cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calculating the Value of the Union: Slavery, Property Rights, and the Economic Origins of the Civil War.

Calculating the Value of the Union: Slavery, Property Rights, and the Economic Origins of the Civil War. By James L. Huston. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2003. Pp. xvii, 394. Illustrations. Cloth, $45.00.)James L. Huston's new study of the coming of the Civil War is intended to demonstratethat property rights in slaves generated the sectional conflict, that the concentration of valuable property rights in one region thwarted any attempt at compromise and undermined the genius of the democratic process. Southern slaveholders searched for a sanctuary founded on the absolute guarantee that all members of the Union would view slaves as property and agree that no law at any level of government anywhere within the Union could directly or indirectly harm the value or ownership of that property-the absolute sanctity of property rights m slaves. Northern resistance to southern demands about property rights in African Americans stemmed from a number of sources, but the crucial one was economic.Northerners, he concludes, came to oppose slavery because they "saw the growing slavery system as a ruinous competitor to their system of free village labor" (xiv).A casual reader of this thesis statement might wonder what, exactly, is original in it. The short answer is, not much. One finds here an account of the 1840s and 1850s with much more in common with those of David Potter and Hermann von Hoist than with the more recent ethriocultural school. At least since Abraham Lincoln, and arguably since James Madison, conflict within the federal system has been traced to the distinction between slave states and free. Huston is aware of this, as his reliance on Potter and rejection of Holt show. So what does he believe to be the historiographical contribution of his jaunt through the fractious events beginning with the Wilmot Proviso and ending in southern secession?Instead of referring to "slavery" as the nub of the sectional crisis, Huston points to "the right to own slave property." To my mind, this distinction does little to further understanding. What does one glean, for example, from learning that John Brown's raid prompted many southerners' concern for the future of their property rights in slaves under a Republican government instead of, as he might have thought, concern for the future of slavery under a Republican government? Very little, it seems to me.In one characteristic paragraph, Huston states that the Kansas-Nebraska debate highlighted "property rights in slaves." He then quotes an Alabama senator's reference, in the course of arguing for the legality of slavery in the territories, to the constitutional protections of property rights. …
Desensitized Jerk Limited-Time Optimal Control of Multi-Input Systems

The problem of designing jerk limited-time optimal control proe les for rest-to-rest maneuvers of e exible structures with multiple actuators is addressed. The problem formulation includes constraints to cancel the poles corresponding to the rigid-body mode and e exible modes of the system and to satisfy the boundary conditions of the rest-to-rest maneuver. Further constraints can be added to increase robustness to parametric uncertainties of the plant. The technique proposed is applied to a three-mass/two-spring system and the evolution of the shape of the control proe le as a function of jerk is illustrated. I. Introduction T HERE has been extensive research in the e eld of vibration control of slewing e exible structures. The knowledge obtained throughoutthisresearchhasbeenappliedtoawidevarietyofcontrol problems, including, but not limited to, maneuvering of large space structures, 1 e exiblearmrobots, 2 computerdiskdrives, 3 andcranes. 4 In most of these applications, the objective of the controller is to minimize the maneuver time with quiescent e nal states. Robustness tomodelingerrors,limitsonfuelconsumed,maximumdeformation permitted,andso on,havebeenincludedintheproblemformulation as additional constraints. Research in the e eld of input shaping was motivated by Smith’ s development of the Posicast Control. 5 The sensitivity of these controllers to uncertainties in damping and frequencies of the modes was addressed by Singer and Seering, 6 and the resulting pree lter was referred to as an input shaper. Singh and Vadali 7 illustrated that a time-delay pree lter that cancels the underdamped poles of the system results in the same control proe le as the input shaped controller. They also illustrated that the use of a series of time-delay e lters results in increased robustness to modeling errors. Various other approaches, which include forcing the derivative of the sensitivity curve at the nominal values of the model parameters to zero and designing input shapers that maximize the uncertain region where the residual vibration is less than a prespecie ed quantity, 8 have been investigated in the interest of desensitizing the pree lter with respect to modeling errors. Techniques to desensitize the timeoptimal control proe le have been developed by Liu and Wie 9 and Singh and Vadali. 10 A very recent approach to the design of desensitized time-delay e lters is a minimax formulation proposed by Singh. 11 All of the aforementioned approaches assume that the actuator can track step inputs, which is equivalent to requiring ine nite jerk control proe les. Jerk is indicative of the time rate of change of the inertia forces and is a measure of the impact levels that can excite unmodeled dynamics, which is of concern in the control of e exible structures. Bhat and Miu 3 study the problem of designing control proe les, minimizing a cost function that is the time integral
Analyzing persistent state interactions to improve state management

