cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Structure, and Antibiotic Activity of Aryl-Substituted LpxC Inhibitors.

The zinc-dependent deacetylase LpxC catalyzes the committed step of lipid A biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria and is a validated target for development of novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. Many potent LpxC inhibitors contain an essential threonyl-hydroxamate head group for high-affinity interaction with LpxC. We report the synthesis, antibiotic activity, and structural and enzymatic characterization of novel LpxC inhibitors containing an additional aryl-group in the threonyl-hydroxamate moiety, which expands the inhibitor-binding surface in LpxC. These compounds display enhanced potency against LpxC in enzymatic assays and superior antibiotic activity against F. novicida in cell culture. Comparison of the antibiotic activities of these compounds against a leaky E. coli strain and the wild-type strain reveals the contribution of the formidable outer membrane permeability barrier that reduces the compound efficacy in cell culture and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity profile in developing effective LpxC-targeting antibiotics.
Single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)–polyimide nanocomposites as electrostrictive materials

Abstract The combination of properties offered by polymer nanocomposites provides opportunities for going beyond structural reinforcement where engineered electroactive responses and enhanced electrical and dielectric properties would result in multifunctionality. In our study, we show that adding single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to a non-actuating polyimide (PI) can create an electromechanical actuation response in the nanocomposite. The neat polyimide does not show any actuation response under an applied electric field, whereas the SWNT–PI composites above the percolation threshold exhibit an electrostrictive behavior that is highly dependent on SWNT content. Both bending and thickness–extension strains are obtained at very low electric field magnitudes; the study also evaluates the effect of applied electric field magnitude, frequency and SWNT content on the actuation strain and strain rate. Dielectric spectroscopy and thermally stimulated current measurements reveal an enhanced polarization in the presence of SWNTs. This enhancement is key to the actuation mechanism and is thought to arise from a combination of three sources: SWNTs acting as extended electrodes within the polymer, interfacial polarization and noncovalent interactions between the SWNTs and the polymer.
Parallel growth and healing of DNA self-assembly for interconnects

Self-assembly has been employed in nano-technology to build crystals using individual components (commonly referred to as tiles) with limited control. Templates of regular lattice structures for two-dimensional scaffolds and interconnects have been recently implemented by self-assembly. This study proposes a diagonally based growth scheme that is applicable to these templates of interconnects (as an example). Differently from previous techniques (mostly sequential in execution), growth is allowed along two different directions in the aggregate, thus permitting a parallel mode of operation. This is made possible by utilising a tile set and binding scheme to allow multiple seed tiles to grow along the main diagonal of the pattern. The conditions by which this type of new growth is possible at a reduced error occurrence in mismatched tiles, are presented; error tolerance is achieved by employing healing and so-called robust generation of the seed tiles, thus ensuring that pattern growth is controlled along both directions. Simulation results are presented under different scenarios of growth direction (inclusive of backward growth for healing).
Evidence for two cholesterol ester hydrolases in human cerebrospinal fluid.

: In the present study, the properties, such as pH optima, detergent requirement, and effects of various lipids, of cholesterol ester hydrolase in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were examined, and the activity levels of the enzyme in CSF from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and non-MS individuals were compared. Our data indicate that the enzyme in CSF exhibits two pH optima: pH 6.0 in the presence of Triton X-100 and pH 7.0 in the presence of sodium taurocholate. Both phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) enhanced the hydrolase activity at pH 6.0. The activity at pH 7.0, on the other hand, was enhanced slightly in the presence of PE but was inhibited in the presence of PS. These data suggest the presence of two cholesterol ester hydrolases in CSF and also indicate that the activity at pH 6.0 may be due to microsomal enzyme in brain and that at pH 7.0 may be due to myelin enzyme. The hydrolase activity at pH 7.0 was significantly lower in CSF from MS patients. The activity at pH 6.0 in CSF from MS and non-MS patients, however, did not differ significantly. This indicates that the reduction in pH 7.0 hydrolase activity in CSF may be related to demyelination.
Analysis of a D-C electromagnet with cutout switch

THE force developed by a d-c electromagnet decreases rapidly as the gap is increased. To provide sufficient excitation to develop the force required at open gap and yet not overheat the coil, 2-section coils are used. A normally closed cutout switch is used either to insert the holding coil in series with the pickup coil, or to disconnect the pickup coil if the two sections are connected in parallel in the circuit.
Influence of backward bifurcation on interpretation of $R_0$ in a model of epidemic tuberculosis with reinfection

