cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Political Leadership in the Governor's Office

D U RING THE TEN YEAR period from 1950 to 1960 the governors of the southern states gained considerably in stature as political leaders. This increase in prominence cannot be attributed to any substantial change in the legal position of the governor, although Tennessee increased the governor's term from two to four years during this decade. On the whole, the legal position of the governor in most southern states remained weak, although there is a wide variation in his legal position. The increasing role of the governor in providing the state with political leadership stems primarily from the fact that the unwieldy, poorly-organized, and non-representative legislatures of the southern states make leadership from these bodies virtually impossible. In the South, as in any other section of the country, the legislatures "make" the laws. However, their function is largely that of the ratification or rejection of the governor's proposals.1 Furthermore it seems to be the nature of legislatures to cut down any aspiring single legislator who tries to assert leadership. When such a legislator occasionally does arise he is suspected, perhaps with good cause, to have designs on the governorship and hence is rejected as overly ambitious by his fellow legislators. He may be suspected also of the same ambitions by the incumbent governor who may assist in blocking the legislator's proposals. One recent development which may be of great significance in executive-legislative relations is the current trend toward the reapportionment of state legislatures. The decision of the United States Supreme Court in Baker v. Carr2 held that the citizens of a state had the right to challenge the apportionment of their state legislatures in the federal courts. The Court, however,, left it up to the federal district courts to pass on reapportionment plans and even
Distribution of trigeminothalamic and spinothalamic lamina I terminations in the cat

The distribution in the thalamus of terminal projections from lamina I neurons of the trigeminal, cervical, and lumbosacral dorsal horn was investigated with the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) in the cat. Iontophoretic injections were guided by single- and multi-unit physiological recordings. The injections in particular cases were essentially restricted to lamina I, whereas in others they spread across laminae I-III or laminae I-V. The trigemino- and spinothalamic (TSTT) terminations were identified immunohistochemically. In all cases, regardless of the level of the injections, terminal fibers were consistently distributed in three main locations: the submedial nucleus; the ventral aspect of the basal ventral medial nucleus and ventral posterior nuclei; and, the dorsomedial aspect of the ventral posterior medial nucleus. The terminal fields in the submedial nucleus and the ventral aspect of the ventral posterior group were topographically organized. Terminations along the ventral aspect of the ventral posterior group extended posterolaterally into the caudal part of the posterior nucleus and anteromedially into the ventromedial part of the ventral lateral nucleus. In several cases with trigeminal lamina I injections, a terminal labeling patch was observed within the core of the ventral posterior medial nucleus. In cases with spinal lamina I injections, terminations were also consistently found in the lateral habenula, the parafascicular nucleus, and the nucleus reuniens. Isolated terminal fibers were occasionally seen in the zona incerta, the dorsomedial hypothalamus, and other locations. These anatomical observations extend prior studies of TSTT projections and identify lamina I projection targets that are important for nociceptive, thermoreceptive, and homeostatic processing in the cat. The findings are consistent with evidence from physiological (single-unit and antidromic mapping) and behavioral studies. The novel identification of spinal lamina I input to the lateral habenula could be significant for homeostatic behaviors.
Four-dimensional affine registration models for respiratory-gated PET

The heart position shifts considerably due to motion associated with the respiratory cycle, and this motion can degrade the image quality of cardiac-gated positron emission tomography (PET) studies. One method to combat this motion-induced blur is a respiratory-gated acquisition followed by recombination of registered image volumes using a rigid-body motion assumption; however, nonrigid deformation of the heart from respiratory motion may reduce the effectiveness of this procedure. We have investigated a 12-parameter global affine motion model for registration of different respiratory gates in an end-diastolic cardiac PET sequence. To obtain robust estimates of motion, a four-dimensional registration model was devised that encouraged smoothly varying motion between adjacent respiratory time frames. Registration parameters were iteratively calculated using a cost function that combined a least squares voxel difference measure with a penalty obtained from a prediction prior. The prior was calculated from adjacent time frames assuming constant velocity and an affine model. After registration, the principal extension ratios were calculated to measure the degree of nonrigid motion. In data from ten subjects, extension ratios of over 5% were common, indicating that an affine model may provide better registrations and in turn, better motion-corrected composite volumes than could a technique restricted to the six-parameter rigid body assumption.
A comparison of satellite data and landscape variables in predicting bird species occurrences in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. USA

