cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advanced design of large scale microwave devices for space applications using space mapping optimization

This paper summarizes previously published advanced optimization techniques used at the authors company over the past 20 years for the design of microwave devices used in satellite systems. Output multiplexers and switches are essential components of satellite systems. They are considered large scale microwave devices since they have a large number of parameters and they are very time consuming to simulate by electromagnetic simulators. Finite element EM based simulators and space-mapping optimization are combined to produce an accurate design for T-switches and manifold-coupled output multiplexers with dielectric resonator (DR) loaded filters. Space mapping optimization has been used to design large-scale output multiplexers and it has significantly reduced the overall tuning time compared to traditional techniques. A multiple space-mapping optimization algorithm has been developed for T-switch design. The T-switch has six paths and because of symmetry can be designed by considering only two paths. A multiple space-mapping algorithm iteratively enhances the coarse model of each path. The enhanced coarse models are then optimized to meet the required specifications. Excellent RF performance in the C-band and Ku-band has been obtained in few iterations.
The healing properties of writing for persons with mental health conditions.

Background: Research demonstrates the benefits of therapeutic writing yet little is written on the healing properties for those who choose to write outside of a structured setting.Methods: The pres...
Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Expression as Predictors of Relationship Satisfaction and Stability

Why do some intimate relationships endure and others do not? Of the stable relationships, why are some couples highly satisﬁed, whereas other couples become dissatisﬁed? Vast literatures have focused on theory and research on predictors of relationship stability and satisfaction. In this chapter, we examine how aspects of the sexual relationship are associated with overall relationship satisfaction and stability. We beginwith a focus on the contribution of sexual satisfaction to overall relationship quality and stability. We then discuss how several types of sexual expression, including frequency of sexual activity, sexual communication, and sexual conﬂict are related to sexual satisfaction and thus also to relationship satisfaction and stability. Although most of the literature conceptualizes sexuality variables as distinct from relationship quality variables (e.g., satisfaction), sexuality is also a component of some relationship phenomena that are empirically and theoretically associated with sexual satisfaction and relationship quality. In this chapter, we also discuss sexuality as a dimension of the following relationship constructs: intimacy, love, exchange, and maintenance behaviors.
Tracking Public Support for Japan's Remilitarization Policies: An Examination of Elitist and Pluralist Governance

Has Japan’s post-Second World War transformation into one of the most militarily capable nations been the result of 60 years of truly representative government? This research compares government-co...
Against Proportionality: Proportionality Is not a Side-Constraint on Punishment

In the fourth chapter, I argue that there is no satisfactory theory of proportionality in the context of punishment. By proportionality in punishment, I mean that there is a systematic positive relation between the seriousness of a person’s wrongdoing and the maximum severity of punishment she may be given. Proportionality is a feature of most non-consequentialist theories of punishment, including forfeiture theory, retributivism, distributive-justice theory, and punishment as societal defense. Because this restriction is a central part of non-consequentialist theories of permissible threats and force, such theories are likely mistaken.
Connections Between Power Series Methods and Automatic Differentiation

There is a large overlap in the work of the Automatic Differentiation community and those whose use Power Series Methods. Automatic Differentiation is predominately applied to problems involving differentiation, and Power series began as a tool in the ODE setting. Three examples are presented to highlight this overlap, and several interesting results are presented.
Global discovery of small noncoding RNAs in pathogenic Yersinia species

Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) function as regulatory elements in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Trans-acting bacterial sRNAs posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression by base pairing with target mRNAs, which often leads to changes in translation efficiency and/or stability of the transcript. Bioinformatic search algorithms along with a variety of experimental approaches have become increasingly useful for the discovery of sRNAs and their mRNA targets. Our laboratory and others recently demonstrated that Hfq, a protein chaperone of sRNAs in bacteria, is required for the full virulence of both Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the disease plague, and the genetically related gastrointestinal pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. This led us to pursue the first global identification and analysis of sRNAs in pathogenic Yersinia species. We have identified 150 previously unannotated sRNAs expressed by Y. pseudotuberculosis when cultured in vitro at either 26°C or 37°C, the majority of which are Yersinia-specific. The deletion of multiple Yersinia-specific sRNAs from either Y. pseudotuberculosis or Y. pestis leads to the attenuation of these pathogens in mouse models of infection. In addition, we have identified the mRNA targets controlled by one of these virulence-associated sRNAs, suggesting potential new virulence determinants in Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Pensieri shakespeariani come leggi dello stato. Letteratura e diritto in Karl Kraus

