cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enforcement of Local Green Building Ordinances Integrating Third-Party Rating Systems

This article reviews 18 California local government green building ordinances - as in effect at the time of writing - that require compliance by private parties and incorporate a third-party green building rating system, such as LEED or Build It Green.
Rise of the bots: bot prevalence and its impact on match outcomes in league of legends

League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game where features are unlocked as players level up their accounts. Because it takes a significant amount of time to reach the max level, there exist accounts that are leveled automatically by illicit "bots" and then sold on the market at the max level. These bots participate in matches like human players but are incapable of either playing intelligently or cooperatively with teammates. This paper presents an investigation into the prevalence of bots in player-versus-player match types and their impact on match outcomes on the North America and Europe West servers, using the data gathered through the Riot Games official application program interface. We demonstrate that bots are present in all major match modes at various levels and that they negatively influence the balance of matches on both servers.
The Influence of the 4n2 Light Trapping Factor on Ultimate Solar Cell Efficiency

The standard Shockley-Queisser approach to ideal ultimate solar cell efficiency makes a number of idealistic assumptions. Under even slightly non-ideal conditions, the 4n2 light trapping factor already has a major role controlling the ultimate efficiency.
Antibiotic-resistant pneumococci--facts and fiction

The effective treatment of infections caused by penicillin-resistant pneumococci is dependent upon the rapid and accurate laboratory assessment of bacterial susceptibility. The most reliable methods for the susceptibility testing of pneumococci are those of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, disk diffusion and the more recently developed E-test. The E-test, in particular, has made pneumococcal testing much easier and allows results to be obtained more rapidly. Current breakpoint recommendations for the susceptibility of pneumococci to penicillin and cephalosporins have been criticised and continue to be the subject of debate. Evidence suggests that strains of pneumococci with an MIC value of 0.06 mg/L for penicillin should be classified as being of intermediate susceptibility. Many of these strains produce zone diameters less than the susceptible breakpoint in oxacillin/methicillin disk procedures. Other proposed changes to NCCLS guidelines are also discussed. Surveys of susceptibility patterns of pneumococci to antibiotics are important in assessing the value of agents in the management of infectious disease. Susceptibility studies have demonstrated that older drugs such as amoxycillin and piperacillin have low MICs against pneumococci, and may therefore be effective in the treatment of infection due to penicillin-intermediate and possibly even penicillin-resistant strains.
Imaging infants to rule out biliary atresia

1037 Learning Objectives 1. Understand the role of hepatobiliary imaging in infants with biliary atresia symptoms. 2. Illustrate findings by presenting three case studies of various results. 3. Illustrate the importance of delayed imaging in hepatobiliary scans when ruling out biliary atresia. Biliary atresia is a condition in infants in which the common bile duct is blocked or absent. Biliary atresia is an indication for performing a hepatobiliary scan. We reviewed data from nine patients who showed indications of biliary atresia. All patients were treated with phenobarbital 5-7 days prior to imaging. Patients were fasting 2 hours prior to exam, received no opiate derivatives 4 hours prior to exam, and had no barium contrast within 24 hours of exam. Patients were injected with 1 mCi mebrofenin and imaged dynamically for 2 hours. After 2 hours of imaging and non visualization of gallbladder and bowel, which would be consistent with biliary atresia, additional delayed images were obtained 24 hours post injection. Six out of nine patient9s studies showed no sign of biliary atresia. Four of the six studies were found to show no sign of biliary atresia after 2 hours of imaging, whereas two of the six studies needed 24 hours of delayed imaging to confirm no biliary atresia. Three of the nine studies were consistent with probable biliary atresia. In conclusion, hepatobiliary imaging is a useful imaging tool to determine the possibility of biliary atresia
Study of Overvoltage Protection Strategy of the Thyristor Valve Operational Test

The paper describes the transient overvoltage and the fault overvoltage,and provides their protection strategies of the thyristor operational test.The mathematical model and the generation mechanism of the overvoltage are presented.The paper also puts forward the RC snubber and the protection strategies of BOD triggering thyristor.Based on the simulation and the test results,the validity and availability of protection strategies are verified.
Aligning statistical and scientific reasoning

Imagine the American Physical Society convening a panel of experts to issue a missive to the scientific community on the difference between weight and mass. And imagine that the impetus for such a message was a recognition that engineers and builders had been confusing these concepts for decades, making bridges, buildings, and other components of our physical infrastructure much weaker than previously suspected.
Synthesis of C1–C15 of palmerolide A: tactical advances that can lead to better design strategies for polyketide synthesis

Abstract A streamlined synthesis of a C1–C15 fragment of palmerolide A is described. Key tactical advances (vis-a-vis previous reports from the Dudley laboratory) include diastereoselective reduction (>20:1 dr) of a C7 ketone using DIP chloride and a modified protecting group strategy that enables both improved step count and end-game efficiency. Asymmetric reduction of linear alkyl vinyl ketone derivatives is a largely unsolved problem in organic synthesis. DIP chloride has been uniquely effective for asymmetric reduction of the alkyl vinyl ketone derivatives in the present study.
Functions and Relations

