cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression and promoter analysis of a highly restricted integrin alpha gene in vascular smooth muscle

Full genome annotation requires gene expression analysis and elucidation of promoter activity. Here, we analyzed the expression and promoter of a highly restricted integrin gene, Itga8. RNase protection and quantitative RT-PCR showed Itga8 to be expressed most abundantly in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). Transcription start site mapping of Itga8 revealed the immediate 5' promoter region to be poorly conserved with orthologous sequences in the human genome. Further comparative sequence analysis showed a number of conserved non-coding sequence modules around the Itga8 gene. The immediate promoter region and an upstream conserved sequence module were each found to contain a CArG box, which is a binding site for serum response factor (SRF). Luciferase reporter assays revealed activity of several Itga8 promoter constructs with no apparent restricted activity to SMC types. Further, neither SRF nor its coactivator, Myocardin (MYOCD), was able to induce several distinct Itga8 promoter constructs. Transgenic mouse studies failed to reveal Itga8 promoter activity, indicating distal regulatory elements likely control this gene's in vivo expression profile. Interestingly, although the promoter was unresponsive to SRF/MYOCD, the endogenous Itga8 gene showed increases in expression upon ectopic MYOCD expression even though knockdown of SRF both in vitro and in vivo failed to demonstrate a corresponding change in Itga8. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Itga8 expression is CArG-SRF independent, but MYOCD dependent through an as yet unknown sequence module that is distal from the promoter region.
The efficacy of routine head computed tomography (CT scan) prior to lumbar puncture in the emergency department

The efficacy of using unenhanced head computed tomography (CT scans) as a routine screening procedure prior to lumbar puncture in the emergency department is studied retrospectively by comparing opening pressure during lumbar puncture to CT scan diagnosis in 42 patients. No correlation was found between CT scan findings and opening pressure.
Schedulability Analysis of Sporadic Tasks with Multiple Criticality Specifications

In a paper that was presented at the recently-concluded real-time systems symposium, Vestal proposed a new real-time task model that is able to represent the fact that the worst-case execution time (WCET) of a single task may be determined to different levels of accuracy with different degrees of confidence. In systems with multiple criticality requirements -different tasks need to be assured of meeting their deadlines with different levels of confidence - such multiple specifications of WCET may be exploited to obtain better processor utilization.This paper conducts a thorough study of the feasibility and schedulability questions for such multi-criticality real-time task systems when implemented upon preemptive uniprocessor platforms.
Axial current generation by P-odd domains in QCD matter

The dynamics of topological domains which break parity (P) and charge-parity (CP) symmetry of QCD are studied. We derive in a general setting that those local domains will generate an axial current and quantify the strength of the induced axial current. Thus, our findings are verified in a top-down holographic model. The relation between the real time dynamics of those local domains and the chiral magnetic field is also elucidated. We finally argue that such an induced axial current would be phenomenologically important in a heavy-ion collisions experiment.
Coordination of the Initiation of Recombination and the Reductional Division in Meiosis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Early exchange (EE) genes are required for the initiation of meiotic recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cells with mutations in several EE genes undergo an earlier reductional division (MI), which suggests that the initiation of meiotic recombination is involved in determining proper timing of the division. The different effects of null mutations on the timing of reductional division allow EE genes to be assorted into three classes: mutations in RAD50 or REC102 that confer a very early reductional division; mutations in REC104 or REC114 that confer a division earlier than that of wild-type (WT) cells, but later than that of mutants of the first class; and mutations in MEI4 that do not significantly alter the timing of MI. The very early mutations are epistatic to mutations in the other two classes. We propose a model that accounts for the epistatic relationships and the communication between recombination initiation and the first division. Data in this article indicate that double-strand breaks (DSBs) are not the signal for the normal delay of reductional division; these experiments also confirm that MEI4 is required for the formation of meiotic DSBs. Finally, if a DSB is provided by the HO endonuclease, recombination can occur in the absence of MEI4 and REC104.
The influence of fallback foods on great ape tooth enamel

Lucas and colleagues recently proposed a model based on fracture and deformation concepts to describe how mammalian tooth enamel may be adapted to the mechanical demands of diet (Lucas et al.: Bioes- says 30(2008) 374-385). Here we review the applicability of that model by examining existing data on the food me- chanical properties and enamel morphology of great apes (Pan, Pongo, and Gorilla). Particular attention is paid to whether the consumption of fallback foods is likely to play a key role in influencing great ape enamel morphol- ogy. Our results suggest that this is indeed the case. We also consider the implications of this conclusion on the evolution of the dentition of extinct hominins. Am J Phys Anthropol 140:653-660, 2009. V C
Overflow detection in the computation of convolutions by some number theoretic transforms

This correspondence describes an overflow detection scheme for convolutions computed by number theoretic transforms (NTT's) and defined in a finite ring modulo an integer submultiple of a pseudo Mersenne or pseudo Fermat number.
Mesothelioma as a rapidly developing Giant Abdominal Cyst

