cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Healing the Modern in a Central Javanese City

Healing the Modern in. Central Javanese City. Steve Ferzacca. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2001. vii. 280 pp., illustrations, figures, notes, bibliography, index.
Analytical results on MHD intermediate shocks

The admissibility of MHD intermediate shocks has been a matter of much debate over the years. Though the legitimacy of such shocks was shown in a recent series of investigations by Wu, rigorous analytical proof of the results was considered being unsettled. In this paper, as a step towards developing such proof, we present a theory of MHD shocks. On the basis of global analysis, we develop a shock admissibility condition. Using this theory, we explain how intermediate shocks and compound waves are generated.
Learning to See Differently: Viewing Technology Diffusion in Teacher Education through the Lens of Organizational Change

While the discussion on the topic of technology diffusion in teacher education primarily centers on course design, program development, and faculty technology training, this article explores technology diffusion from the perspective of organizational change. Technology diffusion in teacher education is a multi-faceted task and, therefore, requires multi-dimensional approaches. Systemic technology diffusion involves a paradigm shift in thinking about organizational change. The balance of this article applies this paradigm shift to analyze some seemingly puzzling phenomena that has occurred in the technology diffusion process and, thus, to help leaders of IT change initiatives to increase the chances of successful implementation.
Current Status of Research in Teaching and Learning Evolution: I. Philosophical/Epistemological Issues

Scholarship that addresses teaching and learning about evolution has rapidly increased in recent years. This review of that scholarship first addresses the philosophical/epistemological issues that impinge on teaching and learning about evolution, including the proper philosophical goals of evolution instruction; the correlational and possibly causal relationships among knowing, understanding, accepting, and believing; and the factors that affect student understanding, acceptance, and/or belief. Second, I summarize the specific epistemological issues involved, including empiricism, naturalism, philosophical vs methodological materialism, science vs religion as non-overlapping magisteria, and science as a way of knowing. Third, the paper critically reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the research tools available to measure the nature of science, epistemological beliefs, and especially the acceptance of evolution. Based on these findings, further research in these areas, especially study of the factors that cause lack of explanatory coherence as well as replications of studies that promise to explain current confusing findings about the interrelationships among student understanding, acceptance, and belief in evolution, are called for. In addition, this review calls for more longitudinal studies to delineate causal connections as well as improved measurement tools.
A longitudinal study of Facebook, LinkedIn, & Twitter use

We conducted four annual comprehensive surveys of social networking at Microsoft between 2008 and 2011. We are interested in how employees use these tools and whether they consider then useful for organizational communication and information-gathering. Our study is longitudinal and based on random sampling. Between 2008 and 2011, social networking went from being a niche activity to being very widely and heavily used. Growth in use and acceptance was not uniform, with differences based on gender, age and level (individual contributor vs. manager). Behaviors and concerns changed, with some showing signs of leveling off.
Attestation a Authentication for USB Communications

In this paper, we present the design, implementation, and software testing of USBSec, a secure extension of the vanilla USB protocol that incorporates host authentication to defend against software threats. Specifically, we force the USB host to supply authentication information to the peripheral device \emph{before} enumerating the device. The peripheral validates the authentication information against its own list of \emph{authorized host keys}. If both sides can validate each other, standard USB enumeration continues otherwise the connection is terminated. We have implemented a fully working prototype of USBSec based on USB implementation in Linux kernel and our experimental results demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.
All-trans retinoic acid stimulates growth of adult human keratinocytes cultured in growth factor-deficient medium, inhibits production of thrombospondin and fibronectin, and reduces adhesion.

Human epidermal keratinocytes were established in culture using a low-Ca2+ (0.15 mM), serum-free keratinocyte growth medium (KGM) as the culture medium. Early passage keratinocytes (i.e., between passages 3-8) were incubated for 1 or 2 d in KGM, in KGM supplemented with 1.4 mM Ca2+, or in growth factor-deprived keratinocyte basal medium (KBM). The cells were concomitantly treated with all-trans retinoic acid (0.1-2.5 micrograms/ml), and cell growth was quantitated at the end of the incubation period. The keratinocytes were simultaneously examined for adhesiveness and production of two extracellular matrix molecules, e.g., thrombospondin (TSP) and fibronectin (FN). Treatment with all-trans retinoic acid inhibited proliferation of keratinocytes that were rapidly growing in KGM. Proliferation was also inhibited in KGM supplemented with 1.4 mM Ca2+, but all-trans retinoic acid did not reverse the morphologic features associated with differentiation induced by high Ca2+. In contrast to these effects, all-trans retinoic acid treatment of keratinocytes in KBM, in which the cells were normally quiescent, stimulated growth. In the presence of optimal concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid (0.5 microgram/ml), the rate of keratinocyte proliferation in KBM was approximately 35% of the rate obtained in KGM (maximal proliferation rate). Keratinocyte adhesion (resistance to trypsin-mediated release from the substrate and attachment to the substrate) was inhibited by all-trans retinoic acid under all three conditions. In regard to extracellular matrix production, TSP production was inhibited by greater than 90% under all three conditions in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid. FN production was also inhibited but to a lesser degree. Concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid required to maximally inhibit keratinocyte adhesion and matrix production were higher (1.0-2.5 microgram/ml) than the concentration required to stimulate proliferation in KBM. These in vitro observations may have implications in the effects of retinoids on intact skin, including enhanced keratinocyte proliferation and thickening of the epidermis after topical application to photoaged skin and inhibition of proliferation and cell-cell cohesion after systemic administration in cases of psoriasis.
Auguste Comte and Positivism: The Essential Writings

