cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of cDNA clones encoding the 20K non-glycosylated polypeptide chain of the human T-cell receptor/T3 complex.

The antigen receptor on human T lymphocytes consists of two variable immunoglobulin-like glycoproteins, α and β, which occur in association with three invariable T3 membrane proteins1–3. In humans two of these proteins, T3-γ and T3-δ, are glycoproteins of relative molecular mass (Mr) 25,000 (25K) and 20,000 (20K), respectively, while the third, T3-e, is a 20K non-glycosylated protein4–6. On the surface of murine T cells, a non-glycosylated protein dimer composed of 17K subunits (T3-ζ) is found associated with the T-cell receptor α and β chains and the three T3-like polypeptide chains7,8. It is generally accepted that major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen recognition is a function of the α–β heterodimer. This has led to the postulation that the proteins of the T3 complex are involved in the signal transduction that immediately follows antigen recognition via the antigen receptor9. Events believed to be involved in early T-cell activation, such as rapid increases in phosphatidylinositol turnover and free intracellular calcium9,10, can be triggered by antibodies directed against either the T3 complex or the clonotypic receptor. We have previously reported our findings on the cloning of the complementary DNA and genomic structure encoding both the human and murine 20K glycoprotein, T3-δ (refs 11–13). We now present our results on the cloning of the cDNA encoding the human 20K non-glycosylated chain, T3-e.
Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Reports of Middle School Students with Serious Emotional Disturbance

This study evaluated the potential utility of the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS; Huebner, 1994) with a sample of 49 students in Grades 6 through 8 identified as seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and a comparison sample of 49 matched non-SED students. The initial internal consistency reliabilities for the MSLSS domains suggested the need to modify the scale for use with middle school SED students. Following scale modifications, reliability estimates for SED students reached acceptable levels for research purposes on five of the six domains. The results also yielded promising, but tentative, support for the validity of the MSLSS when used with SED students. Subsequent comparisons of the mean ratings on the life satisfaction domains revealed that SED students reported lower levels of satisfaction with peer friendships than did their non-SED counterparts. Also, relationships between domain-specific and global life satisfaction judgments differed for the SED students, suggesting...
Biological mechanisms for the loss of the differentiated phenotype by non-terminally differentiated adipocytes

The differentiation of 3T3 T proadipocyte stem cells is controlled at two related yet distinct states in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. They are designated GD and GD'. GD is the G1 state at which cells must growth arrest prior to differentiation, and GD' is the G1 state at which non-terminal differentiation occurs. Cells arrested at the GD and GD' states have distinct characteristics; yet cells at both states can mediate the integrated control of cellular proliferation and differentiation. In this paper we report on studies designed to further characterize the relationship of these two states, specifically to determine whether non-terminally differentiated GD'-arrested cells can be induced to lose the adipocyte phenotype and revert to the GD state. We report that retinoic acid (RA) and methyl isobutyl xanthine (MIX) can induce non-terminally differentiated GD'-arrested cells to lose the adipocyte phenotype without undergoing DNA synthesis. Such cells that have lost the adipocyte phenotype are also shown to remain in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and to reacquire most of the characteristics of GD-arrested cells. Most importantly, they demonstrate the capacity to redifferentiate without DNA synthesis. We therefore conclude that when non-terminally differentiated GD'-arrested cells are induced to lose the adipocyte phenotype they do indeed revert to the GD state and they thereby become more responsive to environmental influences which can further regulate the integrated control of cellular proliferation and differentiation.
Chronic haloperidol does not alter agonist affinity for dopamine receptors in vitro

Agonist competition for [3H]spiperone binding to striatal dopamine D2 receptors was studied in rats rendered supersensitive by chronic treatment with haloperidol. The classical dopamine agonist (-)-N-propylnorapomorphine displaced [3H]spiperone biphasically, with IC50 values of 0.5 and 140 nM for the high and low affinity components, respectively. Neither the relative density nor the affinity of either site for (-)-N-propylnorapomorphine was affected by chronic haloperidol treatment. On the other hand, the novel agonist EMD 23 448 displaced [3H]spiperone monophasically. Although this agent only displays potent dopaminergic agonism in supersensitive animals, chronic treatment with haloperidol likewise did not alter the affinity of this drug for [3H]spiperone binding sites. The results suggest that the enhanced in vivo potency of certain agonists in supersensitive animals is probably not mediated by changes in D2 receptor affinity.
Repair of acute type a aortic dissection associated with temporal arteritis

The most common predisposing factor for aortic dissection is hypertension. Dissection is also seen in primary aortic diseases, including those that involve aortic inflammation. We report a case of successful repair of an acute type A aortic dissection in a patient with a history of temporal arteritis and pathologic evidence of giant cell aortitis. The literature concerning the association of aortic dissection and temporal arteritis is reviewed.
Theory and Practice of Cytokine Assessment in Immunotoxicology

