cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Philosophy and Justice

Justice is usually said to exist when a person receives that to which he or she is entitled, namely, exactly those benefits and burdens that are due the individual because of his or her particular characteristics and circumstances. If someone states that a certain person or act is good or moral or virtuous, he or she does not necessarily mean that that person or act is just. Mary may believe, for example, that Tom’s lending her his coat when she was cold was good or generous—but it was an act of beneficence, not of justice. Similarily, if someone states that a certain person or act is immoral or wrong, he or she does not necessarily mean that it is unjust. Tom may be deliberately rude to his employees, and he may show callous disregard for the suffering of a poor man whom he could easily help—but although he acts immorally in both instances, he may perhaps ease his conscience by reminding himself that at least he did not act unjustly. The point here is simply that justice is not the whole of morality, it is only one part of it. Thus justice is one characteristic among many of a good society. As William Frankena (1962, p. ix) states, “Societies can be loving, efficient, prosperous, or good, as well as just, but they may be just without being notably benevolent, efficient, prosperous, or good.”1
Sociological Testimony and Evidence in Product Liability Litigation

Sociologists can assist attorneys and law firms in product liability litigation, which is defined by a set of laws developed to protect consumers from unsafe products. These laws state that manufacturers and vendors are responsible for manufacturing and selling safe products. When a product causes a consumer’s personal injury or death, its manufacturers and/or vendors may be held liable. Product liability laws cover all types of defective products, including auto parts, medical devices, drugs, food products that contain harmful bacteria or toxic ingredients, products containing toxic materials, and workplace machinery. In addition, products that are mislabeled can be considered defective under product liability laws. In these cases, attorneys and law firms investigate the injury or death thoroughly; they use expert witnesses and consultants to examine the facts of the case and determine why the injury or death occurred. Once they have established liability, they seek to hold the responsible parties accountable for the injury or death. This chapter highlights how sociological testimony can assist in product liability litigation. This analysis focuses on product liability resulting from five products: tobacco, food, alcohol, joint replacements, and lawn mowers.
Left atrial function in children and young adult cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines.

Background The left atrium (LA) modulates left ventricular filling pressure and is a strong prognosticator in heart failure. Although anthracycline exposure may lead to impaired left ventricular (LV) function, the effects on LA function are not well-described in the younger population. We aim to evaluate LA function in children exposed to anthracyclines. Methods Children exposed to anthracyclines with pre- and post-treatment echocardiographic imaging were enrolled. Measures of LA function (LA ejection fraction [LA EF], global longitudinal strain [GLS], and peak GLS rate) were quantified using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography pre- and post-anthracycline therapy and were compared. Segments with poor tracking were excluded. Results Fifty-five children (age 13 [SD 5] years) treated with anthracyclines were evaluated. LA EF, GLS, and peak GLS rate were lower after anthracycline exposure. Mean changes were as follows: LA EF (pre-73.5 [SD 7.7]% vs post-70.6 [SD 8.2]%, P = 0.06), GLS (-34.2 [SD 8.4]% vs -31.9 [SD 7.1]%, P = 0.09), peak GLS rate (2.2 [SD 0.8] s-1 vs 2.0 [SD 0.6] s-1 , P = 0.18). When stratified by pre- (≤12 years old) vs post-puberty (>12 years old), prepubescent patients (n = 21) had statistically significant changes in pre/post LA GLS (P = 0.01) and LA EF (P = 0.01). In models adjusted for radiation dose, age, gender, body surface area, or cumulative anthracycline dose, there were no significant relationships in the absolute difference between pre/post LA EF (P = 0.34) or LA GLS (P = 0.18). Conclusions In children exposed to anthracyclines, short-term effects on LA function were minimal in those with preserved LV EF. Age-dependent LA susceptibility to anthracycline requires further study.
High-risk atherosclerotic plaque features for cardiovascular risk assessment in the Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain trial.

Over the past decade, our understanding of coronary atherosclerosis has evolved from a paradigm dominated by coronary stenosis towards a deeper, more nuanced appreciation of coronary anatomy and physiology. Following the observation that most myocardial infarctions are caused by lesions deemed non-obstructive, there has been continued fervent search for imaging markers of plaque likely to cause adverse events.
Fruit flies increase attention to their frontal visual field during fast forward optic flow.

