cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simplified on-chip calibration method for branch-line coupler

In this paper, we propose a simplified on-chip calibration method for multi-port devices to de-embed the unwanted but unavoidable parasitics introduced by the probing pads as well as the effects originating from redundant feeding lines. The traditional TRL (Thru, Reflect, Line) calibration technique for single-ended two-port device is extended to a classic on-chip branch-line coupler that can be decomposed as the odd-and even-mode equivalent circuit. Accordingly, the TRL calibration standards in the balanced format are designed as well. As a final step, 4-port single-ended S-parameters of device under test (DUT) are reconstructed through its de-embedded odd-and even-mode S-parameters. To validate the efficacy of our proposed method in extracting S-parameters of DUT, models in HFSS, such as the branch-line coupler with probing pads, and modified TRL calibration standards are generated. After performing the de-embedding procedures with the proposed calibration method in this paper, the extracted S-parameters agree well with the simulated S-parameters of DUT without adding any pads and feeding lines for measurement.
Hair Styling and Coloring

Often there are historical or cultural meanings superimposed upon physical features, such as skin, hair, and clothes. How we perceive hair is determined by our evolutionarily derived preferences, our cultural history, and our peer group’s projections upon it. The appearance of our hair can affect aspects of our lives as important as our careers and mate choice. Its importance to us is shown in the amount of time, effort, money, energy, discomfort, and even self-harm we are willing to endure in order to have a style that we feel represents us.
Isolation of Granule-Rich and Granule-Deficient Cell Populations from Acinar Carcinoma of Rat Pancreas

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the isolation of granule-rich and granule-deficient cell populations from acinar carcinoma of rat pancreas. The carcinomas consist of solid masses or cords of small cuboidal or columnar cells with prominent nuclei, and they do not display acinar structures or lobules as seen in normal pancreas. Morphological analysis of the F344 rat pancreatic acinar carcinoma by electron microscopy revealed a continuum of cells, from undifferentiated forms that lack secretory granules to well-differentiated forms with abundant cytoplasmic secretory granules. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of the F344 acinar carcinoma demonstrated positive immunofluorescence for all carcinoma cells for each of six pancreatic enzymes. Cells of the acinar carcinoma of Wistar–Lewis rat pancreas show rare or no secretory granules. Carbachol does not stimulate amylase secretion in Wistar–Lewis carcinoma under experimental conditions that stimulate protein secretion in normal rat pancreas. Immunoblot analysis has revealed synthesis of pancreatic amylase by Wistar–Lewis pancreatic tumor cells. However, despite enzymic maturation, the Wistar–Lewis acinar carcinoma is marked by an absence of granular and secretory maturation.
Finding the Middle Ground for Autophagic Fusion Requirements

Autophagosome/amphisome-lysosome fusion is a highly regulated process at the protein, lipid, and biochemical level. Each primary component of fusion, such as the core SNAREs, HOPS complex, or physical positioning by microtubule-associated dynein motors, are regulated at multiple points to ensure optimum conditions for autophagic flux to proceed. With the complexity of the membrane fusion system, it is not difficult to imagine how autophagic flux defect-related disorders, such as Huntington's disease, non-familial Alzheimer's disease, and Vici syndrome develop. Each membrane fusion step is regulated at the protein, lipid, and ion level. This review aims to discuss the recent developments toward understanding the regulation of autophagosome, amphisome, and lysosome fusion requirements for successful autophagic flux.
Kennedy’s New Frontier: Tax Cuts and Wage Policy

This chapter will investigate Kennedy’s approach to economics through a review of speeches he made and his Economic Reports. In his first Economic Report, he used the hybrid system of redistributive economics to formulate policies to end the recession that he inherited as president. When those policies did not cause the economy to grow fast enough, Kennedy evolved his policies to a tax cut that was a combination of Keynesian economics and conservative supply-side thinking.
Spectral Content of Electroencephalographic Burst-Suppression Patterns May Reflect Neuronal Recovery in Comatose Post-Cardiac Arrest Patients.

Purpose To assess the potential biologic significance of variations in burst-suppression patterns (BSPs) after cardiac arrest in relation to recovery of consciousness. In the context of recent theoretical models of BSP, bursting frequency may be representative of underlying network dynamics; discontinuous activation of membrane potential during impaired cellular energetics may promote neuronal rescue. Methods We reviewed a database of 73 comatose post-cardiac arrest patients who underwent therapeutic hypothermia to assess for the presence of BSP and clinical outcomes. In a subsample of patients with BSP (n = 14), spectral content of burst and suppression periods were quantified using multitaper method. Results Burst-suppression pattern was seen in 45/73 (61%) patients. Comparable numbers of patients with (31.1%) and without (35.7%) BSP regained consciousness by the time of hospital discharge. In addition, in two unique cases, BSP initially resolved and then spontaneously reemerged after completion of therapeutic hypothermia and cessation of sedative medications. Both patients recovered consciousness. Spectral analysis of bursts in all patients regaining consciousness (n = 6) showed a prominent theta frequency (5-7 Hz) feature, but not in age-matched patients with induced BSP who did not recover consciousness (n = 8). Conclusions The prognostic implications of BSP after hypoxic brain injury may vary based on the intrinsic properties of the underlying brain state itself. The presence of theta activity within bursts may index potential viability of neuronal networks underlying recovery of consciousness; emergence of spontaneous BSP in some cases may indicate an innate neuroprotective mechanism. This study highlights the need for better characterization of various BSP patterns after cardiac arrest.
Community service activities reducing hate crimes and extremism: A “green intervention” approach

