cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Earnings Management? Alternative Explanations for Observed Discontinuities in the Frequency Distribution of Earnings, Earnings Changes, and Analyst Forecast Errors

The discontinuities at zero in the frequency distributions of reported net income (deflated by beginning-of-period market capitalization), deflated change in net income, I/B/E/S "actual" earnings, and analysts' forecast errors are the most widely cited evidence of earnings management. We provide evidence consistent with alternative explanations for each of these discontinuities. We show that firms reporting small losses are priced significantly differently from firms that report small profits. An effect of this difference in pricing is that earnings to the left of zero are deflated by significantly different denominators than earnings to the right of zero inducing a discontinuity in the distributions of deflated net income and deflated changes in net income at zero. We also show that sample selection criteria may contribute to the discontinuity in these distributions as well as the discontinuity in I/B/E/S actual earnings. Finally, the presumption in the literature which focuses on the discontinuity at zero in the distribution of analysts' forecasts errors is that earnings are managed to meet or beat analysts' forecasts. We provide an alternative explanation: the discontinuity is caused by the fact that analysts' forecast errors tend to be much greater when the forecasts are optimistic than when they are pessimistic. This tendency leads to more small positive forecasts errors (pessimistic forecasts) than small negative forecast errors (optimistic forecasts).
The physiological impacts of wealth shocks in late life: Evidence from the Great Recession.

Given documented links between individual socioeconomic status (SES) and health, it is likely that-in addition to its impacts on individuals' wallets and bank accounts-the Great Recession also took a toll on individuals' disease and mortality risk. Exploiting a quasi-natural experiment design, this study utilizes nationally representative, longitudinal data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) (2005-2011) (N = 930) and individual fixed effects models to examine how household-level wealth shocks experienced during the Great Recession relate to changes in biophysiological functioning in older adults. Results indicate that wealth shocks significantly predicted changes in physiological functioning, such that losses in net worth from the pre-to the post-Recession period were associated with increases in systolic blood pressure and C-reactive protein over the six year period. Further, while the association between wealth shocks and changes in blood pressure was unattenuated with the inclusion of other indicators of SES, psychosocial well-being, and health behaviors in analytic models, we document some evidence of mediation in the association between changes in wealth and changes in C-reactive protein, which suggests specificity in the social and biophysiological mechanisms relating wealth shocks and health at older ages. Linking macro-level conditions, meso-level household environments, and micro-level biological processes, this study provides new insights into the mechanisms through which economic inequality contributes to disease and mortality risk in late life.
An effective medium theory for three-dimensional elastic heterogeneities

SUMMARY A second-order Born approximation is used to formulate a self-consistent theory for the effective elastic parameters of stochastic media with ellipsoidal distributions of small-scale heterogeneity. The covariance of the stiffness tensor is represented as the product of a onepoint tensor variance and a two-point scalar correlation function with ellipsoidal symmetry, which separates the statistical properties of the local anisotropy from those of the geometric anisotropy. The spatial variations can then be rescaled to an isotropic distribution by a simple metric transformation; the spherical average of the strain Green’s function in the transformed space reduces to a constant Kneer tensor, and the second-order corrections to the effective elastic parameters are given by the contraction of the rescaled Kneer tensor against the singlepoint variance of the stiffness tensor. Explicit results are derived for stochastic models in which the heterogeneity is transversely isotropic and its second moments are characterized by a horizontal-to-vertical aspect ratio η. If medium is locally isotropic, the expressions for the anisotropic effective moduli reduce in the limit η →∞ to Backus’s second-order expressions fora1-Dstochasticlaminate.ComparisonswiththeexactBackustheoryshowthatthesecondorder approximation predicts the effective anisotropy for non-Gaussian media fairly well for relative rms fluctuations in the moduli smaller than about 30 per cent. A locally anisotropic model is formulated in which the local elastic properties have hexagonal symmetry, guided by a Gaussian random vector field that is transversely isotropic and specified by a horizontal-toverticalorientationratio ξ.Theself-consistenttheoryprovidesclosed-formexpressionsforthe dependence of the effective moduli on 0 <ξ <∞ and 0 <η< ∞. The effective-medium parametrizations described here appear to be suitable for incorporation into tomographic modelling.
[Application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis in a food-borne outbreak of Salmonella serotype Muenchen infection].

