cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crust removal and effective modulus of aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube films

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been attractive materials because of the unique combination of their small size and physical properties, such as high thermal conductivity and mechanical compliance. This paper extracts in-plane modulus of 100–220 µm-thick vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube (VA-MWCNT) films. The films have low modulus in the range of 0.5–2 MPa, consistent with expectations due to the direction of CNT alignment. We study the effect of a top crust of entangled CNTs on the modulus by etching the surface of the VA-MWCNT films using O 2 plasma. Scanning electron micrographs reveal that the surface etching removes the entanglements of the crust layer. The modulus values of the etched samples indicate that there is no significant effect of this crust on the modulus of thick films (>100 µm). This is in contrast to previous work that showed that the crust layer had a very strong effect in thinner films.
An elementary construction of codes from the groups of units of residue rings of polynomials

In this note, we present an elementary verification of the minimum distance of some codes constructed by Xing (2002). We show that the codes obtained from this construction are subsets of cosets of linear codes with a given parity-check matrix.
Micro package of short term wireless implantable microfabricated systems

Package is a critical part in biomedical implantable systems. Many factors affecting the host body and the life time of implantable systems need to be considered. Package becomes more critical for microfabricated systems with wireless charging and communication. This paper presents the first phase study on micro package techniques for short term (30 to 90 days) implantable systems. A MEMS implantable telemetry model system was designed for packaging evaluation. The transmitter was custom designed and fabricated using MOSIS processes and an external receiver was designed and built for data collection. For short term implantable systems, medical grade silicone outer coating is used for “tissue compatibility”; while multilayer polymeric and nanometer-thin metal or ceramic films were used for inner coatings to provide mechanical strength and to block vapor and moisture penetration. The total coating thickness is less than 0.6 mm. The electrical performances (leakage resistance) of test board and model devices coated with various package materials and processes are evaluated in 40 °C saline. This paper presents: the model system; the evaluation methods and analysis of failure modes of polymeric coating on test boards; the solution to the failures and suggested coating techniques of polymeric materials; and the evaluation of model systems packaged with multi-layer coatings in 40 °C saline. The expected performance of developed packaging method was verified by experiments. Implantable wireless MEMS system can be packaged with thin multilayer materials to have an expected life time greater than 30 days.
Arctic Stratus Cloud Properties and Radiative Forcing Derived from Ground-Based Data Collected at Barrow, Alaska

Abstract A record of single-layer and overcast low-level Arctic stratus cloud properties has been generated using data collected from May to September 2000 at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska (NSA) (71.3°N, 156.6°W) site near Barrow, Alaska. The record includes liquid-phase and liquid dominant mixed-phase Arctic stratus macrophysical, microphysical, and radiative properties, as well as surface radiation budget and cloud radiative forcing. The macrophysical properties consist of cloud fractions, cloud-base/top heights and temperatures, and cloud thickness derived from a ground-based radar and lidar pair, and rawinsonde sounding. The microphysical properties include cloud liquid water path and content, and cloud-droplet effective radius and number concentration obtained from microwave radiometer brightness temperature measurements, and the new cloud parameterization. The radiative properties contain cloud optical depth, effective solar transmission, and surface/cloud/top-of-...
Idiopathic (Immune) Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Children: Pathogenesis and Treatment

On the basis of available evidence it seems that "idiopathic" thrombocytopenic purpura, in children as in adults, should more properly be termed immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Although therapy is often employed because of the fear of CNS hemorrhage, the incidence of this dreaded complication is actually very low. New treatments may permit the physician to induce a safe platelet count while awaiting spontaneous remission. The indications for splenectomy in children may have to be reevaluated and here, too, new forms of therapy may permit the operation to be deferred and, in some cases, avoided entirely.
Territory fidelity, space use, and survival rates of wild coyotes following surgical sterilization

Sterilization of wild canids is being used experimentally in many management applications. Few studies have clearly demonstrated vasectomized and tubal-ligated canids will retain pair-bonding and territorial behaviors. We tested whether territory fidelity, space use, and survival rates of surgically sterilized coyote (Canis latrans) packs were different from sham-operated coyote packs. We captured and radio-collared 30 coyotes in December 2006. Sixteen of these animals were sterilized via vasectomy or tubal ligation, and 14 were given sham-surgeries (i.e., remained intact). We monitored these animals using telemetry and visual observations through 2 breeding seasons and 1 pup-rearing season from December 2006 to March 2008. Mean pack size was not significantly different between sterile and intact coyote packs. We found no difference in home range size between sterile and intact coyotes. We found differences in home range and core area overlap between sterile and intact coyote packs in some seasons; however, this difference may have existed prior to sterilization. Home range fidelity was not significantly different between sterile and intact coyotes. All coyotes had higher residency rates during the breeding season, with no differences between sterile and intact coyotes. Survival rates were correlated with biological season, but there were no differences in survival rates between sterile and intact coyotes. We concluded that surgical sterilization of coyotes did not affect territory fidelity, survival rates, or home range maintenance.
Management of Flush Superficial Femoral Artery Occlusions With Combined Open Femoral Endarterectomy and Endovascular Femoral–Popliteal Angioplasty and Stent-Grafting

