cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereoselective synthesis of the C(13)–C(25) segment of bafilomycin A1

Abstract The aldol reaction of 2 and the lithium enolate of 3 provides the bafilomycin C(13)-C(25) fragment 1 with 8 : 1 stereoselectivity.
The relevance of DAF-induced speech disruption to the understanding of stuttering

Abstract The literature on delayed auditory feedback (DAF) repeatedly makes reference to the occurence of disfluencies under DAF in nonstutterers. However, no attempt has been made to determine the relative frequency of occurence of various types of disfluencies in nonstutterers under DAF. The present study investigated the frequency of occurence of various types of disfluencies in normal-speaking subjects in five successive oral readings under DAF. Twenty-four young adults read aloud a prose passage five times successively under 200 msec of bilateral DAF. Measures of the frequency of different types of disfluencies, locus of occurence of disfluencies in the speech sample, adaptation and consistency indicate that DAF-induced disfluencies are remarkably similar to those found in stuttering. It is suggested that DAF and stuttering disrupt speech at approximately the same “level” along the speech production process, possibly at the prosodic level.
Reaching a Point with an Unanchored Robot Arm in a Square

This paper considers an unanchored n-link robot arm in a square with side length at least as long as the longest arm link. The main result is a necessary and sufficient condition for a point in the square region to be reachable by a specified end of the arm. The condition takes O(n) time to determine. This result represents a continuation of previous work published by Hopcroft, Joseph, and Whitesides, by Kantabutra and Kosaraju, and by Kantabutra.
Monica Lewinsky's Contribution to Political Science

The bounce in President Clinton's job ratings that occurred in the initial 10 days of the Lewinsky imbroglio may offer as much insight into the dynamics of public opinion as any single event in recent memory. What it shows is not just the power of a booming economy to buttress presidential popularity. It shows, more generally, the importance of political substance, as against media hype, in American politics. Even when, as occurred in this case, public opinion is initially responsive to media reports of scandal, the public's concern with actual political achievement reasserts itself. This lesson, which was not nearly so clear before the Lewinsky matter as it is now, not only deepens our understanding of American politics. It also tends, as I argue in the second half of this article, to undermine the importance of one large branch of public opinion research, buttress the importance of another, and point toward some new research questions.Whatever else may have transpired by the time this article gets into print, the Lewinsky poll bounce is something worth pondering. In a half-dozen commercial polls taken in the period just before the story broke, Clinton's job approval rating averaged about 60%. Ten days later, following intensive coverage of the story and Clinton's State of the Union address, presidential support was about 10 percentage points higher.
Role of the Duodenum and Macronutrient Type in Ghrelin Regulation

The orexigenic hormone ghrelin is implicated in preprandial hunger and meal initiation in part because circulating levels increase before meals and decrease after food intake. The mechanisms underlying postprandial ghrelin suppression are unknown. Although most ghrelin is produced by the stomach, we have shown that neither gastric nutrients nor gastric distension affect ghrelin levels. We hypothesized that the nutrient-sensing mechanism regulating ghrelin is in the duodenum, the second richest source of ghrelin. To test whether duodenal nutrient exposure is required for ghrelin suppression, we infused nutrients into either the proximal duodenum or proximal jejunum in rats bearing chronic intestinal cannulas. At 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min after infusions, blood was sampled via jugular-vein catheters for ghrelin, insulin, and glucose measurements. To elucidate further the mechanisms governing nutrient-related ghrelin suppression, we also assessed the ghrelin responses to isocaloric (3 kcal) i...
That “ought” does not imply “right”: Why it matters for virtue ethics

Virtue ethicists sometimes say that a right action is what a virtuous person would do, characteristically, in the circumstances. But some have objected recently that right action cannot be defined as what a virtuous person would do in the circumstances because there are circumstances in which a right action is possible but in which no virtuous person would be found. This objection moves from the premise that a given person ought to do an action that no virtuous person would do, to the conclusion that the action is a right action. I demon-strate that virtue ethicists distinguish “ought” from “right” and reject the assumption that “ought” implies “right.” I then show how their rejection of that assumption blocks this “right but not virtuous” objection. I conclude by showing how the thesis that “ought” does not imply “right” can clarify a further dispute in virtue ethics regarding whether “ought” implies “can.”
Effectiveness of dabigatran etexilate for thromboprophylaxis of mechanical heart valves.