Although Auguste Comte is conventionally acknowledged as one of the founders of sociology and as a key representative of positivism, few new editions of his writings have been published in the English language in this century. He has become virtually dissociated from the history of modern positivism and the most recent debates about it. Gertrud Lenzer maintains that the work of Comte is, for better or for worse, essential to an understanding of the modern period of positivism. This collection provides new access to the work of Comte and gives practitioners of various disciplines the possibility of reassessing concepts that were first introduced in Comte's writings. Today much of the ordinary business of academic disciplines is conducted under the assumption that the realm of science is essentially separate from the realms of politics and science. A close reading of Comte will reveal how deeply such current ideas and theories were originally embedded in a particular political context. One of his central methodological principles was that the theory of society had to be removed from the arena of political practice precisely in order to control that practice by means of these same sciences. It is in Comte's work that the reader will be able to observe how the forces of social and political reaction began to be powerfully organized to combat the critical forces in its own and later eras. Auguste Comte and Positivism will be of importance to the work of philosophers, sociologists, political theorists, and historians.
Light-weight salient foreground detection for embedded smart cameras

Limited processing power and memory in embedded smart camera nodes necessitate the design of light-weight algorithms for computer vision tasks. Considering the memory requirements of an algorithm and its portability to an embedded processor should be an integral part of the algorithm design in addition to the accuracy requirements. This paper presents a light-weight and efficient background modeling and foreground detection algorithm that is highly robust against lighting variations and non-static backgrounds including scenes with swaying trees, water fountains, rippling water effects and rain. Contrary to many traditional methods, the memory requirement for the data saved for each pixel is very small, and the algorithm provides very reliable results with gray-level images as well. The proposed method selectively updates the background model with an automatically adaptive rate, thus can adapt to rapid changes. As opposed to traditional methods, pixels are not always treated individually, and information about neighbors is incorporated into decision making. The algorithm differentiates between salient and non-salient motion based on the reliability or unreliability of a pixelpsilas location, and by considering neighborhood information. The results obtained with various challenging outdoor and indoor sequences are presented, and compared with the results of different state of the art background subtraction methods. The experimental results demonstrate the success of the proposed light-weight salient foreground detection method.
Non-autonomous second order Hamiltonian systems

Abstract We study the existence of periodic solutions for a second order non-autonomous dynamical system containing variable kinetic energy terms. Our assumptions balance the interaction between the kinetic energy and the potential energy with neither one dominating the other. We study sublinear problems and the existence of non-constant solutions.
Evaluation of sub-voxel registration accuracy between MRI and 3D MR spectroscopy of the brain

The implementation of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) for diagnostic imaging benefits from close integration of the lower-spatial resolution MRSI information with information from high-resolution structural MRI. Since patients can commonly move between acquisitions, it is necessary to account for possible mis-registration between the datasets arising from differences in patient positioning. In this paper we evaluate the use of 4 common multi-modality registration criteria to recover alignment between high resolution structural MRI and 3D MRSI data of the brain with sub-voxel accuracy. We explore the use of alternative MRSI water reference images to provide different types of structural information for the alignment process. The alignment accuracy was evaluated using both synthetically created MRSI and MRI data and a set of carefully collected subject image data with known ground truth spatial transformation between image volumes. The final accuracy and precision of estimates were assessed using multiple random starts of the registration algorithm. Sub voxel accuracy was found by all four similarity criteria with normalized mutual information providing the lowest target registration error for the 7 subject images. This effort supports the ongoing development of a database of brain metabolite distributions in normal subjects, which will be used in the evaluation of metabolic changes in neurological diseases.
A pulsed wave excitation system to characterize micron-scale magnetoelastic biosensors

