cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure, Energetics, and Impact of Screw Dislocations in Tricalcium Silicates

Understanding and quantifying the atomic structure, energetics, and the effect of defects on mechanics and reactivity of low symmetry oxides is an engineering challenge. This study focuses on atomistic analysis of screw dislocation in three thermodynamically reversible polymorphs of tricalcium silicate (Ca3SiO3), which is the key ingredient of cement. We employ molecular simulations to decode the interplay between the dislocation formation core energies, nonplanar core structures, displacement fields, disregistry functions, and Peierls stresses of tricalcium silicate polymorphs. By analyzing the core geometry at multiple scales, we found that the screw dislocations minimally impact the atomic bonds and angles at the vicinity of the Ca3SiO3 core dislocations, largely due to the sizeable channels and rigid body type relocation of atoms, which moderate most of the disturbances enforced by dislocations. Furthermore, we found that while the rhombohedral C3S (R-C3S) exhibits a relatively large core energy and core radius, the two monoclinic C3S structures (M3-C3S and MM-C3S) exhibited lower and almost identical core energies and core radii, likely due to the fact that they are two crystal realizations of the same polymorph. Finally, we discuss the implications of this work on brittleness and reactivity of cement crystals, and potential opportunities to better understand and modulate the grinding energy, reactivity, and mechanical properties of cement clinkers.
101. Asthma-associated IgE mechanisms are regulated by the beta-2-adrenergic receptor on human B cells

Asthma affects 300 million people worldwide. Treatment involves the use of inhalers containing agonists that stimulate the beta-2-adrenergic receptor (b2AR) on lung smooth muscle cells. Norepinephrine, which is released in elevated amounts during a stress response, also stimulates the b2AR. Stimulation of the b2AR on a B cell responding to allergen results in an increase in IgE, which exacerbates bronchoconstriction and counteracts therapeutic benefit and worsens stress-related asthma effects. Our goal is to block the negative b2AR-induced effect on the B cell while retaining the positive effect on bronchodilation. Previously, we showed that when the B cell-associated b2AR is stimulated during antigen activation, hematopoietic protein tyrosine phosphatase (HePTP) is phosphorylated in a PKA-dependent manner to release bound p38 MAPK for phosphorylation, and to subsequently increase IgE transcription. Deletion of either b2AR or norepinephrine in mice results in a decrease in antigen-induced IgE and lung inflammation. It is unknown if HePTP functions similarly in human B cells. We found that anti-CD40/IL-4-primed human B cells exposed to a b2AR agonist expressed higher levels of HePTP/p38 MAPK phosphorylation and IgE as compared to primed B cells alone, suggesting that b2AR stimulation causes a similar response in human and murine B cells. Our studies suggest that HePTP represents a potential novel target for blocking the adverse b2AR-induced increase in IgE, while maintaining the beneficial effects on bronchodilation.
Study on the Public's Willingness to Pay Bribes——Based on the Survey Data of G Province

For a long time,there has been a scarcity of research on officials' corruption due to the public's bribing. Based on a survey of G Province in 2014,it was found that for the sake of convenience in conducting business with the government,30% to 44% people would like to pay bribes. To explore the differences of individuals' willingness to pay bribes,three dimensions including corruption tolerance,corruption perception and past corruption experience were constructed. An analysis of the logit regression model found that all the other factors being equal,the higher the public's corruption tolerance is,the more likely they are to pay bribes; the more corruptions the public perceive,the more likely they are to pay bribes; and those who have more corruption experiences are more likely to pay bribes than those not.
Race and Sex Differences in the Incidence and Prognostic Significance of Silent Myocardial Infarction in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background—Race and sex differences in silent myocardial infarction (SMI) are not well established. Methods and Results—The analysis included 9498 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Comm...
Decrease in Gs protein expression may impair adenylate cyclase activation in old kidneys.

The possibility that alteration in stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Gs) expression may contribute to the blunting of renal parathyroid hormone (PTH)-stimulated adenylate cyclase in aged rats was examined. Using rat cDNA probe, we identified a Gs alpha-subunit (Gs alpha) of 1.9 kb. Age did not alter the size of Gs alpha mRNA. The level of Gs alpha mRNA [normalized to poly(A)+ RNA] was decreased 23%, which was consistent with our previous report that Gs alpha protein decreased in senescence. In contrast, mRNA level of Gi alpha 2 increased with age. Level of beta-actin mRNA did not change with age. Nuclear runoff assay was performed to determine the transcription rate of Gs mRNA. Synthesis of poly(A)+ RNA and total RNA was reduced 39% and 37%, respectively, in nuclei prepared from old kidney, which suggested a general decline in RNA synthesis capacity in old rats. Our results also showed the transcription rate of Gs alpha mRNA in aged rats was reduced 89%, a decrease far exceeding that observe...
The Historical Setting