Objective To investigate the application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) in food-borne outbreak.Methods Pathogens were isolated and further characteristics identified by traditional methods.The strains isolated were carried out with molecular typing with using PFGE.PFGE was performed by Laboratory Directions for molecular subtyping of Salmonella by PFGE ( CDC,USA) and the results of PFGE were analyzed by BioNumerics soft.Results Totally 14 Salmonella serotype Muenchen strains were isolated from 19 patients,3 of 9 suspicious foods were positive for S.muenchen and 7 strains were isolated from 18 cooks.The biochemistry characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of all the strains isolated were the same.23S.muenchen isolates were all shown indistinguishable by PFGE.Conclusion PFGE should play a key role in identifying the outbreak-associated isolates and distinguishing them from unrelated sporadic isolates.It might also demonstrate that the genetic fingerprints of serotype Muenchen isolates derived from patients were indistinguishable from those derived from drinks.PFGE might provide precise information on bacterial food-borne pathogens,promptly identify the source of infection,and effectively prevent from spreading.It should be one of the early warning method on controlling outbreak of the food-borne disease. Key words: Salmonella; Electrophoreais; gel; pulsed-field; Salmonella food poisoning
The role of the adaptive immune system in burn-induced heterotopic ossification and mesenchymal cell osteogenic differentiation

Abstract Background Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the pathologic process of extraskeletal bone formation. Although the exact etiology remains unknown, inflammation appears to catalyze disease progression. The goal of this study is to determine the impact of the adaptive immune system on HO. Methods HO was induced in 8-wk-old control C57BL/6 and immunocompromised Rag1tm1Mom (Rag1 KO) male mice deficient in B- and T-lymphocytes via combined Achilles tenotomy and burn injury. Microcomputed tomography quantified the extent of HO formation at the tenotomy site. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were harvested to evaluate osteogenic differentiation potential. Results Areas of developing HO demonstrated substantial enrichment of CD45 + leukocytes at 3 wk after injury. HO from Rag1 KO mice was substantially less mature with foci of cartilage and disorganized trabecular bone present 12 wk after injury. Rag1 KO mice formed 60% less bone compared to immunocompetent controls (4.67 ± 1.5 mm versus 7.76 ± 0.65 mm; P = 0.001). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and immunofluorescent analysis of osteoprotegerin and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells demonstrated no appreciable difference in osteoclast number or activation. Alizarin red staining in vitro demonstrated a significant decrease in osteogenic potential in immunocompromised mice compared to controls (29.1 ± 0.54 mm versus 12.1 ± 0.14 mm; P Conclusions We demonstrate a prominent role for the adaptive immune system in the development of HO. In the absence of mature B- and T-lymphocytes, HO growth and development are attenuated. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mesenchymal populations from B- and T-cell deficient mice are inherently less osteogenic. This study identifies a potential therapeutic role for modulation of the adaptive immune system in the treatment of HO.
Physical properties of water

Publisher Summary Water is probably the most familiar chemical compound in human experience, and also the most necessary one. Sciences as diverse as biochemistry, meteorology, and geology require knowledge of the properties of water and aqueous solutions. In industry, water is an important part of many processes, and understanding of its properties is often necessary for design and optimization, particularly in fluids-based industries, such as chemical processing. A water molecule has a dipole moment and dipole polarizability. The key feature of the water's microscopic structure is hydrogen bonding. Because of the geometry and charge distribution of the water molecule, it tends to favor tetrahedral coordination with its neighbors. At higher temperatures, the thermal energy produces random configurations, so the amount of hydrogen bonding decreases with temperature. Because certain natural processes produce a slight fractionation between water molecules containing different isotopes, scientists can use isotopic compositions to trace processes such as global atmospheric circulation. Most people are at least qualitatively familiar with the transitions of water among vapor, liquid, and solid phases. It is customary and useful to represent this information with a phase diagram. The chapter reviews the thermodynamic, transporting, and other miscellaneous properties of water.
Poems, Verses, and The Dynasts

