cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of XynC from Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis Strain 168 and Analysis of Its Role in Depolymerization of Glucuronoxylan

Secretion of xylanase activities by Bacillus subtilis 168 supports the development of this well-defined genetic system for conversion of methylglucuronoxylan (MeGAXn [where n represents the number of xylose residues]) in the hemicellulose component of lignocellulosics to biobased products. In addition to the characterized glycosyl hydrolase family 11 (GH 11) endoxylanase designated XynA, B. subtilis 168 secretes a second endoxylanase as the translated product of the ynfF gene. This sequence shows remarkable homology to the GH 5 endoxylanase secreted by strains of Erwinia chrysanthemi. To determine its properties and potential role in the depolymerization of MeGAXn, the ynfF gene was cloned and overexpressed to provide an endoxylanase, designated XynC, which was characterized with respect to substrate preference, kinetic properties, and product formation. With different sources of MeGAXn as the substrate, the specific activity increased with increasing methylglucuronosyl substitutions on the β-1,4-xylan chain. With MeGAXn from sweetgum as a preferred substrate, XynC exhibited a Vmax of 59.9 units/mg XynC, a Km of 1.63 mg MeGAXn/ml, and a kcat of 2,635/minute at pH 6.0 and 37°C. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization—time of flight mass spectrometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance data revealed that each hydrolysis product has a single glucuronosyl substitution penultimate to the reducing terminal xylose. This detailed analysis of XynC from B. subtilis 168 defines the unique depolymerization process catalyzed by the GH 5 endoxylanases. Based upon product analysis, B. subtilis 168 secretes both XynA and XynC. Expression of xynA was subject to MeGAXn induction; xynC expression was constitutive with growth on different substrates. Translation and secretion of both GH 11 and GH 5 endoxylanases by the fully sequenced and genetically malleable B. subtilis 168 recommends this bacterium for the introduction of genes required for the complete utilization of products of the enzyme-catalyzed depolymerization of MeGAXn. B. subtilis may serve as a model platform for development of gram-positive biocatalysts for conversion of lignocellulosic materials to renewable fuels and chemicals.
Lysine biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: mechanism of alpha-aminoadipate reductase (Lys2) involves posttranslational phosphopantetheinylation by Lys5.

A key step in fungal biosynthesis of lysine, enzymatic reduction of R-aminoadipate at C6 to the semialdehyde, requires two gene products in Saccharomyces cereVisiae, Lys2 and Lys5. Here, we show that the 31-kDa Lys5 is a specific posttranslational modification catalyst, using coenzyme A (CoASH) as a cosubstrate to phosphopantetheinylate Ser880 of the 155-kDa Lys2 and activate it for catalysis. Lys2 was subcloned from S. cereVisiae and expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli as a full-length 155-kDa enzyme, as a 105-kDa adenylation/peptidyl carrier protein (A/PCP) fragment (residues 1-924), and as a 14-kDa PCP fragment (residues 809-924). The apo-PCP fragment was covalently modified to phosphopantetheinylated holo-PCP by pure Lys5 and CoASH with a Km of 1 IM and kcat of 3 min -1 for both the PCP and CoASH substrates. The adenylation domain of the A/PCP fragment activated S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine (kcat/Km ) 840 mM -1 min -1 ) at 16% the efficiency of L-R-aminoadipate in ( 32 P)PPi/ATP exchange assays. The holo form of the A/PCP 105-kDa fragment of Lys2 covalently aminoacylated itself with ( 35 S)S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine. Addition of NADPH discharged the covalent acyl-S-PCP Lys2, consistent with a reductive cleavage of the acyl-S-enzyme intermediate. These results identify the Lys5/Lys2 pair as a two-component system in which Lys5 covalently primes Lys2, allowing R-aminoadipate reductase activity by holo-Lys2 with catalytic cycles of autoaminoacylation and reductive cleavage. This is a novel mechanism for a fungal enzyme essential for amino acid metabolism.
No-till establishment of perennial, warm-season grasses for biomass production

Herbaceous biomass crops have the potential to capture solar radiation and store energy as a renewable fuel resource. Establishment procedures that can be used successfully without damage to the environment are essential. The objective of this research was to develop procedures to establish perennial, warm-season grasses, such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula L.), without tillage and preparation of a fine seedbed. Two applications of paraquat spaced 3 weeks apart or a single application of glyphosate can be used to suppress sod before no-till plantings. Carbofuran applied in the row at 1.1 kg ha−1 with the seed increased seedling vigor and populations. Application of 1.1 kg ha−1 of atrazine when seedlings began to emerge provided post-planting weed suppression. Weed encroachment occurring in years after establishment was halted by 2 kg ha−1 of simazine applied before first growth in the spring. These data provide guidelines for successful establishment of herbaceous perennial, warm-season grass biomass crops.
Subsidence in United States Due to Ground-Water Withdrawal

