cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrostatic Contributions to Calmodulin Interactions with Calcineurin

Here, we have sought to characterize the energetics of the interaction between calcineurin (a Ser/Thr phosphatase) and its activating protein calmodulin. Calmodulin (CaM) and calcineurin (CaN) interact with high affinity (−15.0 kcal/mol). Using stopped-flow kinetics, we investigated the contributions of electrostatic forces to the CaM:CaN interaction. CaM (which has a net negative charge) interacts with CaN through a 24-residue positively-charged CaM-binding site located within a ∼100 residue intrinsically disordered regulatory domain (RD). When CaM binds, CaN is activated and can dephosphorylate its substrates. Acidic patches flank the CaM-binding site in the RD and these may modulate the electrostatic attraction with CaM. In this work, the kon and koff of the CaM interacting with three ligands were determined. The ligands were pCaN (27-residue peptide containing the CaM-binding site), the RD, and full-length CaN. Binding kinetics were measured at various ionic strengths and temperatures. We found that electrostatic forces modulate the CaM:CaN affinity mainly through the association rate There was no observable change in dissociation rate as a function of ionic strength. The association and dissociation rate constants did display a temperature dependence in accordance with the Arrhenius equation. We can compare the CaM:CaN binding rate to the CaM:RD and CaM:pCaN binding rates at high ionic strength to elucidate conformational and steric effects of the full enzyme. Hence, we can estimate the contribution of electrostatic forces to the free energy of the CaM:CaN interaction.
Alginic Acid as an Exopolysaccharide of Plant Pathogenic Pseudomonads

Alginic acid, a linear polymer of D-mannuronate and L-guluronate residues, is a structural component in marine algae and has several commercial uses. Alginic acid is also produced naturally as an exopolysaccharide by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Azotobacter vinelandii. Alginic acid-producing variants of P. fluorescens, P. putida and P. mendocina have also been reported. We have screened representative strains of eleven P. syringae pathovars and seven other phytopathogenic pseudomonad species for production of alginic acid. Bacteria were grown for 48 h in a chemically defined liquid medium containing 24 g/L of glucose. Exopolysaccharide was isolated from culture filtrates by acetone precipitation and purified by ultracentrifugation, re-acetone precipitation and gel permeation chromatography. Synthesis of alginic acid was found for P. s. pv. glycinea, P. s. pv. morsprunorum, P. s. pv. papulans, P. s. pv. phaseolicola and P. s. pv. tabaci. Compatible P. s. pv. glycinea strains also produced alginic acid in soybean leaves. To our knowledge this is the first report of alginic acid production by phytopathogenic pseudomonads.
Finite-size scaling of entanglement entropy in one-dimensional topological models

We consider scaling of the entanglement entropy across a topological quantum phase transition for the Kitaev chain model. The change of the topology manifests itself in a subleading term, which scales as ${L}^{\ensuremath{-}1/\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ with the size of the subsystem $L$, here $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is the R\'enyi index. This term reveals the scaling function ${h}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}(L/\ensuremath{\xi})$, where $\ensuremath{\xi}$ is the correlation length, which is sensitive to the topological index. The scaling function ${h}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}(L/\ensuremath{\xi})$ is independent of model parameters, suggesting some degree of its universality.
ULSI technology toward the next century: driven by DRAMs or MPUs?

This paper reviews the progress made in silicon-based ULSI technology, which has been mostly driven by dynamic random access memory, and, in part, very high speed RISC processors. It is interesting to compare those two technology drivers where DRAMs have always been driving microlithography and front-half technology, such as isolation, FETs and polysilicon capacitor/trench necessary for storage capacitor fabrication, while RISC processors have driven back-half technology, such as multi-level interconnection/metallization and planarization, which supports essentially high-speed logic circuit capability. DRAMs have started showing certain divergence from the rest of ULSI technology, and they will most likely become even more specialized to meet their requirement. A natural question that arises would be whether we should really have two different sets of technology drivers for ULSI technology. At the same time we should consider the possibility whereby both MPU and high density DRAMs can be integrated on a single chip in order to provide high density on-chip cache memory capability in the future. This may result in a more synergistic approach to identify technology drivers in the future. Even more complications would come with the need to integrate analog capability in broader meanings, which would open up great opportunities as well as serious concerns from process parameter control point of view in manufacturing. >
Selected Bibliography for 1939

(1940). Selected Bibliography for 1939. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 135-169.
American Art Therapy Association, Inc.: 2001-2002 Membership Survey Report

The American Art Therapy Association, Inc. (AATA) surveys its members biennially in order to obtain general information about current AATA members. These surveys include demographic data, work stat...
Do Firms Do What They Say? The Effect of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 on R&D Spending