Objective: Warfarin reduces risk of stroke in patients with mechanical heart valves but increases risk of hemorrhage and is difficult to use. Dabigatran etexilate, a new oral direct thrombin inhibitor, is safe and effective in reducing risk of stroke among patients with atrial fibrillation. No data exist in the setting of mechanical heart valves. We tested the hypothesis that dabigatran etexilate is as effective as heparin for thromboprophylaxis of mechanical valves in a porcine heterotopic aortic valve model. Methods: Thirty swine underwent implantation of modified bileaflet mechanical valved conduit bypassing the ligated, native descending thoracic aorta. Animals randomly received no anticoagulation (n ¼ 10), enoxaparin 2 mg/kg subcutaneously twice daily (n ¼ 10), or dabigatran etexilate 20 mg/kg orally twice daily. Primary end point was amount of valve thrombus at 30 days. Secondary end points included quantitative measurement of platelet deposition on valve prosthesis, thromboelastography, and hemorrhagic and embolic events. Results: At 30 days, we observed 638 � 895 mg thrombus in no anticoagulation group, 121 � 128 mg in enoxaparin group, and 19 � 31 mg in dabigatran etexilate group (P ¼ .01 enoxaparin vs dabigatran etexilate). Fewer plateletsweredeposited onvalvesin dabigatran etexilategroup (2.7310 8 ) than in enoxaparin group (1.8310 9 , P ¼ .03). No major or occult hemorrhagic or embolic events were observed. By thromboelastographic analysis, dabigatran etexilate produced less prolongation of K value (P ¼ .01) and less decreases in angle (P ¼ .01) and maximum amplitude (P ¼ .001) than enoxaparin. Conclusions: Dabigatran etexilate is as effective as enoxaparin for short-term thromboprophylaxis of mechanicalvalves.Itpreventsvalvethrombusandplateletdepositionat30dayswithoutincreasedadverseevents.These promisingresults serveasafoundation forprospectiveclinical trialswithdabigatran etexilate asan alternativeto warfarin in patients with bileaflet mechanical aortic valves. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011;141:1410-6)
Nerve growth factor stimulates the interaction of ZIP/p62 with atypical protein kinase C and targets endosomal localization: Evidence for regulation of nerve growth factor‐induced differentiation

Atypical protein kinase Cs zeta and lambda/iota play a functional role in the regulation of NGF-induced differentiation and survival of pheochromocytoma, PC12 cells [Coleman and Wooten, 1994; Wooten et al., 1999]. Here we demonstrate an NGF-dependent interaction of aPKC with its binding protein, ZIP/p62. Although, ZIP/p62 was not a PKC-ι substrate, the formation of a ZIP/p62-aPKC complex in PC12 cells by NGF occurred post activation of PKC-ι and was regulated by the tyrosine phosphorylation state of aPKC. Furthermore, NGF-dependent localization of ZIP/p62 was observed within vesicular structures, identified as late endosomes by colocalization with a Rab7 antibody. Both ZIP/p62 as well as PKC-ι colocalized with Rab7 upon NGF stimulation. Inhibition of the tyrosine phosphorylation state of PKC-ι did not prevent movement of ZIP/p62 to the endosomal compartment. These observations indicate that the subcellular localization of ZIP/p62 does not depend entirely upon activation of aPKC itself. Of functional importance, transfection of an antisense p62 construct into PC12 cells significantly diminished NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ZIP/p62 acts as a shuttling protein involved in routing activated aPKC to an endosomal compartment and is required for mediating NGF's biological properties. J. Cell. Biochem. 82:452–466, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Unmyelinated Aplysia Nerves Exhibit a Nonmonotonic Blocking Response to High-Frequency Stimulation

The application of high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) stimulation to reversibly block conduction in peripheral nerves has been under investigation for decades. Computational studies have produced ambiguous results since they have been based on axon models that are perhaps not valid for the nerves in which the phenomenon has been demonstrated. Though simulations based on the Hodgkin-Huxley unmyelinated nerve cable model have been used to understand the phenomena, the isolated response of an unmyelinated nerve to HFAC waveforms has not been experimentally investigated. To understand the effect of HFAC waveforms in homogenous nerves, experiments were conducted on purely unmyelinated nerves of the sea-slug Aplysia californica. Sinusoidal waveforms in the range of 5-50 kHz were used to block the propagation of action potentials through the nerves. The time for complete recovery from block was found to be dependent on the duration of application of the HFAC waveform but was independent of the frequency of the waveform tested. Unlike data from simulations and experiments on myelinated nerves, the minimum HFAC amplitude for blocking conduction in these unmyelinated nerves exhibited a unique nonmonotonic relationship with frequency, which may be advantageous in various neurophysiological applications.
Trace organic contamination of ground water from a rapid infiltration site: A laboratory‐Field coordinated study

