cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved degree of conversion of model self-etching adhesives through their interaction with dentine.

Abstract Objective To investigate the correlation of the chemical interaction between model self-etching adhesives and dentine with the degree of conversion (DC) of the adhesives. Methods The model self-etching adhesives contained bis[2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate (2MP) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with a mass ratio of 1/1, and 0–40% water contents, respectively. The adhesives were applied either onto the prepared dentine surface or unreactive substrates (such as glass slides), agitated for 15 s, then light-cured for 40 s. The DCs of the adhesives were determined using micro-Raman spectral and mapping analysis. Results The DCs of the adhesives cured on the dentine substrate were found to be significantly higher than those on the unreactive glass substrate. Moreover, the DCs of the adhesives displayed a decreasing trend as the distance from the dentine surface became greater. The chemical interaction of the acidic 2MP/HEMA adhesives with the mineral apatite in dentine was proposed to play a significant role for the observations. The chemical interaction could be validated by the spectral comparison in the phosphate regions of 1100 cm −1 and 960 cm −1 in the Raman spectra. The results also revealed a notable influence of water content on the DC of adhesives. The DCs of the adhesive at 10% water content exhibited the highest DC level for both substrates. Conclusions Interaction with dentine dramatically improved the degree of conversion of self-etching adhesives. Our ability to chemically characterise the a/d interface including in situ detection of the DC distribution is very important in understanding self-etching adhesive bonding under in vivo conditions.
Limiting Diffusion Coefficients of Heavy Molecular Weight Organic Contaminants in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

A Taylor dispersion apparatus was designed and constructed for measuring diffusion coefficients in supercritical carbon dioxide. The limiting mutual diffusion coefficients of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and hexachlorobenzene were measured in the temperature range of 308−328 K and at pressures between 96.4 and 249 bar. The triple point volume for carbon dioxide extrapolated from the data closely matches its literature value. In addition, a simple correlation based on hard sphere theories was developed for prediction of diffusivities of heavy molecular weight organics in supercritical carbon dioxide.
Accretional Heating of Asymmetric Supernova Cores

The role of accretion in heating a stalled bounce shock in a core-collapse supernova is investigated. We show that eUective accretional heating causes an asymmetric expansion of the shock, sufficient to impart a net impulse of D300¨400 km s~1 to the neutron core. To simplify the analysis, we consider a failed accretion shock. Below such a shock, inward advection is faster than neutrino heating and the usual gain criterion does not suffice to determine a successful explosion. A mechanism that enhances buoyancy and inhibits mixing between hot and cold postshock —uid elements is required to revive the shock. We focus on the response of a magnetic —eld to the accretion —ow. Ram heating and shearing of a low-density, magnetized —uid phase (ii M-—uid ˇˇ) is shown to be faster than neutrino cooling. The long duration of the accretion —ow compared with the dynamical time allows for a large ampli—cation of the magnetic energy. We calculate the stability of a spherical shock in the presence of a low-density hydro- static atmosphere below it and show that below a critical atmospheric density the shock is unstable to a global Rayleigh-Taylor mode. We then calculate the equilibrium structure of this Rayleigh-Taylor plume as it accumulates energy and the critical size beyond which quasi-static expansion is no longer possible and its outer boundary converts to a running shock. Accretion continues while the shock expands, and an energy of D1051 ergs is a direct consequence of the efficiency of ram heating close to the neutron core. The linear momentum imparted to the core is directly related to the mass pro—le of the precollapse core and explains the proper motions of (most) radio pulsars. We also estimate the net circulation imparted to the last 0.1¨0.2 of collapsing material, which appears sufficient to torque the core down M _ to a spin period of 1¨100 ms. The eUect of photodissociation on the shock jump conditions is calculated, and the implications for nucleosynthesis of iron peak elements are considered. Finally, the residual mag- netic —eld advected out into the eventual supernova remnant is compared with the —eld generated by a rapidly spinning neutron star. Subject headings: accretion, accretion disksshock wavesstars: magnetic —elds ¨ stars: neutronsupernovae: general
Unintended Consequences The Convergence of Affirmative Action and Immigration Policy

In the 1990s, political opposition in the United States rose against two government policies not previously linked in policy rationale or public debate: affirmative action preferences and large-sca...
Regulating agent involvement in inter-enterprise electronic commerce

Current research on electronic commerce focuses mainly on fair and efficient transfer of money and goods between a client and a vendor. Inter-enterprise electronic commerce, though, bestows a more complex setting on the trade by adding a new dimension to the individual-merchant frame. The parties involved in a purchase are no longer autonomous entities, but are members of an organization whose rules of doing business they have to obey. We propose a flexible approach towards regulating agent involvement in inter-enterprise electronic commerce. The method is based on the concept of law-governed interaction (LGI) which makes a strict separation between a declarative, formal statement of a policy and its enforcement.
Analysis of the effect of metal oxide arresters on system resonance using the describing function method