A primary challenge to building reliable and secure computer systems is managing the persistent state of the system: all the executable files, configuration settings and other data that govern how a system functions. The difficulty comes from the sheer volume of this persistent state, the frequency of changes to it, and the variety of workloads and requirements that require customization of persistent state. The cost of not managing a system‘s persistent state effectively is high: configuration errors are the leading cause of downtime at Internet services, troubleshooting configuration problems is a leading component of total cost of ownership in corporate environments, and malware— effectively, unwanted persistent state—is a serious privacy and security concern on personal computers. In this paper, we analyze how computer systems dynamically interact with files and configuration settings in an attempt to gain insights into the problem of persistent state management. We analyze over 3648 machine days of these persistent state interactions, collected over an 8 month period from 193 machines. These machines are under real workloads and include Internet servers, corporate desktops, and home machines. We characterize the scope and magnitude of the persistent state management problem today, measuring not only the gross characteristics of persistent state, but also analyzing how it is used by applications, and when administrators and users modify it. We find that monitoring persistent state interactions provides important visibility and show how it can be used as a foundation for building better persistent state management tools.
Characterization of the Unique C Terminus of theEscherichia coli τ DnaX Protein MONOMERIC C-τ BINDS α AND DnaB AND CAN PARTIALLY REPLACE τ IN RECONSTITUTED REPLICATION FORKS

A contact between the dimeric tau subunit within the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme and the DnaB helicase is required for replication fork propagation at physiologically-relevant rates (Kim, S., Dallmann, H. G., McHenry, C. S., and Marians, K. J. (1996) Cell 84, 643-650). In this report, we exploit the OmpT protease to generate C-tau, a protein containing only the unique C-terminal sequences of tau, free of the sequences shared with the alternative gamma frameshifting product of dnaX. We have established that C-tau is a monomer by sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity ultracentrifugation. Monomeric C-tau binds the alpha catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase III with a 1:1 stoichiometry. C-tau also binds DnaB, revealed by a coupled immunoblotting method. C-tau restores the rapid replication rate of inefficient forks reconstituted with only the gamma dnaX gene product. The acceleration of the DnaB helicase can be observed in the absence of primase, when only leading-strand replication occurs. This indicates that C-tau, bound only to the leading-strand polymerase, can trigger the conformational change necessary for DnaB to assume the fast, physiologically relevant form.
Effect of Drug Resistance on the Generation of Secondary Cases of Tuberculosis

Background. The results of animal studies suggest that isoniazid-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are less pathogenic than isoniazid-susceptible strains. Here, we assess the relative pathogenicity of drug-resistant and drug-susceptible strains, in a human population. Methods. We linked IS6110 genotype patterns of M. tuberculosis strains with drug-susceptibility test results and epidemiologic information for 85% of culture-positive incident cases of tuberculosis (TB) in San Francisco during 1991-1999. We assumed that drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains were transmitted to secondary case patients if the drug-resistance and genotype patterns were identical. We calculated the number of secondary cases for each drug-resistance pattern and determined the relative secondary-case rate ratio (SR) of drug-resistant TB to drug-susceptible TB. Results. There were 1800 patients with culture-positive TB, drug-susceptibility test results, and genotyping results. The overall SR of drug-resistant to drug-susceptible TB cases was 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.69). The SR was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.15-0.57) for isoniazid-resistant strains, 0.10 (95% CI, 0.02-0.42) for strains resistant to both isoniazid and streptomycin, and 0.88 (95% Cl, 0.53-1.47) for streptomycin-resistant strains. There were no secondary cases caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. The SR for rifampin-resistant cases was 2.33 (95% Cl, 1.04-5.25). Seventy-eight percent (7/9) of the patients with rifampin-resistant secondary cases of TB were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus. Conclusion. In the context of an effective TB program in San Francisco, strains that were resistant to isoniazid either alone or in combination with other drugs were less likely to result in secondary cases than were drug-susceptible strains. In this setting, isoniazid-resistant and MDR TB cases were not likely to produce new, incident drug-resistant TB cases.
Using Data-Extraction Ontologies to Foster Automating Semantic Annotation

Semantic annotation adds formal metadata to web pages to link web data with ontology concepts. Automated semantic annotation is a primary way of enabling the semantic web. A main drawback of existing automated semantic annotation approaches is that they need a post-extraction mapping between extraction categories and ontology concepts. This mapping requirement usually needs human intervention, which decreases automation. Our approach uses data-extraction ontologies to avoid this problem. To automate semantic annotation, the new approach uses an ontology-based data recognizer that fosters automated semantic annotation, optimizes the system performance, provides support for ontology assembly, and is compatible with semantic web standards.
A course in the psychology of oppression: A different approach to teaching about diversity

An undergraduate course called the Psychology of Oppression was developed to teach the importance of diversity in psychology. The course offers a perspective that teaches students how to understand the factors that undermine the appreciation of multi-culturalism and other forms of diversity in society. The perspective emphasizes how socially constructed definitions of various groups are used to distinguish sameness and difference among people. These definitions become the criteria by which disqualification from social opportunities is achieved. Topics covered included micro- and macro-level theories of oppression, the importance of ideology in oppressive systems, and theories of social change and liberation. This article describes the course perspective, format, materials, assignments, student reactions, and special concerns when teaching about controversial topics.
The spectre of race in American medicine