FOR more than thirty years after the publication of Jude the Obscure Hardy was a poet, as he had always intended to be. To him the writing of novels was only a long hiatus from his real metier; and even while he was writing novels he had continued with his poetry although he published none of it. Consequently, it is an error to think that he turned to poetry in disgust with the reception of his last novels. He was disgusted enough, to be sure, but poetry to him was altogether a more noble form of endeavor to which he gladly returned after some twenty-five years of fiction.
Surface Condition and Superconducting Properties of Ag-Sheathed Tape

We investigated surface condition of Bi-2223 Ag-sheathed tapes, and also researched relationship between microstructures and mechanical properties. It was recognized that the size of Ag crystal grains grown by annealing varied with heat treatment temperature. Samples, which coarse Bi-2223 platelike grains were also recognized to be grown near to the surface partially after annealing at relatively high temperature, sometimes showed degradation in superconductivity after heat cycle between room temperature and Liq.N2 temperature. We verified a possibility of degradation with behavior of Liq.N2 in the sample by investigating properties for heat cycle of the samples covered with epoxy resin.
High-pressure rheology of alumina-silicone oil nanofluids

Abstract The effect of high-pressure on the rheological characteristics of alumina-silicone oil nanofluids at room temperature is investigated in this paper. Nanofluids are engineered colloidal suspensions of nano-sized particles dispersed in a basefluid. The rheological characteristics of nanofluids are studied with pressures up to 100 MPa and particle concentrations up to 8% by mass using a high-pressure viscometer. The addition of nanoparticles is observed to increase the apparent viscosity of the nanofluids. A non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior is observed for both the basefluid and the nanofluids at all pressures at the higher shear rates. The critical shear rate at which shear thinning occurs is observed to be strongly influenced by particle addition. An increase in the pressure is observed to have an equal effect on the basefluid and on the nanofluids, which results in an average pressure-viscosity coefficient for both to be approximately 0.015 mm 2 /N. The relative increase in the viscosity of the nanofluid to that of the basefluid was not affected by the pressure and was several orders higher than that predicted by the classical effective medium theory.
Pharmaceutical Company Strategies and Distribution Systems in Emerging Markets

In low- and middle-income countries, health distribution systems respond to the population's health conditions by providing consistent access to appropriate health products, medicines, and vaccines. The challenges in managing pharmaceuticals in emerging countries are very different from those in advanced economies. In developed countries, the challenge is to enhance the efficiency of spending on pharmaceuticals. In most of the emerging markets, the main challenge is how to expand the pharmaceutical market to include a larger share of the population. In emerging economies, increased spending on pharmaceuticals could lead to higher benefits in health outcomes and in some cases could also catalyze economic growth. Growth of the pharmaceutical sector and higher access to the population will depend on effective pricing, partnership, and distribution strategies being followed by pharmaceutical companies. Differential pricing and joint partnerships with local manufacturing companies would be critical to the growth of the pharmaceutical sector in emerging markets. Trends in the distribution landscape such as the emergence of prewholesalers, accredited second tier retail pharmacy programs, improved methods of information collection, new partnership models with government, and success of rural distribution strategies used by generic manufacturers need to be taken into account when designing distribution strategies.
Political and Economic Systems in East Asia

The author first briefly introduces the concept of “political economy”—the interplay of the political and economic systems in a society, and then focuses on the main feature of the political economy of the major East Asian countries: political powers are based on personal connections and the state exerts greater control over the economy with more pro-business and growth-driven policies. The author also compares the legal philosophies between the East and West. The chapter ends with a discussion on the role of the state between East Asia and the United States in socioeconomic development.
Market states and the risk-return tradeoff

Abstract We re-examine the risk-return tradeoff in the U.S. equity market by allowing for time variation in the tradeoff and estimating conditional variance by the new mixed data sampling method. The main finding is that the risk-return tradeoff is strongly time-varying with the state of the market and the average of the time-varying tradeoff estimates is 1.43. The lagged market return is found to be the best indicator of market states. The empirical finding holds true for a battery of robustness checks during the post-Compustat sample period. The evidence from the international markets is similar to the U.S. one.
Receiver design and bit allocation for a multi-user distributed relay network performing vector quantization