The tools and concepts of immunotoxicology are increasingly being used in novel ways, such as using toxic reagents to understand immune system function. One of the most potentially useful of these new tools is the assessment of cytokines, the molecules responsible for regulating a variety of processes including immunity, inflammation, apoptosis, and hematopoiesis. Cytokine production or bioactivity may be affected by a variety of toxic mechanisms including direct toxicity to cytokine-producing cells, inhibition of cytokine production, inhibition of cytokine release, induction of immunosuppressive factors, alterations in cellular homeostasis, alterations in cellular activational or transcriptional mechanisms, and miscellaneous or undefined mechanisms. Moreover, alterations in the profile of cytokine production may provide important information regarding the nature of an immunotoxic insult (i.e., TH1 vs TH2 response). Proper evaluation of the role of cytokine modulation in immunotoxicology requires attention to myriad details. Some of the details discussed in this review include the source of the sample to be tested (circulating, local, or ex vivo isolated cells); the potential effects of collection, processing, and storage on the results of the assays; potential variables associated with the source material (matrix effects, relevance, inhibitory substances); and factors influencing the choice of assay used (bioassay, immunoassay, molecular biology technique, flow cytometry, hybrid assays). Other often-overlooked issues are discussed, including species considerations and quality control issues such as the use of reference standards and the expression of results.
Prenatal diagnosis of Neu-Laxova syndrome: a case report

Background Neu-Laxova syndrome is a rare congenital abnormality involving multiple systems. We report a case of Neu-Laxova syndrome (NLS) diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound examination.
A Cynical Turn: Max Weber and Hannah Arendt on Value, Domination, and Political Economy

Max Weber and Hannah Arendt are usually read together as theorists of the political, attacking the modern assimilation of politics to economics. They are taken to differ only in how they conceive the political: Weber, as domination, and Arendt, as action. This paper argues that readers have missed relevant differences in their thought because they have not compared Weber’s neo-Kantian philosophy of value with Arendt’s phenomenological method. Through such a comparison, this paper advances two claims. First, it argues that Arendt, unlike Weber, is a theorist not of the political but rather of the possibility of non-subsumptive relationships between politics and the economic. Second, it argues that Arendt has a more nuanced view of domination than either her admirers or critics admit. Against Weber’s charismatic politics of the extraordinary, Arendt thus opens space for a radical democratic critique of political economy, even if she does not always pursue the implications of her insights.
A method for avoiding the acoustic time step restriction in compressible flow

We propose a novel method for alleviating the stringent CFL condition imposed by the sound speed in simulating inviscid compressible flow with shocks, contacts and rarefactions. Our method is based on the pressure evolution equation, so it works for arbitrary equations of state, chemical species etc. and is derived in a straight-forward manner. Similar methods have been proposed in the literature, but the equations they are based on and the details of the methods differ significantly. Notably our method leads to a standard Poisson equation similar to what one would solve for incompressible flow, but has an identity term more similar to a diffusion equation. In the limit as the sound speed goes to infinity, one obtains the Poisson equation for incompressible flow. This makes the method suitable for two-way coupling between compressible and incompressible flows and fully implicit solid-fluid coupling, although both of these applications are left to future work. We present a number of examples to illustrate the quality and behavior of the method in both one and two spatial dimensions, and show that for a low Mach number test case we can use a CFL number of 300 (whereas previous work was only able to use a CFL number of 3 on the same example).
Improved analytic characterization of ultraviolet skylight

We present an improved analytic characterization of diffuse spectral irradiance (skylight) for the wavelength range 280–380 nm and solar zenith angle range from 0 to 85°. The formulas achieve greater accuracy by (a) focusing on ratio representations and (b) adjusting the parameters to the more precise radiative transfer calculations of Dave, Braslau and Halpern.
Social Comparisons of Children with and Without Learning Disabilities When Evaluating Physical Competence

The purpose was to examine the reference groups used by children with and without learning disabilities (LD), ages 10-13 years, when judging perceived physical competence in three contexts (in physical education class, during outdoor school recess, and at home). Participants, 30 students with LD and 30 without LD, completed the athletic competence subscale from the Self-Perception Profile for Learning Disabled Students (SPPLD; Renick & Harter, 1988) and two social comparison questionnaires in each activity context. Differences in the percentage of students citing the various reference groups across context was not statistically significant. Observations of responses indicate participants relied primarily on classmates, self-comparison, and family members to judge their physical competence. These results suggest that, while students with and without LD tend to compare themselves with their general education classmates, their reliance on eight different social comparison groups from which to judge physical ...
Dynamic Composition of Services in Sensor Networks