ABSTRACT: Prior studies debate whether the temporary tax holiday provided by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA) increased firm spending on domestic investment. Since internal equity is a...
Privately owned parks in New Urbanist communities: A study of environmental privilege, equity, and inclusion

ABSTRACTPrivately owned parks and public spaces (POPS) are increasingly common in New Urbanist (NU) communities. POPS raise concerns related to environmental privilege, equity, and inclusion; however, no investigation has fully analyzed whether POPS in NU communities cause these same concerns. This is particularly problematic because of NU’s recognition as a sustainable planning paradigm and because NU proponents seek to establish mixed-income and ethnically diverse communities. Thus, this study examines how these 3 concerns about POPS play out in NU developments. In addition, it analyzes how municipal policies and real estate processes contribute to establishing POPS in NU communities. We find that concerns about environmental privilege, equity, and inclusion are well founded, and that reliance on POPS provides significant advantages for developers, residents, and municipalities alike, mostly because of cost savings and notions of exclusivity.
Variable-Centered, Person-Centered, and Person-Specific Approaches: Where Theory Meets the Method

The variable-centered approach is favored in management and applied psychology, but the person-centered approach is quickly growing in popularity. A partial cause for this rise is the finer-grained...
Feminist social studies teachers: The role of teachers’ backgrounds and beliefs in shaping gender-equitable practices

Abstract Gender inequity is a persistent problem in the United States. While the high school social studies classroom should be an important space for addressing gender inequity, there is significant underrepresentation of women in the curriculum. Thus, it is crucial that we understand how self-described feminist social studies teachers present women and gender-equity in their classrooms. In this mixed-methods study, the researchers examined the beliefs and practices of six feminist-identifying teachers. The results reveal commonalities across teachers related to classroom discourses, curricular modifications, and professional practice, yet there were compelling differences based on whether or not the teacher subscribed to a critical feminist perspective or a liberal feminist perspective. While all the teachers in the study saw themselves as change agents, teachers who operated from a critical feminist lens focused more on structural gender inequity as a means to eliminate sexism, whereas teachers who operated from a liberal lens focused more on individual acts of sexism and greater inclusion of women—often individual women—in the curriculum. This study contributes to the scarce research on feminism in social studies and provides tools for practitioners who want practices that are more inclusive.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Possible Integration of Hormonal and Immunological Observations

The editors of this book organized a meeting about an unusual syndrome—chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). They also applied an unusual approach to the meeting by inviting us to give the “keynote conclusions”. Although we have experience in both basic and clinical research ranging from peptide hormones to cytokines, we have no experience with CFS.
Comparison of DAX-8 and XAD-8 resins for isolating disinfection byproduct precursors

XAD fractionation has been widely used for isolating natural organic carbon into different fractions for disinfection by-product (DBP) formation tests. The widely used Amberlite ® XAD-8 resin is no longer commercially available and Supelite™ DAX-8 resin has been substituted in recent research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the differences, in terms of reactivity in DBP formation, among the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fractions isolated by these two resins. DOC collected from two rivers and two soils in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Watershed was fractionated in parallel by the non-ionic macroporous DAX-8 and XAD-8 resins into hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions. Four parameters used to predict DBP formation in the water industry were evaluated: specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA 254 ), differential ultraviolet absorbance at 272 nm (ΔUVA 272 ), specific trihalomethane formation (STHMFP) and specific haloacetic acid formation (SHAAFP). Results indicated that the sorption efficiency of DAX-8 resin was systematically greater than that of XAD-8 resin in our testing conditions and separated an average of 4% more humic substances. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions isolated by XAD-8 and DAX-8 resins showed no significant difference in DBP reactivity ( p >0.05), except for the hydrophilic fraction of the peat soil extracts. Our results indicated their comparability in general use for isolating DBP precursors from bulk aquatic humic substances. However, the fractions of soil humic substances, particularly organic-rich soil, isolated by these two resins may have different chemical characteristics.
Mandatory Minimums and the War on Drugs

Mandatory minimum sentencing provisions have been a feature of the US justice system since 1790. But they have expanded considerably under the war on drugs, and their use has expanded considerably under the Trump Administration; some states are also poised to expand drug-related mandatory minimums further in efforts to fight the current opioid epidemic. In this chapter I outline and evaluate three prominent arguments for and against the use of mandatory minimums in the war on drugs—they appeal, respectively, to proportionality, consistency, and efficiency. I ultimately defend the view that the use of mandatory minimums in the war on drugs is unjust.
Effect of Firing Temperature and Duration on Fused Silica Investment Shell Strength at Room Temperature

Fused silica is widely used in investment casting shell molds as flour, stucco and binder for its superior properties, such as low linear thermal expansion coefficient and high thermal shock resistance. Investment shell molds are usually fired after the de-wax process to remove the residue pattern material, and to improve shell strength through sintering. The firing temperatures are generally high enough to affect the phase constituent and microstructure of the shells, which further influences the shell strength. Firing duration at firing temperature is another important factor having an impact on the shell strength due to grain coarsening, but it is often overlooked by investment foundries. In this article, the room temperature moduli of rupture of investment shells fired at different conditions were determined. The crystallinity of fused silica shells was determined using X-ray diffraction. The differences on the shell strength were discussed and correlated with the microstructure and phase constitution in the shells after different firing processes.
Globalization, migration, and ethnicity.