Since the first traveller’s account in the sixteenth century, Borneo has held a particular mystique for westerners. This island of head-hunters and noble savages promised wealth, adventure and later missionary challenge to an array of Europeans. It lay off the beaten track, however, for most European adventurers and it was only in the early nineteenth century that interest in the island was rekindled. Two factors were responsible for this reawakened interest. The first was the increased importance of trade with China, especially after the ending of the opium wars, and the establishment of Singapore and later Hong Kong, which helped channel trade and shipping along the South China seaways. The strategic significance of the north-west coast of Borneo was not lost on the British and the Dutch. The second factor was the declining power and influence of Brunei which had been the paramount power on the island. Brunei’s decline (and the decline of the indigenous powers) presented opportunities for independent adventurers and traders on the lookout for new trading ventures and the strategically placed ports which could serve the new English trade with China.1 After the 1840s, Borneo was also seen as a source of valuable minerals and as a promising market for manufactured goods. The adventurers who ventured into the power vacuum created a scramble for Borneo which led to the creation of two new political entities on the island, Sabah and Sarawak, which developed completely independently of each other.
Social Justice and Teacher Education: Where Do We Stand?

Teacher education for social justice is a topic that has gained a passionate and committed following among US teacher educators, particularly over the past two decades. The aim of this paper is discuss current efforts by US teacher educators to prepare teachers who will implement pedagogy that is both socially just and culturally responsive. The paper will review empirical studies of teacher educators and preservice and inservice teachers who are implementing socially just pedagogy in order to present a portrait of where the profession stands. As teacher education moves into the twenty-first century, it is essential that teachers possess both the pedagogical skills and the professional dispositions to address social problems that are increasingly globalized and instruct students who are increasingly culturally diverse.
Pollen-mediated gene flow from glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis Sauer): Consequences for the dispersal of resistance genes

Gene flow is an important component in evolutionary biology; however, the role of gene flow in dispersal of herbicide-resistant alleles among weed populations is poorly understood. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to quantify pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) from glyphosate-resistant (GR) to -susceptible (GS) common waterhemp using a concentric donor-receptor design. More than 130,000 common waterhemp plants were screened and 26,199 plants were confirmed resistant to glyphosate. Frequency of gene flow from all distances, directions, and years was estimated with a double exponential decay model using Generalized Nonlinear Model (package gnm) in R. PMGF declined by 50% at <3 m distance from the pollen source, whereas 90% reduction was found at 88 m (maximum) depending on the direction of the pollen-receptor blocks. Amplification of the target site gene, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), was identified as the mechanism of glyphosate resistance in parent biotype. The EPSPS gene amplification was heritable in common waterhemp and can be transferred via PMGF, and also correlated with glyphosate resistance in pseudo-F2 progeny. This is the first report of PMGF in GR common waterhemp and the results are critical in explaining the rapid dispersal of GR common waterhemp in Midwestern United States.
JPR: Replaying JPF Traces Using Standard JVM

Java PathFinder (JPF) is a backtrackable Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which is implemented in Java and runs on a standard JVM (e.g., Oracle HotSpot). Thus, a JPF developer can use off-the- shelf Java debuggers (e.g., jdb) when debugging code that makes up JPF. JPF explores all non-deterministic executions of a given target program and monitors for property violations. To facilitate debugging of the target program, JPF can capture and replay the execution trace that leads to a property violation. While the deterministic replay is invaluable, the replay with JPF does not allow the developer to attach an off-the-shelf Java debugger to the target program (e.g., step through the application code, set breakpoints, etc.).We present a technique, dubbed JPR, to improve the debugging experience of the JPF captured traces by migrating the JPF traces to a new format that can be executed using the standard JVM. JPR annotates each JPF trace, during the capture phase, with ex- tra data (e.g., instruction index, instruction count, etc.); the an- notated trace is then used to instrument Java bytecode to enforce the same execution trace on a standard JVM. JPR is compatible with various optimizations, e.g., state matching and partial-order reduction. We evaluated JPR on all multi-threaded Java pro- grams in the official JPF distribution. Our results show that JPR successfully replayed all JPF traces on the standard JVM with reasonable overhead during both recording and replaying.
Information and allometry

Many life-history parameters have condition-dependent optima, but individuals are often required to set the values of such parameters relatively early in development, before the relevant conditions can be assessed with full accuracy. If cues are available that predict such future conditions, then the condition-dependent parameter should evolve to assume values that deviate from the mean in the direction implied by the cues, but these deviations should regress towards the mean to the degree that the cues are less than fully reliable. Under mild assumptions, the slopes of the resulting relationships between condition-dependent life-history parameters and the variable conditions on which their optima depend will be the ‘ideal’ slopes (those that would maximize fitness if the parameter could be chosen on the basis of full information) devalued by the squared correlation between the condition and the parameter.
Building Automatic Controls