There is signiﬁcant disagreement in the epidemiological literature regarding the extent to which reinfection of latently infected individuals contributes to the dynamics of tuberculosis (TB) epidemics. In this study we present an epidemiological model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection that includes the process of reinfection. Using analysis and numerical simulations, we observe the eﬀect that varying levels of reinfection has on the qualitative dynamics of the TB epidemic. We examine cases of the model both with and without treatment of actively infected individuals. Next, we consider a variation of the model describing a heterogeneous population, stratiﬁed by susceptibility to TB infection. Results show that a threshold level of reinfection exists in all cases of the model. Beyond this threshold, the dynamics of the model are described by a backward bifurcation. Uncertainty analysis of the parameters shows that this threshold is too high to be attained in a realistic epidemic. However, we show that even for sub-threshold levels of reinfection, including reinfection in the model changes dynamic behavior of the model. In particular, when reinfection is present the basic reproductive number, $R_0$, does not accurately describe the severity of an epidemic.
Educational Selection in the Migration of Southern Blacks, 1880–1990

During the twentieth century millions of African Americans have migrated from the South to northern cities. Contrasting descriptions of this migration stream have been presented in the literature--some emphasizing the rural origins and lack of schooling of migrants others claiming that migrants were positively selected from the southern black population. This study uses the newly available Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to compare the educational characteristics of southern migrants with (1) the southern population they left behind and (2) the northern population they joined. Consistent with the expectations of migration theory and previous evidence for specific time periods the findings show that between 1880 and 1990 black migrants had significantly higher levels of education than the sedentary southern population and significantly lower levels of education than the northern-born population. Both differentials grew smaller as the century progressed. (EXCERPT)
Obesity Acceptance: Recipe For A Pandemic

Despite the well-publicized media coverage of the escalating rates of obesity and its co-morbidities, the American public seems largely unconcerned. While the reasons for societal inaction to this health dilemma are complex and interdependent, one factor seems particularly salient: obesity acceptance. This article will examine how and why this notion has devolved from acceptance of the person with obesity to acceptance (and in some cases outright celebration) of the condition obesity. Until such melding is separated, real progress in advancing public health in this arena will continue to founder.
Empirical models of imperfect competition: A discussion

The field of Industrial Organization (IO) studies the behavior of firms and the interaction among them. In the last 25 years, IO studies have increasingly focused on single industries, using a combination of economic theory and statistics to analyze strategic interaction between firms. The focus on a particular industry allows the researcher to develop a model that takes into account the specific details of the industry. IO economists then use the model to derive comparative statics and test them in the data, and often estimate the structural parameters of the model using state-of-the-art econometric methods. IO studies a broad array of decisions made by firms, starting from long-run decisions, such as those of entry into particular markets or those that relate to product design and development, medium-run decisions, such as contractual relationships and production, and short-run decisions, such as pricing and bidding in auctions. As each of these decisions is somewhat distinct from others in various aspects (the nature of the decision, the relevant policy questions, the typical data sets available to the empirical researcher, and so on), the literature of recent years can be classified according to which decision it analyzes. Two issues of particular interest have been entry and exit decisions that determine market structure and price competition. These issues are the focus of the two excellent surveys by Athey and Haile, and Berry and Tamer. Athey and Haile survey the key principles guiding the studies of auction markets, while the paper by Berry and Tamer addresses recent work and identification in empirical models of strategic entry. While the papers and the topics are quite different, they share several themes. First, they exploit the assumption that agents are acting optimally (i.e. maximizing profits or utility) and that the data is generated by equilibrium behavior in order to infer unobserved quantities from observed variables. Second, by building complete economic
SINKING PRE-BETA LIPOPROTEIN AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN JAPANESE-AMERICAN MEN IN HAWAII

A "sinking" pre-beta lipoprotein was sought in a probability sample of 1854, 50--72-year-old men of Japanese ancestry in Honolulu by ultracentrifugation of plasma and electrophoresis of the bottom fraction (density greater than 1.006) in agarose. A definite electrophoretic band was found in 5.6% of the men and a trace band was found in 4.6% of them. The frequency of such a band increased with age and decreased with adiposity. The relative risk for coronary heart disease, based on prevalence cases was found to be 1.7 in men with a definite band, and 1.4 in those with a trace band, when compared to men without. This association could not be explained by the higher low density lipoprotein levels in men with trace or definite bands. These data are consistent with previous reports suggesting that the Lp antigen (for which a sinking pre-beta lipoprotein is probably an insensitive marker) is associated with coronary disease.
Creativity in polyscriptal typographies in the linguistic landscape of Taipei

The creative employment of language scripts and (typo)graphic design in the commercial linguistic landscape (LL) of Taipei often serves as a key social semiotic resource in indexing various frames of identity in Taiwan – including sociocultural, ethnolinguistic, and political identities. As argued by Tam, typography is a visual metalanguage that encodes verbal language and is thus “already bilingual”. Multilingual and polyscriptal typographies, therefore, amplify this interaction between the verbal and the visual. Borrowing from Thurlow's research on “the three P's of creativity” in new media studies, I observe that polyscriptal typographies in Taipei's LL involve a visual “vernacular literacy” that is “often poetic, usually playful and always pragmatic” (Thurlow). Moreover, these practices are ideologically informed by social, economic, and geopolitical hierarchies which have been shaped by Taiwan's long history of migration, colonization, and globalization. Accordingly, the local vernacular literacy of ...
Capacitation of rabbit spermatozoa: species specificity and organ specificity.