Given the increasing importance of mobile data access, extending broadband wireless access has become a global grand challenge. Relaying has been introduced to enable wireless communication between users lacking a common link. Distributed relay networks (DRN) are a special case where the relay consists of many geographically distributed single-antenna nodes to achieve spatial diversity. In this paper we introduce a quantized DRN where the relay nodes perform vector quantization before broadcasting downlink signals to the users. We derive performance-efficient receivers for this system and investigate a strategy for bit allocation across quantizers of the relay nodes to enhance the performance.
Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating Skin, Hair, Nail, and Bone Disease in Patients with Focal Dermal Hypoplasia

Focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH) is an X-linked dominant disease characterized by dermal thinning and fat herniation with other ectodermal and mesodermal abnormalities. There is limited literature regarding the symptomatology and progression of skin, hair, and nail disease. The risk of bone fragility has not been explored either. This cross-sectional survey-based study explored these gaps in knowledge and provides direction for future avenues of research in FDH.
Comparison of three dimensional synergistic analyses of percentage versus logarithmic data in antiviral studies

Abstract Cell culture antiviral experiments were conducted in order to understand the relationship between percentage data generated by plaque reduction (PR) and logarithmic data derived by virus yield reduction (VYR) assays, using three-dimensional MacSynergy II software. The relationship between percentage and logarithmic data has not been investigated previously. Interpretation of drug-drug interactions is based on a Volume of Synergy (VS) calculation, which can be positive (synergy), negative (antagonistic), or neutral (no or minimal interaction). Interactions of two known inhibitors of vaccinia virus replication, cidofovir and 6-azauridine, used in combination by PR assay yielded a VS value of 265, indicative of strong synergy. By VYR, the VS value was only 37, or weak synergy using the same criterion, even though profound log 10 reductions in virus titer occurred at multiple drug combinations. These results confirm that the differences in VS values is dependent of the measurement scale, and not that the degree of synergy differed between the assays. We propose that for logarithmic data, the calculated VS values will be lower for significant synergy and antagonism and that volumes of >10 μM 2 log 10 PFU/ml (or other units such as μM 2 log 10 genomic equivalents/ml or μM 2 log 10 copies/ml) and 2 log 10 PFU/ml are likely to be indicative of strong synergy and strong antagonism, respectively. Data presented here show that the interaction of cidofovir and 6-azauridine was strongly synergistic in vitro.
On Sci-Fi’s Good China, Bad China: Maureen F. McHugh and Chang-Rae Lee

In this chapter, “On Sci-Fi’s Good China, Bad China,” examines China Mountain Zhang (1992) and On Such a Full Sea (2014). In both works, the universal duality of “good cop, bad cop,” utopia and dystopia, sinophilia and sinophobia, is attributed to the rise of China as the world power and the scourge of the world. In Maureen F. McHugh’s and Chang-rae Lee’s sci-fi novels, they trade the police badge of justice and violence for the Chinese face—a countenance of beauty and bastardy, awesome “China Mountain” that somehow infects with the suggestive C-illness in Lee.
Increased Metabolic Benefit for Obese, Elderly Patients Undergoing Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass vs Sleeve Gastrectomy.

We sought to assess outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) vs laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) in a cohort of morbidly obese, elderly patients. Retrospective review was conducted of all patients age 60 years or greater undergoing LSG or LRYGB at our institution between 2007 and 2014. A total of 134 patients who underwent LSG (n = 65) or LRYGB (n = 69) were identified. Groups were similar with respect to age (64 years, range 60–75 years), BMI (44.0 ± 6.1), and ASA score (91% ≥ ASA 3). There were no differences in major post-operative complications (3, 4.7% LSG vs 4, 5.8% LRYGB, p = 0.75). Median follow-up was 39 months (IQR 14–64 months) with no patients lost to follow-up. Patients undergoing LRYGB had improvement in each of diabetes mellitus 2 (DM2), hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia (HL), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as well as a significant decrease in insulin use (16/47, 34.0% pre-operatively vs 7/47, 15.2% post-operatively; p = 0.03). Patients undergoing LSG had improvement in DM2 and HTN but not in HL or GERD; there was no reduction in insulin dependence. Weight loss was not significantly different between groups; mean percent total weight loss at 36 months was 26.9 ± 9.0% in the LSG group and 23.9 ± 9.3% in the LRYGB group, p = 0.24. Both LSG and RYGB can be safely performed on morbidly obese, elderly adults. At intermediate follow-up, there is an increased metabolic benefit for elderly patients undergoing LRYGB over LSG.
A spiral element above a spherically curved AMC ground plane