This brief review examines the topics of evolutionary psychology, community development, and human preferences towards "green space" environments as an effective intervention model to reduce ethnic conflict and violence. The term "Biophilia" is introduced to describe the innate human preference to specific types of outdoor or natural (i.e., "green space") environments and how humans as a species have evolved to adapt and prefer greener environments that promote health and sustainability. Communities that provide individuals with increased opportunities of positive contact and to interact with each other in the development of superordinate goals will help to promote greater understanding among ethnically diverse environments and ultimately reduce conflict. Suggestions are offered for further research addressing the inherent benefits of "green" sustainable programs in community development as a means of reducing conflict and promoting increased health and empowerment.
Novel 3D printing filament composite using diatomaceous earth and polylactic acid for materials properties and cost improvement

Abstract There are a large variety of different materials currently used for producing 3D printing filaments. In this paper we are investigating the utilization of diatomaceous earth as a potential component for polylactic acid based 3D printing composite materials. The results clearly show that with only minor deterioration of the basic mechanical properties of the 3D printed material at least 10 wt% of the polylactic acid usage can be reduced and replaced by diatomaceous earth. Our thermal analysis also shows nucleation and chain mobility phenomena in the presence of diatomaceous earth particles. The results also show that we are able to engineer 3D printing surfaces with diatomaceous earth protruding from the composite structure and thus allowing us to create high surface area on the 3D printed objects surface. With this research we have shown for the first time an opportunity for cost reduction compared to using pure polylactic acid filaments and a pathway to immobilizing chemical sensing, antibacterial and antiviral agents on 3D printed objects for many applications such as biomedical.
Predicting Residential Water Demand with Machine-Based Statistical Learning

AbstractPredicting residential water demand is challenging because of two technical questions: (1) which data and variables should be used and (2) which modeling technique is most appropriate for h...
Comparing Cone Structure and Function in RHO- and RPGR-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Author(s): Foote, Katharina G; Wong, Jessica J; Boehm, Alexandra E; Bensinger, Ethan; Porco, Travis C; Roorda, Austin; Duncan, Jacque L | Abstract: Purpose:To study cone structure and function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) owing to mutations in rhodopsin (RHO), expressed in rod outer segments, and mutations in the RP-GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene, expressed in the connecting cilium of rods and cones. Methods:Four eyes of 4 patients with RHO mutations, 5 eyes of 5 patients with RPGR mutations, and 4 eyes of 4 normal subjects were studied. Cone structure was studied with confocal and split-detector adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Retinal function was measured using a 543-nm AOSLO-mediated adaptive optics microperimetry (AOMP) stimulus. The ratio of sensitivity to cone density was compared between groups using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results:AOMP sensitivity/cone density in patients with RPGR mutations was significantly lower than normal (P l 0.001) and lower than patients with RHO mutations (P l 0.015), whereas patients with RHO mutations were similar to normal (P g 0.9). Conclusions:Retinal sensitivity/cone density was lower in patients with RPGR mutations than normal and lower than patients with RHO mutations, perhaps because cones express RPGR and degenerate primarily, whereas cones in eyes with RHO mutations die secondary to rod degeneration. High-resolution microperimetry can reveal differences in cone degeneration in patients with different forms of RP.
Paths 2 the Future: Evidence for the Efficacy of a Career Development Intervention for Young Women With Disabilities:

Young women with disabilities face unique barriers in the transition from school to adulthood, yet very few studies have examined the effectiveness of gender-specific career interventions. Using an...
Borderline personality disorder: stress reactivity or stress generation? A prospective dimensional study.

Background Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often describe their lives as stressful and unpredictable. However, it is unclear whether the adversity faced by those with BPD is a product of stress reactivity or stress generation. Here, we examined the dynamic, prospective associations between BPD and stressful life events over 3 years. Given the heterogeneity present in BPD, we sought to understand which empirically derived dimensions of this heterogeneous disorder explain stress reactivity v. stress generation. Methods Participants included 355 individuals diagnosed with BPD and followed longitudinally at three annual assessments. Auto-regressive cross-lagged panel models were used to examine prospective associations between stressful life events and three latent dimensions implicated in BPD: negative affect, disinhibition, and antagonism. Results Antagonism and disinhibition, but not negative affect, prospectively predicted dependent stressful life events (events the individual may have some role in). Evidence for decompensation under stress was more tenuous, with independent stressful life events (those presumably outside the individual's control) predicting increases in negative affect. Conclusions Our longitudinal study of a well-characterized clinical sample found more evidence for stress generation than for stress-induced decompensation in BPD. Stress generation in BPD is driven by externalizing dimensions: antagonism and disinhibition. These results highlight the utility of empirically derived dimensions for parsing heterogeneity present in BPD, leading to improvements in diagnostic evaluation, clinical prediction, and individualized approaches to treatment planning.
Bettenkapazitätssteuerung in Zeiten der COVID-19-Pandemie