Land subsidence due to ground-water withdrawal in the United States is summarized. The characteristic geologic environment for subsidence due to ground-water withdrawal is that of young unconsolidated sediments of high porosity laid down in alluvial, lacustrine, or shallow marine environments. All areas are underlain by semiconfined or confined aquifer systems containing aquifers of sand or gravel, or both, of low compressibility interbedded with clayey aquitards of low vertical permeability and high compressibility under virgin stresses. Subsidence ranges from 0.3 m at Savannah, Georgia, to 9.0 m in the San Joaquin Valley, California. The volume of subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley is very large—about 19,250 hm³. The usable storage capacity of the aquifer system, defined as the volume that can be taken from or recharged to the system, is not changed appreciably by the compaction of the aquitards but the specific storage is greatly reduced for later cycles of water-level decline through the same pore pressure range.
Robust ultra-low voltage ROM design

SRAM dominates standby power consumption in many systems since the power supply cannot be gated as in logic blocks. The use of ROM for parts of instruction memory can alleviate this power bottleneck in mobile sensing applications such as implantable biomedical and environmental sensing systems, which can spend up to 99% of their lifetimes in standby mode. However, robust ROM design becomes challenging as the supply voltage is reduced aggressively. In this paper, three different ROM topologies are investigated and compared for ultra-low voltage operation. A simple method to estimate the theoretical robustness at low voltage is proposed and applied to the ROM topologies. A test circuit fabricated in a carefully-selected 0.18 mum CMOS technology reveals that our proposed static NAND ROM structure improves performance by 26X, energy by 3.8X and lowest functional supply voltage by 100 mV over a conventional dynamic NAND ROM.
Sleep apnea and risk of deep venous thrombosis: looking for potential confounders.

I read the article by Chou et al with particular interest. he authors analyzed 10,185 patients (5680 with sleep apea) from the National Database to study the potential nterrelationship between obstructive sleep apnea and deep enous thrombosis. After performing regression analysis, hey found that obstructive sleep apnea increased the deep enous thrombosis risk 3.113 times (P .02). Overall, this ork provided more solid information that obstructive sleep pnea may be a novel risk factor for deep venous thrombois. However, some aspects merit further consideration. First, the authors fairly noted that they did not study the mpact of weight and smoking status (known risk factors or deep venous thrombosis) in their analysis, which may rofoundly impact the conclusions of the study. Second, they did not analyze physical activity among tudied participants, which can be different among the roups because patients with obstructive sleep apnea and aytime symptoms have a lower level of physical activity. Third, they did not specify the cancer stage and types ecause malignancies have different risk for deep venous hrombosis. Another important issue is that they did not follow-up the patients with deep venous thrombosis because some of them may be diagnosed with cancers several years later.
Mass Identified Particle Yields in Antiproton-Proton Collisions at √s = 1.8 TeV

In p-p collisions at √s = 1.8 TeV, the yields and the transverse momentum distributions of π±, K±, p± in the central region have been measured up to a charged particle pseudo rapidity density of (dnc/dη) ≈ 16. The dependence of the average transverse momentum on the charged particle rapidity density of the Centrally Produced Matter is presented. We observe that the increase of with increasing dn/dη is more significant for heavier particles than that for lighter particles.
A Universal Perspective On Communication: What Every International Business Manager Should Know

Communication is neither good nor bad. It is simply a tool. Used well it nets good results, applied poorly it makes situations worse. The key then, for any manager, is to properly assess a situation and subsequently choose an appropriate strategy for participation. Intercultural Communication events are especially challenging with so many variables at play. Drawing upon the concept of “The Expert Spectator” this paper demonstrates that a universal perspective of communication exists, one that can be applied regardless of cultural orientation. When communication is seen on a continuum from the expressive to the instrumental it is much easier to be an appropriate and effective communicator in International Business settings.
Regulation of heme oxygenase-1 gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells by nitric oxide

Heme oxygenase (HO)-mediated heme degradation is the primary mechanism for production of cellular carbon monoxide (CO). Analogous to nitric oxide (NO), CO mediates physiological and cellular functi...
Decision-making in Sport under Mental and Physical Stress

Background: Successful decision-making in sport requires good decisions to be made quickly, but little is understood about the decision process under stress. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare decision outcomes and the Take the First (TTF) heuristic under conditions of mental, physical, and no stress. Method: Participants ( N =112) were divided into 3 stress groups: mental stress (mental serial subtraction), physical stress (running on treadmill at 60-70% of maximum effort), and no stress (counting backwards by 1). Participants were exposed to 30 seconds of stress and then watched a video depicting an offensive situation in basketball requiring them to decide what the player with the ball should do next. Each participant performed 10 trials of the video decision-making task. Results: No differences were found between the 3 stress groups on decision quality, TTF frequency, number of options generated, or quality of first generated option. However, participants in the no stress and physical stress conditions were faster in generating their first option and making their final decision as compared to the mental stress group. Conclusion: Overall, results suggest that mental stress impairs decision speed and that TTF is an ecologically rationale heuristic in dynamic, time-pressured situations. Keywords: Take the first, Heuristic, Pressure, Cognitive performance
Thermal equilibration in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions

The approach to local thermodynamic equilibrium in the central rapidity region of a central ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collision is described by kinetic theory for the excitations present. Explicit calculations are given in the relaxation time approximation.
Mitigating the Memory Bottleneck With Approximate Load Value Prediction

This paper aims to tackle two fundamental memory bottlenecks: limited off-chip bandwidth and long access latency. Our approach exploits the inherent error resilience of a wide range of applications through an approximation technique, called Rollback-Free Value Prediction (RFVP). When certain safe-to- approximate load operations miss in the cache, RFVP predicts the requested values. However, RFVP does not check for or recover from load value mispredictions, hence avoiding the high cost of pipeline flushes and re-executions. RFVP mitigates long memory access latencies by enabling the execution to continue without stalling for these accesses. To mitigate the limited off-chip bandwidth, RFVP drops a fraction of load requests which miss in the cache after predicting their values. The drop rate then becomes a knob to control the tradeoff between performance/en- ergy efficiency and output quality. Our extensive evaluations show that RFVP, when used in GPUs, yields significant performance improvements and energy reductions for a wide range of quality loss levels.
Embedding digital television in on IT economy

If television teaches us that the television we've got is the television that must be, it also teaches us that the terms on which that television is allowed to function are entirely reasonable and normal as well. (A. Hunt, The Language of Television)
Effect of Repeated Administration of Delvinal Sodium [5-ethyl-S-(l-methyl-l-butenyl) barbituric acid] to Guinea Pigs.∗

SummaryGuinea pigs were found to show a tolerance to delvinal sodium [5-ethyl-5-(l-methyl-1-butenyl) barbituric acid] on repeated administration of large doses of the drug. The average length of sleep dropped from 127.3 to 48.2 minutes following 8 semi-weekly injections of the drug, while the average length of hypnosis dropped from 191.9 to 104.1 minutes. The average weight of the guinea pigs increased from 250 to 380 g, which was more than a 50% increase in weight.
Tying Knots With Communities Youth Involvement in Scouting and Civic Engagement in Adulthood

Using data from a nationally representative sample of American adult males (N = 2,512), this study examines (a) whether duration of membership in the Boy Scouts of America is associated with adult ...
Immunologic response in hamsters to homologous tumor antigens measured in vivo and in vitro.

SummaryCell mediated immunity against homologous SV40 tumor cells was demonstrable in the homologous in vivo hamster system but not in cell culture. The effectiveness of exudate cells from immunized hamsters was clearly influenced by the ratio of target cells to immune cells and by the age of test hamsters used with protective effect demonstrable in adult but not in 1 week-old hamsters. High levels of immunity against homologous tumor were also demonstrable by direct subcutaneous challenge. The latter system was desirable for assay of vaccine potency because of simplicity and rapidity of obtaining results.The authors are indebted to W. Clark and E. Glenn for technical assistance. The irradiation was carried out at Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, through the courtesy of Dr. Jacob Gershon-Cohen with the kind assistance of Dr. David Sklaroff.
A game-theoretic approach to hybrid system design

We present a design and verification methodology for hybrid dynamical systems. Our approach is based on optimal control and game theory. The hybrid design is seen as a game between two players. One is the disturbances that enter the dynamics. The disturbances can encode the actions of other agents (in a multi-agent setting), the actions of high level controllers or unmodeled environmental disturbances. The second player is the control, which is to be chosen by the designer. The two players compete over cost functions that encode the properties that the closed loop hybrid system needs to satisfy (e.g. safety). The control “wins” the game if it can keep the system “safe” for any allowable disturbance. The solution to the game theory problem provides the designer with continuous controllers as well as sets of safe states where the control “wins” the game. These safe sets can be used to construct an interface that guarantees the safe operation of the combined hybrid system. Extensions of this approach can also be used for verification of hybrid systems as well as the generation of abstractions of the lower layer behavior (e.g. timed abstractions).
Hypospadias Repair By Bladder Mucosal Graft: An Initial Report

AbstractSurgical correction of major hypospadias defects is a challenging problem. Bladder mucosa has been reported as an excellent tissue for construction of a neourethra. We used bladder mucosa in 13 boys to create 15 neourethras when there was inadequate preputial skin to perform a vascularized pedicle flap or a free preputial graft.In 3 cases a bladder mucosa graft was used for initial repair of the hypospadias. All other boys had undergone prior hypospadias surgery. In 4 boys the initial result was satisfactory. Seven minor complications occurred in 5 boys, while 4 had more major complications. In 2 boys severe problems with stricture necessitated graft replacement and a satisfactory outcome has not been achieved. Our problems with stricture and stenosis seem to be related to the use of a subcutaneous tunnel for the graft bed and coring of the glans to create the meatus.Over-all, in 11 of the 13 boys the bladder mucosal graft provided an excellent resolution of the complex problem with easily managed...
The influence of foot posture on dorsiflexion range of motion and postural control in those with chronic ankle instability