Abstract Objectives This article presents an overview of global migration and the unique issues facing immigrants, host countries, and practitioners, identifying considerations for practice. Background Perceptions of the effects of human migration are major drivers of country attitudes, policies, and programs. Increasingly complex global interconnectedness has altered relationships among sending, receiving, and transit countries. The Global North, with its aging and declining populations, requires a healthy and young workforce; the Global South, with limited resources, a high birthrate, and an overall youthful population, can fill the gaps of the former, but with several implications for receiving and sending nations. Methods and results This article reviews literature and data on current migration worldwide, with particular emphasis on immigration. Despite the complexities of human migration and extant theories that dissect the phenomenon, the fundamental elements of Lee's early push-and-pull theory of migration continue to hold true. Generally, people are drawn to improved opportunities or leave challenging environments, whether temporarily or permanently. Two salient dimensions undergird the study of migration: (1) migration trends—who migrates and why, and the size and direction of migration flows; and (2) the impact of migration—how migration changes receiving, transit, and sending countries. Receiving/transit nations are particularly apprehensive about whether immigrants fill their needs and how they impact resources. They speculate about immigrant preparedness for the workforce, ability to integrate into the society, and consequences for the racial/phenotypic profile of the nation. Immigrants also experience these worries. Conclusions Ethnicity, which is associated with common ancestry and culture, including language, religion, traditions, and behavioral norms, often contributes to, and challenges, a receiving nation's world view. This can have implications for several segments of its society, including the health profession, which could find that in the delivery of services it must grapple with the complex relationship between migrant, health, and health services utilization.
retrato de un momento

La editorial no es solamente un espacio que de cuenta de lo que en el numero se ha publicado, tambien es un lugar de opinion y de reflexion, en torno al core de la revista pero ademas a la contingencia. Desde este numero, el equipo editorial se ha renovado y asi es como se incorporaran nuevos objetivos y tareas que permitan mejorar la performance y al menos mantener el estado de reconocimiento que tiene Panambi hasta hoy; su prestigio. Agradecemos a quienes dejan sus labores y esperamos poder (quienes nos integramos) realizar la tarea con el mismo profesionalismo con el que hasta ahora se ha desarrollado.
Antibiotics and the Yield of Blood Cultures: Sequence Matters.

Cheng and colleagues examined whether antibiotics can be administered before cultures are drawn without decreasing their yield in patients with sepsis. The editorialists discuss the findings and th...
Palatable food access impacts expression of amylin receptor components in the mesocorticolimbic system

New findings What is the central question of this study? We tested whether intra-nucleus accumbens core amylin receptor (AmyR) activation suppresses feeding and evaluated whether intake of palatable food influences mesocorticolimbic AmyR expression. What is the main finding and its importance? Intra-nucleus accumbens core AmyR activation reduces food intake in some dietary conditions. We showed that all components of the AmyR are expressed in the prefrontal cortex and central nucleus of the amygdala and demonstrated that access to fat impacts AmyR expression in these and other mesocorticolimbic nuclei. These results suggest that the intake of palatable food might alter amylin signalling in the brain and shed further light onto potential sites of action for amylin. Abstract Amylin is a pancreas- and brain-derived peptide that acts within the CNS to promote negative energy balance. However, our understanding of the CNS sites of action for amylin remains incomplete. Here, we investigate the effect of amylin receptor (AmyR) activation in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) on the intake of bland and palatable foods. Intra-NAcC injection of the AmyR agonist salmon calcitonin or amylin itself in male chow-fed rats had no effect on food intake, meal size or number of meals. However, in chow-fed rats with access to fat solution, although fat intake was not affected by intra-NAcC AmyR activation, subsequent chow intake was suppressed. Given that mesolimbic AmyR activation suppresses energy intake in rats with access to fat solution, we tested whether fat access changes AmyR expression in key mesocorticolimbic nuclei. Fat exposure did not affect NAcC AmyR expression, whereas in the accumbens shell, expression of receptor activity modifying protein (RAMP) 3 was significantly reduced in fat-consuming rats. We show that all components of AmyRs are expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex and central nucleus of the amygdala; fat access significantly reduced expression of calcitonin receptor-A in the central nucleus of the amygdala and RAMP2 in the medial prefrontal cortex. Taken together, these results indicate that intra-NAcC AmyR activation can suppress energy intake and, furthermore, suggest that AmyR signalling in a broader range of mesocorticolimbic sites might have a role in mediating the effects of amylin on food intake and body weight.
Heme Attenuates Endogenous Opioid Levels in Leukocytes of HIV positive individuals with Chronic Widespread Pain