Die COVID-19-Pandemie zeichnet sich durch einen sich langsam aufbauenden Bedarf von Ressourcen des Gesundheitswesens mit lokalen Hotspots aus und erzeugt dadurch enorme Probleme. Fur die Krankenhauser liegt eine der grosten Herausforderungen in der Vorhaltung von Bettenkapazitaten, insbesondere da der Bedarf schwer vorherzusehen ist. Um den Entscheidungstragern eine Hilfestellung zu geben, wurden mehrere simulationsbasierte Prognosen fur die benotigte Bettenkapazitat am Universitatsklinikum Augsburg durchgefuhrt, um bei variablen Pandemieverlaufen die benotigten Bettenkapazitaten abschatzen zu konnen. Als Input dienen aktuelle Erkenntnisse uber den Verlauf der Ausbreitung, insbesondere die Wachstumsrate an kumulierten Neuinfektionen pro Tag. Zur Abbildung von Unsicherheit werden mittels Verteilungsfunktionen, basierend auf Realdaten der Wachstumsrate, die Verweildauer sowie der Anteil der hospitalisierten COVID-19-Patienten im Einzugsgebiet modelliert. Im Anschluss erfolgt eine Monte-Carlo-Simulation, die eine Abschatzung der benotigten Bettenkapazitaten fur mehrere Tage in der Zukunft erlaubt. Mithilfe von mehreren simulationsbasierten Kapazitatsprognosen im Zeitraum vom 28.03.2020 bis zum 08.06.2020 konnte die benotigte Intensiv- und Normalbettenkapazitat am Universitatsklinikum Augsburg sowie im Rettungsdienstbereich Augsburg mit einer hohen Zuverlassigkeit prognostiziert werden. Mithilfe des entwickelten Simulationsmodells zur Abschatzung der benotigten Bettenkapazitat kann den Kliniken und dem Katastrophenschutz eine Hilfestellung zur Abschatzung der kurzfristigen Entwicklung des Kapazitatsbedarfs fur Verdachtsfalle sowie bestatigte COVID-19-Patienten gegeben werden. Der operative Einsatz der Methode am Universitatsklinikum Augsburg zeigte verlassliche Ergebnisse.
Abstract CT173: PGV-001: A phase I trial of a multipeptide personalized neoantigen vaccine in the adjuvant setting

Background: Mutation-derived tumor antigens (MTAs) arise as a result of somatic mutations, such as nucleotide substitutions and small insertions/deletions. MTAs can serve as specific targets for antitumor therapy, including neoantigen vaccines. The goal of neoantigen vaccination is to help prime T cells to recognize such tumor-specific mutations. Here we describe a phase I trial testing a personalized genomic vaccine (PGV-001) in multiple histologies in the adjuvant setting (NCT02721043). Methods: This trial included patients with histologic diagnosis of solid malignancies or multiple myeloma with a >30% risk of recurrence but no measurable disease at the time of first vaccination. For each patient, HLA typing was performed, and the patient9s tumor and germline DNA and tumor RNA were sequenced. Mutated peptides containing predicted neoantigens were selected using the OpenVax computational pipeline, which prioritizes somatic mutations by expression of the mutant allele in the tumor RNA and predicted MHC class I epitope binding for the patient9s HLA type. A maximum of 10 peptides was included in each patient9s personalized vaccine. The vaccine was administered over the course of 6 months, given in combination with poly-ICLC as the adjuvant. The primary objectives were to determine safety and tolerability, feasibility, and immunogenicity of the PGV-001 neoantigen vaccine. Results: The neoantigen vaccine was successfully administered to 13 patients, spanning 5 different tumor types. For each patient, an average of 1730 somatic mutations were identified (range 521-5106), of which 349 were coding variants (range 68-1493), 88 were coding and expressed in the tumor RNA (range 9-233), and 71 were coding, expressed and resulted in predicted MHC class I ligands (range 8-193). The urothelial, head & neck, and lung tumors resulted in larger numbers of predicted neoantigens than in the cases of multiple myeloma or breast tumors. Despite this difference, each of the 13 patient tumor samples showed enough of a neoantigen load to enable vaccination. We have also initiated analysis of immunogenicity, and early reports demonstrate neoantigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses. Conclusions: The PGV-001 personalized neoantigen vaccine was successfully administered to 13 patients, where each patient9s neoantigen load was adequate for vaccine synthesis. While we have demonstrated the computational feasibility of identification of neoantigens for inclusion in the PGV-001 genomic vaccine, clinical outcomes will be reported separately. Citation Format: Julia Kodysh, Thomas Marron, Alex Rubinsteyn, Tim O9Donnell, John Finnigan, Ana Blazquez, Mansi Saxena, Marcia Meseck, Philip Friedlander, Nina Bhardwaj. PGV-001: A phase I trial of a multipeptide personalized neoantigen vaccine in the adjuvant setting [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr CT173.
Student pharmacist opioid consultations with standardized limited English proficiency patients: A pre-post educational intervention study.