Abstract This paper describes the design of a resonant frequency measurement system based on a pulsed wave excitation technique that can be used to resonate and measure micron-size Magnetoelastic (ME) biosensors. Current measurement techniques can only detect millimeter and above size ME biosensors. By using a specially designed, dedicated coil and low noise cascade amplifier, the system described in this paper is capable of measuring micron-size (ME) biosensors as small as 200 μm in length (200 × 40 × 15 μm). In the system, a square pulse current is applied to an excitation coil to excite the ME sensors, and a pick-up coil senses its mechanical vibration and converts it to an electrical output signal. The output signal is amplified by a signal amplification circuit and the output waveform is shown on an oscilloscope. Based on the acquired damped oscillating signal, the frequency change due to the mass change on the surface of the ME biosensor can be calculated. The impact of signal amplification on the resonant frequency, amplitude, and Q -factor of the resonant frequency peak, has been studied. The average resonant frequency of a 200 μm sensor was found to be 10.8283 ± 0.0027 MHz. As a proof-in-concept experiment, the detection system was used in combination with JRB7 phage-coated ME biosensors to detect different concentrations of Bacillus anthracis spores. A statistically significant difference for all concentrations of 5 × 10 2 spore/ml and higher can be reached by the system.
Randomized Trial of Drug Abuse Treatment-Linkage Strategies.

A clinical trial contrasted 2 interventions designed to link opioid-dependent hospital patients to drug abuse treatment. The 126 out-of-treatment participants were randomly assigned to (a) case management, (b) voucher for free methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), (c) case management plus voucher, or (d) usual care. Services were provided for 6 months. MMT enrollment at 3 months was 47% (case management), 89% (voucher), 93% (case management plus voucher), and 11% (usual care); at 6 months enrollment was 48%, 68%, 79%, and 21%, respectively. Case management and vouchers can be valuable in health settings to link substance abusers with medical problems to drug abuse treatment.
Antithymocyte Globulin in Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Allografting: Is the Benefit Simply in the Eyes of the Transplanter?

tent approaches to the monitoring of pulmonary function (including the utility of expanded use of hand-held spirometry) after allogeneic HCT, diagnostic workup (including the roles of bronchoscopy and computed tomography) of affected patients, and classification of lung dysfunction (particularly RLD) once identified, along with clinical guidelines for the initiation of inhaled or systemic therapy, are lacking and need to be established. Furthermore, advances in radiographic imaging that may allow earlier detection of progressive parenchymal or small airway inflammation [11] and overcome limitations of available diagnostic tools should be explored in allogeneic HCT recipients with suspected OLD or RLD. Thus, steps to address “boring” but critical knowledge gaps in standard of practice can be complemented by cutting-edge technology and provide a platform to determine whether early detection of pulmonary dysfunction will enhance the success of timely intervention with novel immunomodulatory therapy. The addition of patient sample procurement (ie, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, plasma, and stool) at defined time points in such an endeavor will allow for clinical biomarker discovery and exploration of nonconventional infectious etiologies of OLD and RLD using next-generation sequencing techniques as described for other HCT complications [12,13]. Despite the tremendous advances in transplantation
Filtering algorithms for processing prefiltered measurements

The filtering algorithm for processing integral measurements given in reference [1] is extended to include analog type prefilters with infinite memory, and to include sequential processing of prefiltered data in multi-sensor, multi-sample rate systems. The extension to infinite memory prefilters requires serial decorrelation of the prefilter output prior to state estimation. These algorithms provide a technique for investigation of prefilter parameter sensitivities, and provide optimal compensation for any information loss due to prefiltering.
Mass independent bias in W isotopes in MC-ICP-MS instruments

The determination of natural mass independent isotope variations by precise isotopic measurements of elements by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) requires a detailed understanding of the instrumental mass bias. Until recently, the instrumental mass bias in MC-ICP-MS analysis was considered to be entirely mass dependent, most often corrected by an exponential law. Here, we report evidence of an odd–even isotope separation in the tungsten isotopic analysis of the W isotope standard NIST SRM 3163, that is specific to the type of cones used. We also found that mass independent isotope fractionation is a ubiquitous effect in W isotope data reported on NIST SRM 3163 from other laboratories. Nuclear volume isotope effects do not provide an adequate description of this mass bias, unlike for recent reports on Nd isotopes, but a process of odd–even isotope separation is required that may occur in the expansion plume in the interface region of the ICP ion source. Newly available Jet sampler cones combined with X-skimmer cones diminish the odd–even isotope separation, while reducing the mass dependent bias by about half which is corrected adequately with application of the generalized power law. The mass independent effect observed in W is possibly related to its high first ionization potential (FIP, 7.86 eV), implying that other elements with FIP ≥ 8 eV may also exhibit mass independent instrumental bias in MC-ICP-MS analysis.
THE MEDIATION OF RESISTANCE TO PERSUASION STRATEGIES BY LANGUAGE VARIABLES AND ACTIVE‐PASSIVE PARTICIPATION