The prevalence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) in people with HIV (PWH) is high, yet the underlying mechanisms are elusive. Leukocytes synthesize the endogenous opioid, {beta}-endorphin ({beta}-END), within their endoplasmic reticulum (ER). When released into plasma, {beta}-END dampens nociceptive transmission by binding to opioid receptors on sensory neurons. In the present study, we hypothesized that heme-induced ER stress attenuates leukocyte levels/release of {beta}-END, thereby increasing pain sensitivity in PWH. Results demonstrate that PWH with CWP have fragile erythrocytes, high plasma levels of cell-free heme, and impaired heme metabolism. Leukocytes from PWH with CWP also had high ER stress and low {beta}-END compared to PWH without CWP and HIV-negative individuals with or without pain. In vitro heme exposure decreased {beta}-END levels/secretion in murine monocytes/macrophages, which was prevented by treatment with sodium 4-phenylbutyrate, an ER stress inhibitor. To mimic hemolytic effects in a preclinical model in vivo, C57BL/6 mice were injected with phenylhydrazine hydrochloride (PHZ). PHZ increased cell-free heme and ER stress, decreased leukocyte {beta}-END levels and hindpaw mechanical sensitivity thresholds. Treatment of PHZ-injected mice with the heme scavenger, hemopexin, blocked these effects, suggesting that heme-induced ER stress and a subsequent decrease in leukocyte {beta}-END may contribute to CWP in PWH.
Optimal Asset and Housing Allocation with a Path-Dependent Housing Adjustment Cost

We analyze the asset allocations of homeowners and renters in a life-cycle model with housing and mortgage decisions. Our model has a housing adjustment cost, which depends on the remaining mortgage balance, implying that the tenure choice of a housing investment matters in explaining the wealth compositions of households across age groups and homeownership status. We also include alternative forms of bequest to the young home buyers, a realistic feature of the housing investment. We find that our simulated model can match quantitatively the hump shape of homeownership and increasing stock holding shares for owners and renters over their life cycles.
GPGPU Programming for CS Undergraduates: Which one is Superman?

Over the past few decades, Central Processing Units (CPUs) have improved exponentially, often doubling performance on a year-by-year basis. Recently progress has slowed due to the limits imposed by energy and heat. At present, instead of increasing CPU performance, manufacturers have focused on improving system performance by increasing the number of CPUs (known as cores) on a single silicon chip. A single application can benefit from the additional cores by being threaded; multiple threads can execute on different cores in parallel. Another source of parallel execution is the Graphical Processing Unit. GPUs have been used for graphics for decades. In recent years, programming interfaces have been introduced that allow the GPU to solve a variety of data parallel problems, not just problems involving graphics. This use of the GPU is known as General Purpose computing for Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU). This paper discusses the creation of a GPGPU programming course for undergraduates at Appalachian State University (App-State) and provides a brief introduction to using the NVIDIA CUDA API. In addition, the paper focuses on the final programming assignment in the course which solves an image classification problem. The programming assignment is simple enough that second year CS students are able to complete it and also allows for further exploration thus making it interesting for upper level students.
Pathophysiology of the aortic regurgitation Doppler signal end-diastolic notching: "A-dip insight".

A 76-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of severe decompensated heart failure. Initial echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, grade II diastolic dysfunction, and mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation. The aortic regurgitant Doppler signal exhibited an end-diastolic notching, called an A-dip. After intravenous diuretic therapy and 3 kg weight loss, a new echocardiogram was performed showing a grade I diastolic dysfunction and complete abolishment of the A-dip. Aortic A-dip is a rare finding denoting increased LV filling pressures. Conditions that favor its occurrence are increased LV stiffness, low diastolic blood pressure, and preserved left atrial contractility.
Changes in positive associations among vertebrate predators at South Georgia during winter