A circular HIS with spherical curvature is designed and used as ground plane for spiral antennas. The operational bandwidth, gain pattern and impact of the curvature on the performance of the antenna is studied.
Stakeholder Perspectives on the Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality, and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care (OPTIMISTIC) Project.

Background and objectives The need to reduce burdensome and costly hospitalizations of frail nursing home residents is well documented. The Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical Quality, and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care (OPTIMISTIC) project achieved this reduction through a multicomponent collaborative care model. We conducted an implementation-focused project evaluation to describe stakeholders' perspectives on (a) the most and least effective components of the intervention; (b) barriers to implementation; and (c) program features that promoted its adoption. Research design and methods Nineteen nursing homes participated in OPTIMISTIC. We conducted semistructured, qualitative interviews with 63 stakeholders: 23 nursing home staff and leaders, 4 primary care providers, 10 family members, and 26 OPTIMISTIC clinical staff. We used directed content analysis to analyze the data. Results We found universal endorsement of the value of in-depth advance care planning (ACP) discussions in reducing hospitalizations and improving care. Similarly, all stakeholder groups emphasized that nursing home access to specially trained, project registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) with time to focus on ACP, comprehensive resident assessment, and staff education was particularly valuable in identifying residents' goals for care. Challenges to implementation included inadequately trained facility staff and resistance to changing practice. In addition, the program sometimes failed to communicate its goals and activities clearly, leaving facilities uncertain about the OPTIMISTIC clinical staff's roles in the facilities. Discussion and implications These findings are important for dissemination efforts related to the OPTIMISTIC care model and may be applicable to other innovations in nursing homes.
Emerging Approaches to Neurocircuits in PTSD and TBI: Imaging the Interplay of Neural and Emotional Trauma

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) commonly co-occur in general and military populations and have a number of overlapping symptoms. While research suggests that TBI is risk factor for PTSD and that PTSD may mediate TBI-related outcomes, the mechanisms of these relationships are not well understood. Neuroimaging may help elucidate patterns of neurocircuitry both specific and common to PTSD and TBI and thus help define the nature of their interaction, refine diagnostic classification, and may potentially yield opportunities for targeted treatments. In this review, we provide a summary of some of the most common and the most innovative neuroimaging approaches used to characterize the neural circuits associated with PTSD, TBI, and their comorbidity. We summarize the state of the science for each disorder and describe the few studies that have explicitly attempted to characterize the neural substrates of their shared and dissociable influence. While some promising targets in the medial frontal lobes exist, there is not currently a comprehensive understanding of the neurocircuitry mediating the interaction of PTSD and TBI. Future studies should exploit innovative neuroimaging approaches and longitudinal designs to specifically target the neural mechanisms driving PTSD-TBI-related outcomes.
Understanding and countering cyber coercion

The past decade has seen the rise of cyberspace as a topic of popular, political and scholarly discourse, from the highest reaches of government to the movie screen. States are grappling with how to address the rising tide of cyber threats to their economies, to their citizens' personal information and increasingly to political and social cohesion. States are using cyber capabilities as a tool of statecraft to achieve political objectives. This paper seeks to develop an understanding of how states use cyber capabilities to coerce others for political objectives. Cyber coercion is defined as the use of cyber capabilities to compel an opponent to undertake an action it would not normally wish to perform and avoid an undesirable outcome. The paper seeks to address: how a state can employ cyber capabilities to compel another state (or non-state actor) to accommodate its ambitions; how cyber coercion might take place; and ways that the United States and its partners can recognize, respond to and counter attempts at cyber coercion. The paper examines the use of cyber operations by North Korea and Russia in recent years as part of their broader strategies to exert influence over their neighbours, showing how the context in which such operations occur is critical.
Molecular and cell wall structure of wood