It is not possible to understand Karl Kraus, claims Walter Benjamin, without assuming that in the oeuvre of the Viennese writer "everything takes place in the sphere of law". In Kraus’s thought legal issues are strongly related to literature and language. His concept of law stems from a higher ideal of ‘justice’; justice is based on language and language has a strong ideal and prescriptive value. Through the use of quotation Kraus charges literature and journalism with betraying language, while on the other hand he charges law with betraying justice. This essay aims at demonstrating trough an interdisciplinary approach that Kraus did not only involve law issues in his literary writings, he also invested some literary works – especially Shakespeare’s plays – with a legal value. In Kraus’s thought Shakespeare is a symbol of consubstantiality between reality and literature, and an 'encyclopedia' providing eternally valid categories. As an ideal paradigm for the interpretation of reality, Shakespeare is the utopian background of Kraus’s reflection on language and justice, bearing witness to the indissolubility, in Kraus’s thought, of literature and law.
Informed Trading in Business Groups

Business groups, which are collections of legally independent companies with a significant amount of common ownership, dominate private sector activity in developing countries. This paper studies information flows within these groups by examining the trading performance of institutional investors in firms that belong to the same group. Using a novel dataset with complete transaction records in Colombia, this paper estimates the difference in returns between trades of asset managers in group-affiliated companies and trades of non-affiliated managers in the same stocks during the same period. The data show that affiliated managers display superior timing ability and that their trades outperform those of non-affiliated managers by 0.85 percent per month. The evidence suggests that institutional investors with group affiliation access information that is only available to members of the group. In order to limit the use of private information, financial authorities might need to expand their disclosure rules to monitor the trades of group-affiliated investors.
Recruitment and disruption of value encoding during alcohol seeking

A critical area of inquiry in the neurobiology of alcohol abuse is the neural mechanisms by which cues gain the ability to elicit alcohol use. We previously showed that cue-evoked activity in rat ventral pallidum (VP) robustly encodes the value of cues trained under both Pavlovian and instrumental contingencies, despite a stronger relationship between cue-evoked responses and behavioral latency after instrumental training. Here, we assessed VP neural representations of cue value in rats trained with a Pavlovian conditioned stimulus (CS+) that predicted alcohol delivery, and in rats trained with an instrumental discriminative stimulus (DS) that predicted alcohol availability if the rat entered the reward port during the cue. We also examined the impact of alcohol exposure itself on the integrity of this type of signaling in rats trained with sucrose. Decoding of cue value based on VP firing was blunted for an alcohol CS+ versus an alcohol DS, as well as in comparison to a sucrose DS or CS+. Further, homecage alcohol exposure had opposing effects on VP encoding of cue value for a sucrose DS versus a sucrose CS+, enhancing decoding accuracy for the DS and reducing decoding accuracy for the CS+. These findings suggest that problem alcohol seeking may result from biased engagement of specific reward-related processes via changes in VP signaling.
Oxidation of KCNB1 potassium channels in the murine brain during aging is associated with cognitive impairment.

Abstract Voltage-gated potassium (K+) channel sub-family B member 1 (KCNB1, Kv2.1) is known to undergo oxidation-induced oligomerization during aging but whether this process affects brain's physiology was not known. Here, we used 10, 16 and 22 month-old transgenic mice overexpressing a KCNB1 variant that does not oligomerize (Tg-C73A) and as control, mice overexpressing the wild type (Tg-WT) channel and non-transgenic (non-Tg) mice to elucidate the effects of channel's oxidation on cognitive function. Aging mice in which KCNB1 oligomerization is negligible (Tg-C73A), performed significantly better in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test of working memory compared to non-Tg or Tg-WT mice. KCNB1 and synapsin-1 co-immunoprecipitated and the cognitive impairment in the MWM was associated with moderate loss of synapsin-1 in pre-synaptic structures of the hippocampus, whereas neurodegeneration and neuronal loss were not significantly different in the various genotypes. We conclude that moderate oxidation of the KCNB1 channel during aging can influence neuronal networks by affecting synaptic function.
Collaboration in Health Care and Social Service Networks for Older Adults: Association With Health Care Utilization Measures.

Background:Services targeting social determinants of health—such as income support, housing, and nutrition—have been shown to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs for older adults. Nevertheless, evidence on the properties of effective collaborative networks across health care and soc
From Insult to Estrangement and Injury: The Violence of Racist Police Jokes:

This article examines racially derogatory police jokes, what we call “racist blue humor,” as discourse that negatively targets and ridicules racial and ethnic minorities as inferior, dangerous, or ...
Examining the influence of network, land use, and demographic characteristics to estimate the number of bicycle-vehicle crashes on urban roads