Background Flush occlusions of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) often preclude endovascular interventions for femoral–popliteal lesions. Furthermore, some investigators have found poor results with angioplasty and stenting or stent-grafting of such lesions. For suitable patients with TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) C and D femoral–popliteal lesions involving a flush occlusion of the SFA, we have adopted a technique to manage this disease pattern by combining femoral endarterectomy through a single, small groin incision with distal superficial femoral–popliteal stent-grafting. In this article we have described our technique and results in 14 consecutive patients. Methods A total of 14 patients who underwent this hybrid procedure between May 2005 and April 2009 were identified from our prospectively gathered registry. Data on indications, complications, length of hospital stay, pre- and postoperative ankle–brachial indices, patency determined by duplex ultrasonography, limb salvage rates, and functional results were collected. Results Of the 14 patients, nine were operated on for disabling claudication, two for rest pain, and three for tissue loss; three fit TASC C criteria and the remaining 11 fit TASC D. In all, 12 patients had stent-grafts placed and two had bare-metal stents inserted. The median ankle–brachial index of the affected leg was 0.61 (range, 0.23-1.71) before surgery and 0.99 (range, 0.63-1.39) after surgery ( p = 0.034). There were no significant complications associated with the procedure. One patient died secondary to unrelated causes 5 months later, two did not return for follow-up after discharge, and three were lost to follow-up after primary patency was confirmed at 2, 4, and 4 months, respectively. Of the remaining eight patients, four still have primary patency of their stent-grafts at 52, 19, 17, and 4 months, respectively, and a fifth patient has secondary patency at 24 months. The remaining three patients occluded their stent-grafts with primary patency last confirmed at 0.5, 2.5, and 8 months, respectively; two have stable claudication and one has a nonhealing wound and rest pain, but all have limb salvage to date. Conclusion Combined femoral endarterectomy and endovascular femoral–popliteal stent-grafting provides a viable option for revascularization of flush SFA occlusions with only a minimal groin incision. The technique described in this article allows for a larger number of patients with flush SFA occlusions to be treated primarily with endovascular techniques and helps avoid a traditional common femoral to above-the-knee popliteal prosthetic bypass.
Describing the Dark Side of Preadolescents' Peer Experiences: Four Questions (and Data) on Preadolescents' enemies

This chapter addresses the potential implications of mutual antipathies for children's experiences with the peer group as well as the behaviors and perceptions that may drive dyadic disdain.
Numerical analysis of the spectral response of an NSOM measurement

Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM) is a powerful tool for investigating optical field with res- olution greater than the diffraction limit. In this work, we study the spectral response that would be obtained from an aperture NSOM system using numerical calculations. The sample used in this study is a bowtie nanoaperture that has been shown to produce concentrated and enhanced field. The near- and far-field distributions from a bowtie aperture are also calculated and compared with what would be ob- tainable from a NSOM system. The results demonstrate that it will be very difficult to resolve the true spectral content of the near-field using aperture NSOM. On the other hand, the far-field response may be used as a guide to the near-field spectrum.
Rv1675c (cmr) regulates intramacrophage and cyclic AMP-induced gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-complex mycobacteria.

Summary Cyclic AMP (cAMP) has recently been shown to be a global regulator of gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In this study we identified a new cAMP-associated regulon in Mtb and Mycobacterium bovis BCG, which is distinct from the previously described CRPMt regulon. Proteomic comparison of wild-type M. bovis BCG with a Rv1675c (cmr) knockout strain showed dysregulated expression of four previously identified proteins encoded by the cAMP-induced genes (cAIGs) mdh, groEL2, Rv1265 and PE_PGRS6a. Regulated expression of these four cAIGs also occurred during macrophage infection, and this regulation required cmr in both Mtb and M. bovis BCG. Purified His-Cmr bound to the DNA sequences upstream of three cAIGs (mdh, groEL2, Rv1265) in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, suggesting direct regulation of these genes by Cmr. We also found that low pH stimulated cAMP production in both Mtb and M. bovis BCG, but broadly affected cAIG regulation only in M. bovis BCG. These studies identify Cmr as a transcription factor that regulates cAIGs within macrophages, and suggest that multiple factors affect cAMP-associated gene regulation in tuberculosis-complex mycobacteria. cAMP signalling and Cmr-mediated gene regulation during Mtb infection of macrophages may have implications for TB pathogenesis.
A "window of opportunity" for patients with late-onset pulmonary dysfunction after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