A previous study at Rice University demonstrated that trace organic compounds in primary and secondary effluents treated in rapid infiltration systems are detected in associated ground water. A direct cause and effect relationship was not established, however, since background data on trace organics in the ground water were not available. Field studies on a rapid infiltration site currently under construction at Fort Polk, Louisiana, have indicated that characteristic trace organics are mostly absent from ground water underlying the site. Therefore, a laboratory study was undertaken to investigate the potential for ground water contamination by trace organics during operation of this system. Four columns were packed with topsoil obtained from one of the basins at the site. Unchlorinated secondary effluent was also obtained from the site and used as feed solution for the columns. Soil columns were operated for a period of 4 months on a 2d flooding/12-d drying cycle to parallel design operation of the rapid infiltration system. Feed solution and column effluents were monitored for 22 trace organics by reverse ion search using capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Each of nine target trace organics found consistently in the feed solution, with the exception of p-dichlorobenzene, was detected in the column effluents during the first inundation cycle; all target trace organics were detected in the column effluents during subsequent cycles. The concentrations of tetrachloroethylene, p-dichlorobenzene, acetophenone, 2-(methylthio)benzothiazole and bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in the feed solution were generally reduced by passage through the soil column, whereas diethyl phthalate, benzophenone, N-butylbenzenesulfonamide and dibutyl phthalate concentrations were unaffected or enhanced. Addition of mercuric chloride during the seventh and eighth inundation cycles had variable effects for the different compounds. These preliminary results indicate that ground water contamination at the Fort Polk rapid infiltration site can occur once the system begins operation, although concentrations of specific trace organics may be significantly reduced.
Joint venture dissolution as corporate divorce

Executive Overview Although “corporate divorces” among joint venture (JV) partners are frequent, JV managers are often caught off guard by the prospect of termination and are ill prepared to cope with the tensions and uncertainties associated with the breakdown of the relationship. We argue that, economic and strategic rationales aside, the dissolution process itself is an important determinant of the outcome when a JV relationship is terminated. Drawing on the human divorce literature, we use divorce as a metaphorical image through which a four-phase dissolution process is developed. Managers are advised to watch for warning signals revealing a fraying relationship. They need to pay particular attention to the asymmetry between the divorce initiator and partner, the repercussions of going public, and the impact of the aftermath on future strategic relationships.
A 90nm CMOS integrated Nano-Photonics technology for 25Gbps WDM optical communications applications

The first sub-100nm technology that allows the monolithic integration of optical modulators and germanium photodetectors as features into a current 90nm base highperformance logic technology node is demonstrated. The resulting 90nm CMOS-integrated Nano-Photonics technology node is optimized for analog functionality to yield power-efficient single-die multichannel wavelength-mulitplexed 25Gbps transceivers.
Exploring the world of agent-based simulations: simple models, complex analyses

Agent-based simulations are models where multiple entities sense and stochastically respond to conditions in their local environments, mimicking complex large-scale system behavior. We provide an overview of some important issues in the modeling and analysis of agent-based systems. Examples are drawn from a range of fields: biological modeling, sociological modeling, and industrial applications, though we focus on recent results for a variety of military applications. Based on our experiences with various agent-based models, we describe issues that simulation analysts should be aware of when embarking on agent-based model development. We also describe a number of tools (both graphical and analytical) that we have found particularly useful for analyzing these types of simulation models. We conclude with a discussion of areas in need of further investigation.
Cylindrical vector beams: from mathematical concepts to applications

An overview of the recent developments in the field of cylindrical vector beams is provided. As one class of spatially variant polarization, cylindrical vector beams are the axially symmetric beam solution to the full vector electromagnetic wave equation. These beams can be generated via different active and passive methods. Techniques for manipulating these beams while maintaining the polarization symmetry have also been developed. Their special polarization symmetry gives rise to unique high-numerical-aperture focusing properties that find important applications in nanoscale optical imaging and manipulation. The prospects for cylindrical vector beams and their applications in other fields are also briefly discussed.
RoboViz: programmable visualization for simulated soccer

This work describes RoboViz, a new software program designed to assess and develop agent behaviors in a multi-agent system, the RoboCup Soccer Simulation 3D sub-league. RoboViz is an interactive monitor that renders both agent and world state information in a three-dimensional scene. In addition, RoboViz provides programmable remote drawing functionality to agents or other clients that can communicate over a network. The tool facilitates real-time visualization of agents running concurrently on the SimSpark simulator to provide higher-level analysis of agent behaviors not currently possible with existing tools. Provided appropriate hardware, the monitor and debugging tool can produce high-quality stereo vision images. RoboViz is proposed as a replacement for the current SimSpark 3D league monitor to benefit developers as well as elevate public interest in the 3D simulation league, and it has been used officially at the 2011 German Open in Magdeburg, Germany. RoboViz was released in February 2011 as an open-source project under the Apache 2.0 license.
Securing Digital Content

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Securing Digital Content: Need and Challenges Content Protection Techniques Illustrative Application: EPublishing of E-Learning Content Concluding Remarks References ]]>
Lives in limbo: undocumented and coming of age in America

The issues faced by undocumented immigrant youth in America have been given more attention in national media in recent years, as state legislatures weigh whether in-state tuition rates should apply...
Optimal Sizing of Hybrid Renewable Energy Sytems Using a Hydrogen Storage System for Various Power Demand Applications