Service modeling and composition is a fundamental method for offering advanced functionality by combining a set of primitive services provided by the system. Unlike in the case of web services for which there is an abundance of reliable resources, in sensor networks, the resources are constrained and communication among nodes is error-prone and unreliable. Such a dynamic environment requires a continuous adaptation of the composition of services. In this paper, we first propose a graph-based model of sensor services that maps to the operational model of sensor networks and is amenable to analysis. Based on this model, we formulate the process of sensor service composition as a cost-optimization problem, which is NP-complete. We then propose two heuristic methods for its solution, the top-down and the bottom-up, and discuss their centralized and distributed implementations. Using simulations, we evaluate their performance.
Sensory Rhodopsin II Transducer HtrII Is Also Responsible for Serine Chemotaxis in the Archaeon Halobacterium salinarum

Previously, we demonstrated that the methyl-accepting protein HtrII is the transducer for photoreceptor sensory rhodopsin II. Here, we provide experimental evidence that HtrII is also a chemotransducer. Using an agarose-in-plug bridge method, we show that an HtrII overexpression strain has a quicker response to serine than does an HtrII deletion strain. Furthermore, an in vivo flow assay demonstrates that the deletion strain is unable to modulate methylesterase activity after serine addition or photostimulation, while the overexpression strain shows distinct methanol peaks following both types of stimuli.
The Evolution of Diagnosing Benign Vocal Fold Lesions: From Vague to Specific

Abstract The evaluation and treatment process for dysphonia due to benign vocal fold lesions (BVFL) can often be a complex and confusing process for clinicians as well as patients. There is no one ...
Novel targeted agents for the treatment of bladder cancer: translating laboratory advances into clinical application

Bladder cancer is a common and frequently lethal cancer. Natural history studies indicate two distinct clinical and molecular entities corresponding to invasive and non-muscle invasive disease. The high frequency of recurrence of noninvasive bladder cancer and poor survival rate of invasive bladder cancer emphasizes the need for novel therapeutic approaches. These mechanisms of tumor development and promotion in bladder cancer are strongly associated with several growth factor pathways including the fibroblast, epidermal, and the vascular endothelial growth factor pathways. In this review, efforts to translate the growing body of basic science research of novel treatments into clinical applications will be explored.
The hamatolunate facet: characterization and association with cartilage lesions – magnetic resonance arthrography and anatomic correlation in cadaveric wrists

The objective of this study was to characterize the appearance of the hamatolunate facet using high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography in cadavers and to correlate the presence of this anatomic variant with the presence of osteoarthritis in the wrist. High-resolution MR images of 22 cadaveric wrist specimens were obtained after tri-compartmental arthrography. Two readers in consensus analyzed the MR images and recoded the presence or absence of a hamatolunate facet. Geometric characteristics and cartilage and ligament integrity were analyzed. A third reader, who was blinded to the purpose of the study, recorded cartilage lesions of all the bones of the proximal and distal carpal rows. A hamatolunate facet was present in 11 of 22 wrists (50%). The mean coronal size of the lunate facet at the lunate (type II lunate) was 4.5 mm (range, 2-6 mm). The highest frequencies of cartilage lesions were seen in the scapho-trapezio-trapezoid joint (45.5%) and at the proximal pole of the hamate (54.4% and 40.9% for consensus reading/blinded reading, respectively). In cases with a hamatolunate facet, the frequency of cartilage lesions in the proximal pole of the hamate was 81.8% and 63.6% versus 27.3% and 18.2% without such a facet (chi-squared, P=0.01/ P=0.03). No correlation of the presence of a hamatolunate facet with interosseous ligament tears or lesions of the triangular fibrocartilage was seen. In conclusion, the hamatolunate facet is a very common anatomic variant. The presence of a hamatolunate facet is associated with cartilage damage in the proximal pole of the hamate.
Exploring polysilicon micromotors for data storage micro disks

This paper presents preliminary results on investigating the use of electrostatically-actuated, polysilicon micromotors for data storage. The polysilicon micromotors examined here are applied as optically-read, ROM devices, with data encoded on the surface of the rotor. Encoding is achieved by etching pits in the surface of the rotor during motor fabrication using RIE. The rotor surface is divided into sectors, each containing tracks encoded for motor diagnostics and data retrieval, providing a mechanism for evaluation of motor dynamics and data storage quality at various radial positions. An open-loop controller has been developed with the objective of operating the salient-pole micromotors at a near constant rotational speed, enabling the encoded information to be read-out via discrete sampling of an optical signal. The controller successfully drives the motor with 12% variation in rotational speed. Open-loop control has been sufficient for reliable data retrieval of bit diameters as small as 5 /spl mu/m with this speed variation.
Elections and State Party Polarization

This article examines the effect of ideological polarization in state party systems on the broad contours of state electoral outcomes. Measuring ideological polarization using CBS / New York Times surveys combined over the period from 1976 to 1988, we find that increased ideological polarization among state party coalitions has a significant dampening effect on split-ticket voting, party defection, vote swing, and electoral volatility. Our comparison of state party systems suggests that the general decline of party in structuring electoral outcomes has not been uniform across the states, and that the ideological distinctiveness of state partisans has a systematic impact on state elections.
Orbits of Orbs: Sphere Packing Meets Penrose Tilings