We compare the accuracy of predicting the occurrence of 11 bird species in montane meadows of the Greater Yellowstone National Park ecosystem, in the states of Montana and Wyoming, USA. We used remotely sensed, landscape, and habitat data. The meadow type, as determined from the remotely sensed data, was highly correlated with abundances of six of the 11 bird species. Landscape variables significant in predicting occurrence were selected using a stepwise multiple regression for each bird species. These variables were then used in a multiple regression with the variable meadow type. As expected, the abundances of the generalist species (American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, and Chipping Sparrow) were not strongly correlated with landscape variables or meadow type. Conversely, abundances of the Common Snipe, Common Yellowthroat, Lincoln's Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler were highly correlated with meadow type and landscape variables such as percent cover of willow (Salix spp.), graminoid, woody vegetation, sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), and graminoid and shrub biomass. The results from our study indicate that remotely sensed data are applicable for estimating potential habitats for bird species in the different types of montane meadows. However, to improve predictions about species in specific sites or areas, we recommend the use of additional landscape metrics and habitat data collected in the field.
Congruence between technology and compensation systems: implications for strategy implementation

This paper examines the interactive relationship between the use of integrated manufacturing and compensation practices in predicting several aspects of plant performance in the concrete pipe industry. We predicted that compensation practices reinforcing collective effort, teamwork, and flexibility (team incentives and skill-based pay) enhance the effectiveness of integrated manufacturing systems (total quality management and advanced manufacturing technology), while practices inhibiting cooperation and teamwork among employees (individual incentives and seniority-based pay) impede it. Results provide moderate support for the congruence model across several measures of plant effectiveness (labor hours per ton, lost-time accidents, perceptual performance, and customer satisfaction). Implications of the research are addressed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tocainide for drug-resistant ventricular arrhythmias: efficacy, side effects, and lidocaine responsiveness for predicting tocainide success.

Abstract Tocainide therapy has been evaluated in 38 patients with ventricular arrhythmias. Thirty-one had recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation and 29 required prior cardioversions. These arrhythmias could not be managed with quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide, or propranolol. Tocainide doses averaged 1,500 mg/day (range 600 to 2,400) and the majority of patients had plasma concentrations from 6 to 12 μg/ml. Twenty-two patients (61%) had their arrhythmias controlled with tocainide and 16 (39%) did not. Tocainide dose and plasma concentrations were similar for responders and nonresponders. Lidocaine was effective in 26 patients and 16 (63%) of these had their arrhythmias controlled with tocainide. Of 12 patients in whom lidocaine was known to be ineffective or who had not been previously treated, only two (17%) had arrhythmias controlled with tocainide ( P
${\rm S}$ -Parameters Model for Data Communications Over 3-Phase Transmission Lines

In the efforts to modernize the electrical power grid, data communication over existing power lines is emerging as an important new application. This paper introduces an -parameters model for a 3-phase transmission line. Such a model does not exist in the literature at present. The model reduces to that of a conventional 2-port network if only one phase is used for data communication. Testing of a 115 kV, 100 km-long transmission line have confirmed the theory. Furthermore, the bit error rate was found to be suitable for data communications under normal circumstances, except in the presence of adverse atmospheric conditions (e.g., lightning).
Angiodysplasia of the colon: diagnosis and treatment

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage of obscure origin remains a difficult clinical problem, but newer methods of study, particularly endoscopy and angiography, have made inroads into this morass of diagnostic dilemmas. Vascular malformations represent entities that are relatively infrequent of occurrence and also difficult of detection. These characteristics render them particularly refractory to recognition. Once diagnosed, however, they are quite readily treated surgically, without resort to "blind" resections or multiple bowel entries. This report deals with three instances of obscure but important persistent blood loss into the gastrointestinal tract. In each instance, identification by customary diagnostic methods was unsuccessful, but was finally made through endoscopy and promptly cured through surgery. The bleeding in all 3 cases proved pathologically to have been caused by vascular malformations, which we have subsumed under the term "angiodysplasia."
Fully integrated isolated dc-dc converter using micro-transformers

We demonstrated a fully integrated isolated dc-dc converter using coreless micro-transformers. The transformers are switched resonantly at 170 MHz to achieve efficient energy transfer while the energy regulation is realized through a 500 KHz PWM feedback signal which controls the duty cycle that this 170 MHz resonant action is left on. Both the transformer switches and Schottky diodes used for rectification are implemented on chip. 5 kV isolation is achieved through 20 mum thick polyimide layers sandwiched in between the primary coils and the secondary coils. The feedback PWM signal is transmitted across isolation barrier with on-chip transformers also through appropriate encoding and decoding. The converter packaged in a 16L small-outline integrated circuit (SOIC) is measured to deliver 0.5 W isolated power at 33 % efficiency.
Die Struktur der Benzo[b]‐1, 5‐diazepine und ihrer Salze. II

2.4-Dialkyl-oder diaryl-substituierte Benzodiazepine liegen in der Diiminostruktur II vor. IR-spektroskopische Untersuchungen am 3-Phenyl-und 3-Bromderivat zeigten das gleiche Ergebnis. Bei den Salzen dieser Verbindungsklasse ist jedoch Struktur IV die energetisch begunstigte; lediglich bei 3-standig „negativ” substituierten Derivaten wird daneben noch das Auftreten der isomeren Form III beobachtet. – Bei Versuchen, II durch Behandlung mit Brom in ein Benzodiazatropylium-Kation zu uberfuhren, weicht die Reaktion unter Bildung des 3-bromsubstituierten Hydrobromids von IV aus. — Die Kondensation von o-Phenylendiamin mit β-Hydroxyacrolein fuhrte nicht zum unsubstituierten Benzodiazepin, sondern nur zum Monokondensat.
Gender Differences in Elements of the Undergraduate Experience that Influence Satisfaction with the Engineering Major and the Intent to Pursue Engineering as a Career