To the materials scientist, the word “fiber” connotes a slender, thread-like structure with substantial mechanical properties. The term includes a vast array of natural and synthetic materials — derived from metals, polymers, ceramic and vitreous materials, and from diverse animal and plant origins. Wood is a fibrous material in the main. In the woods produced by conifers, some 90 per cent of the volumetric composition and approximately 95 per cent of the dry mass can be attributed to cellulosic fibers known as tracheids. Lignified cellulosic fibers of various kinds form the bulk of virtually all woods. Accordingly, our attention focuses on the constituent fibers when we consider the material wood from a materials science standpoint. In wood as well as in other plant-derived materials, the fibers are in reality the exoskeletons of once-living, elongate cells that originated from a meristem. The cells each have a lumen, or hollow center.
Role of Lymph Nodes in Immunotherapy of Malignant Tumors

The tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) is the site of critical immune interactions and has implications in the clinical outcome of patients with malignant tumors. This chapter reviews the anatomy of lymph nodes and the interactions that occur between tumor antigens and immune cells at the TDLN. Historical in vivo experiments demonstrating the role that lymph nodes have in the immune response to malignancies is presented. These findings form the basis for ongoing research to develop approaches that potentiate the antitumor immune response. We conclude by describing some of these approaches. This includes the generation of effector cells from TDLN for adoptive immunotherapy and a dendritic cell–tumor fusion hybrid vaccine that demonstrates efficacy when delivered directly into lymph nodes.
Kostentransparenz in der Unternehmenskommunikation

Das Thema Kosten und Kostenzuordnung ist im Umfeld der Unternehmenskommunikation nach wie vor ein ungelostes und oft ungeliebtes Thema. Weder sind die Voll-Kosten der Masnahmen bekannt, noch konnen sie von den Verantwortlichen der Unternehmenskommunikation mit den vom Rechnungswesen bzw. Controlling zur Verfugung gestellten Informationen beeinflusst werden. In diesem Beitrag werden zunachst der in vielen Unternehmen wahrgenommene Ist-Zustand der Kostenverrechung und Budgetierung wiedergegeben und einige spezifische Begriffe aus dem Rechnungswesen/Controlling erlautert, um dann mogliche Losungen fur die realitatsnahen Zuordnung von Masnahmen zu skizzieren.
Complete Genome Sequences of Bacteriocin-Producing Streptococcus thermophilus Strains ST106 and ST109.

ABSTRACT Streptococcus thermophilus strains ST106 and ST109 produce broad-spectrum bacteriocins encoded within a bacteriocin-like peptide (blp) gene cluster. This study reports the complete genome sequences for both strains, with the ST109 chromosome containing 1,788,866 nucleotides (nt) and 1,572 predicted genes, and ST106 having 1,856,083 nt and 1,601 predicted genes.
A novel membrane-associated c-type cytochrome, cyt cy, can mediate the photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodobacter sphaeroides

Abstract Mutants of Rhodobacter capsulatus lacking the soluble electron carrier cytochrome c2 are able to grow photosynthetically (Ps+), whereas Rhodobacter sphaeroides is unable to do so. To understand this unusual electron transfer pathway the gene required for cyt c2-independent growth of R.capsulatus was sought using chromosomal libraries derived from a cyt c2- mutant of this species to complement a Ps- cyt c2- mutant of R.sphaeroides to Ps+ growth. The complementing 1.2 kbp DNA fragment contained a gene, cycY, encoding a novel membrane-associated c-type cytochrome, cyt cy, based on predicted amino acid sequence, optical difference spectra and SDS-PAGE analysis of chromatophore membranes. The predicted primary sequence of cyt cy is unusual in having two distinct domains, a hydrophobic amino-terminal region and a carboxyl-terminus with strong homology to cytochromes c. A cyt cy- mutant of R.capsulatus remains Ps+ as does the cyt c2- mutant. However, a mutant lacking both cyt c2 and cy is Ps-, and can be complemented to Ps+ by either cyt c2 or cyt cy. These findings demonstrate that each of the cytochromes c2 and cy is essential for photosynthesis only in the absence of the other. Thus, two distinct electron transfer pathways, unrecognized until now, operate during photosynthesis in R.capsulatus under appropriate conditions, one via the soluble cyt c2 and the other via the membrane-associated cyt cy.
An Exploration of Age on Attraction and Retention of Managerial Workforce in the Electrical Construction Industry in the United States