This chapter provides an overview of the Boolean functions and forms. The importance of some models of Boolean algebras is more a consequence of the part played in them by Boolean functions than of anything else. The set f is a function from set A into set B if and only if it is a subset of a set of ordered pairs A × B , and 〈 a, b 〉 ∈ f and 〈 a, c 〉 ∈ f imply b = c . There are many synonyms for function, such as, transformation, operation, or mapping from set A into set B . If 〈 a, b 〉 ∈ f , then b is an image of the argument a under f , denoted by f (a). If f ⊆ A × B be a function, then the domain D f and range R f of the function are defined as follows: D f = {a | for some b , where 〈 a, b 〉 ∈ f } and R f = {b | for some a , where 〈 a, b 〉 ∈ f }. However, if D f = A , then function f is said to be on the set A or a total function with respect to this set. If R f = B , then the function is onto the set B . A total function f from A into B is denoted by the symbol f: A → B or by the symbol A → B . If f: A → B and C ⊆ A , then the function f ⋂ ( C × B ) is the restriction of f to C , written as f | C . A function f is an extension of a function g if and only if g ⊆ f .
Contingent Faculty as Nonideal Workers

This chapter explores how contingent faculty address the issue of work and family and demonstrates the importance of understanding the diversity of contingent faculty experiences and of underemployment rather than notions of the ideal worker to explain their work lives.
Twenty-First-Century Changes in U.S. Regional Heavy Precipitation Frequency Based on Resolved Atmospheric Patterns

AbstractPrecipitation-gauge observations and atmospheric reanalysis are combined to develop an analogue method for detecting heavy precipitation events based on prevailing large-scale atmospheric conditions. Combinations of atmospheric variables for circulation (geopotential height and wind vector) and moisture (surface specific humidity, column and up to 500-hPa precipitable water) are examined to construct analogue schemes for the winter [December–February (DJF)] of the “Pacific Coast California” (PCCA) region and the summer [June–August (JJA)] of the Midwestern United States (MWST). The detection diagnostics of analogue schemes are calibrated with 1979–2005 and validated with 2006–14 NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA). All analogue schemes are found to significantly improve upon MERRA precipitation in characterizing the occurrence and interannual variations of observed heavy precipitation events in the MWST. When evaluated with the late twentieth-century climat...
Forward Bisimulations for Nondeterministic Symbolic Finite Automata

Symbolic automata allow transitions to carry predicates over rich alphabet theories, such as linear arithmetic, and therefore extend classic automata to operate over infinite alphabets, such as the set of rational numbers. Existing automata algorithms rely on the alphabet being finite, and generalizing them to the symbolic setting is not a trivial task. In our earlier work, we proposed new techniques for minimizing deterministic symbolic automata and, in this paper, we generalize these techniques and study the foundational problem of computing forward bisimulations of nondeterministic symbolic finite automata. We propose three algorithms. Our first algorithm generalizes Moore’s algorithm for minimizing deterministic automata. Our second algorithm generalizes Hopcroft’s algorithm for minimizing deterministic automata. Since the first two algorithms have quadratic complexity in the number of states and transitions in the automaton, we propose a third algorithm that only requires a number of iterations that is linearithmic in the number of states and transitions at the cost of an exponential worst-case complexity in the number of distinct predicates appearing in the automaton. We implement our algorithms and evaluate them on 3,625 nondeterministic symbolic automata from real-world applications.
Effect of adding rumen-degradable protein to a dried distillers grain supplement on growth, body composition, blood metabolites, and puberty in yearling Angus and Brangus heifers

The objective of the study was to determine whether adding soybean meal (SBM), a source of RDP, to a dried distillers grain (DDG) and bermudagrass round bale silage (RBS) diet would enhance growth, body composition, and onset of puberty in Angus (n = 30; 234 ± 19 kg) and Brangus (n = 30; 252 ± 28 kg) heifers (mean age 259 ± 21 d). On d 0, heifers were assigned to (1) RBS + DDG at 0.75% BW; (2) RBS + DDG at 0.75% BW + SBM at 7.5% of DDG; or (3) RBS + DDG at 0.75% BW + SBM at 15% of DDG for 140 d. There were no treatment or breed (P > 0.05) effects for BW, BCS, or ADG by d 140. Moreover, there were no (P > 0.05) treatment or treatment × breed effects on change in body composition from d 0 to 140 for ultrasound LM area (LMA), LMA as a percentage of BW, LMA intramuscular fat, rib fat, or rump fat. Although, Angus had greater (P ≤ 0.05) LMA intramuscular fat on d 140 than Brangus. Brangus tended (P = 0.08) to have greater rump fat and LMA and greater (P ≤ 0.05) LMA as a percentage of BW than Angus on d 140. Blood metabolites were not different (P > 0.05) among treatments from d 0 to 140. Percentage of heifers pubertal by d 140 were not different (P > 0.05) between treatments. In conclusion, addition of SBM at either 7.5 or 15% of the total DDG supplement had no beneficial effects compared with DDG alone on heifer growth, body composition, or onset of puberty.
Personal social media usage and its impact on administrative accountability: an exploration of theory and practice