We studied positive associations among seabirds and marine mammals at South Georgia on research cruises during the Austral winters of 1985, 1991 and 1993 and found statistically significant differences. We collected data on abundance and distribution, providing a critical reference for sub-Antarctic conservation in anticipation of future environmental changes. We found significant changes in the abundance of 29% of species surveyed and a consequent change in species diversity. We postulate that the resulting altered community composition may have previously unanticipated population effects on the component species, due to changes in positive interactions among species which use each other as cues to the presence of prey. We found a near threefold reduction in spatial overlap among vertebrate predators, associated with warming sea temperatures. As the strength and opportunity for positive associations decreases in the future, feeding success may be negatively impacted. In this way, environmental changes may disproportionately impact predator abundances and such changes are likely already underway, as Southern Ocean temperatures have increased substantially since our surveys. Of course the changes we describe are not solely due to changing sea temperature or any other single cause—many factors are important and we do not claim to have removed these from consideration. Rather, we report previously undocumented changes in positive associations among species, and argue these changes may continue into the future, given near-certain continued increases in climate-related changes.
Characterization of Cr-Hydrocarbyl Species via Pulse EPR in the Study of Ethylene Tetramerization Catalysis

The characterization of complexes involved in chromium catalysis is challenging due to the paramagnetism of Cr in its common oxidation states. Here, we demonstrate the utility of pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (pulse EPR) techniques in assigning structural features of Cr organometallic complexes relevant to ethylene tetramerization. An S = 3/2, Cr(III) bisaryl-methyl ethylene tetramerization precatalyst (1) has been selected for characterization by CW and pulse EPR spectroscopies. Using an isotopically labeled Cr-CD₃ complex (1-d₃), the methyl ligand was confirmed to remain bound to Cr in solution by detection of ²H couplings in X-band hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopy. Protonolysis of 1-d₃ led to an S = 3/2, Cr(III) product (2-d₃) that maintained spectroscopic features in HYSCORE for the CD₃ group, indicative of retention of the Cr-alkyl bond. Following protonolysis of 1-h₃ and subsequent reaction with ethylene, an S = 1/2 Cr(I) species with an ethylene-derived ligand was generated, supporting a mechanism involving this Cr oxidation state. Additionally, the pulse EPR characterization of a Cr(I) allyl-diene complex was performed for comparison. This is the first direct observation of hydrocarbyl ligands on Cr using pulse EPR methods. The methods described here are broadly applicable to Cr, first-row transition metals and other open-shell organometallic catalytic systems.
The care of the concussed pediatric patient prior to presentation to primary care pediatrician versus concussion specialists: Implications for management:

ObjectiveAbsent adequate randomized control trials to inform appropriate treatment for concussion in pediatric patients, guidelines have been developed based on expert opinion and observational dat...
Risk of cardiovascular disease is driven by different combinations of environmental, medical and behavioral factors: Building a conceptual model for cumulative risk assessment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS) held a workshop in 2012 to discuss principles and applications of cumulative risk assessment (CRA). The workshop organizers chose cardiovascular disease (CVD) as an example health outcome for which cumulative risk considerations could illuminate environmental and health management strategies. To guide discussions, we developed a series of conceptual models illustrating factors influencing CVD. The CVD conceptual model represents complex processes across varying space and time scales, different causal pathways, and multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors and factors. It includes causal influences of environmental exposures and lifestyle choices, in the context of genetics and medical factors. The representation of cumulative risk as a network of interrelated nodes and arrows helps define and organize the problem and available information, determine the scope and scale, and creates a platform for analysis. It provides an interface for discussing how different entities (e.g., environmental versus health-driven organizations) can work together on different parts of the problem, and facilitates relative risk ranking and management triage. Color coding is used to distinguish categories of stressors and possible oversight responsibility. This work informs guidelines for CRA planning and assessment of factor combinations affecting real-world risk.
Community Poverty and the Struggle to Make Ends Meet in Michigan, According to Local Government Leaders

This report presents the views of Michigan’s local government officials regarding poverty and economic hardship among residents in their jurisdiction, as well as assessments of unmet needs for particular services and resources. In addition, the report looks at policies that local governments are adopting or working on in partnership with other local organizations, and whether local leaders think their jurisdiction is doing enough to address poverty in the community. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Spring 2018 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
Digital epidemiology and the COVID-19 pandemic

Over the past 20 years, Internet technology has significantly changed the landscape of public health surveillance and epidemic intelligence gathering. Disease and outbreak data is disseminated not only through formal online announcements by government agencies, but also through informal channels such as social networking sites, blogs, chat rooms, Web searches, local news media and crowdsourcing platforms. These data streams have been credited with decreasing the time between an outbreak and formal recognition of an outbreak, allowing for an expedited response to the public health threat. Collectively, these online sources create an image of global public health that is fundamentally different from the one produced by traditional public health surveillance infrastructure. Dr. Brownstein will discuss the current capabilities and future directions in the use of the non-traditional data sources for the purposes of public health surveillance and rapid detection of emerging infectious diseases with a specific focus on his work on COVID-19.
A note on lumped parameter modeling