A theoretical analysis of the effect of gapless metal oxide arresters on power system resonance is presented. The describing function method is used to approximately evaluate fundamental and harmonic resonant conditions for systems involving metal oxide arresters. The study shows that the presence of metal oxide arresters not only introduces no new resonant conditions, but also can help to eliminate some old ones. Computer simulations were performed to verify these theoretical results. >
Greatwall kinase protects mitotic phosphosites from barbarian phosphatases

The basic outline of the events controlling entry into mitosis has been clear for more than 20 y: the essential mitotic driver M-phase promoting factor [MPF; a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) composed of CDK1 and cyclin B] becomes rapidly activated and phosphorylates a wide variety of targets, creating mitotic phosphoproteins that contribute to nuclear membrane breakdown, chromosome condensation, and spindle assembly. But is this the entire story? The article in PNAS by Burgess et al. (1) adds to evidence accumulating over the last 2 y arguing that half the picture has been missing. The levels of mitotic phosphoproteins are governed not only by MPF but also by the specific phosphatases that remove MPF-catalyzed phosphorylations. Importantly, both entry into M phase and the maintenance of M phase require the operation of a pathway, mediated by a kinase called Greatwall (Gwl), that can inactivate these phosphatases.
Enabling Advanced Design Methods in an Internet-Capable Framework

The enabling of advanced design methods in an internet-capable framework will be discussed in this paper. The resulting framework represents the next generation of design and analysis capability in which engineering decision-making can be done by geographically distributed team members. A new internet technology called the lean-server approach is introduced as a mechanism for granting Web browser access to frameworks and domain analyses. This approach has the underpinnings required to support these next generation frameworks ‐ collaboratories. A historical perspective of design frameworks is discussed to provide an understanding of the design functionality that is expected from framework implementations to insure design technology advancement. Two research areas were identified as being important to the development of collaboratories: design portals and collaborative methods. An internet-enabled design framework called IMAGE is highlighted and demonstrated using a probabilistic design example. The prototyped methods have found their way into a Conceptual Aerospace Systems Design and Analysis Toolkit used by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
From Repressive Intervention to Integrative Prevention: The U.S. State's Legal Management of Labor Militancy, 1881–1978

This article examines how changing legal institutions have structured workers' collective decision to strike. It uses both qualitative legal-historical analysis and quantitative time-series regression to examine how major changes in labor law in the late 1930s altered workers' willingness and opportunity to strike. Previous research has assumed that important change in workplace relations occurred in the late 1940s. The present work relocates that change to the late 1930s uith a number of important implications. In particular, this study shows that the federal government, both its legislative and judicial branches, was an important shaper of workplace relations. State legal policy regulating labor militancy prior to the late 1930s is labeled "repressive intervention" while the state's intervention after the New Deal is defined as "integrative prevention."
Global stability of multigroup epidemic model with group mixing and nonlinear incidence rates

In this paper, we introduce a basic reproduction number for a multigroup SEIR model with nonlinear incidence of infection and nonlinear removal functions between compartments. Then, we establish that global dynamics are completely determined by the basic reproduction number R0. It shows that, the basic reproduction number R0 is a global threshold parameter in the sense that if it is less than or equal to one, the disease free equilibrium is globally stable and the disease dies out; whereas if it is larger than one, there is a unique endemic equilibrium which is globally stable and thus the disease persists in the population. Finally, two numerical examples are also included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed result.
A novel low-cost millimeter-wave beam-steering system

An affordable beam steering system based on a microwave lens and a matrix of focal plane arrays has been fabricated and measured. It was shown that a high scan resolution and a narrow beam width can be achieved by using both interleaved and partially overlapped feed arrays, making it a good candidate for many applications.
Food waste, sustainability, and the corporate sector: case study of a US food company

Food waste has emerged as one of the world's most critical issues, as record levels of food waste have resulted in negative outcomes for food security, land use, and methane production associated with climate change. As key institutions in the world's food system, retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers have taken steps to reduce food waste. Yet, while food corporations promote their food waste programs as part of their broader green sustainability initiatives, it is unclear how and why they have developed these initiatives. To fill this research gap, this study examines a US company's food waste reduction programs as a case study. To this end, this study utilises interview data of key stakeholders to examine the ways that food waste is produced, regulated, and reused by food corporations. Research findings point to some positive outcomes, such as the transformation of food waste into alternative energy and increased efficiency in food donation systems. Yet, these positive outcomes may be overshadowed by corporate priorities which privilege profitability, brand enhancement, and short-term high-visibility solutions. This research highlights that the broad and somewhat diffuse definition of sustainability may allow corporations to highlight narrow, company-specific technical fixes rather than do the hard work associated with reducing food waste in their supply chains. Moreover, data suggest that many food corporations use the sustainability trope as a way to ensure that they are recognised as legitimate, ethical, and profitable companies. Thus, while some argue that sustainable development institutionalises important environmental practices into the market, evidence from this study suggests that these corporate practices may be evidence of neoliberal environmental governance which is determined by market logics rather than environmental or social justice. In this way, corporate profitability determines how sustainability is defined, when and where sustainability is implemented, and how sustainability is to be measured.
The Carnival in Kingstree: A Bakhtinian Analysis of the Charlie Walker Obscenity Case