Abstract Background To investigate the effect of foot posture on postural control and dorsiflexion range of motion in individuals with chronic ankle instability. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional, single-blinded design. Twenty-one individuals with self-reported chronic ankle instability (male = 5; age = 23.76(4.18)years; height = 169.27(11.46)cm; weight = 73.65(13.37)kg; number of past ankle sprains = 4.71(4.10); episode of giving way = 17.00(18.20); Cumberland Ankle Instability Score = 18.24(4.52); Ankle Instability Index = 5.86(1.39)) participated. The foot posture index was used to categorize subjects into pronated (n = 8; Foot Posture Index = 7.50(0.93)) and neutral (n = 13; Foot Posture Index = 3.08(1.93)) groups. The dependent variables of dorsiflexion ROM and dynamic and static postural control were collected for both groups at a single session. Findings There were no significant differences in dorsiflexion range of motion between groups (p = 0.22) or any of the eyes open time-to-boundary variables (p > 0.13). The pronated group had significantly less dynamic postural control than the neutral group as assessed by the anterior direction of the Star Excursion Balance Test (p Interpretation Foot posture had a significant effect on dynamic postural control and eyes closed static postural control in individuals with chronic ankle instability. These findings suggest that foot posture may influence postural control in those with chronic ankle instability.
Evaluation of genetic stability of recombinant human factor VIII by peptide mapping and on-line mass spectrometric analysis.

Purpose. The genetic stability of a recombinant human factor VIII (rhFVIII) product expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells (Recombinate™) has been evaluated through comparisons of the protein produced at the beginning, middle and end of a typical production campaign.
Implementing a Systematic Approach to Improve Governance and Deployment of Imaging Codes in Radiology.

Unlike medical procedure (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT]) and diagnostic (International Classification of Diseases [ICD]) codes, imaging (IMG) codes are defined at the local, institutional level. IMG codes are used within an organization to define IMG procedures and how they are routed between information systems. Our purpose is to describe the implementation of a reorganization (referred to as the IMG code cleanup ) and governance structure deployed at a large children's hospital and the initial effects of that implementation. The number of IMG codes precleanup was 1388 and postcleanup was 826. This is a reduction by 40%. The mean number of addendums to radiology reports for billing reasons per month was 31.7 before and 18.6 after the IMG code cleanup . This represents a 41% decrease. We believe that the reorganization, standardization of the approach to naming and coding, reduction in the number of IMG codes, as well as governance structure put in place to maintain that organization has had both direct and indirect effects on the department's ability to both provide reliable IMG services and position the department to improve.
A Comparative Analysis of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Guideline Development Methodologies.

Rationale: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) standards for guideline development have had unintended negative consequences. A more efficient approach is desirable.Objectives: To determine whether a modified Delphi process early during guideline development discriminates recommendations that should be informed by a systematic review from those that can be based upon expert consensus.Methods: The same questions addressed by IOM-compliant pulmonary or critical care guidelines were addressed by expert panels using a modified Delphi process, termed the Convergence of Opinion on Recommendations and Evidence (CORE) process. The resulting recommendations were compared. Concordance of the course of action, strength of recommendation, and quality of evidence, as well as the duration of recommendation development, were measured.Measurements and Main Results: When 50% agreement was required to make a recommendation, all questions yielded recommendations, and the recommended courses of action were 89.6% concordant. When...
Prenatal Maternal Hyperoxygenation Testing and Implications for Critical Care Delivery Planning among Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease: Early Experience.

Background Maternal hyperoxygenation (MH) during fetal ultrasound can characterize fetal pulmonary vasoreactivity (PVr) and its associations with postnatal physiology. Objective We explored MH testing to facilitate perinatal risk stratification for fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods MH was performed in 12 fetuses: 2 with Ebstein anomaly, 2 with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), 4 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with (a) restrictive atrial septum (RAS) or (b) intact atrial septum (IAS) with decompressing vertical vein (VV), and 4 with D-loop transposition of the great arteries (TGA). PVr and physiologic and anatomic changes with MH and outcomes were recorded. Results Among Ebstein fetuses, pulmonary blood flow with MH mirrored postnatal findings. Among TAPVC fetuses, MH VV gradients correlated with postnatal gradients. One HLHS/IAS/VV fetus had no PVr and decreased pulmonary vein forward to reverse velocity time integral ratio with MH. Shortly after delivery, the infant experienced severe low cardiac output and required urgent atrial septoplasty. The remaining HLHS fetuses had PVr and underwent routine Stage 1 Norwood. Among TGA fetuses, septum primum position, foramen ovale flow, and the presence or absence of PVr with MH reflected postnatal findings. Conclusion MH may help identify fetuses with CHD at risk for perinatal compromise. Additional study may yield insights into fetal PVr and elucidate predictors of perinatal outcomes.
Improving the memory access locality of hybrid MPI applications