Controversies and debates surrounding race have long been a fixture in American medicine. In the past, the biological concept of race-the idea that race is biologically determined and meaningful-has served to justify the institution of slavery and the conduct of unethical research trials. Although these days may seem far behind, contemporary debates over the race-specific approval of drugs and the significance of genetic differences are evidence that race still yields tremendous influence on medical research and clinical practice. In many ways, the use of race in medicine today reflects the internalisation of racial hierarchies borne out of the history of slavery and state-mandated segregation, and there is still much uncertainty over its benefits and harms. Although using race in research can help elucidate disparities, the reflexive use of race as a variable runs the risk of reifying the biological concept of race and blinding researchers to important underlying factors such as socioeconomic status. Similarly, in clinical practice, the use of race in assessing a patient's risk of certain conditions (eg, sickle cell) turns harmful when the heuristic becomes a rule. Through selected historical and contemporary examples, I aim to show how the biological concept of race that gave rise to past abuses remains alive and harmful, and propose changes in medical education as a potential solution. By learning from the past, today's physicians will be better armed to discern-and correct-the ways in which contemporary medicine perpetuates historical injustices.
Applicability of Industrial Test and Evaluation Practices to Future Nuclear Weapons

This report presents trade study methodology for alternative test and evaluation (T&E) strategies that provides some early indicators of efficacy by application of the method to future nuclear weapons (NWs). Identification of strategies for trade studies can be hampered by subjectivity or incompleteness, effectively limiting the scope of such studies by unconscious bias. This methodology seeks to formalize the identification process by which alternatives, evaluation criteria and weighting factors are derived. The method identifies characteristics specific to the example system, identifies products or engineered systems that share some of those characteristics and a description of the T&E strategies used by these industrial analogues. Application of industry paradigms to NW T&E results in some obvious challenges, given the distinct business environments and product requirements involved in the nuclear weapons enterprise. However, a framework for performing trade studies can be generalized for use by others using the methodology developed for this study.
A theory for surface elevation in the weissenberg effect

A Couette flow generated by a cylinder rotating perpendicular to the free surface of a fluid is considered and the equations of motion are solved to yield an expression for the surface shape in the vicinity of the rod. The fluid model chosen is one for which the shear stress τrθ and the normal stresses Trr and Tee obey the relations where M, n, a, b, and κ are constants characteristic of the fluid and v is the flow velocity component in the angular direction. The results are found to be in reasonable agreement with previous experimental observations of the Weissenberg effect.
Predictive deconvolution of seismic array data for inversion

Predictive deconvolution is used to remove the ringing source signature wavelet from seismic array data to enhance interpretation or to permit direct earth parameter estimation (inversion). For the latter it is important to know whether the procedure is removing information other than the source wavelet. Sets of synthetic marine data are generated for two plane layer solid earth models, including a minimum delay wavelet and with and without the ocean surface. Predictive deconvolution is applied with autocorrelation averaging across sensors to enhance the random earth assumption. The wavelet estimated during predictive deconvolution is close to the original wavelet except when surface ghosts are included. In this case it is close to the combined wavelet and ghosts.
Reliability scaling issues for nanoscale devices

We discuss two specific scaling issues that can result in qualitative changes in device reliability prediction for nanoscale devices. The first of these involves a rapid increase in early failures due to a distribution of activation energies of defect precursors. We show that the slopes of the failure functions for hot carrier interface state generation (HCI) and time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) have simple physical interpretations in terms of a geometrical factor and the activation energy distribution width. The second issue involves a transition from single to multiple electrons causing individual defects. This picture allows simple physical explanations for the larger HCI damage in NMOS versus PMOS, the anomalous isotope effect of activation energies for HCI in the lucky electron model, and the observed power law dependence of the time to breakdown versus voltage for TDDB for ultrathin oxides.
DOES PRIOR PERFORMANCE AFFECT A MUTUAL FUND'S CHOICE OF RISK? THEORY AND FURTHER EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE *

Recent empirical studies of mutual fund competition examine the relation between a fund's performance, the fund manager's compensation, and the fund manager's choice of portfolio risk. This paper models a manager's portfolio choice for compensation rules that can be either a concave, linear, or convex function of the fund's performance relative to that of a benchmark. For particular compensation structures, a manager increases the fund's "tracking error" volatility as its relative performance declines. However, declining performance does not necessarily lead the manager to raise the volatility of the fund's return. The paper presents nonparametric and parametric tests of the relation between mutual fund performance and risk taking for more than 6,000 equity mutual funds over the 1962 to 2006 period. There is a tendency for mutual funds to increase the standard deviation of tracking errors, but not the standard deviation of returns, as their performance declines. This riskshifting behavior appears more common for funds whose managers have longer tenures. I. Introduction As mutual fund investing has grown, the management of mutual funds has come under closer scrutiny by financial economists. One strand of research examines potential agency problems between a mutual fund's shareholders and its portfolio manager. Several studies investigate whether a manager might unnecessarily shift the fund's risk in response to changes in its performance relative to other funds. This behavior is linked to the way the manager is compensated and to the actions of mutual fund investors. The manager's compensation depends on her success in generating flows of new investments into the fund, while mutual fund investors "chase returns" by channeling investments into funds with better
The effect of ion induced damage on the hardness, wear, and friction of zirconia