This article uses Mikhail Bakhtin's notion of the “carnival” to reexamine the case of disc jockey Charlie Walker. In 1963, Walker became the first broadcaster to be convicted of obscenity under the United States Criminal Code. According to Bakhtin, the carnival is a recurring form of folk culture that features grotesque and bawdy imagery. Bakhtin's theory suggests that Charlie Walker's discourse was less a corruption of “official” language than it was a reflection of the rural culture in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. It also suggests the problematic nature of the “contemporary community” standard that was used to convict Walker.
Hydrolysis of α-tricalcium phosphate in simulated body fluid and dehydration behavior during the drying process

The hydrolysis of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) in a simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37°C was investigated. The hydration rate was found to be slower in SBF than that in deionized water. The concentration of ions in SBF was monitored by ICP. The hydrolysis product, which was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infra red, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, was determined to be carbonate-containing, calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CO3−CDHAp) with Mg2+, Na+, and Cl− impurities similar to the biological apatite. An amorphous layer on the α-TCP surface was found to be the precursor of the apatite phase, which may either form crystalline apatite or may decompose back to α-TCP at a lower temperature.
Approaches and Recommendations for Estimating Minimally Important Differences for Health-Related Quality of Life Measures

We describe currently available approaches for estimating the minimally important difference (MID) and their associated strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, we show that anchor-based methods should be the primary method of estimating the MID because of the limitations of distribution-based methods. In addition, we provide recommendations for estimating the MID in future research.
The Arabidopsis CURVY1 ( CVY1 ) gene encoding a novel receptor-like protein kinase regulates cell morphogenesis, flowering time and seed production

A molecular-level understanding of the loss of CURVY1 (CVY1) gene expression (which encodes a member of the receptor-like protein kinase family) was investigated to gain insights into the mechanisms controlling cell morphogenesis and development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using a reverse genetic and cell biology approaches, we demonstrate that CVY1 is a new DISTORTED gene with similar phenotypic characterization to previously characterized ARP2/3 distorted mutants. Compared to the wild type, cvy1 mutant displayed a strong distorted trichome and altered pavement cell phenotypes. In addition, cvy1 null-mutant flowers earlier, grows faster and produces more siliques than WT and the arp2/3 mutants. The CVY1 gene is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and seems to negatively regulate growth and yield in higher plants. Our results suggest that CURVY1 gene participates in several biochemical pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana including (i) cell morphogenesis regulation through actin cytoskeleton functional networks, (ii) the transition of vegetative to the reproductive stage and (iii) the production of seeds.
A Zebrafish Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor Homologue Interacts with Coxsackie B Virus and Adenovirus

In this study, a zebrafish homologue of the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) protein was identified. Although the extracellular domain of zebrafish CAR (zCAR) is less than 50% identical to that of human CAR (hCAR), zCAR mediated infection of transfected cells by both adenovirus type 5 and coxsackievirus B3. CAR residues interacting deep within the coxsackievirus canyon are highly conserved in zCAR and hCAR, which is consistent with the idea that receptor contacts within the canyon are responsible for coxsackievirus attachment. In contrast, CAR residues contacting the south edge of the canyon are not conserved, suggesting that receptor interaction with the viral "puff region" is not essential for attachment.
Automated measurement of blood flow velocity and direction and hemoglobin oxygen saturation in the rat lung using intravital microscopy

Intravital microscopy of the pulmonary microcirculation in research animals is of great scientific interest for its utility in identifying regional changes in pulmonary microcirculatory blood flow. Although feasibility studies have been reported, the pulmonary window can be further refined into a practical tool for pharmaceutical research and drug development. We have established a method to visualize and quantify dynamic changes in three key features of lung function: microvascular red blood cell velocity, flow direction, and hemoglobin saturation. These physiological parameters were measured in an acute closed-chest pulmonary window, which allows real-time images to be captured by fluorescence and multispectral absorption microscopy; images were subsequently quantified using computerized analysis. We validated the model by quantifying changes in microcirculatory blood flow and hemoglobin saturation in two ways: 1) after changes in inspired oxygen content and 2) after pharmacological reduction of pulmonary blood flow via treatment with the β1 adrenergic receptor blocker metoprolol. This robust and relatively simple system facilitates pulmonary intravital microscopy in laboratory rats for pharmacological and physiological research.
Convergence analysis of adaptive critic based optimal control

