cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual Labors: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Toward Sex as Work

What constitutes ‘sex’ and defines ‘labor’ has varied across time and space, we have learned over the last 35 years through an explosion of monographs and articles in the history and sociology of sexuality and labor studies. But rarely has the new labor studies, with its attention to gender, race, and ethnicity and its consideration of unpaid as well as paid work, put sexual labors at the center of its focus. Even the rich literature on prostitution more likely has come out of women’s studies than labor studies. Similarly, scholarship on sexuality focuses more on sex acts and identities than on markets, work culture, labor standards, collective action, and occupational segregation – the stuff of labor studies. The referents and literature for these fields stand apart – despite the growth of LGBTQ caucuses in the labor movement, renewed feminist debates over sex work, and the commercialization and proliferation of sexual services and unionization of exotic dancers. To situate our discussion of sex work within discourses of labor studies, we insist on using the term ‘sexual labor’. We move away from the term ‘sex work’, which is a politically laden concept that seeks to argue against the notion that prostitution is inherently harmful to women. By problematizing the term ‘sex work’, the essays in this volume refuse to fall prey to the debate on whether sex work is a legitimate form of labor or prostitution is a form of sexual slavery (Alexander, 1998; Barry, 1995; Clement, 2006; Duggan and Hunter, 1995; Outshoorn, 2005). Instead, we engage the concept of ‘sexual labor’ so as to expand discussions on commercial sex as an economic and labor enterprise in which workers Introduction
Hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin bonded superficially porous particle-based HILIC stationary phases

ABSTRACT(R,S)-Hydroxypropyl-modified β-cyclodextrin (RSP-CD) is a well-known chiral stationary phase. In this work, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic (HILIC) selectivities of RSP-CD was demonstrated. Further, an evaluation of chromatographic performances of fully porous particles (FPPs)- and superficially porous particles (SPPs)-based RSP-CD stationary phases was performed. The RSP-CD-bonded SPP-based stationary phase showed faster and more efficient HILIC separations compared to the FPP-based stationary phases. In addition, the SPP-based RSP-CD stationary phase showed excellent selectivities for many classes of small polar molecules. Since the SPP-based stationary phase is allowed for separations performed at high flow rates without significant loss of efficiency, ultrafast separations (analysis times under 1 min) also was accomplished utilizing SPP-based RSP-CD stationary phase.
Defects in THO/TREX-2 function cause accumulation of novel cytoplasmic mRNP granules that can be cleared by autophagy

The nuclear THO and TREX-2 complexes are implicated in several steps of nuclear mRNP biogenesis, including transcription, 3' end processing and export. In a recent genomic microscopy screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for mutants with constitutive stress granules, we identified that absence of THO and TREX-2 complex subunits leads to the accumulation of Pab1-GFP in cytoplasmic foci. We now show that these THO/TREX-2 mutant induced foci ("TT foci") are not stress granules but instead are a mRNP granule containing poly(A)(+) mRNA, some mRNP components also found in stress granules, as well several proteins involved in mRNA 3' end processing and export not normally seen in stress granules. In addition, TT foci are resistant to cycloheximide-induced disassembly, suggesting the presence of mRNPs impaired for entry into translation. THO mutants also exhibit defects in normal stress granule assembly. Finally, our data also suggest that TT foci are targeted by autophagy. These observations argue that defects in nuclear THO and TREX-2 complexes can affect cytoplasmic mRNP function by producing aberrant mRNPs that are exported to cytosol, where they accumulate in TT foci and ultimately can be cleared by autophagy. This identifies a novel mechanism of quality control for aberrant mRNPs assembled in the nucleus.
Spontaneous Pregnancy in Women with a Prolactin-Producing Pituitary Adenoma

The occurrence of spontaneous pregnancy in patients with amenorrhea-galactorrhea, hyperprolactinemia, and radiographic evidence of a pituitary tumor is unusual. We present here two patients who conceived spontaneously. One had an uneventful pregnancy. Following delivery, transsphenoidal pituitary surgery was performed, confirming the presence of a prolactin-producing adenoma. The second patient had an early pregnancy termination (at 12 weeks of gestation). These patients provide evidence that ovulation and pregnancy can occur in spite of elevated prolactin levels.
Rural economies and leadership change in Central Asia

ABSTRACTThis article applies a political economy approach to questions of presidential succession in Central Asia. Using the cases of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, it examines how institutions governing rural economies generate, channel and distribute rents within these authoritarian regimes. In some, these institutions concentrate rents under long-standing rulers; in others they diffuse rents away from rulers. The article then specifies obstacles to leadership change that arise from these rural economies, and the crises those obstacles may pose for authoritarian regimes in the region.
Revisiting software transactional memory in Haskell