Abstract Background and purpose This study explored the effect of a structured educational intervention for student pharmacists to counsel limited English proficiency (LEP) patients on risks and safety of opioid medications for chronic pain. Specific aims were to compare 2018 pre-intervention versus 2019 post-intervention groups regarding: (1) dose and side effects discussed, (2) opioid risks and safety measures covered, and (3) LEP specific communication practices. Educational activity and setting Third-year student pharmacists (P3s) in a required communications course consulted LEP standardized patients (SPs) on opioid medications in 2018 and 2019. An educational intervention for the 2019 P3s consisted of a 50-min lecture, pre-lab instructions about techniques for communication about opioid risks and safety, and for LEP specific communication stressing teach-back. All consultations in the pre- and post-intervention phases were video recorded and quantitatively coded for verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact tests were conducted on data. Findings Twenty-three consultations were recorded in 2018 for the pre-intervention phase and 49 consultations were recorded in 2019 for the post-intervention phase. Only 17% of students in the pre- intervention phase called the medication an “opioid” or “narcotic” in the consultation as compared to 84% in the post-intervention phase. While 100% of students in the post-intervention phase used teach-back, only 61% did so in the pre-intervention group. Significant differences between the two groups were observed for minimizing dependency and overdose, offering naloxone, teach-back, integrating a patient handout into the consultation, and discussing use of alternate pain medications.
Heme biosynthesis depends on previously unrecognized acquisition of iron-sulfur cofactors in human amino-levulinic acid dehydratase

Heme biosynthesis and iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) biogenesis are two major mammalian metabolic pathways that require iron. It has long been known that these two pathways interconnect, but the previously described interactions do not fully explain why heme biosynthesis depends on intact ISC biogenesis. Herein we identify a previously unrecognized connection between these two pathways through our discovery that human aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), which catalyzes the second step of heme biosynthesis, is an Fe-S protein. We find that several highly conserved cysteines and an Ala306-Phe307-Arg308 motif of human ALAD are important for [Fe4S4] cluster acquisition and coordination. The enzymatic activity of human ALAD is greatly reduced upon loss of its Fe-S cluster, which results in reduced heme biosynthesis in human cells. As ALAD provides an early Fe-S-dependent checkpoint in the heme biosynthetic pathway, our findings help explain why heme biosynthesis depends on intact ISC biogenesis.
Oxyphosphonium Enolate Equilibria in a (4+1)-Cycloaddition Approach toward Quaternary C3-Spirooxindole Assembly.

An efficient and convergent (4+1)-cycloaddition strategy toward the construction of spirooxindole benzofurans that involves the intermediacy of an isatin-derived oxyphosphonium enolate is presented. Mechanistic investigations employing in situ NMR analysis of the reaction mixture revealed a correlation between phosphonium enolate structure and product distribution that was heavily influenced by the solvent and reaction temperature.
Signaling Entrepreneurial Vision via Information System Design

Earnings reports are informative about a ﬁrm’s current performance but convey little information about the prospects of the ﬁrm’s long-term vision. We show that entrepreneurs can signal favorable private information about their long-term prospects by choosing an accounting system that upward biases current earnings. An upward biased accounting system causes investors to overinvest in the ﬁrm’s projects, which increases the cost of capital, all else equal. But the mere fact that the entrepreneur is willing to adopt such a system signals a booming long-term prospect, which ultimately allows the entrepreneur to raise capital at a lower cost. We also study the effects of regulation that restricts the maximum allowable accounting bias and ﬁnd that stricter regulation ﬁrst decreases and then increases investment efficiency. Regulation that maximizes investment efficiency is not necessarily socially optimal when entrepreneurs must take costly actions to develop a long-term vision in the ﬁrst place, because such regulation can reduce incentives to take these actions.
Experimental Investigation of Bulk and Thin Film Perovskite SrVO 3 as a Thermionic Cathode Material

First-principles calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) previously revealed that perovskite SrVO 3 is a promising candidate for thermionic emission applications. In this work, polycrystalline bulk and epitaxial thin film SrVO3 samples have been experimentally examined. Both bulk and epitaxial SrVO 3 can exhibit low work function, consistent with DFT calculations and corresponding promising thermionic emission behavior. SrVO 3 is a potentially good thermionic emitter material and points more broadly to perovskite materials as a family of compounds which may further the development of next-generation thermionic electron emitters.
A Biosocial Model of Status in Face-To-Face Groups