Abstract The focus of this paper is to examine the influence of network, land use, and demographic characteristics on the number of bicycle-vehicle crashes, and to develop area-level bicycle-vehicle crash estimation models (safety performance functions) for urban roads. Mecklenburg County in the State of North Carolina was considered as the study area. The reported bicycle-vehicle crash data, from 2010 to 2015, along with the network, land use, and demographic characteristics data were obtained from the local agencies. Data within a one-mile buffer of 119 selected locations was then captured. Data for 99 selected locations were used for the modeling purpose, while data for the remaining 20 selected locations were used for validating the models. Six alternate models were developed, considering various combinations of explanatory variables that are not correlated with each other. As the bicycle-vehicle crash dataset used in this research was observed to be over-dispersed (variance greater than the mean), Negative Binomial log-link distribution-based models were developed. The validation dataset was used to compare the estimated number of bicycle-vehicle crashes from each model with the actual number of bicycle-vehicle crashes. The results obtained from the analysis and modeling suggest that bicyclists are more often involved in crashes while traveling on segments with no bicycle lane, the traffic light, 45 mph as the speed limit, and in commercial activity, research activity, institutional, multi-family residential (densely populated), and heavy industrial areas. The computed Moran's Index values indicate weak to no spatial correlation between the residuals of each model. However, the residuals seem to depend on the area type and the number of bicycle-vehicle crashes.
Emergency Department Thoracotomy: Development of a Reliable, Validated Checklist for Procedural Training.

Objectives Emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) is a rare and challenging procedure. Emergency medicine (EM) residents have limited opportunities to perform the procedure in clinical or educational settings. Standardized, reliable, validated checklists do not exist to evaluate procedural competency. The objectives of this project were twofold: 1) to develop a checklist containing the critical actions for performing an EDT that can be used for future procedural skills training and 2) to evaluate the reliability and validity of the checklist for performing EDT. Methods After a literature review, a preliminary 22-item checklist was developed and disseminated to experts in EM and trauma surgery. A modified Delphi method was used to revise the checklist. To assess usability of the checklist, EM and trauma surgery faculty and residents were evaluated performing an EDT while inter-rater reliability was calculated with Cohen's kappa. A Student's t-test was used to compare the performance of participants who had or had not performed a thoracotomy in clinical practice. Item-total correlation was calculated for each checklist item to determine discriminatory ability. Results A final 22-item checklist was developed for EDT. The overall inter-rater reliability was strong (κ = 0.84) with individual item agreement ranging from moderate to strong (κ = 0.61 to 1.00). Experts (attending physicians and senior residents) performed well on the checklist, achieving an average score of 80% on the checklist. Participants who had performed EDT in clinical practice performed significantly better than those that had not, achieving an average of 80.7% items completed versus 52.3% (p < 0.05). Seventeen of 22 items had an item-total correlation greater than 0.2. Conclusions A final 22-item consensus-based checklist was developed for the EDT. Overall inter-rater reliability was strong. This checklist can be used in future studies to serve as a foundation for curriculum development around this important procedure.
PD-1/PD-L1 expression in extramedullary lesions of acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy (HM) resulting from uncontrolled proliferation of myeloid precursors. The inherent low neo-antigen burden and low immunogenici...
Evaporative Resistance is of Equal Importance as Surface Albedo in High Latitude Surface Temperatures Due to Cloud Feedbacks

Arctic vegetation is known to influence Arctic surface temperatures through albedo. However, it is less clear how plant evaporative resistance and albedo independently influence surface climate at high latitudes. We use surface properties derived from two common Arctic tree types to simulate the climate response to a change in land surface albedo and evaporative resistance in factorial combinations. We find that lower evaporative resistances lead to an increase of low clouds. The reflection of light due to the difference in albedos between vegetation types is similar to the loss of incident sunlight due to increased cloud cover resulting from lower evaporative resistance from vegetation change. Our results demonstrate that realistic changes in evaporative resistance can have an equal impact on surface temperature to changes in albedo, and that cloud feedbacks play a first order role in determining the surface climate response to changes in Arctic land cover.
Perivenular Capillary Loss: An Early, Quantifiable Change in Macular Telangiectasia Type 2