SummaryIt has been found that washed rabbit sperm may be capacitated in the uterus of an estrous rabbit, rat, and dog, indicating that the capacitation mechanism is similar in these species. It was shown that washed rabbit sperm are capacitated only in the uterus and oviduct of the estrous rabbit and not in the bladder, colon and knee joint, indicating that the factors necessary for capacitation are limited to the female reproductive tract.
Adsorption of oxygenates on alkanethiol-functionalized Pd(111) surfaces: mechanistic insights into the role of self-assembled monolayers on catalysis.

Recent work shows that coating a supported palladium catalyst with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkanethiols can dramatically improve selectivity in the hydrogenation of 1-epoxy-3-butene (EpB) to 1-epoxybutane. Here, we present the results of surface-level investigations of the adsorption of EpB and related molecules on SAM-coated Pd(111), with an aim of identifying mechanistic explanations for the observed catalytic behavior. Alkanethiol SAM-covered Pd(111) surfaces were prepared by conventional techniques and transferred to ultrahigh vacuum, where they were characterized using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of EpB and other probe molecules. Whereas previous studies have shown that EpB undergoes rapid decomposition via epoxide ring opening on uncoated Pd(111), TPD studies show that EpB does not undergo substantial ring opening on SAM-covered surfaces but rather desorbs intact at temperatures less than 300 K. Systematic comparisons of EpB desorption sp...
The Interpretation of Consumer Dis-Saving:

EDITOR'S NOTE: The author presents the thesis that families with net deficits reported for any particular period surveyed will have a normal income and expenditure pattern, thatfor many this normal level is such as to make them an effective market for many types of goods, and that they tend to move toward their normal income and expenditure levels in subsequent periods. Hence, these groups may represent more effective markets than is usually assumed by groups making use of fanjily income and expenditure data in connection with market analyses.
Current Standards in Treatment of Radioiodine Refractory Thyroid Cancer

Radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAI-R DTC) is a challenging malignancy with limited prognosis and treatment options. Recently, clinical trials with targeted therapies have advanced the outlook of these patients, and inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) axis has led to the approval of small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for first-line treatment of radioiodine refractory disease. In addition to approved therapies (sorafenib and lenvatinib), other multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are commercially available have been recognized as viable treatment options for RAI-R DTC. Our preference is to initially use lenvatinib, given the dramatic progression-free survival (PFS) improvement versus placebo, with the caveat that 24 mg daily is not often tolerated and lower doses often used. In patients with BRAF V600E mutation, BRAF inhibitors are now considered for treatment, especially if patients are at high risk from antiangiogenic therapy. Research is continuing to evolve in identifying mechanisms related to radioiodine refractoriness, and trials are evaluating therapeutic molecules to overcome this resistance. Clinical care of patients with RAI-R DTC requires careful consideration of both patient and disease characteristics. Many patients with asymptomatic and indolent disease can be followed for years without treatment while others with high volume or rapidly progressive disease merit early intervention.
Performance and Control of a Cryogenic System Cooling 1152 VLPC Channels

A liquid helium supplied cryogenic system has been designed, built, and operated continuously since September 1996. The system cools nine cassettes (128 channels each) of visible light photon counter (VLPC) chips to 6.5 K. Thermal stability of the chips has been excellent. Liquid helium is supplied from a modified CTI 1400 helium liquifier. The liquid flows into a vacuum insulated liquid nitrogen shielded cryostat where it cools the VLPC chips. Some of the helium boil off is used to reduce the cryostat heat leak. All boil off gas is returned to the compressor suction header for the Tevatron. The exceptional control of the cassette temperatures is achieved with two levels of PID control. The coarse control (All cassettes within 0.5 K) is reached by maintaining constant cryostat liquid level, cryostat pressure, and heat intercept flow. The fine tuning (All cassettes within +/-0.010 K) is achieved with automatically controlled heaters in each cassette. The operating temperature range for the chips can be set anywhere between 5 to 15 K. The cryostat heat leak is about 2.0 W at 6.5 K.
Follow-up of Pulmonary Function after Treatment in Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the treatmentson pulmonary function in neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS). Methods Pulmonary functionwas measured in 30 infants (37 weeks corrected gestational age )who were ventilated and pulmonarysurfactant(PS) replacement therapy in neonatal period. The parameters included tidal volume perkilogram(VT/Kg), the respiratory rate(RR), the ratio of time to reach peak tidal expiratory flowto total expiratory time(Tptef/Te), respiratory system resistance(Rrs), functional residual capacityper kilogram(Frc/Kg) and respiratory system compliance per kilogram(Crs/Kg). Results (1)Tptef/Te wassignificantly lower in infants treated compared with the controls[(39.45±13.77)% vs(59.16 ±22.65)%, P 0.05], but no differences could be found between the two groups with regards to the otherpulmonary funtion(P 0.05).(2)Tptef/Te had no relativity with the time of machanical ventilationprolonging、pressure of inspiratory peak、 positive end-expiratory pressure、FiO2(r=0.27～0.60,P0.05). Conclusion Pulmonary function after treatment in NRDS couldn't be recovered completelyin short time, obstruction in small airway can be seen.
Investigation of Listeria Monocytogenes Contamination Status at Dongmen Supermarket In Shenzhen