The workforce shortage in construction is well known, and demand for construction managers is projected to grow over the next 10 years. These challenges are exacerbated for trade contractors. This ...
Helicobacter pylori Mutations Detected by Next-Generation Sequencing in Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Gastric Biopsy Specimens Are Associated with Treatment Failure.

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance is widespread and increasing worldwide. Routine detection of H. pylori mutations that invoke antimicrobial resistance may be a useful approach to guide antimicrobial therapy and possibly avert treatment failure. In this study, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric biopsy specimens from a cohort of individuals from northern Ohio in the United States were examined using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay to detect H. pylori mutations that are known to confer resistance to clarithromycin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline. From January 2016 to January 2017, 133 H. pylori-infected gastric biopsy specimens were identified histologically and subsequently analyzed by NGS to detect mutations in gyrA, 23S rRNA, and 16S rRNA genes. The method successfully detected H. pylori in 126 of 133 cases (95% sensitivity). Mutations conferring resistance were present in 92 cases (73%), including 63 cases with one mutation (50%) and 29 cases with mutations in multiple genes (23%). Treatment outcomes were available in 58 cases. Sixteen of the 58 cases failed therapy (28%). Therapy failure correlated with the number of mutated genes: no failure in cases with no mutations (0/15), 19% (5/27) failure in cases with one gene mutation, and 69% (11/16) failure in cases with more than one mutated gene. Common 23S rRNA mutations (A2142G or A2413G) were present in 88% (14/16) of failed cases as opposed to in only 10% (4/42) of eradicated cases (P
Effect of macronutrients on phospholipid production by the microalga Nannochloropsis oculata in a photobioreactor

Abstract Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change have raised global demand for renewable products, leading to increased interest in sustainable resources. Microalgae constitute a potentially sustainable source of natural compounds, such as phospholipids, which are extensively used in cosmetics as part of liposomes, emulsifiers, solubilizers, and wetting agents. Currently phospholipids are extracted from food sources, a practice that raises sustainability concerns. Photosynthetic microalgae cultivated on nitrogen and phosphorus macronutrients may serve as a more sustainable source of the major phospholipids phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, and lyso-ethanolamine. We assessed the effect of nitrogen and phosphorous provision on phospholipid production by the marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata cultivated in a 3.5-liter flat panel photobioreactor at two macronutrient mass ratios, NO3−/PO43− = 15 and NO3−/PO43− = 5. Using organic solvent extraction and 31P NMR spectroscopy, phospholipid content in cell mass was found to be 26% higher at the ratio of 5 than at the ratio of 15, indicating that phosphate-rich cultivation boosts phospholipid formation. Moreover, the specific growth rate of the culture at the ratio of 5 was higher than at the ratio of 15. After the growth phase the cultures were subjected to macronutrient starvation, a common practice for increasing total lipid production. Therefore, maintaining a NO3−/PO43− ratio of 5 is deemed to be essential for exploiting microalgae for large scale production of phospholipids.
Nitrogen enrichment, altered stoichiometry, and coral reef decline at Looe Key, Florida Keys, USA: a 3-decade study