Software Transactional Memory (STM) has become very popular in Haskell. Currently, there are nearly 500 packages on Haskell’s package archive that directly use STM. Despite the widespread use in real world applications, Haskell’s STM implementation has seen very few updates since its introduction in 2005. In this work, we describe our efforts to redesign the STM implementation in the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC), based on a TL2-like implementation that is able to support both orElse and retry without the use of traditional nested transactions. We argue that our implementation is simpler than the current GHC implementation while supporting opacity. We also demonstrate that our implementation performs better than the current GHC implementation on a number of benchmarks by multiple orders of magnitude for long-running transactions. In an effort to measure the performance of orElse and retry, we present an STM-based work stealing scheduler. With orElse and retry, we are able to elegantly implement the scheduler in just a few lines of code. We have modified the Par Monad, a real-world Haskell package that provides deterministic parallelism, to use our STM-based work stealing scheduler and show that it is not only simpler but is able to perform as well as the current scheduler.
Protein-ligand Binding Assay by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

1. Purified protein (preferred in solution without any detergent like Tween, Triton, etc., concentration > 1 mM) 2. Small molecule standard (best of highest available purity/grade, dissolved in the same solution used for proteins, in a 2-fold series of 10x desired concentration) Note: To minimize organic solvent effect on binding, the stock solution has to be diluted in the same series in organic solvent first, and then mixed into the aqueous solution to make final standards. 3. Zeba spin desalting columns micro (Pierce Antibodies, catalog number: 89877 and 89878) 4. Methanol (mass spec grade)
Kinetic energy dependence of carrier diffusion in a GaAs epilayer studied by wavelength selective PL imaging

Abstract Photoluminescence (PL) imaging has been shown to be an efficient technique for investigating carrier diffusion in semiconductors. In the past, the measurement was typically carried out by measuring at one wavelength (e.g., at the band gap) or simply the whole emission band. At room temperature in a semiconductor like GaAs, the band-to-band PL emission may occur in a spectral range over 200 meV, vastly exceeding the average thermal energy of about 26 meV. To investigate the potential dependence of the carrier diffusion on the carrier kinetic energy, we performed wavelength selective PL imaging on a GaAs double hetero-structure in a spectral range from about 70 meV above to 50 meV below the bandgap, extracting the carrier diffusion lengths at different PL wavelengths by fitting the imaging data to a theoretical model. The results clearly show that the locally generated carriers of different kinetic energies mostly diffuse together, maintaining the same thermal distribution throughout the diffusion process. Potential effects related to carrier density, self-absorption, lateral wave-guiding, and local heating are also discussed.
Potential of Personal Health Record Portals in the Care of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries and Disorders: Provider Perspectives

Context/Objective: Although personal health record (PHR) portals are designed for patients, healthcare providers are a key influence in how patients use their features and realize benefits from them. A few studies have examined provider attitudes toward PHR portals, but none have focused on those who care for individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). We characterize SCI/D provider perspectives of PHR portals, including perceived advantages and disadvantages of PHR portal use in SCI/D care.Design: Cross-sectional; semi-structured interviews.Setting: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Centers in the Veterans Health Administration.Participants: Twenty-six SCI/D healthcare providers.Interventions: None.Outcome Measures: Perceived advantages and disadvantages of PHR portals.Results: The complex situations of individuals with SCI/D shaped provider perspectives of PHR portals and their potential role in practice. Perceived advantages of PHR portal use in SCI/D care included the ability to coordinate inf...
ROLE OF PROTEASES IN THE SECRETION OF LYSOZYME, OVOMUCOID, CONALBUMIN AND OVALBUMIN FROM THE CHICK OVIDUCT

ABSTRACT Oviduct mRNA was translated in a modified reticulocyte lysate. Lysozyme, ovomucoid, and conalbumin were synthesized as precursors with NH 2 -terminal extensions of 18, 24 and 19 residues, respectively. These extensions were sequenced by labeling them with combinations of radioactive amino acids, isolating them by immunoprecipitation, and degrading them by automated Edman degradation. The radioactive PTH-amino acids were then separated by high pressure liquid chromatography. In each case we identified the primary translation product by incorporation of labeled methionine from initiator Met-tRNAf. These sequences resemble the “signal peptides” of other secretory proteins in their length and hydrophobicity. In contrast, ovalbumin is not synthesized as a precursor in the reticulocyte lysate or in vivo. The initiator methionine is cleaved when the nascent ovalbumin polypeptide is 19–22 residues long and the new NH 2 -terminal glycine is acetylated when the peptides are about 44 residues long. We developed techniques to prevent acetylation of ovalbumin in the lysate and then sequenced the NH 2 -terminal 35 amino acids. This sequence is recognized as that of secreted ovalbumin and does not resemble the “signal peptides” of the other egg white proteins. Since all of these proteins are made in the same tubular gland cells, we conclude that there are at least two different mechanisms of protein secretion and that proteolysis of “signal peptides” is not essential for secretion.
The binding entropy of point defects to dislocations