Maintaining memory access locality is continuing to be a challenge for parallel applications and their runtime environments. By exploiting locality, application performance, resource usage, and performance portability can be improved. The main challenge is to detect and fix memory locality issues for applications that use shared-memory programming models for intra-node parallelization. In this paper, we investigate improving memory access locality of a hybrid MPI+OpenMP application in two different ways, by manually fixing locality issues in its source code and by employing the Adaptive MPI (AMPI) runtime environment. Results show that AMPI can result in similar locality improvements as manual source code changes, leading to substantial performance and scalability gains compared to the unoptimized version and to a pure MPI runtime. Compared to the hybrid MPI+OpenMP baseline, our optimizations improved performance by 1.8x on a single cluster node, and by 1.4x on 32 nodes, with a speedup of 2.4x compared to a pure MPI execution on 32 nodes. In addition to performance, we also evaluate the impact of memory locality on the load balance within a node.
Do Skin Lacerations Imply Tissue Transfer From Surgeon to Patient During Arthroscopic Knot Tying

Purpose To use simulated arthroscopic knot tying to assess (1) whether epithelial cells from the surgeon's hands were transmitted to the suture and (2) whether the number of knots tied or the presence of glove tears would correlate with the number of cells transmitted. Methods Knots were tied in a simulated arthroscopic environment using a nonabsorbable No. 2 suture over a metal hook. The surgeon was double gloved for each knot tied. For each "anchor," a surgeon's knot was tied, followed by 3 reversed half-hitches on alternating posts. Multiple skin lacerations were sustained by the surgeon during each knot-tying session. Gloves were collected after tying 2, 4, or 6 anchors. Gloves were tested for perforation by (1) electroconductivity and (2) saline solution load testing. Cytopathologic ThinPrep analysis was applied and allowed for the number of epithelial cells found on each suture (within 10 high-powered fields) to be counted. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance and logistic regression. Results There was no significant difference in the number of epithelial cells identified in any of the groups compared with the negative control groups ( P > .05) or with each other ( P > .05). Glove tears were present in 3.3% of gloves (50% in inner and 50% in outer gloves) and 1.7% of gloves (50% in inner and 50% in outer gloves) by electroconductivity and saline solution load testing, respectively. There was no significant association between glove tears and the number of epithelial cells found on the suture ( P > .05). Conclusions Epithelial cells were transmitted to the suture during simulated arthroscopic knot tying. However, despite multiple skin lacerations produced during knot-tying sessions, the number of cells transmitted was not significantly different when compared with the negative controls. The number of cells transmitted did not correlate with the number of knots tied and/or the presence of glove tears. Clinical Relevance Skin lacerations on the surgeon's fingers are often noted after arthroscopic knot tying. However, despite these skin lacerations, no skin tissue is transferred across the surgical gloves to the suture itself.
An integrated-delivery-of-care approach to improve patient reported physical function and mental wellbeing after orthopedic trauma: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Orthopedic trauma injury impacts nearly 2.8 million people each year. Despite surgical improvements and excellent survivorship rates, many patients experience poor quality of life (QOL) outcomes years later. Psychological distress commonly occurs after injury. Distressed patients more frequently experience rehospitalizations, pain medication dependence, and low QOL. This study was developed to test whether an integrative care approach (IntCare; ten-step program of emotional support, education, customized resources, and medical care) was superior to usual care (UsCare). The primary aim was to assess patient functional QOL (objective and patient-reported outcomes) with secondary objectives encompassing emotional wellbeing and hospital outcomes. The primary outcome was the Lower Extremity Gain Scale score. A single-blinded, single-center, repeated measures, randomized controlled study is being conducted with 112 orthopedic trauma patients aged 18–85 years. Patients randomized to the IntCare group have completed or are receiving a guided ten-step support program during acute care and at follow-up outpatient visits. The UsCare group is being provided the standard of care. Patient-reported outcomes and objective functional measures are collected at the hospital and at weeks 2, 6, and 12 and months 6 and 12 post surgery. The main study outcomes are changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires of Physical Function quality of life, Satisfaction with Social Roles, and Positive-Illness Impact, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Check List, and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 from baseline to month 12. Secondary outcomes are changes in objective functional measures of the Lower Extremity Gain Scale, handgrip strength, and range of motion of major joints from week 2 to month 12 post surgery. Clinical outcomes include hospital length of stay, medical complications, rehospitalizations, psychological measures, and use of pain medications. A mixed model repeated measures approach assesses the main effects of treatment and time on outcomes, as well as their interaction (treatment × time). The results from this study will help determine whether an integrative care approach during recovery from traumatic orthopedic injury can improve the patient perceptions of physical function and emotional wellbeing compared to usual trauma care. Additionally, this study will assess the ability to reduce the incidence or severity of psychological distress and mitigate medical complications, readmissions, and reduction of QOL after injury. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02591472 . Registered on 28 October 2015.
Single Circular Chromosome Identified from the Genome Sequence of the Vibrio cholerae O1 bv. El Tor Ogawa Strain V060002