Purpose To evaluate differences in parafoveal vascular density surrounding arterioles and venules in type 2 macular telangiectasia (MacTel). Methods Thirty-seven eyes (20 subjects) diagnosed with MacTel and 16 healthy eyes (10 subjects) were imaged with optical coherence tomography angiography between March 2016 and June 2019 in this single-center, observational, cross-sectional study. Arterioles and venules were manually identified, and perivascular density was generated using a custom MATLAB code. The primary outcome measure was the ratio of periarteriolar to perivenular vascular density (arteriovenous [A/V] capillary ratio) in the superficial and deep capillary plexuses across MacTel stages. The main secondary outcome measures were overall parafoveal vascular density (VD), periarteriolar VD, and perivenular VD. Results In the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), the A/V capillary ratio was significantly higher in MacTel subjects than controls (0.914 vs. 0.892; P = 0.0044). The greatest differences occurred between controls and nonproliferative MacTel subjects without optical coherence tomography evidence of disease (P = 0.0055). A/V capillary ratios progressed in a nonlinear fashion with MacTel severity, increasing from nonproliferative disease (0.912) to intraretinal proliferative disease (0.931), then decreasing in subretinal proliferative disease (0.905). Parafoveal VD in the SCP was lower in MacTel subjects than controls only in subretinal proliferative disease (P = 0.0130). Conclusions The A/V capillary ratio of the SCP is a quantifiable metric of vascular pathology in MacTel that occurs earlier than decline in parafoveal VD. Elevated A/V capillary ratios in MacTel are consistent with an early, disproportionately perivenular disruption in the SCP. Translational relevance Findings inform MacTel pathogenesis through revealing early perivenular capillary loss and offer a new quantitative metric for earliest stage MacTel.
Low-cost Smart Camera System for Water Stress Detection in Crops

The availability of easy-to-use, low-cost, and highly scalable tools makes it possible to achieve rapid and widespread adoption of precision agriculture. In this paper we outline the development of a smart camera system to detect drought stress in corn and soybean crops. The system is comprised of a Raspberry Pi Zero W, Raspberry Pi Camera, WittyPi mini, a cooling and solar power system, temperature sensors both inside and outside of the box, and infrared canopy temperature and light sensors. The system was built to collect data in a configurable time frame and has an embedded machine-learning (ML) processing system. The camera was configured using an Internet of Things (IoT) platform to manage the device and send images to the Cloud. One of the challenges for this system was to effectively implement machine learning models on this limited-resource embedded platform. We achieved an accuracy of 74% with the embedded machine learning algorithm when classifying water stress in soybeans.
Changing climate associated with the range‐wide decline of an estuarine finfish

Southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) are a coastal flatfish species that supports recreational and commercial fisheries but are currently experiencing range-wide declines. To quantify the range-wide declines and investigate the role of climate in these declines, fishery-independent sampling data of age-0 flounder were obtained from 34 estuaries representing four states in the Gulf of Mexico (TX, LA, AL, and FL) and three states in the Southeastern United States Atlantic Ocean (FL, SC, and NC) spanning from 1976 to 2019. Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to estimate age-0 recruitment trends. Spatial and temporal synchrony analyses were then conducted using annual GAM-predicted values to determine if trends were similar between estuaries in close proximity, and if declines occurred at the same time. Because the species is dependent on physical transport (i.e., winds and tides) for recruitment, hourly wind speed, wind direction, water temperature, and air temperature were obtained for estuaries with non-zero sampling totals and long-term data sets. Only six estuaries showed significant relationships between age-0 flounder indices and growing degree days. However, all estuaries with wind data showed significant relationships between age-0 flounder indices and hourly summed wind speed. Southern flounder also have environmental sex determination, meaning warming estuaries could also account for population changes and declines. We document that water temperatures in the same space and time where southern flounder sexually determine are warmer now than even a decade ago, which could masculinize populations and substantially change population demographics. These results illustrate the vulnerability of estuarine finfish populations to climate change and increased climate variability. Understanding how climate acts on southern flounder biology may help managers respond to and prevent fishery collapses.
Evaluating the Quality of Curing Applications on Concrete Pavements with Ground-Penetrating Radar:

The management of concrete pavement curing must take several factors into account, such as the type of curing compound, the rate of the curing application, the uniformity of the curing application,...
Identification of Lung Transplant Recipients with a Survival Benefit after Fundoplication.

ABSTRACT Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and aspiration of enteric contents is associated with worse outcomes after lung transplant. The purpose of this study is to elucidate populations that benefit the most from fundoplication after lung transplant. Methods Lung transplants from 2001-2019 (n=971) were retrospectively reviewed and stratified by a fundoplication before (n=128) or after (n=24) chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) development vs those who didn’t. Patients with a fundoplication prior to CLAD were propensity-matched to those without a fundoplication. The primary outcome of interest was post-transplant survival. Time-to-event rates were calculated using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier functions. Results A fundoplication prior to CLAD improved post-transplant survival before and after propensity-matching, and remained a significant predictor after adjusting for baseline characteristics (HR:0.57, 95% CI:0.4-0.8, P=0.001). Recipients with a restrictive disorder (HR: 0.46, 95% CI:0.3-0.73, P=0.001), age Conclusions A fundoplication before or after CLAD development is an independent predictor of survival. Younger patients with restrictive disease, independent of the type of transplant, have a survival benefit. GERD diagnosed by conventional methods was not associated with worse survival.
Interleukin-1β in Multifactorial Hypertension: Inflammation, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling, and Non-Coding RNA Regulation.