The benign cystic mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare lesion and is known for local recurrence. This is first case report of a rapidly developing massive abdominal tumor with histological finding of benign cystic mesothelioma (BCM). We describe a BCM arising in the retroperitoneal tis[sue on the right side, lifting ascending colon and cecum to the left side of abdomen. Patient was an active 58-year-old man who noticed a rapid abdominal swelling within a two month time period with a weight gain of 40 pounds. Patient had no risk factors including occupational (asbestos, cadmium), family history, social (alcohol, smoking) or history of trauma. We will discuss the clinical, radiologic, intra-operative, immunohistochemical, pathologic findings, and imaging six months after surgery. Patient has no recurrence and no weight gain on follow up visits and imaging.
Securing the future of injury prevention: people and institutions.

The burden of injury related mortality and morbidity is currently alarming—with more than 5 million deaths annually.1 Moreover, it is increasing worldwide—especially among low and middle income countries, in vulnerable populations, and in the younger age groups.2 This epidemiological challenge raises an urgent need to develop, strengthen, and maintain capacity for injury prevention research and practice. Over the next decade, this increasing injury burden will create a huge demand for professionals trained in inter-disciplinary sciences from all fields and sectors: health, transport, education, government, law, and communications. Equally important, it will require institutions to prepare themselves to respond to this emerging …
Pretraining and post-training swimming endurance of smokers and nonsmokers.

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the swimming endurance trainability of smokers as compared to nonsmokers. Nonsmokers (N = 47) and smokers (N = 34) of college age were selected from intermediate swimming classes and timed while swimming distances of 100 yd. and 200 yd. prior to participation in an 8-week training program. After 4 weeks of training, swimming times were again recorded for these same distances. At the end of eight weeks, swimming times were taken for distances of 100, 200, and 400 yards. The mean changes of both smokers and nonsmokers during the pretraining to 4-week period, the 4-week to 8-week period, and the pretraining to 8-week period were all significant at the .05 level. However, no significant differences were found between the mean swimming times of smokers and nonsmokers for any of the pretraining, 4-week, or 8-week distances.
Text and Testimony in the Tribunal de Première Instance, Dakar, During the Early Twentieth Century

Historians have recently come to appreciate the importance of studying the colonial legal system and the potential in mining court cases for historical data. This article is a preliminary effort to present a methodology for the study of the records of the entry level civil court, the tribunal de premiere instance, in Dakar, Senegal. The records are somewhat peculiar, because they are the consequence of the extension of the legal rights to the African originaires of the four communes of Senegal, which empowered them to bring civil cases before this court. However, these records share with records from other courts in colonial Africa problems of determining how the litigants' ‘testimony’ was shaped by the legal procedures of the court. This article, therefore, focusses on the context in which litigants' testimony was transformed into the texts we read as court records. In particular, it examines how the phases of litigation and how the court's bias towards written evidence shaped the court records. This research was stimulated in part by the need to locate new sources providing African ‘voices’ about the changes associated with the transition to colonialism. This article concludes with an appraisal of the historical potential of using court records for African social history.
Islamist Critique in Modern Turkey: Hermeneutics, Tradition, Genealogy

What is the status of Islamic traditions of discourse and practice in Turkey as it is ever more self-consciously heir to the Islamic heritage of the Ottoman Empire, and yet has seen such dramatic social, economic, and political transformation during the last two centuries? In recent years a considerable and ever-increasing proportion of scholarly and popular effort has been directed on the part of self-identifying Islamist ( Islâmci ) writers in Turkey toward addressing these issues by way of genealogies of contemporary social forms and practices—critical histories of the present. Simultaneously, methodological debates about the nature of sources and interpretation have begun to appear with increasing regularity in monographs, journals, and even dailies. These two concerns with the status of the present and correct method are not solely the concern of Islamist writers in Turkey; indeed, they are arguably the prevailing mode of history and social science writing in Turkey today. As we shall see, informing both of these currents is an interrogation of the grounds from which authoritative, normative discourses on Islamic practice can be elaborated in the wake of empire and sovereign reform on the near-margin of industrial capitalism. At stake are not only discourses, or ‘representations’ of Islamic tradition. Like other traditions, central to Islam is the discursive elaboration of normative judgments about correct practice; indeed, these discursive elaborations are important Islamic practices. The critical work currently flourishing in Turkey is thus conceived by its practitioners as an important form of contribution to the elaboration of Islamic traditions and entails important diagnoses of the status of enabling conditions for Islamic practice in the contemporary world. This article argues that attending to these interrogations indicates how the study of changes in Islamic discourse and practice in Turkey has profound implications for the issues of power and agency in modernity and Islam more broadly. Particularly in the context of Turkey's intensified juridical, economic, and political restructuring in dialogue with the European Community, an understanding of these currents in the Islamic discursive culture of Turkey offers insight into the oft-commented but poorly understood structure of the relationship between Turkey, Europe, and modernity.
α1,4-Fucosyltransferase Activity in Human Serum and Saliva