Background Groups within and outside of educational institutions are interested in factors that influence satisfaction among students enrolled in the engineering major as well as elements within the college environment that shape students' intentions to work in engineering in the future and whether these elements differ by gender. Purpose (Hypothesis) This study identified gender differences on indicators of the undergraduate experience including faculty-related and student-related variables as well as measures of satisfaction with the institutional environment that are related to satisfaction with the engineering major and intent to pursue a career in engineering ten years from now. Design/Method The mixed methods approach used for this investigation involved nine institutions with engineering undergraduate degree programs. An online questionnaire was administered to undergraduate students enrolled in engineering. Qualitative data was collected through focus group interviews with students at each of the nine participating institutions. Results Findings reveal that satisfaction with the engineering major does not translate directly to pursuing a career in engineering, particularly among women. In terms of elements of the undergraduate experience, some types of interactions with faculty and peers have both short- and long-term impacts on interest in engineering as a major and as a career. Conclusions Creating learning environments that emphasize care and respect for students as well as overseeing student interaction during group work can make a difference in students' satisfaction in the engineering major and in interest in engineering as a career, particularly for women.
Catatonia Induced by an ACTH-Secreting Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Case Report

ABSTRACT Objective: The catatonic reaction is a striking syndrome associated with a variety of psychiatric and medical conditions, including high-dose corticosteroid therapy. We present the case of a patient who suffered increasing mental disturbance to the point of catatonia in the setting of an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting neuroendocrine tumor and severe hypercortisolism. We describe the presentation and course of treatment with benzodiazepines and pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods: A PubMed literature search was done to summarize and compare this case to other reported cases of psychiatric disturbances in the setting of hypercortisolism. Results: Our literature review of case reports from 1952–2011 noted 7 cases of catatonic reactions to glucocorticoid or ACTH administration. We hypothesize that the catatonia in our patient was caused by elevated levels of cortisol secondary to ectopic ACTH overproduction, making this report the first documented case of catatonia secondary to an ACTH-sec...
Visualization of Peanut Nodules and Seasonal Nodulation Pattern in Different Tillage Systems Using a Minirhizotron System

ABSTRACT Nodulation is essential for providing the nitrogen (N) needs of peanut, but little is known about the time course of nodule development with soil depth in a field production system. A minirhizotron system allows for non-destructive, periodic digital imaging of identical locations in the crop root system in situ, including the associated nodules. Because the system allows imaging at the same location over time, individual nodule development and subsequent senescence can be followed throughout the growing season. To test the proof of concept for the use of a minirhizotron system to observe peanut nodule development, a case study was conducted in 2012 in Citra, FL in a sod-based production system managed with both conservation and conventional tillage at two different timings. Images were taken to a soil depth of 90 cm on four dates during the growing season, and nodule number, surface area, and senescence were determined. Most nodules occurred at depths spanning 5-30 cm with very few outside of thi...
A context vector regression based approach for demand forecasting in district heating networks

District heating and cooling systems are becoming increasingly popular to serve the thermal demands of end consumers. In this paper, we investigate the problem of forecasting demand in district heating and cooling systems at the individual consumer level. We are driven by applications such as demand response, where understanding baseline consumption is required in order to set demand curtailment targets. In particular, we propose a data analytics based modeling framework, which uses a context vector based approach for forecasting energy consumption. Our proposed approach is effective in identifying the appropriate context combination that can help explain historical consumption as observed for a given consumer. We provide an evaluation of the methodology on an experimental data set obtained from households in Northern Sweden, where the resulting accuracy of prediction was up to 87%. We also demonstrate an application of the proposed approach to empower a utility company to allocate resources optimally.
Using Health-Consumer-Contributed Data to Detect Adverse Drug Reactions by Association Mining with Temporal Analysis

Since adverse drug reactions (ADRs) represent a significant health problem all over the world, ADR detection has become an important research topic in drug safety surveillance. As many potential ADRs cannot be detected though premarketing review, drug safety currently depends heavily on postmarketing surveillance. Particularly, current postmarketing surveillance in the United States primarily relies on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). However, the effectiveness of such spontaneous reporting systems for ADR detection is not as good as expected because of the extremely high underreporting ratio of ADRs. Moreover, it often takes the FDA years to complete the whole process of collecting reports, investigating cases, and releasing alerts. Given the prosperity of social media, many online health communities are publicly available for health consumers to share and discuss any healthcare experience such as ADRs they are suffering. Such health-consumer-contributed content is timely and informative, but this data source still remains untapped for postmarketing drug safety surveillance. In this study, we propose to use (1) association mining to identify the relations between a drug and an ADR and (2) temporal analysis to detect drug safety signals at the early stage. We collect data from MedHelp and use the FDA's alerts and information of drug labeling revision as the gold standard to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach. The experiment results show that health-related social media is a promising source for ADR detection, and our proposed techniques are effective to identify early ADR signals.
The Constitution of a Financial System