Fruit flies must compensate for the limited light gathered by the tiny facets of their eyes, and image motion during flight lowers light catch even further. Motion blur is especially problematic in...
Evidence of reduced order nonlinear state of Lamb wave due to stress-relaxation in composites (Conference Presentation)

In this work, reduced order nonlinear state of Lamb wave propagation due to stress-relaxation of composites was experimentally observed. Residual stresses in the composites are developed under tensile-tensile fatigue loading, which reduce over time during relaxation process due to viscoelastic behavior of the polymer matrix. To investigate reduction in nonlinearity of Lamb wave during stress-relaxation, fatigue loading on the composite specimens were conducted at an interval of 75k until 225k cycles for different cyclic frequencies (i.e., 2Hz, 5Hz and 10Hz), and relaxation experiments were conducted for a duration of 8hrs between two successive fatigue loading sequence. Experimental results show a 6-20% reduction acoustic nonlinearity of Lamb wave during relaxation. Reduction in nonlinearity is mainly contributed by stress redistribution at fibers and recovery of plastic strain during relaxation. This technique is imperative to explore long-term performances and conditions of advanced composite structures.
Development of tunable longwave infrared metamaterial notch filters

We describe development of spectrally tunable micro-engineered filters operating in the longwave infrared (LWIR) from 8 to 12 micron based on the guided mode resonance (GMR) phenomenon. The device structure consists of a subwavelength dielectric grating on top of a planar waveguide using high index dielectric transparent materials, i.e., germanium (Ge) with a refractive index of 4.0 and zinc selenide (ZnSe) with refractive index of 2.4. The filters are designed to reflect incident broadband light at one (or more) narrow spectral band while fully transmitting the other wavelengths. Tuning of the reflection wavelength is achieved by changing the angle of incidence of light by mechanically tilting the filter. Filters based on one dimensional (1-D) gratings are polarization dependent and those based on two dimensional (2-D) gratings are less sensitive to incident polarization of light. Both filters were fabricated using standard dielectric deposition and photolithographic techniques and characterized. Simple 2-layer anti-reflection coatings were applied to improve transmission over the entire spectral region. Our experimental setup consists of a modified commercial Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) system with a separate chamber for a collimated incident beam of light, focusing optics, a liquid-nitrogen-cooled mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector, a wire grid polarizer and a micro-engineered filter. We will present detailed characterization experiment and compare the theoretical and experimental results.
Taking Government Out of Politics: Murray Rothbard on Political and Local Reform during the Progressive Era

This paper analyzes and elaborates on what Murray Rothbard would have included in Chapter 10 of his nine-chapter manuscript on the Progressive Era (Rothbard 2017). In Chapter 10, Rothbard planned to describe the political and local reforms of the fourth party system (1896-1932). The reforms included voter registration, ballot changes, direct election of senators, the primary system, attacks on machine politics, the institutionalization of civil service, and the expansion of city governments. While many historians have argued that these changes were designed to expand democracy and reduce corruption, Rothbard would have shown how they were intended to restrict democracy and centralize power in the hands of established elites.
Tissue specificity of senescent cell accumulation during physiologic and accelerated aging of mice.

Senescent cells accumulate with age in vertebrates and promote aging largely through their senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Many types of stress induce senescence, including genotoxic stress. ERCC1-XPF is a DNA repair endonuclease required for multiple DNA repair mechanisms that protect the nuclear genome. Humans or mice with reduced expression of this enzyme age rapidly due to increased levels of spontaneous, genotoxic stress. Here, we asked whether this corresponds to an increased level of senescent cells. p16Ink4a and p21Cip1 mRNA were increased ~15-fold in peripheral lymphocytes from 4- to 5-month-old Ercc1-/∆ and 2.5-year-old wild-type (WT) mice, suggesting that these animals exhibit a similar biological age. p16Ink4a and p21Cip1 mRNA were elevated in 10 of 13 tissues analyzed from 4- to 5-month-old Ercc1-/∆ mice, indicating where endogenous DNA damage drives senescence in vivo. Aged WT mice had similar increases of p16Ink4a and p21Cip1 mRNA in the same 10 tissues as the mutant mice. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and p21Cip1 protein also were increased in tissues of the progeroid and aged mice, while Lamin B1 mRNA and protein levels were diminished. In Ercc1-/Δ mice with a p16Ink4a luciferase reporter, bioluminescence rose steadily with age, particularly in lung, thymus, and pancreas. These data illustrate where senescence occurs with natural and accelerated aging in mice and the relative extent of senescence among tissues. Interestingly, senescence was greater in male mice until the end of life. The similarities between Ercc1-/∆ and aged WT mice support the conclusion that the DNA repair-deficient mice accurately model the age-related accumulation of senescent cells, albeit six-times faster.
Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Attaining the Critical Metrics

Amruth Bhargav is a PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, India, in 2013 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2016. His research mainly focuses on lithium-sulfur and lithium-organosulfur batteries. Dr. Jiarui He is a postdoctoral fellow in the Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his B.E. (2012) and his PhD (2018) in electronic information materials and devices from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. His research interests are in the area of electrochemical conversion and storage materials. He has authored more than 76 publications, with 3,000 citations and an h-index of 33 (Google Scholar). Abhay Gupta is a PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his bachelor’s degree from the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in 2016. His research mainly focuses on lithium-sulfur batteries with an emphasis on low-temperature performance. Professor Arumugam Manthiram is the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in engineering and the Director of Texas Materials Institute and the Materials Science and Engineering program at the University of Texas at Austin. His research interests are in the area of materials for rechargeable batteries and fuel cells, including novel synthesis approaches, advanced characterization, and prototype device fabrication. He has authored more than 800 publications, with 60,000 citations and an h-index of 123 (Google Scholar). See https://www.sites.utexas.edu/manthiram for further details.
Shared Decision Making in Patients With Suspected Uncomplicated Ureterolithiasis: A Decision Aid Development Study