(2004). Orbits of Orbs: Sphere Packing Meets Penrose Tilings. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 111, No. 2, pp. 137-149.
Advances in Gastrointestinal Radiology

Gastrointestinal radiology has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. These changes result from the application of new medical knowledge and technology in radiological areas such as interventional radiology and from new equipment in fields such as ultrasound, X-ray, computer tomography (CT), digital radiography, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (Fig. 1).
Quantum creation of an open inflationary universe

We discuss the dramatic difference between the description of the quantum creation of an open universe using the Hartle-Hawking wave function and the tunneling wave function. Recently Hawking and Turok have found that the Hartle-Hawking wave function leads to a universe with $\ensuremath{\Omega}=0.01,$ which is much smaller than the observed value of $\ensuremath{\Omega}.$ Galaxies in such a universe would be ${10}^{{10}^{8}}$ light years away from each other, and so the universe would be practically structureless. We argue that the Hartle-Hawking wave function does not describe the probability of the creation of the universe. If one uses the tunneling wave function for the description of the creation of the universe, then in most inflationary models the universe should have $\ensuremath{\Omega}=1,$ which agrees with the standard expectation that inflation makes the universe flat. The same result can be obtained in the theory of a self-reproducing inflationary universe, independently of the issue of initial conditions. However, there exist some models where $\ensuremath{\Omega}$ may take any value, from $\ensuremath{\Omega}g1$ to $\ensuremath{\Omega}\ensuremath{\ll}1.$
The front lines of the “back door”: Navigating (dis)engagement, coercion, and pleasure in women’s anal sex experiences:

Despite the frequent depiction of heterosexual anal sex in pornography, and growing indications that heterosexual couples engage in anal sex, almost no research has examined women’s subjective experiences with receptive anal sex with men. This study draws upon qualitative interviews with 20 American women (mean age = 34, SD = 13.35) from diverse ages and backgrounds to illuminate five themes in women’s narratives about receptive anal sex: (1) initial resistance followed by submission; (2) initial interest followed by withdrawal from subsequent anal sex experiences; (3) violence and coercion surrounding anal sex; (4) social norming (e.g. men’s male friends normalizing heterosexual anal sex; seeing anal sex as normative after watching pornography); and (5) pleasurable experiences with anal eroticism. Implications for the re-evaluation of consent, imagining a continuum of sexualized violence, heteronormative assumptions about access to and power over women, silences surrounding non-penetrative anal eroticism...
Trajectory Optimization Using Multiresolution Techniques

We present a multi-resolution-based approach for solving trajectory optimization problems. The original optimal control problem is solved using a direct method, thereby being transcribed into a nonlinear programming problem that is solved using standard nonlinear programming codes. The novelty of the proposed approach hinges on the automatic calculation of a suitable nonuniform grid over which the nonlinear programming problem is subsequently solved. This tends to increase numerical efficiency and robustness. Control and/or state constraints are handled with ease and without any additional computational complexity. The proposed algorithm is based on a simple and intuitive method to balance conflicting objectives, such as accuracy of the solution, convergence, and speed of computations. The benefits of the proposed algorithm over uniform grid implementations are demonstrated with the help of several nontrivial examples.
Role of context similarity in ABA, ABC, and AAB renewal paradigms: Implications for theories of renewal and for treating human phobias ☆

Using barpress conditioned suppression, we studied the renewal of conditioned fear in rats, an animal model for the relapse of human fears and phobias. We demonstrated ABA renewal when the only differences between Contexts A and B included (1) their odor, (2) their location (i.e., side of room), and (3) unintended differences between copies of the same box at the two sites. Removing either the odor or location cues abolished the renewal effect. We then directly compared the effects of ABA and AAB procedures under two levels of context similarity. Although AAB renewal occurred, ABA renewal was stronger. Adding multiple context distinctions to the three listed above did not significantly enhance either form of renewal. Finally, we directly compared the strengths of AAB, ABC, and ABA renewal. AAB renewal, though again significant, was weaker than ABA and ABC renewal, which did not differ significantly. Fear renewal (relapse) can thus be reduced by extinguishing the fear in the acquisition context, regardless of the nature of the test context.
Markets for reliability and financial options in electricity: theory to support the practice