Abstract The vibrational entropy of a solid containing a number of point defects and a single dislocation has been calculated by decoupling the dislocation vibrational modes from the parent lattice modes. Assuming that the point defects interact strongly with the dislocation, but not with each other, the various vibrational entropy contributions to the binding free energy then can be determined. It is found that, in addition to the expected contributions that depend linearly on the concentration of point defects, a nonlinear term exists which becomes most important for dilute solutions. The latter contribution alters the expression that describes the degree of segregation of point defects at the core of dislocations.
ZnAlxCo2-xO4 Spinels as Cathode Materials for Non-Aqueous Zn Batteries with an Open Circuit Voltage of ≤2 V

Rechargeable Zn batteries are promising energy storage alternatives for Li-ion batteries in part because of the high specific and volumetric capacities of Zn anodes, as well as their low cost, improved prospects for safety, and the fact that they are environmentally friendly. Development efforts, however, have focused mostly on aqueous electrolyte systems, which are intrinsically limited by the narrow electrochemical potential window of water. As a consequence, the use of alternative non-aqueous electrolytes has attracted a growing level of interest with the hope that they may provide higher operational voltages, which potentially could provide viable pathways to high-energy and high-power density Zn batteries. With regard to the latter, the considerable progress made in developing useful non-aqueous electrolyte chemistries for Zn anodes has not been matched by correlated progress regarding the development of useful cathode materials. In this work, a new series of spinels, ZnAlxCo2–xO4, are reported and t...
NS- Pten knockout mice show sex- and age-specific differences in ultrasonic vocalizations.

Objective The goal of this study was to identify changes in quantitative and qualitative aspects of neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations USVs in neuron-subset specific (NS-Pten) knockout males and females when compared with wild-type male and female mice. Background One signaling cascade that plays a crucial role in the development of an autistic-like phenotype is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Mouse models that illustrate this connection include Fmr1, Tsc1, and NS-Pten-deficient mice. While numerous studies have investigated ultrasonic vocalizations in Fmr1 knockout and Tsc1 heterogenous mice, none have investigated USVs in NS-Pten knockout mice using a full spectrum recording system. Methods We recorded ultrasonic vocalizations from NS-Pten wild-type and knockout male and female mice on postnatal days 8 and 11. On these days, we measured the number and quality of calls emitted from pups when they were removed from their mothers. Results We found that knockout pups emitted fewer vocalizations for both sexes (p < .05). Knockout males had calls of a shorter duration and lower peak amplitude on day 8, while showing a shorter duration, lower peak amplitude, and higher peak and fundamental frequency on day 11 (p < .001). Knockout females vocalized at a lower peak amplitude and fundamental frequency, and a higher peak frequency on day 8, while showing a shorter duration and a higher peak and fundamental frequency on day 11 (p < .001). Spectrographic analyses also revealed significant differences in call type for both genotypes and sexes (p < .05). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that deletion of NS-Pten results in significant decreases in vocalizations across both sexes. Additionally, our findings indicate that the aberrant vocalizations and increased call duration seen in other mTOR models are also present in NS-Pten knockout mice. Our study provides evidence of a connection between hyperactive mTOR signaling and neonatal ultrasonic vocalizations.
The Spook of Modern Technology and the Generosity of Music

In an era of modern technology, totalizing cultural advances appear to threaten what is true. This chapter brings into conversation concepts from The Princeton Radio Research Project led by Paul Lazarsfeld (1901–1976) and Theodor Adorno (1903–1969), and the Bremen Lectures (“Insight into That Which Is”) by Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), to inform my phenomenological and theological reading of ubiquitous music. I assert that the world continues to resonate with music of infinite generosity in an inescapable technological age, just as it has in every era.
Embezzlement and High Treason in Louis XIV's France: The Trial of Nicolas Fouquet. By Vincent J. Pitts. (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. Pp. ix, 240. $44.95.)