Abstract This brief note examines the lumped dynamic modeling of two simple structural systems: 3D-printed cantilevers, and circular aluminum panels. In each case a set of stiffness and natural frequency measurements are made based on simple experiments, with a view to examining effective mass, and a comparison is made with the basic theory.
An emergency department-based intensive care unit is associated with decreased hospital length of stay for upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Abstract Introduction Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization. Initial risk stratification and disposition from the Emergency Department (ED) can prove challenging due to limited data points during a short period of observation. An ED-based ICU (ED-ICU) may allow more rapid delivery of ICU-level care, though its impact on patients with UGIB is unknown. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary U.S. academic medical center. An ED-ICU (the Emergency Critical Care Center [EC3]) opened in February 2015. Patients presenting to the ED with UGIB undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy within 72 h were identified and analyzed. The Pre- and Post-EC3 cohorts included patients from 9/2/2012–2/15/2015 and 2/16/2015–6/30/2019. Results We identified 3788 ED visits; 1033 Pre-EC3 and 2755 Post-EC3. Of Pre-EC3 visits, 200 were critically ill and admitted to ICU [Cohort A]. Of Post-EC3 visits, 682 were critically ill and managed in EC3 [Cohort B], whereas 61 were critically ill and admitted directly to ICU without care in EC3 [Cohort C]. The mean interval from ED presentation to ICU level care was shorter in Cohort B than A or C (3.8 vs 6.3 vs 7.7 h, p Conclusion For critically ill ED patients with UGIB, implementation of an ED-ICU was associated with reductions in rate of ICU admission and hospital LOS, with no differences in safety outcomes.
High quality factor metasurfaces for dynamic, electro-optically controlled wavefront shaping

Here we present high quality factor (high-Q) metasurfaces as a new platform for continuous, electro-optical reconfigurability. Using full-field simulations, we show how applying a voltage across individual nanoantenna shifts the spectral position of the high-Q resonance, modifying the antenna phase and amplitude, and achieving a full 2 pi phase variation with reflectance above 93%. We next computationally design a modulatable beam steerer; without bias light is directly reflected from the metasurface, whereas with applied biases of +9.2, 0, and -9.2 V across three constituent antennas the light is diffracted to 30 deg with 65% efficiency. Biases of 13, 2, -2, and -13 V across 4 constituent antennas diffract to 22 deg. Our presentation will discuss not only the design but also fabrication and characterization en route to a versatile metasurface platform that can reconfigurably achieve a variety of transfer functions.
A Multi-Site Networked Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform for Evaluation of Interoperability and Distributed Intelligence at Grid-Edge

Electric power systems have experienced large increases in the number of intelligent, connected and controllable devices being deployed, leading to a high degree of distributed intelligence at the grid-edge. These devices, both utility-owned and consumer-owned, include renewable generation, energy storage, remote switches, voltage regulators, and smart controllable loads. These new devices provide significant potential for increased operational flexibility that can be leveraged to achieve system reconfiguration, resiliency improvements, power quality improvements, and distribution system automation. However, two significant challenges must be addressed before these assets can be leveraged for operations: interoperability and system level validation prior to deployment. Because of the complexity of distributed control systems, and their interactions with legacy centralized controls, a purely simulations-based approach for pre-deployment validation is not sufficient. It requires hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing to emulate hardware devices and evaluate their performance. Additionally, securely integrating multiple test facilities at utility operators and vendors can enable the rapid scale-up of evaluation platforms and remove the need for multiple expensive standalone installations. Presented in this paper, is the development of a multi-site evaluation platform that employs Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS), distributed control devices, real-time HIL assets, secure communication links, and protocol adapters. The testbed has been developed at three sites, with one site hosting the ADMS and the other two hosting HIL capabilities. This platform uses standards-based approaches and open-source tools, and hence can serve as a template for other researchers and institutions to implement their multi-site evaluation frameworks for pre-deployment testing.
Predicting Co-verbal Gestures: A Deep and Temporal Modeling Approach

Gestures during spoken dialog play a central role in human communication. As a consequence, models of gesture generation are a key challenge in research on virtual humans, embodied agents capable of face-to-face interaction with people. Machine learning approaches to gesture generation must take into account the conceptual content in utterances, physical properties of speech signals and the physical properties of the gestures themselves. To address this challenge, we proposed a gestural sign scheme to facilitate supervised learning and presented the DCNF model, a model to jointly learn deep neural networks and second order linear chain temporal contingency. The approach we took realizes both the mapping relation between speech and gestures while taking account temporal relations among gestures. Our experiments on human co-verbal dataset shows significant improvement over previous work on gesture prediction. A generalization experiment performed on handwriting recognition also shows that DCNFs outperform the state-of-the-art approaches.
Synthesis of new strands of mitochondrial and nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid by semiconservative replication.