In this issue of The Journal, Palmer et al [1] report the results of a prospective, multicenter, observational study completed by the recently created chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) consortium. The team of investigators determined whether assessment of lung function, as recommended by the 2005 National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus conference, impacted survival and patient-reported outcomes in adult and a small subset of pediatric patients with cGVHD who required immune-suppressive therapy. The investigators analyzed both components of the NIH lung scoring system, the symptom-based and pulmonary function test (PFT)-based scores, along with 5 additional measures of pulmonary dysfunction from longitudinal data collected from 1591 visits (for 496 patients) across 10 centers in the consortium.
Collaborative Graph-Based Discriminant Analysis for Hyperspectral Imagery

In previous work, a sparse graph-based discriminant analysis was proposed for when labeled samples are available. Although an affinity-based graph itself may not necessarily enhance the disciminant power, the discriminant power can truly be improved when an affinity matrix is retrieved from labeled samples. Additionally, a sparsity-preserving graph has been demonstrated to be capable of providing performance superior to that of the commonly used k-nearest-neighbor graphs and other widely used dimensionality-reduction approaches in the literature. Deviating from the concept of sparse representation, a collaborative graph-based discriminant analysis is proposed, originating from collaborative representation among labeled samples whose solution can be nicely expressed in closed form. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed collaborative approach can yield even better classification performance than the previous state-of-the-art sparsity-based approach with much lower computational cost.
High temperature skin friction measurement

Skin friction in the hypersonic propulsion facility of the Langley Research Center is described. The sensor configuration utilized an existing balance, modified to provide thermal isolation and an increased standoff distance. Test run times were on the order of 20 s, with ambient air then used to cool the test section and the balance. Under these conditions, the modified balance performed satisfactorily. A preliminary test in which the balance was subjected to the acoustic and structural vibration environment was completed, and the balance performed satisfactorily. The balance is an inertially balanced, closed-loop servo system where the current to a moving coil motor needed to restore or null the output from the position sensor is a measure of the force or skin friction tending to displace the moving element. The accuracy of the sensor is directly affected by the position sensor in the feedback loop which, in the present device, is a linear variable differential transformer which has proven to be influenced by temperature gradients. >
An Exploratory Study of the Relationships between Family Functioning and Parenting Styles: The Perceptions of Mothers of Young Grade School Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between family functioning and parenting styles. Data were collected in 1996 from 151 mothers of first- or third-grade children using established self-report assessments. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that balanced family types were positively related to authoritative parenting and negatively related to authoritarian parenting.
A review of the Leon springs pupfish (Cyprinodon bovinus) long‐term conservation strategy and response to habitat restoration

Choosing an optimal strategy to sustain imperilled wild populations is challenging, and many methods may be implemented before reaching an effective strategy. A review of previous conservation efforts used to maintain an endangered desert pupfish (Cyprinidon bovinus) are presented here. Conservation strategies for C. bovinus have included removal of fish hybridizing with a non-native species, reintroduction of captive-bred C. bovinus into their historic range, and habitat restoration and expansion. In general, these methods have successfully increased the C. bovinus population over a 15-year period, with habitat expansion appearing to be the most critical intervention method. Habitat restorations that increased the available breeding habitat for C. bovinus and the total number of breeding males were also associated with a downward trend in individual male reproductive behaviour. Since habitat expansion resulted in unexpected consequences for reproductive ecology, it emphasizes the importance not only of monitoring species abundance but also of evaluating individual reproductive behaviour when implementing conservation strategies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seeking New World Vistas: The Militarization of Space. By Roger Handberg. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2000. 304p. $62.50.

Space is a seductive place, where technology-induced vistas often blur the policy vision of earthbound military planners, scientific explorers, or commercial entrepreneurs. This is the message that beams down from Roger Handberg's book on space militarization. He leads the reader through the twists and turns of technology, law, and policy, through the bureau- cratic labyrinth of the U.S. military and space industrial complexes. In the end, one is faced with the same imponder- ables that confronted President Clinton in deciding whether to deploy the National Missile Defense (NMD) system. Like an astute player on fourth down, he punted that space football to his successor, and the Handberg volume gives you the Monday morning quarterback advantage.
ThermoCoach: Reducing Home Energy Consumption with Personalized Thermostat Recommendations

Thermostats have the potential for tremendous impact on global energy consumption, but unfortunately they are often not used effectively. In this paper, we present a new system called ThermoCoach that improves thermostat usability by giving personalized and actionable recommendations for thermostat use. The system senses human occupancy patterns in a home and emails the household suggested setpoint schedules that can be modified or activated with the click of a button. We performed a randomized controlled trial by deploying over 600 devices in 40 homes from 12 weeks to compare ThermoCoach with a manually programmable thermostat and the Nest learning thermostat. Results indicate that ThermoCoach saves 4.7% more energy than a manually programmable thermostat and 12.4% more energy than the Nest learning thermostat while significantly improving comfort over both approaches.
The New Juan Crow in Education Revealing Panoptic Measures and Inequitable Resources That Hinder Latina/o Postsecondary Pathways

This qualitative study examined the distribution of inequitable resources, a culture of control, and implications for postsecondary pathways for Latinas/os in five California high schools. This stu...
In vitro transformation assay of major fractions of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) in mammalian cell lines.