Allocation and maintenance of rank in status hierarchies of human face-to-face groups are in many ways similar to what is observed in dominance hierarchies of other primates, especially in species close to us, the African apes. This is prima facie evidence that human behaviors of dominance and deference are homologous with those of other primates. Language, which is exclusive to humans, may be an exception or, as here, it may be incorporated into a general primate model. The present model emphasizes that all individuals signal that they are (or ought to be) of high or low status in the group. Group members may accept these signs, consensually forming the group’s hierarchy. Alternatively, one individual might challenge another for higher rank, with their disagreement eventually resolved through one or more dominance contests. Among humans, dominance contests are usually nonviolent, even polite, but can nonetheless be decisive. In a dominance contest, each contestant tries (perhaps unconsciously) to “out-stress” the other until one, in effect, concedes the higher rank. Proximate neurohormonal mechanisms underlie rank allocation, including the physiology of stress and the influence of testosterone.
Descriptive, Environmental and Genetic Epidemiology of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare tumor in most countries but is more prevalent in Southeast Asia, North Africa and Artic regions. Multiple factors participate in the etiology of NPC including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation, genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental carcinogens. Specifically, risk factors consistently associated with NPC in endemic areas include early childhood salted fish consumption, preserved foods consumption, lack of fresh fruit or leafy vegetables intake, prior chronic respiratory tract conditions, and exposure to cooking fumes. EBV may act as a tumor promoting agent rather than an initiator in the progress of NPC carcinogenesis. Genetic susceptibility to NPC is largely mediated by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I genes region, although it is not clear whether HLA is causative.
Doping behavior of iodine in Hg/0.8/Cd/0.2/Te

The defect state prevailing in iodine doped single-crystal samples of Hg0.8Cd0.2Te, annealed at 450-600 C in Hg vapor, has been deduced from Hall effect measurements on samples cooled to 77 K from the annealing temperature. Results are found to be similar to those previously obtained for iodine doped CdS, i.e. iodine acts as a single donor occupying Te lattice sites with a fraction paired with the native acceptor defects. The concentration of iodine on tellurium lattice sites increases with the partial pressure of Hg, whereas that of the pair species increases as the partial pressure of Hg decreases.
The Büchi complementation saga

The complementation problem for nondeterministic word automata has numerous applications in formal verification. In particular, the language-containment problem, to which many verification problems are reduced, involves complementation. For automata on finite words, which correspond to safety properties, complementation involves determinization. The 2n blow-up that is caused by the subset construction is justified by a tight lower bound. For Buchi automata on infinite words, which are required for the modeling of liveness properties, optimal complementation constructions are quite complicated, as the subset construction is not sufficient. We review here progress on this problem, which dates back to its introduction in Buchi's seminal 1962 paper.
Social science, behavioural medicine, and the tomato effect

‘Behavioural medicine’ is poised to contribute to the quality of health to the benefit of patients and physicians. There is a need for medical students and residents to better understand the field of behavioural medicine, and for practising physicians to incorporate it in medical education and clinical practice. This paper seeks to correct an erroneous conceptualization of behavioural medicine as being limited to psychosocial and mental health adjustments, and to provide examples of selected applications for medical conditions, including those that are not primarily regarded as requiring changes in lifestyle or psychotherapy. In fact, there are dramatic treatment and intervention protocols available that employ behavioural procedures that can provide relief for patients in all medical and dental specialties and that deserve to be considered along with conventional treatment protocols.
Assessing multizone airflow simulation software

Several standard multizone modeling programs, in order to improve their computational efficiency, make a number of simplifying assumptions. This paper examines how those assumptions reduce the solution times and memory use of the programs, but at the cost of restricting the models they can express. Applications where these restrictions may adversely affect the program's usefulness include: (1) natural ventilation, when buoyancy effects dominate mechanically-driven flow; (2) duct system design, when losses in T-junctions affect the system performance; and (3) control system design, when the dynamic transport of pollutants plays a significant role in the simulated system.
Distance Approximating Spanning Trees

A spanning tree of a graph is distance k-approximating whenever the distance of every two vertices in the graph or in the tree differs by at most k. Variants or modifications of a simple approach yield distance k-approximating spanning trees for block graphs, interval graphs, distance-hereditary graphs, and cocomparability graphs, with k=1,2,2,4. On the other hand, there are chordal graphs without distance k-approximating spanning tree for arbitrary large k.
The Influences of Foreign Direct Investments, Intrafirm Trading, and Currency Undervaluation on U.S. Firm Trade Disputes

We apply insights from “new, new” trade theory to explain a puzzling decline in U.S. firm antidumping (AD) filings in an era of persistent foreign currency undervaluations and increasing import competition. Firms exhibit heterogeneity both within and across industries regarding foreign direct investment. We propose that firms making vertical, or resource-seeking, investments abroad will be less likely to file AD petitions, and firms are likely to undertake vertical FDI in the context of currency undervaluation. Hence, we argue, the increasing vertical FDI of U.S. firms makes trade disputes far less likely. We use firm level data to examine the universe of U.S. manufacturing firms and find that AD filers generally conduct no intrafirm trade with filed-against countries. We also find that persistent currency undervaluation is associated over time with increased vertical FDI and intrafirm trade by U.S. MNCs in the undervaluing country. Among larger U.S. MNCs, the likelihood of an AD filing is negatively associated with increases in intrafirm trade. In the context of currency undervaluation, we confirm the existing finding that undervaluation is associated with more AD filings. We also find, however, that high levels of intrafirm imports from countries with undervalued currencies significantly decrease the likelihood of AD filings. Our study highlights the centrality of firm heterogeneity in international trade and investment in understanding political mobilization over international economic policy.
The Opacity Project and the Practical Utilization of Atomic Data