Microhardness measurements were carried out on ion implanted single crystal Y2O3 stabilized cubic ZrO2. Inert gas ions (Ne, Ar, Xe) and N, Si, Ti, and W were implanted up to fluences of 3 × 1017 ions/cm2. Implantation energies were selected to give equivalent ranges. Comparison of the Knoop microhardness values of ZrO2 implanted with various species over a range of fluences showed that the principal variable causing hardness changes is damage energy and not the ion fluence nor the ion species. For all implants studied, the hardness versus damage energy gives a unified plot. At low doses the hardness rises with increasing deposited damage energy to a value 15% higher than that of unimplanted zirconia. With additional damage the hardness drops to a value 15% lower than that of the unimplanted zirconia. Friction and wear measurements in a pin-on-disk assembly showed very different behavior for high dose versus unimplanted ZrO2. The unimplanted samples showed debris with an associated rise in friction. The implanted system showed much less debris and a constant value of friction even after 10 000 cycles.
Increased anxiety-like behaviors and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice with targeted mutation of the Bcl-2 gene: further support for the involvement of mitochondrial function in anxiety disorders.

There is growing evidence that anxiety disorders are associated with impairments of cellular plasticity and resilience. Paralleling these advances in our understanding of the neurobiologic underpinnings of anxiety disorders is the growing appreciation of the diverse functions that mitochondria play in regulating integrated CNS function. The emerging data suggest that mitochondrial Ca 2+ sequestration has a key role in modulating the tone of synaptic plasticity in a variety of neuroanatomical regions, including those implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Furthermore, activation of peripheral mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors resulted in reduced anxiety in rats. One of the major modulators of mitochondrial function is Bcl-2 proteins imbedded in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Bcl-2 overexpression increases mitochondria Ca 2+ uptake capacity and resistance to Ca 2+ -inhibition of respiration and upregulation of Bcl-2 increases maximal uptake capacity of mitochondria. We have, therefore, explored the significance of Bcl-2 in the association between mitochondrial function and affective disorders testing Bcl-2 heterozygote mice in models of affective and anxiety disorders. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Mutant mice have reduced mitochondrial Bcl-2 levels, and although they have no gross behavioral abnormalities, they demonstrate a significant increase of anxiety-like behaviors. Bcl-2 heterozygote mice spent less time in the center of an open field, spent less time outside an enclosure in the “emergence test”, were less likely to explore the transparent part of a black/white box or the open arms of an elevated plus maze compared with WT controls. Mutant mice did not differ from WT in measures of locomotion or in the forced swim test for depression-like behavior suggesting a specific effect on anxiety-like behaviors. 20 21 22 23 24 Our study, therefore demonstrates that Bcl-2 may be a key factor in anxiety disorders and that its effects may possibly originate from its role in the mitochondria. 25 26
Expression of a Non-Secreted Form of Juvenile Hormone Esterase in a Baculovirus

Pericardial cells rapidly cleared recombinant-juvenile hormone esterase (rJHE) expressed within a baculovirus in insects from the hemolymph. To prevent the clearance of rJHE, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to remove the signal sequence from the JHE gene, thereby converting the enzyme to a non-secreted form (NSJHE). The resulting gene was expressed in a baculovirus (AcNSJHE) using HIGH-FIVE cells and proper cellular enzyme production was monitored. Transcription level of the NSJHE and rJHE were comparable, and purified NSJHE protein from the cytoplasm hydrolyzed JH. However, efficacy of NSJHE production was low. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and enzyme assays demonstrated enzyme production and activity relative to rJHE of 0.5–1.7% and < 0.1%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that NSJHE was distributed in the nucleus predominantly and some NSJHE aggregated in clumps within the cytoplasm. These results indicate that NSJHE lacks a specific localization site within cells and that the folding of this enzyme is insufficient. Deglycosylation experiments using purified NSJHE showed that NSJHE was much less glycosylated than rJHE as we expected. Although the NSJHE was less glycosylated, enzyme stability of the NSJHE was equivalent to that of rJHE, indicating that the sugar chains are unimportant in the stability of JHE.
Drinking During Pregnancy Decreases Word Attack and Arithmetic Scores on Standardized Tests: Adolescent Data From a Population‐Based Prospective Study