This smoothly written, readable book examines the trial of Nicolas Fouquet, the influential, experienced superintendent of finances whom King Louis XIV inherited when he began his personal reign in...
Do Color Blindness and Multiculturalism Remedy or Foster Discrimination and Racism

This article offers insight from psychological science into whether models of diversity (e.g., color blindness and multiculturalism) remedy or foster discrimination and racism. First, we focus on implications of a color-blind model. Here, the literature suggests that while color blindness appeals to some individuals, it can decrease individuals’ sensitivity to racism and discrimination. Furthermore, the literature suggests that, with some exceptions, color blindness has negative implications for interracial interactions, minorities’ perceptions and outcomes, and the pursuit of diversity and inclusion in organizational contexts. Second, we examine circumstances under which a multicultural approach yields positive or negative implications for interracial interactions, organizational diversity efforts, and discrimination. The research reviewed coalesces to suggest that while multiculturalism generally has more positive implications for people of color, both models have the potential to further inequality.
E-Glass/Vinylester Composites in Aqueous Environments – I: Experimental Results

2- and 4-layered specimens of E-Glass/Vinylester fabricated from uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial, non-woven fabrics processed using the resin infusion process are immersed in deionized water at 23 °C (73 °F) and 60 °C (140 °F), and a potassium based pH 10 buffer at 73 °F, for a period of 57 weeks in order to investigate durability in aqueous environments. It is shown that the coefficients of apparent diffusion and levels of moisture gain are the highest for the deionized water immersed samples at 60 °C (140 °F), and this results in the highest levels of tensile strength and modulus degradation. Tensile tests show the presence of an aqueous medium based post-cure that competes with the conventionally recognized mechanisms of deterioration in the resin, at the level of the fiber-matrix interface, and in the fiber, resulting in a retardation of absolute level of effects. It is also shown that effects of the immersion are different in the warp and fill directions and can in fact be affected by intricacies of the fabric architecture and thickness. It is shown that damage takes place through interface debonding and degradation as well as fiber pitting, and cracking, each of which serve as the means for renewed absorption of water resulting in moisture uptake at levels above the initial plateau. Effects of immersion on short-beam-shear strength and glass transition temperature are also elucidated.
A Methodology for Adapting to Patterns of Faults

In this paper, we present a language framework for describing dependable systems. Our framework emphasizes modularity and composition. The dependability and functionality aspects of an application may be described independently, providing separation of design concerns. Furthermore, the dependability protocols of an application may be constructed bottom-up as simple protocols that are composed into more complex protocols. Composition makes it easier to reason about the behavior of complex protocols and supports the construction of generic reusable dependability schemes. A significant aspect of our language framework is that dependability protocols may be loaded into a running application and installed dynamically. Dynamic installation makes it possible to impose additional dependability protocols on a server as clients with new dependability demands are integrated into a system. Similarly, if a given dependability protocol is only necessary during some particular phase of execution it may be installed during that period only.
Angelique Kidjo: Diva with a Heart

This is a professional profile of Africa's vibrant woman singer, performer and songwriter, Angelique Kidjo.
Immunologic and electronmicroscopic characteristics of a case of immunoblastic lymphadenopathy.

A new disease entity of the lymphoid system has recently been reported by Lukes and Tindle as immunoblastic lymphadenopathy16 and by Frizzera and associates as angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia.7 Reported herein are cytologic, histologic, ultrastructural and immunologic studies of several tissues of a patient with this disorder. In addition to confirming the previous observations that the main cellular constituents in the affected tissue consist of immunoblasts, plasmacytoid lymphocytes and plasma cells,7,16 the authors have demonstrated a profound deficiency of T lymphocytes in this patient. The previously described amorphous interstitial material7,16 appears to represent multiple small cytoplasmic fragments. The histiocytic component, which appears in variable amounts in this disease, in the reported case was very active in phagocytizing cellular and nuclear debris, some of which appeared to be lymphocytic in origin. A rubella infection preceded the onset of the disorder by 3 months.
Numerous small rearrangements of gene content, order and orientation differentiate grass genomes

Comparative genetic mapping has indicated that the grass family (Poaceae) exhibits extensive chromosomal collinearity. In order to investigate microcollinearity in these genomes, several laboratories have begun to undertake comparative DNA sequence analyses of orthologous chromosome segments from various grass species. Five different regions have now been investigated in detail, with four regions sequenced for maize, rice and sorghum, plus two for wheat and one for barley. In all five of these segments, gene rearrangements were observed in at least one of the comparisons. Most of the detected rearrangements are small, involving the inversion, duplication, translocation or deletion of DNA segments that contain only 1-3 genes. Even closely related species, like barley and wheat or maize and sorghum, exhibit approximately 20% alterations in gene content or orientation. These results indicate that thousands of small genetic rearrangements have occurred in several grass lineages since their divergence from common ancestors. These rearrangements have largely been missed by genetic mapping and will both complicate and enrich the use of comparative genetics in the grasses.
Philosophical and Critical Method

In this chapter, I discuss Wang Chong’s philosophical and critical method, beginning with his arguments in defense of “creation” (zuo) as a legitimate tool in the service of discovery of truths. I then offer an account of the method of questioning and challenging (wen nan) as described primarily in the Wenkong (“Questioning Confucius”) chapter. I explain the operation, purpose, and application of Wang’s method, and give an account of how we might understand the purpose of the Lunheng as a whole as expression of this method. I also attempt to account for a number of inconsistencies between chapters of the text through reference to this method. I move on to discuss Wang Chong’s account of knowledge, engaging with current interpretations and offering an interpretation of Wang Chong as developing a pluralist theory of knowledge.
Low-Field Alignment of Anisotropic Bonded Magnets for Additive Manufacturing of Permanent Magnet Motors