A novel bioluminescence-based solid-phase assay is described for the enzyme GDPFuc:Gal(beta)1-3GlcNAc (Fuc to GlcNAc) alpha1,4-fucosyltransferase (alpha1,4FT), which generates the Lewis a blood group antigen (Le(a)) (Gal(beta)1-3[Fuc(alpha)1-4]GlcNAc-R). Lacto-N-tetraose (LNT,Ga ta)1-3GlcNAc(beta)1-3Gal(beta)1-4Glc) was chemically conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) to generate the acceptor neoglycoprotein LNT-BSA. The Le(a) product of the reaction made in the presence of the donor GDPFuc is detected with a primary monoclonal IgG antibody to Le(a) and a secondary antibody coupled to either alkaline phosphatase or the recombinant bioluminescent protein aequorin. Recombinant human GDPFuc:Gal(beta)1-3(4)GlcNAc (Fuc to GlcNAc) alpha1,4/alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase, which exhibits alpha1,4FT activity, was used to optimize the assay. With this assay alpha1,4FT activity is measurable in human serum, in human saliva, and in extracts of the human colon carcinoma cell line SW1116. Activity is absent, however, in extracts of human HL-60 and murine F9 cells, neither of which synthesize Le(a) antigen. Among 10 human donors tested, soluble alpha1,4FT activity, was measurable in serum and saliva of some, but not all donors. However, the presence of enzyme activity in sera does not correlate with Lewis blood group phenotype of erythrocytes. The saliva of one donor, which contained Le(a) antigens, exhibited no alpha1,4FT activity. That saliva was found to contain a heat-stable factor(s) capable of inhibiting the alpha1,4FT activity when mixed with donor saliva containing alpha1,4FT activity. This new assay should be useful in assessing the Lewis enzyme activity in body fluids and its relationship to the Lewis blood group status on cells and secreted glycoconjugates in normal and diseased states.
Growth mechanism of YBa2Cu3O7–δ thin films and precipitates on planar and vicinal SrTiO3 substrates

Effects of the vicinal angle, film thickness, and temperature on the growth modes, microstructures, and electrical properties of YBa2Cu3O7–δ on SrTiO3 were studied. Island growth transition between the initial nucleation and the later coalescence stages was observed with film thickness on a planar SrTiO3, while no islands were observed at the later stage due to the step-flow mode. As the growth temperature increased, a-axis precipitates were transformed to c-axis precipitates (islands), while no islands formed on vicinal SrTiO3. The supercurrent critical temperature was strongly related to the substrate vicinal angle due to the step-flow mode.
Regulation of multispanning membrane protein topology via post-translational annealing

The canonical mechanism for multispanning membrane protein topogenesis suggests that protein topology is established during cotranslational membrane integration. However, this mechanism is inconsistent with the behavior of EmrE, a dual-topology protein for which the mutation of positively charged loop residues, even close to the C-terminus, leads to dramatic shifts in its topology. We use coarse-grained simulations to investigate the Sec-facilitated membrane integration of EmrE and its mutants on realistic biological timescales. This work reveals a mechanism for regulating membrane-protein topogenesis, in which initially misintegrated configurations of the proteins undergo post-translational annealing to reach fully integrated multispanning topologies. The energetic barriers associated with this post-translational annealing process enforce kinetic pathways that dictate the topology of the fully integrated proteins. The proposed mechanism agrees well with the experimentally observed features of EmrE topogenesis and provides a range of experimentally testable predictions regarding the effect of translocon mutations on membrane protein topogenesis.
Comparison of the fungicidal activities of (E)-4-hydroxylated stilbenes and related bibenzyls

Abstract The fungicidal activities of ( E )-4-hydroxylated stilbenes and related bibenzyls were measured by the agar plate procedure and selected active compounds by the soil block method. In the agar plate test, stilbenes with 3′-substituents were all active against two brown-rot ( G. trabeum and P. placenta ) fungi, with the activity having a parabolic hydrophobic relationship. A highly fungitoxic monomer was used to synthesize a dehydrogenative dimer which showed no brown-rot activity. No stilbene was active against the white-rot fungi C. versicolor while three bibenzyls had white-rot activity. Most bibenzyls had moderate brown-rot fungicidal activity. No structural requirement was apparent for bibenzyl brown-rot activity in contrast to the stilbenes. No synergism was observed when various combinations of stilbenes and bibenzyls were tested by the agar plate procedure. Similarities were observed between the agar plate activity and soil block results, although the soil block required higher levels of the stilbene/bibenzyl. No synergism was observed in the soil block results for stilbene and/or bibenzyl combinations. Stilbenes and/or bibenzyls in combination with didecyldimethylammonium chloride, however, showed some synergism.
Characterizing Cracking of Asphalt Mixtures with Fiber Reinforcement: Use of Cyclic Fatigue and Direct Tension Strength Tests