This investigation attempted to confer resistance to persuasion by inoculating people with either supportive, refutational, or combination pretreatment messages. Following inoculation, subjects either passively received a high or low intense attack message or actively encoded a message of high or low intensity. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between type of attack and level of language intensity. Discussion centered on the effects of language intensity as a mediator of attitude change in yet another persuasive paradigm.
Effects of dietary pantethine and lipid levels on growth and body composition of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus

The effects of various dietary lipid and pantethine levels on body composition of channel catfish were investigated using a 2 × 3 factorial design. Purified casein/gelatin diets containing two levels of lipid (5 and 10%) and three levels of pantethine (0, 250, and 1000 mg/kg) were fed to fingerling channel catfish initially weighing 3.3 g in 38-1 flow-through aquaria for 12 weeks to evaluate the effects of the experimental diets on growth rate and feed efficiency. Following the feeding trial, fish were analyzed for proximate composition of whole-body, liver and fillet samples as well as hepatosomatic index and intraperitoneal fat (IPF). Fatty acid analysis was also performed on fillet lipids. Factorial analysis of variance indicated that dietary lipid had significant (P < 0.05) effects on growth, feed efficiency and body composition. The diets containing 10% lipid generally produced higher weight gain and feed efficiency values as well as higher IFF, whole-body and fillet lipid levels. In the liver, 10% dietary lipid significantly increased only the ash level. Fatty acid analysis of fillet samples revealed that both dietary lipid and pantethine had significant effects on composition. The 5% lipid diets generally produced increased levels of palmitic, stearic and oleic acids and the 10% lipid diets produced increases in myristic, linoleic, erucic and docosapentaenoic acids. Supplementation of pantethine had no effects on weight gain and feed efficiency but produced increased levels of oleic acid in fillet lipids. Based on results from this study, dietary lipid significantly influenced performance and lipid deposition of channel catfish, whereas effects of pantethine (at 250 and 1000 mg/kg diet) were negligible.
Fast Electric Pulse Excitation of an Oscillator with Several Tunneling Devices in Series

An oscillator with several tunneling devices in series has a demanding excitation condition due to the difference in the I-V characteristics of the individual devices [1] and to the intrinsic DC instability. One way to solve this problem is to apply DC bias using a fast electrical pulse. Theoretical analysis and simulation results for the required slope of the electrical pulse are presented in this paper.
176. The tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist infliximab reduces depressive symptoms in patients with treatment resistant depression and high inflammation

Increased inflammatory markers predict antidepressant treatment non-response in patients with depression, and inflammatory cytokines can sabotage and circumvent mechanisms of action of conventional antidepressants. We therefore endeavored to determine whether inhibition of the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha would reduce depressive symptoms in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD) and whether baseline inflammation would predict response. Sixty outpatients with major depression participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving random assignment to three infusions of the TNF-alpha antagonist infliximab (5 mg/kg) ( n = 30) or placebo ( n = 30) at baseline and weeks 2 and 6 of a 12-week trial. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) was the primary outcome variable. No differences in change of HAM-D-17 scores between groups across time were found. Interestingly, however, there was significant interaction between treatment, time and log baseline hs-CRP ( p = 0.01) with the change in HAM-D-17 scores at Week 12 favoring infliximab-treated patients at a baseline hs-CRP > 5 mg/L. Treatment response (⩾50% reduction in HAM-D-17 at any time during treatment) in patients with a baseline hs-CRP > 5 mg/L ( n = 22) was 62% in infliximab-treated patients versus 33% for placebo. Baseline concentrations of TNF-alpha and its soluble receptors were significantly higher in infliximab-treated responders versus infliximab non-responders ( p
Relative Afferent Pupillary Defect in Optic Tract Hemianopias

The nasal visual field is considerably smaller than the temporal field. If this asymmetry is of a sufficient magnitude, all patients with a complete homonymous hemianopia caused by an isolated tract lesion should have a relative afferent pupillary defect in the eye with the temporal field loss (contralateral to the side of the lesion). Behr 1 noted that the pupil contralateral to the tract lesion reacted less to light. He stated: There is a marked difference in the direct light reaction of the two eyes. The eye (on the side of the hemianopsia) reacts … as promptly as the other eye but the amplitude of the movement is clearly less, both directly and consensually, than it is when (the other) eye is stimulated with a similar light. Burde 2 also raised the possibility of an afferent pupillary defect in the eye contralateral to the side of a complete tract lesion. To verify this clinically, we needed several patients with a convincing tract lesion and a complete homonymous hemianopia.
Failure of a laminated composite under tension-compression fatigue loading

The fatigue behavior of composite laminates under tension-compression loading is analyzed and compared with behavior under tension-tension and compression-compression loading. It is shown that for meaningful fatigue conditions, the tension-compression case is the dominant one. Both tension and compression failure modes can occur under the reversed loading, and failure is dependent on the specific lay-up of the laminate and the difference between the tensile static strength and the absolute value of the compressive static strength. The use of a fatigue failure envelope for determining the fatigue life and mode of failure is proposed and demonstrated.
A location-aware mobile system for on-site mapping and geographic data management