Along with proper system selection, a well-planned control system is one of the most effective design elements that can contribute to proper functioning and also saving energy during the building operations. A well-planned control system can make all the building system elements to function close to their highest possible efficiency level when they are supposed to, and preserve energy when there is an opportunity for energy saving in the system throughout the time. If the building control system is designed properly it acts as a knowledgeable and strong brain and nerve network that receives messages, thinks through them, and selects the proper responses and informs the targeted muscles (element) to act properly and in a timely manner according to the selected response. Therefore understanding the structure of the building control system and also recognizing the important role that automatic control and proper use of this effective tool can have, will be essential for satisfying the building energy saving goals. In this section after a short introduction about how a communication network is structured and works, I will briefly describe the necessary elements and duties of the building automatic control system components. I will also discuss the importance of a properly written sequence of operation for the building equipment later in this chapter. For a thorough discussion about specifying direct digital control system refer to ASHRAE Guideline—Specifying Direct Digital Control Systems.
As Long as They Don’t Know Where I Live: Information Disclosure Strategies for Managing Identity in Second LifeTM

Thirty Second LifeTM residents were interviewed about their perceptions of the boundary between their virtual world and material world identities and the practices they used to share or to conceal identity information across that boundary. A range of stances toward the boundary – from completely open to completely closed – was found, although even the people who were the most open kept some kind of boundary. Stances toward the boundary and choices about sharing information were related to two broad motivations – relationship formation and reputation maintenance. The interview data is discussed in terms of social penetration theory, social identity theory, theories of stigma, theories of the self and theories of ­anonymity. Ethical issues in virtual world research are also addressed. Suggestions for future research on identity in virtual environments, for the design of virtual environments, and implications for modern conceptualizations of the self are discussed.
Motor control of the hand before and after stroke

The combination of the unique biomechanical properties of the human hand with the anatomy and physiology of the motor cortex and its descending pathways lead to an unprecedented behavioral repertoire. A prominent feature in the taxonomy of hand function is the distinction between power grip and finger individuation, which represent extremes along the continuous dimensions of stability and precision. Two features of the human central nervous system (CNS) are considered critical to hand dexterity: the distributed finger representation in primary motor cortex and its monosynaptic cortico-motoneuronal (CM) connections. The subset of motor cortical neurons, which contribute these CM connections, has been described as “new” M1, owing to its emergence in primates. Here we argue that the neural basis of hand impairment after stroke and its recovery can be attributed to the interplay between spared corticospinal projections and cortical modulation of brainstem descending pathways, specifically the reticulospinal tract.
Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-banded armadillo)

The last autosome shown, a small submetacentric element, has always large satellites, often bent back over the main portion of this chromosome.
Immune-related tumor response dynamics in melanoma patients (pts) treated with pembrolizumab: Identifying markers for clinical outcome and treatment decisions.

9521Background: PD-1 inhibitors have shown marked efficacy in advanced melanoma and are associated with unique response patterns. We aimed to characterize the tumor burden dynamics and identify qua...
Collapse performance of composite steel frames under fire

Abstract Collapse of steel structures under extreme hazards has been placed at the forefront of research in recent decades. While significant number of studies has been conducted in the past on steel members and subassemblies under fire, the response of steel buildings exposed to fire loadings has not received a similar level of attention. In addition, only handful of previous studies, mainly 2D with only one study pertaining to 3D frames, encompassed the full response of the system up to and including collapse. In this study, a 3D numerical finite element model is developed for a six-story steel-frame building with moment frames, gravity frames, and center concentrically braced frame to evaluate the collapse behavior of the structure under fire loading. A standard and a parametric fire curve are selected to simulate the fire loadings and are applied independently to the building model under two different contained fire scenarios. The two scenarios include first floor corner compartment fire and whole first floor fire. This allowed for the assessment of different global system response where collapse is triggered by twist of the entire structure accompanied by lateral deformation in the case of a corner compartment fire and progressive vertical displacement of the entire system in the case of the whole first floor fire. The simulation results show that structural response of steel buildings including collapse mechanism and behavior of structural members and connections during fire events can be predicted with reasonable accuracy using advanced numerical finite element analysis.
Experiments in Posthumanism: On Tactical Rhetorical Encounters between Drones and Human Body Heat