Discussion and SummaryIt is interesting that the data from our in vitro studies corroborate the in vivo results obtained by Bock, Swain and Stedman (16). Bock, Swain and Stedman (16) reported that the weak acid (phenol) fraction (No. 8) and two neutral fractions (Nos. 13 and 14) had statistically significant tumor inducing activity. In addition, the third neutral fraction, 12, gave results suggesting activity, and the ether-soluble base fraction (No. 5) exhibited possible activity. We found cell transforming activity with four fractions (Nos. 3, 8, 13 and 14) of CSC. Fractions 8 and 14 exhibited early transformation in infected mouse and rat cells and also subsequently in uninfected hamster cells suggesting that they were most active. Fraction 13 showed transformation in infected mouse cells and uninfected hamster cells. In addition, fraction 3 demonstrated changes in infected mouse and rat cells. However, none of the fractions exhibited cell alteration in uninfected mouse and rat cells. These findings ar...
Beneficial effects of β-sitosterol on type 1 cholecystokinin receptor dysfunction induced by elevated membrane cholesterol

Summary Background & aims The type 1 cholecystokinin receptor (CCK1R) mediates the actions of CCK to support nutritional homeostasis, including post-cibal satiety. However, elevated levels of membrane cholesterol, such as have been observed in metabolic syndrome, interfere with CCK stimulus-activity coupling at the CCK1R, thereby disrupting this important servomechanism. We hypothesize that reversal of the negative impact of cholesterol on this receptor could be useful in the management of obesity. Methods We have studied the effects of β-sitosterol, a phytosterol structurally related to cholesterol, on CCK receptor function. This included CCK binding and biological activity at wild type CCK1R and CCK2R, as well as at CCK1R in a high cholesterol environment, and at a CCK1R mutant, Y140A, which mimics the behavior of wild type receptor in high cholesterol. Results β-sitosterol (100 μM and 10 μM) significantly improved the defective signaling of the CCK1R present in high cholesterol (p Conclusion These data suggest that β-sitosterol affects CCK1R function in high cholesterol by competing with cholesterol at a receptor cholesterol-binding site and may shift its conformation toward normal. This phytosterol extends our understanding of the structure-activity relationships for developing a drug that can target the external surface of CCK1R. Since the concentrations of β-sitosterol shown to be effective in this study are similar to serum levels of this compound achievable during oral administration, it may be worthwhile to study possible beneficial effects of β-sitosterol in metabolic syndrome.
RESEARCH ON MODIFIED BENTONITE BY CARBON-ENTRAINING ROASTING METHOD

A new method on bentonite modification by carbon entraining roasting has been presented. The optimum conditions for bentonite modification were determined by the experiments. The effect of improvement was evaluated by de phenol efficiency in aqueous solution. Comparing with directing roasting method, the bentonite absorber made by carbon entraining method has stronger adsorptive capacity, its de phenol efficiency raises about 16%. The absorber is easy to separate by sagging after treating waste water, and the recovered absorber is reusable by activation at 600℃. The modified bentonite by carbon entraining roasting method is a good organic wastewater treatment agent that is cheaper and does not cause secondary pollution. Besides, it can be used as a catalyst carrier because the modified betonite has a stable structure and large amounts of specific surface.
Implementation and Validation of a Multi-Level Security Model Architecture

With the increasing complexity of transmissions grids and distribution networks, data communication security is becoming a paramount issue. This issue becomes more important in applications where software agent technology is being utilized, as software agents provide another possible channel of cyber attack. In this paper an innovative software agents-based multilevel security model architecture is presented. The goal of this architecture is to prevent known attacks, and to reduce or eliminate the consequences of successful attacks. An experimental protocol is presented to validate the developed security model architecture. Test results show the effectiveness of the developed architecture.
Tandem Solar Cells from Solution-Processed CdTe and PbS Quantum Dots Using a ZnTe–ZnO Tunnel Junction