This study characterized the cracking resistance of two independent sets of mixtures from the FHWA full-scale accelerated loading facility and a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation trial section. Both sets had the same selection of three types of comparative materials: an unmodified control mixture, a mixture with a binder modified with styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS), and the same control mixture modified with synthetic fiber reinforcement. Two methods of cracking characterization that can be conducted with the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester were evaluated: simplified viscoelastic continuum damage cyclic fatigue and direct tension monotonic strength. Dynamic modulus results showed that fiber modification had less of an effect than did polymer modification. Cyclic fatigue test results predicted that both SBS- and fiber-modified mixes performed better than did the control mixes in both sets of materials. Furthermore, the cyclic fatigue tests also indicated that the SBS-modified mix performed bett...
CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2 -based photovoltaic cells from electrodeposited precursors

ABSTRACT We have fabricated 13.7%-efficient CuIn1GaSe2 (CIGS)-based devices from electrodeposited precursors. As-deposited electrodeposited precursors are Cu-rich films. Additional In, Ga, and Se were aided to the electrodeposited precursorfilm by physical evaporation to adjust the final composition to CuIn1Ga,Se2. Three devices with Ga/(In+Ga) ratio of 0.16,0.26, and 0.39 were fabricated from electrodeposited precursors. The films/devices have been characterized by inductive-coupled plasma spectrometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron-probe microanalysis, current-voltagecharacteristics, capacitance-voltage, and spectral response. The electrodeposited device parameters are compared with those of a17.7% physical vapor deposited device.Key words: Electrodeposition, copper-indium-gallium-selenide, physical vapor deposition, photovoltaic device. 1. INTRODUCTION At present, the photovoltaic industry uses wafers of single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon. The thickness of thewafers is generally >150 rim. The wafers must go through several processing steps and then be integrated into a module. The
Hydrodynamic drag of diving birds: effects of body size, body shape and feathers at steady speeds

For birds diving to depths where pressure has mostly reduced the buoyancy of air spaces, hydrodynamic drag is the main mechanical cost of steady swimming. Drag is strongly affected by body size and shape, so such differences among species should affect energy costs. Because flow around the body is complicated by the roughness and vibration of feathers, feathers must be considered in evaluating the effects of size and shape on drag. We investigated the effects of size, shape and feathers on the drag of avian divers ranging from wing-propelled auklets weighing 75 g to foot-propelled eiders weighing up to 2060 g. Laser scanning of body surfaces yielded digitized shapes that were averaged over several specimens per species and then used by a milling machine to cut foam models. These models were fitted with casts of the bill area, and their drag was compared with that of frozen specimens. Because of the roughness and vibration of the feathers, the drag of the frozen birds was 2-6 times that of the models. Plots of drag coefficient (C(D)) versus Reynolds number (Re) differed between the model and the frozen birds, with the pattern of difference varying with body shape. Thus, the drag of cast models or similar featherless shapes can differ both quantitatively and qualitatively from that of real birds. On the basis of a new towing method with no posts or stings that alter flow or angles of attack, the dimensionless C(D)/Re curves differed among a size gradient of five auklet species (75-100g) with similar shapes. Thus, extrapolation of C(D)/Re curves among related species must be performed with caution. At lower speeds, the C(D) at a given Re was generally higher for long-necked birds that swim with their neck extended (cormorants, grebes, some ducks) than for birds that swim with their head retracted (penguins, alcids), but this trend was reversed at high speeds. Because swimming birds actually travel at a range of instantaneous speeds during oscillatory strokes, species variations in drag at different speeds must be considered in the context of accelerational stroking.
Beyond Nannygate: Using the Inter-American Human Rights System to Advance the Rights of Migrant Domestic Workers

This article evaluates the potential role of the Inter-American human rights system in efforts to advance the rights of migrant domestic workers in the United States. For many years, the only significant power that migrant domestic workers seemed to possess was the ability to ruin the chances of high-level political appointees. Ironically, this power has come through their vulnerable position in the legal order of the United States. Migrant domestic workers suffer abuse based on both their migration status and their status as workers in the home, factors that exclude them from certain protections under U.S. law. In addition to these formal exclusions, migrant domestic workers often experience discrimination based on gender, race and ethnicity. Although these violations are the very kinds of exploitation that human rights law was created to prevent and remedy, advocates and scholars have not focused on using human rights to advance the rights of migrant domestic workers in the United States. The article considers the causes for this failure, and argues that there are compelling reasons to use human rights law to advance migrant domestic workers' rights. First, U.S. actions and inactions can be scrutinized in certain international institutions charged with monitoring compliance with human rights law. Second, human rights law allows advocates to clearly articulate the obligations of the state to halt abuses that occur in the private realm. Finally, human rights law already binding on the United States can provide robust norms for migrant domestic workers fighting overlapping forms of discrimination that may not be easily challenged under U.S. law. The paper demonstrates that the Inter-American human rights system - through its expansive norms, progressive interpretive practices, and venues for complaint and investigation - provides promising opportunities for U.S.-based advocates fighting the interlocking forms of vulnerability and discrimination that migrant domestic workers face.
Controlling the Catalytic Efficiency on the Surface of Hollow Gold Nanoparticles by Introducing an Inner Thin Layer of Platinum or Palladium.