The underlying structure of why and how consumers value reliability of electric service is explored, together with the technological options and cost characteristics for the provision of reliability and the conditions under which market mechanisms can be used to match these values and costs efficiently. This analysis shows that the level of reliability of electricity provided through a network is a public good within a neighborhood, and unless planned demand reductions by customers have the identical negative value as an unexpected service interruption, market mechanisms will not reveal the true value of reliability. A public agency must determine that value and enforce the reliability criteria. Furthermore, in order to get an efficient level of demand response by customers in periods of system stress, they must see real time energy prices plus they must be paid an amount equal to the suppliers' cost of adding reliability to the system, if that amount is not included in real time prices. An illustration is provided of how VARs might be scheduled and priced in contributing to system reliability, and a co-optimization procedure is required to determine energy and reserves simultaneously, similar to the method proposed by Chen, Thorp, Thomas, and Mount as stated in M. Friedman and L. J. Savage (1948) for locational reserves. The optimization can be decomposed into a two step process - first, both required capacity and energy are selected based upon suppliers' offers over both dimensions through the minimization of expected costs over the list of contingencies necessary to satisfy the reliability criteria. This first step commits the reserves, but energy supplies are allocated in real time based upon the previous offer prices but the actual realized state of the electric system. This procedure which satisfies physical realities has a natural parallel in financial markets that have a forward option market with a strike price, followed by real time market clearing.
Rolling element bearing basics in large electric motors

This paper focuses on anti-friction bearings used in large AC induction motors (NEMA 5000 & IEC 315 frames and larger). Topics such as bearing selection, application, life expectancy, lubrication practices, seals, bearing maintenance, and bearing features for use with adjustable speed motors will be explored. Rolling element bearings are frequently requested within the pulp and paper industry. Therefore, standards in antifriction bearing terminology and basic concepts are appropriate subject matter to understand.
Apple v. FBI: Brief in Support of Neither Party in San Bernardino Iphone Case

Draft Amicus Brief in support of neither party in the review of the FBI's request for an order requiring Apple to assist in the unlocking of the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. This brief argues that, contrary to arguments made by other amici, 1) the process adopted by Judge Pym in this matter affords Apple sufficient due process, 2) separation of powers considerations have been previously addressed by the Supreme Court and do not resolve this case, 3) CALEA and ECPA are inapposite to and do not resolve this case, and 4) CALEA's encryption exemption either is inapposite to this case or indicates that the court can require Apple's assistance.
A quark-gluon plasma search in p̄-p at

Abstract We present a survey of the recent results of E-735 in its search for QGP signals at the Fermilab Collider. The basic data are the inclusive P t distributions of centrally produced π, K, p and Λ 0 as a function of total charged multiplicity in the collision; the variation of 〈P t 〉 and particle ratios are derived. Preliminary results on π-π correlations and inclusive photon production are also presented.
Selective excitation 1D-NMR experiments for the assignment of the absolute configuration of secondary alcohols

Routine selective excitation experiments, easy to set up on modern NMR spectrometers, allow for the determination of the absolute configuration of chiral secondary alcohols by double derivatization directly in the NMR tube. As a general method, TOCSY1D with selective excitation of the α proton in the MPA esters and with a short mixing time reveals only the nearby protons in the coupling network. Typically, the analysis takes less than 30 min. A longer mixing time, selective excitation of other signals, or NOESY1D experiments can be used for measuring ΔδRS of other protons.
Do CEOS Encounter Within-Tenure Settling Up? A Multiperiod Perspective on Executive Pay and Dismissal

We consider a central puzzle surrounding CEO accountability: What explains the payoffs and penalties that CEOs receive? Invoking Fama's concept of “settling up,” we examine how a CEO's entire perfo...
Transfusion Medicine: Computer-Assisted Implementation of Maximum Surgical Blood Order Schedule

Excessive preoperative crossmatching can be limited with a maximum surgical blood order schedule (MSBOS). Physician compliance with MSBOS recommendations, however, may be poor. We incorporated the MSBOS into the hospital computer order entry system to ensure compliance. Compliance with the MSBOS was greater than 99%. The crossmatch-to-transfusion ratio was reduced from 5:1 toil resulting in $110,800 in reduced crossmatch charges. Blood bank workflow was improved. Physician compliance with an MSBOS is ensured with computer assistance.
A survey on the consumption of edible oil among residents in Tongxiang City

Objective To learn the consumption of edible oil among residents in Tongxiang City. Methods 180 households were randomly sampled from 6 resident committees. The consumption of edible oil was obtained by questionnaire investigation,and the levels of edible oil consumption between different oil types,survey spots and districts were compared.Results The per-capita of edible oil consumption was( 42. 89 ± 5. 83) g. There was significant difference among the per-capita of six survey spots( P 0. 05). Among all the residents,rapeseed oil( 55. 00%) and blended oil( 55. 00%)were the most consumed edible oil. Except lard oil,there was no significant difference among different types of edible oils( P 0. 05). In rural area,the per-capita of oil was( 48. 46 ± 8. 90) g,which was higher than( 35. 78 ± 4. 27) g in city( P 0. 05). Conclusion The consumption level of edible oil among residents is high in Tongxiang City. It's necessary to strengthen the health education and to guide residents intaking edible oil correctly.
Changes in U.S. Journalism: How do journalists think about social media?

