cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antioxidants Suppress Lymphoma and Increase Longevity in Atm-Deficient Mice

Ataxia telangiectasia (AT), a human hereditary disorder resulting from mutations in the ATM gene, is characterized by a high incidence of lymphoid malignancies, neurodegeneration, immunodeficiency, premature aging, elevated radiosensitivity, and genomic instability. Evidence has been accumulating that ATM-deficient cells are in a continuous state of oxidative stress. A variety of markers of oxidative stress were detected in AT patients as well as Atm-deficient mice, used as an animal model of AT. Since then, it has been proposed that oxidative stress contributes to the clinical phenotype of AT, especially carcinogenesis and neurodegeneration, and several animal studies were conducted to determine whether exogenous antioxidants mitigate the symptoms of AT. Tempol, EUK-189, and N-acetyl cysteine have been tested as chemopreventive antioxidants in Atm-deficient mice. We review these findings, mainly focusing on the effect of N-acetyl cysteine, which is known as a safe and efficient drug and nutritional supplement.
A Radical Proposal: Integrate Clinical Investigation into the U.S. Health Care System

The health of the public depends on a healthy clinical research enterprise, and a healthy clinical research enterprise cannot develop if it is disconnected from the clinical care enterprise. The integration of a robust clinical research enterprise into the U.S. health care system is now, more than ever, a national priority, and a completely new approach is desperately needed.
Second-order accurate FDTD space and time grid refinement method in three space dimensions

We present an algorithm based on the finite-difference time-domain method for local refinement of a three-dimensional computational grid in space and time. The method has second-order accuracy in space and time as verified in the numerical examples. A number of test cases with material traverse normal to the grid interfaces were used to assess the long integration time stability of the algorithm. Resulting improvements in the computation time are discussed for a photonic crystal microcavity design that exhibits a sensitive dependence of the quality factor on subwavelength geometrical features
Virtual reality, ontology, and value

: This article raises the question of how the ontological status of virtual objects bears on their intrinsic value. If virtual objects are unreal or less real than physical objects, does it mean that they will have less intrinsic value? If they have intrinsic value, what are the explanations for this value, and how do they relate to the ontological status of the virtual objects? First, the article reviews recent work concerning the ontological status of virtual reality and virtual objects. Second, it argues that in some cases the ontological status of virtual objects does undermine the value placed in them, in that the objects can fail to have the properties that ground the value attributions made to them, while in other cases their ontological status is not important. Finally, the article relates the grounding of value attributions to philosophical theories of value, in particular, perfectionism and hedonism.
Fishing in dangerous waters: Ecology, gender and economy in HIV risk

This paper focuses on a neglected factor in literature on the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of the eco-social environment in shaping HIV risk. I argue that the changing ecological environment of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater lake, mapping onto a gendered economy, shaped fisherfolk's sexual relationships and sexual mixing patterns in ways that were consequential for their HIV risk. Specifically, I show how disrupted lake and fish ecology had an impact on fishermen's sexual, domestic and economic partnerships, as well as how it contributed to the "sex for fish" economy in Nyanza Province, Kenya. I also show the consequences of fishermen's relative wealth on transactional relationships with school girls and women in lakeside communities. The paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork over a seven month period among the Luo ethnic group, which has the highest HIV rates in Kenya. The study included 74 individual and focus group interviews in communities around Lake Victoria, as well as 20 key informant interviews. Additionally, literature reviews on fishing and sexual economies as well as on ecological research in Lake Victoria are employed. Exploring linkages between these literatures and fieldwork findings forms the basis of this paper. I argue that solely focusing on individual level HIV prevention strategies is limited without taking into account the eco-social context of individual sexual decision making.
On the reconfiguration of memory arrays containing clustered faults

Reconfiguration of memory arrays using spare rows and spare columns, a useful technique for yield enhancement of memories, is considered under a compound probabilistic model that shows clustering of faults. It is shown that the total number of faulty cells that can be tolerated when clustering occurs is larger than when faults are independent. It is shown that an optimal solution to the reconfiguration problem can be found in polynomial time for a special case of the clustering model. Efficient approximation algorithms are given for the situation in which faults appear in clusters only and the situation in which faults occur both in clusters and singly. It is shown through simulation that the computation time required by this algorithm to repair large arrays containing a significant number of clustered faults is small. >
Backpropagation and recurrent neural networks in financial analysis of multiple stock market returns