Hybrid systems consisting of a single or multiple renewable energy generators coupled with an environmentally-friendly storage system are used in renewable power production due to wide disparity between the intermittent power generated and the power demand. These systems also have the potential to provide 24/7 power without leaving a carbon footprint in operation. Finding the optimal size of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) with no Loss of Power Supply (LPS) is of utmost concern when considering the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCE) of the system over its lifecycle. In this study, an optimization routine employing a search algorithm is developed to find the system configuration with a minimized LCE that meets also meets zero LPS. To this end, a system model is developed by integrating basic models of the subsystems. The system model is then used to investigate two different loading cases, 1) where the demand cannot be controlled as in the case of the power demand of a residential network, and 2) where the demand can be controlled up to certain limits, as in the case of the power demand of a data center or a data center network. Various types of controllable power demands (CoD) are studied. When compared to the power demand of a residential network, results demonstrate a significant reduction in the life cycle costs for CoD conditions.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Latina Girls, Sexual Agency, and the Contradictions of Neoliberalism

This article contributes to the literature on adolescent girls’ sexual subjectivities using individual interviews conducted with 30 working-class, Latina teenagers. Latina girls’ accounts of their experiences with sexual debut, current sexual relationships, and sexual abstinence reveal that they construct sexual subjectivities through multiple forms of sexual agency; however, for some, the absence of sexual agency remains an enduring feature of their sexual experiences. The findings illustrate the contradictions embedded in Latina girls’ narratives of sexual agency whereby they often draw on dominant discourses of neoliberalism, heterosexuality, and traditional gender ideology as rhetorical strategies by which to legitimize their sexual decision-making and resist their subjectification as “at-risk” girls. The uptake of these discourses in the narratives of those marginalized at the intersections of gender, race, and class demonstrate the salience of neoliberalism as a form of disciplinary power and have implications for ongoing efforts to foster positive adolescent sexual development.
Abstract 4700: BET bromodomain inhibition is a promising treatment strategy for distinct subsets of lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer

Background: While treatment options for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are expanding, one American man is still predicted to die every 19 minutes from this disease this year. Moreover, more widespread use of novel and more potent AR-targeting agents has led to increased clinical frequency of virulent androgen and AR-independent CRPC subsets(Small, Huang et al. 2015). Currently, there are limited treatment options for men with CRPC who are resistant to these AR-targeting agents, clearly demonstrating an urgent need to develop more effective therapies for CRPC patients. Recent published reports demonstrate an important role for BET bromodomain chromatin reader proteins in prostate cancer models that are androgen or AR-dependent (Gao, Schwartzman et al. 2013; Wyce, Degenhardt et al. 2013; Asangani, Dommeti et al. 2014; Chan, Selth et al. 2015). However, there was limited information about the anti-tumor activity of this class of drugs in androgen-independent, enzalutamide-resistant, or AR-independent CRPC models. The studies reported herein were designed to address that deficit. Methods: We treated a panel of CRPC cell lines with dose escalation of the BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 and measured cell viability. To clarify molecular mechanisms that contribute to the anti-tumor effect, we treated CRPC cell lines with JQ1 and measured gene expression changes with RNA-sequencing. Finally, to determine the anti-tumor activity of JQ1 in vivo, we implanted enzalutamide resistant or AR-null CRPC xenografts in immunocompromised mice and treated them with JQ1. Results: All cell lines were sensitive to JQ1 with similar GI50 values (all Conclusions: BET bromodomain inhibition is a promising treatment strategy for distinct subsets of lethal CRPC. Our work using a broad panel of CRPC models sheds further light on pharmacodynamic markers of response and target proteins whose function is impacted by BET bromodomain inhibition. These findings may have implications for the design of BET bromodomain inhibitor clinical trials in men with CRPC and interpretation of on-target effects in those trials. Citation Format: Lina Gao, Daniel J. Coleman, Carly J. King, Jacob Schwartzman, Nicholas Wang, Amanda Esch, Joshua Urrutia, Archana Sehrawat, Laura M. Heiser, Joshi J. Alumkal. BET bromodomain inhibition is a promising treatment strategy for distinct subsets of lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4700.
Has Foreign Exchange Intervention in the U.S. Been Optimal

Abstract This analysis develops a linearized open economy macroeconomic model in order to evaluate U.S. foreign exchange policy. The model is estimated for the United States and then used in conjunction with a quadratic performance index in order to produce optimal international reserve policy simulations within a stochastic linear-quadratic framework. The optimality of U.S. policy is assessed by comparing the simulated reserve policy trajectories to the actual trajectories.
Fine-Tuning Cross-Battery Assessment Procedures: After Follow-Up Testing, Use All Valid Scores, Cohesive or Not