During the past decade, great changes have occurred in journalism, many of them due to the rapid rise of social media. What has happened to American journalists in the decade since the early 2000s, a time of tumultuous changes in society, economics, and technology? What impact have the many cutbacks and the dramatic growth of the internet had on US journalists’ attitudes, and behaviors—and even on the definition of who is a journalist? To answer the questions raised above, in late 2013 we conducted a national online survey of 1080 US journalists. The survey is part of the American Journalist project, which conducted similar surveys of US journalists in 1982, 1992, and 2002. We found that US journalists use social media mainly to check on what other news organizations are doing and to look for breaking news events. A majority also use social media to find ideas for stories, keep in touch with their readers and viewers, and find additional information. Thus, journalists use social media predominantly as inf...
Case series of Bartonella quintana blood culture-negative endocarditis in Washington, DC.

Introduction: Prior studies (predominantly from Europe) have demonstrated blood culture-negative endocarditis due to Bartonella. Our objective was to describe three cases of Bartonella quintana endocarditis identified within one year at a large hospital in Washington, DC, USA. Case presentation: We constructed a descriptive case series from a retrospective review of medical records from April to December 2013 at an 800-bed urban hospital. All three patients (ages: 52, 55 and 57 years) were undomiciled/homeless men with a history of alcoholism. Although they had negative blood cultures, echocardiography demonstrated aortic/mitral valve perforation and regurgitation in one patient, aortic/mitral valve vegetation with mitral regurgitation in the second patient, and aortic valve vegetation with regurgitation in the third patient. The patients had positive Bartonella quintana serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) with negative immunoglobulin M (IgM). PCR on DNA extracted from cardiac valves was positive for Bartonella, and DNA sequencing of PCR amplicons identified Bartonella quintana. Patients received treatment with doxycycline/rifampin or doxycycline/gentamicin. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider Bartonella endocarditis as a differential diagnosis in patients who fit elements of the Duke Criteria, as well as having a history of homelessness and alcoholism.
SOFC Powder Synthesis by the Organic Steric Entrapment Method

The organic steric entrapment was used to synthesize homogeneous powders of strontium doped lanthanum magnesium gallate (La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3−°), abbreviated “LSGM”; samaria doped cerium oxide (Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9), abbreviated “SDC”; strontium iron cobaltite (SrFeCo0.5Ox), abbreviated “SFC”. Powders were characterized for specific surface area and particle size distribution. Sintered pellets were examined by SEM and EDS and they showed homogeneous microstructures, which in the case of LSGM and SFC were multiphasic. The steric entrapment powder synthesis method is simple and relatively cheap. The resulting powders generally have a high surface area, good homogeneity and are highly sinterable.
Secret Sisters: Women Religious under European Communism Collection at the Catholic Theological Union

After the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, Pope John Paul II asked Catholics around the world to assist members of the Church who had suffered under the yoke of communist oppression as a result of their commitment to Catholicism. Sr. Margaret Savoie, and Sr. Margaret Nacke, Sisters of St. Joseph, Concordia, Kansas, decided that the experiences of Catholic women in religious communities – “surviving sisters” – was an important story that needed to be documented, preserved, and made available for future generations and researchers. In 2003, Sisters Mary and Margaret began their research, recording the plight of Catholic sisters in eight countries, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and the Ukraine, from the rise of Stalin until the collapse of European communism. Over 200 testimonials now reside at the Paul Bechtold Library at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago under the auspices of the library’s archivist, Dr. Kenneth O’Malley, C.P. , and their work has been made into a national and award-winning documentary film. .
Reparations to Black Americans: A Brief Review of the Literature and Challenges Past and Future

In contrast to U.S. willingness to prosecute foreign heads of state for crimes against humanity and to compensate some racial and ethnic groups within its own borders for historical mistreatment, discussion of reparations for the centuries-long crimes of enslavement of and systematic discrimination against West African peoples and their modern-day descendants, African Americans, in every facet of life remains a comparatively taboo topic. This paper offers a brief summary of the history of reparations in international relations and in the United States, and a review of earlier literature on reparations for African Americans, including the potentially staggering economic cost of monetary payments. Non-monetary alternatives are then suggested which may be more feasible, effective and just for healing the physical, psychological and social scars left by this unrequited and unprecedented history of maltreatment.
Tandeming analysis of perceptual pre-weighting and post-weighting Multimode Tree Coder

The perceptual pre-weighting and post-weighting Multimode Tree Coder is low delay and low complexity. Since the tandem connection of different codecs in voice calls is common today, it is also important to assess any loss in end-to-end speech quality caused by asynchronous tandem coding. We evaluate the tandeming performance of our Multimode Tree Coder when tandemed with itself, with G.727, and with the AMR-NB codec. The results show that the tandem performance of the Multimode Tree Coder is comparable to the AMR-NB coder at 12.2 kbps.
Accuracy and uncertainty in random speckle modulation transfer function measurement of infrared focal plane arrays