Proposes a new methodology to aid in designing a portfolio of investment over multiple stock markets. It is our hypothesis that financial stock market trends may be predicted better over a set of markets instead of any one single market. A selection criterion is proposed in this paper to make this choice effectively. This criterion is based upon the observed backpropagation and recurrent neural networks' prediction accuracy, and the overall change recorded in the previous year. The results obtained when using data for four consecutive years over five international stock markets supports our claim. Backpropagation networks use gradient descent to learn spatial relationships. On the other hand, recurrent networks are capable of capturing spatiotemporal information from training data. This paper analyzes application of recurrent networks to the stock market return prediction problem in contrast with backpropagation networks. On the basis of the results observed during these experiments it follows that the effect of learning temporal information was not substantial on the prediction accuracy for the stock market returns.
Route to high surface area TiO2/C and TiCN/C composites

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of high surface area carbon-supported titania and titanium carbonitride aerogels is presented. An activated carbon aerogel with surface area greater than 2000 m2 g−1 was used as a support for the sol–gel deposition of titania. The resulting titania-coated carbon aerogel retained a surface area greater than 2000 m2 g−1 even after conversion to the anatase crystalline phase. The carbon-supported titanium carbonitride aerogel was made by the carbothermal reduction of the titania-coated carbon aerogel under flowing nitrogen at 1400 °C. The resulting monolith consisted of nitrogen-rich titanium carbonitride (TiC1−xNx, x = 0.90) nanocrystals and exhibited a surface area of 1838 m2 g−1.
The ephemeral history register: flexible scheduling for rule-based designs

The quality of high-level synthesis results is strongly dependant on the concurrency that can be found in designs. In this paper we introduce the ephemeral history register (EHR), a new primitive state element that enables concurrent scheduling of arbitrary rules in a rule-based design framework. The key properties of the EHR are that it allows multiple operations to write to the same state simultaneously, and that the EHR maintains a history of all writes that occur within a clock-cycle. Using the EHR, we present an algorithm that takes as input a design and a desired schedule, and produces a functionally equivalent design that satisfies the desired concurrency and ordering of operations. A processor pipeline is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the EHR and scheduling algorithm, and shows how this approach significantly improves on previous synthesis algorithms for rule-based designs.
Vegetative Reproduction as Related to Biomechanics, Morphology and Anatomy of Four Cholla Cactus Species in the Sonoran Desert

Vegetative reproduction via the rooting of detached stem segments (joints) is well recognized for certain cylindropuntias (chollas). This mode of reproduction was characterized in the field for Opuntia acanthocarpa, O. bigelovii, O. echinocarpa and O. ramosissima in the northwestern Sonoran Desert and the southern Mojave Desert and related to the following: (1) morphology of terminal joints and their junctions; (2) the biomechanics and anatomy of terminal joint junctions; and (3) the rooting of detached terminal joints. Species that typically reproduce vegetatively were hypothesized to possess mechanically weak terminal joint junctions and terminal joints with high rooting abilities. In general, resistance to failure of terminal joint junctions depended on the diameter of the junction, with larger diameters providing greater resistance to mechanical failure. Junction strength also depended on the presence or absence of fibres and the amount of parenchyma cells per cross-sectional area. Rooting ability appeared to depend on joint diameter, which determines the amount of stored carbohydrates and water. Of the four species, only O. bigelovii showed evidence of vegetative reproduction in the field and was also the only species that had both relatively weak junctions and joints with a high rooting ability. Furthermore, joints of O. bigelovii had the most spines per tubercle area, which increases the chance that their spines will catch on a passing vertebrate, allowing for greater joint dispersal. # 2001 Annals of Botany Company
The Optimal Degree of Commitment to an Intermediate Monetary Target

Society can sometimes make itself better off by appointing a central banker who does not share the social objective function, but instead places "too large" a weight on inflation-rate stabilization relative to employment stabilization. Although having such an agent head the central bank reduces the time-consistent rate of inflation, it suboptimally raises the variance of employment when supply shocks are large. Using an envelope theorem, we show that the ideal agent places a large, but finite, weight on inflation. The analysis also provides a new framework for choosing among alternative intermediate monetary targets. I. INTRODUCTION It is now widely recognized that even if a country has a perfectly benevolent central bank (one that attempts to maximize the social welfare function), it may suffer from having an inflation rate which is systematically too high.' Suppose, for example, that a distortion (such as income taxation) causes the market rate of employment to be suboptimal. Then inflation can arise because wage setters rationally fear that the central bank will try to take advantage of short-term nominal rigidities to raise employment systematically. Only by setting high rates of wage inflation can wage setters discourage the central bank from trying to reduce the real wage below their target level. This paper considers some institutional responses to the timeconsistency problem described above. In particular, we examine the practice of appointing "conservatives" to head the central bank, or of giving the central bank concrete incentives to achieve an intermediate monetary target. Our analysis of intermediate monetary targeting is quite different from conventional analyses in which the central bank is rigidly constrained to follow a particular feedback rule. Indeed, an important conclusion is that it is not generally optimal to legally constrain the central bank to hit its intermediate target (or follow its rule) exactly, or to choose
Dynamically Reconfigurable Silicon Array of Spiking Neurons With Conductance-Based Synapses