We used data simulations to test whether composites consisting of cohesive subtest scores are more accurate than composites consisting of divergent subtest scores. We demonstrate that when multivariate normality holds, divergent and cohesive scores are equally accurate. Furthermore, excluding divergent scores results in biased estimates of construct scores. We show that obtaining divergent scores should prompt additional testing under some conditions. Although there are many valid reasons to exclude scores from consideration (e.g., malingering, fatigue, and misunderstood directions), no score should be removed from a composite simply because it is different from other scores in the composite.
Enviromental Degradation and Poverty in Less Industrialized Nations

Existe evidencia de que los problemas ambientales y el ingreso bajo per capita estan relacionados geograficamente. La mayor parte de lo que ha sido escrito respecto a los vinculos entre la degradacion del medio ambiente y la pobreza se centran en descubrir por que los pobres utilizan sus recursos naturales de manera insostenible. Este trabajo enfatiza principalmente el dano que la degradacion del medio ambiente provoca a los sectores pobres de la poblacion. Enseguida, el articulo revisa la explicacion de la economia ambiental estandar en cuanto a por que los pobres aceptan vivir con niveles altos de contaminacion, y argumenta que debe agregarse alguna nocion de poder al analisis clasico. Por otro lado, tambien examina el papel que juegan las altas tasas de descuento, el crecimiento acelerado de la poblacion, las estructuras de incentivos e instituciones en el vinculo entre la pobreza y el medio ambiente. Finalmente, se formulan algunas conclusiones en cuanto a la pobreza y la degradacion ambiental. ABSTRACT There is empirical evidence that local environmental problems and low per capita income are geographically correlated. Most of what is written about linkages between environmental degradation and poverty focuses on why the poor use their natural resources in an unsustainable manner. This paper emphasizes first the damage which environmental degradation does to the poor. Next it reviews the standard environmental economics explanation for why the poor accept high levels of pollution, and argues that some notion of power must be added to the standard analysis. Then it examines the role of high discount rates, rapid population growth, incentive structures and institutions in the poverty-environment link. Finally, some general policy conclusions regarding poverty and environmental degradation are drawn.
Compression Therapy in Venous Disease

Compression therapy, most commonly in the form of stockings, is an essential treatment modality for venous disease affecting the extremties. Compression decreases fluid accumulation in the interstitial space and therefore minimizes edema and discomfort. It is the primary modality of treatment for venous ulcers of the lower extremities. Even though the role of compression in the prevention of post thrombotic syndrome has come recently into question, it still provides comfort and symptomatic relief for most patients after deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. This chapter provides an overview of the role of compression in treatment of venous diseases.
Femtosecond pulse processing

We discuss Fourier methods for shaping and processing femtosecond optical signals. Examples of applications in optical communications and in generation of terahertz radiation are presented.
CARDIAC TGFβ SIGNALING IS DECREASED IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a clinically diverse cardiac disorder resulting from mutations in genes encoding structural proteins, characterized by hypertrophy in the absence of overload. Deregulated TGFβ/Myostatin (MSTN) mediates cardiac remodeling in the presence of overload. We sought to
Electoral Competition and Legislator Effectiveness

How do legislators respond to electoral competition? We consider this question by looking at the relationship between legislative productivity and the competitiveness of legislators’ primary and ge...
A SELF-ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A LARGE ELASTIC MISSILE

This paper describes a study of an adaptive autopilot in a large missile. The results of preliminary analyses and an analog computer simulation are presented to show the performance of such a control system in the presence of lateral bending dynamics, as well as external disturbances.
Antithrombotic Therapy for Cardiac Disease

This chapter reviews primary and secondary prevention of ischemic heart disease. Also reviewed is stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and with cardiac valves. Antithrombotic therapy is used for two major purposes in the treatment of cardiac disease. The first is the prevention of embolic disease and the other is for treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Carbohydrate fermentation in the large intestine of lambs.

In one of two experiments, six 4-mo-old wethers fitted with ileal and cecal cannulas were fed three levels of concentrate (0, 40 or 80% corn) with forage in a replicated 3 X 3 Latin square design. Chromic oxide was fed as a marker. Quantities of starch recovered at the ileum and digested in the large intestine increased (P less than .05) with increased starch intake. Quantities of acid detergent fiber (ADF) recovered at the ileum increased with increased ADF intake; however; ADF digestion (grams) in the large intestine was highest (P less than .05) when the 80% corn diet was fed. Cecal total VFA concentrations, butyrate molar proportions and lactic acid concentrations were highest (P less than .05), and cecal acetate to propionate (C2:C3) ratios and pH values were lowest, in lambs fed 80% corn. In Exp. 2, 14 wethers (4-mo-old) were fed a forage (alfalfa hay) or a concentrate (80% corn) diet containing chromic oxide as a marker. Digesta grab samples were obtained by surgical procedure. The amounts of starch recovered at the abomasum and ileum and the amounts digested in the rumen, small intestine and large intestine were greater (P less than .05) when lambs were fed the concentrate. Large intestinal total VFA concentrations and butyrate molar proportions were higher (P less than .01) when the concentrate diet was fed; pH values were lower (P less than .01). Lambs fed the concentrate diet had lower (P less than .01) large intestinal and ruminal C2:C3 ratios of VFA.
External Governance and Internal Resource Allocation