Many industries utilize location-sensitive data and require customized maps with correlated information. Further, the on-site creation of custom maps and collection of associated data with editing and presentation capability is ideal. Recent advances in mobile, handheld device technologies have lead to the enhancement of enterprise level geographic information systems (GIS) to provide these capabilities, e.g., ESRI's vast GIS software system with the mobile ArcPad application. However, the various packages comprising these systems are costly and not developed for those untrained in GIS or computer technology.This paper describes a mobile application, BEST (Boundary Establishing System for Topology), developed as an undergraduate capstone course team project, that provides a more usable, general-purpose alternative to the enterprise systems. The system developed is a mobile GIS application that provides mapping, tracking, and geographic data collection and presentation in the field. The BEST system was developed for use by an external client and incorporates several technologies that were new and exciting to the students. These two project requirements were observed to greatly increase student interest and motivation and, it is believed, should be incorporated in the capstone experience whenever possible.
T-cell lines which cooperate in generation of specific cytolytic activity.

THE unidirectional mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) is characterised by cell proliferation and by the development of cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL)1–3. In murine MLC, the generation of CTL seems to involve proliferation of at least two sub-populations of responding T cells—T cells of the Ly-2+3+ phenotype, which differentiate into CTL, and cells of the Ly-1+ phenotype, which seem to ‘help’ or ‘amplify’ the CTL re-sponse4–6. The mechanism by which ‘amplifier cells’ augment the CTL response is unclear; recent reports have shown, however, that CTL precursors present in populations of long-term MLC or of immune spleen cells7,8 can respond to supernatant fluid obtained from allogeneic MLC or mitogen-stimulated spleen cell cultures in the absence of specific antigen. Several groups using such conditioned medium have reported the successful long-term culture of normal and antigen-specific immune T cells in the absence of alloantigen stimuli9–11. Whereas amplifier supernatant fluids seem to substitute functionally for a T-cell subpopulation (Ly-1+?) in the absence of alloantigen, there is only indirect evidence that amplifier cells can be activated by alloantigen to release one or several soluble factors that influence the differentiation or proliferation ofCTL12–14. We have used modifications of techniques previously described for the long-term culture of immune T cells to isolate several cloned lines of MLC-reactive T cells, including a non-cytolytic T-cell line which, when co-cultured with alloantigen, permits another cell line to proliferate and express specific cytolytic activity.
Phase relations in the thorium-cadmium system

Abstract A partial phase diagram for the ThCd system was established using chemical analysis, electron probe microanalysis (EPM), differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The solubility of thorium in cadmium can be represented by the equations log(wt.%Th) = 7.349 − 5458T −1 in the range 599–841 K and log(wt.%Th) = 7.705 − 10142T −1 + 3.688 × 10 6 T −2 in the range 841 − 1021 K. The most cadmium-rich phase, ThCd 11 , decomposes peritectically at 568 °C into ThCd 5 plus saturated liquid. Phases previously suggested to be ThCd 11 , ThCd 5 and ThCd 2 were confirmed by EPM and a new phase, ThCd 3 , was identified by EPM and XRD (hexagonal, a = 6.775 A and c = 4.928 A ).
Historical U.S. Cropland Areas and the Potential for Bioenergy Production on Abandoned Croplands

Agriculture is historically a dominant form of global environmental degradation, and the potential for increased future degradation may be driven by growing demand for food and biofuels. While these impacts have been explored using global gridded maps of croplands, such maps are based on relatively coarse spatial data. Here, we apply high-resolution cropland inventories for the conterminous U.S. with a land-use model to develop historical gridded cropland areas for the years 1850–2000 and year 2000 abandoned cropland maps. While the historical cropland maps are consistent with generally accepted land-use trends, our U.S. abandoned cropland estimates of 68 Mha are as much as 70% larger than previous gridded estimates due to a reduction in aggregation effects. Renewed cultivation on the subset of abandoned croplands that have not become forests or urban lands represents one approach to mitigating the future expansion of agriculture. Potential bioenergy production from these abandoned lands using a wide rang...
An Examination of the Reduction in the Number of Female Interscholastic Coaches.