A mixed-signal very large scale integration (VLSI) chip for large scale emulation of spiking neural networks is presented. The chip contains 2400 silicon neurons with fully programmable and reconfigurable synaptic connectivity. Each neuron implements a discrete-time model of a single-compartment cell. The model allows for analog membrane dynamics and an arbitrary number of synaptic connections, each with tunable conductance and reversal potential. The array of silicon neurons functions as an address-event (AE) transceiver, with incoming and outgoing spikes communicated over an asynchronous event-driven digital bus. Address encoding and conflict resolution of spiking events are implemented via a randomized arbitration scheme that ensures balanced servicing of event requests across the array. Routing of events is implemented externally using dynamically programmable random-access memory that stores a postsynaptic address, the conductance, and the reversal potential of each synaptic connection. Here, we describe the silicon neuron circuits, present experimental data characterizing the 3 mm times 3 mm chip fabricated in 0.5-mum complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, and demonstrate its utility by configuring the hardware to emulate a model of attractor dynamics and waves of neural activity during sleep in rat hippocampus
The use of positive airway pressure therapy for treatment of resistant hypertension

It is well accepted that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for hypertension. In the subgroup of patients with resistant hypertension (rHTN), OSA appears to be particularly rampant; suggesting sleep disordered breathing may contribute to pathological mechanisms that make blood pressure difficult to control. This article explores potential mechanisms by which sleep apnea contributes to rHTN, and examines the impact of treating OSA with positive airway pressure therapy on blood pressure control. In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in randomized controlled trials of positive airway pressure therapy in patients with OSA and rHTN, because patients with rHTN respond poorly to medications. As a result, identifying novel targets for blood pressure control in this high-risk population has become paramount.
Cryobiology: principles, species conservation and benefits for coral reefs

Coral reefs are some of the oldest, most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth because they can support one-quarter of all marine life in our oceans. Despite their importance, the world’s coral reefs continue to be degraded at unprecedented rates by local and global threats that are warming and creating a more acidic ocean. This paper explores the reproductive challenges of coral for ex situ conservation, using IVF and cryopreservation, and our practical biobanking methods. Coral present challenges for cryopreservation because their reproductive period is often limited to a few nights yearly, they are mostly hermaphrodites with diverse modes of reproduction, including asexual reproduction (i.e. fragmentation and parthenogenesis) and sexual reproduction (i.e. self- and cross-fertilisation) and they express physiological toxins that can inhibit cryopreservation. We have banked spermatozoa from 12 coral species using the same field-hardy methods and have created new coral with thawed spermatozoa. In addition, we describe the cryopreservation of coral symbionts, whose physiology only permits the highest success seasonally. As part of a multidisciplinary conservation strategy, these collections may provide a major hedge against extinction for corals facing the damaging effects of climate change and loss of genetic diversity, and promise to help offset threats to our reefs worldwide.
Investigation of microbiological contamination in cosmetics

Objective:To investigate the microbiological contamination in cosmetics,especially the ones with special nutrition material.Methods:In accordance with the method in Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics,detected the indicators of microbiological.Results:The qualified rate of all cosmetics was 92.23%,qualified rate of common cosmetics was 93.44%,qualified rate of cosmetic with special nutrition material was 90.48%.Conclusion:Microbial pollution problem in cosmetics remains and it is serious in cosmetics with special nutrition material.
Calculation of Oil and Gas Reserves and Its Distribution on the West of Centerline of Qijia-Gulong Depression with Grey Theory

Qijia-Gulong depression is master source area of oil and gas in Songliao Basin,a part of oil and gas from the source is held up in the depression,the other migrates to west clinoform zone.In order to calculate oil and gas reserves and its distribution in the half western depression and the west clinoform zone,on the basis of petroleum geological feature,gray GM(1,1) model about distance array is established.The assemble reserves of oil and gas and its distribution scale in every zone is calculated with this model,and according to this,after calculating discharge hydrocarbons quantity by genetic method,the reserve distribution in each zone on the west of centerline is calculated on different accumulative coefficient.According to conditions of hydrocarbons migration and gathering and preserving in Qijia-Gulong depression and west slope zone,combining exploration experience to Songliao Basin,selecting suitable accumulative coefficient,the final reserves to be possible explored is calculated that there are oil(4.4-6.2)×108 t,natural gas(770-1 078)×108 m3 in the west slope zone,and oil(1.0-1.3)×108 t,natural gas(208.4-291.7)×108 m3 in the half western Qijia-Gulong depression.
THU0022 Single Cell Interferon Signatures in Lupus Patient Monocytes Reveal a Differential Impact of Interferon Signaling Between Monocyte Subtypes