Objective The objective was to develop a decision aid (DA) to facilitate shared decision making (SDM) around whether to obtain computed tomography (CT) imaging in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected uncomplicated ureterolithiasis. Methods We used evidence-based DA development methods, including qualitative methods and iterative stakeholder engagement, to develop and refine a DA. Guided by the Ottawa Decision Support Framework, International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS), and a steering committee made up of stakeholders, we conducted interviews and focus groups with a purposive sample of patients, community members, emergency clinicians, and other stakeholders. We used an iterative process to code the transcripts and identify themes. We beta-tested the DA with patient-clinician dyads facing the decision in real time. Results From August 2018 to August 2019, we engaged 102 participants in the design and iterative refinement of a DA focused on diagnostic options for patients with suspected ureterolithiasis. Forty-six were ED patients, community members, or patients with ureterolithiasis, and the remaining were emergency clinicians (doctors, residents, advanced practitioners), researchers, urologists, nurses, or other physicians. Patients and clinicians identified several key decisional needs including an understanding of accuracy, uncertainty, radiation exposure/cancer risk, and clear return precautions. Patients and community members identified facilitators to SDM, such as a checklist of signs and symptoms. Many stakeholders, including both patients and ED clinicians, expressed a strong pro-CT bias. A six-page DA was developed, iteratively refined, and beta-tested. Conclusions Using stakeholder engagement and qualitative inquiry, we developed an evidence-based DA to facilitate SDM around the question of CT scan utilization in patients with suspected uncomplicated ureterolithiasis. Future research will test the efficacy of the DA in facilitating SDM.
The role of information asymmetry and financial reporting quality in debt trading: Evidence from the secondary loan market

I explore which firm and loan characteristics decrease or exacerbate information asymmetry in the trading of private debt. I find that loans of public firms, loans with an available credit rating, loans of profit firms and loans syndicated by more reputable arrangers are traded at lower bid–ask spreads, while revolvers, distressed loans and loans issued by institutional investors are associated with higher information costs. I also find that timely loss recognition reduces the bid–ask spread. This finding suggests that conservative reporting decreases information asymmetry regarding a borrower and increases the efficiency of the secondary trading of debt securities.
Adhesive Contact Between Cylindrical (Ebola) and Spherical (SARS-CoV-2) Viral Particles and a Cell Membrane

A critical event during the process of cell infection by a viral particle is attachment, which is driven by adhesive interactions and resisted by bending and tension. The biophysics of this process has been studied extensively but the additional role of externally applied force or displacement has generally been neglected. In this work we study the adhesive force-displacement response of viral particles against a cell membrane. We have built two models: one in which the viral particle is cylindrical (say, representative of filamentous virus such as Ebola) and another in which it is spherical (such as SARS-CoV-2 and Zika). Our interest is in initial adhesion, in which case deformations are small and the mathematical model for the system can be simplified considerably. The parameters that characterize the process combine into two dimensionless groups that represent normalized membrane bending stiffness and tension. In the limit where bending dominates, for sufficiently large values of normalized bending stiffness, there is no adhesion between viral particles and the cell membrane without applied force. (The zero-external-force contact width and pull-off force are both zero.) For large values of normalized membrane tension, the adhesion between virus and cell membrane is weak but stable. (The contact width at zero external force has a small value.) Our results for pull-off force and zero force contact width help to quantify conditions that could aid the development of therapies based on denying the virus entry into the cell by blocking its initial adhesion.
Movement Disorders of Sleep

Sleep-related movement disorders constitute a diverse group of diseases that include restless leg, nocturnal leg cramps, rhythmic movement disorder, bruxism, and nocturnal seizures, particularly frontal lobe epilepsy. These disorders may occur predominantly during sleep, but also occasionally during wakefulness (e.g., nocturnal leg cramps) or sleep-wake transition (e.g., rhythmic movement disorder). These conditions can lead to significant sleep onset insomnia, sleep disruption, and excessive daytime somnolence, with possible behavioral and cognitive disturbances consequence. Psychiatric disorders and medications used to control psychiatric symptoms can provoke or aggravate movement disorders during sleep. It is therefore essential when evaluating an individual with psychiatric disease to assess for these disorders and understand their pathophysiology and management.
Mineral precipitation as a mechanism of fault core growth