We exploit Regulation SHO as a natural experiment to investigate the effects of short selling threats on intrafirm capital allocation. Using detailed data on the foreign operations of multinationals, we find that the marginal effect on aggregate investment masks a significant effect on intrafirm reallocation. Managers reallocate investment and R&D expenditures across borders toward productive subsidiaries and R&D centers, respectively. Treated firms shifted 30% more capital toward foreign subsidiaries with strong recent performance. These results provide new evidence on the scope and potential benefits of governance by short sellers and demonstrate the importance of cross-border spillovers of capital markets regulation.
A multi-basin redox reconstruction for the Miocene Monterey Formation, California, USA

Abstract Deposition of the Miocene Monterey Formation into numerous basins provides an ideal opportunity to study how preservation of geochemical signatures varies within and among basins as a function of local and global climatic and oceanic conditions. This study presents commonly employed redox indicators, including iron (Fe) speciation and redox-sensitive trace metal concentrations (Mo, U, V), to constrain paleoredox conditions from three Monterey locations: the Santa Barbara Basin, the Santa Maria Basin, and the San Joaquin Basin. The Fe speciation geochemistry of the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Basin sediments are consistent with a wide range of redox conditions from suboxic to euxinic. These results, in combination with associated phosphorites and trace metal enrichment patterns, indicate oscillatory redox conditions, perhaps with a chemocline that fluctuated above the sediment-water interface on seasonal or multi-year timescales. Overall, these sections were deposited in environments similar to modern phosphorite-forming and upwelling-dominated oxygen minimum zone settings like the Peru Margin. Geochemical evidence indicates that the San Joaquin Basin was generally more restricted and more stably anoxic compared to the other two basins, perhaps more analogous to the modern Cariaco Basin, at least for the studied interval. Iron speciation in the San Joaquin Basin reveals anoxia and euxinia over the entirety of the studied interval, although trace metal concentrations are generally at the low end of those typical of anoxic/euxinic conditions—consistent with a restricted connection with the open ocean. The one exception is an interval c. ~11.6 million years ago (Ma) with elevated concentrations of redox-sensitive elements that may represent a decrease in basin restriction or an increase in water column sulfide concentrations. The present-day California Margin does not achieve euxinic conditions in similar basinal settings comparable with these Monterey sections, suggesting fundamental differences for the Miocene California margin that may carry implications for global-scale oxygen deficiency in Miocene oxygen minimum zones.
Clean Cities 2014 Annual Metrics Report

Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy asks its Clean Cities program coordinators to submit annual reports of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Data and information are submitted via an online database that is maintained as part of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Coordinators submit a range of data that characterize the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions. They also submit data about sales of alternative fuels, deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), idle-reduction (IR) initiatives, fuel economy activities, and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). NREL analyzes the data and translates them into petroleum-use reduction impacts, which are summarized in this 2014 Annual Metrics Report.
Efficient deep learning techniques for multiphase flow simulation in heterogeneous porousc media

Abstract We present efficient deep learning techniques for approximating flow and transport equations for both single phase and two-phase flow problems. The proposed methods take advantages of the sparsity structures in the underlying discrete systems and can be served as efficient alternatives to the system solvers at the full order. In particular, for the flow problem, we design a network with convolutional and locally connected layers to perform model reductions. Moreover, we employ a custom loss function to impose local mass conservation constraints. This helps to preserve the physical property of velocity solution which we are interested in learning. For the saturation problem, we propose a residual type of network to approximate the dynamics. Our main contribution here is the design of custom sparsely connected layers which take into account the inherent sparse interaction between the input and output. After training, the approximated feed-forward map can be applied iteratively to predict solutions in the long range. Our trained networks, especially in two-phase flow where the maps are nonlinear, show their great potential in accurately approximating the underlying physical system and improvement in computational efficiency. Some numerical experiments are performed and discussed to demonstrate the performance of our proposed techniques.
ZC3H18 specifically binds and activates the BRCA1 promoter to facilitate homologous recombination in ovarian cancer

Reduced BRCA1 expression causes homologous recombination (HR) repair defects in high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs). Here, we demonstrate that BRCA1 is transcriptionally activated by a previously unknown function of ZC3H18. We show that ZC3H18 is a DNA-binding protein that interacts with an E2F site in the BRCA1 promoter where it facilitates recruitment of E2F4 to an adjacent E2F site to promote BRCA1 transcription. Consistent with ZC3H18 role in activating BRCA1 expression, ZC3H18 depletion induces BRCA1 promoter methylation, reduces BRCA1 expression, disrupts HR, and sensitizes cells to DNA crosslinkers and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. Moreover, in patient-derived xenografts and primary HGSOC tumors, ZC3H18 and E2F4 mRNA levels are positively correlated with BRCA1 mRNA levels, further supporting ZC3H18 role in regulating BRCA1. Given that ZC3H18 lies within 16q24.2, a region with frequent copy number loss in HGSOC, these findings suggest that ZC3H18 copy number losses could contribute to HR defects in HGSOC.
Adverse childhood experiences, depression, and cardiometabolic disease in a nationally representative sample.