We extend the literature on ‘monetary constitutions’ by arguing that binding rules must go beyond specifying the behavior of the monetary authority. Instead, a genuine monetary constitution must also be a financial constitution: it must take into account the natural and evolved links between money and banking, treating them as a single institution. We present a unified conception of money and banking, show how modern monetary institutions have severed the traditional links between money and banking, and discuss how macroeconomic stability is an unintended result of a self-enforcing constitution for the money-and-banking system. Finally, we conclude by discussing the implications of our argument for re-orienting the conversation on post-financial crisis stability towards genuinely institutional solutions.
Div-Seq: A single nucleus RNA-Seq method reveals dynamics of rare adult newborn neurons in the CNS

Transcriptomes of individual neurons provide rich information about cell types and dynamic states. However, it is difficult to capture rare dynamic processes, such as adult neurogenesis, because isolation from dense adult tissue is challenging, and markers for each phase are limited. Here, we developed Div-Seq, which combines Nuc-Seq, a scalable single nucleus RNA-Seq method, with EdU-mediated labeling of proliferating cells. We first show that Nuc-Seq can sensitively identify closely related cell types within the adult hippocampus. We apply Div-Seq to track transcriptional dynamics of newborn neurons in an adult neurogenic region in the hippocampus. Finally, we find rare adult newborn GABAergic neurons in the spinal cord, a non-canonical neurogenic region. Taken together, Nuc-Seq and Div-Seq open the way for unbiased analysis of any complex tissue.
Percutaneous closure of left atrial appendage for stroke prevention

Katetrizacni uzavěr ouska leve sině (left atrial appendage closure, LAAC) představuje alternativni přistup v prevenci cevnich mozkových přihod (CMP) u pacientů s fibrilaci sini (FS). Udajů ve prospěch teto formy "lokalni" prevence tromboembolie u pacientů s vysoce rizikovým skore CHA2DS2-VASc stale přibýva. Uzavěr ouska leve sině by se mohl stat významnou alternativou u pacientů s limitacemi/kontraindikaci k antikoagulacni lecbě. Udaje ze dvou hlavnich randomizovaných klinických studii prokazaly užitecnost a bezpecnost zařizeni WATCHMAN LAAC v prevenci CMP u pacientů s FS jako plnohodnotne lecebne strategie. Přes celkovou ucinnost vsech dnes použivaných mechanických okluderů (dokumentovanou prospektivnimi multicentrickými studiemi) může jednoznacný přinos jejich použiti omezovat: (a) 1-3% incidence rezidualni tamponady; (b) nedosaženi uplneho, tedy 100% uzavřeni u třetiny pacientů; (c) embolizacni komplikace vcetně embolizace okluderu. Pro zlepseni výsledků byly zkonstruovany nove generace těchto zařizeni s cilem dosahnout: (i) meně traumatickeho implantacniho výkonu; (ii) přesnějsiho umistěni a zakryti usti ouska leve sině (left atrial appendage, LAA). Tento clanek shrnuje opodstatněni výkonu, klinicke udaje, zařizeni, techniky implantace i lekove režimy v dalsim sledovani pacientů.Zavěrem je třeba konstatovat, že potřebujeme dalsi udaje a studie k prokazani principu LAAC, zvlastě v nove eře lecby přimými peroralnimi antikoagulancii.
Detection and analysis of 1238 children's blood lead concentrations in Jiangning District of Nanjing,2011

Objective To know about 1 238 children's blood lead level in Jiangning District of Nanjing City,2011.Methods The blood lead level of 1 238 children aged 9 to 12 years were determined by graphite furnace atom absorption spectrophotometer.Results The geometric means of blood lead levels of children was 28.95 μg/L,blood lead poisoning rates was 1.9%,the average blood lead in boys(28.95 μg/L) was higher than girls(25.77 μg/L),t=2.13,P=0.033(P0.05).There was no significant difference of lead level in different age group,F=0.65,P=0.583(P0.05).Conclusion The average blood lead level of children ages ranged from 9-12 in Jiangning District of Nanjing in 2011 was lower than the children of Nanjing City in 2010.
Adhesion and its application with restorative materials

Significant progress has been made in the area of adhesion and esthetic restorative materials. Each generation of product development aims to address many of the previous inadequacies. Current resin-based dentin bonding agents are miles ahead of agents introduced only 10 years ago. The glass ionomer cement has undergone considerable evolution and barely resembles the original formulation. Whether these modified cement-resins will become established in the restorative practice remains to be seen. Or possibly, the glass ionomer cement will evolve itself out of existence into a new "class" of restorative. Numerous questions still remain unanswered in the area of adhesive materials. In particular, the confirmation of preliminary laboratory results with controlled clinical research often never surfaces, or is delayed beyond the commercial life of proprietary adhesive systems. Without such data, little confidence in adhesive behavior can be gained. More importantly, without a thorough understanding of the performance of adhesives in vivo, knowledge will never be gained relative to adhesive mechanisms that are necessary to further technology in this area.
Just What the Hell is a Neo-Marxist Anyway?