Additive manufacturing techniques for fabricating bonded magnets have the potential to reduce manufacturing cost and time-to-market of products and address the criticality of rare-earth elements (REEs), which is a concern for economic design of dependent applications such as permanent magnet machines. We investigated the magnetic alignment of anisotropic bonded magnet material comprising 65 vol.% Nd-Fe-B in nylon-12 produced by extrusion in a 20-W brushless direct current surface permanent magnet motor for submersible water pump application using finite element analysis. The results predict that sufficient alignment for this application could be obtained at low alignment fields (μ0H ≤ 1 T) with a reduction in the volume of critical materials by up to 40% compared with isotropic permanent magnets. This demonstrates the economic feasibility of incorporating a magnetic alignment field source into additive manufacturing systems for bonded magnets, and the potential of aligned anisotropic bonded magnets to address REE criticality.
Exploitation and consent

To exploit someone is to take unfair advantage of their vulnerability or weakness. But are exploitative interactions necessarily non-consensual? This essay explores the relationship between exploitation and consent, and argues that exploitative exchanges need not involve any defect in consent. Nor do defects in consent such as coercion or ignorance necessarily render an interaction wrongfully exploitative. Defects in consent are thus neither necessary nor sufficient for exploitation, though they may be relevant in determining its moral weight and moral force.
Hiding Data in Plain Sight: Undetectable Wireless Communications Through Pseudo-Noise Asymmetric Shift Keying

Undetectable wireless transmissions are fundamental to avoid eavesdroppers or censorship by authoritarian governments. To address this issue, wireless steganography “hides” covert information inside primary information by slightly modifying the transmitted waveform such that primary information will still be decodable, while covert information will be seen as noise by agnostic receivers. Since the addition of covert information inevitably decreases the SNR of the primary transmission, a key challenge in wireless steganography is to mathematically analyze and optimize the impact of the covert channel on the primary channel as a function of different channel conditions. Another core issue is to make sure that the covert channel is almost undetectable by eavesdroppers. Existing approaches are protocol-specific and thus their performance cannot be assessed and optimized in general scenarios. To address this research gap, we notice that existing wireless technologies rely on phase-keying modulations (e.g., BPSK, QPSK) that in most cases do not use the channel up to its Shannon capacity. Therefore, the residual capacity can be leveraged to implement a wireless system based on a pseudo-noise asymmetric shift keying (PN-ASK) modulation, where covert symbols are mapped by shifting the amplitude of primary symbols. This way, covert information will be undetectable, since a receiver expecting phase-modulated symbols will see their shift in amplitude as an effect of channel/path loss degradation. Through rigorous mathematical analysis, we first investigate the SER of PN-ASK as a function of the channel; then, we find the optimal PN-ASK parameters that optimize primary and covert throughput under different channel condition. We evaluate the throughput performance and undetectability of PN-ASK through extensive simulations and on an experimental testbed based on USRP N210 software-defined radios. Results indicate that PN-ASK improves the throughput by more than 8x with respect to prior art. Finally, we demonstrate through experiments that PN-ASK is able to transmit covert data on top of IEEE 802.11g frames, which are correctly decoded by an off-the-shelf laptop WiFi card without any hardware modifications.
Abstract P040: Body Mass Index, Sedentary Lifestyle, and Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease

Importance: Obesity has been related to sedentary lifestyle, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD); however, no study has assessed the causal link between obesity, sedentary lifesty...
Scheduling multi-component maintenance with a greedy heuristic local search algorithm

As many large-scale systems age, and due to budgetary and performance efficiency concerns, there is a need to improve the decision-making process for system sustainment, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations and the acquisition of MRO parts. To help address the link between sustainment policies and acquisition, this work develops a greedy heuristic-based local search algorithm (GHLSA) to provide a system maintenance schedule for multi-component systems, coordinating recommended component maintenance times to reduce system downtime costs, thereby enabling effective acquisition. The proposed iterative algorithm aims to minimize the sum of downtime, earliness and tardiness costs of scheduling, which contains three phases: (1) the construction phase, which uses a heuristic to construct an initial partial solution, (2) an improvement phase, which aims to improve the partial solution generated in the construction phase, and finally, (3) a local search phase, which performs a local search technique to the partial solution found in the improvement phase. The proposed algorithm makes a trade-off between exploration and exploitation of solutions. The experimental results for small (10 jobs) and large size (50 jobs) problems indicate that GHLSA outperforms both genetic algorithm and simulated annealing approaches in terms of solution quality and is similar in terms of efficiency.
Thermal Energy Storage Systems