Abstract This essay examines a particular, and particularly fraught enactment of digital and material rhetoric: a tactical media intervention into the militarized drone program, to map a posthumanist reading of “tactics,” updating Michel de Certeau’s famous concept for the current global situation. To introduce what will be posthuman about the model of tactics presented, this essay reviews the current state of work in rhetoric and composition on posthumanism and rhetorical materiality, arguing that it points us to a materiality that is not reducibly, simply present. This situation, on the one hand, produces a political need for experimentation, and yet if we encourage an experimental, tactical response to complex posthuman encounters such as that with the drone’s thermal vision, then we are also encouraging an affirmation of that encounter, which entails its own risks. This essay then argues that while Certeau gives us the tools to imagine how we can tactically use the things of the world, we need to reimagine tactics in a posthumanist key. This essay calls for a retooled model of tactics that would draw out the experimental possibilities of media tactics through understanding their imbrication in systems that are material, distributed, and yet not simply self-present things.
Combining a host gene and a tobacco vein mottling virus coat protein gene for broad and effective resistance to potyviruses in tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Over 100 transgenic tobacco lines in five genetic backgrounds were transformed with the tobacco vein mottling virus (TVMV) coat protein (CP) gene. Transgenic lines were initially tested for their reaction to inoculation with a TVMV systemic strain (TVMV-S) and a potato virus Y common strain (PVY-O). Of the 104 TVMV CP lines 60% were classified as resistant to PVY-O, whereas only 30% of these same lines were resistant to TVMV-S. A subset of six PVY-O-resistant transgenic lines and four control lines were tested for their reaction to a local isolate of TVMV, tobacco etch virus (TEV) and five isolates of PVY. The same ten lines were also tested for responses to a serial dilution of inoculum for two PVY isolates, PVY-KY1 and PVY-NN. Transgenic lines carrying an endogenous resistance gene known as Virgin A mutant (VAM) had greater resistance and a broader spectrum of resistance than did transgenic lines without the VAM gene. This additive effect of the endogenous resistance gene and coat protein-mediated resistance (CPMR) was not overcome by the highest inoculum concentration. The results indicate that the additive effect of the VAM gene and CPMR could extend the effectiveness of CPMR in controlling potiviruses. These findings could have important implications for plant improvement programs using CPMR against potyvirus diseases.
Navigating Dynamically Unknown Environments Leveraging Past Experience

To enable autonomous robot navigation among unknown dynamic obstacles, a real-time adaptive motion planner (RAMP) plans the robot motion online based on sensing the environment as the robot moves with sensors mounted on the robot. However, the sensed environmental data from the robot’s local view is usually incomplete due to occlusions from obstacles and limited sensing range.This paper incorporates learning about the environment into the RAMP framework by leveraging the Hilbert Maps framework to generate a probabilistic model of occupancy of the unknown dynamic environment based on past observations. Utilizing this probabilistic model enables RAMP to reason about trajectory fitness when sensing information is partial and incomplete. This allows the RAMP robot to take advantage of what it has experienced from being in the dynamic environment before to inform its subsequent executions even though the dynamic environment changes in unknown ways. The effectiveness of incorporating such learned probabilistic data into RAMP is shown in both simulation and real experiments.
HazMapper: A global open-source natural hazard mapping application in Google Earth Engine

Abstract. Modern satellite networks with rapid repeat-cycles allow for near-real-time imaging of areas impacted by natural hazards such as mass wasting, flooding, and volcanic eruptions. Publicly accessible multi-spectral datasets (e.g. Landsat, Sentinel-2) are particularly helpful in analyzing the spatial extent of disturbances, however, the datasets are large and require intensive processing on high-powered computers by trained analysts. HazMapper is an open-access hazard mapping application developed in Google Earth Engine that allows users to derive map and GIS-based products from Sentinel or Landsat datasets without the time- and cost-intensive resources required for traditional analysis. Case studies are included for the identification of landslides and debris flows, wildfire burn extents, pyroclastic flows, and lava flow inundation. HazMapper is openly-available to the public and is intended for use by both scientists and non-scientists, such as emergency managers and public safety decision-makers. It is the intent of the authors to continue to develop HazMapper with additional capabilities. Collaboration on this effort is encouraged.
The whiteness of François Sagat

Francois Sagat is a white French porn star known primarily for acting in Arab roles in French/American porn and for his later crossovers into arthouse films, music videos, and the world of fashion....
Native and Invasive Macrophytes Differ in Their Effectiveness as Nurseries for Juvenile Endangered Salmon