Tritiated 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine was used as a precursor for the synthesis in vivo of nuclear and mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid in rat liver. Radioactivity was incorporated into a band of mitochondrial DNA which had a higher buoyant density than previously existing unlabeled DNA. The difference in density between labeled and unlabeled mitochondrial DNA bands doubled if the DNA was denatured after the introduction of strand breakages to allow complete separation of complementary strands. The result suggests that replication of mitochondrial DNA is by a semiconservative mechanism and that there is little, if any, repair of the DNA. Similar results leading to the same conclusions were obtained for nuclear DNA.
A multi‐scale investigation of interfacial transport, pore fluid flow, and fine particle deposition in a sediment bed

[1] We used X-ray difference microtomography (XDMT) and multi-scale lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulations to investigate the deposition of colloidal particles in a streambed from the micron scale to the bedform scale. Flume experiments were performed to deposit zirconia colloids from suspension into a sediment bed composed of glass beads and covered with dune-shaped bedforms. Following deposition, we extracted a series of cores over a single bedform, and analyzed the microstructure of colloid deposition patterns within these cores by XDMT. Colloids deposited primarily on the upstream sides of glass beads located at the upstream face of the bedform. Colloid deposits were also found in narrow pores and grain contacts, resulting from physical straining. We used the pore structure measured by XDMT as internal solid boundaries in pore-scale LB simulations of pore water flow in order to define a constitutive porosity-permeability relationship at the scale of the representative elementary volume (REV) for the porous medium. We then incorporated this information in a continuum-scale LB model to simulate hyporheic exchange flow at the bedform scale. The bedform-scale flow model was discretized at the REV scale, with the porosity-permeability relationship obtained from the pore-scale analysis used to represent the effects of micro-scale feedbacks between particle deposition, bed structure, and pore fluid flow. Colloids deposited rapidly in the subsurface, leading to a decrease in permeability and a modification of hyporheic flow paths near the bed surface. Colloid deposition reduced the mean stream-subsurface exchange flux, but increased the spatial variability in pore water flow, leading to higher exchange flux in some locations. Similarly, the mean hyporheic residence time increased after deposition, but the development of preferential flow paths led to more rapid exchange through some regions of the bedform. These results reveal how flow-boundary interactions, colloid influx to the streambed, and colloid filtration in pore spaces interact to produce structural heterogeneity in sediment beds.
Expression of the metacaspase cp3 from the fungus Schizophyllum commune in Escherichia coli (1010.9)

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a cellular suicide protocol that eliminates eukaryotic cells in a highly controlled manner. Traditionally, proteins known as caspases have been the main focus of study concerning PCD. Only recently has a related set of PCD regulatory and execution proteins been identified in non-metazoans that lack caspases; these proteins are called metacaspases. A set of five putative metacaspases native to the fungus Schizophyllum commune were identified using a PSI-BLAST search, and named Scp1-5. A very strong indicator of similar function between the metacaspase and caspase protease families is the presence of a highly conserved Cys-His catalytic dyad found throughout the known metacaspase family. In order to further characterize these proteases, Scp3’s gene sequence was cloned into two different expression plasmids that utilize two separate expression pathways. The first, pQE-80L (Addgene), uses a phage T5 promoter to recruit native E.coli RNA polymerases. The second plasmid pET His6 S...
In Silico Reconstruction of the Viral Evolutionary Lineage Yields a Potent Gene Therapy Vector

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have emerged as a gene-delivery platform with demonstrated safety and efficacy in a handful of clinical trials for monogenic disorders. However, limitations of the current generation vectors often prevent broader application of AAV gene therapy. Efforts to engineer AAV vectors have been hampered by a limited understanding of the structure-function relationship of the complex multimeric icosahedral architecture of the particle. To develop additional reagents pertinent to further our insight into AAVs, we inferred evolutionary intermediates of the viral capsid using ancestral sequence reconstruction. In-silico-derived sequences were synthesized de novo and characterized for biological properties relevant to clinical applications. This effort led to the generation of nine functional putative ancestral AAVs and the identification of Anc80, the predicted ancestor of the widely studied AAV serotypes 1, 2, 8, and 9, as a highly potent in vivo gene therapy vector for targeting liver, muscle, and retina.
Electric Current Approach to Magnetospheric Physics and the Distinction Between Current Disruption and Magnetic Reconnection