Abstract A substantial reduction in the number of female interscholastic coaches has been reported since 1972. Based on initial work and drawing from the discipline of sociology, this study was designed to examine empirical data regarding why females have dropped out of interscholastic coaching roles. Prus' (1982) career contingencies model served as the theoretical framework for this study. Survey data were collected from 256 present and 105 former female interscholastic coaches. Factor analyses revealed differences between present and former coaches in the general patterns of reasons for entering and leaving coaching. A discriminant analysis indicated significant and specific differences between present and former coaches' reasons for entering and leaving coaching careers revealing differing sets of values and orientations toward coaching.
Dual function of CTLA-4 in regulatory T cells and conventional T cells to prevent multiorgan autoimmunity

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is an inhibitory receptor on T cells essential for maintaining T cell homeostasis and tolerance to self. Mice lacking CTLA-4 develop an early onset, fatal breakdown in T cell tolerance. Whether this autoimmune disease occurs because of the loss of CTLA-4 function in regulatory T cells, conventional T cells, or both is unclear. We show here that lack of CTLA-4 in regulatory T cells leads to aberrant activation and expansion of conventional T cells. However, CTLA-4 expression in conventional T cells prevents aberrantly activated T cells from infiltrating and fatally damaging nonlymphoid tissues. These results demonstrate that CTLA-4 has a dual function in maintaining T cell tolerance: CTLA-4 in regulatory T cells inhibits inappropriate naive T cell activation and CTLA-4 in conventional T cells prevents the harmful accumulation of self-reactive pathogenic T cells in vital organs.
The Dynamics, Structure, and Conformational Free Energy of Proline-Containing Antifreeze Glycoprotein

Recent NMR studies of the solution structure of the 14-amino acid antifreeze glycoprotein AFGP-8 have concluded that the molecule lacks long-range order. The implication that an apparently unstructured molecule can still have a very precise function as a freezing inhibitor seems startling at first consideration. To gain insight into the nature of conformations and motions in AFGP-8, we have undertaken molecular dynamics simulations augmented with free energy calculations using a continuum solvation model. Starting from 10 different NMR structures, 20 ns of dynamics of AFGP were explored. The dynamics show that AFGP structure is composed of four segments, joined by very flexible pivots positioned at alanine 5, 8, and 11. The dynamics also show that the presence of prolines in this small AFGP structure facilitates the adoption of the poly-proline II structure as its overall conformation, although AFGP does adopt other conformations during the course of dynamics as well. The free energies calculated using a continuum solvation model show that the lowest free energy conformations, while being energetically equal, are drastically different in conformations. In other words, this AFGP molecule has many structurally distinct and energetically equal minima in its energy landscape. In addition, conformational, energetic, and hydrogen bond analyses suggest that the intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the N-acetyl group and the protein backbone are an important integral part of the overall stability of the AFGP molecule. The relevance of these findings to the mechanism of freezing inhibition is discussed.
Scalable onion routing with torsk

We introduce Torsk, a structured peer-to-peer low-latency anonymity protocol. Torsk is designed as an interoperable replacement for the relay selection and directory service of the popular Tor anonymity network, that decreases the bandwidth cost of relay selection and maintenance from quadratic to quasilinear while introducing no new attacks on the anonymity provided by Tor, and no additional delay to connections made via Tor. The resulting bandwidth savings make a modest-sized Torsk network significantly cheaper to operate, and allows low-bandwidth clients to join the network.Unlike previous proposals for P2P anonymity schemes, Torsk does not require all users to relay traffic for others. Torsk utilizes a combination of two P2P lookup mechanisms with complementary strengths in order to avoid attacks on the confidentiality and integrity of lookups. We show by analysis that previously known attacks on P2P anonymity schemes do not apply to Torsk, and report on experiments conducted with a 336-node wide-area deployment of Torsk, demonstrating its efficiency and feasibility.
Electron microscopic localization of the Pa and RT1.Aa antigens on the placenta of the rat

A major factor in the ability of the placenta to avoid allograft rejection is the differential expression of MHC class I antigens on its surface. Using monoclonal antibodies and the electron microscopic immunogold technique, we have demonstrated that only the pregnancy-associated (Pa) antigen, which carries a broadly shared antigenic determinant, is expressed on the placental surface in the rat, whereas the allele-specific classical transplantation antigens are not. Both types of antigens are, however, present in the cytoplasm of the basal trophoblast but completely absent from the labyrinthine trophoblast.
Polarized e - e + Physics in Linear Colliders

Electroweak interactions at high energies are expected to be dominated by spin-dependent forces. Recent advances in the production of polarized electron beams in linear machines provide the opportunity for studying these spin-dependent effects. Polarized e-e+ annihilation at the Z° pole can provide precise measurements of neutral current parameters and the best experimental challenge to the standard model of electroweak interactions.
Statistical Methods for Integrating Randomized Clinical Studies for Evaluation of Combination Treatment Therapy

In regulatory applications, evaluation of a combination drug at a fixed dose is based on pairwise comparisons of the combination with its component drugs. These comparisons generate the least expected gain of the combination relative to its components as the key effect parameter for evaluation. Two test methods are developed for the evaluation to combine multiple clinical studies that are deemed combinable. One test method is based on a linear combination of the Min tests from individual studies. In the other test method, weighted estimators are first derived for the pairwise comparisons between the combination and the respective components by combining the studies. A Min test is then applied to these estimators. The latter test method tends to be more powerful than the former test method. A test-based confidence interval is constructed for the least expected gain of the combination relative to its components. A test for heterogeneity across studies is also developed.
Evaluating solar panel-driven systems in the laboratory