We report here the complete genome sequence of the Vibrio cholerae O1 bv. El Tor Ogawa strain V060002, isolated in 1997. The data demonstrate that this clinical strain has a single chromosome resulting from recombination of two prototypical chromosomes.
COMPRESSION STUDIES OF FORSTERITE (Mg2SiO4) AND ENSTATITE(MgSiO3)

From hydrostatic, high-pressure, X-ray diffraction studies of forsterite, Mg2SiO4, and enstatite, MgSiO3, the following zero pressure isothermal bulk moduli and their pressure derivatives were determined. ρo Kto K′to forsterite 3.234 g/cm3 1.20 Mbar 5.6 enstatite 3.227 g/cm3 1.25 Mbar 5 (assumed) Full-size table Table options View in workspace Download as CSV The cell edge (linear) and volume compressions are compared with those calculated from elastic constants [Graham and Barsch, 1969; Frisillo and Barsh, 1972] and with shock compression data [Ahrens et al., 1971; Ahrens and Gaffney, 1971].
Slavery in Puritan New England

Wendy Warren’s deeply researched New England Bound: Slavery and Colonization in Early America depends on investigation of handwritten texts rather than the several new databases about slavery and t...
A New Technique for Phase-Resolving Ocean Wave Observations By Spaceborne Spotlight-Mode Synthetic Aperture Radar

The retrieval of quantitative information on ocean waves from SAR images is a challenging problem because of the nonlinearities of the imaging mechanism, the presence of speckle noise, and the directional ambiguities associated with the interpretation of a SAR image as a single snapshot in time. We present a new methodology that overcomes some of these problems by utilizing spotlight-mode data from TerraSAR-X and COSMO-SkyMed in combination with advanced subaperture processing. We are able to derive short time series of subaperture images, which show propagation directions and speeds of moving patterns. Then we can use Fourier analysis and a dispersion relation filter to separate actual ocean wave signatures from other contributions. This process is phase-preserving and lets us reconstruct short “videos” of the spatio-temporal evolution of the extracted wave signatures, which are easier to invert into surface slope and elevation fields than conventional SAR images.
Research on Network Security Attack Detection Algorithm in Smart Grid System

In view of all kinds of network attacks which may affect the network security of the smart grid system, an attack detection algorithm is proposed, feature extraction and training to the data such as server logs is carried out based on Hidden Markov model (HMM) to achieve the network attack detection in smart grid system. By the proposed algorithm, analysis on real data of the smart grid system in one power company is carried out, which can effectively identify common types and numbers of network attack types. Through the proposed smart grid network attack detection algorithm, network security risks in the smart grid system can be found, and the level of network security is improved.
Achievement, Politics, and Policy Shifts: Expert Report on Achievement for Martínez/Yazzie v. New Mexico

The achievement levels from 2007 to 2016 in the state of New Mexico demonstrate an educational system that is failing its Hispanic, American Indian, and English learner students. During this period of time, close to 30% of Hispanic students were proficient or above in reading, math, and science, and close to 25% of American Indian students were proficient or above. Moreover, a change in politics that informed changes in curriculum and testing policies during this period of time show lowering proficiency rates and grater disparities between groups. Further and more problematically for a state that is historically bilingual, and as bilingual students tend to be Hispanic and American Indian, English learners in most recent years tested at the lowest levels of proficiency and above. These sobering achievement levels highlighted in this article were used as evidence and as testimony in the expert report in the conjoined educational opportunity cases Martinez v. New Mexico (2019) and Yazzie v. New Mexico (2019), which was a case filed on behalf of underrepresented families and students in New Mexico against the state’s Public Education Department. The result was a landmark decision that decided children in New Mexico indeed have a right to an education and mandated the state to respond immediately to these disparities. Herein are the findings and conclusions from the expert report and testimony from the Martinez v. New Mexico (2019) and Yazzie v. New Mexico (2019) Trial Declaration of Cristobal Rodriguez.
ASIC clouds: specializing the datacenter for planet-scale applications

Planet-scale applications are driving the exponential growth of the Cloud, and datacenter specialization is the key enabler of this trend. GPU- and FPGA-based clouds have already been deployed to accelerate compute-intensive workloads. ASIC-based clouds are a natural evolution as cloud services expand across the planet. ASIC Clouds are purpose-built datacenters comprised of large arrays of ASIC accelerators that optimize the total cost of ownership (TCO) of large, high-volume scale-out computations. On the surface, ASIC Clouds may seem improbable due to high NREs and ASIC inflexibility, but large-scale ASIC Clouds have already been deployed for the Bitcoin cryptocurrency system. This paper distills lessons from these Bitcoin ASIC Clouds and applies them to other large scale workloads such as YouTube-style video-transcoding and Deep Learning, showing superior TCO versus CPU and GPU. It derives Pareto-optimal ASIC Cloud servers based on accelerator properties, by jointly optimizing ASIC architecture, DRAM, motherboard, power delivery, cooling, and operating voltage. Finally, the authors examine the impact of ASIC NRE and when it makes sense to build an ASIC Cloud.
Limited evidence for probability matching as a strategy in probability learning tasks