For marine biogenic habitats, such as kelp and seagrass, declines and local extinction events cause concern because of the loss of ecosystem services they provide. Many of these habitats function as valuable nurseries, but this function may be eroded when invasive species alter the structure of the habitats. For anadromous salmonids along the northeast Pacific, there is little known about the nursery role of coastal habitats, which presents a challenge for scientists to fully understand their complex life histories necessary for informing resource managers in decision-making processes regarding habitat protection and restoration. To address these issues, we ran a 3-week experiment testing the nursery functions of seagrass (Zostera marina), the invasive alga Sargassum muticum, mixed seagrass-Sargassum, and bare sand plots on the growth, survival, and prey availability for endangered Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts. We found mixed effects of each habitat type when compared with each other. Chinook salmon smolts grew less in seagrass when compared with the three other habitats (bare sand, Sargassum, mixed seagrass-Sargassum). However, fish survival was lower in Sargassum habitat compared with seagrass and bare sand. Prey availability was greatest in mixed seagrass-Sargassum habitat compared with bare sand, Sargassum, or seagrass. We used a principal components analysis (PCA) to develop a nursery index using the smolts’ growth rate, percent survival, prey availability, and density of prey in gut contents. The nursery index showed that mixed seagrass-Sargassum habitat had the most positive effects on nursery performance. These results suggest that invasive species can serve positive habitat functions, but only when in the presence of a habitat-forming native species. Our study supports the theory that habitat diversity leads to greater nursery function of coastal ecosystems.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MPACT 69-GROUP LIBRARY FOR MAGNOX REACTOR ANALYSIS USING CASL VERA

The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) has developed the CASL toolset, Virtual Environment for Reactor Analysis (VERA), for pressurized water reactor (PWR) analysis. Recently the CASL VERA was improved for Magnox reactor analysis, which required the development of a new cross section library and new geometrical and thermal feedback capabilities for graphite-moderated Magnox reactors. The MPACT neutronics module of the CASL core simulator is a 3D whole core transport code, which requires a new cross section library with a different energy group structure due to the different neutronic characteristics of Magnox compared with PWR. A new 69-group structure was developed based on the MPACT 51-group structure to have more thermal energy groups and to be a subset of the SCALE 252-group structure. The ENDF/B-VII.1 MPACT 69-group library was developed for Magnox reactor analysis using the SCALE/AMPX and VERA-XSTools for which a super-homogenization method was applied, and transport cross sections were generated for graphite using a neutron leakage conservation method. Benchmark results show that new MPACT 69-group library works reasonably well for Magnox reactor analysis.
Fast and Accurate Estimation of Gas-Phase Entropy from the Molecular Surface Curvature

Estimating entropy is crucial for understanding and modifying biological systems, such as protein-ligand binding. Current computational methods to estimate entropy require extensive, or at times prohibitively extensive, computational resources. This article presents SHAPE (SHape-based Accurate Predictor of Entropy), a new method that estimates the gas-phase entropy of small molecules purely from their surface geometry. Using SHAPE, the gas-phase entropy of small molecules can be computed in ~ 0.01 CPU hours with run time complexity of Ω(√(Na), where Na is the number of atoms. The accuracy of The method is within 1-2% of computationally expensive quantum mechanical or molecular mechanics calculations. We further show that the inclusion of gas-phase entropy, estimated using SHAPE, improves the rank-order correlation between binding affinity and the binding score from 0.18 to 0.40. The speed and accuracy of SHAPE make it well-suited for use in molecular docking studies as well as in the analysis of structure-activity relationships.
P261 The microbiota is a key factor influencing gut rehabilitation in early onset short bowel syndrome

Introduction Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is the most common cause of paediatric intestinal failure (IF) and its prevalence is rising. Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is life-saving but can be associated with serious complications such as intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) and catheter related blood stream infections (CRBSI), therefore the ultimate aim is intestinal autonomy. Current understanding of predictive factors for achieving intestinal autonomy is limited, but include remaining bowel length, type and quality of bowel, and earlier age of onset of SBS. Significant dysbiosis also occurs in SBS and may impact on the likelihood of successful intestinal rehabilitation (IR). Our aim was to phenotype patients with SBS, comparing children who achieved intestinal autonomy to those who remained on HPN or required intestinal transplant, to identify possible factors that impact upon the likelihood of successful IR. Methods Retrospective analysis of all North East Paediatric SBS patients who have been cared for by the HPN team during the past 11 years, using anonymised routinely collected data. Comparative statistical analyses were performed, using parametric or non-parametric tests as appropriate, to evaluate the significance of differences in predictive factors between children who achieved intestinal autonomy and those who have not yet done so. Results 70 children who had received HPN were identified. 35 had SBS, 35 had non-SBS diagnoses. 33 had neonatal onset, 2 had childhood onset. 2 died (from illnesses not relating to SBS). Of the remaining 31 in the neonatal onset group, 15 have achieved successful IR to date. The underlying causes of SBS were similar between the two groups. Mean bowel length was significantly longer in the successful IR group (48.3 cm vs 24.5 cm, p 2 treated line infections post-discharge 2 vs 8, p Conclusions We confirmed that the initial length of bowel is important in determining outcome amongst children with early onset intestinal failure. We further show that the number of central lines and the number of courses of antibiotics given for line infections may be even more important in predicting outcome, which suggests that intestinal microbiota play a key role in intestinal rehabilitation.
Turkey: a past against history