Women (1529) were interviewed in midpregnancy, and a cohort of their children has been examined at various ages. The two standardized tests presented herein are part of a large battery of tests administered when the children were 14 years old. "Word Attack" (n = 462) measures phonological processing on a task involving the reading of pseudowords in nontimed performance. "Arithmetic" (n = 191) measures auditorily processed mental computations in timed performance. Scores on both tests were associated with prenatal alcohol exposure in a dose-dependent fashion. These effects were robust when considered in relation to a wide variety of potentially confounding variables, such as prenatal exposure to tobacco and other drugs, sociodemographic characteristics, and traumatic postnatal events. A variety of alcohol scores were related to these two performance measures, but those involving a massing of drinks on a given occasion had the strongest association. The higher the average number of drinks/occasion, the poorer the offspring performance on tasks thought to underlie numerical problem solving and reading proficiency. Earlier reports of prenatal, alcohol-related neurobehavioral deficits in childhood have now been extended into adolescence.
Towards a family process model of maternal and paternal depressive symptoms: exploring multiple relations with child and family functioning.

Background: Research has focused on maternal dysphoria and child adjustment. However, family process models indicate gaps in the study of paternal dysphoria, broader family functioning, and diverse child outcomes. Method: A community sample of 235 mothers and fathers of kindergarten children completed measures of depressive symptoms, family functioning and child adjustment. Teachers also provided measures of child adjustment. Results: Supportive of pervasive effects even in a community sample, increased parental depressive symptomatology was related to increased marital conflict, insecure marital attachment, less parental warmth, more psychological control in parenting, and multiple child problems. Child gender moderated child outcomes differently for paternal and maternal dysphoria. Marital relations, but not parenting, mediated child outcomes. Conclusions: Marital problems may be especially reactive to parental depressive symptomatology, so that mediational processes affecting child functioning become evident even in family contexts of relatively low risk.
Affinity labeling of nucleotide binding sites of enzymes and platelets.

A goal of many biochemists is to identify and then to define the role of particular amino acids within the active and allosteric sites of enzymes. One approach is to chemically modify critical amino acids and to rely on the specificity of the enzyme for its substrate or normal regulatory compound to limit the extent of chemical modification to the region of the active or allosteric sites. In this approach, a reagent is designed which can react irreversibly with amino acid residues of the enzyme, but which is in addition stucturally analogous to the substrate. Such a compound may mimic the substrate in forming a reversible enzyme inhibitor complex at a particular site on the enzyme; the reactive functional group of the reagent may then form a covalent bond within the active site during the existence of this complex. This is the strategy termed affinity labeling, which can potentially lead to specific but irreversible attack within purified enzymes, or even of particular enzymes or receptors when present in a mixture of proteins.
Experimental demonstration of non-hermitian on-chip nonlinear optical isolators

We report the experimental realization of a non-Hermitian optical isolator based on semiconductor nonlinear waveguide arrays. Such non-Hermitian isolators can in principle be integrated on the same semiconductor platform along with the laser source.
Signed degree sequences and multigraphs

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a signed r-multigraph with a prescribed signed degree sequence. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 41: 101–105, 2002
Structure and sequence of the mitochondrial 20S rRNA and tRNA tyr gene of Paramecium primaurelia

Abstract The sequence and structure of the large (20s) mitochondrial (mt) rRNA gene and flanking regions from Paramecium primaurelia have been determined. The gene contains two regions of strong homology with other large mt rRNAs: one 44-base region near the 5' end and a 321-base region near the 3' end. Another region of strong homology to both ends of E. coli 23s RNA exists at loci consistent with these regions. The Paramecium gene appears to be 2204 bases in length and contains slightly more homology to E. coli rRNA than its mammalian or fungal counterparts. The gene, located about 1200 bp from the replicative terminal end of the linear mt DNA, is transcribed in the same polarity as replication. Previous R-looping studies detected no large introns within the gene. Here we describe sequences resembling degenerate rRNAs, one of which could represent a small intron. A tRNA tyr gene was found on the same DNA strand, 127 bp downstream from the large rRNA presumptive 3' end. The tRNA is flanked on both sides by short DNA regions of approximately 90% A + T content.
Image oscillation reduction and convergence acceleration for OS-EM reconstruction

We have investigated the use of two approaches to reduce the image oscillation of OS-EM reconstruction that is due to the inconsistent adjustments from different partial subsets of the projection measurements (sinogram). One approach preprocesses the sinogram to make it satisfy a sinogram consistency condition. The second approach takes the average of the intermediary images (i.e., smoothes image values over sub-iterations). Both approaches were found to be capable of reducing the image oscillation, and combination of both was most effective. With these approaches, the convergence speed of the OS-EM is further improved. For computer simulated data and real PET data, a single iteration of these new OS-EM reconstruction was shown to yield images comparable to those with 80 EM iterations.
Evaluation of Hybrid Pixel-Waveform (HPWF) CdTe and CZT Detectors for Sub-500 µm Resolution PET Imaging for Mouse Brain Studies