Abstract Faults vary in structural style, from simple planes to complex systems composed of fault cores and damage zones. Increased fault complexity results from the interaction of mechanical and chemical processes, including fracture growth, shear, and linkage, and mineral dissolution and precipitation. Although water-rock interaction is traditionally associated with fault rock weakening and shear localization, we investigate processes of fault core widening by water-rock interactions that resulted in quartz precipitation. We combine field and petrographic observations with prior mechanical characterization to assess the impact of alteration and cementation on fault architecture at the Dixie Comstock epithermal gold deposit, Nevada, USA. Mineralized portions of the fault contain strong, thick, silicified fault cores and wide, weak damage zones, with evidence for widening of the core through entrainment of damage zone material and repeated cycles of embrittlement, dilation, and cementation. We present a model of fault zone evolution in which the hydrothermal regimes favoring either alteration-weakening or precipitation-strengthening result in distinct fault zone architecture and mechanical and flow properties of fault systems. Alteration-weakening favors localization of the fault into thinner, clay-rich, low permeability fault cores. Precipitation-strengthening promotes thick, strong, and low permeability fault cores, with mineralization-embrittlement enhancing transient permeability following coseismic failure.
Treating Children and Adolescents with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Moderators of Treatment Response

Youth exposed to a wide range of potentially traumatic events, such as natural disasters, acts of violence, terrorism, motor vehicle accidents, and life-threatening illnesses, are at risk for devel...
Promises and Challenges of Metabolic Imaging: Where Does 18F-FDG Stand in the Immunometabolism Era? (perspective on “Intratumoral Distribution of Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose In Vivo: High Accumulation in Macrophages and Granulation Tissues Studied by Microautoradiography” J Nucl Med. 1992;33:1972–1980)

Since its development in the late 1970s, 18F-FDG has been a major driver of basic science and translational discoveries, which have revolutionized the day-to-day clinical practice of nuclear imaging ([1][1]). Initially launched as a tracer for imaging brain metabolism, 18F-FDG rapidly found its
Bidirectional electro-optic conversion reaching 1% efficiency with thin film lithium niobate

We demonstrate an efficient, bi-directional electro-optic frequency converter based on a hybrid lithium-niobate/superconductor material platform. Through materials and device engineering to mitigate the limiting photorefractive effect, on-chip conversion effi-ciency of 1% is realized.
Adverse Maternal Environment and Postweaning Western Diet Alter Hepatic CD36 Expression and Methylation Concurrently with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mouse Offspring

Background The role of an adverse maternal environment (AME) in conjunction with a postweaning Western diet (WD) in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult offspring has not been explored. Likewise, the molecular mechanisms associated with AME-induced NAFLD have not been studied. The fatty acid translocase or cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) has been implicated to play a causal role in the pathogenesis of WD-induced steatosis. However, it is unknown if CD36 plays a role in AME-induced NAFLD. Objective This study was designed to evaluate the isolated and additive impact of AME and postweaning WD on the expression and DNA methylation of hepatic Cd36 in association with the development of NAFLD in a novel mouse model. Methods AME constituted maternal WD and maternal stress, whereas the control (Con) group had neither. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a WD [40% fat energy, 29.1% sucrose energy, and 0.15% cholesterol (wt/wt)] 5 wk prior to pregnancy and throughout lactation. Non invasive variable stressors (random frequent cage changing, limited bedding, novel object, etc.) were applied to WD dams during the last third of pregnancy to produce an AME. Con dams consumed the control diet (CD) (10% fat energy, no sucrose or cholesterol) and were not exposed to stress. Male offspring were weaned onto either CD or WD, creating 4 experimental groups: Con-CD, Con-WD, AME-CD, and AME-WD, and evaluated for metabolic and molecular parameters at 120 d of age. Results AME and postweaning WD independently and additively increased the development of hepatic steatosis in adult male offspring. AME and WD independently and additively upregulated hepatic CD36 protein and mRNA expression and hypomethylated promoters 2 and 3 of the Cd36 gene. Conclusions Using a mouse AME model together with postweaning WD, this study demonstrates a role for CD36 in AME-induced NAFLD in offspring and reveals 2 regions of environmentally induced epigenetic heterogeneity within Cd36.
Who you gonna call?: an empirical evaluation of website security.txt deployment

The security.txt proposed standard allows organizations to define how security researchers should disclose security issues. While it is still proceeding through the final stages of standardization, major online services have already adopted the standard (such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Github). In this work, we conduct an empirical investigation into how websites are deploying security.txt. We first monitor security.txt adoption over a 15-month period, identifying the level of deployment for top websites. We also characterize the information being provided through security.txt and issues present in the provided data. Ultimately, our analysis sheds light on how the security.txt mechanism manifests in practice and its implications for vulnerability reporting, particularly for large-scale automated notification campaigns.
Chronicles of the human SAGA co-activator complex.