There is a distinguished group of writers whose lives and work straddled the divide between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey and who are recognized as giants of Turkish literature toda...
Semi-parametric rank regression with missing responses

We consider a semi-parametric regression model with responses missing at random and study the rank estimator of the regression coefficient. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimator are established. Monte Carlo simulation experiments show that the proposed estimator is more efficient than the least squares estimator whenever the error distribution is heavy tailed or contaminated. When the errors follow a normal distribution, these simulation experiments show that the rank estimator can be more efficient than its least squares counterpart for cases with large proportion of missing responses.
The privacy of T cell memory to viruses

T cell responses to viral infections can mediate either protective immunity or damaging immunopathology. Viral infections induce the proliferation of T cells spe cific for viral antigens and cause a loss in the number of T cells with other specificities. In immunologically naive hosts, viruses will induce T cell responses that, dependent on the MHC, recognize a distinct hierarchy of virus-encoded T cell epitopes. This hierarchy can change if the host has previously encountered another pathogen that elicited amemory pool of T cells specific to a cross-reactive epitope. This heterologous immunity can deviate the normal immune response and result in either beneficial or harmful effects on the host. Each host has a unique T cell repertoire caused by the random DNA rearrangement that created it, so the specific T cells that create the epitope hierarchy differ between individuals. This “private specificity” seems of little signifi-cance in the T cell responseof a naivehost toinfection, but it is of profoundimportance under conditions of heterologous immunity, where a small subset of a cross-reactive memory pool may expand and dominate a response. Examples are given of how the private specificities of immune responses under conditions of heterologous immunity influence the pathogenesis of murine and human viral infections.
Justice and financial market allocation of the social costs of business

Regulation is often applied to business behavior to ensure that the social costs of doing business are included in the cost and pricing structures of the firm. Because the consumer benefits from the transaction that generated the social costs, asking the consumer to bear the burden imposed by the transaction is fair. However, there may be a lack of Justice m the internal and external distribution of the social costs of doing business if consumers are the only party bearing that burden, or if the costs are being shifted to employees or taxpayers when a closer stakeholder is also benefiting from the transaction – the stockowner. A social justice perspective requires that those benefiting from a transaction share in the burdens of it. We propose that a Tobin-like tax on stock transactions might be a just means of achieving greater justice in the distribution of the social cost burden.
Allergic Asthma and Rhinitis: Toxicological Considerations

Immunotoxicity can manifest as an exaggerated immune response to a normally innocuous substance and lead to hypersensitivity or allergic reactions in the lung. Allergens are encountered environmentally or in the workplace and can be low- and high-molecular-weight substances. Allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis are examples of allergic reactions in the lung with immediate, late and chronic phases contributing to respiratory tract pathology. Mechanistically, allergic asthma and rhinitis reflect a combination of antibody and cell-mediated immune reactions involving IgE antibody to allergen in the early stages and Th2 cell involvement as the disease progresses to late-phase reactions and chronic allergic inflammation. Multiple cell types and mediators are involved in the inflammatory response in the lung. Mechanistic differences leading to the asthma/rhinitis phenotype have been noted with different allergens, primarily low-molecular-weight substances. Xenobiotics that are not allergens themselves may enhance the immune response to allergens or exacerbate pre-existing asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness. The complexity of the allergic response in terms of humoral and cell-mediated immunity, as well as potential differences in mechanisms depending on the allergen, present a very challenging scenario for the toxicologist to predict the exposures that will result in allergic rhinitis or asthma. Keywords: asthma; allergy; lung; rhinitis; hypersensitivity; immunotoxicology
A Review of “Living Through the End of Nature: The Future of American Environmentalism”: Paul Wapner. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2010. 219 pp. $21.95 cloth (ISBN-13: 978-0262014151)

Perhaps the most proper, and the most natural, response to our state of ignorance is not haste to increase the amount of available information, or even to increase our knowledge, but rather a livel...
Planning optimal grasps

The authors address the problem of planning optimal grasps. Two general optimality criteria that consider the total finger force and the maximum finger force are introduced and discussed. Their formalization using various metrics on a space of generalized forces is detailed. The geometric interpretation of the two criteria leads to an efficient planning algorithm. An example of its use in a robotic environment equipped with two-jaw and three-jaw is described. >
Python: the good, the bad, and the not ugly: conference workshop

The Python programming language has the usual advantages and disadvantages of scripting languages over compiled languages. It also has some very nice features that make it better than most scripting languages. Because of these features it makes it a very nice language for an introductory programming class and particularly for non-CS majors. The workshop will discuss good and bad features of Python. It will also given an overview of Python including: flow of control structures in the language, primitive data types, and data structures.
Color-Able Claims: The Continuing Significance of Color Under Title VII Forty Years after its Passage