One way of improving resiliency in industrial and energy-intensive infrastructures, particularly those with renewable energy production, is combining the grid with energy storage systems. Among various forms of energy, thermal energy is extensively available such as waste heat energy in manufacturing systems or solar thermal energy that can be harvested in a sustainable form. The concept behind thermal energy storage (TES) systems is to store thermal energy in a medium for a later use. TES systems can be categorized into three main sections of sensible, Latent and thermo-chemical TES systems. The poor rate of storage and release of thermal energy, lack or reliability and maturity, and limitation in storage capacity are the main drawbacks of existing TES systems, impede their real-world use in industry. This chapter provides an introduction to these TES systems and provides a summary of researchers’ efforts to overcome the challenges exist in utilizing these TES systems in industry. Furthermore, the details of potential application of TES systems are provided.
Secession and the Prevalence of Both Militant Democracy and Eternity Clauses Worldwide

The prevalent approach suggests that constitutions are silent about secession and may even implicitly allow it. But an examination of world constitutions reveals that the overwhelming majority of countries vigorously protect territorial integrity. This is true even of countries classified as consociational or consensus democracies. Scholars further point to the existence of secessionist political parties as proof that secession may align with constitutionalism. This Article, however, explains how democracies engage in a delicate game to chase and eliminate secessionist political mobilization. Democracies have been able to conceal their fight against secessionists by creating a large gap between “the law on the books” and “the law as practiced.” Some constitutions also use doublespeak to declare territorial integrity inviolable while nevertheless setting procedures for territorial change. In fact, democracies employ the most unconventional constitutional weapons to fight against secession. These include a ban on secessionist political parties from participating at elections and a constitutional eternity clause that makes territorial integrity an eternal value, not subject to constitutional amendment. These tools raise democratic paradoxes so extreme that democracies appear to be using the tools of authoritarian regimes. Militant democracy must be re-characterized to capture not just bans on political parties, but also eternity clauses. It serves to protect existential needs of states, not just their democratic regime. Even when democracies allow for secession, they set such hurdles that secession becomes all but impossible to achieve. Countries’ total prohibition on secession may be explained on strategic as well as principled constitutional law considerations. This Article argues that constitutions’ treatment of secession reveals that “We the People” is a territorial concept. The Canadian landmark Reference re Secession of Quebec decision’s precedential value for world constitutionalism must thus be qualified.
Vision Based Object Tracking & Firing System

Fundamentally weapon is something that can use to overcome danger situation where there is a risk of life. Improvement of weapons is progressively done with growing innovation. The specialists are hustling to create innovation terminating framework for security intrigue that can be put in defensively covered vehicle. This paper proposed an well-equipped system together of Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) and firing system. A proposed firing system is able to follow the direction of motion of target wherever they move. As this tracking and firing system is placed on AGV, which can be controlled wirelessly by person sitting at one place. AGV an unmanned battery car can increased automation in almost all field of industry. Tracking and detection for unauthorized person done from one fixed place is not so beneficial as compared to proposed tracking and firing system built on moving platform. This collaborative security model reduces the risk of human life and form intelligent solution for defense.
Optimum Routing Approach vs. Least Overhead Routing Approach for Minimum Hop Routing in Mobile Ad hoc Networks

Proactive routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) follow on Optimum Routing Approach (ORA) to choose and use the optimal route at any time instant. On the other hand, on-demand routing protocols for MANETs have been traditionally designed using the Least Overhead Routing Approach (LORA) wherein a route determined using broadcast flooding-based route discovery is used as long as exists. With LROA, a route determined to be the best optimal route based on a particular route selection metric, may later become sub-optimal, and could be still used, if exists. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the ORA and LORA strategies on minimum hop routing. Our hypothesis is that the LORA strategy could yield routes with a larger time-averaged hop count when compared to the minimum hop count of routes determined using the ORA strategy. We evaluate the two routing strategies under diverse conditions of network density, node mobility and mobility models such as the Random Waypoint model, City Section model and the Manhattan model. Simulation results illustrate that the hop count of routes maintained according to the LORA strategy is at most 12% greater than that incurred with the ORA strategy. The Random Waypoint model under the LORA strategy incurs the lowest hop count per path and the largest increase in hop count vis-a-vis the ORA strategy; on the other hand, the Manhattan model incurs a larger hop count per path and the smallest increase in hop count.
Preparation of (1R∗,2S∗,5R∗,6R∗)-1-Methyl-2,5,6-Tribromo-Cyclooctane and 3-Methyl-6,7-Dibromocyclooctene

Abstract Reaction of 4,5-dibromobicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-ene with anhydrous AlBr3 forms (1R∗,2S∗,5R∗,6R∗)-1-methyl-2,5,6-tribromocyclooctane and 3-methyl-6,7-dibromocyclooctene. ∗∗ For X-ray details.
Fidelity of a PDX-CR model for bladder cancer.

