. The exceptions are Denmark and the Netherlands, where employees generally pay the most. This variation and the lack of formal analysis in the literature, motivate the present study.
Negotiating with Mentally Disordered Hostage Takers

ABSTRACT Mentally disordered hostage takers (HTs) present special challenges to negotiating strategies; however, the basic principles of successful negotiation and crisis intervention can be productively applied, as long as the crisis response team keeps the unique features of these subjects in mind. This article presents an outline of guiding principles and techniques for negotiating with the most common forms of mentally disordered HT that are likely to be encountered by law enforcement professionals. As always, the emphasis is on skill, training, and flexibly applied expertise and knowledge in the field of crisis management.
The Religious Advocacy Explosion: Data and Theoretical Significance

Based upon a research project directed for the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (forthcoming), this paper documents the explosion in public policy advocacy by national religious organizations and explores the scope, characteristics, and issue agenda of this "religious lobby. The paper offers theoretical explanations for the growth and sophistication of the religious advocacy infrastracture in the nation's capital and explores its significance for American politics.
Deliberative Planning for Disaster Recovery: Re-membering New Orleans

A strong turnout of a broad cross-section of the New Orleans population lent legitimacy to a unique public conversation about post-Katrina recovery priorities. Designed and conducted by AmericaSpeaks, Community Congress II brought together over 2500 New Orleanians, linked electronically across five different cities plus smaller satellite sites in 15 diaspora communities across the country. Table observations of 48 deliberative rounds, along with exit interviews, post-event focus groups with participants, and stakeholder interviews are used to address three central questions about the social processes of deliberation: What are the patterns of interaction at the tables across race and gender; how do the participants interpret the meaning of the event for themselves; and what were the outcomes in terms of legitimacy, influence, and social trust? The article contextualizes the event in the unfolding story of the recovery process and culls out the lessons learned for deliberative democracy. Community Congress II demonstrates that inclusive public deliberation does more than provide reasoned public input into difficult policy decisions. It does more than legitimate new public initiatives. It can foster social trust and social healing across the divides of race, culture, and wealth. But the benefits will be sustained only if they are reinforced by an institutional infrastructure of civic engagement.
High Alert: The Government's War on the Financing of Terrorism and its Implications for Donors, Domestic Charitable Organizations, and Global Philanthropy

Within days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government extended its already existing commitment to combat terrorism. President Bush declared a financial war on terrorism, with the aim of depriving terrorists of financial support. He issued Executive Order 13,224, which ordered the blocking of assets of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists." Congress enacted legislation that not only fortified previously existing criminal and civil laws, but also added new ones, for use in combating terrorists and terrorism. The Bush administration dedicated resources to existing and newly created governmental structures that would be responsible for enforcing these laws and for waging the financial war on terrorism. This enhanced legal and structural arsenal contains multiple means by which the U.S. government, as well as citizens injured by activities of foreign terrorists, can pursue economic or criminal sanctions against terrorists and their private sponsors, including individuals, as well as foreign non-governmental organizations, domestic charitable organizations, and their governing bodies. Awareness of this greatly expanded potential exposure to liability, and even criminal sanctions, has already engendered unforeseen side effects. Some well-intentioned donors reportedly are now reticent to make charitable contributions to domestic charitable organization. Law-abiding Muslim charities have documented a decline in contributions received, and charitable organizations are struggling to maintain their pre-September 11 levels of commitment to global philanthropy. As the financial war on terrorism evolves and the arsenal of weapons is strengthened, the government's successes not only may financially starve terrorists, but also may have the unfortunate and unintentional consequence of significantly reducing resources committed to legitimate global philanthropy. Such a result, ironically, would contribute to fundamentalists' and radical terrorists' goal of disrupting globalism, which, if otherwise uninterrupted, could help to achieve social and economic security and prosperity abroad that would lessen much of the appeal of terrorist groups. Preventive measures thus are essential to minimize potential negative consequences of the government's financial war on terrorism. To guard against exposure to liability, donors and leaders of domestic charitable organizations must undertake adequate due diligence. Moreover, the government must take great care to protect against overzealous legislation and enforcement actions. Absent sufficient safeguarding, the government's actions may exacerbate, rather than diminish, the ultimate effects sought by terrorists.
UEFI USB bus initialization verification using Colored Petri Net