101 Objectives In this work, we experimentally evaluate a prototype PET imaging setup, based on HPWF CdTe and CZT detectors, for ultrahigh resolution imaging of a mouse brain. The HPWF CdTe or CZT detectors utilize a simplified anode ASIC to readout the anode pixels to provide the X-Y address of gamma interactions, and uses digital waveform sampling circuitry to read the cathode waveform for deriving the energy, timing and (depth-of interaction) DOI. This offers advantages over typical CZT/CdTe pixel detectors for PET, including a) improved timing resolution over anode triggered pixelated detectors, b) improved energy resolution as the cathode signal is immune to charge sharing and loss from small pixels, c) simplified anode pixel readout circuitry for smaller pixels (100-200um), and d) excellent DOI resolution. Methods The PET setup consists of two HPWF CdTe detectors operated in coincidence around a rotary stage on top of a 3-D translation stage. Each HPWF detector has a 2mm x 2.2 cm x 1.1 cm CdTe crystal. The crystal has 2048 anode pixels, arranged in 64 x 32 array and each pixel is 350 µm x 350 µm, read out by a CMOS readout ASIC [1]. The cathode of the detectors is read with commercial waveform sampling circuitry (Gage CSE1242) for determining event energy, triggering, and DOI position. Results We have shown the energy (~5%), timing, and the spatial resolution of our setup. We have reconstructed point-source images that consist of 250 µm spherical sources spaced by 300 µm, and increasing by steps of 50 µm to 450 µm. Reconstructions without DOI, with DOI, and with both DOI and positron range correction are compared. We will further perform PET imaging of a mouse brain phantom and compare the results with images from a Siemens Inveon MicroPET. These results will be presented. Conclusions Our results have shown that HPWF detectors could offer excellent energy, timing and 3-D spatial resolution, which could lead to an ultra-high (potentially sub-300 µm) intrinsic resolution for mouse PET imaging.
The Office of Icebergs

Here, we are accustomed to slippery immigrants, to changeable states and submerged anatomies. So at first, when we met Isca, we did not feel threatened. Regrettably there were looks- reactions of alarm and repulsion- because it was only later and in confidence that she filled us in on the deal with her face. But after the double-take we realised, it's a woman! and we swivelled around in our chairs, raising our brows at one another as if to ask: but how did she get in? There had been no call forewarning us of her arrival, no intra-office memo, or email from our truant Director...
Comparison of Alate Offspring Produced by Two Biotypes of the Greenbug

Reproduction in 2 biotypes of Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) were compared under a controlled environment. Biotypes B and C were compared when both apterous and alate virginopara served as parents. Aphids were reared on winter wheat seedlings under simulated fall growing conditions of 17.2°C temp and a photoperiod of 12 h. Both biotypes produced approximately the same number of progeny, and within a biotype the ratio of winged to wingless offspring remaind parallel for both apterous and alate parents. However, biotype C produced approximately 25% alate offspring, as opposed to 1% for biotype B during the same period.
Does Cooperative Learning Enhance Student Achievement

We incorporated a cooperative learning strategy into an instrumentation course for juniors who were enrolled in a medical technology program. We analyzed examination scores from 143 students to determine whether student achievement improved following implementation of cooperative learning. Results from this 9-year study are inconsistent. A statistical difference ( P <.05) was found among students who took a second in-class examination in a group setting compared with those who took it independently. No statistical significance was noted, however, between scores on the final examination and the manner in which the test was taken. Implementation of cooperative learning for this course did not increase student scores significantly on every examination. No decrease in scores was noted, either. Cooperative learning has been instrumental in preparing our graduates to become team players in their professional roles.
Immunodiagnostic testing in horses.

Immunodiagnostic tools are valuable aids in the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of diseases and syndromes, including infectious diseases, immunodeficiency disorders, immunohematologic and autoimmune disorders, and hypersensitivity disorders. To maximize the usefulness of these tools in identifying and managing equine diseases, one must be able to appreciate the vast array of available tools, use these tools properly, and appropriately interpret the information they provide. This article contains diagrammatic explanations of immunodiagnostic tests framed within posed diagnostic questions using examples of diseases in which these tests are used appropriately. Using an understanding of the questions answered by the tests and the limitations that constrain the questions' use, these tests can serve as valuable aids in the diagnosis and management of equine diseases.
How to think about immigration: Control, protection, discretion and democracy

David Miller argues that some level of intake of economic immigrants, and some kind of selection between them, is inevitable, and so the choice between closed borders and free movement is a false one. Instead what matters is that the selection criteria are informed by a democratic debate and stand up to public scrutiny.
Oligomerization of N‐Heterocyclic Silylene into Zwitterionic Silenes