Background Type I interferon (IFN) is a primary pathogenic factor in human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). IFN signatures have been observed in immune cell populations. Objectives We examined gene expression in individual monocytes from SLE patients in this study. Methods CD14++CD16- classical monocytes (CLs) and CD14dimCD16+ non classical monocytes (NCLs) from SLE patients were purified by magnetic separation. The Fluidigm C1 System was used for single cell capture and target gene pre-amplification. Rt-PCR was used to quantify expression of 87 monocyte-related genes. An individual cell IFN score was generated based upon the expression of 17 IFN-induced genes. Results Monocytes from the same SLE patient blood sample demonstrated varying levels of IFN-induced gene expression. In CLs, high IFN score correlated with CD32a, IL1B, and IL8 expression. In NCLs, high IFN score was correlated with inflammatory mediators, including cytokines such as IL12, IL23, and IL15; the immune receptors CD36, CD32a, CD80, and TLR7; and inflammatory signaling genes such as RELA, STAT2, IRAK1, and MyD88. CD16 transcripts were detected in a small group of classical monocytes, despite a lack of surface CD16 expression. In these cells, CD16 expression was positively correlated with IFN score (p=0.019). Conclusions This study reveals diverse IFN responses of individual monocytes, supports the idea that IFN signaling has distinct effects upon classical and non-classical monocytes. IFN may contribute to the transition from classical to non-classical subtype in SLE. Single cell studies can reveal effects of IFN on single immune cells which may be masked in whole blood or mixed cell populations. Disclosure of Interest None declared
National and Racial-Ethnic Identification: What It Means to Be American Among Early Adolescents

This mixed-methods study explored early adolescents’ national American identification, and meanings attached to being American. Participants (N = 102; 51% female; ages 10-12, X¯ = 11.45, SD = .70) were racially and ethnically diverse from primarily middle- to upper-middle class families (median household income = US$150,000-US$199,999; 75% had a college degree or higher). Youth attended a private, secular elementary school with practices designed to celebrate diversity. Participants associated Americans with positive trait stereotypes, symbols (e.g., American flag), nativity status, and particular racial-ethnic groups (e.g., White). Youth who self-identified as American (n = 51) frequently asserted that being American, defined by their birthplace and residence in the United States, was important. Results suggest that early adolescence is an optimal developmental period to examine the emergence of an American identity, and validate the benefits of using mixed methods in the study of youths’ national and ra...
The Problem, Method, and Conclusions

This paper sets up five assumptions under which research was undertaken on the impact of extremes of weather elements on industrial location, processes, and output. Qualitative categories are established for describing this impact, yet in some industries and for some of the weather elements it is not possible to categorize the findings, and in these qualified descriptions must suffice. It is pointed out that damage to plant structures may expose interiors to outside atmospheric conditions, and that an understanding of the effects of weather on processes that are normally housed may avoid costly delay and repair. Conclusions are that although it is theoretically possible to conduct manufacturing operations in virtually any extreme weather element or combination of extremes, the costs would become so excessive under certain conditions as to be prohibitive. At the very least there are serious delays caused by weather elements in accumulating plant supplies and services and in distributing products. The following are listed and briefly described in their order of over-all importance as impediments to industrial operations: low temperature (including permafrost), snow, sleet and ice, high wind, heavy rainfall, high humidity, poor visibility.
What Is Being Trained? How Divergent Forms of Plasticity Compete To Shape Locomotor Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating syndrome that produces dysfunction in motor and sensory systems, manifesting as chronic paralysis, sensory changes, and pain disorders. The multi-faceted and heterogeneous nature of SCI has made effective rehabilitative strategies challenging. Work over the last 40 years has aimed to overcome these obstacles by harnessing the intrinsic plasticity of the spinal cord to improve functional locomotor recovery. Intensive training after SCI facilitates lower extremity function and has shown promise as a tool for retraining the spinal cord by engaging innate locomotor circuitry in the lumbar cord. As new training paradigms evolve, the importance of appropriate afferent input has emerged as a requirement for adaptive plasticity. The integration of kinematic, sensory, and loading force information must be closely monitored and carefully manipulated to optimize training outcomes. Inappropriate peripheral input may produce lasting maladaptive sensory and motor effec...
Review of Theories of Financial Disturbance: An Examination of Critical Theories of Finance from Adam Smith to the Present Day

(2006). Review of Theories of Financial Disturbance: An Examination of Critical Theories of Finance from Adam Smith to the Present Day. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 836-838.
Infertile women who screen positive for depression are less likely to initiate fertility treatments.