In the internet era, the boundaries between public and private lives of government employees are often blurred, resulting in enhanced concerns about administrative accountability and effectiveness. By adopting a multi-step qualitative methodology involving internet survey and analysis of illustrative examples, this research explores and examines how social media policies could assist in keeping the public and private lives of civil servants distinct. We find that very few public sector agencies have adopted social media policies in an attempt to regulate employee behavior. We conclude that social media sites, both private and official, could be an effective administrative tool if harnessed properly. We offer certain recommendations and strategies based on our findings that could assist in accomplishing the principles of ethical administration.
Fabrication of Robust Nano-Signatures for Identification of Authentic Electronic Components and Counterfeit Avoidance

In this paper, a novel approach for marking integrated circuit packages with authentication nanosignatures is introduced. In this work, the signatures patterns are fabricated using electron beam lithography. Moreover, the robustness of these signatures against aging and humidity is investigated. A recipe comprising image processing techniques and measurement of similarity indices has been developed. These signatures are proposed to be fabricated at the manufacturer side of the supply chain. Then, they are decoded at the consumer end. Thus, robustness against ambient environment and aging is a requirement for these signatures to survive in the global supply chain. Calculated Mean Square Error and Structural SIMilarity Index confirmed that the reflected patterns of the signatures remain unchanged against aging and humidity.
The Initial Impact of Maryland's Firearm Safety Act of 2013 on the Supply of Crime Handguns in Baltimore

This study assesses the impact of Maryland’s Firearm Safety Act (FSA) of 2013 on indicators of diversion of handguns to prohibited persons. Interrupted time-series analyses were conducted, and the findings were supplemented by results from a survey of men on parole and probation regarding Baltimore’s underground gun market. The FSA was associated with an 82 percent reduction in police recovery of handguns with strong indicators of diversion (IRR=0.18, p=.005). Forty-one percent of survey respondents reported having more difficulty getting a handgun after the FSA because of increased cost, lack of trusted sources, or people less willing to engage in straw purchases on their behalf. These findings are consistent with the theory that the FSA reduces the diversion of handguns into the underground market.
Trends and variations in mantle cell lymphoma incidence from 1995 to 2013: A comparative study between Texas and National SEER areas

Background Few studies have assessed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) incidence trends in the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) areas. Previous studies were 5 to 9 years old and MCL incidence in Texas remains unknown. This study updated the temporal trends and variations of MCL incidence in the SEER areas and compared them with counterpart data in Texas. Results From 1995 to 2013, there were 2, 435 and 5, 193 newly diagnosed MCL patients in Texas and SEER areas. Age-adjusted MCL incidence was 0.91 per 100,000 persons per year in Texas and 1.01 in SEER areas. MCL incidence increased steadily with an annual percent change (APC) of 2.56% in SEER areas and an APC of 2.16% in Texas. In SEER areas, APCs for MCL incidence were significantly different from zero in patients with advanced stage tumor (3.33%), male (2.71%), elderly patients ≥ 80 years old (4.21%) and non-Hispanic white patients (2.83%) (all P Materials and methods We identified all adult patients with newly diagnosed MCL in Texas Cancer Registry and SEER databases from 1995 to 2013. Age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated and negative binomial regression model was used to assess the factors associated with MCL incidence. Conclusions MCL incidence rates increased over time in both Texas and SEER areas, with increases being greater in male, non-Hispanic white, and elderly patient ≥70 years with advanced stage tumors. Texas has similar MCL incidence trends and disparities as the national SEER areas.
Education for Future Engineering: An educator replies to the question — Should the master’s degree be the first professional engineering degree?

In January of this year, Journal of Metals published an article entitled “The Great Engineering Implosion,” by Douglas Ragland of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, in which he proposed that the mater’s degree be the first professional engineering degree. This subject was sub sequently discussed at the Metallurgical Education Session of the AIME Annual Meeting in Dallas and evoked replies from a number of metallurgical educators; the following is one such response
Self-Acceptance, Parental Self-Efficacy, and Impression Management in Lesbian and Gay Parents

The purpose of this study was to explore the hypothesis that lower levels of self-acceptance in lesbian and gay parents would account for a significant amount of variability in parental satisfactio...
Angiotensin receptor signaling in the brain: Ionic currents and neuronal activity