The Opacity Project was organized to compute new opacities for stellar envelopes, but has produced as a secondary product a vast amount of atomic radiative data for almost all elements of astrophysical interest. The photoionization cross sections in many cases show extensive resonance structure, which introduces complications when they are used in stellar modeling. Possible ways of dealing with this problem are discussed. Finally, a method of presenting atomic data in standardized subroutines in order to eliminate the need for large, special purpose data sets is proposed.
Enzyme‐Mimicking Peptides to Catalytically Grow ZnO Nanocrystals in Non‐Aqueous Environments

The application of enzymes for biomimetic material growth is a potential path to breakthroughs in catalytic inorganic nanocrystal synthesis because the biocatalytic functions of proteins can lead to highly efficient growth of materials with accurate structures at low temperature. However, many metal nanocrystals are grown in organic solvents, which is not an ideal environment for biomineralization with enzymes due to denaturing of catalytic pocket structures. Here, we applied a catalytic CP4 peptide, optimized for protease reactions such as amide and ester hydrolysis, to test the catalytic ZnO nanocrystal growth in non-aqueous environments and the performance was compared with the enzyme subtilisin. We demonstrated that the CP4 catalytic peptide, evolved by the hydrogel-based combinatory phage display library, could grow ZnO nanoparticles from zinc acetate precursors in higher crystallinity and yield, as compared to the protease enzyme, in an organic solvent by catalyzing ester-elimination of precursors at room temperature. This result indicates that catalytic oligopeptides, which possess no rigid 3D structures but are rather flexible, could fold into the catalytically active conformation more frequently in harsh environments such as organic solvents.
Purification of a protease in red blood cells that degrades oxidatively damaged haemoglobin

Haemoglobin damaged by exposure of red blood cells to oxidants is rapidly degraded by a proteolytic pathway which does not require ATP [Fagan, Waxman & Goldberg (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 5705-5713]. By fractionating erythrocyte lysates, we have purified two proteases which hydrolyse oxidatively damaged haemoglobin (Ox-Hb). One protease hydrolysed small fluorogenic substrates in addition to Ox-Hb. Its molecular mass was approximately 700 kDa and it consisted of several subunits ranging in size from 22 to 30 kDa. This enzyme may be related to the high-molecular-mass multicatalytic proteinase previously isolated from a variety of tissue and cell types. The other Ox-Hb-degrading activity had an apparent molecular mass of 400 kDa on gel filtration, a subunit size of 110 kDa and an isoelectric point between 4.5 and 5.0. This protease also hydrolysed the small polypeptides insulin and glucagon, as well as other large proteins such as lysozyme. Insulin blocked the degradation of Ox-Hb and Ox-Hb blocked the hydrolysis of insulin by the purified protease. Thiol reagents and metal chelators strongly inhibited the hydrolysis of both Ox-Hb and insulin, whereas inhibitors of serine, aspartic and thiol proteases had little effect. These properties suggest that the Ox-Hb-degrading activity purified from rabbit erythrocytes is the cytosolic insulin-degrading enzyme that is believed to play a role in the metabolism of insulin in several tissues. We propose that this enzyme may also function as a key component in a cytoplasmic degradative pathway responsible for removing proteins damaged by oxidants.
Bithermal Low-Cycle Fatigue Evaluation of Automotive Exhaust System Alloy Ss409

This investigation provides, for the first time, cyclic strainrange-controlled, thermomechanical fatigue results for the ferritic stainless steel alloy SS409. The alloy has seen extensive application for automotive exhaust system components. The data were generated to calibrate the Total Strain Version of the Strainrange Partitioning (TS-SRP) method for eventual application to the design and durability assessment of automotive exhaust systems. The thermomechanical cyclic lifetime and cyclic stress-strain constitutive behavior for alloy SS409 were measured using bithermal tests cycling between isothermal extremes of 400 and 800 C. Lives ranged up to 10,000 cycles to failure with hold-times of 0.33 to 2.0 minutes. The bithermal fatigue behavior is compared to isothermal, strain-controlled fatigue behavior at both 400 and 800 C. Thermomechanical cycling was found to have a profound detrimental influence on the fatigue failure resistance of SS409 compared to isothermal cycling. Supplementary bithermal cyclic stress-strain constitutive tests with hold-times ranging from 40 seconds up to 1.5 hours were conducted to calibrate the TS-SRP equation for extrapolation to longer lifetime predictions. Observed thermomechanical (bithermal) fatigue lives correlated well with lives calculated using the calibrated TS-SRP equations: 70% of the bithermal fatigue data fall within a factor of 1.2 of calculated life; 85% within a factor of 1.4; and 100% within a factor of 1.8.
Determination of the accuracy of phase analysis measurements on spherical surfaces through X-ray diffraction

Abstract This research analyzes the effect on measurement accuracy when taking X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements on spherical rather than flat surfaces in the assessment of the proportion of retained austenite and martensite phases. By calculating the difference in X-ray absorption paths between a flat surface and spherical surface, this study demonstrates that only in spherical surfaces of small diameter (⩽0.381 cm) will the difference in X-ray absorption path affect the accuracy of measurements derived from XRD. To improve the accuracy of such measurements, the research presents a model for quantifying the absorption path that X-rays follow when measuring spherical surfaces.
Single-shot magnetic field mapping embedded in echo-planar time-course imaging.