This paper expands upon a previously reported random speckle technique for measuring the modulation transfer function of midwave infrared focal plane arrays by considering a number of factors that impact the accuracy of the estimated modulation transfer function. These factors arise from assumptions in the theoretical derivation and bias in the estimation procedure. Each factor is examined and guidelines are determined to maintain accuracy within 2% of the true value. The uncertainty of the measurement is found by applying a one-factor ANOVA analysis and confidence intervals are established for the results. The small magnitude of the confidence intervals indicates a very robust technique capable of distinguishing differences in modulation transfer function among focal plane arrays on the order of a few percent. This analysis directly indicates the high quality of the random speckle modulation transfer function measurement technique. The methodology is applied to a focal plane array and results are presented that emphasize the need for generating independent random speckle realizations to accurately assess measured values.
Nanoscale Surface Curvature Effects on Ligand–Nanoparticle Interactions: A Plasmon-Enhanced Spectroscopic Study of Thiolated Ligand Adsorption, Desorption, and Exchange on Gold Nanoparticles

The interfacial adsorption, desorption, and exchange behaviors of thiolated ligands on nanotextured Au nanoparticle surfaces exhibit phenomenal site-to-site variations essentially dictated by the local surface curvatures, resulting in heterogeneous thermodynamic and kinetic profiles remarkably more sophisticated than those associated with the self-assembly of organothiol ligand monolayers on atomically flat Au surfaces. Here we use plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering as a spectroscopic tool combining time-resolving and molecular fingerprinting capabilities to quantitatively correlate the ligand dynamics with detailed molecular structures in real time under a diverse set of ligand adsorption, desorption, and exchange conditions at both equilibrium and nonequilibrium states, which enables us to delineate the effects of nanoscale surface curvature on the binding affinity, cooperativity, structural ordering, and the adsorption/desorption/exchange kinetics of organothiol ligands on colloidal Au nanoparticles. Th...
On the prediction of ductile fracture by void coalescence and strain localization

Abstract This paper presents a unit cell model based on the observation that ductile fracture occurs when plastic flow is localized in a band. The unit cell consists of three void containing material units stacked in the direction normal to the localization plane. Localization takes place in the middle material unit while the two outer units undergo elastic recovery after failure occurs. Thus a failure criterion is established as when the macroscopic effective strain of the outer material units reaches the maximum value. Analyses are conducted to demonstrate the effect of the voids existing outside the localization band. Comparisons of the present model with several previous models suggest that the present model is not only easy to implement in finite element analysis but also more suitable to robustly determine the failure strain. A series of unit cell analyses are conducted for various macroscopic stress triaxialities and Lode parameters. The analysis results confirm that for a fixed Lode parameter, the failure strain decreases exponentially with the stress triaxiality and for a given stress triaxiality, it increases as the stress state approaches the generalized tension and generalized compression. The analysis results also reveal the effect of the stress state on the deformed void shape within and near the localization band.
Syndemic effect of mental illness and substance use on viral suppression among recently-incarcerated, HIV-infected individuals in the CARE+ Corrections study.

Few studies on HIV-related syndemics of co-occurring and mutually reinforcing psychosocial conditions have assessed clinical outcomes in criminal justice (CJ)-involved populations. Baseline data fr...
Epistemology: II. Space and Time

Kant’s epistemology begins from aesthetic intuition. The thesis of the opening chapter of the Critique of Pure Reason concerns the transcendental aesthetic, and Kant begins by setting forth a series of definitions and explanations of basic concepts, e.g., intuition, sensibility, sensation, material, and form. However, as pointed out in the previous chapter, these definitions and explanations and their later use are extremely abstruse and involved.
Learning causal relations

I briefly describe a learning system which constructs causal models of simple physical systems such as cameras, sinks, and toasters. The learning system employs both inductive and deductive inference, making use of knowledge of the forms of causal relations, and of what kinds of causal mechanisms exist.
Finding Protein Binding Sites Using Volunteer Computing Grids

This paper describes initial work in the development of the DNA@Home volunteer computing project, which aims to use Gibbs sampling for the identification and location of DNA control signals on full genome scale data sets. Most current research involving sequence analysis for these control signals involve significantly smaller data sets, however volunteer computing can provide the necessary computational power to make full genome analysis feasible. A fault tolerant and asynchronous implementation of Gibbs sampling using the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) is presented, which is currently being used to analyze the intergenic regions of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. In only three months of limited operation, the project has had over 1,800 volunteered computing hosts participate and obtains a number of samples required for analysis over 400 times faster than an average computing host for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis dataset. We feel that the preliminary results for this project provide a strong argument for the feasibility and public interest of a volunteer computing project for this type of bioinformatics.
Thin Skinned: Aged Adipocyte Atrophy Impacts Innate Immunity.