When asked to write my intellectual biography and how and why I came to enter the field of critical pedagogy (to the extent it can be called a “field,” see, Apple & Au, 2015, for further discussion), a large part of me wants to give the short answer: For as long as I can remember, my dad has been a communist. Now that answer is simplistic and incomplete, but it does speak to some things that were foundational in my development as a child and into my adult life.
Fourier Series and Spherical Harmonics in Convexity

This chapter discusses major geometric results obtained by the use of Fourier series or spherical harmonics. The isoperimetric inequality for plane domains can be deduced from simple properties of Fourier series. Many applications of spherical harmonics to problems concerning geometric inequalities depend on the Laplace–Behrami operator. The analog of the Laplace operator for functions on S d– 1 is the Laplace–Beltrami operator, which is denoted by Δ o . A homogeneous polynomial p ( x ) in d variables with real coefficients is called a harmonic polynomial if Δ p ( x ) = 0. The restriction of a harmonic polynomial of degree n to S d– 1 is called a spherical harmonic of order n and dimension d . The spherical harmonics are eigenfunctions of the Laplace–Beltrami operator. For geometric applications, a very useful result for spherical harmonics is the Funk–Hecke theorem. The chapter focuses mainly on theorems that have no natural extension to the d -dimensional situation and discusses results that provide good illustrations of the general methods under the simplifying assumption that d = 2.
The Dominant Narrative

In non-fiction writing about technology, one narrative celebrates and champions technology. In this narrative, technology is like a mythic hero. It solves riddles, overcomes obstacles, cures woes, and brings peace and prosperity. It is a story of boundless optimism and unshakeable faith in technology as the bearer of good and bountiful gifts—our crops, our health, our jobs, our shelter. It liberates and empowers us. According to this narrative, technology is essential and guarantees a future in which anything is possible and everything is better. Such a narrative defines our world, ourselves, and our purpose in a new way—specifically, in relation to technology. This story of affirmation is, perhaps, our new master narrative, since we are indisputably united by and around technology.
MINC: AN APPROACH FOR ANALYZING TRANSPORT IN STRONGLY HETEROGENEOUS SYSTEMS

We consider systems in which materials of low-diffusivity occur as islands in pervasive high-diffusivity materials. In these systems, global three dimensional transport occurs in the high-diffusivity materials. Transport in the low-diffusivity materials is local and one-dimensional in nature. MINC (Multiple Interacting Continua) is a method for efficiently simulating transport in such systems. The Integral Finite Difference Method (IFDM) provides a convenient way for implementing MINC. Known information on the shape and the size of the blocks can be judiciously utilized to obtain improved accuracy in estimating transport into the islands. MINC permits handling of continua at several hierarchial levels.
Digital Light Processing/sup TM/ for color printing

A significant commercial opportunity exists for MEMS in the form of a silicon spatial light modulator (SLM) suitable for both digital display and digital printing applications. The Digital Micromirror Device/sup TM/ (DMD/sup TM/) SLM has been under development at Texas Instruments since 1987, and is the core component of TI's Digital Light Processing/sup TM/ (DLP/sup TM/) businesses. This paper covers the benefits of DLP in digital color printers capable of producing "photorealistic" quality on plain paper, quickly and inexpensively.
Forgotten but Not Gone! Syphilis Induced Tenosynovitis

Objective. Tenosynovitis, inflammation of a tendon and its synovial sheath, is a rare manifestation of secondary syphilis and if diagnosed early is reversible. Background. A 52-year-old male with past medical history of untreated syphilis presented with gradual onset of swelling and pain of the right fourth metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP). He reported a history of painless penile lesions after having sexual intercourse with a new partner approximately five months ago which was treated with sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. An RPR done at that time came back positive with a high titer; however, patient was lost to follow-up. On examination, patient had an edematous, nonerythematous right fourth proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Urgent irrigation, debridement, and exploration of the right hand into the tendon sheath were performed. With his history of syphillis, an RPR was done, which was reactive with a titer of 1 : 64. A confirmatory FTA-ABS test was completed, rendering a positive result. Based on his history of untreated syphilis, dormancy followed by clinical scenario of swelling of the right fourth finger, and a high RPR titer, he was diagnosed with secondary syphilis manifesting as tenosynovitis.
Unconventional coupling between ligand recognition and allosteric control in the multidrug resistance gene regulator, BmrR.