Adaptive critic based neural networks have been found to be powerful tools in solving various optimal control problems. The adaptive critic approach consists of two neural networks which output the control values and the Lagrangian multipliers associated with optimal control. These networks are trained successively and when the outputs of the two networks are mutually consistent and satisfy the differential constraints, the controller network output produces optimal control. In this paper, we analyze the mechanics of convergence of the network solutions. We establish the necessary conditions for the network solutions to converge and show that the converged solution is optimal.
Chirped-pulse Raman amplification for two-color, high-intensity laser experiments

We report generation and compression of millijoule-level first Stokes sideband (873nm) of 800nm TW pulses by inserting a multi-stage barium nitrate Raman shifter-amplifier into a conventional Ti:sapphire chirped pulse amplification system.
Collision Efficiencies of Ice Crystals at Low-Intermediate Reynolds Numbers Colliding with Supercooled Cloud Droplets: A Numerical Study

Abstract The efficiencies with which ice crystals at low–intermediate Reynolds numbers collide with supercooled cloud droplets are determined numerically. Three ice crystal habits are considered here: hexagonal ice plates, broad-branch crystals, and columnar ice crystals. Their Reynolds numbers range from 0.1 to slightly beyond 100. The size of cloud droplets range from a few to about 100 μm in radius. The collision efficiencies are determined by solving the equation of motion for a cloud droplet under the influence of the flow field of the falling ice crystal. The flow fields of the falling ice crystals were determined previously by numerically solving the unsteady Navier–Stokes equations. Features of these efficiencies are discussed. The computed efficiencies are compared with those obtained by previous investigators and improvements are indicated. New results fit better with the observed riming droplet sizes and cutoff riming ice crystal sizes.
Stealthy IP Prefix Hijacking: Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

In prefix hijacking, an Autonomous System (AS) advertises routes for prefixes that are owned by another AS, and ends up hijacking traffic that is intended to the owner. While misconfigurations and/or misunderstandings of policies are the likely reasons behind the majority of those incidents, malicious incidents have also been reported. Recent works have focused on malicious scenarios that aim to maximize the amount of hijacked traffic from all ASes, without considering scenarios where the attacker is aiming to avoid detection. In this paper, we expose a new class of prefix hijacking that is stealthy in nature. The idea is to craft path(s) - of tunable lengths - that deceive only a small subset of ASes. By finely tuning the degree to which ASes are effected, the attacker can handle the hijacked traffic while the victimized AS would not observe a major reduction in its incoming traffic that would raise an alarm. We give upper bounds on the impact of those attacks via simulations on real BGP Internet announcements obtained from Route-Views. We discuss shortcomings in current proposed defense mechanisms against attackers which can falsify traceroute replies. We also present a defense mechanism against stealthy prefix hijacking attacks.
‘FREMD BIN ICH EINGEZOGEN, FREMD ZIEH’ ICH WIEDER AUS …’: BRECHTS BAAL UND DIE WINTERREISE VON WILHELM MÜLLER UND FRANZ SCHUBERT

Baal, Brecht's earliest full-length drama, the first version of which was written in the spring of 1918, is one of his most complex in respect of its sources. The aesthetic of ‘re-cycling material’, which was to define the work henceforth, is presented impressively already at this point. Thus, a range of borrowings from and allusions to the Old Testament and Expressionism can be demonstrated, allusions to the life of the young poet himself, too, and the play has also been read as a variation on Goethe's Faust. A further source has hitherto remained undetected, Die Winterreise by Wilhelm Muller, an otherwise relatively unknown author of the Romantic era. In Franz Schubert's setting these poems became one of the most famous cycles of Lieder in music history. Many parallels can be demonstrated. They concern in the first instance the form: the highly lyrical quality of Die Winterreise can be found, too, in Baal, as can the characteristically episodic and disjointed elements, which distinguish the song-cycle and the drama in equal measure. There are also striking similarities in the content: the lyrical subject in the cycle and the protagonist in the drama are embarked on a path away from society and towards death. The two motifs of alienation and of wandering have a fundamental importance and unite the works of Muller/Schubert and Brecht in a specific congruity. For Brecht, however, Baal would prove to be the first and last great experiment with Romanticism and its poetry. Baal, Brechts fruhestes groseres, in erster Fassung im Mai 1918 entstandenes Drama, ist, seine Quellenlage betreffend, eines seiner komplexesten. Die Asthetik der ‘Materialverwertung’, die das Werk fortan bestimmen sollte, wird bereits hier eindrucksvoll vorgefuhrt. So sind u. a. diverse Anlehnungen und Anspielungen auf das Alte Testament und den Expressionismus nachweisbar, auch auf das Leben des jungen Dichters selbst, und das Stuck wurde auch als Variation zu Goethes Faust gelesen. Eine weitere Quelle wurde bisher ubersehen: Die Winterreise von Wilhelm Muller, einem ansonsten recht unbekannten Autoren der Romantik, die, in der Vertonung Franz Schuberts, zu einem der beruhmtesten Liederzyklen in der Musikgeschichte wurde. Viele Parallelen sind nachweisbar. Sie betreffen zum einen die Form: Das hochst Lyrische der Winterreise ist in Baal ebenso wiederzuerkennen wie das spezifische Episoden- und Sprunghafte, das Zyklus und Drama gleichermasen auszeichnet. Dies fuhrt zu markanten inhaltlichen Entsprechungen: Das lyrische Ich des Zyklus und der Protagonist des Dramas sind auf einem Wege heraus aus der Gesellschaft hin zum Tod. Die beiden Motive der Fremdheit und des Wanderns haben dabei grundlegende Bedeutung und verbinden in spezifischer Ubereinstimmung die Werke Muller/Schuberts und Brechts. Fur letzteren jedoch sollte Baal das erste und letzte grosere Experiment mit der Romantik und deren Lyrik bleiben.
Effective Tooling for Linked Data Publishing in Scientific Research