We developed a monolithic CdTe–PbS tandem solar cell architecture in which both the CdTe and PbS absorber layers are solution-processed from nanocrystal inks. Due to their tunable nature, PbS quantum dots (QDs), with a controllable band gap between 0.4 and ∼1.6 eV, are a promising candidate for a bottom absorber layer in tandem photovoltaics. In the detailed balance limit, the ideal configuration of a CdTe (Eg = 1.5 eV)–PbS tandem structure assumes infinite thickness of the absorber layers and requires the PbS band gap to be 0.75 eV to theoretically achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 45%. However, modeling shows that by allowing the thickness of the CdTe layer to vary, a tandem with efficiency over 40% is achievable using bottom cell band gaps ranging from 0.68 and 1.16 eV. In a first step toward developing this technology, we explore CdTe–PbS tandem devices by developing a ZnTe–ZnO tunnel junction, which appropriately combines the two subcells in series. We examine the basic characteristics o...
The 5'UTR in human adenoviruses: leader diversity in late gene expression.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) shut down host cellular cap-dependent mRNA translation while initiating the translation of viral late mRNAs in a cap-independent manner. HAdV 5′ untranslated regions (5′UTRs) are crucial for cap-independent initiation, and influence mRNA localization and stability. However, HAdV translational regulation remains relatively uncharacterized. The HAdV tripartite leader (TPL), composed of three introns (TPL 1–3), is critical to the translation of HAdV late mRNA. Herein, we annotated and analyzed 72 HAdV genotypes for the HAdV TPL and another previously described leader, the i-leader. Using HAdV species D, type 37 (HAdV-D37), we show by reverse transcription PCR and Sanger sequencing that mRNAs of the HAdV-D37 E3 transcription unit are spliced to the TPL. We also identified a polycistronic mRNA for RID-α and RID-β. Analysis of the i-leader revealed a potential open reading frame within the leader sequence and the termination of this potential protein in TPL3. A potential new leader embedded within the E3 region was also detected and tentatively named the j-leader. These results suggest an underappreciated complexity of post-transcriptional regulation, and the importance of HAdV 5′UTRs for precisely coordinated viral protein expression along the path from genotype to phenotype.
The impact of salt reduction on cottage cheese cream dressing rheological behavior and consumer acceptance

Abstract Salt reduction in processed foods has been a concern to consumers for some time, yet few options are available for reduced salt cottage cheese. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of salt reduction in cottage cheese cream dressing rheological and tribological behaviors, and sensory traits. Viscosity profiles and viscoelastic behaviors of dressings at three salt levels (2.2%, 1.48%, and 0.73%, w/w, NaCl) and pH (4.5, 5.0, and 5.5) were analyzed at several temperatures and storage times. Tribological and sensory tests were run on the 2.2% and 0.73% NaCl formulations at pH 5.0. All samples showed shear thinning, viscoelastic solid, and frequency-dependent behavior. Salt concentration had a lesser impact than pH on dressing rheological and tribological behaviors. Both rheological and tribological parameter values increased with time. Sensory data indicated that attributes of the reduced salt cottage cheese dressing were similar to those of the full salt formulation.
Mechanism of Apoptotic Regulation of Follicular Regression: Toward Understanding the Molecular Basis for Tissue Remodeling and Regeneration

“There are one hundred and ninety-three living species of monkeys and apes. One hundred and ninety-two of them are covered with hair. The exception is a naked ape self-named Homo sapiens.” —Desmond Morris, The Naked Ape (1967)
Digital-Computer-Oriented Numerical Analysis In Surface Chemistry

Why write on numerical analysis methods in a series dedicated to methods for the study of surface effects? My point is that coupled with a computer, numerical methods allow us to handle the information “explosion” created by modern instrumental techniques and our own “need to know” about the structure and function of surfaces. It is probably easiest to expand on this statement with a short discussion of only one application of the methods to be outlined in this article.
Ascoltare, sentire, non sentire:

Nell’esperienza sbarbariana l’udito e il senso presente in absentia. Il diario lirico di Pianissimo deriva dall’incapacita di sentire e di sentirsi. Da un lato la raccolta rivela il bisogno urgente di raccontare e raccontarsi, dall’altro denuncia la difficolta -che presto si tramuta in impossibilita-di sentire e di sentirsi. Pertanto il poeta non piu in grado di ascoltare la voce della propria anima, e costretto a rinunciare alla propria essenza, al linguaggio della poesia . Derubato della sua identita, elegge il mondo fenomenico dello sguardo quale unica forma di sopravvivenza e, rinunciando ad ogni forma di trascendenza, si fa cosa tra le cose, aderendo, inevitabilmente, «ad ogni pietra della citta sorda». Questo processo di reificazione, tuttavia, non avviene ne senza tensioni, ne senza contraddizioni, derivando entrambe dal disagio e dal tormento di chi vive «la tremenda privazione d’ogni consenso con la vita».
The Holy Man in the Courts of Rome: Roman Law and Clerical Justice in Fifth-Century Syria

Scholars of Late Antiquity have long recognized that bishops played an influential role in the formation and execution of Roman law. Such was the case even in the Syrian realm, traditionally considered the exotic hinterland of the Roman Empire. Fifth- and sixth-century sources, such as the Syro-Roman Lawbook, early exemplars of canon legislation, and homilies and hagiographic narratives, point to a considerable preoccupation with matters of law and justice for Syrian clergy. This article examines a particularly well-attested slice of this data surrounding Rabbula, the fifth-century bishop of Edessa. Rabbula9s background in imperial administration and his post-conversion pursuit of asceticism make him in many ways the prototypical late ancient bishop, combining monastic charisma with civic acumen. A collection of rules for clergy and ascetics attributed to him focuses closely upon priests9 and bishops9 function in the Roman legal system, their collaboration with Roman magistrates, and the ways in which clerical judicial processes reflected and sought to distinguish themselves from their magisterial analogues. Drawing upon the evidence of the Rules and roughly contemporaneous texts addressing legal practice in Edessa suggests that, Syria9s reputation as sui generis notwithstanding, in their judicial capacity Syrian clergy bore striking resemblances to their Western counterparts.
Spinterface: A new platform for spintronics