Evaluating and debugging solar panel driven systems can be a tedious and cumbersome process. The system must be deployed outdoors and evaluated across a wide range of lighting and temperature conditions. Therefore, for ease, several solar panel driven sensor and embedded systems today are evaluated at a particular location for a relatively short period of time. Consequently, the evaluation lacks external validity and the results cannot be generalized to a wide range of experimental conditions. To mitigate the above problem, we present the preliminary design and evaluation of a solar replayer and a solar profiler platform. The profiler system can be used to generate accurate I-V traces for solar cells, annotated with temperature and barometric pressure readings. The replayer is used to replay solar panel I-V curves on variable loads. The system allows in-lab evaluation of renewable energy driven systems for a wide range of current and voltage specifications (~(0-2 A) and ~(0-16V)).
A New Synthetic Aperture Sonar Processing Method Using Coherence Analysis

This paper introduces two methods that use a coherence analysis framework to generate synthetic aperture sonar (SAS)-like images that display acoustic color (AC) information useful for the classification of buried and/or proud underwater objects. The first method is applicable to sonar backscatter collected with multiple hydrophones and involves forming two channels using the data of two hydrophone subarrays at each frequency and over several pings. The second method is intended for applications where sonar backscatter is collected using a single hydrophone and involves forming two channels using the data of two synthetic subarrays at each frequency. In both cases, the resulting SAS-like AC images display information in a ping-frequency plane, and hence convey information that is useful for the detection, localization, and classification of underwater objects based on properties that are typically not conveyed by conventional SAS images. The single-hydrophone version of SAS-like AC processing has the added benefit of generating 3-D images that also display range information for enhanced localization capabilities. Furthermore, this coherence-based SAS-like method does not require the elaborate platform motion estimation and compensation used in conventional SAS. The effectiveness of these methods is demonstrated on two real sonar databases both by comparing generated SAS-like AC images to those generated using conventional methods and by applying a simple but effective classification framework directly to the AC features in the SAS-like images.
Health Coverage and Expenses: Impact on Older Women's Economic Well-Being

The health issues women face over the course of their lives, as well as policies that shape Medicare, Medicaid, and other supplemental coverage can affect retired women's economic well‐being. This study uses a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older in 2002 to explore gender‐based differences in health and long‐term care use, spending patterns, and the financial burden of health and long‐term care out‐of‐pocket health expenses. Women's health care expenses were higher than men's; older women paid for a greater share of their total spending out of pocket and they faced a greater financial burden by shouldering these out‐of‐pocket costs with less income at their disposal. Low‐income women, those with Medigap or no supplemental coverage, and white women, who are less likely to qualify for Medicaid which covers long term care, faced the greatest financial burdens associated with health and long‐term care costs. The implications of these findings for women in the context of...
Asymmetric routings with fewer tendons can offer both flexible endpoint stiffness control and high force-production capabilities in robotic fingers

The force-production and passive stiffness capabilities of fingers are two critical design specifications for dexterous robotic hands. We used the link and joint kinematic parameters of the 4-DOF DLR index finger to explore the tradeoff between these two design specifications as a function of the number, routing, stiffness, and strength of each tendon. Our innovative computational approach allowed building the Pareto front of optimized passive endpoint stiffness (measured by the eccentricity of the endpoint stiffness ellipsoids) vs. maximal force-production capabilities (measured by the size and shape of the force polytope) for 1,200 randomly generated valid routings with 5, 6, 7, or 8 tendons. Our results show that this parametric optimization can increase realizable isotropic forces by up to 80% compared to the default tendon tension distribution. In addition, designs with 5 or 6 tendons can have endpoint stiffness ellipsoids with optimized low eccentricities and with force production capabilities comparable to designs with 7 or 8 tendons. Interestingly, we did not find a systematic tradeoff between force-production and passive stiffness capabilities, given a specific routing. However, the choice of number, routing and strength of each tendon greatly affects force and passive stiffness capabilities of robotic finger, which reveals the many design opportunities afforded by tendon-driven manipulators and offers insight into the anatomical features of the human musculoskeletal system.
The disposition decision on emergency department patients with chest pain is affected by the results of multi-detector computed axial tomography scan of the coronary arteries.