Litigation over color based discrimination will play an increasingly important role in the development of Title VII jurisprudence. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 never defined the distinction between Title VII’s terms of “color” and “race”. Now, decades later, courts are confronted with evaluating claims of color discrimination, which has traditionally been blurred with race. Building on Trina Jones’s 'Shades of Brown, The Law of Skin Color', 49 Duke L.J. 1487 (2000), and Taunya Lovell Banks’s 'Colorism: A Darker Shade of Pale', 47 UCLA L. Rev 1705 (2000), this article discusses why it is necessary for courts to have a sound understanding of colorism. Several studies show the reality of colorism and the socioeconomic barriers African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians have experienced in the United States due to skin color biases. U.S. courts have also had trouble evaluating skin color-based discrimination stemming from different national historical legacies. In Ali v. National Bank of Pakistan, 508 F.Supp. 611 (S.D.N.Y. 1981), the court found that imported colorism, skin color biases brought over from other cultures outside the United States, did not establish a “protected class” for color discrimination. Courts have begun to recognize the distinction between race and color evidenced by several successful cases filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and individual plaintiffs. The number of discrimination cases involving colorism is increasing, and hopefully as these cases become more prominent the evolving legal analysis will begin to reflect the intent behind Title VII more closely.
Descriptive Set Theory

Descriptive set theory deals with sets of reals that are described in some simple way: sets that have a simple topological structure (e.g., continuous images of closed sets) or are definable in a simple way. The main theme is that questions that are difficult to answer if asked for arbitrary sets of reals, become much easier when asked for sets that have a simple description. An example of that is the Cantor-Bendixson theorem (Theorem 14): Every closed set of reals is either at most countable or has size 2N0; compare this with the independence of the continuum hypothesis.
High-Intensity Telemedicine Decreases Emergency Department Use by Senior Living Community Residents

Abstract Background: The failure to provide timely acute illness care can lead to adverse consequences or emergency department (ED) use. We evaluated the effect on ED use of a high-intensity telemedicine program that provides acute illness care for senior living community (SLC) residents. Materials and Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study over 3.5 years. Six SLCs cared for by a primary care geriatrics practice were intervention facilities, with the remaining 16 being controls. Consenting patients at intervention facilities could access telemedicine for acute illness care. Patients were provided patient-to-provider, real-time, or store-and-forward high-intensity telemedicine (i.e., technician-assisted with resources beyond simple videoconferencing) to diagnose and treat acute illnesses. The primary outcome was the rate of ED use. Results: We enrolled 494 of 705 (70.1%) subjects/proxies in the intervention group; 1,058 subjects served as controls. Control and intervention subjects visited the ED...
An improved tool–holder model for RCSA tool-point frequency response prediction

Abstract In addition to the precise kinematic motions of the machine tools and spindles, machining accurate parts necessitates controlling the dynamic behavior of the tool tip with respect to the workpiece. High-fidelity models of tool-tip dynamics can be used to select operating parameters that improve the accuracy by reducing the effect of vibrations. To effectively model the tool-tip dynamics for arbitrary tool-and-holder combinations using the receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) technique, highly accurate and numerically efficient models of the tool–holder dynamics are needed. In this paper, we present a tool–holder model that incorporates a spectral-Tchebychev technique with the Timoshenko beam equation to obtain a completely parameterized solution. Comparison of the tool–holder model to a three-dimensional finite elements solution shows that the dynamic behavior is captured with sufficient accuracy. The tool–holder model is then coupled with the experimentally determined spindle–machine dynamics through RCSA to realize a model of the tool-tip dynamics. The coupled model is validated through experiments for three different tool overhang lengths. The presented technique can be used to predict the tool-tip dynamics for different tool-and-holder combinations and for optimization studies without the need for extensive experimentation.
Velocity effect on aptamer-based circulating tumor cell isolation in microfluidic devices

The isolation and detection of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been one of the focuses of intense research recently. In a microfluidic device, a number of factors can influence the enrichment capability of surface-bound probe molecules. This article analyzes the important factor of flow velocity in a microfluidic channel. The competition of surface-grafted anti-EGFR aptamers to bind the overexpressed EGFR on cell membranes against the drag force from the fluid flow is an important efficiency determining factor. The flow rate variations are applied both in experiments and in simulation models to study their effects on CTC capture efficiency. A mixture of mononuclear cells and human Glioblastoma cells is used to isolate cancer cells from the cellular flow. The results show interdependence between the adhesion probability, isolation efficiency, and flow rate. This work can help in designing flow-through lab-on-chip devices that use surface-bound probe affinities against overexpressed biomarkers for c...
Practical correlations for thermal resistance of horizontal enclosed airspaces with upward heat flow for building applications