Abstract Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are widely recognised as a more physiologically relevant preclinical model than standard cell lines, but are expensive and low throughput, have low engraftment rate and take a long time to develop. Our newly developed conditional reprogramming (CR) technology addresses many PDX drawbacks, but lacks many in vivo factors. Here we determined whether PDXs and CRCs of the same cancer origin maintain the biological fidelity and complement each for translational research and drug development. Four CRC lines were generated from bladder cancer PDXs. Short tandem repeat (STR) analyses revealed that CRCs and their corresponding parental PDXs shared the same STRs, suggesting common cancer origins. CRCs and their corresponding parental PDXs contained the same genetic alterations. Importantly, CRCs retained the same drug sensitivity with the corresponding downstream signalling activity as their corresponding parental PDXs. This suggests that CRCs and PDXs can complement each other, and that CRCs can be used for in vitro fast, high throughput and low cost screening while PDXs can be used for in vivo validation and study of the in vivo factors during translational research and drug development.
Heat Transfer in a Cryosurgery Probe Tip

The use of cryosurgical procedures in a wide variety of medical areas is no longer an experimental or exotic process. Cryosurgery has been applied successfully in such areas as neurosurgery (treatment of Parkinson’s disease), ophthalmology (cataract removal), otology (treatment of Miniere’s disease), dermatology (treatment of Verrucae), gynecology, urology, and orthopedic surgery [1].
A Short History of the Choice-of-Law Clause

In the field of conflict of laws, private actors are generally granted the power to choose the law to govern their contracts. This is the doctrine of party autonomy. In recent years, this doctrine has been the subject of several excellent histories that draw upon judicial opinions, scholarly writings, and legislative enactments to chronicle changing attitudes towards party autonomy over time. A moment’s reflection, however, reveals that judges, scholars, and legislatures are not the most important actors in this particular story. The true protagonists are the contracting parties who write choice-of-law clauses into their agreements, without which there would be no need for any doctrine of party autonomy. These drafters and their creations are, however, almost entirely absent from the existing histories. This Article seeks to remedy this deficit. It provides answers to basic questions about choice-of-law clauses for which the existing literature offers no ready answers. When did they first appear? Have they always been popular? Has the manner in which they are drafted changed over time? It describes how these provisions were first used in the years immediately after the Civil War by companies operating in a small number of industries. It shows how they slowly found their way into a growing number of agreements in the early twentieth century before enjoying a breakthrough moment in the early 1960s. And it recounts how contract drafters in the late twentieth century began experimenting with new language that simultaneously expanded the reach of these clauses and prompted the courts to devise new interpretive rules. This historical account, while interesting in its own right, also has broader implications. First, it underscores the extent to which contract drafters do not always function as rational actors. In some cases, these drafters added language to their clauses that was arguably unnecessary. In others, they declined to add language that would have advanced their interests more effectively. Second, the Article argues that the pattern of contractual change over time in the context of choice-of-law clauses is different than the pattern observed with respect to other types of contractual provisions. This finding suggests the need for new models of contract innovation.
An Artistic Active-Learning Approach to Teaching a Substance Use Disorder Elective Course

Objective. To incorporate an artistic, multimedia approach to teaching within a substance use disorder (SUD) elective course to intellectually, visually, physically, and emotionally engage Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students in learning and applying clinical and legal SUD topics. Methods. Faculty members created a two credit-hour SUD elective course that required students to engage in visual, linguistic, and performing art forms, including acting, screenwriting, choreography, dancing, artwork, writing movie reviews, writing book reports, writing journal reflections, create-your-own-adventure storytelling, speech writing, examination writing, policy writing, and creative thinking in an escape room gaming environment to learn about SUD and related topics. Results. Student learning and perception of the activities was evaluated using faculty-created analytic rubrics, pre- and post-intervention tests, student feedback, and student responses on standard course evaluations. Students performed well on the graded assignments. Pre- and post-intervention tests administered for the escape room activity demonstrated an increase in scores from 56.7% to 94.9%. Student feedback and course evaluations revealed student engagement with subject material and enthusiasm for creative applications, critical thinking, and collaborative aspects of the activities. Conclusion. The PharmD students consistently rated the interactive class format highly on course evaluations and reported having the perception of simultaneously learning and having fun. Pharmacy instructors are encouraged to incorporate creative projects and activities in courses to enhance student learning experiences and increase student motivation to engage with the material, their classmates, and other professionals.
Tillage intensity influences nitrogen cycling in organic kura clover living mulch