The biological activities of interleukins, a group of circulating cytokines, are linked to the immuno-pathways involved in many diseases. Mounting evidence suggests that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of various types of hypertension. In this review, we summarized recent findings linking IL-1β to systemic arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and gestational hypertension. We also outlined the new progress in elucidating the potential mechanisms of IL-1β in hypertension, focusing on it’s regulation in inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell function, and extracellular remodeling. In addition, we reviewed recent studies that highlight novel findings examining the function of non-coding RNAs in regulating the activity of IL-1β and its associated proteins in the setting of hypertension. The information collected in this review provides new insights into understanding the pathogenesis of hypertension and could lead to the discovery of new anti-hypertensive therapies to combat this highly prevalent disease.
The Operation of Extension

In this chapter the theory of join operations is expanded by defining an operation of extension, which is a sort of inverse to join. Three postulates involving extension are introduced to complete the basic postulate set. These are employed to derive principles and formulas involving extension and join which supplement and enrich the formal theory of join in Chapters 2 and 3. The theory is applied to new ideas: extreme points of convex sets, linear order of points and two categories of convex set referred to as open and closed. New results are obtained on familiar ideas: Theorem 4.28—any join of points is an open convex set; Theorem 4.30—the interior of a polytope P is the join of the points of any finite set of generators of P; and Theorem 4.31 − I(AB) = I(A)I(B), provided I(A), I(B) ≠ O.
The Enduring Quest for a Clear Vision of the Past: Interpreting Aboriginal Stone Features on Two Archaeological Sites in South Park, Colorado

Two architectural sites in South Park, Colorado are of a type not previously believed to be present in the state. The sites are notable for the large number and variety of stone features and, importantly, the limited artifact assemblages. In addition to archaeological data, ethnographic and ethnohistoric information support the hypothesis that sites 5PA1300 and 5PA1804 have functioned in the past as important vision quest loci, like others that have been found in Montana and Wyoming. The sites are most likely of Arapaho origin, and future archaeologists will probably find more like them east of the Continental Divide.
Notes on Colorado Fungi III: New and Interesting Mushrooms from the Aspen Zone

In the present account the following fungi are discussed or described: Collybia confluens with amyloid spores when young; C. pinastris, a transfer from Marasmius; Oudemansiella longipes var. americana var. nov.; Tricholoma aurantium var. olivascens var. nov.; Calocybe onychina; Mycena haematopus var. cuspidata var. nov.; M. elegantula var. inflata var. nov.; M. argillascens sp. nov., Armillaria albolanaripes, an albino variant; Catathelasma singeri sp. nov.; Pleurotus cornucopiae; Coprinus atramentarius; Psathyrella aspenensis sp. nov.; P. sublateritia var. intermedia var. nov.; Stropharia kauffmanii; and S. subsquamulosa sp. nov.
Intermediation and Trust

It is well known that among a community of traders in which particular pairs of traders only transact occasionally, and have opportunities to cheat, cooperation be sustained if information about traders’ reputations can circulate within the group. In many applications, however, the potential for developing reputations is limited. This paper studies how intermediaries («brokers») can help to sustain cooperation by removing the need for traders to have information about each other. Rather than trusting other traders, each of whom they interact with only occasionally, traders place their trust in the broker, with whom they each interact frequently. To illustrate, we explore the role of intermediaries in bribe transactions.
Configurable Design of Multimodal Non Visual Interfaces for 3D VE's

3D virtual environments (VE) require an advanced user interface to fully express their information contents. New I/O devices enable the use of multiple sensorial channels (vision, hearing, touch, etc.) to increase the naturalness and the efficiency of complex interactions. Haptic and acoustic interfaces extend the effective experience of virtual reality to visually impaired users. For these users, a multimodal rendering that matches the subjective characteristics and the personal abilities of individuals is mandatory to provide a complete and correct perception of the virtual scene. User feedbacks are critical since the design phase. This paper proposes an approach for the design of haptic/acoustic user interface to makes up the lack of visual feedback in blind users interaction. It increases the flexibility of the interface development by decoupling the multimodal rendering design from the VE geometric structure. An authoring tool allows experts of the knowledge domain (even without specific skills about the VE) to design the haptic/acoustic rendering of virtual objects.
Simulated Impact of Non-Linear Memory Effects on Digital Communications in a Klystron

The results of passing digital communications signals through a 1-D physics-based klystron model are presented and compared to the series block model. Non-linear memory effects are shown to be important at high data rates near saturation.
The computational complexity of time-frequency distributions