Abstract The thermal resistance ( R -value) of an enclosed airspace depends on the emissivity of all surfaces that bound the airspace, the size and orientation of the airspace, the direction of heat transfer through the airspace, and the respective temperatures of all surfaces that define the airspace. A table is provided in the 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (Chapter 26) that contains the R -values of enclosed airspaces. The ASHRAE table is extensively used by modellers, architects and building designers in the design for thermal resistance of building enclosures. This table provides R -values for enclosed airspaces for different values of airspace thickness, effective emittance, mean airspace temperature, and temperature differences across the airspace. The effect of the airspace aspect ratio (length/thickness) on the R-value is not accounted for in the ASHRAE table. However, in previous studies, it was shown that the aspect ratio of the airspace can affect its R-value. In this paper, previous studies undertaken by the author that focused on determining the R -value for vertical enclosed airspaces and horizontal enclosed airspaces with downward heat flow are extended to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio on the R -value of horizontal enclosed airspaces under an upward heat flow condition for different airspace thicknesses and having a wide range of values for effective emittance, mean temperature, and temperature differences across the horizontal airspaces. The R -values predicted from numerical simulation are compared with those provided in the ASHRAE table. Considerations were also given to investigate the potential increase in the R -values of enclosed airspaces when a thin sheet is placed horizontally in the middle of the airspace and whose surfaces have different values of emissivity. Thereafter, practical correlations are developed for determining the R -values of horizontal enclosed airspaces for future use by modellers, architects and building designers. The simplicity of these correlations for horizontal airspaces with upward heat flow along with those that were previously developed for vertical airspaces and horizontal airspaces with downward heat flow suggests that these correlations could be included in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Analytic continuation and identities involving heat, Poisson, wave and Bessel kernels

In this article we use classical formulas involving the K–Bessel function in two variables to express the Poisson kernel on a Riemannian manifold in terms of the heat kernel. We then use the small time asymptotics of the heat kernel on certain Riemannian manifolds to obtain a meromorphic continuation of the associated Poisson kernel to all values of complex time with identifiable singularities. This result reproves in a different setting by different means a well–known theorem due to Duistermaat and Guillemin [DG 75]. Also, we develop analytic expressions for the heat kernel beyond asymptotic expansions. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Producing Urban Vitality: The Case of Dance in San Francisco

At the turn of the millennium, professionals and wealthy suburbanites moved into the inner city—a transition that led to an influx of profit-driven urban development. In the case of San Francisco, I argue that one central factor triggering this development process has been the increasing urban vitality of the inner city: diverse populations engaged in multiple economic, social, and political activities enacting lively streets of strong character. This wide range of urban actors has produced a variety of goods and services through the broadening and strengthening of their social networks, resulting in the construction of unique places. Thus it is at the intersection of these diverse activities, multiple networks, and unique places that the inner-city neighborhoods produce major urban vitality. This study focuses on the work of two dance troupes in San Francisco, Flyaway Productions and De Rompe y Raja, as producer of urban vitality and as a window of observation for a broader development process.
Acid and Neutral Lipases of Cultured Adipocytes of Infants and Children

Summary: In order to determine whether the mobilization of intracellular triglycerides observed in cultured human adipocytes is associated with changes in the activities of acid and neutral lipases, the activities of both enzymes were measured weekly on cultured adipocytes for several months. The activity of acid lipase was initially very low, but rose to levels 40 times the original activity within 3 months. The activity of neutral lipase decreased rapidly within the first 2–4 weeks and remained at approximately 25% of original levels thereafter. Speculation: There is increasing evidence that the human adipocyte is highly specialized and that it is derived from a stromal precursor present in the adipose tissue. The cell has the capacity to acquire in culture the properties of the precursor, as evidenced by the appearance of acid lipase and disappearance of neutral lipase. We submit that the low level of acid lipase in the adipocyte is related to its lipid storage function. It remains to be proven that it is not primary to the differentiation of the adipocyte from its precursor. Furthermore, we speculate that a direct biochemical relationship exists between the neutral lipase and intracellular triglyceride stores in the adipocyte.
The 85-year history of the aquatic macrophyte species composition in a eutrophic prairie lake (United States)

Abstract The results of seven aquatic vegetation surveys on Clear Lake, Iowa, between 1896 and 1981 were compared. Of 52 aquatic macrophyte species previously identified from the lake, 19 were found in 1981. Five species were reported for the first time. The species composition has shifted from one dominated by submergent plants to one dominated by emergent plants. The changes over the past 85 years may be at least partially related to increased phytoplankton turbidity in recent years.