Challenges that make it difficult to find, share, and combine published data, such as data heterogeneity and resource discovery, have led to increased adoption of semantic data standards and data publishing technologies. To make data more accessible, interconnected and discoverable, some domains are being encouraged to publish their data as Linked Data. Consequently, this trend greatly increases the amount of data that semantic web tools are required to process, store, and interconnect. In attempting to process and manipulate large data sets, tools -- ranging from simple text editors to modern triplestores -- eventually breakdown upon reaching undefined thresholds. This paper shares our experiences in curating metadata, primarily to illustrate the challenges, and resulting limitations that data publishers and consumers have in the current technological environment. This paper also provides a Linked Data based solution to the research problem of resource discovery, and offers a systematic approach that the data publishers can take to select suitable tools to meet their data publishing needs. We present a real-world use case, the Resource Discovery for Extreme Scale Collaboration (RDESC), which features a scientific dataset(maximum size of 1.4 billion triples) used to evaluate a toolbox for data publishing in climate research. This paper also introduces a semantic data publishing software suite developed for the RDESC project.
Innovation subsidies versus consumer subsidies: A real options analysis of solar energy

Abstract Given the interest in the commercialization of affordable, clean energy technologies, we examine the prospects of solar photovoltaics (PV). We consider the question of how to transition to a meaningful percentage of solar energy in a sustainable manner and which policies are most effective in accelerating adoption. This paper develops a stochastic dynamic model of the adoption of solar PV in the residential and commercial sector under two sources of uncertainty – the price of electricity and cost of solar. The analytic results suggest that a high rate of innovation may delay adoption of a new technology if the consumer has rational price expectations. We simulate the model across alternative rates technological change, electricity prices, subsidies and carbon taxes. It is shown that there will be a displacement of incumbent technologies and a widespread shift towards solar PV in under 30 years – and that this can occur without consumer incentives and carbon pricing. We show that these policies have a modest impact in accelerating adoption, and that they may not be an effective part of climate policy. Instead, results demonstrate that further technological change is the crucial determinant and main driver of adoption. Further, results indicate that subsidies and taxes become increasingly ineffective with higher rates of technological change.
Des-Asp-1-angiotensin II. possible role in mediating the renin--angiotensin response in the rat.

SummaryAngiotensin II and its heptapeptide fragment, Des-Asp-1-angiotensin II, produced a striking increase in aldosterone secretion in rats pretreated with dexamethasone and morphine to reduce ACTH release. l-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II (10 μg/kg min−1) given simultaneously with angiotensin II (1 μg/min) blocked the aldosterone response to angiotensin II in rats pretreated to reduce ACTH release. In contrast, 1-Sar-8-Ala-angiotensin II at the same dose failed to block the steroid response to Des-Asp-1-angiotensin II (1 μg/min) but a larger dose of 50 μg/kg min−1 of the angiotensin II antagonist blocked completely both the aldosterone and the corticosterone responses to 1 μg/min of Des-Asp-1-angiotensin II. From these data it is suggested that the heptapeptide has a higher affinity for zona glomerulosa receptors than the octapeptide and that Des-Asp-1-angiotensin II mediates, at least in part, the steroidogenic response to the renin-angiotensin system in the rat. The pressor response to Des-Asp-1-angiotensin...
Critical Assessment on Modeling and Design of Nonfaradaic CMOS Electrochemical Sensing

To assist the design process of nonfaradaic electrochemical sensors in realistic biological media, we examine multiple types of sensing operations in polyelectrolytes. By comparing the quasi-static transconductance, impedance spectroscopy, and capacitance–voltage measurements, we assess the physical contributions from the double-layer composition, overall solution resistance, and sensing surface potential under various polyelectrolytic molarities. The mixture of NaCl and MgCl2 is chosen for illustration to provide insight into circuit model parameters for nonfaradaic sensing. Our finding also shed light on the dynamics of double-layer competition and correlation, which is critical for understanding the physical phenomena occurring at the sensing interface, and accurately interpreting sensor data.
Construction of Plasmids that Overproduce nif Regulatory Proteins