BmrR is a multidrug resistance regulator that responds to diverse ligands. To obtain insights into signal recognition, allosteric control and cooperativity, we employed a quantitative in vitro transcription assay to determine the ligand-dependent activation profiles for a diverse set of cations, zwitterions and uncharged ligands. Like many other biological switch systems, the data are well described by a modified Hill equation. Parameters extracted from curve fits to the data include, L50, RMAX and N. We find that L50 directly correlates to Gbind suggesting that the parameter reflects binding, whereas RMAX and N reflect allosteric control and cooperativity, respectively. Our results suggest unconventional coupling between ligand binding and allosteric control, with weakly interacting ligands exhibiting the highest levels of activation. Such properties are in stark contrast with those often exhibited by biological switch proteins whereby ligand binding and allostery are tightly coupled yielding both high selectivity and ultrasensitivity. We propose that weakened coupling, as observed for BmrR, may be important for providing robust activation responses to unrelated ligands. We also propose that other MDR proteins and other polyspecific switch systems will show similar features.
Preparation of lisinopril-capped gold nanoparticles for molecular imaging of angiotensin-converting enzyme

ABSTRACT Overexpression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been associated with the pathophysiology of cardiac and pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, the prescription of ACE inhibitors, such as lisinopril, has shown a favorable effect on patient outcome for patients with heart failure or systemic hypertension. Thus targeted imaging of the ACE would be of crucial importance for mon itoring tissue ACE activity as well as the treatment efficacy in heart failure. In this respect, lisinopril-coated gold nanoparticles were prepared to provide a new type of probe for targeted molecular imaging of ACE by tuned K-edge computed tomography (CT) imaging. The preparation involved non-modified lisinopril, using its primary amine group as the anchoring function on the gold nanoparticles surface. The stable lisinopril-coated gold nanoparticles obtained were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their zeta potential was also m easured in order to assess the charge density on the modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs).
Targeting Effects on the Volume of the Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood–Brain Barrier Opening in Nonhuman Primates In Vivo

Drug delivery to subcortical regions is susceptible to the blood–brain barrier (BBB) impeding the molecular exchange between the blood stream and the brain parenchyma. Focused ultrasound (FUS) coupled with the administration of microbubbles has been proved to open the BBB locally, transiently, and noninvasively both in rodents and in nonhuman-primates (NHPs). The development of this disruption technique independent of MRI monitoring is of primordial importance yet restrained to the targeting optimization. This paper establishes the linear relationship of the incidence angle with the volume of BBB opening ( $V_{\mathrm{BBB}}$ ) and the peak negative pressure when sonicating the caudate nucleus and the putamen region of five NHPs. In addition, the effect of central nervous system structures on the opening morphology is evaluated by identification of the gray-to-white-matter ratio at the opening site. Finally, the targeting accuracy is assessed through the estimation of the geometric and angle shift of the opening from the targeted region. Interestingly, results prove a monotonic increase of the opening volume with close to normal incidence angles. Moreover, 80.35% of the opening lies on gray-matter regions compared with only 19.41% attributed to the white matter. The opening was found to be shifted axially, toward the transducer, and laterally with an average angle shift of 4.5°. Finally, we were capable of showing reproducibility of targeting accuracy with the same stereotactic and ultrasonic parameters. This paper documents the a priori prediction of the opening volume through manipulation of the angle and pressure as well as establishing the predictability, accuracy, and safety of FUS-induced BBB opening in NHPs.
Humans and Harems? Review of Out of Eden: The surprising consequences of polygamy by David Barash

In “Out of Eden” (Barash in Out of Eden, Oxford University Press, New York, 2016) David Barash argues that humans are naturally polygamous, in that they have innate polygamous preferences. In particular, Barash argues that human males have preferences and other psychological states designed to support aggressive polygynous sexual competition, and that the resulting behavior has driven the selection of various other psychological and behavioral traits in humans. This is controversial, since the prevailing view of the human mating system in our recent evolutionary history was that it was choice-based and only mildly polygynous. In this review I evaluate Barash’s arguments and conclude that he has not made his case for the stronger view.
Prone Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Does Bolster Orientation Matter?