Abstract Since its discovery in early 2000’s Molecular Spintronics has developed in an established and fructuous research field, achieving a number of outstanding results and unveiling unusual spintronic properties. Typically the most mysterious device element, the interface, in molecular spintronics has on contrary received and enormous attention and even gained a special nickname – the spinterface. Based on significant efforts of many research groups worldwide it has been established its critical role in defining the main functionalities of molecular spintronic devices. Noteworthily the spinterface was found to control the properties of the both components constituting the interface, not only those of the molecular layer but surprisingly also those of the magnetic counterpart. This paper aims to overview the most striking spinterface properties and to highlight the possibilities to promote new device paradigms based on interfacial modulation.
Abstract LB-267: Transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and a pan-cancer analysis of its genetic signatures

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the 2nd leading cause of non-cutaneous cancer related deaths in the United States. The 5-year survival rate for local or regional disease is high. However, many patient’s disease will progress to the aggressive metastatic castration-resistant form of prostate cancer (mCRPC) - the estimated mortality rates of mCRPC is 19.5% for 2020 (www.cancer.org). Treatment with docetaxel or cabazitaxel alone or in combination with bevacizumab, thalidomide and prednisone increases survival rate slightly, but lead to drug resistance. The use of immunotherapy has further increased overall survival by 4-5 months. Therefore, a greater understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for disease progression is needed.To understand and identify appropriate targets for therapy, we performed mRNA and miRNA expression studies and identified potential candidate cancer pathway genes and miRNA-mRNA pairs as biomarkers for aggressive Prostate cancer (mCRPC). Gene expression signatures were identified using differential expression (DE) analysis softwares. Spearman’s rank-based correlation and TargetScan were used to assess the association between mRNA and miRNA expression. We identified disparate mRNA and miRNA expression signatures for aggressive vs non-aggressive prostate cancers. The gene signatures were validated using the human prostate cancer patient cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The top ten genes that were significantly (p Citation Format: Taraswi Mitra Ghosh, Amit Kumar Mitra, Joshua Davis, Brian Cummings, Clayton Yates, Robert Arnold. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analysis of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and a pan-cancer analysis of its genetic signatures [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-267.
Ketoxime peptide ligations: oxidative couplings of alkoxyamines to N-aryl peptides

Chemoselective ligation methods that preserve or introduce side chain diversity are critical for chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. Starting from ketone substrates instead of aldehydes in oxime ligation reactions would allow substitution at the site of ligation; however, synthetic challenges to readily access ketone derivatives from common amino acid building blocks have precluded the widespread use of ketoxime peptide ligation reactions thus far. Moreover, ketones are typically much slower to react in condensation reactions compared to aldehydes. Here, one-pot catalyst-free oxidative couplings of α-substituted N-aryl peptides with alkoxyamines provide access to oxime linkages with diverse side chains. Electron-rich N-(p-Me2N-phenyl)-amino acids possessing substituents at the α-carbon were found to be uniquely capable of undergoing site-selective α-C–H oxidations in situ under an O2 atmosphere at neutral pH. Comparative studies with N-arylglycinyl peptides revealed that substitution at the α-carbon caused notable changes in reactivity, with greater sensitivity to solvent and buffer salt composition.
The Student-Faculty Retreat

This article describes the impact on Regent Law School of having a yearly retreat attended by both students and faculty. The retreat focuses on the school’s mission and has turned into one of the best days of the academic year.
DATA 2000 waiver training for medical students: Lessons learned from a medical school experience.

AbstractBackground: In the midst of this national opioid crisis, it has become apparent that there is a large shortage in the workforce of treatment providers equipped to deliver evidence-based car...
Air Pollution Increases Influenza Hospitalizations

Abstract Seasonal influenza is a recurring health burden shared widely across the globe. We study whether air quality affects the occurrence of severe influenza cases that require inpatient hospitalization. Using longitudinal information on local air quality and hospital admissions across the United States, we find that poor air quality increases the incidence of significant influenza hospital admissions. Effects diminish in years with greater influenza vaccine effectiveness. Apart from increasing vaccination rates, improving air quality may help reduce the spread and severity of influenza.
The pharmacoeconomic evaluations of four drugs in the treatment of bacterial vaginitis