A technique for acquiring magnetic field maps simultaneously with gradient-recalled echo-planar time-course data is described. This technique uses a trajectory in which the central part of k-space is collected twice. For a 64 x 64 image acquired with a 125-kHz bandwidth, a field map suitable for geometric correction can be collected simultaneously with the echo-planar time-course data in <70 ms. The field maps generated by this technique are registered with the magnitude images because they are calculated using the same data. They do not suffer from errors due to subject motion, or from different geometric distortions that can result from using different pulse sequences. In addition to correcting geometric distortions that resulted from dynamic magnetic field perturbations, this method was used to measure field shifts arising from respiration and jaw motion across five subjects. Values ranged from 0.035 to 0.165 parts per million (ppm).
Inside the Federalism Cases: Concern About the Federal Courts:

This article considers some of the Supreme Court's recent efforts at preserving the role of state and local government despite vigorous congressional attempts at regulating in areas that had traditionally been left to local policymaking. Focusing on the commerce clause cases and cases interpreting Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment, this article ties federalism interests to the Supreme Court's concerns about the function of the federal courts: the statutes that prompted the Court's new vigor in limiting congressional power imposed on the workload of the federal courts and on what the Court sees as the judiciary's exclusive role of constitutional interpretation.
Atmospheric Compensation Using Stimulated Raman Scattering

Adaptive phase compensation through a Raman amplifier has been studied experimentally. Using a real-time wavefront sensor and a 69-actuator deformable mirror, the low-power Stokes seed to a Raman amplifier was phase compensated for simulated turbulence. After amplification, the beam was passed back through the simulated turbulence and its beam quality was determined. The results are consistent with determinations of amplifier fidelity and adaptive-optics performance.
Sulfonamide allergy and cross-reactivity

Concerns about cross-allergenicity between sulfonamide antibiotics and nonantibiotic sulfonamide-containing drugs continue to complicate pharmacotherapy. Several elegant investigations have demonstrated unequivocal lack of interaction between the sulfonamide group and either cellular or humoral immunity. The immunologic determinant of type I immunologic responses to sulfonamide antibiotics is the N1 heterocyclic ring, and nonantibiotic sulfonamides lack this structural feature. Many non-type I hypersensitivity responses to sulfonamide antibiotics are attributable to reactive metabolites that cause either direct cytotoxicity or humoral or cellular responses. Metabolite formation is stereospecific to the N4 amino nitrogen of the sulfonamide antibiotics, a structure not found on any nonantibiotic sulfonamide drugs. Cellular immune responses to sulfonamide antibiotics are responsible for many non-immunoglobulin E-mediated dermatologic reactions; however, the stereospecificity of T-cell response renders cross-reactivity between sulfonamide antibiotics and nonantibiotics highly unlikely. Apparent cross-reactivity responses to sulfonamide-containing drugs likely represent multiple concurrent, rather than linked, drug hypersensitivities.
Pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions between calcineurin inhibitors and proliferation signal inhibitors with anti-microbial agents: Implications for therapeutic drug monitoring

Infections account for 15% to 20% of deaths in transplant recipients; thus, rapid and appropriate therapeutic intervention is required. However, many anti-microbial agents can interact significantly with a transplant recipient's immunosuppressive regimen, placing them at risk for a potential adverse drug reaction and prolonged hospitalization. This investigation highlights the pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions between the calcineurin inhibitors and proliferation signal inhibitors with commonly used anti-microbial agents, specifically addressing mechanism, management, onset of action, magnitude of effect and strength of evidence for each interaction.
Identification of Desulfobacterales as primary hydrogenotrophs in a complex microbial mat community.

Hypersaline microbial mats have been shown to produce significant quantities of H2 under dark, anoxic conditions via cyanobacterial fermentation. This flux of a widely accessible microbial substrate has potential to significantly influence the ecology of the mat, and any consumption will affect the net efflux of H2 that might otherwise be captured as a resource. Here, we focus on H2 consumption in a microbial mat from Elkhorn Slough, California, USA, for which H2 production has been previously characterized. Active biologic H2 consumption in this mat is indicated by a significant time-dependent decrease in added H2 compared with a killed control. Inhibition of sulfate reduction, as indicated by a decrease in hydrogen sulfide production relative to controls, resulted in a significant increase in H2 efflux, suggesting that sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are important hydrogenotrophs. Low methane efflux under these same conditions indicated that methanogens are likely not important hydrogenotrophs. Analyses of genes and transcripts that encode for rRNA or dissimilatory sulfite reductase, using both PCR-dependent and PCR-independent metatranscriptomic sequencing methods, demonstrated that Desulfobacterales are the dominant, active SRB in the upper, H2-producing layer of the mat (0–2 mm). This hypothesis was further supported by the identification of transcripts encoding hydrogenases derived from Desulfobacterales capable of H2 oxidation. Analysis of molecular data provided no evidence for the activity of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. The combined biogeochemical and molecular data strongly indicate that SRB belonging to the Desulfobacterales are the quantitatively important hydrogenotrophs in the Elkhorn Slough mat.
In danger of winning: Consciousness raising strategies for empowering girls in the United States