Study question Are infertile women who screen positive for depression less likely to initiate infertility treatments? Summary answer Infertile women who screen positive for depression are less likely to initiate treatment for infertility. What is already known Infertility imposes a psychological burden on many couples. Depression and anxiety have been demonstrated in ~40% of infertile women, which is twice that of fertile women. Further, the psychological burden associated with infertility treatment has been cited as a major factor for discontinuation of infertility care. Study design, size, duration Prospective, observational study in a clinical-based cohort of 416 women who completed a questionnaire after the new patient visit, from January 2013 until December 2014 inclusive. Participants/materials, setting, methods All new female infertility patients (n = 959) seen between January 2013 and December 2014 at University of North Carolina Fertility received an electronic questionnaire to screen for mental health disorders and to evaluate their perception of mental health disorders on infertility. Main results and the role of chance Of 959 surveys sent, 416 women completed the questionnaire (43%). The prevalence screening positive for depression, using the NIH PROMIS screening tool, was 41%. Sixty-two percent of all women initiated infertility treatment, and of these, 81% did so within 4 months. In multivariate analysis, women who screened positive for depression had 0.55 times the odds of initiating treatment for infertility (95% CI: 0.31-0.95). Similarly, women who screened positive for depression had 0.58 times the odds of initiating infertility treatment within 4 months (95% CI: 0.35-0.97), which was the time of censoring from the most recent patient evaluated. Women who screened positive for depression were less likely to pursue treatment with oral medications or IVF (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), as compared to women who did not screen positive for depression. Limitations, reasons for caution Questionnaire-based evaluations may result in a lower prevalence of psychological disorder as some participants feign emotional well-being. Although we did not identify differences in women who responded to our survey and those who did not, responder bias may still be present. In addition, infertility is a couple's disease. However, this study only included psychological evaluation of the female partner. We have no information about the women's previous treatment. Wider implications of the findings Screening for depression is important in the infertility patient population, as further evaluation and psychological interventions may improve compliance with fertility treatments, quality of life, and potentially, the overall chance of pregnancy. Study funding/competing interests None.
Mixed-line-rate (MLR) optical network design with wavebanding

Waveband switching (grouping of optical paths) reduces the optical switch size at the OXCs. We are incorporating wavebanding in mixed-line-rate (MLR) network design to reduce the port cost in addition to the transponder cost. Our results show an improvement in the cost savings compared to an MLR network employing wavelength switching.
Aes Tietê: Expansion Plant in Brazil

This case allows students to learn the principles of capital budgeting in a global context. It features a power company in Brazil that is a subsidiary of AES Corporation. A new-to-the-firm manager is assigned his first big project: to evaluate and defend the case for investing in a 500 MW thermal power plant. He must present his findings to the Global Valuation Review team, including a recommendation for the project and a bid price for the upcoming government auction. The manager must build three different valuations: a base case, an optimistic scenario, and a pessimistic scenario. Excerpt UVA-F-1732 Rev. Feb. 26, 2016 AES Tiete: Expansion Plant in Brazil In late December 2013, Luiz Costa was promoted to his first leadership position as a manager in the Investment Analysis Group of AES Brasil, a subsidiary of AES Corporation. Following college, Costa joined the company's leadership development program, and in only four years he had risen quickly and was considered a high-potential executive. His first big project was to evaluate and defend the case for investing in a 500-megawatt (MW) thermal power plant to be built in the state of S©o Paulo in southeast Brazil. He would have to present his findings to the Global Valuation Review team, including a recommendation for the project and a bid price for the upcoming government auction. Because this was his first task in his new position, Costa was determined to present accurate calculations. Electricity in Brazil The market for energy in Brazil was huge—the country was the eighth-largest total energy consumer in the world. The Brazilian government played a substantial role in keeping the lights on in the country, controlling nearly the entire sector. When the state created the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) in 1996 to help privatize electricity, some thought government regulation would lessen. Instead, the effort did little to change things, and most companies remained under government control. It wasn't until 2004 that a new model was created, dividing the sector into regulated and unregulated markets. . . .
Perspectives on Automotive Automation and Autonomy

As automation becomes more capable, the need to craft designs compatible with people becomes more important. This is particularly true with increasingly autonomous vehicles, which have begun to cha...
Lennard-Jones-Like Potential of 2D Excitons in Monolayer WS 2

In this chapter, we report a rare atom-like interaction between excitons in monolayer WS2, measured using ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. At increasing excitation density, the exciton resonance energy exhibits a pronounced redshift followed by an anomalous blueshift. Using both material-realistic computation and phenomenological modeling, we attribute this observation to plasma effects and an attraction-repulsion crossover of the exciton-exciton interaction that mimics the Lennard-Jones potential between atoms. Our experiment demonstrates a strong analogy between excitons and atoms with respect to inter-particle interaction, which holds promise to pursue the predicted liquid and crystalline phases of excitons in two-dimensional materials.
Comparison of Mechanisms for Low-Frequency Variability of Summer Arctic Sea Ice in Three Coupled Models