Abstract Objective Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depression are both independently associated with increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective was to determine if the association of ACEs, examined with Latent Class Analysis (LCA), with CVD and diabetes was stronger in patients with versus without depression. Methods Participants were 78,435 non-institutionalized adults in the United States completing the ACEs module in the 2011–2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. LCA grouped participants into ACE classes. Respondents self-reported ACEs and lifetime depression, diabetes and CVD. Complex survey weighted logistic regression models assessed the relationships between ACEs, diabetes, and CVD overall and in those with and without depression. Results Half of participants were female (48.6%) and 82.3% White, non-Hispanic. LCA identified a four-class solution characterized as ‘low adversity’, ‘verbal/physical abuse’, ‘sexual abuse’, and ‘high adversity’. The odds ratios for each ACE class and diabetes were similar in those with and without depression. An overall adjusted model showed that ‘sexual abuse’ versus ‘low adversity’ was significantly associated with diabetes (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05–1.61). Effect modification was present for CVD such that among those with depression, but not among those without, ‘high adversity’ had over two times the odds of CVD than ‘low adversity’ (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.06–2.93). Conclusions ‘High adversity’ in those with but not without depression is positively associated with CVD. ‘Sexual abuse’ is positively associated with diabetes independent of depression. The study is relevant to trauma-informed care and highlights the contribution of ACEs and depression to poor health outcomes.
Autonomous Agents in the Wild: Human Interaction Challenges

As autonomous agents move beyond industrial applications and into commercial products that the general population uses, new challenges are emerging. A framework was developed to characterize these challenges in terms of the risk of the operations and the user expertise. Introducing autonomous agents into our everyday lives has resulted in recent accidents that are similar to accidents the aviation industry experienced and subsequently mitigated decades ago. Case studies are presented to describe these accidents and the underlying cognitive theories that contributed to the analysis of them.
Thermodynamics and superconductivity of S x Se 1 − x H 3

The compression of ${\mathrm{SH}}_{2}$ and its subsequent decomposition to ${\mathrm{SH}}_{3}$, presumably in a cubic $Im\overline{3}m$ structure, has led to the discovery of conventional superconductivity with the highest measured and confirmed ${T}_{c}$ to date, 203 K at 160 GPa. Recent theoretical studies suggest that a mixture of S with other elements of the chalcogen group could improve the superconducting temperature. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the thermodynamic properties of S and Se mixtures in the bcc lattice with $Im\overline{3}m$ symmetry using a cluster expansion technique to explore the phase diagram of ${\mathrm{S}}_{x}{\mathrm{Se}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$. In contrast to earlier reports, we find that ${\mathrm{S}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ is not stable in the pressure range between 150 and 200 GPa. However, phases at compositions ${\mathrm{S}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.8}{\mathrm{H}}_{3},{\mathrm{S}}_{0.\overline{3}}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.\overline{6}}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$, and ${\mathrm{S}}_{0.6}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.4}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ are stable at 200 GPa, while additional phases at ${\mathrm{S}}_{0.25}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.75}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{S}}_{0.75}{\mathrm{Se}}_{0.25}{\mathrm{H}}_{3}$ are accessible at lower pressures. Electron-phonon calculations show that the values of ${T}_{c}$ are consistently lower for all ternary phases, indicating that mixtures of S and Se with H might not be a viable route towards compounds with improved superconducting properties.
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) mediated degradation of organophosphate pesticides by the green microalgae Coccomyxa subellipsoidea

Abstract The aim of this study was to define the mechanism allowing the green alga Coccomyxa subellipsoidea to break down organophosphates from agricultural run-off. This study found that metabolically active cultures of the microalga C. subellipsoidea breakdown organophosphates (paraoxon, malathion and diazinon) with differing structural conformations in freshwater through a mechanism that requires the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with little to no toxic effects on the algae. Under these conditions, organophosphate levels were reduced to 0.1 mg/mL or less over the 8–10 day experimental period. These findings demonstrate a biological-based system can be tailored for the remediation of organophosphates from agricultural run-off in waterways for long-term sustainability that also includes bioproduct development from the algal biomass. These finding are expected to have significant impacts using this biological based technology for the remediation of organophosphates in water for downstream applications.
Inhibition of the translesion synthesis polymerase REV1 exploits replication gaps as a cancer vulnerability