A number of lower bounds on the communication and multiplicative complexity are derived. The (Area)*(Time)/sup 2/ (AT/sup 2/) bound for the discrete short time Fourier transform, the discrete Wigner-Ville distribution, the discrete ambiguity function and the discrete Gabor transform is shown to be AT/sup 2/= Omega (N/sup 3/ log/sup 2/ N), where N/sup 2/ is the number of output points. The lower bound on multiplicative complexity for these is shown to be Omega (N/sup 2/). For the N-point discrete wavelet transform a lower bound of AT/sup 2/= Omega (N/sup 2/ log/sup 2/ N) and a multiplicative complexity of Omega (N) are the same as the lower bounds for the DFT. >
The Classical Economists and the Factory Acts

Between 1815 and 1850, the economic policy of England was marked by several far-reaching reforms advocated by Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and their disciples. Revision of monetary and banking policy, abandonment of the archaic Navigation Acts, and eventual repeal of the Corn Laws, all bear the unmistakable impress of the influence of the classical economists.
Predictors of posttraumatic growth in women with breast cancer

Objective Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is defined as ‘positive psychological change experienced as a result of a struggle with highly challenging life circumstances’. The current study examined change in PTG over 2 years following breast cancer diagnosis and variables associated with PTG over time.
Preparation and chemical composition of the cell walls of mature infectious dense forms of meningopneumonitis organisms.

Relatively large-scale production and purification of meningopneumonitis organisms was developed for chemical and immunological studies on cell walls of the infectious dense forms. By disruption of purified organisms with glass beads in a Mickle shaker, highly purified preparations of cell walls were obtained by sucrose density gradient centrifugation, enzyme digestion, and sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment. The dry-weight recovery of purified cell walls from intact organisms was about 13%. When 32 P-labeled preparations of cell walls were fractionated into acid-soluble, lipid, ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic (DNA), and residual fractions, about 80% of the 32 P in cell wall preparations was recovered in the phospholipid fraction, which corresponded to about 3% of the total phospholipid in the intact organisms. About 7% of the 32 P in purified cell walls was recovered in the RNA and DNA fractions respectively, but this corresponds to only about 0.4% of the 32 P found in those fractions in intact organisms. From dry-weight determinations, it was calculated that the purified cell wall preparations contained only 0.6% total nucleic acids, and these are probably not true cell wall constituents. These cell walls contained 70 to 75% protein, corresponding to about 14% of the protein in intact organisms. Amino acid analysis of these protein showed the existence of all common amino acids, glucosamine, and galactosamine. However, no muramic acid was detected by the methods employed. Images
Neural networks for feature computations in automatic speech recognition

Neural networks (NNs) are used for defining good features to use in automatic speech recognition. Of several approaches investigated, the best results were obtained using a NN as a memoryless nonlinear transformation to transform acoustic speech features to a continuous-valued phonetic feature space. The goal is to use labeled training data to automatically derive features which will enhance machine speech recognition. The transformed features were experimentally tested in a syllable recognition task using a hidden Markov model for speech recognition. Syllable recognition rates using the NN-derived features were comparable to those obtained using features derived from a linear transformation. >
Identification and characterization of the pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide family of G protein-coupled receptors from Ostrinia nubilalis

Insects have two closely related G protein-coupled receptors belonging to the pyrokinin/pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (pyrokinin/PBAN) family, one with the ligand PBAN or pyrokinin-2 and another with diapause hormone or pyrokinin-1 as a ligand. A related receptor is activated by products of the capa gene, periviscerokinins. Here we characterized the PBAN receptor and the diapause hormone receptor from the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis. We also identified a partial sequence for the periviscerokinin receptor. Quantitative PCR of mRNA for all three receptors indicated differential expression in various life stages and tissues. All three splice variants of the PBAN receptor were identified with all variants found in pheromone gland tissue. Immunohistochemistry of V5 tags of expressed receptors indicated that all three variants and the diapause hormone receptor were expressed at similar levels in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells. However, the A- and B-variants were not active in our functional assay, which confirms studies from other moths. Functional expression of the C-variant indicated that it is has a 44 nM half effective concentration for activation by PBAN. The diapause hormone receptor was activated by diapause hormone with a 150 nM half effective concentration.
AUTONOMY AND PLURALITY

According to a familiar criticism, liberal pluralism is undermined by the special value which liberals give to autonomy. This special value is then undermined by the very exercise of autonomy in practical judgement, since rational agents ought to give priority to values they have judged to be worthy, not to autonomy. This criticism presupposes an over-theoretical view of practical judgement which overlooks our need to integrate our diverse practical judgements into our lives. I explain this integration through a conception of autonomy as the ability of a plurality to act in common. Drawing on Rawls' account of overlapping consensus, I argue that this view fits not only cases of collective activity, but also cases of individuals making life-structuring commitments. Understanding the essential connection between autonomy and plurality reveals what is mistaken about the familiar criticism of liberalism.
A mathematical model for bifurcations in a Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