AbstractIn this study the mechanisms for low-frequency variability of summer Arctic sea ice are analyzed using long control simulations from three coupled models (GFDL CM2.1, GFDL CM3, and NCAR CESM). Despite different Arctic sea ice mean states, there are many robust features in the response of low-frequency summer Arctic sea ice variability to the three key predictors (Atlantic and Pacific oceanic heat transport into the Arctic and the Arctic dipole) across all three models. In all three models, an enhanced Atlantic (Pacific) heat transport into the Arctic induces summer Arctic sea ice decline and surface warming, especially over the Atlantic (Pacific) sector of the Arctic. A positive phase of the Arctic dipole induces summer Arctic sea ice decline and surface warming on the Pacific side, and opposite changes on the Atlantic side. There is robust Bjerknes compensation at low frequency, so the northward atmospheric heat transport provides a negative feedback to summer Arctic sea ice variations. The influ...
Evolution on the bright side of life: microorganisms and the evolution of mutualism

Mutualistic interactions, where two interacting species have a net beneficial effect on each other's fitness, play a crucial role in the survival and evolution of many species. Despite substantial empirical and theoretical work in past decades, the impact of these interactions on natural selection is not fully understood. In addition, mutualisms between microorganisms have been largely ignored, even though they are ecologically important and can be used as tools to bridge the gap between theory and empirical work. Here, I describe two problems with our current understanding of natural selection in mutualism and highlight the properties of microbial mutualisms that could help solve them. One problem is that bias and methodological problems have limited our understanding of the variety of mechanisms by which species may adapt to mutualism. Another problem is that it is rare for experiments testing coevolution in mutualism to address whether each species has adapted to evolutionary changes in its partner. These problems can be addressed with genome resequencing and time-shift experiments, techniques that are easier to perform in microorganisms. In addition, microbial mutualisms may inspire novel insights and hypotheses about natural selection in mutualism.
Reprograming the Replisome of a Semisynthetic Organism for the Expansion of the Genetic Alphabet

Semisynthetic organisms (SSOs) created from Escherichia coli can replicate a plasmid containing an unnatural base pair (UBP) formed between the synthetic nucleosides dNaM and dTPT3 (dNaM-dTPT3) when the corresponding unnatural triphosphates are imported via expression of a nucleoside triphosphate transporter. The UBP can also be transcribed and used to translate proteins containing unnatural amino acids. However, UBPs are not well retained in all sequences, limiting the information that can be encoded, and are invariably lost upon extended growth. Here we explore the contributions of the E. coli DNA replication and repair machinery to the propagation of DNA containing dNaM-dTPT3 and show that replication by DNA polymerase III, supplemented with the activity of polymerase II and methyl-directed mismatch repair contribute to retention of the UBP and that recombinational repair of stalled forks is responsible for the majority of its loss. This work elucidates fundamental aspects of how bacteria replicate DNA and we use this information to reprogram the replisome of the SSO for increased UBP retention, which then allowed for the first time the construction of SSOs harboring a UBP in their chromosome.
Study techniques differentially influence the delayed judgment-of-learning accuracy of adolescent children and college-aged adults

The ways in which adult learners study information influences their judgment-of-learning (JOL) accuracy (e.g., Koriat et al. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 131(2), 147-162, 2002). The present study extends this investigation to adolescent children to determine whether developing learners’ metacognitive monitoring is similarly influenced by different study techniques. In two experiments, we examined JOL accuracy in adolescent children (ages 11 to 12) and college-aged adults. Across both experiments, we employed a standard delayed-JOL paradigm in which three groups of participants, differing in type of study technique, encoded weakly-related word pairs. One group studied the word pairs twice (study practice). A second group studied with the instruction to generate a word that linked the two members of the word pair together (elaborative encoding). The final group studied word pairs and then took an immediate cued-recall test with feedback (retrieval practice). In children and adults, retrieval practice led to better JOL accuracy as compared to study practice. Children differed from adults in how elaborative encoding influenced JOL accuracy. For adults, elaborative encoding resulted in better JOL accuracy than study practice; however, for children, JOL accuracy did not differ between the two groups. Our results suggest that encoding processes influence delayed-JOL accuracy in both age-groups.
Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program by Accountable Care Organizations Disproportionately Serving Dual and Disabled Populations