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHC's) are known to serve as efficient substrates for the stabilization of various transient species possessing low-valent Group 14 elements and for the generation of double E=C bonds. Herein, we report that the thermal tri- and tetramerizations of pyridoannulated silylene 1 lead to the formation of remarkably stable silenes 2 and 3 featuring zwitterionic distribution of electron density. Co-oligomerization of 1 and its germanium analogue gives a related tetrameric product 4 containing low-valent germanium atom stabilized by binding with the partial carbene-character C atom. Bonding situations in 2–4 are best described as silene or germene with the significant zwitterionic distribution of electron density. The singlet diradical electronic state of 2 is 10 kcal mol−1 higher than the ground state configuration.
Increasing Stability of Biotin Functionalized Electrospun Fibers for Biosensor Applications

This paper describes the effects of both solvent and copolymer block lengths on the stability of electrospun poly(lactic acid)/poly(lactic acid)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA/PLA-b-PEG) and PLA/PLA-b-PEG-Biotin fibers in water. By tailoring the block length of copolymers PLA-b-PEG, water stability of electrospun fibers is improved over fibers reported previously. The solvent used also influenced the stability and hydrophilicity of resulting fibers. Fibers formed using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) have greater water stability, but less PEG at the surface of fibers than fibers spun from dimethylformamide (DMF). Attaching biotin to the end of PLA(3600)-b-PEG(2000) and spinning from DMF resulted, initially, in 7.6% of the total biotin incorporated into the fiber, assuming every PEG terminal had one biotin attached (1.1 mg of biotin per gram of fiber) available at the fibers’ surface. In addition, PLA/PLA(3600)-b-PEG(2000)-Biotin spun from DMF hindered biotin migration to the aqueous phase, leaving ...
Two Concepts of Argument.

Students of argumentation rarely acknowledge that the term “argument” has two importantly different senses. This essay attempts to show the importance of distinguishing these senses, taking as a fo...
Pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a marker of outcomes in nivolumab-treated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Abstract Objectives Efficient use of nivolumab in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been limited by the lack of a definitive predictive biomarker. In patients with metastatic melanoma treated with ipilimumab, a pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) Methods We reviewed the medical records of all patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC who received nivolumab between March 2015 and March 2016 outside of a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania. Patients were dichotomized according to pretreatment NLR Results 175 patients were treated. Median age was 68 (range, 33–88); 54% were female. Twenty-five percent of patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) ≥2; 46% had received ≥2 prior systemic therapies. In multivariate analyses, pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥5 was independently associated with inferior OS (median 5.5 vs. 8.4 months; HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.3–3.3; p = 0.002) and inferior PFS (median 1.9 vs. 2.8 months; HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02–2.0; p = 0.04). Conclusions In a cohort of patients with NSCLC treated with nivolumab in routine practice, pretreatment NLR ≥ 5 was associated with inferior outcomes. It is unclear whether this marker is predictive or prognostic. Prospective studies are warranted to determine the utility of NLR in the context of other biomarkers of programmed death-1 (PD-1) therapy.
Commentary on “Uncover the effect of solvent and temperature on solid-liquid equilibrium behavior of l-norvaline”

Abstract Several sets of reported curve-fit parameters reported by Wang and coworkers [J. Mol. Liq. 243 (2017) 273–284] for the Modified Apelblat model do not correctly back-calculate the observed solubility behavior of l -norvaline in the binary aqueous-alcohol solvent mixtures studied by the authors. Too much rounding is likely the reason for the failure of the curve-fit parameters to yield the back-calculated mole fraction solubilities that the authors reported in the published paper.
Influence of Culture Age, Cytokinin Level, and Retipping on Growth and Incidence of Brooming in Micropropagated Rhododendrons

Abstract Active shoot cultures of Rhododendron ‘Aglo’, ‘Molly Fordham’, and ‘Scintillation’ were maintained on four levels [10, 20, 30, and 40 μ M (2, 4, 6 and 8 ppm)] of N6-(2-isopentenyl)adenine (2iP) for five months. Growth characteristics were evaluated at three and nine months post-acclimatization (PA). Differences in height or width were no more than 4 cm (1.6 in), and differences in branching were five branches or less. R. ‘Molly Fordham’ plants exhibiting a dwarf, brooming nature were generated from all 2iP levels, and accounted for 3–5% of all plants grown. R. ‘Molly Fordham’ plants generated from 26-week-old cultures were initially 13% taller at three months PA, and then 6% wider at nine months PA when compared to plants generated from 240-week-old cultures. Leaf area for plants generated from 26-week-old cultures was 12 or 23% greater than for plants from 240-week-old cultures. Variant plants were generated from the 26- and the 240-week-old cultures at 9% and 5% respectively, although the diffe...
Pt and PtRu catalyst bilayers increase efficiencies for ethanol oxidation in proton exchange membrane electrolysis and fuel cells