Objective To assess whether horizontal vs vertical bolster orientation affects kidney position during prone percutaneous nephrolithotomy as this could impact the need for supracostal access and therefore the likelihood of pleural injury. Materials and Methods In a prospective trial, 10 subjects with 20 renal units underwent magnetic resonance imaging in prone position with standard cylindrical bolsters oriented vertically and then horizontally. Vertical bolsters were placed along the lateral aspect of the chest. Horizontal bolsters were placed at the xiphoid and symphysis pubis. The position of the kidney relative to the pleura was assessed by measuring distances from the kidney upper pole to diaphragm, to the top of the first lumbar vertebra, and inferior-most rib. Nephrostomy tract length and tract proximity to adjacent organs were also measured. Results Right and left kidney-to-diaphragm distance significantly increased with horizontal vs vertical bolsters by 3.44 cm and 1.86 cm, respectively ( P = .02, P = .01). Right kidney-to-rib distance significantly increased by 2.4 cm ( P = .025); left kidney-to-rib distance increased by 0.5 cm ( P = .123). Right kidney-to-vertebral distance significantly increased by 2.16 cm ( P = .007); left kidney-to-vertebral distance increased by 0.9 cm ( P = .059). There was no significant difference in maximum access angle, overall tract length, or colon position between horizontal and vertical bolsters. Conclusion Orienting bolsters horizontally results in caudal kidney displacement without affecting access angle, overall tract length, or colon position. In comparison with vertical orientation, this may improve safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy by decreasing the need for supracostal access and increasing the safety of supracostal access when required.
Antibody Combining Regions

An immune serum usually consists of a very heterogeneous population of immunoglobulins (Ig’s) the appearance of which in the serum has been induced by antigen. The antigen-ligating function of the Ig molecule (see Figure 1) is confined to the combining regions, which are two symmetrical areas at the solvent-exposed ends of the Fab arms of the Y-shaped Ig molecules. The combining region is situated in the variable (V-region) domain, a compact region consisting of the N-terminal half of the light (L) chain and the N-terminal quarter of the heavy (H) chain that is linked by sulfhydryl bonds. Between the areas of this domain occupied by the L- and H-chain V regions is a cleft exposed to the solvent. Antigens have been shown to bind in, or close to, this cleft (Amzel et al., 1974). An induced antibody population is said to be specific because it usually binds most strongly to the immunizing antigen and with lesser binding energies to certain compounds that resemble the immunogen in structure. Heteroclitic antibodies may be induced that bind more strongly to some determinant other than the immunogen (Makela, 1965). In general, antibody populations show a high degree of specificity, in that they are able to discriminate among chemical compounds differing by as little as a single functional group, between stereoisomers, or between two proteins differing by as little as a single amino acid residue (Reichlin, 1974).
Speckle metrology for extreme ultra-violet lithography

Stochastic effects in extreme ultraviolet lithography are contributed by the EUV optical speckle and diffusion chemistry of the photoresist. These cause line edge roughness (LER) in the etched features, shrinking the process window at the sub-20nm lithography node. We explore possibilities of utilizing the speckle for optical metrology and resist characterization by measuring the latent image of the EUV light on photoresist. The latent image on a standard photoresist measured using atomic force microscopy is shown to linearly depend on the aerial image intensity within a specific dose range, hence serving as an in-situ imaging modality to measure the EUV aerial image without a camera. Potential applications include EUV wavefront measurement, resist characterization, and LER engineering.
Preparation of 14C-Labeled Endotoxin and Endotoxic Glycolipid (EGL)

LPS can be labeled by 51Cr which forms an undefined complex with the toxic components of the structure (Braude et al., 1955). Such compounds were used extensively in studying the fate of 51Cr-LPS, under normal as well as pathologic conditions. A shortcoming of this otherwise excellent procedure is that the 51Cr label is detected by it with or without the carrier LPS molecule, which means that the presence of the label not necessarily indicates the presence of the entire complex. The procedure des-, cribed here was used in our laboratory by Dr. Chen-lo H. Chen and it applies covalently bound 14C which is incorporated into the entire bacterial cell through biosynthesis. Extraction and purification of the labeled endotoxic LPS or EGL is carried out as described in Exercise 21.
Hysteroscopic metroplasty in the diethylstilbestrol-exposed uterus and similar nonfusion anomalies: effects on subsequent reproductive performance; a preliminary report.

Objective To determine the feasibility of correcting the uterine abnormalities seen in diethylstilbestrol (DES)-exposed women and similar anomalies. Design Patients served as their own controls. Setting University based and private practice tertiary referral practice. Patients Eight patients referred for infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, or both with an abnormal uterine contour as seen by hysterosalpingogram. Intervention Hysteroscopic metroplasty. Outcome Measures Ability to conceive and carry pregnancy to livebirth. Results Three of five patients with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy losses had livebirths as did a patient with secondary infertility. Two patients with primary infertility failed to conceive. Conclusion Metroplasty may decrease pregnancy loss in these patients but may not enhance fertility.
A Defense of Naturalistic Naturalized Epistemology

Naturalistic naturalized epistemology combines ontological naturalism with naturalized epistemology. Ontological naturalism is the view that nothing exists other than spatio-temporal beings embedded within a space-time framework. Naturalized epistemology is a view about the nature of knowledge characterized by its commitment to externalism and the idea that knowledge consists in beliefs reliably generated by cognitive mechanisms operating in a suitable environment. Alvin Plantinga has provided a much discussed evolutionary biological argument against naturalistic naturalized epistemology. In this article I defend naturalistic naturalized epistemology by refuting Plantinga's replies to two important criticisms of his argument.
The Communication of the Sacred in Tymieniecka’s the Three Movements of the Soul