Abstract In probability learning experiments, a participant is typically presented with one of two alternatives to select, one of which will lead to a reward. For example, in a 70:30 task, one alternative will lead to a reward on 70% of trials while the other will yield a reward on the remaining 30% of trials. On probability learning tasks, adults are said to “probability match,” selecting each alternative with the relative frequency with which it has been reinforced. Children, on the other hand, are said to “maximize,” always guessing whichever alternative has been reinforced more often. The different patterns between adult and child behavior are thought to have implications for language learning, especially qualitative differences in child and adult language learning skills and developmental trajectories on a range of other cognitive tasks. However, a thorough review of the literature suggests that behavioral profiles of adults and children are not as straightforward as has been claimed. Crucially, there is little empirical support for a true probability matching strategy by any participants. Differences in features of the experimental task and in meta-task knowledge contribute to variability across tasks and participants in ways that only become evident when systematically reviewing the literature. Differences in probability learning across populations may not underlie or indicate causal differences in more complex cognitive behavior, but rather may themselves be another pattern of behavior that theories of learning and development must account for.
Lang-Lit Controversy: Pedagogic Pandemonium

It is not uncommon to hear from the academics that standards of English studies have drastically deteriorated over the period of time. One of the causal factors normally attributed to this decline in standards is students’ incapacity and incapability to read and appreciate literary texts. But one should not conveniently overlook the fact that English studies in India is made available only through academic institutions where teachers and pedagogy play a vital role in benchmarking and sustaining standards. Here prevails the pedagogic pandemonium first in the minds of literary academics who themselves face the linguistic handicap of English as a second language. They cannot equate themselves as much with native teachers of English literature as teachers of regional literatures in India. Ironically, for a majority of English literature students at all levels, English is still a foreign language. Hence, while English literature teachers face a single disadvantage of using English as a second language, English literature students confront doubt disadvantages: English as a foreign language and they have no competence in it. Hence, it is a silent conspiracy to exclude language study from literary study by way of emphasising the contents. Linguistic competence is the first and foremost requirement for acquiring literary competence. Both cannot be acquired simultaneously, but only successively. Analysis and appreciation of literary texts mercifully rests on language which provides the necessary matrix for the creation of literature. It is not justifiable and fair to level charges against students when they never ever get an opportunity to acquire literary competence for both aesthetic appreciations subjectively and cognitive comprehension objectively. Students, in fact, become victims of the ‘cell-prison’ status being internalized first by the academics and then accorded to ‘lang- lit’ components of aesthetic branch of human knowledge. This paper aims to examine the importance of language as a subject and as a medium in teaching of English literature, and it sets a working hypothesis that language is an equally important and indispensable tool for creation and consumption of literature.
The distracted online student: Strategies to capture attention and promote connection

Abstract The recent pandemic has resulted in a surge of nursing students taking completely asynchronous online courses. Students completing courses in the online learning environment may be at-risk for experiencing academic setbacks due to many factors. Faculty having awareness and addressing distractions that nursing students face in an online course is paramount for student success. This manuscript will discuss the strategies of getting to know students, creating a community of attention, and establishing faculty presence to help capture attention and promote connection of distracted students.
Guidelines for Conducting Ethical Artificial Intelligence Research in Neurology: A Systematic Approach for Clinicians and Researchers

Preemptive recognition of the ethical implications of study design and algorithm choices in artificial intelligence (AI) research is an important but challenging process. AI applications have begun to transition from a promising future to clinical reality in neurology. As the clinical management of neurology is often concerned with discrete, often unpredictable, and highly consequential events linked to multimodal data streams over long timescales, forthcoming advances in AI have great potential to transform care for patients. However, critical ethical questions have been raised with implementation of the first AI applications in clinical practice. Clearly, AI will have far-reaching potential to promote, but also to endanger, ethical clinical practice. This article employs an anticipatory ethics approach to scrutinize how researchers in neurology can methodically identify ethical ramifications of design choices early in the research and development process, with a goal of preempting unintended consequences that may violate principles of ethical clinical care. First, we discuss the use of a systematic framework for researchers to identify ethical ramifications of various study design and algorithm choices. Second, using epilepsy as a paradigmatic example, anticipatory clinical scenarios that illustrate unintended ethical consequences are discussed, and failure points in each scenario evaluated. Third, we provide practical recommendations for understanding and addressing ethical ramifications early in methods development stages. Awareness of the ethical implications of study design and algorithm choices that may unintentionally enter AI is crucial to ensuring that incorporation of AI into neurology care leads to patient benefit rather than harm.
Performance Enhancement of 2.3 kV 4H-SiC Planar-Gate MOSFETs Using Reduced Gate Oxide Thickness