The efficiency of heterogeneous catalysis of electron-transfer reactions on the surface of gold nanoshells was changed by adding an inner platinum or palladium nanoshell in the double-shell nanocatalysts. The reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol (4NTP) by borohydride was studied as a model reaction. To confirm the heterogeneous catalytic mechanism, the nanocatalysts were assembled into a monolayer on the surface of a quartz substrate using the Langmuir–Blodgett technique, and the 4NTP was allowed to bind to the surface of gold through a strong thiol bond. The stages of the reduction reaction of 4NTP on the surface of gold were successfully followed by time-resolved surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Palladium was found to increase the catalytic efficiency of the gold surface due to the presence of a new Fermi level of the palladium–gold alloy, while platinum decreased its catalytic efficiency due to the electron-withdrawing effect of platinum atoms, which resulted from the difference in their electrochemical ...
Intensity control of high-power dielectric waveguide lasers using photonic band gap evanescent field coupling

In the area of high power dielectric waveguide lasers a very important problem is increasing the average power levels that can be achieved for a given level of pump signal. This may be done by techniques that optimize the spatial distribution of dopant ions with respect to the local field intensity; the result is that the laser is pumped primarily in an evanescent field away from the maximum modal intensity. This allows an increase the power per lasing mode before gain saturation sets in as well as a decrease in the amount of Amplified Spontaneous Emissions (ASE). In fact recent technological advances [1] have paved the way for ultra-high power single fiber single mode lasers with average powers from 100 to 1000 Watts per fiber. This paper extends the basic concept of optimized dopant distributions and evanescent pumping to include doped PBG materials that are used to create the evanescent fields. This paper concentrates on the fundamental principles by predominantly focusing on the physics of the one dimensional problem.
Surgical Treatment of Renovascular Disease in the Solitary Kidney: Results in 43 Cases

AbstractRenal revascularization was performed on 43 patients with vascular disease involving a solitary kidney. Revascularization was undertaken as treatment for severe hypertension in 35 patients and to preserve renal function in 8. There were 2 operative deaths (4.7 per cent) and 3 major complications (7 per cent). No patient suffered acute renal failure after revascularization. Followup ranges from 6 months to 14 years (mean 6 years). The postoperative serum creatinine is improved in 26 patients (63 per cent), unchanged in 9 (22 per cent) and increased in 6 (15 per cent). Of 35 patients with hypertension the blood pressure is cured in 18 (51 per cent) and improved in 14 (40 per cent); there were 3 (9 per cent) failures. In selected patients with renal artery disease involving a solitary kidney revascularization can provide effective treatment of hypertension and stabilization or improvement of renal function.
Prevalence of maxillary canine-first premolar transposition in a composite African sample.

Transposition of the maxillary canine and first premolar, or Mx.C.P1 transposition, is a rare positional anomaly that may occur more frequently in Caucasian subjects. However, little information exists for nonwhite populations. The purpose of this research was to document the prevalence of Mx.C.P1 transposition in a composite sample from three African localities. Pedi (n=242) and Bushmen (n=143) dental casts and a skeletal sample of Nubians (n=205) were examined for atypical tooth order. Three cases (two Bushmen and one Nubian) of Mx.C.P1 transposition were discovered. The affected individuals (two males, one female) displayed both unilateral and bilateral transposition. Associated anomalies, found in two of three cases, included deciduous canine retention and reduced maxillary lateral incisors. Overall, 0.51% of the 590 individuals examined exhibited Mx.C.P1 transposition. This frequency is similar to other reports in the clinical dental literature and accentuates the relative rarity of this positional anomaly in most populations.
Cell-mediated immune responses in cattle vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccine and nonexposed control animals of the same age

Cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses in cattle vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccine during calfhood were studied by an in vitro lymphocyte stimulation assay. Cattle were grouped in six groups according to the age after vaccination, and CMI responses of these groups, as well as of individual animals, were compared. Lymphocytes were prepared from peripheral blood of these cattle by the Ficoll-diatrizoate technique. Lymphocytes were then cultured with B abortus-soluble antigen. Culture results were assayed for [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA by liquid scintillation spectrometry. On a group basis, B abortus-soluble antigen induced lymphocyte stimulation responses in lymphocytes from all the groups, except the sixth group which contained animals that had been vaccinated the longest time (18 to 24 months before this experiment). Animals that had been vaccinated for 3 to 6 months had the highest lymphocyte stimulation response. Seroagglutination tests were conducted simultaneously with the lymphocyte stimulation test, but there was no apparent correlation between the concentrations of humoral antibodies and the CMI responses as measured by in vitro specific lymphocyte stimulation. The lymphocyte stimulation test exhibited significantly higher specificity (P less than 0.005) than the serologic tests.
Fresh Air Solar Heating System - Seasonal Operating Performance