Transcription of eukaryotic protein-coding genes involves co-activator complexes, including TFIID and SAGA. A new study has determined the first high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the human SAGA complex, and has implications for defining SAGA function during multiple stages of eukaryotic transcription.
Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bond in the Catalytic Triad of Serine Enzymes

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and chymotrypsin are serine enzymes whose catalytic mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack (serine) and a general acid-base moiety (histidine). The incipient imidiazolium which is formed as a result of the nucleophilic attack by serine is stabilized by the negatively charged carboxylate (Glu or Asp). This transition state stabilization is thought to be gained by a low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) in which the proton is centrally located between N5 and the carboxylate oxygen.
Scoliosis Screening: Results of a Community Project

From 1973 to 1977, 7,642 girls and 751 boys were screened for spinal deformity in a Wisconsin County with a population of approximately 100,000. Of 243 girls and 30 boys found to have scoliosis, 155 girls and 13 boys had curves 10 degrees or greater. The most common location and curve direction was right thoracic; 98% of those with scoliosis were classified as idiopathic. Eighteen girls required treatment when initially seen: ten with a Milwaukee brace and eight with spine fusion. Of those not treated and followed for six months or longer, 24 girls and one boy had a decrease in their curve of at least 5 degrees, and 21 girls and one boy had an increase in their curve of at least 5 degrees. Determination of which curves would progress was unpredictable and identification of progression was possible only by repeated examinations.
Language, Identity and Empowerment: The Case of Spanish in the Southwest

Abstract This article addresses the relationship between language and identity and language and power. Language is viewed as an important vehicle through which empowerment can occur in society and through which social workers can contribute to the empowerment of dual language individuals and communities. Language suppression is viewed through the framework of bilinguaphobia, a term coined by Faltis and Coulter in 2004. Because of the long and unique history of Spanish in Southwestern communities, the authors suggest that true empowerment must overcome the prevalent discourse of fear of bilingualism. This article suggests that the present status and identity of Latinos in the Southwestern United States would be enhanced and affirmed by the healthy co-existence of two tongues and two cultural frameworks and that social workers should recognize and advocate for the power of bilingual discourses.
Direct calorimetric measurement of powder absorptivity

We present a method for direct calorimetric measurement of powder absorptivity using a thin laser illuminated disc. Powder porosity is measured independently and a scheme eliminating the effect of convective and radiative losses is implemented.
Robust Bode controller design methods for unstable and non-minimum phase systems

In this paper, we extend Robust Bode loop-shaping design methods to open-loop unstable and non-minimum phase SISO systems.We show how loop-shaping controller design may be performed using either the Contoured Robust Controller Bode (CRCBode) plots or a new Robust Bode plot based on the Youla parametrization of all stabilizing controllers (QBode). We demonstrate the effectiveness of these approaches by designing robust stabilizing controllers for the linearized dynamics of an inverted pendulum system which is both open-loop unstable and non-minimum phase.
Stimulation of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi by Mycotrophic and Nonmycotrophic Plant Root Systems

Transformed root cultures of three nonmycotrophic and one mycotrophic plant species stimulated germination and hyphal growth of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum (Becker & Gerd.) in a gel medium. However, only roots of the mycotrophic species (carrot) supported continued hyphal exploration after 3 to 4 weeks and promoted appressoria formation by G. etunicatum.
The Effect of Instance-Space Partition on Significance

This paper demonstrates experimentally that concluding which induction algorithm is more accurate based on the results from one partition of the instances into the cross-validation folds may lead to statistically erroneous conclusions. Comparing two decision tree induction and one naive-bayes induction algorithms, we find situations in which one algorithm is judged more accurate at the p e 0.05 level with one partition of the training instances but the other algorithm is judged more accurate at the p e 0.05 level with an alternate partition. We recommend a new significance procedure that involves performing cross-validation using multiple instance-space partitions. Significance is determined by applying the paired Student t-test separately to the results from each cross-validation partition, averaging their values, and converting this averaged value into a significance value.
Flag-symmetric and Locally Rank-symmetric Partially Ordered Sets

For every finite graded poset $P$ with $\hat{0}$ and $\hat{1}$ we associate a certain formal power series $F_P(x) = F_P(x_1,x_2,\dots)$ which encodes the flag $f$-vector (or flag $h$-vector) of $P$. A relative version $F_{P/\Gamma}$ is also defined, where $\Gamma$ is a subcomplex of the order complex of $P$. We are interested in the situation where $F_P$ or $F_{P/\Gamma}$ is a symmetric function of $x_1,x_2,\dots$. When $F_P$ or $F_{P/\Gamma}$ is symmetric we consider its expansion in terms of various symmetric function bases, especially the Schur functions. For a class of lattices called $q$-primary lattices the Schur function coefficients are just values of Kostka polynomials at the prime power $q$, thus giving in effect a simple new definition of Kostka polynomials in terms of symmetric functions. We extend the theory of lexicographically shellable posets to the relative case in order to show that some examples $(P,\Gamma)$ are relative Cohen-Macaulay complexes. Some connections with the representation theory of the symmetric group and its Hecke algebra are also discussed.
Pregnancy and Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Most women with known congenital heart disease can have successful pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Preconception assessment is essential in understanding anatomy, repairs, and current physiology, all of which can influence risk in pregnancy. With that foundation, a multidisciplinary cardio-obstetric team can predict and prepare for complications that may occur with superimposed hemodynamic changes of pregnancy. Individuals with Eisenmenger syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, cyanosis, significant left heart obstruction, ventricular dysfunction, or prior major cardiac event are among the highest risk for complications.
Defective Ribosomal Products Are the Major Source of Antigenic Peptides Endogenously Generated from Influenza A Virus Neuraminidase