Planar-gate 2.3 kV 4H-SiC power MOSFETs were successfully fabricated in a commercial foundry with the gate oxide thickness reduced from 55 to 27 nm for the first time. Results of numerical simulations demonstrate acceptable gate oxide electric field despite the increased blocking voltage. For a gate bias of 15 V, the measured specific ON-resistance ( ${R}_{\mathrm {ON},\text {sp}}$ ) and high-frequency figures-of-merit (FOM[ ${R}_{\mathrm {ON}} \times {C}_{\text {gd}}$ ], FOM[ ${R}_{\mathrm {ON}} \times {Q}_{\text {gd}}$ ]) were improved by a factor of $1.3\times $ by reducing the gate oxide thickness even at the larger blocking voltage. Analytical modeling shows that the channel and accumulation layer resistances are still important contributors even at this larger blocking voltage capability. Operating the 27 nm gate oxide devices with the commonly accepted ON-state gate oxide electric field of 4 MV/cm for reliable operation makes the ${R}_{\mathrm {ON},\text {sp}}$ and FOMs for the 27 nm gate oxide case 10% worse than the 55 nm gate oxide case. However, the reduced gate bias of 11 V for the 27 nm gate oxide case reduces input switching power loss in half from a gate drive perspective. In addition, operation at this gate bias makes the saturation current for the 27 nm gate oxide devices three times smaller than for the conventional devices operating at a gate bias of 20 V, which will proportionally increase short-circuit withstand time.
Initial Experience with High-Definition Camera-On-a-Chip Flexible Endoscopy for Intraventricular Neurosurgery.

Objective The usefulness of existing neuroendoscopes has been limited by either decreased range of motion or suboptimal image resolution. The flexible high-definition chip-camera endoscope has emerged as a potential solution to the shortcomings of available instruments by combining superior flexibility and image quality in order to better operate within spatially constrained intraventricular operations. Case Description Here we describe a 36-year-old woman who presented with hydrocephalus caused by an obstructive mass arising from the tectum. A high-definition camera-on-a-chip flexible neuroendoscope was used to sample the tectal mass after a traditional neuroendoscope was used to perform a third ventriculostomy. Conclusions As demonstrated by this initial experience, the use of high-definition camera-on-a-chip flexible endoscopy may provide enhanced intraoperative visualization and application for intraventricular neurosurgery.
THE VARIABLE STROKE ENGINE--PROBLEMS AND PROMISES

The concept of the variable stroke engine (VSE) is explained and problems related to its use are discussed. Single-cylinder combustion data are combined with published multi-cylinder VSE friction data to formulate an engine model. This engine model is coupled with a vehicle model to project 55/45 fuel economy (based on Environmental Protection Agency urban/highway schedule calculations) and NOx (nitrogen oxides) gm/mi which are compared with similar projections for a throttled engine. At an NOx level of 0.93 gm/km (1.5 gm/mi), VSE fuel economy improvements ranged from 2% to 20%, depending upon the frictional losses and the vehicle power-to-weight ratios used in the models (the higher the ratio, the greater the improvement). The calculations suggest that with the VSE, the lower the NOx level, the less the fuel economy improvement. Variable displacement engines using cylinder deactivation have been projected to offer fuel economy improvement competitive with that of the VSE.
Characterization of the mutation responsible for aspartylglucosaminuria in three Finnish patients. Amino acid substitution Cys163----Ser abolishes the activity of lysosomal glycosylasparaginase and its conversion into subunits.

Abstract The mutation that causes a deficiency of the lysosomal amidase, glycosylasparaginase, has been characterized in fibroblasts from three Finnish patients diagnosed with aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU). The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the glycosylasparaginase protein coding sequence from the three AGU patients in order to compare them to the normal sequence from a full-length human placenta cDNA clone HPAsn.6 (Fisher, K.J., Tollersrud, O.K., and Aronson, N.N., Jr. (1990) FEBS Lett. 269, 440-444). Two base changes were found to be common to all three Finnish AGU patients, a G482----A transition that results in an Arg161----Gln substitution and a G488----C transversion that causes Cys163----Ser. Detection of both point mutations from PCR-amplified cDNA or genomic DNA was facilitated by their creation of new endonuclease restriction sites. Expression studies in COS-1 cells revealed only the Cys163----Ser mutation caused a deficiency of glycosylasparaginase activity. This same substitution also prevented the normal posttranslational processing of the precursor glycosylasparaginase polypeptide into its alpha and beta subunits. Cell-free expression of the single-chain glycosylasparaginase precusor did not produce an active enzyme, suggesting that post-translational generation of subunits may be required for catalytic activity.
An equivalent circuit formulation of the power flow problem with current and voltage state variables

Steady state analysis of power grids is typically performed using power flow analysis, where nonlinear balance equations of real and reactive power are solved to calculate the voltage magnitude, phase, and power at every bus. Transient analysis of the same power grids are performed using circuit simulation methods. We propose a novel approach to modeling the nonlinear steady state behavior of power grids in terms of equivalent circuits with currents and voltages as the state variables that is a step toward unifying transient and steady state models. A graph theoretic formulation approach is used to solve the circuits that enables incorporation of switch models for contingency analyses. Superior nonlinear steady state convergence is demonstrated by use of current as a state variable and application of circuit simulation methods. Furthermore, current and voltage state variables will offer greater compatibility with future smart grid components and monitors.