Objective To investigate the cost-effectiveness of four drugs in treatment of bacterial vaginitis and improve clinic rational drug use.Methods 361 bacterial vaginitis out-patients were treated with lactobacillus vaginal effervescent tablets(92 cases),lacidophilin vaginal capsules(88 cases),shuangzuotai vaginal effervescent tablets(90 cases),metronidazole vaginal effervescent tablets(91 cases).The therapeutic effect,drug cost and therapeutic effect were evaluated by cost effectiveness analysis 7d after treatment.Results The overall response rate of lactobacillus vaginal effervescent tablets,lacidophilin vaginal capsules,shuangzuotai vaginal effervescent tablets,metronidazole vaginal effervescent tablets were 78.26％,76.14％,83.33％ and 78.02％,respectively.The overall response rate was no significant difference between four groups (0.06),and metronidazole vaginal effervescent tablets had the lowest cost effectiveness rate (C/E,0.26).Conclusion The metronidazole vaginal effervescent tablets is better schedule in treatment of bacterial vaginitis. Key words: Bacterial vaginitis; Pharmacotherapy; Pharmacoeconomic
Shoulder arthroplasty is a viable option in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Background Patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) have high rates of shoulder instability, which place them at increased risk for instability-related arthropathy. Many studies have assessed outcomes for both primary and revision shoulder instability procedures in this patient population, but there is a paucity of data regarding the outcome of shoulder arthroplasty in EDS patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results and complications of shoulder arthroplasty (SA) performed in a cohort of patients with EDS and compare them to a matched cohort of patients with no EDS. Methods Over an 11-year period, 10 patients with EDS were identified at a single institution who underwent primary SA (6 anatomic total shoulder arthroplasties [aTSAs], 4 reverse shoulder arthroplasties [RTSAs]). Shoulders were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 60 months (range 25-97 months). This cohort was matched 1:2 based on age, sex, and year of surgery, with patients who underwent SA for either primary osteoarthritis (OA) for aTSA or cuff tear arthropathy for RTSA. EDS patients had a mean age of 55 years, mean body mass index of 26.1, and were all female. The primary outcome measures were postoperative pain, range of motion, complications, and reoperations. Results SA produced similar postoperative pain, range of motion, complications, and reoperations in patients with EDS vs. controls. EDS patients improved pre- to postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) pain score (6.5 to 1.7, P Conclusions EDS patients undergoing SA can expect outcomes comparable to patients with primary OA or cuff tear arthropathy, with clinically meaningful improvements in pain and range of motion. Although EDS patients had no statistically significant increase in complications when compared to controls, their absolute rate of overall complications (3/10 patients; 30%) and postoperative instability (2/10 patients; 20%) in this small case series was relatively high and should be considered when performing SA.
The Thing About the Other, or What We Can Hear in Leaving Neverland

This article explores how what appears to be a weakness or limitation of the film Leaving Neverland—hearing only from the victims, being one-sided in its investigation, lack of empirical evidence, ...
Factors Associated with COVID-19 Infection, Hospitalization and Death in New York City Neighborhoods

Background: A key to an effective Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Community Intervention is to understand populations who are most vulnerable to it. We aimed at evaluating characteristics of New York City communities where rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases were particularly high. Methods: The study outcomes - neighborhood-specific confirmed COVID-19 cases, positive tests, and COVID-19 attributable deaths were calculated using data extracted from the New York City government health website, which were linked to results from Community Health Survey. Distributions of study outcomes across New York City community districts and their associations with neighborhood characteristics were examined using Jonckheere-Terpstra tests. Results: As of May 21, 2010, rates of confirmed cases ranged from 0.8% (Greenwich Village and Soho) to 3.9% (Jackson Heights), and the rates of attributable death from to 0.6‰ (Greenwich Village and Soho) to 4.2‰ (Coney Island). Higher percentages of black, Hispanic and foreign-born populations, lower educational attainment, poverty, lack of health insurance, and suboptimal quality of health care were all factors found to be correlated with increased rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Conclusions: The epidemiology of COVID-19 exhibited great variations among neighborhoods in New York City. Community interventions aimed at COVID-19 prevention and mitigation should place high priorities in areas with large populations of blacks and Hispanics and economically disadvantages areas.
Blood Alcohol Concentration Is Associated With Improved AIS Motor Score After Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective To investigate the relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and neurologic recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) using standardized outcome measures from the International Standards for the Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) examination. Method This is a retrospective review of merged, prospectively collected, multicenter data from the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database and institutional trauma databases from five academic medical centers across the United States. Patients with SCI and a documented BAC were analyzed for American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) motor score, FIM, sensory light touch score, and sensory proprioception score upon admission and discharge from rehabilitation. Linear regression was used for the analysis. Results The study identified 210 patients. Mean age at injury was 47 ± 20.5 years, 73% were male, 31% had an AIS grade A injury, 56% had ≥1 comorbidity, mean BAC was 0.42 ± 0.9 g/dL, and the mean Glasgow Coma Score upon arrival was 13.27 ± 4.0. ISNCSCI motor score gain positively correlated with higher BAC (4.80; confidence interval [CI], 2.39-7.22; p < .0001). FIM motor gain showed a trend toward correlation with higher BAC, although it did not reach statistical significance (3.27; CI, -0.07 to 6.61; p = .055). ISNCSCI sensory light touch score gain and sensory proprioception score gain showed no correlation with BAC (p = .44, p = .09, respectively). Conclusion The study showed a positive association between higher BAC and neurologic recovery in patients with SCI as measured by ISNCSCI motor score gain during rehabilitation. This finding has not been previously reported in the literature and warrants further study to better understand possible protective physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between BAC and SCI.
Large Scale Audio Understanding without Transformers/ Convolutions/ BERTs/ Mixers/ Attention/ RNNs or ....