The replication stress response, which serves as an anticancer barrier, is activated not only by DNA damage and replication obstacles but also oncogenes, thus obscuring how cancer evolves. Here, we identify that oncogene expression, similar to other replication stress-inducing agents, induces single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) gaps that reduce cell fitness. DNA fiber analysis and electron microscopy reveal that activation of translesion synthesis (TLS) polymerases restricts replication fork slowing, reversal, and fork degradation without inducing replication gaps despite the continuation of replication during stress. Consistent with gap suppression (GS) being fundamental to cancer, we demonstrate that a small-molecule inhibitor targeting the TLS factor REV1 not only disrupts DNA replication and cancer cell fitness but also synergizes with gap-inducing therapies such as inhibitors of ATR or Wee1. Our work illuminates that GS during replication is critical for cancer cell fitness and therefore a targetable vulnerability.
Safety and efficacy of cardiovascular implantable electronic device extraction in elderly patients: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Background Transvenous lead extraction of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) has been proven safe in the general patient population with the advances in extraction techniques. Octogenarians present a unique challenge given their comorbidities and the perceived increase in morbidity and mortality. Objective To assess the safety and outcomes of CIED extraction in octogenarians to younger patients. Methods We performed an extensive literature search and systematic review of studies that compared CIED extraction in octogenarians versus non-octogenarians. We separately assessed the rate of complete procedure success, clinical success, procedural mortality, major and minor complications. Risk ratio (RR) 95% confidence intervals were measured using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The random effects model was used due to heterogeneity across study cohorts. Results Seven studies with a total of 4,182 patients were included. There was no difference between octogenarians and non-octogenarians in complete procedure success (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 – 1.02, p=0.19) and clinical success (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 – 1.01, p=0.13). There was also no difference in procedural mortality (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.46 – 4.39, p=0.54), major complication (RR 1.40, 95% CI 0.68 – 2.88, p=0.36), and minor complication (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.90 – 2.29, p=0.13). Conclusion In this study, there was no evidence to suggest a difference in procedural success and complication rates between octogenarians and younger patients. Transvenous lead extraction can be performed safely and effectively in the elderly population.
Structural Insights into Low and High Recalcitrance Natural Poplar Variants using Neutron and X-ray scattering

We used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to study two Populus trichocarpa variants, GW-11012 and BESC-316, with lignin contents of 17.8 and 23.2%, respec...
Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of γ-Al2O3/γ-Fe2O3 composite and evaluating its efficiency in fluoride removal

Abstract A reclaimable mesoporous adsorbent of γ-Al2O3/γ-Fe2O3 nanocomposite was prepared by microwave irradiation method for fluoride removal from aqueous solution. The chemical constituent and morphology of adsorbent were characterized by XRD, XPS, SEM, and FTIR, and the pore structure and surface area were calculated using BET analyses. BET study revealed surface area is 203.24 m2/g. The adsorbent was superparamagnetic with a saturation magnetization of 27.52 emu/g at 300 K, which improves the magnetic separation of adsorbent using an external magnet. The batch of adsorption experiments was studied to evaluate fluoride removal capacity. The adsorption isotherm follows Langmuir isotherm than Freundlich isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 105.042 mg/g. The adsorption equilibrium reached within 15 min. The adsorption kinetic well defined by the pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption mechanism study suggested Al3+ ions on the surface of the adsorbent interact with fluoride molecules. Up to the fifth cycle, the adsorbent retains 95 % removal capacity.
Dissecting genetic diversity and genomic background of Petunia cultivars with contrasting growth habits.

The cultivated petunia (Petunia ×hybrida) is derived from the progenitor species P. axillaris and P. integrifolia. The hybridization dates back only to the 1830s, though intensive breeding efforts have yielded cultivars exhibiting incredible diversity for many traits, including growth habit, flower color, and flower size. Until now, little is known about the genetic diversity and genomic background of modern cultivars. Here we selected a panel of 13 cultivars with contrasting growth habits and three wild species (the progenitors and P. exserta) to estimate the genomic contribution from the ancestral species and to study whether the variation of the genetic origin could be associated with different breeding programs or morphological variability. Transcriptome sequencing identified 1,164,566 SNPs representing 98.4% (32,451) of the transcripts that cover 99.2% (of 52,697,361 bp) of the P. axillaris transcriptome. Cultivars with an upright growth habit had more homozygous alleles and more P. axillaris-derived alleles than trailing cultivars, while mounded cultivars had intermediate heterozygosity. Unlike previous studies, we found the proportions of alleles derived from each progenitor species varied across cultivars but overall were not biased toward one progenitor species, suggesting diverse selection during cultivar development. For trailing cultivars, alleles potentially introgressed from other wild species ("out" alleles) were enriched. The "out" alleles were clustered in particular regions of chromosomes, suggesting that these regions may be hotspots of introgression. Transcripts in these regions were enriched with gene ontology terms associated with growth habit. This study provides novel insight into the contributions of progenitor species to the genomic background of modern petunia cultivars and identifies genome regions that may harbor genes conferring the trailing growth habit for further exploration.