Abstract In our investigation we find that there are three stages during the whole lifespan of a Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) system with 1,4-cyclohexanedione (CHD) and ferroin: transitional period (TP), induction period (IP), and main period (MP). When the system goes from the TP to the IP, there is a bifurcation from monostability (orange steady-state) to bistability (both orange and blue steady-states). When the system shifts from the IP to the MP, a different bifurcation occurs from the bistability back to the monostability (orange steady-state). A reduction step before the second bifurcation propagates slower than oxidation steps and pulses during the whole lifespan of the medium. This sharp difference of propagation speed has not been observed in other BZ systems, and cannot be interpreted by the prototype Oregonator model. We construct here an Oregonator-type model that simulates the two bifurcations and the propagation speed difference of the two kinds of step before the second bifurcation. Furthermore, our model demonstrates other bifurcations that are not observable in experiment. Our discovery not only unfolds a new aspect of the well-studied BZ reaction, but also leads to a new demand for further understanding of a reaction–diffusion equation system as the corresponding ordinary differential equation system bifurcates.
Detection of gaps in sinusoids by frog auditory nerve fibers: importance in AM coding

Physiological studies were carried out in the frog (Rana pipiens pipiens) eighth nerve to determine: (i) whether the modulation rate or the silent gap was the salient feature that set the upper limit of time-locking to pulsed amplitude-modulated (PAM) stimuli, (ii) the gap detection capacity of individual eighth nerve fibers. Time-locked responses of 79 eighth nerve fibers to PAM stimuli (at the fiber's characteristic frequency) showed that the synchronization coefficient was a low-pass function of the modulation rate. In response to PAM stimuli having different pulse durations, a fiber gave rise to non-overlapping modulation transfer functions. The upper cut-off frequency of time locking was higher when tonepulses in PAM stimuli had shorter duration. The fact that the cut-off frequency was different for the different PAM series suggested that the AM rate was neither the sole, nor the main, determinant for the decay in time-locking at high AM rates. Gap detection capacity was determined for 69 eighth nerve fibers by assessing fiber's spiking activities to paired tone-pulses during an OFF-window and an ON-window. It was found that the minimum detectable gap of eighth nerve fibers ranged from 0.5 to 10 ms with an average of 1.23–2.16 ms depending on the duration of paired tone pulses. For each fiber, the minimum detectable gap was longer when the duration of tone pulses comprising the twin-pulse stimuli was more than four times longer. When the synchronization coefficient was plotted against the silent gap between tones pulses in the PAM stimuli, the gap response functions of a fiber as derived from multiple PAM series were equivalent to gap response functions deriving from twin-pulse series suggesting that it was the silent gap which primarily determined the upper limit of time-locking to PAM stimuli.
The Effect of Tetraethylpyrophosphate (TEPP) on the Transmembrane Potentials of Pacemaker and Non-pacemaker Fibers of Isolated Rabbit Atrium

When 7 x 10-7M tetraethylpyrophosphate (TEPP) was administered as constant perfusion, the results were: (1) A progressive slowing of atrial rate and subsequent block in conduction; (2) A decrease in slope of the prepotential of pacemaker fibers; (3) No significant change in membrane resting potential of sinoatrial and atrial fibers, even during block in conduction; (4) An accelerated repolarization of both types of fibers. Simultaneously with the changes in electrical activity TEPP consistently produced a progressive decrease in inotropism. Pyridine 2-aldoxime methiodide (PAM) in concentrations of 1.26-2.52 x 10-4M consistently reversed the effects of TEPP. The inotropism often exceeded the control. The data suggests that 1) the changes in transmembrane potential produced by TEPP are principally due to an acetylcholine action, 2) the decrease in contractility is more intimately related to a disturbance in metabolic energy, and 3) the reversibility of the TEPP effects by PAM is due to a reactivation of acetylcholinesterase, an action similar to that observed in vitro.
IL-4 inhibits VLA-4 expression on Tc1 cells resulting in poor tumor infiltration and reduced therapy benefit.

We and others have previously demonstrated that IL-4-dependent Tc2 are inferior to Tc1 effector CD8+ T cells in regulating tumor progression in vivo. This functional disparity relates, in part, to the comparatively poor ability of Tc2 to migrate into diseased tissues. We now show that IL-4 treatment of committed Tc1 cells promotes the selective loss in expression of Very-Late Antigen (VLA)-4, without impacting the Tc1 cytokine production profile, cytotoxic activity, or expression of alternate cell surface markers. Down-regulation of VLA-4 expression on Tc1 cells was unique to treatment with IL-4 (i.e. Tc1IL-4), and did not occur in the presence of the Type 2 cytokine IL-13 or the regulatory cytokines IL-10 or TGF-β. Notably, the inhibitory effects of IL-4 on Tc1 expression of VLA-4 could be blocked by the presence of IL-12, but not IFN-γ. Predictably, Tc1IL-4 (but not Tc1 control) cells adhere poorly to plate-bound VCAM-1-Fc fusion protein and fail to be co-stimulated by VCAM-1 in vitro. They were also markedly impaired in their ability to traffic into intracranial melanoma lesions after adoptive transfer, yielding inferior therapeutic benefit to tumor-bearing mice. These results suggest a novel suppressive mechanism for IL-4 that limits Tc1 efficacy via preventing their recruitment into tumors. (200 words)
Effect of bioremediation on the mutagenicity of oil spilled in prince william sound alaska