This paper presents a way of doing large scale audio understanding without traditional state of the art neural architectures. Ever since the introduction of deep learning for understanding audio signals in the past decade, convolutional architectures have been able to achieve state of the art results surpassing traditional hand-crafted features. In the recent past, there has been a similar shift away from traditional convolutional and recurrent neural networks towards purely end-to-end Transformer architectures. We, in this work, explore an approach, based on Bag-of-Words model. Our approach does not have any convolutions, recurrence, attention, transformers or other approaches such as BERT. We utilize micro and macro level clustered vanilla embeddings, and use a MLP head for classification. We only use feed-forward encoder-decoder models to get the bottlenecks of spectral envelops, spectral patches and slices as well as multi-resolution spectra. A classification head (a feed-forward layer), similar to the approach in SimCLR is trained on a learned representation. Using simple codes learned on latent representations, we show how we surpass traditional convolutional neural network architectures, and come strikingly close to outperforming powerful Transformer architectures. This work hopefully would pave way for exciting advancements in the field of representation learning without massive, end-to-end neural architectures.
Battery Wear from Disparate Duty-Cycles: Opportunities for Electric-Drive Vehicle Battery Health Management

Electric-drive vehicles utilizing lithium-ion batteries experience wholly different degradation patterns than do conventional vehicles, depending on geographic ambient conditions and consumer driving and charging patterns. A semi-empirical life-predictive model for the lithium-ion graphite/nickel-cobalt-aluminum chemistry is presented that accounts for physically justified calendar and cycling fade mechanisms. An analysis of battery life for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles considers 782 duty-cycles from travel survey data superimposed with climate data from multiple geographic locations around the United States. Based on predicted wear distributions, opportunities for extending battery life including modification of battery operating limits, thermal and charge control are discussed.
A REVIEW OF: “Entertaining Politics: New Political Television and Civic Culture”

Jeffrey P. Jones's Entertaining Politics is a work of border exploration. Its target is that curious breed of politically oriented comedy shows, such as Bill Maher's Politically Incorrectand Jon St...
Analysis of the Pseudomonas solanacearum polygalacturonase encoded by pglA and its involvement in phytopathogenicity.

Abstract A major endopolygalacturonase excreted by Pseudomonas solanacearum was purified to greater than 95% homogeneity and shown to have an isoelectric point of 9.0 and a subunit molecular mass of 52 kilodaltons (kDa). The gene encoding this enzyme (pglA) was isolated from a genomic library of P. solanacearum DNA based on its expression in Escherichia coli and shown to be contained on a 1.8-kilobase DNA fragment. The identity of the pglA gene product and the 52-kDa polygalacturonase was demonstrated by immunoadsorption and isoelectric focusing experiments. The cloned pglA gene was apparently expressed from its own promoter in E. coli and its product was partially secreted into the periplasm. The pglA gene was insertionally inactivated in vitro and used to mutate the chromosomal pglA gene of P. solanacearum by marker exchange mutagenesis. The resulting mutant strain was deficient in production of the 52-kDa polygalacturonase and took twice as long to wilt and kill tomato plants as the wild-type parent in plant bioassay experiments. Complementation in trans with the wild-type cloned pglA gene restored virulence to near wild-type levels. The data indicate that the pglA gene is important, but not absolutely necessary, for pathogenesis.
Orientalism and Islam: European Thinkers on Oriental Despotism in the Middle East and India

1. European views of Islam and their correlation with Oriental despotism 2. Observant travelers 3. Political thinkers and the orient 4. The Oriental despotic university of Montesquieu 5. Edmund Burke and despotism in India 6. Alexis de Tocqueville and colonization 7. James Mill and John Stuart Mill: despotism in India 8. Karl Marx: the Asiatic mode of production and Oriental despotism 9. Max Weber: patrimonialism as a political type 10. Conclusion.
Will CinemaScope Save the Film Industry? (1953)

Translated by Bert Cardullo University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Missouri, USA This article first appeared in French in Esprit , vol. 21 no. 207-208, October-November 1953, pp. 672-683. Translated here, for the first time, with the permission of Madame Janine Bazin.
Implicit Solvent Models in Molecular Dynamics Simulations: A Brief Overview

Abstract Implicit solvent framework is briefly introduced, with the focus on its advantages and limitations for use in molecular simulations. The hierarchy of approximations that leads to some of the practical models based on the framework is discussed. The Generalized Born model is considered in more detail, including its basis, examples of applications, and limitations. Alternative approaches and methodological challenges are also touched upon.