ABSTRACT A solar heating system comprising a 25 m 2 evacuated tube solar collector, 4 m 3 stratified hot water storage tank, liquid-to-air heat exchange coil in a commercial fresh air heating-cooling unit in which heat recovery in a regenerative air-to-air exchanger is employed, and an electric auxiliary heater was operated and monitored continuously through four months of the 1985–86 winter in a residential style building of 200 m 2 floor area. Design improvements over a previously tested system included the control system which provided higher solar collection efficiency, better temperature stratification in storage, higher reflectivity of evacuated tube reflectors, and the supply of fresh air rather than recirculated air without significant thermal and economic penalty. Average daily solar collection efficiency during four months of operation, January through April, was 42% based on collector aperture area. The portion of the heating requirements met by solar was 53%, and 61% of the hot water was supplied by solar. An improved reflector increased energy collection 6.8%, and use of a solar intensity sensor resulted in a 16% increase in energy collection compared with conventional delta T control.
Corrosion and Wear Performance of Titanium and Cobalt Chromium Molybdenum Alloys Coated with Dicationic Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids

The present work investigates the corrosion and wear performance of titanium (Ti6Al4V) and cobalt chromium molybdenum (Co28Cr6Mo) alloys when coated with dicationic imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs). As novel, multi-functional compounds, ILs were assessed in terms of coating stability and ability to enhance corrosion resistance and mitigate wear. The IL with the amino acid, phenylalanine, as the anionic moiety was found to maintain stable coatings on both alloy surfaces in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37 °C which lowered corrosion rates in comparison to control specimens. However, ILs with bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf2) as the anion were found to form unstable coatings on both alloy surfaces that eventually dissolved into PBS, resulting in corrosion behavior similar to or worse than that exhibited by control specimens. Although all IL-coated alloy surfaces exhibited lower coefficient of friction (COF) values and smaller wear scars relative to control specimens lubricated with PBS, the IL with phenylalanine occasionally underwent coating exhaustion and was slower to reach stable COF values. Overall, the anionic moiety and alkyl chain length of an IL were observed as key properties that influence adsorption onto a given substrate which in turn influence its performance as an anti-corrosive agent and lubricant. This study highlights the need for careful selection of ILs based on their chemical structure and nature of the coating substrate (i.e., surface functional groups) in order to form protective films on biomedical alloys that can improve their corrosion and wear resistance.
The complex stretch processor's response to arbitrarily bandlimited Gaussian noise

This paper derives the complex stretch processor's response to bandlimited Gaussian noise having arbitrary center frequency and bandwidth. The paper then identifies three practical applications of the derived characterization. Digital simulation results for the three identified practical applications verify the derivation's correctness.
Book Review: Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands & Bruce Erickson (eds.)Queer Ecologies: Sex, Nature, Politics, Desire. (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010), 1+410 pp.

Book Review: Queer Ecologies: Sex, Nature, Politics, Desire. (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010), 1+410 pp.
System-level ship thermal management tool for dynamic thermal and piping network analyses in early-design stages

We present herein the coupling of two system-level ship thermal management tools, namely, Cooling System Design Tool (CSDT) and vemESRDC developed at MIT and FSU, respectively, for dynamic thermal and piping network analyses in early-design stages. Each tool exhibits unique features that allow naval architects to investigate and visualize distinct ship thermal responses. vemESRDC, for instance, provides dynamic equipment and shipboard space temperature and relative humidity, while CSDT arranges realistic piping network layouts and provides pressure distributions in the network. In this work, we elaborate the integration strategy and conduct a simple case study using the integrated tool to verify the coupling. We then present the results to demonstrate the capability of the integrated tool.
Structural basis for the GTP specificity of the RNA kinase domain of fungal tRNA ligase.

Fungal tRNA ligase (Trl1) is an essential enzyme that repairs RNA breaks with 2',3'-cyclic-PO4 and 5'-OH ends inflicted during tRNA splicing and non-canonical mRNA splicing in the fungal unfolded protein response. Trl1 is composed of C-terminal cyclic phosphodiesterase and central polynucleotide kinase domains that heal the broken ends to generate the 3'-OH,2'-PO4 and 5'-PO4 termini required for sealing by an N-terminal ligase domain. Trl1 enzymes are found in all human fungal pathogens and are promising targets for antifungal drug discovery because their domain compositions and biochemical mechanisms are unique compared to the mammalian RtcB-type tRNA splicing enzyme. A distinctive feature of Trl1 is its preferential use of GTP as phosphate donor for the RNA kinase reaction. Here we report the 2.2 A crystal structure of the kinase domain of Trl1 from the fungal pathogen Candida albicans with GDP and Mg2+ in the active site. The P-loop phosphotransferase fold of the kinase is embellished by a unique 'G-loop' element that accounts for guanine nucleotide specificity. Mutations of amino acids that contact the guanine nucleobase efface kinase activity in vitro and Trl1 function in vivo. Our findings fortify the case for the Trl1 kinase as an antifungal target.
Potential clinical and immunotherapeutic utility of talimogene laherparepvec for patients with melanoma after disease progression on immune checkpoint inhibitors and BRAF inhibitors.