The functions and interactions of the nif regulatory proteins, nif A and nif L are not well understood. Our objective is to purify, study and further characterize these proteins. The expression of these proteins in vivo, however, is controlled by the glutamine synthetase regulatory (gln) system. We sought a way to produce nif A and nif L in a gln-free background since the regulatory properties of both types of proteins (e.g. gln G and nif A) have been shown to be similar. This could present problems later in assays and purification.
Staging martyrdom in the trial of El Niño de La Guardia

ABSTRACTThe ritual sacrifice of the child of La Guardia in 1491 can be seen as a lens to examine anti-Jewish sentiment in fifteenth-century Castile. This article argues that the deposition made by the Jews of La Guardia hinged on a triple set of interpretations that tended to represent the sacrifice of the child of La Guardia as a mockery of pig-slaughtering sacrifices but also as a representation of Jewish medical malpractice. The article further connects the representation of the child of La Guardia with the image of the crucified monk and with the “Vueltas de San Anton”, a festival in which a child was crowned as the king of the pigs.
Scheduling dynamic wireless networks with limited operations

Scheduling in wireless networks is critical to maximize the network throughput by avoiding interference among wireless links, and is usually formulated as solving the NP-hard Maximum Weighted Independent Set (MWIS) problem over a network confiict graph. Existing scheduling algorithms are designed to provide approximations to global optimality via distributed operations in wireless networks, but will frequently reschedule the entire network in cases of network dynamics regardless of the actual network area being affected by these dynamics. Such repetitive rescheduling results in a large amount of computation and communication overhead, most of which may be, however, unnecessarily incurred over the wireless links that remain unchanged. To reduce such overhead and improve the scheduling cost-effectiveness, in this paper we develop distributed algorithms that adaptively constrain network scheduling within the limited scope where network dynamics occur. The scheduling results from such limited operations are then combined with the previous scheduling results over the remaining portions of the network, hence still providing guaranteed network throughput. The performance of our proposed algorithms has been validated by formal analysis, and been verified by both numerical studies and real-world experiments.
Skepticism and the Possibility of Nature

One of the most provocative remarks of Sextus Empiricus’ Outlines of Pyrrhonism is his quasi-prescription of a skeptical “Fourfold” indicating that skeptics (should?) follow the “guidance of nature.” But how can a skeptic both place dogmatic claims in abeyance through epochē (suspension of judgment) and also claim to grasp how nature guides or does not guide us? Should not skeptics who advocate aphasia (silence) about things dogmatic entirely refrain from making assertions about nature? More generally, how can skepticism be consistent with any form of naturalism? This essay undertakes to explore the possibility of a skeptical naturalism as it appears in the work of David Hume. The essay surveys the ways in which Hume himself may have appropriated skepticism as well as the extent to which his thought may be properly characterized as Academical or Pyrrhonian. The essay argues that skeptical naturalism is possible through the sort of reconceiving of “nature” found in Humean philosophy.
Abstract 415: Brain Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and c-Src Tyrosine Kinase Contribute to Sympathetic Excitation Induced by Systemically Administered Aldosterone in Rats

Introduction: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-Src tyrosine kinase mediate multiple functions of aldosterone and angiotensin II in peripheral cardiovascular tissues by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Hypothesis: EGFR and c-Src activity in cardiovascular regions of the brain contribute to sympatho-excitatory responses induced by circulating aldosterone. METHODS: In anesthetized rats, we recorded renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), mean blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR) at baseline and for 4 hours during intravenous infusion of aldosterone (30 μg/hr), with or without concomitant intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of the EGFR inhibitor AG1478 (1 nmol/hr), the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist RU28318 (10 μg/hr) or the p44/42 MAPK inhibitor PD98059 (5 μg/hr), or pretreatment with a bolus ICV injection of the c-Src inhibitor SU6656 (1 nmol). In some rats, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) tissues were collected to examine the expression of phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK. Results: Aldosterone infusion significantly (*p Conclusion: Central inhibition of EGFR and c-Src significantly reduced the brain MR- and MAPK-dependent sympathetic excitation elicited by systemically administered aldosterone. Brain EGFR and c-Src are potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular disease states characterized by high circulating levels of aldosterone.
Developing a hands-on cybersecurity laboratory with virtualization