Background The growth of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other alternative payment models has prompted concern about whether these models will disadvantage providers who serve vulnerable populations, particularly those living in poverty or with a disability. Objective To examine performance by ACOs in the top quintile of their proportion of beneficiaries dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (high-dual) and the top quintile of disabled beneficiaries (high-disabled). Research design This is a retrospective cohort study. Subjects The 333 ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2014, followed through 2016. Measures Quality scores, savings per beneficiary, whether or not the ACO shared savings, and amount of shared savings. Results High-dual and high-disabled ACOs had slightly lower quality and similar or higher baseline spending than other ACOs, but achieved greater savings per beneficiary than other ACOs ($212 vs. $51 for high-dual ACOs, P=0.04; $241 vs. $44 for high-disabled ACOs, P=0.012). Further, these ACOs were equally or more likely to earn shared savings; just over 30% of high-dual ACOs earned shared savings compared with 25% of non-high-dual ACOs (P=0.35) and 38% of high-disabled ACOs earned shared savings compared with 23% of non-high-disabled ACOs (P=0.013). In longitudinal analyses, we found a decrease in the differences in quality between high-social risk and other ACOs over time. Savings remained higher for high-dual and high-disabled ACOs relative to other ACOs over 2014-2016 though the gap narrowed over time. Conclusions High-dual and high-disabled ACOs had similar or higher spending than other ACOs at baseline, but achieved greater savings and were equally or more likely to earn shared savings, suggesting that alternative payment models can have positive financial outcomes for providers who serve vulnerable populations.
Ranking People by Integrating Professional Capability, Sociability and Time Decaying Effect

In this paper, we propose a model which is designed for the ranking of people who are of a same working domain. Our model measures their ranks comprehensively. It calculates their rank-scores from two aspects: one aspect is about their sociability, which can be represented by the links connected to them from other related people, the other one is about the achievements completed by them, e.g., the achievements of a scientist can be measured by the quality of books and papers published by him/her. Our model also takes the decaying effect of time into consideration, because achievements would probably be forgotten by people or might become obsolete after a long time period, consequently the related rank-scores would be decayed along with time. Our experiments showed that our rank list is time sensitive and more meaningful in the situation when we want to get people ranked according to how much people are recognized and remembered by others at a specific time point.
Bio-Field Array: The Influence of Junction Mediating and Regulatory Protein Expression on Cytoskeletal Filament Behavior During Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Introduction:The Bio-Field Array (BFA) is a device that generates a dielectrophoretic electromagnetic field (DEP-EMF) when placed in a hypotonic saline solution and a direct current (dc) of ~3 ampe...
The benefits of interprofessional learning and teamwork in primary care ambulatory training settings

Abstract Background New skills for assembling, working effectively in, and leading teams are needed to prepare the next generation of health professionals who work in outpatient settings. Purpose To report on a qualitative analysis conducted with 27 residency primary care training programs that included multiple health professional learners. Methods Twenty-seven focus groups were conducted with family medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatrics faculty, clinic staff, and diverse groups of learners to identify benefits of learning together in ambulatory primary care practices. Independent and consensus open and axial coding techniques applied to focus group field notes with consensus meetings identified emergent themes. Discussion Four themes were beneficial: Development of Personal Relationships, Improved Education, Improved Patient Care and Improved Job Satisfaction. Enablers to realizing benefits involved leadership support, co-location of learners and having adequate space for team huddles, which allowed health professionals to collaborate and learn together. Barriers to achieving benefits included top-down leadership approaches, poor communication, and lack of knowledge of roles and professions. Inadequate staffing, space constraints, scheduling challenges and clinic productivity pressures made interprofessional learning difficult. Conclusions Clinic culture, structures and operations both enable or create barriers to interprofessional learning.
Understanding Collaborative Effects between the Polymer Gel Structure and the Applied Electrical Field in Gel Electrophoresis Separation

The collaborative effects between an applied orthogonal electrical field and the internal structure of polymer gels in gel electrophoresis is studied by using microscopic-based electrophoretic transport models that then are upscaled via the format of electro kinetics-hydrodynamics (EKHD). The interplay of the electrical field and internal gel morphology could impact the separation of biomolecules that, because of similar chemical properties, are usually difficult to separate. In this study, we focus on an irregular pore geometry of the polymer-gel structure by using an axially varying pore (i.e., an axially divergent section) and an orthogonal (to the main flow of solutes) applied electrical field. The microscopic-based conservation of species equation is formulated for the standard case of electrophoresis of charged particles within a geometrical domain, i.e., a pore, and upscaled to obtain macroscopic-based diffusion and mobility coefficients. These coefficients are then used in the calculation of the optimal time of separation to study the effect of the varying parameters of the pore structure under different values of the electrical field. The results are qualitatively consistent with those reported, in the literature, by using computational-based approaches as well as with experiments also reported in the literature, previously. The study shows the important collaborative effects between the applied electrical field and the internal geometry of the polymer gels that could lead to improving biomolecule separation in gel electrophoresis.
Diversity under Review: HBCUs and Regional Accreditation Actions.