Objective To investigate the Listeria monocytogenes contamination status.Methods Both the routine method(GB4789.30-2003) and real-time PCR were used to detect Listeria monocytogenes in food samples.Results Fifty samples were examined and 3 positive samples were discovered by both methods.Conclusion The Listeria monocytogenes contamination exists at Dongmen supermarket in Shenzhen and the contamination rate is 6%.The food hygienic supervision institute should pay more attention to sanitation measures to avoiding Listeria monocytogenes food poisoning.
Overshoot-Free Steering-Based Source Seeking

All existing unicycle source seeking results exhibit limitations in either transient behavior (approach to the source) or asymptotic behavior (hovering near the source). We present a composite of two existing control laws, which is both efficient in approaching the source and shows an excellent behavior around the source. A local stability result is derived and the influence of the parameters of the control law is examined. Finally, simulations show that the combination of the two control laws provides benefits compared with the use of a single control law of the two.
Children and Young Adults' Recognition of Anxiety

Previous research has shown that decoders (judges) accurately identified state anxiety in peers when provided with brief, single channel (audio-only, video-only) stimuli, and appropriately differentiated trait anxiety. Using a similar approach in the present study with decoders and encoders from three distinct age groups, we discovered that the ability to detect state anxiety transcended age. Children and young adults showed an ability to identify level of state anxiety in young adult and elder encoders. Young adults differentiated levels of state and trait anxiety in young adult and elder encoders. Discussion is focused on the adaptive and practical value of cross-generational identification of state anxiety and trait anxiety, and the difficulty of inferring personality traits in individuals from different peer groups.
Potential of Solar Electricity for Grid-Connected Systems in Algeria

This chapter proposes a photovoltaic (PV) electricity potential for grid-connected systems in Algeria using a solar radiation database and a system model of a PV module and inverter. The solar radiation database is based on the PV Geographic Information System (PVGIS). The database was used to analyze solar energy resources and to determinate the PV potential in Algeria. Climatic parameters (irradiation and temperature) and technological parameters (inverter efficiency) are the most influential parameters for PV production systems. Using the database input data, many calculations were carried out to determine the PV production and identify the influential parameters. Therefore, a map of the PV electricity potential for grid-connected systems in Algeria was developed, and the expected power production for planned PV grid-connected installations was determined.
ANGIOVAC CANNULA FOR MANAGEMENT OF DEVICE RELATED VEGETATIVE GROWTH

Background: The rates of infection associated with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) and permanent pacemakers (PPMs) continues to rise. Patients with lead vegetations larger than 2 cm are often referred for surgical removal via sternotomy or thoracotomy due to concern for septic pulmonary
Emergency Medicine Myths: Cerebral Edema in Pediatric Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Intravenous Fluids

Abstract Background Pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a disease associated with several complications that can be severe. One complication includes cerebral edema (CE), and patients may experience significant morbidity with this disease. Objective This review evaluates the myths concerning CE in pediatric DKA including mechanism, presentation of edema, clinical assessment of dehydration, and association with intravenous (i.v.) fluids. Discussion Multiple complications may occur in pediatric DKA. CE occurs in Conclusions Pediatric CE in DKA is rare but severe. Multiple mechanisms result in this disease, and many patients experience subclinical CE. Intravenous fluids are likely not associated with development of CE, and 10-mL/kg or 20-mL/kg i.v. bolus is safe.
Partitioning of laser energy during directed energy deposition