As the demand for cybersecurity professionals grows, instructors must have the tools necessary to prepare the future cybersecurity workforce. A key to effective learning of cybersecurity is providing a "hands-on" laboratory and curriculum that allows students to learn the problem-solving skills. In this paper, we describe how we build a cost effective, self-contained, and easy to maintain cybersecurity laboratory with open source software and virtualization. 12 hands-on labs which cover hacking and securing computer network infrastructure, database, BYOD, cloud computing, wireless, and VoIP were developed. The framework of the laboratory and curriculum allows instructors to deliver hands-on labs to students. The curriculum is designed to let students not only learn how to hack, but also provide a broad breadth of cybersecurity knowledge and skills, such as taking countermeasures to secure computer network, server, mobile devices, cloud, voice, and wireless, which overall results in a well-rounded security IT professional. We expect that this research will contribute to the long-term improvement of cybersecurity workforce qualification in the U.S.
Method comparison and validation of a prototype device for measurement of ionized calcium concentrations cow-side against a point-of-care instrument and a benchtop blood-gas analyzer reference method.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess an optimized ion-selective electrode Ca-module prototype as a potential cow-side device for ionized Ca (iCa) measurements in bovine blood. A linearity experiment showed no deviation from linearity over a range of iCa concentrations compared with a commercial point-of-care (POC) device commonly used in the field (POC VS ; VetScan i-STAT, Abaxis North America, Union City, CA) and a laboratory gold standard benchtop blood-gas analyzer [reference analyzer (RA); ABL-800 FLEX, Radiometer Medical, Copenhagen, Denmark]. Coefficient of variation on 3 samples with high, within-range, and low iCa concentrations ranged from 1.0 to 3.9% for the prototype. A follow-up validation experiment was performed, in which our objectives were to (1) assess the performance of the prototype cow-side against the POC VS (farm gold-standard) using fresh non-anticoagulated whole-blood samples; (2) assess the performance of the prototype and the POC VS against the RA in a diagnostic laboratory using blood collected in a heparin-balanced syringe; and (3) assess the agreement of the prototype and POC VS on-farm (fresh non-anticoagulated whole blood) against the RA on heparin-balanced blood. Finally, sensitivity and specificity of the results obtained by the prototype and the POC VS cow-side compared with the results obtained by the laboratory RA using 3 different iCa cut points for classification of subclinical hypocalcemia were calculated. A total of 101 periparturient Holstein cows from 3 dairy farms in New York State were used for the second experiment. Ionized Ca results from the prototype cow-side were, on average, 0.06 mmol/L higher than the POC VS . With heparin-balanced samples under laboratory conditions, the prototype and POC VS measured an average 0.04 mmol/L higher and lower, respectively, compared with the RA. Results from the prototype and POC VS cow-side were 0.01 mmol/L higher and 0.05 mmol/L lower, respectively, compared with results from the laboratory RA on heparinized blood. Sensitivity and specificity for the prototype and the POC VS under farm conditions at 3 potential subclinical hypocalcemia cut points were 100 and ≥93.5%, respectively. This novel ion-selective electrode Ca-module could become a rapid low-cost tool for assessing iCa cow-side, while qualitatively allowing classification of subclinical hypocalcemia on-farm.
US sovereignty must not be defended: Critical education against Russiagate

Peters (2018) has correctly noted that the election of Trump has ushered in a new war against academia. And yet it seems that critical scholars in academia have yet to respond in kind. They are ins...
EFFECT OF ANTI-HLA AND ANTI-BETA-2 MICROGLOBULIN ANTISERA ON THE NATURAL CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF HUMAN NK CELLS AND MONOCYTES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)-like mechanisms with a reversed polarity of the antibody bridge (reverse-ADCC) that was proposed as a possible mechanism for allo-antiserum natural killer (NK) augmentation in mouse system. In a study described in the chapter, NK activities of human peripheral blood leukocytes (HPBL) preparations were determined simultaneously against K562 and YAC target cells in a 4 h 51 Cr release assay. When the HPBL preparation was pretreated with specific anti-HLA allo-antiserum or with anti beta-2 microglobulin xenoantiserum, their cytotoxic activity against YAC target cells was totally abolished whereas the anti-K562 lytic activity was not influenced in a similar manner. Nonadherent and plastic adherent populations of HPBL were prepared, and their natural cytotoxic activity against YAC and K562 target cells was studied. The K562 target cells, which are poor targets for mouse NK cells, are highly susceptible to lysis by human NK cells and consequently, a further facilitation of human NK-cell and K562 target cell interaction may not occur through an antibody bridge as is proposed for the mouse system.
Are you better off alone? Mitigating the underperformance of engineering teams during conceptual design through adaptive process management