The brain contains both major subtypes of angiotensin receptors, the angiotensin type 1 (AT1) and angiotensin type 2 (AT2) receptors. This chapter begin s with a review of the distribution of these receptor subtypes in the brain and continues with a discussion of their physiological and behavioral functions, from which it is clear that the AT l and AT2 recepto rs mediate very different centr al actions of angiotensin II (Ang II). However, the primary focus of this chapter is a discussion of the mechanisms through which Ang II, acting via AT1 and AT2 receptors, can produce rapid alterations in neuronal activity and ultimately functional changes. Hence, we review the studies that have demonstrated electrophysiological actions of Ang II in the brain, and then focus on the specific intr acellular signaling molecules that link the angio tensin receptor subtypes to changes in the activity of neuronal membrane ionic currents and firing rate. From this discussion it is clear that the intracellular signaling mechanisms that couple AT1 and AT2 receptors to changes in neuronal activity are vastly different. When taking a broader view of Ang II actions in neurons, it is evident that the signaling molecules responsible for regulation of neuronal activity represent only a few of the intracellular pathways that are modulated by this peptide
CRRT: Technology and Basic Concepts

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a common modality for renal replacement therapy to treat hemodynamically unstable patients in the intensive care unit. In recent years, technological advances have made it easier to provide CRRT to critically ill children. While newer and more pediatric specific devices are becoming available, most devices and protocols currently under use were designed for adults and adapted to pediatric care. This chapter reviews the technical aspects of pediatric CRRT focusing on the basics and key concepts behind the procedure.
Intangible Resources in Neo-Professional Service Firms: Reputation Creation in Management Consulting

Reputation is a valuable firm resource that cannot be bought or sold (Barney, 1991; Hall, 1991). It has the potential to lead to competitive advantage and has been shown to be linked to firm perfor...
Effects of an attachment-based intervention in infancy on children's autonomic regulation during middle childhood.

Abstract The present study used a longitudinal randomized clinical trial to test whether an early intervention has causal effects on children’s autonomic nervous system regulation. When children were infants, parents involved with Child Protective Services received Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC; N = 43), an intervention that promotes sensitive parenting, or a control intervention (N = 53). When children were 9 years old, children whose parents had received ABC exhibited higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia and lower heart rate at rest and during a parent-child interaction than children in the control group. Intervention effects were not detected for children’s average skin conductance levels or for indices of autonomic reactivity. Results suggest that a parenting-focused early intervention impacted the development of children’s autonomic regulation.
Probing noncommutative gravity with gravitational wave and binary pulsar observations

Noncommutative gravity is a natural method of quantizing spacetime by promoting the spacetime coordinates themselves to operators which do not commute. This approach is motivated from a quantum gravity perspective, as well as from other theoretical considerations. Noncommutative gravity has been tested against the binary black hole merger event GW150914. Here, we extend and improve upon such a previous analysis by (i) relaxing an assumption made on the preferred direction due to noncommutativity, (ii) using posterior samples produced by the LIGO/Virgo Collaborations, (iii) consider other gravitational wave events, namely GW151226, GW170608, GW170814 and GW170817, and (iv) considering binary pulsar observations. Using Kepler's law that contains the noncommutative effect at second post-Newtonian order, we derive corrections to the gravitational waveform phase and the pericenter precession. Using the gravitational wave and double pulsar binary observations, we find bounds on a space-time noncommutative tensor ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{0i}$ in terms of the preferred frame direction with respect to the orientation of each binary. We find that the gravitational wave bounds are stronger than the binary pulsar one by an order of magnitude and the noncommutative tensor normalized by the Planck length and time is constrained to be of order unity.
Why does strength training improve endurance performance

Objective The specificity of training principle holds that adaptations to exercise training closely match capacity to the specific demands of the stimulus. Improvements in endurance sport performance gained through strength training are a notable exception to this principle. While the proximate mechanisms for how strength training produces muscular adaptations beneficial to endurance sports are increasingly well understood, the ultimate causes of this phenomenon remain unexplored. Methods Using a holistic approach tying together exercise physiology and evolution, I argue that we can reconcile the apparent "endurance training specificity paradox." Results and conclusions Competing selective pressures, inherited mammalian biology, and millennia of living in energy-scarce environments constrained our evolution as endurance athletes, but also imparted high muscular plasticity which can be exploited to improve endurance performance beyond what was useful in our evolutionary past.
Ambient PM2.5 species and ultrafine particle exposure and their differential metabolomic signatures.