Abstract An energy balance that describes the transfer of energy is proposed for the laser-based directed energy deposition process. The partitioning of laser energy was experimentally measured and accurately validated using a special process calorimeter for Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 625™ alloys. The total energy provided by the laser was partitioned as: the energy directly absorbed by the substrate, the energy absorbed by the powder stream and deposited onto the substrate, the energy reflected from the substrate surface, and the energy reflected or absorbed and lost from the powder stream. Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V showed higher overall or bulk absorption than the Inconel 625™ alloy. Processing with powder resulted in lower laser energy absorption within the substrate than without powder, due to the “shadowing” effect of the powder stream within the beam and loss of energy representing unfused powder. During processing at a laser power of approximately 1 kW the total energy absorbed during the deposition process was found to be 42% for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy and 37% for the Inconel 625™ alloy. Under these conditions 14% of the total energy was lost by the Ti-6Al-4V unfused powder; whereas only 11% was lost by the Inconel 625™ powder.
Interleukin Antagonists: Have We Found the Right One to Block? Are Cardiovascular Effects of Biologic Therapies Similar?

There is strong experimental and clinical support for a causal role of immune dysregulation and inflammation in atherosclerosis and heart failure. Atherosclerotic lesions are infiltrated by monocytes, macrophages, and T lymphocytes (predominantly Th1).1 Cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), are released by the infiltrating inflammatory cells and stimulate adhesion molecule expression. IL-6 can downregulate nitric oxide production and further worsen endothelial dysfunction. Progression of this inflammatory response is primarily regulated by specific patterns of cytokine expression. Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by many cell types, including monocytes, neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and smooth muscle cells in plaques. In addition to its primary role in initiation of cell-mediated immunity, IL-12 can indirectly affect the development of plaques by promoting Th1 cell differentiation. IL-12 induces production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that precipitates endothelial dysfunction. IL-12 augments the formation of atherosclerotic lesions and increases production of antioxidized low-density lipoprotein antibody in the apolipoprotein E–deficient atherosclerotic model, highlighting its active role in the initial phase of atherosclerosis.2,3 Moreover, IL-12 deficiency or functional blockade of IL-12 reduces atherogenesis and improves plaque stability in the low-density lipoprotein receptor−/− mice.4 IL-12 is an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis and may induce autoimmune myocarditis. …
Induction of H3K9me3 and DNA methylation by tethered heterochromatin factors in Neurospora crassa

Functionally different chromatin domains display distinct chemical marks. Constitutive heterochromatin is commonly associated with trimethylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me3), hypoacetylated histones, and DNA methylation, but the contributions of and interplay among these features are not fully understood. To dissect the establishment of heterochromatin, we investigated the relationships among these features using an in vivo tethering system in Neurospora crassa Artificial recruitment of the H3K9 methyltransferase DIM-5 (defective in methylation-5) induced H3K9me3 and DNA methylation at a normally active, euchromatic locus but did not bypass the requirement of DIM-7, previously implicated in the localization of DIM-5, indicating additional DIM-7 functionality. Tethered heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) induced H3K9me3, DNA methylation, and gene silencing. The induced heterochromatin required histone deacetylase 1 (HDA-1), with an intact catalytic domain, but HDA-1 was not essential for de novo heterochromatin formation at native heterochromatic regions. Silencing did not require H3K9me3 or DNA methylation. However, DNA methylation contributed to establishment of H3K9me3 induced by tethered HP1. Our analyses also revealed evidence of regulatory mechanisms, dependent on HDA-1 and DIM-5, to control the localization and catalytic activity of the DNA methyltransferase DIM-2. Our study clarifies the interrelationships among canonical aspects of heterochromatin and supports a central role of HDA-1-mediated histone deacetylation in heterochromatin spreading and gene silencing.
Combined chemoradiotherapy and PARP inhibition in pancreatic cancer to induce a synchronous inflammatory cytokine response.

29Background: Outcomes remain poor for patients with locally advanced pancreas cancer despite advances in combined modality therapy. Radiation and chemotherapy remain the mainstay of treatment for unresectable locally advanced pancreas cancer, and the addition of various agents is currently being assessed in clinical trials. There is increasing evidence that local inflammation and host immune response play a role in anti-tumor activity. We aimed to assess the impact of combined chemoradiotherapy and PARP inhibition on inflammatory cytokine production in pancreas cancer patients. Methods: A clinical trial of concurrent use of a PARP inhibitor with chemoradiation was performed on a cohort of 34 patients. Serum samples were collected at baseline and weekly during intensity modulated radiotherapy treatment. Concentrations of various inflammatory cytokines were measured in picograms per milliliter using a chemiluminescent assay. Comparisons between average percentage change from baseline to peak change of seru...
Insights into a Mysterious CRISPR Adaptation Factor, Cas4.