In a recent study, Zhang et al. (Immunity 2019;50:121–136) report that adipocyte atrophy in aged skin increases susceptibility to bacterial infection. Enhanced TGF-β signaling in aged adipocyte progenitor cells induces a fibrotic cell fate that lacks antimicrobial peptides produced by mature adipocytes, highlighting the importance of stromal cells as innate immune effectors.
Measuring Global Galaxy Metallicities Using Emission Line Equivalent Widths

We develop a prescription for estimating the interstellar medium oxygen abundances of distant star-forming galaxies using the ratio EWR_{23} formed from the equivalent widths of the [O II] 3727, [O III] 4959,5007 and Hbeta nebular emission lines. This EWR_{23} approach essentially identical to the widely-used R_{23} method of Pagel et. al (1979). Using data from three spectroscopic surveys of nearby galaxies, we conclude that the emission line equivalent width ratios are a good substitute for emission line flux ratios in galaxies with active star formation. The RMS dispersion between EWR_{23} and the reddening-corrected R_{23} values is sigma(log(R_{23})) < 0.08 dex. This dispersion is comparable to the emission-line measurement uncertainties for distant galaxies in many spectroscopic galaxy surveys, and is smaller than the uncertainties of sigma(O/H) ~ 0.15 dex inherent in strong-line metallicity calibrations. Because equivalent width ratios are, to first order, insentitive to interstellar reddening, emission line equivalent width ratios may actually be superior to flux ratios when reddening corrections are not available. The EWR_{23} method presented here is likely to be most useful for statistically estimating the mean metallicities for large samples of galaxies to trace their chemical properties as a function of redshift or environment. The approach developed here is used in a companion paper (Kobulnicky et. al 2003) to measure the metallicities of star-forming galaxies at z=0.2-0.8 in the Deep Extragalactic Evolutionary Probe spectroscopic survey of the Groth Strip.
Multi-Shell Diffusion MRI Measures of Brain Aging: A Preliminary Comparison From ADNI3

The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (phase 3; ADNI3) is collecting multisite diffusion MRI (dMRI) data using protocols optimized for different scanner vendors, including one multi-shell protocol, to better understand disease effects. Here, we analyzed multi-shell scans from 56 ADNI3 participants (age: $74.3 \pm 7.5$ yrs; 17F/49M). We evaluated whether multi-shell dMRI measures computed from neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) differentiated people with mild cognitive impairment from healthy controls with higher sensitivity than standard diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures. We also assessed the effects of various multi-shell derived dMRI samples on the sensitivity of DTI measures. While we did not identify large differences in effect sizes among tensor-based, NODDI, or DKI measures, we did detect greater effect sizes from DTI measures estimated using multi-shell data converted to single-shell HARDI compared to those fit using the subset of $48 b=1000s /$mm $^{2}$ volumes, typical of DTI.
Abnormal Phenomenon of Non-stress Strain Gauges in Observation of High Concrete Dams

Based on the observed data of two high arch dams,Xiaowan Arch Dam and Laxiwa Arch Dam,the method to identify the abnormal phenomenon of some non-stress strain gauges installed in the two dams,the standards,causes and how to deal with these abnormal values are discussed.Through analysis,for the stress monitoring of high concrete dams,there are some disadvantages in the current buckets used in the monitoring of non-stress strain,such as low depth of the buckets and weak strength of the bucket walls,and they should be improved.The abnormal phenomenon of the non-stress strain gauges is common in high concrete dams and should be studied and improved in future.
IoCMiner: Automatic Extraction of Indicators of Compromise from Twitter

In recent years, cyber attacks have consistently grown in terms of volume, sophistication, coordination, and pervasiveness. Such attacks impose billions of dollars loss to companies and government entities annually. Sharing cyber threat intelligence (CTI) about ongoing attacks can significantly improve the current situation as many cyber attackers tend to reuse or share their network infrastructure, techniques, tactics, and procedures across multiple attacks. Therefore, many security professionals devote their time and effort on hunting cyber threats and sharing such valuable information with the public through public data sharing platforms such as social media and text sharing websites. However, due to the sheer volume of information that is being shared on such platforms; finding CTI information is tantamount to looking for a needle in a haystack. In this paper, we present a new scalable framework, IoCMiner, to automatically extract CTI, in special Indicators of Compromise, from Twitter. It utilizes a combination of graph theory, machine learning, and text mining technique to achieve its goal. IoCMiner relies on a reputation model to discover credible twitterers who publish CTI, and only tracks the tweet stream of such Twitter handles. Moreover, it employs a CTI classifier to further filter out non-CTI tweets from the observed data streams. Finally, IoCs uses a set of regular expression rules to extract IoCs from the identifies tweets. Through experimentation, we show the usefulness of IoCMiner in finding fresh IoCs from Twitter. In the course of four weeks, IoCMiner identified more than 1,200 IoCs, including malicious URLs. Only 10% of the URLs were already listed in public blacklist databases at the time of extraction. The number of URLs that appeared in blacklists increased to 26% after one week.