BACKGROUND The metabolomic signatures of short- and long-term exposure to PM2.5 have been reported and linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. However, little is known about the relative contribution of the specific PM2.5 species (hence sources) that drive these metabolomic signatures. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the relative contribution of the different species of PM2.5 exposure to the perturbed metabolic pathways related to changes in the plasma metabolome. METHODS We performed mass-spectrometry based metabolomic profiling of plasma samples among men from the Normative Aging Study to identify metabolic pathways associated with PM2.5 species. The exposure windows included short-term (one, seven-, and thirty-day moving average) and long-term (one year moving average). We used linear mixed-effect regression with subject-specific intercepts while simultaneously adjusting for PM2.5, NO2, O3, temperature, relative humidity, and covariates and correcting for multiple testing. We also used independent component analysis (ICA) to examine the relative contribution of patterns of PM2.5 species. RESULTS Between 2000 and 2016, 456 men provided 648 blood samples, in which 1158 metabolites were quantified. We chose 305 metabolites for the short-term and 288 metabolites for the long-term exposure in this analysis that were significantly associated (p-value < 0.01) with PM2.5 to include in our PM2.5 species analysis. On average, men were 75.0 years old and their body mass index was 27.7 kg/m2. Only 3% were current smokers. In the adjusted models, ultrafine particles (UFPs) were the most significant species of short-term PM2.5 exposure followed by nickel, vanadium, potassium, silicon, and aluminum. Black carbon, vanadium, zinc, nickel, iron, copper, and selenium were the significant species of long-term PM2.5 exposure. We identified several metabolic pathways perturbed with PM2.5 species including glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, and glutathione. These pathways are involved in inflammation, oxidative stress, immunity, and nucleic acid damage and repair. Results were overlapped with the ICA. CONCLUSIONS We identified several significant perturbed plasma metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with exposure to PM2.5 species. These species are associated with traffic, fuel oil, and wood smoke. This is the largest study to report a metabolomic signature of PM2.5 species' exposure and the first to use ICA.
A comprehensive study on upgradation of pyrolysis products through co-feeding of waste tire into rice straw under broad range of co-feed ratios in a bench-scale fixed bed reactor

A comprehensive study investigating all co-pyrolysis products (bio-oil, char, and gas) utilizing bench-scale reactor is essential for potential use in upscaling and techno-economic analysis for commercialization and integration of pyrolysis with conventional systems. This study explores the co-pyrolysis of rice straw (RS) and waste tire (WT) to assess the impact on products under a broad range of feedstock ratio (20, 40, 60, and 80 wt% of WT into RS) in fixed bed reactor at 550 °C. Results revealed that feedstock mass ratio played a crucial role to transform the oxygenates into hydrocarbons (HCs). Liquid yield, organic phase, pH, aromatics, and olefins increased with increase of WT proportion in blend. Bio-oil yield, aromatics and olefins reached to 45 wt%, 42%, and 30% at WT/RS (80:20) compared to 36 wt%, 2%, and 4% in the case of RS alone, respectively. Likewise, at the same blend ratio, 85% reduction in oxygenates was observed while higher heating value (HHV) of bio-oil (41.40 MJ/kg) was comparable to that of WT (41.50 MJ/kg). Significant positive synergy was achieved for non-condensable gas after incorporation of WT into RS. Hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) along with higher HCs were increased while oxides of carbon reduced with the addition of WT compared to RS alone. Char characteristics also improved with addition of WT into RS in terms of increased carbon content, HHV, and reduced ash content.
Hidden grief is complicated: identity concealment as a minority stressor and relational-cultural barrier among bereaved sexual and gender minoritized elders

Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) elders who have lost or expect to lose a partner or loved one are at elevated risk for experiencing hidden or disenfranchised grief due to historical and current...
Comparing in situ spring phenology and satellite-derived start of season at rural and urban sites in Ireland

The timing of spring phenology marks the start of the growing season and the beginning of the carbon-uptake period. In order to accurately calculate carbon budgets across different vegetation types...
SU‐F‐BRA‐07: Dosimetric Verification of the Valencia Skin Applicator Using Gafchromic EBT3 Film

Purpose: The Valencia applicators have recently been introduced for HDR treatment of small and shallow superficial skin lesions (< 20 mm diameter and 3-mm depth). Per AAPM TG 56, any HDR applicator internal dimensions must be verified prior to clinical use. However radiographic and tomographic imaging to validate the Valencia applicators is impractical due to the Tungsten alloy housing and flattening filter. In this study, we propose to use EBT3 film to indirectly confirm the physical integrity of the Valencia applicators. Methods: Treatment plans were created using the Oncentra MasterPlan TPS v4.5 for the H2 (20-mm dia.) and H3 (30-mm dia.) Valencia Applicators. A virtual CT phantom (2-mm slice thickness) was created with one source position in water. The published effective depth method was used for each applicator to delivery 500 cGy to a 3-mm depth using the TG-43 formalism. Film measurements (n=3) at 3-mm depth and vertical plane in solid water were performed for each applicator to verify the prescribed dose calculated by the TPS. Percent depth dose curves and off-axis profiles (phantom surface and 3-mm depth) were measured and compared to published data. Films were analyzed using an in-house written program and RIT113 v6 software. Film calibration was performed per TG-55 protocol using the Ir-192 source with NIST-traceable calibration. Results: The prescription absolute dose difference was 1% for the Valencia H2 applicator and 4% for the Valencia H3 applicator. The measured percent depth dose curves and off-axis dose profiles measured for the H2 and H2 Valencia applicators are in excellent agreement with the Granero et al. Monte Carlo results1. Conclusion: Gafchromic EBT3 film can be used to indirectly verify the internal components of special HDR skin applicators constructed from high Z materials.1Granero et al. “Design and evaluation of a HDR skin applicator with flattening filter”, Med. Phys. 35(2), 495–503, 2008
von Willebrand factor conformation and adhesive function is modulated by an internalized water molecule