Cas4 nucleases are conserved factors in many CRISPR systems, yet their molecular role has remained enigmatic. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Shiimori et al. (2018) report that two Cas4 nucleases together determine the size, orientation, and PAM for foreign DNA snippets acquired by CRISPR loci as immunological memory.
Automated Synthesis of Access Control Lists

Network configuration remains time-consuming and error-prone with the current configuration command system. To create access control lists (ACLs) with commands containing many options is still considered as a difficult task. In light of this, we aim to develop a comprehensible way to the ACL construction. Based on Eliza, a prototype of Artificial Intelligence, we propose a new design called EasyACL that synthesizes ACL rules automatically from natural language descriptions. EasyACL demonstrates the effectiveness of domain-specific program synthesis. Through the use of natural language ACL rules can be constructed without using an excessive number of options or rigid syntax. By introducing the batch processing, we make it possible for users to apply configurations to a range of IP addresses rather than tediously repeating commands. EasyACL supports multi-platform by an intermediate representation which may be ported to the commands for both Cisco and Juniper devices. The comprehensible commands are friendly for encapsulation as well as reuse. EasyACL enables end-users with no prior programming experience to construct ACL in a natural way which lowers the bar for security management training and also reduces the errors in network administration.
Ampère’s Electrodynamics and the Acceptability of Guiding Assumptions

The primary target of the following essay is an important historical thesis (GA 1.3) promoted in various forms by Imre Lakatos1 and, subsequently, by Elie Zahar and John Worrall.2 A closely related claim also to be scrutinized, is (GA1.4).
Choctaw as a Window into the Clitic/Agreement Split

The Choctaw verb hosts argument‐referencing morphemes that could plausibly be analyzed as φ‐agreement affixes or argument‐doubling clitics. I argue that (almost) all the morphemes in question are clitics, on the basis of several state‐of‐the‐art tests. The bulk of the argumentation comes from two of the morphemes’ properties in particular: firstly, they participate in clitic‐climbing alternations, and secondly, they are able to license the extrinsic plural marker oklah, an element with the syntactic licensing conditions typical of floating quantifiers. Following much work proposing that clitics have the syntactic status of determiner heads in an A‐movement chain with their DP associate, I show that the properties just outlined follow straightforwardly from a clitic analysis, but would not be predicted under a φ‐agreement analysis.
A 26-year-old man with severe right ventricular hypertrophy

A 26-year-old man with a history of a perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) was admitted to the orthopaedic service after sustaining a tibial fracture in a motor vehicle accident. He was lost to cardiology follow-up after age 10, at which time his echocardiogram demonstrated a restrictive VSD (gradient of 80 mm Hg across) and mild flow acceleration without obstruction through the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Cardiac examination on admission was notable for a palpable RV lift and a harsh 3/6 systolic ejection murmur audible throughout the precordium. An echocardiogram was obtained, demonstrating new …
Squid-Inspired Tandem Repeat Proteins: Functional Fibers and Films

Production of repetitive polypeptides that comprise one or more tandem copies of a single unit with distinct amorphous and ordered regions have been an interest for the last couple of decades. Their molecular structure provides a rich architecture that can micro-phase-separate to form periodic nanostructures (e.g., lamellar and cylindrical repeating phases) with enhanced physicochemical properties via directed or natural evolution that often exceed those of conventional synthetic polymers. Here, we review programmable design, structure, and properties of functional fibers and films from squid-inspired tandem repeat proteins, with applications in soft photonics and advanced textiles among others.
When Prosthetic Valves Compete for Space: A Case of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Embolization Due to Prosthetic Mitral Valve.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now the preferred choice of treatment for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) patients who are at intermediate to high risk for surgery. Rare complications like valve embolization have been described and we report a case with unique cause for such complication. A 79-year-old female presented with new onset dyspnea on exertion for evaluation and work up to the outside hospital and was found to have severe AS and referred to us for TAVR evaluation. She had a history of coronary artery bypass grafts surgery and bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement (MVR) 10 years ago. Preoperative transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) revealed normally functioning bioprosthetic mitral valve and severe AS with peak/mean gradients of 67/44 mm Hg. She underwent transfemoral TAVR using a 26-mm Edwards Sapien S3 TAVR valve. During the slow deployment of the TAVR valve while rapid pacing, the valve appeared to move a little. Shortly after the removal of the delivery system out of the valve, the TAVR valve embolized to ascending aorta. It was carefully withdrawn into the aortic arch past the great vessels with an inflated balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) catheter. Then, BAV was performed x 2 to plan for TAVR with a second valve, but the BAV balloon water-melon seeded repeatedly. We concluded that in this case, the rigid struts of bioprosthetic mitral valve encroaching on LVOT resulted in TAVR valve embolization and a decision was made to abort further attempts at TAVR valve implantation. This patient later under surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and is clinically doing well at six months of clinical follow-up.
Cannot Remove the Snare During Colonoscopy

With the increasing role of endoscopic and intraluminal therapies and surgery, the surgeon/endoscopist will often employ the use of snare techniques to remove intra-colonic pathology. Although an uncommon complication, the snare can become jammed or stuck and unable to be removed by conventional maneuvers. This chapter describes in which cases are more prone to have this complication occur and techniques that allow for safe removal of the snare.
Fast Feature Selection for Linear Value Function Approximation.