The debate on whether the primary quantities in magnetospheric physics are the magnetic field combined with the plasma bulk flow or the electric field combined with the current density has been raging on and off for decades. The former approach is known as the Bu paradigm and the latter as the Ej paradigm. The first tutorial for the Conference on Magnetospheric Current Systems advocates that the correct approach to understanding magnetospheric problems is in terms of the Bu paradigm. In this paper, we address the limitations of the Bu paradigm and consider the merits of the Ej paradigm, with some emphasis on the magnetotail current. The concept of magnetic reconnection is formulated in the Bu paradigm and that of current disruption is formulated in the Ej paradigm. Since the usefulness of these two concepts and their distinction from each other is central to this debate, we discuss also the similarities and differences between them. We conclude by pointing out that each paradigm has its merits and limitations, and which one is the better approach should depend on the magnetospheric phenomenon to be investigated. Insisting on one paradigm being superior than the other for treating all magnetospheric problems would stifle innovative thinking in scientific pursuits.
Risk-Taking in New Project Selection: Can Bonus Incentives Overcome Past Performance History?

A challenge faced by many firms is how to encourage managers to undertake risk levels that are compatible with overall firm performance goals. Incentive compensation that is tied to financial returns is a common control mechanism that is meant to induce managers to strive for higher returns and/or to meet return targets. Prior research has found that under many circumstances incentives can affect behavior in terms of effort. We extend this research by examining whether incentive compensation affects risk taking in a new product selection context. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to investigate how past project performance history and bonus incentive pay schemes affect managers' propensity to select more or less risky projects. Performance history is manipulated via past positive outcomes (i.e. beating a target profit rate) and negative outcomes (i.e. missing a target profit rate). Two types of incentive pay schemes (hurdle bonus and graduated bonus) were employed in the study. The findings are consistent with prospect theory that predicts that prior bad outcomes (negative performance history) motivate greater risk-taking than prior good outcomes (positive performance history). However, contrary to expectations, we find no significant difference between hurdle and graduated bonus incentive schemes in the participants' willingness to take on riskier projects. Overall, external financial incentives were not able to overcome predicted experience effects that affect subjects' internal valuation of alternative projects. The study highlights the importance of past experience in predicting future risk taking behavior and the difficulty of overcoming these experience effects. Key Words: Risk-taking, Performance History, Pay Schemes, Prospect Theory
Gender and case processing decisions: A comparison of case outcomes for male and female defendants charged with violent felonies

ABSTRACT Research conducted during the past twenty years has not provided definitive answers to questions concerning the effect of gender on criminal justice decision making. Some researchers conclude that females receive preferential treatment, while other conclude either that there are no differences or that females are treated more harshly than males. This study uses data on male and female defendants charged with violent felonies to examine the effect of gender on seven case processing decisions. We also probe for interactions between defendant gender and defendant race. We find that female defendants are more likely than male defendants to have all of the charges against them dismissed and that females are sentenced less harshly than males. We also find that gender and race interact. The results of our analysis cast doubt on the validity of the so-called “evil woman thesis” and highlight the importance of testing an interactive model that incorporates the effects of both gender and race.
Lymphosarcoma Cell Leukemia: The Contribution of Cell Surface Study to Diagnosis

Cell surface immunoglobulin, complement receptor, and spontaneous rosette formation with sheep erythrocytes were investigated in 43 patients with malignant lymphoma, including 13 with lymphosarcoma cell leukemia, and in 59 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The quantity of immunoglobulin on the lymphocyte surface was estimated from the intensity of fluorescent staining with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin antisera. At least two, and probably three, B cell species could be recognized by cell surface study. Cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia and diffuse well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma had sparse amounts of surface immunoglobulin, while the cells of diffuse poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma had large quantities of this material. Nodular lymphoma probably represented a third B-cell subtype with intermediate amounts of surface immunoglobulin. The lymphocytes of chronic lymphosarcoma cell leukemia exhibited the intense surface staining, which was characteristic of the underlying poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma (diffuse or nodular), and could be readily distinguished from the faint-staining chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
The effects of indomethacin on cold-induced vasodilation in the cat

1. 1. Cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD) was assessed from records of foot-pad temperatures of 6 domestic cats during immersion of both hind feet in a 0°C water bath. 2. 2. All experiments were performed following anaesthesia with sodium pentobarbital. 3. 3. Four days after the control recordings, the animals were given indomethacin, 5 mg/kg intravenously, and the CIVD response was examined once again; a third test of the cold response was performed 4 days after the treatment with indomethacin. 4. 4. Phasic increases in foot-pad temperature (CIVD) during immersion were smaller (P < 0.05) and delayed in onset (P < 0.05) in the animals treated with indomethacin at a dose which inhibits cyclo-oxygenase. 5. 5. It is proposed that CIVD involves a balance between central symphathetic vasoconstrictor tone and periodic prostaglandin-induced vasodilatation.