Platelet participation in hemostasis and arterial thrombosis requires the binding of glycoprotein (GP) Ibα to von Willebrand factor (vWF). Hemodynamic forces enhance this interaction, an effect mimicked by the substitution I546V in the vWF A1 domain. A water molecule becomes internalized near the deleted Ile methyl group. The change in hydrophobicity of the local environment causes positional changes propagated over a distance of 27 A. As a consequence, a major reorientation of a peptide plane occurs in a surface loop involved in GP Ibα binding. This distinct vWF conformation shows increased platelet adhesion and provides a structural model for the initial regulation of thrombus formation.
Coliquefaction of coal and waste polymers

It has been shown that processing of coal to liquids can be done with high yields of liquids. Plastic materials. either pure as a commingled plastic waste containing different colors and impurities, can be processed with nearly 100% conversion to liquids and gases. Combinations of coal with plastic material can be processed to final products but with less conversion than expected fro interpolation of the data from processing coal alone and plastic alone. Polymerization catalysts such as Titanium compounds can be utilized to depolymerize plastic materials containing HDPE at temperatures above 420 Bifunctional hydrogenation/hydrocracking catalysts can improve the conversion of coal/plastic mixtures but the highest conversions and oil yields were obtained when a two step procedure was used with liquefaction of plastic done in one step and coprocessing of plastic-derived liquids and coal in a second step.
Spontaneous development of IgM anti-cocaine antibodies in habitual cocaine users: effect on IgG antibody responses to a cocaine cholera toxin B conjugate vaccine.

Background and Objectives In cocaine vaccine studies, only a minority of subjects made strong antibody responses. To investigate this issue, IgG and IgM antibody responses to cocaine and to cholera toxin B (CTB—the carrier protein used to enhance immune responses to cocaine) were measured in sera from the 55 actively vaccinated subjects in a Phase IIb randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (TA-CD 109). Methods Isotype specific ELISAs were used to measure IgG and IgM anti-cocaine and anti-CTB antibody in serial samples collected prior to and at intervals after immunization. We assessed IgG anti-cocaine responses of patients with pre-vaccination IgM anti-cocaine antibodies. Competitive inhibition ELISA was used to evaluate antibody specificity. Results and Conclusions Before immunization, 36/55 subjects had detectable IgM antibodies to cocaine, and 9 had IgM levels above the 95% confidence limit of 11 μg/ml. These nine had significantly reduced peak IgG anti-cocaine responses at 16 weeks, and all were below the concentration (40 μg/ml) considered necessary to discourage recreational cocaine use. The IgG anti-CTB responses of these same subjects were also reduced. Scientific Significance Subjects who develop an IgM antibody response to cocaine in the course of repeated recreational exposure to this drug are significantly less likely to produce high levels of IgG antibodies from the cocaine conjugate vaccine. The failure may be due to recreational cocaine exposure induction of a type 2 T-cell independent immune response. Such individuals will require improved vaccines and are poor candidates for the currently available vaccine. (Am J Addict 2013;22:169-174)
A comparison of glass-ionomer cement and calcium hydroxide liners in amalgam restorations

This study compared the caries inhibition and microleakage of two liners under amalgam restorations. Thirty-two molars received mesio-occlusal and disto-occlusal Class II cavity preparations. Calcium hydroxide was randomly placed as a liner in one preparation of each tooth and glass-ionomer cement liner was placed in the other. Amalgam restorations were placed. Teeth were axially loaded and an acid-protective varnish was placed. Teeth were placed into artificial saliva for 3 months, thermocycled, and cycled through a caries challenge. Sections were obtained from 20 teeth and photographed under polarized light. The remaining teeth were placed in 2% basic fuchsin and sectioned. A t-test indicated that restorations with glass-ionomer cement liners exhibited significantly less demineralization and microleakage than did restorations with calcium hydroxide liners.
Phase I trial of paclitaxel plus megestrol acetate in patients with paclitaxel-refractory ovarian cancer.

Increased expression of P-glycoprotein has been proposed as one important mechanism for inherent or acquired drug resistance of malignant disease to cytotoxic chemotherapy. In experimental systems, hormonal agents, including megestrol acetate (MA), have been shown to be capable of reversing P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance to natural products, including paclitaxel. Because paclitaxel is one of the most active cytotoxic agents in ovarian cancer (OC), we sought to determine whether retreating patients with well-defined paclitaxel-resistant OC with a combination of paclitaxel and MA would result in clinically relevant reversal of that resistant state. In this Phase I trial, 44 patients with OC or primary peritoneal carcinoma received paclitaxel (135–175 mg/m 2 over 3 h) plus an oral loading dose (800–9600 mg over 24 h) and subsequent maintenance dose (800–3200 mg/day × 3 days) of micronized MA. Both the loading dose and maintenance therapy were delivered in four equal daily doses. Therapy was repeated every 21 days, assuming recovery from the toxicity of the prior course. There were no intrapatient dose escalations. The major toxicity of the regimen was peripheral neuropathy (32% of patients; 11% grade 2–3), although four individuals developed major venous blood clots and one suffered a stroke. Four patients exhibited biological evidence of antineoplastic effects, although only one patient experienced improvement in clinically relevant symptoms. Although pharmacokinetic studies were not performed as a component of this study, prior evaluation of MA pharmacokinetics and in vitro data examining the concentrations of the agent required to reverse P-glycoprotein-mediated paclitaxel resistance suggest that the majority of our patient population achieved levels of MA theoretically capable of producing this desired effect. We conclude that the level of activity and toxicity pattern observed in this trial, associated with the combination of paclitaxel and MA, does not provide strong support for further exploration of the regimen as a treatment strategy to overcome paclitaxel resistance in OC.
Determining Health Education Impact through Proxy Measures of Behavior Change