Linear value function approximation is a standard approach to solving reinforcement learning problems with large state spaces. Since designing good approximation features is difficult, automatic feature selection is an important research topic. We propose a new method for feature selection that is based on a low-rank factorization of the transition matrix. Our approach derives features directly from high-dimensional raw inputs, such as image data. The method is easy to implement using SVD, and our experiments show that it is faster and more stable than alternative methods.
Building loyalty in e-commerce: Impact of business and customer characteristics

AbstractUnderstanding, building, and predicting customer loyalty in e-commerce are critical activities for long-run profitability. Successfully carrying out these activities is challenging due to t...
The risk factors, outcomes, and costs associated with venous thromboembolism after traumatic brain injury: a nationwide analysis

ABSTRACTObjective: We sought to identify risk factors for VTE following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and determine how venous thromboembolism (VTE) affects outcomes and costs using a national datab...
Seeing More Clearly

The spate of sharply critical think-pieces published over the past few years might seem to suggest that the digital humanities are in crisis, but the discipline continues to thrive: public and private funding bodies remain robustly supportive of digital humanities initiatives, laying the groundwork for research that is orientated towards the capacity for communication beyond traditional readerships. The digital humanities glow with such promise that some of us – among whom I must include myself – have quietly set aside our misgivings, instead finding ways of incorporating digital technologies and methodologies into our work. But mute complicity is not the only alternative to vocal censure, as is made clear by the many accounts of experiments and other personal experiences posted on blogs and, increasingly, published in peer-reviewed journals. Grounded in self-reflective practices, this sort of autoethnography offers a productive means of coming to terms with our complex and sometimes contradictory motivations for engaging with the digital humanities. In this essay, I reflect on a digital network visualization and analysis project I have pursued over the past five years, the final iteration of which – entitled ‘Visualizing the French Voice’ – attempted to use algorithms to make sense of the relationships between professors and pupils active at the Paris Conservatoire around the turn of the nineteenth century. I try to understand my motives at each turn, which are clearly bound up with that seductive promise of a broader readership, but also, albeit much less clearly, of ‘impact’.
Erin E. O’Connor, Mothers making Latin America: gender, households, and politics since 1825

While many instructors of gender in Latin America have long relied on Susan Socolow’s The Women of Colonial Latin America ([2000] 2015) as the basic text for their courses, finding suitable texts f...
Bodin on Tyranny in the Six Books of the Republic

Bodin on tyranny in the Six Books of the Republic (1576). A polymath and pursuer of general patterns in events and laws, and in history, religion, and nature, Bodin, a jurist, takes the Aristotelian frames about governance and caps them all by a definition of sovereign, absolute power. A tyrant is a king who exploits his subjects while being afraid of them; and they fear him. He rules solely for his own benefit and is above the law.
Ceramic Electrolytes Get “Tough” on Lithium Metal Batteries

Stiff ceramic electrolytes mitigate lithium dendrite formation for enhanced lithium metal battery safety, but these same electrolytes are undesirably brittle. In this issue of Matter, Athanasiou et al. arrest crack formation using reduced graphene oxide in a ceramic electrolyte, revealing the importance of electrolyte toughness.
Food production, environment, and mobility among Late Iron Age Nguni-speakers of South Africa

Abstract During the Late Iron Age, early Nguni-speaking farmers entered and moved across the region of the lower Thukela uplands through frequent, short-range episodes of population movement. As they did so, they innovated new food production technology, altered the landscape, and adapted to ecological conditions. The article presents comparative historical linguistic evidence for the history of farming and interaction with the environment among Nguni-speakers between c. 900–1052 CE. Analysis shows the ways Nguni-speaking farmers responded to environmental conditions through landscape engineering and social engineering, including population dispersal.
Migrants as Place-Makers: The Role of Technical Communicators in (re)Locating Place

“Migrants as Place-Makers” investigates the role of technical communicators in determining where place could be made. Most discussions find place in locations that accommodate people through community functions, social interactions, and commercial exchanges; however, not much has been considered in how place is made through necessity. This paper applies place methodology to water stations for migrants left on the US-Mexico border by the organization Humane Borders. Humane Borders locates water barrels based on proximity to border, migrant water consumption, and rates of vandalism of water stations. Overall, migrants can make place at water stations, decreasing the likelihood of water station relocation and increasing the chance of migrant hydration. Two research questions organize this paper: How are technical communicators predicting the best location for a water station? How can technical communicators better predict the next location for a place and lessen the frequency of relocation if a water station does not become a place to migrants? Place and space methodology asks the field to consider migrants as interlocutors between place and technical communicator to better (re)locate water stations and lessen the frequency of relocation. These questions are answered through a case study of two water stations where I find that when migrants recognize a water station as a place, it deters vandalism. Thus, technical communicators should especially promote place-making at frequently vandalized water stations.
Hyperacute intracranial hemorrhage with extensive contrast extravasation and rapid hematoma expansion imaged at onset with magnetic resonance imaging