Talimogene laherparepvec is a genetically modified herpes simplex virus type 1-based oncolytic immunotherapy for the local treatment of unresectable subcutaneous and nodal tumors in patients with melanoma recurrent after initial surgery. We report on two patients with melanoma who, after progression on numerous systemic therapies, derived clinical benefit from talimogene laherparepvec in an expanded-access protocol (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02147951). Intralesional talimogene laherparepvec (day 1, ≤4 ml 10 PFU/ml; after 3 weeks, ≤4 ml 10 PFU/ml every 2 weeks) was administered until complete response, no injectable tumors, progressive disease, or intolerance occurred. Patient 1 was 71 years old, had stage IIIB disease, and had previously received granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, vemurafenib, metformin, ipilimumab, dabrafenib, trametinib, and pembrolizumab. Patient 2 was 45 years old, had stage IIIC disease, and had previously received nivolumab/ipilimumab combination therapy. There were marked reductions in the number and size of melanoma lesions during treatment with talimogene laherparepvec. Both patients experienced mild-to-moderate nausea and vomiting, which were managed using ondansetron, metoclopramide, and pantoprazole. Both patients completed treatment with talimogene laherparepvec in the expanded-access protocol on 24 November 2015, but received talimogene laherparepvec in clinical practice. Patient 1 continues to receive therapy (>60 weeks); patient 2 experienced a complete response at 23 weeks. Immunohistochemistry of a biopsied dermal metastasis from patient 1 showed a marked infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T cells after 1 year of treatment. Talimogene laherparepvec was active in patients with advanced melanoma with disease progression following multiple previous systemic therapies; no new safety signals were identified.
Bulk Polymer-Derived Ceramic Composites of Graphene Oxide

Bulk polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) composites of SiCO with an embedded graphene network were produced using graphene-coated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) foams as templates. The pyrolysis of green bodies containing cross-linked polysiloxane, PVA foams, and graphene oxide (GO) resulted in the decomposition of PVA foams, compression of GO layers, and formation of graphitic domains adjacent to GO within the SiCO composite, leading to SiCO composites with an embedded graphene network. The SiCO/GO composite, with about 1.5% GO in the ceramic matrix, offered an increase in the electrical conductivity by more than 4 orders of magnitude compared to that of pure SiCO ceramics. Additionally, the unique graphene network in the SiCO demonstrated a drop in the observed thermal conductivity of the composite (∼0.8 W m–1 K–1). Young’s modulus of the as-fabricated SiCO/GO composites was found to be around 210 MPa, which is notably higher than the reported values for similar composites fabricated from only ceramic precursors a...
Corporate Policy Preferences in the EU and the US - Emissions Trading as the Climate Compromise?

Since the agreement of the Kyoto Protocol, business in the EU and the US has been split over the course of climate policy. Companies in Europe largely accepted mandatory emission controls. Companies in the US, instead, promoted voluntary commitments. However, in early 2007 the CEOs of major US corporations and the heads of a number of leading environmental groups called for the creation of a domestic cap-and-trade scheme. The launch of the US Climate Action Partnership has been widely perceived as a sea change in the positioning of corporate America on climate change. This article reviews the regulatory preferences of major business associations on both sides of the Atlantic. This serves to assess whether the transatlantic gap on corporate positioning on climate change is actually narrowing and what the compromise solution might be.
THE POISONED CITY: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy. By Anna Clark. New York: Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt, 2018. $30.00 (cloth), isbn 9781250125149.

In early 2014 I set out to study what happened to planning departments and processes in six Michigan cities that had come under the control of emergency managers, including Flint. In Michigan, emer...
A Lifetime of Power: Beyond Binaries of Gender

This chapter examines the power, agency, and influence of queens not as static or singular, but variable and not linked directly to gender norms. To better understand acts of power within the context of the royal family, court, and household, it utilizes a framework that challenges a commonly perceived binary of masculine power (independent, active, and coercive) and feminine influence (ancillary, passive, and persuasive). A close study of Catherine of Aragon’s (1485–1536) life reveals that she exercised power in different ways over the course of her lifetime: latent, dynastic, governmental, diplomatic, charismatic, and religious. Looking at the shifts in power across a queen’s life illustrates that while monarchy privileged male rule, it also had ample room for women to operate as vital components.
LTE Bandwidth and Modulation Scheme Effects on Passive Bistatic Radar

Communication waveforms act as signals of opportunity for passive radars. However, these signals of opportunity suffer from range-Doppler processing due to their high range sidelobes and pulse-diverse waveform aspects. Signals such as the long term evolution (LTE) encode information within the phase and amplitude of the waveform. This paper explores the effects information encoding schemes commonly employed by various LTE bandwidth modes on passive bistatic Doppler radar.
Desire to address costs at time of treatment decisions among patients with metastatic breast cancer.