(1981). Determining Health Education Impact through Proxy Measures of Behavior Change. Health Education: Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 19-23.
Enumeration, Isolation, and Characterization of Beggiatoa from Freshwater Sediments

Abstract An accurate most-probable-number enumeration method was developed for counting the number of Beggiatoa trichomes from various freshwater sediments. The medium consisted of extracted hay, diluted soil extract, 0.05% acetate, and 15 to 35 U of catalase per ml. The same enrichment medium, but without the acetate, was the best enrichment medium from which to obtain pure cultures because it supported good growth of the beggiatoas without allowing them to be overgrown by other bacteria. A total of 32 strains of Beggiatoa were isolated from seven different freshwater habitats and partially characterized. The strains were separated into five groups based on several preliminary characteristics. Four of the groups contained cells with trichomes of approximately the same diameter (1.5 to 2.7 μm) and may be Beggiatoa leptomitiformis or an unnamed species. The fifth group appeared to be Beggiatoa alba. With the exception of three strains, all of the strains deposited sulfur in the presence of hydrogen sulfide, and all strains grew heterotrophically and deposited poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and volutin when grown on acetate supplemented with low concentrations of other organic nutrients. Thin sections of sulfur-bearing trichomes indicated that the sulfur granules were external to the cytoplasmic membrane and that they were surrounded by an additional membrane.
Erythrodermic cutaneous T cell lymphoma with hypereosinophilic syndrome: Treatment with interferon alfa and extracorporeal photopheresis.

Background Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a sustained eosinophilia leading to end organ dysfunction. The lymphoproliferative variant of HES is thought to be mediated by an underlying hematologic process that drives eosinophil production through specific cytokines. Eosinophilia is also recognized as a poor prognostic factor in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in which neoplastic T cells may produce eosinophilopoietic cytokines. Objective We report a case of HES with cardiac involvement that developed in the context of erythrodermic mycosis fungoides, discuss the possible relationship between these diseases, and speculate on the role that eosinophils might play as a prognostic factor in CTCL. Methods Case report and review of the literature. Results CTCL may be added to the group of lymphoproliferative disorders associated with HES. Conclusion A patient with erythroderma and concomitant diagnosis of “idiopathic” HES may warrant further investigation for CTCL.
The South and the Risorgimento: histories and counter-histories

Italy's national unity and its Risorgimento origins have been the object of heated public debates in Italy long before the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Unification took place, but in re...
Electrolysis with flowing solution

Abstract A new type of electrolytic cell with a flowing solution is described. The working electrode is composed of a piece of 80-mesh platinum grid rolled together to form a plug. The electrolysed solution flows under gravitational force through the pores of the electrode. The reduction of K 3 Fe(CN) 6 and of O 2 , and the oxidation of 9,10-diphenylanthracene, have been employed to test the operation of the cell. The limiting currents of the reduction and of the oxidation are practically linear with respect to the flow velocity. Several possible applications of the cell are listed.
On the dependence of the dynamic crack tip temperature fields in metals upon crack tip velocity and material parameters

Abstract Although various approximations have been used to analytically predict the temperature rise at a dynamic crack tip and its relation to the crack tip velocity or the material properties, few experimental investigations of these effects exist. Here, the method of using a high speed infrared detector array to measure the temperature distribution at the tip of a dynamically propagating crack tip is outlined, and the results from a number of experiments on different metal alloys are reviewed. First the effect of crack tip velocity in 4340 steel is investigated, and it is seen that the maximum temperature increases with increasing velocity, the maximum plastic work rate density increases with velocity and the active plastic zone size decreases with increasing velocity. Also, it is observed that a significant change in the geometry of the temperature distribution occurs at higher velocities in steel due to the opening of the crack faces behind the crack tip. Next, the effect of thermal properties is examined, and it is seen that, due to adiabatic conditions at the crack tip, changes in thermal conductivity do not significantly affect the temperature field. Changes in density and heat capacity (as well as material dynamic fracture toughness) are more likely to produce significant differences in temperature than changes in thermal conductivity. Finally, the effect of heat upon the crack tip deformation is reviewed, and it is seen that the generation of heat at the crack tip in steel leads to the localization of deformation in the shear lip. The shear lip is actualy an adiabatic shear band formed at 45° to the surface of the specimen. In titanium, no conclusive evidence of shear localization in the shear lip is seen.
Increased hippocampal accumulation of autophagosomes predicts short-term recognition memory impairment in aged mice