Evaluation for intracranial hemorrhage is a common indication when performing imaging of the head in the emergency setting. We present a rare case of active, spontaneous extravasation of blood into the brain parenchyma, which evolved during a magnetic resonance imaging examination. A 70-year-old woman who had no previous history of hypertension or trauma underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain for confusion and dysarthria. Initial imaging sequences did not demonstrate an acute cerebral hemorrhage; however, subsequent fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, T2- and T1-weighted sequences demonstrated a progressively enlarging signal abnormality. Extravasation of contrast was noted after the administration of gadolinium-based contrast, indicating active intraparenchymal hemorrhage. A computed tomography scan was performed after magnetic resonance imaging to confirm the findings.
Transnational Shakespeare: Salman Rushdie and Intertextual Appropriation

Through "Yorick" and The Moor's Last Sigh Salman Rushdie maps the ever-present hybridity between, and, significantly, within literary texts and the cultures that produce and receive them. Thus, Rushdie's postmodern, metafictive palimsests ironically reveal how Shakespeare's literary endurance and global iconic status depend upon the revisions, adaptations, and appropriations of his work. Recognizing the cultural, historical, linguistic, and literary multivalency of Rushdie's "Yorick" and The Moor's Last Sigh prompts a move away from the restrictive binary structures that oppose canonical texts to counter-discursive ones and suggests, instead, an intertextuality that actualizes the interstitial spaces and interconnectivity characterizing transnational appropriations of Shakespeare's plays. Rushdie's intertextual re-construction of Shakespeare — spanning as it does histories, geographies, time periods, literary genres, and cultures — destabilizes the principal binary that governs much of postcolonial Shakespearean discourse: the canonical/appropriation partition that divides the iconic Shakespeare of the West from the "local" reimaginings of the rest. Because of the fragmented quality of Rushdie's Shakespearean references, neither "Yorick" nor The Moor's Last Sigh offers the reader a straightforward retelling; instead, Rushdie's metafictive narrative style highlights the volatility of the Shakespearean text itself.
Exploring the Messages of African American Men Enrolled in HBCU Honors Programs

This article discusses what positively contributes to the academic success of twenty African American (AA) men enrolled in honors programs at a historically Black college and university. Not much research is done on African American men attending Historically Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are academically successful, especially not those in honors programs. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze what positively makes these AA men academically successful at these HBCUs while attending these honors programs through the anti-deficit achievement framework. The study has the potential to help incoming freshmen and other AA men be academically successful at HBCUs.
Site isolation in vanadium phosphorus oxide alkane oxidation

Abstract Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of vanadyl pyrophosphatc indicate that at least two polytypical structures exist for this active and selective alkane oxidation catalyst. The crystal structures of these materials differ with respect to the symmetry and direction of columns of vanadyl groups within the unit cell. Single crystals of vanadyl pyrophosphatc have been generated at extreme temperatures not often experienced by microcrystallinc catalysts. The crystallography of the system suggests that other crystalline modifications or disordered phases might also exist. Zeroth-order models of crystal surface termination of vanadyl pyrophosphate have been constructed which conceptually illustrate the ability of vanadyl pyrophosphate to accommodate varying amounts of surface phosphorus parallel to (1,0,0), (0,1,0) and (0,2,4). Pyrophosphate termination of surfaces parallel to (1,0,0) likely results in the isolation of clusters of reactive centers and limits overoxidation of the alkane substrate.
A distributed gas breather for micro direct methanol fuel cell (/spl mu/-DMFC)

This paper introduces a distributed gas breather to remove the gas byproduct (CO/sub 2/) from the micro direct methanol fuel cell (/spl mu/DMFC). The concept and device configuration of "distributed breathing" aim to improve the performance of the /spl mu/DMFC by (1) decreasing flow resistance, (2) increasing the active electrode area, and (3) reducing or possibly eliminating the discrete gas separator. Experimental verification is provided by a prototype breather with microscale hydrophobic breathing holes, which successfully removed CO/sub 2/ bubbles from a mixture of weak sulfuric acid and sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution. The techniques to fabricate sub-micron hydrophobic breathing holes with good stability, which would enable integration of the breather into the eventual /spl mu/DMFC system, are discussed.