The defective ribosomal product (DRiP) hypothesis of endogenous Ag processing posits that rapidly degraded forms of nascent proteins are a major source of peptide ligands for MHC class I molecules. Although there is broad experimental support for the DRiP hypothesis, careful kinetic analysis of the generation of defined peptide class I complexes has been limited to studies of recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing genes derived from other organisms. In this study, we show that insertion of the SIINFEKL peptide into the stalk of influenza A virus neuraminidase (NA) does not detectably modify NA folding, degradation, transport, or sp. act. when expressed in its natural context of influenza A virus infection. Using the 25-D1.16 mAb specific for K(b)-SIINFEKL to precisely quantitate cell surface complexes by flow cytometry, we demonstrate that SIINFEKL is generated in complete lockstep with initiation and abrogation of NA biosynthesis in both L-K(b) fibroblast cells and DC2.4 dendritic/monocyte cells. SIINFEKL presentation requires active proteasomes and TAP, consistent with its generation from a cytosolic DRiP pool. From the difference in the shutoff kinetics of K(b)-SIINFEKL complex expression following protein synthesis versus proteasome inhibition, we estimate that the t(1/2) of the biosynthetic source of NA peptide is approximately 5 min. These observations extend the relevance of the DRiP hypothesis to viral proteins generated in their natural context.
Metabolism of S-Adenosyl-l-homocysteine in Vivo by the Rat

Abstract After intravenous injection of S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine-3H (homocysteine-labeled) into rats, less than 15% of the radioisotope was incorporated into protein methionine or excreted in the urine as α-ketobutyrate. The remaining radioisotope was found associated with an unknown keto acid excreted in the urine. Intravenous injection of S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine-35S or S-adenosyl-3H-l-homocysteine (adenosine-labeled) revealed that both the sulfur atom and purine moiety remained associated with this compound. These findings suggest that S-adenosylhomocysteine undergoes direct deamination. This compound was isolated by ion exchange chromatography and precipitated with phosphotungstic acid. After decomposition of the phosphotungstate complex with organic solvents, crystallization was effected from aqueous ethanol. This compound has an absorption maximum at 262 mµ, em = 12,300, is ninhydrin-negative, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-positive, reduces platinic iodide, and reacts with orcinol. Further analytical data including elemental analysis and infrared spectral analysis indicate the chemical structure of this compound to be S-adenosyl-γ-thio-α-ketobutyrate.
Cloning of the phs genetic locus from Salmonella typhimurium and a role for a phs product in its own induction.

Abstract The Salmonella typhimurium phs chromosomal locus essential for the reduction of thiosulfate to hydrogen sulfide was cloned, and some features of its regulation were examined. The phs locus conferred H2S production on Escherichia coli, suggesting that it contains the structural gene for thiosulfate reductase. H2S production by the E. coli host was, as in S. typhimurium, suppressed by nitrate or glucose in the growth medium. The presence of plasmid-borne phs genes in a S. typhimurium chl+ host containing a chromosomal phs::lacZ operon fusion was found to significantly increase the relative induction efficiency of beta-galactosidase by thiosulfate. These results are consistent with a model for phs regulation in which the true inducer is not thiosulfate per se and in which the action of a phs-encoded molybdoprotein, possibly the reductase itself, converts thiosulfate into a compound that resembles the true inducer more closely than does thiosulfate.
Revisiones y reversos de Rima de Vallbona: "Beto y Betina"

Revisiones y reversos de Rima de Vallbona: 'Beto y Betina' es el microtitulo de este articulo; el macrotitulo de todo el proyecto es "Femenina, feminista y fantastica." Es obvio que la obravallboniana es femenina y feminista- y fantastica en terminos de la calidad.
The relationship between surface temperature and a spectral vegetation index of a tallgrass prairie : effects of burning and other landscape controls

Site-to-site variability in the relation between remotely-sensed surface temperatures (Ts) and the normalized difference spectral vegetation index (NDVI) of a tallgrass prairie was investigated. The primary objective was to determine whether the proportion of burnt/unburnt area within a sub-scene affected the Ts-NDVI regression slope (SL). Regression analyses confirmed that burn treatments, particularly on steep slopes, were responsible for most of the observed variability in SL while soil moisture content and the forested areas also had a significant effect on SL.
Physiologic and clinical assessment of patients with rectoanal intussusception