The above epigraphs are fitting for an article on the inward sacred as presented in The Three Movements of the Soul, the second book of Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka’s Logos and Life. The incommunicable part of the human being’s most inward experience challenges our abilities to express ourselves by some common means of language or signs. In other words, we are tempted to place it in some larger system, in a structure which would objectify it and, as a result, separate it from human life. Thus, the individual human life poses a task of seeing it either as a rare and singular specimen of particular consciousness or as a case belonging to some encompassing structure or system.
Voices of Adivasis

rules that allow for diversity in national institutions and stan ards, gra ting differ nt rade privileges to democratic a d non-democr tic c untrie cou r es' au tonomy t protect thei own insti utions and devel pment prioriti s, and that counries should n have the right o imp se their own institutional prefere ces on th e s. An implication f all this is that e wto should become an institution that manages institutional diversity rather than imposing institutional uniformity.
A System for Early Detection of Maintainability Issues Using BIM

The terms maintainability and maintenance are interrelated and often perceived to be difficult to distinguish from each other. Maintainability refers to the measures and actions taken during the design phase of a product in order to assure that the equipment and the system to which it belongs, can be easily maintained at minimum downtime and cost. On the other hand, maintenance refers to the measures and action taken during the operation phase in order to keep the components at the desired operational condition. The variance between the designers’ and facility managers’ priorities concerning maintainability creates a gap between the design and operation phases. Maintainability is not often considered in design nor is it a priority for designers. Designers consider maintenance access to be one of the least important factors related to maintenance. However, design-related maintainability issues such as maintenance access problems make maintenance activities impractical if not impossible in building operation, and increase the life cycle costs of facilities. These issues can be detected in the design phase if an appropriate tool is available, and can prevent maintenance-related problems in the operation phase. This research proposes a system that can be used alongside BIM and that can bridge the gap between the design and post-construction phases if deployed in the design phase.
Oxidized graphene nanoparticles as a delivery system for the pro-apoptotic sphingolipid C6 ceramide.

Sphingolipids such as ceramide have attracted much attention as possible anticancer agents due to their potent pro-apoptotic effects. However, due to their extreme hydrophobicity, there is currently no clinically approved delivery method for in vivo use as a therapeutic agent. To this end, we have developed a novel method for loading the short-chain C6 ceramide onto oxidized graphene nanoribbons (O-GNRs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Mass spectrometry revealed loading efficiencies of 57% and 51.5% for C6 ceramide onto O-GNRs and GNPs, respectively. The PrestoBlue viability assay revealed that 100 µg/mL of C6 ceramide-loaded O-GNRs and C6 ceramide-loaded GNPs reduced HeLa cell viability by approximately 93% and approximately 76%, respectively, compared to untreated HeLa cells, while equal concentrations of these nanoparticles without C6 ceramide did not significantly reduce HeLa cell viability. We confirmed that this cytotoxicity was apoptotic in nature via capase-3 activity and Hoechst staining. Using live-cell confocal imaging with the fluorescent NBD-ceramide loaded on O-GNRs, we observed robust uptake into HeLa cells within 30 min while NBD-ceramide on its own was uptaken much more rapidly. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that C6 ceramide-loaded O-GNRs were actually entering cells. Taken together, these data show that O-GNRs are a promising delivery agent for ceramide. To our knowledge, this study is the first to use such a loading method. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 25-37, 2019.
Thermal comfort evaluation in campus classrooms during room temperature adjustment corresponding to demand response

Abstract Most thermal comfort standards and guidelines currently in use do not consider occupants' adaptive capabilities associated with real-world situations when predicting occupant thermal comfort in mechanically conditioned buildings, although the adaptive approach is commonly applied to naturally ventilated buildings. These standards are generally based on results derived from experiments conducted in climate-controlled chambers. In some cases, this can lead to overcooling of buildings while still not satisfying most of occupants. One common method to reduce peak electricity demand is via temporarily increasing cooling temperature setpoint during peak hours. However, the potential negative impacts on occupant thermal comfort and wellbeing calls for further study on this. This paper describes a study conducted on a university campus in the United States that investigated occupants' thermal sensation, acceptability, and preferences corresponding to increased cooling temperature setpoint in parts of the building that are temporarily occupied. The results revealed a potential for at least temporarily increasing cooling temperature setpoint (at least 2 °C) across this campus without impairing occupant thermal comfort. For operative temperatures between 22 and 24.5 °C, the average Actual Mean Vote (AMV) for the class sections remained in the ASHRAE comfort range and the self-reported thermal acceptability was above 80%. Occupants’ thermal acceptability dropped to less than 80% when the temperature was increased to more than 24.5 °C, and the AMV values increased to more than 0.5 (on ASHRAE 7-point scale). The percentage of occupants who were involved in some sort of adaptive behavior did not considerably change with room temperature.