Teams are a major feature of engineering and are commonly thought to be necessary when solving dynamic and complex problems. Even though teams collectively provide a diversity of knowledge, skills, and perspectives to problem-solving, previous work has demonstrated that in certain scenarios, such as in language-based and more spatially oriented configuration design problems, the production by a team is inferior to that of a similar number of individuals working independently (i.e., nominal team). This research explores this comparison of individual versus group problem-solving within the domain of conceptual engineering design. Thus, a behavioral study was run with freshman engineering students, who solved a conceptual engineering design problem individually or collaboratively in a team. Results corroborate previous findings, exhibiting that individuals outperform teams in the overall quality of their design solutions, even within this more free-flowing and explorative setting of conceptual design. Exploiting this result, this work further considers whether adaptive feedback from a process manager can lessen the underperformance of collaborative design teams compared to individuals, by helping teams overcome potential deterrents that may be contributing to their inferior performance. Teams that are under the guidance of a process manager end up performing better than teams that are not in terms of solution quality, and almost as well as individuals, though not significantly different. This result suggests that process managers are able to mitigate some of the deficiencies in design teams. In an attempt to uncover some of the cognitive rationale and strategies that may be beneficial throughout problem-solving, the managerial interactions with the design teams are then investigated. Furthermore, to determine the reason of the collaborative teams’ underperformance, the effect of verbalization is studied as a possible cognitive hindrance. In the end, this work expands growing research on team problem-solving in engineering, and suggests that collaborative teams may not be optimal in every circumstance, but under the proper process management, can become substantially more effective.
iPSCs as a Platform for Disease Modeling, Drug Screening, and Personalized Therapy in Muscular Dystrophies

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are the foundation of modern stem cell-based regenerative medicine, especially in the case of degenerative disorders, such as muscular dystrophies (MDs). Since their introduction in 2006, many studies have used iPSCs for disease modeling and identification of involved mechanisms, drug screening, as well as gene correction studies. In the case of muscular dystrophies, these studies commenced in 2008 and continue to address important issues, such as defining the main pathologic mechanisms in different types of MDs, drug screening to improve skeletal/cardiac muscle cell survival and to slow down disease progression, and evaluation of the efficiency of different gene correction approaches, such as exon skipping, Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9). In the current short review, we have summarized chronological progress of these studies and their key findings along with a perspective on the future road to successful iPSC-based cell therapy for MDs and the potential hurdles in this field.
Reinventing Authoritarianism: The Digital and the Donald

In Digital Demagogue: Authoritarian Capitalism in the Age of Trump and Twitter, communication and media scholar Christian Fuchs plunges into the depths of new media with an eye for the reemergence of authoritarianism, albeit in a refashioned form, and armed with a rich tradition of well-articulated critical theory. Fuchs presents a clear and explicit question to arm his analysis, namely: What is authoritarian capitalism and how is it communicated through social media? Using the contemporary parameters of the candidacy and presidency of Donald Trump, along with the complex phenomenon that is its supporting ideology, he explores the relationship between political communication and new nationalism to expose the dangerous marriage between authoritarianism and capitalism in prominent positions of power. This review charts Fuchs’s unique journey through critical theory and digital texts while responding to its ambitions both as a revitalized account of the critical theory tradition and as a cautionary tale of contemporary political movements. I primarily present his book as a sobering examination of the problematic entanglement of radical capitalism, authoritarian politics, and rapid communication strategies while remaining optimistic that it will influence several scholars to apply his theories as a potential strategy for positive liberation and/or contestation moving forward.
Real-Time Analysis of Ligand–Receptor Dynamics and Binding Pocket Structure of the Formyl Peptide Receptor

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the real-time analysis of ligand-receptor dynamics and the binding pocket structure of the formyl peptide receptor. Complementary spectrofluorometric and flow cytometric techniques have been developed to examine the interactions of formyl peptide ligands (L) with their cell surface receptors (R). These techniques have been used to study ligand-receptor and receptor-processing events in intact neutrophils and ternary complex interactions in permeabilized neutrophils and neutrophil membranes. Kinetic studies suggest that L binds to R at a diffusion-limited rate and that R undergoes rapid transitions involving three states prior to internalization. It is revealed through a spectroscopic analysis of the interaction between L and R that the binding pocket of R is large enough to contain not more than six amino acids and that a fluoresceinlabeled pentapeptide is quenched upon binding to R. The chapter also explains that cell activation involves a sequence of transient macromolecular assemblies, beginning with the binding of stimulatory ligands to cell surface receptors.
Schmidt games and non-dense forward orbits of certain partially hyperbolic systems

Let be a partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism with conformality on unstable manifolds. Consider a set of points with non-dense forward orbit: for some . Define for any . Following a method of Broderick, Fishman and Kleinbock [Schmidt’s game, fractals, and orbits of toral endomorphisms. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys. 31 (2011), 1095–1107], we show that is a winning set for Schmidt games played on which implies that has Hausdorff dimension equal to . Furthermore, we show that for any non-empty open set , has full Hausdorff dimension equal to , by constructing measures supported on with lower pointwise dimension converging to and with conditional measures supported on . The results can be extended to the set of points with forward orbit staying away from a countable subset of .