Perennial cover crops, also known as living mulches, have the capacity to improve soil quality, yet their effects on nitrogen (N) cycling and provisioning in organic systems are not well understood. We evaluated soil N contributions of kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum) between and within crop rows for four zone tillage approaches of varying intensity for corn (Zea mays). In 2015 and 2016, an established kura clover field was subjected to tillage treatments including no-till, traditional shank till, also known as strip-till (ST), novel, PTO-driven rotary zone till (ZT), and a combination of ST and ZT (DT; double till) in Rosemount, MN, followed by corn. An earlier planting date in 2015 (May 5, 2015 vs. May 18, 2016) contributed to a substantially lower rate of kura clover biomass at corn planting in 2015 (518 kg ha−1) compared to 2016 (3035 kg ha−1). The substantial difference in kura clover biomass contributions at tillage and planting between years appeared to govern N cycling indicators. For instance, soil inorganic N differed by tillage treatments only in 2016. After tillage, within row soil inorganic N was 68% and 106% greater than between rows for ST and DT treatments, respectively. At harvest, DT within row soil inorganic N was approximately double that of ST. We conclude that the N benefit from a legume living mulch depends on both the intensity of tillage and the amount of biomass present, and thus there may be advantages to delayed planting, particularly when used for organic production.
Delta Lactate (Three-hour Lactate Minus Initial Lactate) Prediction of In-hospital Death in Sepsis Patients.

This study examines the relationship between serial serum lactate levels and in-hospital mortality in an adult cohort of emergency department patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. Of the 164 patients in the cohort, 130 also got three-hour lactate in addition to the initial one. The median initial lactate was 3.01 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.71-4.62). The median repeat lactate was 2.58 (IQR: 1.4-3.9). The in-hospital death rate was 23% for men and 29% for women. The delta lactate was significantly higher in women (P=0.0070), driven by a lower initial lactate (P=0.0277). In a multivariate regression model controlled for age and gender, a statistically significant correlation was noted between an increase in the delta lactate and in-hospital death (P=0.0323; R2=11.3%). The results of this single-center study suggest that an increase in serum lactic acid is significantly associated with higher in-hospital death.
Structure-Property Relationships and Machine Learning Models for Addressing CYP3A4-Mediated Victim Drug-Drug Interaction Risk in Drug Discovery.

Among the FDA-approved small molecule drugs (2005–2016) that are primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP), 64% are primarily metabolized by CYP3A4. As the proportion of an individual drug’s f...
106 Increasing AMPK activity in human T cells enhances memory subset formation without sacrificing in vitro expansion

Background The ideal adoptive cell therapy consists of memory-like T cells with enhanced oxidative potential. However, current expansion protocols drive T cells towards terminal differentiation, decreasing the number of T cells fit for the in vivo environment. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), whose activity increases in memory cells, is a key regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism, making AMPK activation an attractive candidate to improve adoptive T cell function. Methods To increase AMPK activity, AMPKγ, which controls the phosphorylation status of AMPKa and therefore activity of the AMPK complex, was cloned into a lentiviral plasmid downstream of the elongation factor 1a (EF1a) promoter and upstream of green fluorescent protein (GFP). An empty vector, containing GFP only, served as a negative control. Human T cells were transduced and expanded in vitro in the presence of IL-2. AMPK activity was assessed via immunoblot for phosphorylation of AMPKa on Thr172 and S555 on downstream target Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1). Memory-marker expression and mitochondrial density (using Mitotracker Red) were analyzed by flow cytometry. Oxidative metabolism and spare respiratory capacity (SRC) were determined using the Seahorse Metabolic Analyzer. Fold changes of in vitro expansion were calculated by adjusting manual cell counts for GFP positivity and CD4+/CD8+ staining. Results AMPKγ was efficiently transduced and expressed by human T cells, which significantly increased AMPK activity (AMPKa phosphorylation 1.93 ± 0.05 vs 0.6 ± 0.09, p Conclusions Increasing AMPK activity endows T cells with a variety of characteristics ideal for adoptive cell therapy, including increased memory-marker expression, enhanced SRC and oxidative metabolism, equivalent to augmented in vitro expansion, and improved CD4+ T cell yields. Further studies are ongoing to assess the activity and function of AMPK-transduced CAR-T cells both in vitro and in vivo.
Estimated Prevalence of US Physicians With Disabilities

This survey study uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges National Sample Survey of Physicians to assess the prevalence and characteristics of US physicians with disabilities among a survey of 6000 practicing physicians.
Cryogenic Vibrationally Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy of OH–(H2O): Confirmation of Multidimensional Franck–Condon Simulation Results for the Transition State of the OH + H2O Reaction

We present a transition state spectroscopic study of the OH + H2O reaction using the experimental technique of cryogenic negative ion photoelectron spectroscopy (NIPES). The recorded NIPE spectrum ...