In this paper we present a novel scheme to perform firmware verification using a graphical Colored Petri Net (CPN). CPNs provide modeling features for concurrency, communication and synchronization as well as hierarchical abstraction and timing analysis. These features are used to perform firmware validation of the UEFI USB bus initialization. The CPN representation provides better visualization support to streamline the validation process. A Beagle Board is used to show the potential of the proposed firmware validation scheme.
The p21-activated kinase, Shk1, is required for proper regulation of microtubule dynamics in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Summary The p21-activated kinase, Shk1, is required for the proper establishment of cell polarity in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We showed recently that loss of the essential Shk1 inhibitor, Skb15, causes significant spindle defects in fission yeast, thus implicating Shk1 as a potential regulator of microtubule dynamics. Here, we show that cells deficient in Shk1 function have malformed interphase microtubules and mitotic microtubule spindles, are hypersensitive to the microtubule-destabilizing drug thiabendazole (TBZ) and cold sensitive for growth. TBZ treatment causes a downregulation of Shk1 kinase activity, which increases rapidly after release of cells from the drug, thus providing a correlation between Shk1 kinase function and active microtubule polymerization. Consistent with a role for Shk1 as a regulator of microtubule dynamics, green fluorescent protein (GFP)–Shk1 fusion proteins localize to interphase microtubules and mitotic microtubule spindles, as well as to cell ends and septum-forming regions of fission yeast cells. We show that loss of Tea1, a cell end- and microtubule-localized protein previously implicated as a regulator of microtubule dynamics in fission yeast, exacerbates the growth and microtubule defects resulting from partial loss of Shk1 and that Shk1 localizes to illicit growth tips produced by tea1 mutant cells. Our results demonstrate that Shk1 is required for the proper regulation of microtubule dynamics in fission yeast and implicate Tea1 as a potential Shk1 regulator.
Effects of temperature on rust development on mint infected with strains of Puccinia menthae

AbstractTwo principal groups of races of Puccinia menthae occur on mint. One infects native spearmint but not peppermint and is called native spearmint rust; the other infects peppermint but not native spearmint and is called peppermint rust. High summer temperatures are thought to be a limiting factor for rust development on peppermint. The effects of temperature on germination of urediniospores and length of germ tubes of native spearmint and peppermint rust isolates, and on length of latent period when host species were infected with respective isolates, were determined. Percent spore germination and length of germ tubes were significantly greater for the native spearmint isolate than the peppermint isolates; development of both types of rust isolates significantly decreased as temperature increased from 18° to 30 °C. Regression coefficients did not differ between the two types of rust for either percent germination or length of germ tubes. Length of latent period did not differ between isolates of nat...
Mean values and the nonautonomous May--Leonard equations

This paper is concerned with a nonautonomous version of the well-known May-Leonard system, that is, a system like theirs but with time-varying rather than constant coefficients. One consequence of their work is that the solution x exhibits partial survival, in the sense that maxixi(t) is bounded away from 0 even though inf xi(t) =0 for each i. This aspect of the subject is developed here under much weaker assumptions than those in the pioneering paper of May and Leonard. The analysis leads to a surprising resurrection of a hypothesis that was introduced by Vance and Coddington in 1989.
A large scale purification system for a liquid argon time projection chamber

Abstract A purification system based on reduced copper and molecular sieve has been built for a 7 m3 liquid argon time projection chamber and it has been succesfully tested. After the initial purification an attenuation length of 0.7 m at 0.5 kV cm−1 was measured by drifting electrons over distances up to 28 cm. Further purification yielded attenuation lengths ≥ 3.7 m at 0.5 kV cm− which corresponds to an impurity level of ≤ 0.2 ppb oxygen equivalent.
The role of curriculum committees in pharmacy education.

Objective. To conduct a follow-up survey of curriculum committee chairs in US colleges and schools of pharmacy to describe current committee structures and functions and determine whether changes have occurred over time. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study design using a 30-item survey instrument regarding the structure, function, and charges of curriculum committees was sent to 100 curriculum committee chairs. Several new variables were added to the questionnaire to explore the use of systematic reviews, oversight of experiential education, and the impact of accreditation standards on work focus. Results. Eighty-five chairs responded. Curriculum committees are on average 1 person larger, less likely to have a student vote, more likely to have formal charges, and more likely to be involved in implementing an outcomes-based curriculum compared with 1994. Committees have shifted their work focus from review of curricular content to curricular revision. Conclusions. Curriculum committees continue to evolve as they respond to changes in pharmacy education and accreditation standards.
The temperature dependence of ion-beam-induced amorphization in β-SiC

Abstract The ion-beam-induced crystalline-to-amorphous transition in monolithic β-SiC has been studied as a function of irradiation temperature using the HVEM-Tandem Facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Specimens were irradiated with 1.5 MeV Xe + ions over the temperature range from 40 to 550 K, and the evolution of the amorphous state was followed in situ using the HVEM. At 40 K, the displacement dose for complete amorphization in β-SiC is 0.34 dpa and increases with temperature in two stages. The simultaneous recovery process associated with the high-temperature stage (above 200 K) has an activation energy of 0.097 ± 0.019 eV. The critical temperature above which amorphization does not occur is 498 K under these irradiation conditions.
The effects of 17β-estradiol and a selective estrogen receptor modulator, bazedoxifene, on ovarian carcinogenesis

Objective To test if estrogen promotes carcinogenesis in vitro and in a genetic mouse model of ovarian cancer and whether its effects can be inhibited by a novel selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), bazedoxifene.