The aims of this study were (1) to establish an objective baseline to assess the severity of rectoanal intussusception by the depth of rectal infolding and (2) to compare manometric and defecographic parameters in patients to validate this new objective classification of intussusception. Between July 1988 and September 1997, 224 patients with rectoanal intussusception confirmed by cinedefecography who underwent anal manometry were evaluated. These patients were classified into two groups based on the depth infolding: group I (n = 163), intussusception 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed manometric and symptomatic differences relative to the size of the intussusception. The decreased pressure seen in patients with larger intussusception may auger for the subsequent development of incontinence in these patients.
Building Across Fault Lines in Qualitative Research

As the field of qualitative research has grown larger and the application of mixed methods has become common, methodological distinctions—and the core assumptions that underlie these distinctions—have faded in prominence. This article examines the epistemological, methodological, and methodical assumptions that define some of the fault lines between approaches to qualitative research. The metaphor of fault lines is introduced to highlight the shifting grounds within and across established traditions in qualitative research, as well as the ways in which researchers may respond to these dynamics. Included in this discussion will be the conflicting viewpoints regarding the epistemological position of the subject, as well as key points of contrast between empirical, rhetorical, and performative research. As a reference point for both designing and evaluating research in light of these distinctions, the term structural integrity is introduced. The implications of this term for the continued development of a ri...
BODY‐VESSEL‐MATRIX: CO‐CREATIVE IMAGES OF SYNERGETIC UNIVERSE

: In his essay “Goddesses of the Twenty-first Century,” R. Buckminster Fuller's use of woman and goddess as metaphor suggests a fruitful source of images illuminating synergetic principles. Using five images, clustered as odyvessel-matrix, the article suggests an epistemology and a heuristic for connecting the personal-physical and the universal-metaphysical. These images are (1) the Egyptian goddess Nut, (2) the Greek earth goddesses, (3) Neolithic Maltese goddess temples, (4) the double spiral, and (5) the Apollo Mission's Earth photographs. These images are intended as transformational synergetic/ecofeminist figures to replace images of deprivation, alienation, and destruction with images of abundance, intimacy, and co-creation.
Site selective substitution Pt for Ti in KTiOPO4:Ga crystals revealed by electron paramagnetic resonance

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance at low temperatures has been used to characterize potassium titanyl phosphate (KTiOPO4) single crystals grown by different techniques. Irradiation with 20 MeV electrons performed at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature caused an appearance of electrons and holes. Platinum impurities act as electron traps in KTiOPO4 creating Pt3+ centers. Two different Pt3+ centers were observed, Pt(A) and Pt(D). The Pt(A) centers are dominant in undoped samples, whereas Pt(D)—in Ga-doped KTP crystals. Superhyperfine structure registered for Pt(D) centers was attributed to interactions of platinum electrons with 39K and two 31P nuclei in their surroundings. In both Pt(A) and Pt(D) centers, Pt3+ ions substitute for Ti4+ ions, but with a preference to one of two electrically distinct crystallographic positions. The site selective substitution can be controlled by the Ga-doping.
Structural elucidation of the reductive methylation by-product of glycophorin AM

Abstract The structural anomaly observed when glycophorin A M is subjected to reductive methylation with 13 C-enriched formaldehyde was investigated. A pyrylium salt was used to specifically block the ϵ-amino groups of the five lysine residues present in the glycophorin A M molecule. Consequently, methylation then only occurred at the α-amino group of the N-terminal Ser residue. Our spectral results from these studies strongly suggest that the by-product observed during the reductive methylation o glycophorin A is a head-to-head intermolecular dimer joined by the N-terminal Ser residues using the formaldehyde carbon as a methylene bridge.
Thioredoxin-like protein 6 (TXNL6) is an H2O2-inducible reducing system for methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) repair of oxidized proteins whose expression increases upon aging in the human lens

Purpose TXNL6 is a thioredoxin-like protein and we hypothesized that it could function as a reducing system for MsrA repair of methionine sulfoxide inactivated proteins. We therefore examined the levels of TXNL6 in multiple tissues, its subcellular localizatioin in lens cells, its oxidative-stress induction in lens cells and its ability to serve as a reducing system for MsrA repair of the two key lens proteins α-crystallin and cytochrome c (Cyt c). Methods TXNL6 mRNA and protein levels were analyzed in human lens epithelia and fiber, and its protein levels evaluated in aging whole human lenses. TXNL6 was localized in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells. TXNL6 induction was evaluated in HLE cells exposed to H2O2. The ability of TXNL6 to serve as a reducing system for MsrA repair of met-oxidizedα-crystallin and Cyt c was evaluated. Results TXNL6 was expressed at both the transcript and protein levels in lens epithelia, lens fiber cells and multiple other human tissues. Interestingly, protein levels of TXNL6 increased with age in human lenses. TXNL6 was localized to the mitochondria and cytosol of lens cells. TXNL6 was highly induced by H2O2-oxidative stress treatment. TXNL6 served as a reducing system for MsrA repair of α-crystallin and Cyt c in vitro. Conclusion TXNL6 is expressed by the human lens. Its levels increase in the lens with age and it is induced at high levels upon oxidative stress treatment. Importantly, TXNL6 can act as a reducing system for MsrA repair of critical lens proteins suggesting it plays a critical role in lens repair, defense against oxidative stress and prevention of cataract formation.
Coupling technical informationgenerators and exploiters