Polarization curves, product distributions, and reaction stoichiometries have been measured for the oxidation of ethanol at anodes consisting of Pt and PtRu bilayers and a homogeneous mixture of the two catalysts. These anode structures all show synergies between the two catalysts that can be attributed to the oxidation of acetaldehyde produced at the PtRu catalyst by the Pt catalyst. The use of a PtRu layer over a Pt layer produces the strongest effect, with higher currents than a Pt on PtRu bilayer, mixed layer, or either catalyst alone, except for Pt at high potentials. Reaction stoichiometries (average number of electrons transferred per ethanol molecule) were closer to the values for Pt alone for both of the bilayer configurations but much lower for PtRu and mixed anodes. Although Pt alone would provide the highest overall fuel cell efficiency at low power densities, the PtRu on Pt bilayer would provide higher power densities without a significant loss of efficiency. The origin of the synergy between the Pt and PtRu catalysts was elucidated by separation of the total current into the individual components for generation of carbon dioxide and the acetaldehyde and acetic acid byproducts.
Media Impacts and Performance in Dispersed Teams

The use of dispersed teams is prevalent in today’s organizations, and managers and chief information officers (CIOs) face challenges and issues regarding the organization and effectiveness of these...
PEEP: Passively Eavesdropping Private Input via Brainwave Signals

New emerging devices open up immense opportunities for everyday users. At the same time, they may raise significant security and privacy threats. One such device, forming the central focus of this work, is an EEG headset, which allows a user to control her computer only using her thoughts.
Survival Rates in Patients After Treatment for Metastasis From Uveal Melanoma

Importance Despite high rates of local tumor control in patients who are treated for uveal melanoma, most patients will eventually die of metastasis. When metastasis develops, the liver is involved in most cases, and hepatic metastases are particularly refractory to treatment. Finding effective treatments has been challenging. A comparison of survival rates in patients who were treated for metastasis over approximately 30 years may offer insights into progress that has been made in prolonging survival. Objective To compare survival after treatment for metastasis in a cohort of patients who were treated for uveal melanoma at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEE) during an approximately 30-year period with an earlier analysis to determine if there was meaningful improvement in survival rates after treatment for metastasis. Design, Setting, and Participants This review included patients (n = 661) who received a diagnosis of metastasis from uveal melanoma who were identified from a cohort of 3063 patients treated at MEE between January 1982 and December 2009 and followed up through December 2011. They were compared with findings from a previous study of patients treated between 1975 and 1987. Main Outcomes and Measures Survival rates in patients who received treatment for metastasis were compared with those who did not receive treatment. The differences in survival rates were compared with an earlier analysis that was completed at MEE. A comparison of patients with hepatic metastases and extrahepatic metastases was also completed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate survival rates and the log rank test was used to test for statistically significant differences between the groups. Results Of 620 patients with race information available, 615 (97.3%) were white; the mean (SD) age of patients was 59.71 (13.23) years and 307 (47.3%) were women. The median time from the initial treatment of the tumor to metastasis was 3.45 years (interquartile range [IQR], 2.0-5.57). Overall, the median survival time was poor (3.9 months [IQR, 1.6-10.1]). Patients who received treatment fared better than those who did not receive treatment (median survival after metastasis diagnosis, 6.3 months [IQR, 2.96-14.41] vs 1.7 months [IQR, 0.66-3.5]). This finding was similar to that of our earlier study in which median survival was 5.2 months and 2 months for treated and untreated patients, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that advances in treatments that lead to clinically meaningful improvements in survival times have not been realized. Similar survival rates in patients who were treated for metastasis were observed in this recent analysis compared with our earlier study. Adjuvant therapies that are initiated at the time of melanoma diagnosis may be the most effective way to prolong survival.
The Experience of the Holy: A Relational Psychoanalytic Analysis

The title of this paper, “The Experience of the Holy” is a direct reference to Rudolf Otto's book “Das Heilige.” The paper begins with Otto because he lays out many of the important issues involved in a psychological investigation of the experience of the holy, especially the question of whether the sacred is a unique object of experience, or a characteristic of our experience of ordinary objects. The paper then discusses three contemporary relational psychoanalysts (D.W. Winnicott, Hans Loewald, and Christopher Bollas), and the ways in which their theorizing illuminates the psychology of the sacred.
The Molecular Basis of Ferrokinetics: The Explanation of the Fletcher-Huehns Phenomenon

Abstract In the present study, we have examined the uptake of iron from mixtures of mono-and diferric transferrin using the reticulocyte incubation model described by Fletcher and Huehns. Iron delivery from the various transferrin species was monitored by preparative isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel. While it was possible to reproduce the phenomenon firstly observed by these authors, an explanation for this effect can now be given on the basis of a special competitive advantage of diferric transferrin over the monoferric form in delivering iron to reticulocytes. No functional differences between the two binding sites for iron on the transferrin molecule have to be invoked. Such a difference can actually be excluded.