Abstract Background: Few data exist on the frequency with which multidetector computed axial tomography (MDCT) scan of the coronary arteries changes the admission decisions of emergency physicians (EP) caring for patients with possible acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We measured if and how often these changes in decision-making would occur. Methods: The theoretical dispositions of 27 emergency department patients who presented with possible ACS were determined by four board-certified EPs after case presentations. Paired disposition decisions were made before and after knowledge of the MDCT scan results. Patients were selected from a sample of 103 from a prior study. Results: The study included 27 patients with a mean age of 55 ± 9 years; 58% were male. The low-, intermediate-, and high-risk MDCT scan results were evenly distributed, as were the original providers' standard clinical risk assessments of ACS. Three patients had ACS and all were admitted both before and after review of MDCT scan results. Among 24 patients without ACS, a decision to admit was changed to discharge in 16 of 90 admission decisions (18%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10–26%). Among 6 patients with projected discharges, 2 were inappropriately admitted after review of MDCT scan results. The odds ratio of discharge for patients without ACS increased by 3.95 (95% CI 1.96–7.95) after introduction of the MDCT scan results. Conclusion: An MDCT scan of the coronary arteries will likely change emergency physicians' decisions on the disposition of patients presenting with possible ACS, many to appropriate discharges but also a minority to inappropriate admissions.
Suppression of Engulfment Defects in Bacillus subtilis by Elevated Expression of the Motility Regulon

During Bacillus subtilis sporulation, the transient engulfment defect of spoIIB strains is enhanced by spoVG null mutations and suppressed by spoVS null mutations. These mutations have opposite effects on expression of the motility regulon, as the spoVG mutation reduces and the spoVS mutation increases σD-directed gene expression, cell separation, and autolysis. Elevating σD activity by eliminating the anti-σ factor FlgM also suppresses spoIIB spoVG, and both flgM and spoVS mutations cause continued expression of the σD regulon during sporulation. We propose that peptidoglycan hydrolases induced during motility can substitute for sporulation-specific hydrolases during engulfment. We find that sporulating cells are heterogeneous in their expression of the motility regulon, which could result in phenotypic variation between individual sporulating cells.
Optimal mean velocity estimation for Doppler weather radars

Optimal Doppler velocity estimation is explored for a standard Gaussian signal measurement model and thematic maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayes estimation. Because the model considered depends on a vector parameter (velocity, spectrum width (SW), and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)), the exact formulation of an ML or Bayes solution involves a system of coupled equations that cannot be made explicit for any of the parameters. Simple computational forms are shown to exist when SW and SNR are assumed known. An information-theoretic concept is used to extend these equations to the general case of SW and SNR unknown. A Monte Carlo simulation experiment is used to verify that the method can work, with no a priori information for either SW or SNR and a very small (20 pulse) sample size. The improved performance of this new Doppler velocity estimator is documented by comparison with derived optimal bounds and with the performance of the pulse pair (PP) method. Bayes estimator results are used to provide true performance bounds for comparison. Cramer-Rao bounds are also derived and shown to be inferior to the Bayes bounds in the small sample case considered. >
Narcissistic PersoNality DisorDer iN DsM V—iN suPPort of retaiNiNg a sigNificaNt DiagNosis

Narcissistic personality disorder, NPD, has been excluded as a diagnostic category and independent personality disorder type in the Personality and Personality Disorder Work Group's recent proposal for DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders. The aim of this paper is to present supporting evidence in favor of keeping NPD as a personality type with a set of separate diagnostic criteria in DSM-5. These include: the prevalence rate, extensive clinical and empirical reports and facts, its psychiatric, social and societal significance especially when associated to functional vocational and interpersonal impairment, social and moral adaptation, and acute suicidality. Proposals for a clinically relevant and empirically based definition of narcissism, a description of the narcissistic personality disorder type, and a set of diagnostic criteria for NPD are outlined.
The Cold War on Ice: Constructivism and the Politics of Olympic Figure Skating Judging

We examine judge bias in Olympic figure skating as an exploratory analysis of a leading constructivist approach to identity using quantitative methods more closely associated with non-constructivist social science. While constructivism is a major theoretical orientation in international relations, large-n quantitative studies of the approach are uncommon in large measure due to the principal argument of constructivists: that interests should be treated endogenously. If interests and identities are mutually constituted, thenitwouldseemtobeimpossibletodistinguishtheireffects,creatingaproblemofobservationalequivalence.Someconstructivist theorists nevertheless suggest that under certain conditions material interests can be thought of as causes of collective identity, meaning that it is in principle possible to isolate the influence of identity.We build on this “bounded” version of constructivism by identifyinganarenaofinternationalrelationsinwhichtheobservableeffectoftheidentitiesconstitutedbyinteractionsamongstates can be analyzed independent of those states’ national security concerns. We study whether collective identities constituted by the internationalsystemduringtheColdWarsystematicallyinfluencedjudgebiasinOlympicfigureskating,examiningwhetherjudges’ evaluations of skaters systematically vary according to whether their respective states viewed one another as “friends,” “rivals,” or “enemies.”