Constitutive macroautophagy involved in the turnover of defective long-lived proteins and organelles is crucial for neuronal homeostasis. We hypothesized that macroautophagic dysregulation in selective brain regions was associated with memory impairment in aged mice. We used the single-trial object recognition test to measure short-term memory in 18 aged mice compared to 22 young mice and employed immunohistochemistry to assess cellular distribution of proteins involved in the selective degradation of ubiquitinated proteins via macroautophagy. Values of the discrimination ratio (DR, a measure of short-term recognition memory performance) in aged mice were significantly lower than those in young mice (median, 0.54 vs. 0.67; p = 0.005, U test). Almost exclusively in aged mice, there were clusters of puncta immunoreactive for microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), ubiquitin- and LC3-binding protein p62, and ubiquitin in neuronal processes predominantly in the hippocampal formation, olfactory bulb/tubercle, and cerebellar cortex. The hippocampal burden of clustered puncta immunoreactive for LC3 and p62 exhibited inverse linear correlations with DR in aged mice (ρ = −0.48 and −0.55, p = 0.044 and 0.018, respectively, Spearman’s rank correlation). These findings suggest that increased accumulation of autophagosomes within neuronal processes in selective brain regions is characteristic of aging. The dysregulation of macroautophagy can adversely affect the turnover of aggregate-prone proteins and defective organelles, which may contribute to memory impairment in aged mice.
Paul Gray's narrowing Scope: A “Developmental Lag” in His Theory and Technique

A cental thesis of Paul Gray's work is that a "developmental lag" pervades modern psychoanalysis in its failure to assimilate and apply knowledge gained about the role of the unconscious ego in intrapsychic life. But Gray himself, it is proposed, has become a victim of a new "developmental lag," of his own construction. As he somewhat single-mindedly pursued the ramifications of his "developmental lag" concept, Gray may have foreclosed on some noteworthy ideas developing around him. The most important example is his claim--herein refuted--that proper interpretive technique can avoid being infused with transference. He also seems to have rejected the theoretical importance of the internalization of the analyst and the clinical usefulness of countertransference. While emphasizing defense analysis, he ignores defenses such as splitting, denial, and disavowal as substantive problems for his technique of close-process attention. Gray's "undoing" of the rapprochement between "ego analysis" and "id analysis" by viewing the matter as an either-or proposition undermines the very real value of his contribution to the field.
Secondary electron amplification in high energy proton accelerators

Abstract A model is presented which may result in secondary electron growth during multiampere, bunched beam operation of proton accelerators or storage rings.
A geometric analysis of schemes for reducing the consumption of oil

With the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war in 1973, a serious oil crisis emerged which resulted in various schemes being advanced in public forums as a way of curtailing oil consumption so as to conserve existing supplies. The purpose of this paper is to deduce effects of five measures for reducing the per capita consumption of oil. The analysis proceeds graphically utilizingindifference curves. The five proposals to be examined are: (1) specific inconvertible rationing; (2) specific convertible rationing: coupon trading among consumers allowed; (3) specific convertible rationing: purchase of additional coupons from government only; (4) an excise tax on oil; and (5) excise tax on oil accompanied by a rebate. For general background pertaining to the theory of rationing, see [2, 3, 5, 7, 9]. Regarding the welfare implications of fiscal programs, refer to [1 ,4] .
THE CARCINOGENIC EFFECT OF A PAPILLOMA VIRUS ON THE TARRED SKIN OF RABBITS : II. MAJOR FACTORS DETERMINING THE PHENOMENON: THE MANIFOLD EFFECTS OF TARRING.

A considerable variety of tumors, both benign and malignant, result from the localization of the rabbit papilloma virus in skin which has been prepared by repeated tarrings. They appear only in individuals highly susceptible to the action of the virus, and are more likely to be engendered by highly pathogenic inocula. No evidence has been found that differences in the potentialities of the virus entities are responsible for the diversity of the growths. This is referable to changes in the epidermal cells; and much more preliminary tarring is required to produce these changes than suffices to cause localization of the virus out of the blood stream with a resulting papillomatosis of the ordinary sort. The character of the individual anomalous tumors depends in some degree upon the extent of the preparatory changes in the cells, malignant growths being more frequent when the epidermis has been tarred for a relatively long period. All are focal or punctate in origin, and they exhibit their peculiar characters from the first, none being due to secondary alterations in ordinary papillomas. Tarring after the virus has localized in the epidermis does not significantly increase their number. They are the outcome of the state of the cells at the time of virus infection. Tarring exerts important influences in addition to changing the cells in such a way that unusual tumors result from the action of the virus. The procedure is notably effective in determining localization of the virus out of the blood stream; enables it to produce growths when otherwise it would not do so though present in the tarred skin; stimulates the proliferation of the tumors engendered; makes them disorderly and aggressive; and hastens the anaplasia of such of them as are malignant. It has similar effects upon the tar tumors, as will be demonstrated in a subsequent paper.