Organizational separation between the research and development functions in industry and in government laboratories offers significant administrative conveniences. There is a possible hidden, associated cost, however, in terms of added impedance to the flow of technical information between the separated groups. This paper reports the results of a deliberate effort to circumvent an assumed communication barrier and a limited test of the validity of that assumption.
Strain vulnerability and resiliency in the chick anxiety–depression model

Abstract Increasing research is focused on genetic contributions to variability in stress-related endophenotypes in humans and animal model simulations. The current study sought to identify strain vulnerabilities and resiliencies to an isolation-stressor in the chick anxiety–depression model. Nine different strains of socially raised chicks were tested in isolated or non-isolated conditions for 90 min in which distress vocalization (DVoc) rates were collected and then transformed to depression-like phase threshold (@ 25, 50, 75 and 95%) latencies. In general, chicks in the non-isolated condition displayed relatively low DVoc rates throughout the test session, despite some variability in initial rates. Chicks in the isolated condition displayed relatively high DVoc rates in the first 3 min, indicative of an anxiety-like state, which declined by approximately 50% within 10–25 min in all strains and remained stable thereafter, indicative of a depression-like state. Contrast effects revealed that, relative to all other strains, the Black Australorp strain displayed shorter and the Producrain displayed longer depression threshold latencies, respectively. Of the remaining strains, the Silver Laced Wyandotte displayed depression thresholds that best represent an intermediate stress response. These findings identify vulnerable and resilient strains for examining depression-related endophenotypes in the chick anxiety–depression model.
Needlescopic Splenectomy: A Safer Alternative to Single Incision Laparoscopic Splenectomy (SILS)

Sir, I read with interest the article authored by Barbaros and Dinccag on “Single Incision Laparoscopic Splenectomy: The first two cases.” The authors claimed that current efforts aimed at reducing morbidity associated with minimally invasive surgery have been due to two “recent innovations” being developed, including transumbilical surgery with one very large port having three working channels, or three ports within the umbilicus, called single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). The authors may have been unaware of the interim development of needlescopic surgery in the mid-90s, in which a major umbilical trocar of 12 mm is used for vision, stapling, clipping, energy sources, and extraction sites, whereas 2 mm or less instruments are used in the periphery (i.e., subcostal left for a splenectomy) for retraction. A needlescopic endoscope was used when the umbilical channel was used for major work. This concept is the same as the transumbilical endoscopic surgery or SILS used in many recent publications, with the exception that additional needlescopic instruments used permits triangulation in surgical complex tasks, conferring a safer surgical dissection. Even in many publications of SILS nowadays, needlescopic instruments are often added to complement the surgical tasks. Indications for splenectomy of this type remain most likely in the domain of smaller spleens, benign disorders, and cysts. Splenic cysts can be marsupialized nicely with only a 12or even 5-mm umbilical trocars with two or three (2–3 mm) trocars in the left subcostal area. My personal experience of needlescopic splenectomy, which started at the Cleveland Clinic in 1996, has demonstrated that in five cases (torsion, ITP, cyst, hereditary spherocystosis, and lymphoproliferative disorder), the mean operative time was 90 min compared to 186 min in 29 laparoscopic conventional splenectomies, the estimated blood loss had been reduced by a magnitude of fivefold, followed by a faster oral intake and shorter hospital stay (1.0 versus 5.5 days). The scar after needlescopic surgery is very negligible and non-existent after 12 months, achieving similar cosmetic results to SILS (even better if the umbilical scar in SILS has been extended in the periumbilical sphere). Further, I would argue that pain scores (no narcotics necessary!) maybe the same or better than SILS, due to higher trauma to the periumbilical area in single port surgery using diameters reaching >20 mm. Finally, the long-term herniation risks in the periumbilical area will be exponential to the diameter of umbilical destruction (much higher in SILS) and will require a mesh repair at a later time. This mesh repair will, undoubtedly, prevent another SILS in the future.
Sex differences in insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease risk.

Context: The possibility that differences in insulin sensitivity explain why women, especially younger women, have a lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk than men remains an unsettled issue. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether sex disparities in CVD risk are associated with differences in insulin resistance. Design/Setting/Participants: This was a cross-sectional study of women (n = 468) and men (n = 354) who had the measurement of CVD risk factors and steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration (insulin resistance) using the insulin suppression test. The population was also divided by median age (51 y) to evaluate the effect of age on sex differences. Main Outcome Measures/Results: In general, the SSPG concentration was similar between sexes. At higher BMI (≥30 kg/m2), women had significantly lower SSPG concentration than men (sex × BMI interaction, P = .001). However, sex differences in CVD risk factors were not due to differences in SSPG but accentuated by a higher de...