Abstract On 24 March 1989 approximately 11 million gallons of Prudhoe Bay crude oil spilled into the waters of Prince William Sound, Alaska ultimately contaminating nearly 1000 miles of shoreline. Approximately 300 miles of contaminated beach were considered amenable to cleanup by bioremediation. To determine whether or not bioremediation would be effective in this geophysical setting and under such climatic conditions and to identify potential deleterious effects, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted one of the world's largest in situ bioremediation field demonstration research projects. One of the methods used to assess potential health effects associated with this and similar efforts was the examination of mutagenicity associated with the oil spill and the products of bioremediation. Salmonella mutagenicity was assessed using a semi-automated plating device (spiral plater) that requires less sample than the standard assay. Both the Prudhoe Bay crude oil and its weathered counterpart collected from oil-impacted water were weakly mutagenic. The mutagenicity of samples collected from the contaminated beaches (undergoing both enhanced and natural bioremediation) declined over time.
On the spectral radius of a (0,1) matrix related to Merten's function

Abstract Define n× n matrices Dn = (dij) and Cn = (cij) by dij = 1 if i∣j, 0 otherwise and Cn = (0, 1, 1,…, 1)T(1, 0, 0,…, 0). Let An = Dn + Cn. We use the directed graph of An −In to obtain the characteristic polynomial of An. Then we show that all but [log2n]+1 of the eigenvalues of An are equal to 1 and that ϱ(An) is asymptotically equal to √n as n → ∞.
FAM123A binds to microtubules and inhibits the guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF2 to decrease actomyosin contractility

The FAM123 gene family comprises three members: FAM123A, the tumor suppressor WTX (also known as FAM123B), and FAM123C. WTX is required for normal development and causally contributes to human disease, in part through its regulation of β-catenin-dependent WNT signaling. The roles of FAM123A and FAM123C in signaling, cell behavior, and human disease remain less understood. We defined and compared the protein-protein interaction networks for each member of the FAM123 family by affinity purification and mass spectrometry. Protein localization and functional studies suggest that the FAM123 family members have conserved and divergent cellular roles. In contrast to WTX and FAM123C, we found that microtubule-associated proteins were enriched in the FAM123A protein interaction network. FAM123A interacted with and tracked with the plus end of dynamic microtubules. Domain interaction experiments revealed a "SKIP" amino acid motif in FAM123A that mediated interaction with the microtubule tip tracking proteins end-binding protein 1 (EB1) and EB3--and therefore with microtubules. Cells depleted of FAM123A showed compartment-specific effects on microtubule dynamics, increased actomyosin contractility, larger focal adhesions, and decreased cell migration. These effects required binding of FAM123A to and inhibition of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor ARHGEF2, a microtubule-associated activator of RhoA. Together, these data suggest that the SKIP motif enables FAM123A, but not the other FAM123 family members, to bind to EB proteins, localize to microtubules, and coordinate microtubule dynamics and actomyosin contractility.
Microtubules as a target for anticancer drugs.

Highly dynamic mitotic-spindle microtubules are among the most successful targets for anticancer therapy. Microtubule-targeted drugs, including paclitaxel and Vinca alkaloids, were previously considered to work primarily by increasing or decreasing the cellular microtubule mass. Although these effects might have a role in their chemotherapeutic actions, we now know that at lower concentrations, microtubule-targeted drugs can suppress microtubule dynamics without changing microtubule mass; this action leads to mitotic block and apoptosis. In addition to the expanding array of chemically diverse antimitotic agents, some microtubule-targeted drugs can act as vascular-targeting agents, rapidly depolymerizing microtubules of newly formed vasculature to shut down the blood supply to tumours.
The phenomenon of osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients with metastatic breast cancer

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been noted to occur in patients with cancer receiving bisphosphonate therapy and may also be referred to as bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis (BON). ONJ has come to attention through case reporting and the pathogenesis and true incidence of this condition are not yet defined. ONJ appears to be a relatively uncommon event, but it is of clinical significance; the evolving data on ONJ are discussed here.