Regional accreditation remains a central method of accountability in the United States and the gatekeeper to federal financial aid. Without such funding many colleges and universities would not survive. Prior research suggests that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) face disproportionate accreditation sanctions compared with other institutions. Focusing on colleges and universities in the southern states, this study used logistic regression to test whether HBCUs have higher odds of being sanctioned than other institutions after controlling for characteristics such as budgetary resources and graduation rates. Results demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between HBCU-status and negative accreditation actions.
Representation Is Not Enough: Symbolic Representation and Perceptions of the Police:

Representation in government tends to improve clients’ outcomes, but often has not done so for Black police clients. Representation may have perceptual effects on Black clients separate from its ab...
Generation of geolocated and radiometrically corrected true reflectance surfaces in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum over large bodies of water using images from a sUAS

The focus of this study was to develop true reflectance surfaces in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) images obtained over large bodies of...
A Hierarchical Bayesian Model for Reliability Growth Projection

This paper presents a new reliability growth projection model that uses a hierarchical Bayesian process. The model extends the Bayesian approach first presented by Wayne and Modarres in [1], but a hierarchical process is used instead of empirical Bayes estimates of the prior parameters. This provides a more accurate characterization of the uncertainty present in the posterior distribution, which leads to better estimates of the projected system reliability.
A Unified Linear Free Energy Relationship for Abiotic Reduction Rate of Nitroaromatics and Hydroquinones Using Quantum Chemically Estimated Energies.

Determining the fate of nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) in the environment requires the use of predictive models for compounds and conditions for which experimental data are insufficient. Previous studies have developed linear free energy relationships (LFERs) that relate the thermodynamic energy of NAC reduction to its corresponding rate constant. Here we present a comprehensive LFER that incorporates both the reduction and oxidation half reactions through Quantum Chemically (QC) calculated energies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Clinical Characteristics Associated With Higher Enoxaparin Dosing Requirements for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Trauma Patients.

INTRODUCTION Enoxaparin dosed by an anti-Xa trough level is effective at reducing venous thromboembolism (VTE) in trauma patients. We identified the patient characteristics associated with higher enoxaparin dosing based on anti-Xa trough levels. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted on trauma patients admitted between August 2014 and February 2018 who received enoxaparin dosed by the anti-Xa trough level. Patients who received enoxaparin < 50 mg every 12 hours were compared to those who required ≥ 50 mg every 12 hours. RESULTS Of the 246 patients included, 32 (13.0%) required enoxaparin ≥ 50 mg every 12 hours to achieve the prophylactic trough level. Factors associated with a higher dose of enoxaparin were male (96.8% vs. 3.2%, P < .01), younger age (39.5 vs. 52.7 years, P < .01), higher creatinine clearance (CrCl) (125.9 vs. 93.7 mL/min, P < .01), higher body surface area (2 m2 vs. 1.8 m2, P < .01), and higher injury severity score (18.4 vs. 10.8, P < .01). Height, weight, and body mass index were not significant factors. On regression analysis, CrCl was the only independent predictor for higher enoxaparin dose. There was an increased deep venous thrombosis rate in the higher dose cohort (12.5% vs. 0, P < .01) but no significant differences in transfusion rates. CONCLUSION Trauma patients who require higher enoxaparin doses to achieve prophylactic anti-Xa trough levels have a higher CrCl. Patients with high CrCl may benefit from an initial higher dose of enoxaparin to achieve a target anti-Xa level in a shorter time interval to decrease VTE risk.
Scalable Integrated Photonics Beamforming Circuits

Integrated photonics beamforming circuits are presented. In addition to demonstrating the generation and squint-free beamsteering of millimeter wave signals using photonic true time delay arrays, we propose novel concepts for scaling these arrays. © 2020 The Author(s)
Information Order for Periviable Counseling: Does It Make a Difference?

Objectives To examine whether the order of presenting survival vs disability information, with or without the description of infant neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experiences would influence treatment choice during hypothetical periviable birth counseling. Study design An internet sample of childbearing-aged women (n = 839) viewed a pictograph displaying the chances of survival and a pictograph on the chances of disability for a baby resuscitated during the periviable period. The sample was randomized to the order of pictographs and level of description of infant NICU experiences. Participants selected between intensive care or comfort care and reported their personal values. Results The order of the information influenced treatment choices (P = .02); participants were more likely to choose intensive care if they saw the survival pictograph first (70%) than the disability pictograph first (62%). Level of description of premature infant NICU experiences did not influence treatment choice (P = .92). Participants who valued sanctity of life, autonomy in making decisions, who were more religious, and had adequate health literacy were more likely to choose intensive care. Such participant characteristics had greater explanatory power than the experimental manipulations. Conclusions Subtle differences in how information is presented may influence critical decisions. However, even among women with the same values, diversity in treatment choice remains.