Abstract This article discusses the double binds girls experience in sexist culture and describes activities to empower girls that were developed during a 3-year project in one urban elementary school in the Eastern United States. The strategies focus on ways girls can be empowered to critique and challenge the limiting messages they encounter to achieve their full potential in a competitive and sexist society that often sets them up for failure. Through role playing and group discussion girls examined school norms and cultural messages about gender-related expectations regarding achievement, appearance, and behaviour. They worked collectively to take action on behalf of girls' interests through developing a career day at their school and making a trip to the state legislature to lobby for after school programs for girls. The article explores the potential for such activities to “inoculate” girls to withstand sexist messages and hold on to their own self-defined goals and desires in the face of the obstacles they encounter.
Thermal stability of fission gas bubble superlattice in irradiated U–10Mo fuel

Abstract To investigate the thermal stability of the fission gas bubble superlattice, a key microstructural feature in both irradiated U–7Mo dispersion and U–10Mo monolithic fuel plates, a focused ion beam-transmission electron microscopy (FIB-TEM) sample of irradiated U–10Mo fuel with a local fission density of 3.5 × 1021 fissions/cm3 was used for an in-situ heating TEM experiment. The temperature of the heating holder was raised at a ramp rate of approximately 10 °C/min up to ∼700 °C, kept at that temperature for about 34 min and further increased to 850 °C with a reduced rate of 5 °C/min. The result shows a high thermal stability of the fission gas bubble superlattice. The implication of this observation on the fuel microstructural evolution and performance under irradiation is discussed.
Characteristics of aggression among persons with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a commonly occurring life long developmental disorder with core symptoms of communication and social skills deficits. Stereotyped and repetitive behaviors are also present. Along with these core symptoms, a number of co-occurring problems such as aggression are present. The present study reviewed papers that describe various characteristics of aggressive behaviors among persons with ASD. The preponderance of studies involved children who were male. Aggression was more severe in males. Where the maintaining variables were studied, tangible and escape, and some core aspects of ASD such as cognitive rigidity and poor social and communication skills, were associated with aggression. The implication of these data and other characteristics of this challenging behavior are discussed.
Label-free optical-resolution photoacoustic endomicroscopy in vivo

Intravital microscopy techniques have become increasingly important in biomedical research because they can provide unique microscopic views of various biological or disease developmental processes in situ. Here we present an optical-resolution photoacoustic endomicroscopy (OR-PAEM) system that visualizes internal organs with a much finer resolution than conventional acoustic-resolution photoacoustic endoscopy systems. By combining gradient index (GRIN) lens-based optical focusing and ultrasonic ring transducer-based acoustic focusing, we achieved a transverse resolution as fine as ~10 μm at an optical working distance of 6.5 mm. The OR-PAEM system’s high-resolution intravital imaging capability is demonstrated through animal experiments.
Fissiogenic xenon in the Renazzo and Murray meteorites

Abstract We reinterpret the xenon data from a stepwise heating of the Murray and Renazzo carbonaceous chondrites by Reynolds and co-workers and confirm the exceptionally large amounts of fission-produced xenon postulated by Reynolds' group. Our interpretation supports the existence of three components of xenon in Murray and Renazzo, probably best explained as (i) a primitive trapped component, (ii) a fission component, and (iii) an atmospheric-like component. The excessive amounts of fissiogenic xenon cannot be accounted for by atmospheric contamination, cosmic-ray xenon or diffusion effects.
The Effect of Agents and Mediators on Negotiation Outcomes

This paper examines how third-party intervention affects the direct behavior of negotiators. Study 1 explores the impact of alternative third-party roles on negotiated outcomes, examining the impact of agents and mediators on the negotiated price and the likelihood of impasse. Results show that the selling price of a property is higher when an agent is used than when no intermediary is involved. However, the selling price was not affected by the use of a mediator. The use of an agent is also shown to increase the rate of impasse. In Study 2, we explore the nature of the negotiated relationship between the “parties” and an agent involved in completing the transaction. Agent commission, measured as a percentage of the sale price of a property, is lower when the bargaining zone is reduced. These studies document the importance of analyzing the impact of autonomous third-party roles on the outcomes of negotiation.
Speechlessness: Causal Attributions, Emotional Features and Social Consequences

Individuals recalled the most recent time they found themselves speechless during social interaction. In addition to characterizing a number of attributes of the event, Study 1 participants provide...