6640Background: Costs of cancer care may impact access to therapy, adherence, and distress among patients. However, the degree to which patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) wish to discuss ...
(24) Morbidity of Central Line-Associated Deep Vein Thrombosis in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Purpose: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is the second most common preventable in-hospital harm in pediatrics. Central venous catheters (CVCs) are a known risk factor of hospital-acquired DVT but the associated morbidity has not been studied in children. The purpose of this study was to study potential morbidities of CVC-associated DVT in hospitalized, critically-ill children. Methods: A single-center retrospective case-control study of pediatric patients admitted to a tertiary care children’s hospital from 2009 to 2016 who had a CVC placed within 7 …
Atomic-scale structure of misfit dislocations in CeO2/MgO heterostructures and thermodynamic stability of dopant–defect complexes at the heterointerface

Complex oxide heterostructures and thin films have found applications across the board in some of the most advanced technologies, wherein the interfaces between the two mismatched oxides influence novel functionalities. It is imperative to comprehend the atomic-scale structure of misfit dislocations, which are ubiquitous in semi-coherent oxide heterostructures, and obtain a fundamental understanding of their interaction with point defects and dopants to predict and control their interface-governed properties. Here, we report atomistic simulations elucidating the atomic-scale structure of misfit dislocations in CeO2/MgO heterostructures. Our results demonstrate that the 45° rotation of CeO2 thin film is one of the potential fundamental mechanisms responsible for eliminating the surface dipole, leading to the experimentally observed mixed epitaxial relationship. We further report the thermodynamic stability of diverse dopant–defect complexes near misfit dislocations, wherein various scenarios for nearest neighbor bonding environments within the complexes are explored. Complex misfit dislocation structure, asymmetry, strain, and the availability of diverse nearest neighbor bonding environments between dopants and oxygen defects at the interface are accountable for a wide dispersion in energies within a given dopant–defect arrangement. As opposed to the bulk, the thermodynamic stability of oxygen vacancies is found to be sensitive to the dopant arrangement at the heterointerface. Extended stabilities of dopant–defect complexes at misfit dislocations reveal that they would influence ionic transport at heterointerfaces of fluorite-structured thin film electrolytes. Notably, the results herein offer a fundamental atomic-scale perspective of the intricate interplay between dopants, defects, and misfit dislocations at the heterointerfaces in mismatched oxide heterostructures.
ONTOGENY OF TEMPERATURE REGULATION PRENATAL FEATURES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the ontogeny of temperature regulation prenatal features. The ontogeny of temperature regulation, that is, the development of temperature regulation in individual organisms, has been largely studied in animals who are born with immature nervous systems and who require a period of neonatal protection from a potentially hostile thermal environment before they can function as free-living organisms. Fetal blood and fetal brain temperatures depend to a great extent on the temperature of the umbilical venous blood, which in turn reflects the temperature of the maternal uterine arterial blood. Heat flow is from fetus to mother except under unusual conditions—for example, during the onset of a fever—when there can be a transitory warming of the fetus. The temperature differences between maternal arterial blood and umbilical arterial blood, umbilical venous blood, and fetal brain remain quite stable in the chronic sheep preparation. As the circulation provides the major route for substances and energy to and from the fetus, it is possible to estimate rate of exchange and the change of energy. Heat produced by the fetus is transferred to the mother largely through the umbilical arteries and then becomes a part of the total maternal heat to be dissipated.
Art and the Mind

What is the relationship between art and the mind? This is a seemingly simple question, yet it gives birth to numerous other vexing concerns that are central to art education: How do artists think ...
Hypersensitivity to tetracyclines: Skin testing, graded challenge, and desensitization regimens.

Abstract Background Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to tetracyclines and the related compound, tigecycline, can limit the use of these medications and compromise optimal patient care. Despite this, there is little discussion in the literature describing the presentation of these reactions or guiding clinicians on the management of these reactions in adult and pediatric patients. Objective To describe the clinical features, optimal diagnostic approach, and management of HSRs to tetracyclines. Methods Patients with reactions to tetracyclines at our institution from 2011 to 2019 were identified by retrospective chart review. Skin testing protocols were designed for each antibiotic. Graded challenge and desensitization procedures were devised based on medical history, skin testing results when available, and need for readministration. Results The HSRs to tetracyclines, their workup, and management are described for 10 patients, aged 7 to 68 years. Our skin testing protocols for doxycycline, minocycline, and tigecycline described herein had good negative predictive value. When skin testing was negative and the initial reaction was not severe, graded challenge to the culprit drug was performed. Using the included procedures, 3 patients were desensitized to oral doxycycline, 3 to oral minocycline, and 2 to intravenous tigecycline. All the desensitizations were successful. Conclusion Once identified, HSRs to tetracyclines can be further evaluated with skin testing and graded challenge and managed in appropriate cases with desensitization. These procedures can facilitate first-line therapy for patients who require tetracyclines but developed hypersensitivity reactions.