Increased loadings of nitrogen (N) from fertilizers, top soil, sewage, and atmospheric deposition are important drivers of eutrophication in coastal waters globally. Monitoring seawater and macroalgae can reveal long-term changes in N and phosphorus (P) availability and N:P stoichiometry that are critical to understanding the global crisis of coral reef decline. Analysis of a unique 3-decade data set for Looe Key reef, located offshore the lower Florida Keys, showed increased dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), chlorophyll a, DIN:soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) ratios, as well as higher tissue C:P and N:P ratios in macroalgae during the early 1990s. These data, combined with remote sensing and nutrient monitoring between the Everglades and Looe Key, indicated that the significant DIN enrichment between 1991 and 1995 at Looe Key coincided with increased Everglades runoff, which drains agricultural and urban areas extending north to Orlando, Florida. This resulted in increased P limitation of reef primary producers that can cause metabolic stress in stony corals. Outbreaks of stony coral disease, bleaching, and mortality between 1995 and 2000 followed DIN enrichment, algal blooms, and increased DIN:SRP ratios, suggesting that eutrophication interacted with other factors causing coral reef decline at Looe Key. Although water temperatures at Looe Key exceeded the 30.5 °C bleaching threshold repeatedly over the 3-decade study, the three mass bleaching events occurred only when DIN:SRP ratios increased following heavy rainfall and increased Everglades runoff. These results suggest that Everglades discharges, in conjunction with local nutrient sources, contributed to DIN enrichment, eutrophication, and increased N:P ratios at Looe Key, exacerbating P limitation, coral stress and decline. Improved management of water quality at the local and regional levels could moderate N inputs and maintain more balanced N:P stoichiometry, thereby reducing the risk of coral bleaching, disease, and mortality under the current level of temperature stress.
Steam-processed corn and sorghum grain flaked at different densities alter ruminal, small intestinal, and total tract digestibility of starch by steers.

Crossbred steers (n = 7; 400 kg BW), fitted with T-type cannulas in the duodenum and ileum, were used to examine the effects of processing method, dry-rolled (DR) vs. steam-flaked (SF) sorghum grain, and degree of processing (flake density; FD) of SF corn (SFC) and SF sorghum (SFS) grain on site and extent of DM, starch, and N digestibilities and to measure extent of microbial N flow to the duodenum. In Exp. 1, diets contained 77% DRS or 77% SFS with FD of 437, 360, and 283 g/L (SF34, SF28, and SF22). In Exp. 2, diets contained 77% SFC with FD of SF34 or SF22. For sorghum and corn diets, respective average daily intakes were as follows: DM, 6.7 and 8.1 kg; starch, 3.8 and 4.7 kg; N, 136 and 149 g. Steers fed SFS vs. DRS increased (P = .01) starch digestibilities (percentage of intake) in the rumen (82 vs. 67%) and total tract (98.9 vs. 96.5%) and decreased digestibilities in the small intestine (16 vs. 28%; P = .01) and large intestine (.5 vs 1.2%; P = .05). As a percentage of starch entering the segment, digestibility was increased (P = .01) within the small intestine (91 vs. 85%) but was not altered within the large intestine by steers fed SFS vs. DRS. Decreasing FD of SFS and of SFC, respectively, linearly increased starch digestibilities (percentage of intake) in the rumen (P = .03, .02) and total tract (P = .03, .09) and linearly diminished starch digestibilities in the small intestine (P = .04, .09). Starch digestibilities (percentage of entry) within the small or large intestine were not changed by FD. The percentage of dietary corn or sorghum starch digested in the large intestine was very small, less than 2% of intake. Microbial N flow to the duodenum was not altered by SFS compared to DRS, or by decreasing FD of SFS and SFC. Reducing FD of SFS, but not of SFC, tended to decrease (P = .07) microbial efficiency linearly and tended to increase (P = .06) total tract N digestibilities linearly. Steam flaking compared to dry rolling of sorghum grain and decreasing FD of SFC and SFS grain consistently increased starch digestibility in the rumen and total tract of growing steers. The greatest total digestibility of dietary starch occurred when the proportion digested in the rumen was maximized and the fraction digested in the small intestine was minimized. These changes in sites of digestion account, in part, for the improved N conservation and greater hepatic output of glucose by steers fed lower FD of SFS reported in our companion papers.
183-P: PATIENT cPRA PERCENTAGE CORRELATES WITH, AND THEREBY MAY BE PREDICTED OF, DONOR PLATELET POSITIVE CROSSMATCH PERCENTAGE (%DP-XM)

Aim Lack of platelet increase after platelet transfusion is a major problem. Antibodies may develop against platelet surface proteins including HLA-Class I. Donor platelet crossmatching with patient serum is used to find compatible platelet units. The objective of this study was to determine if cPRA could predict %DP-XM. Thereby, the blood bank would be able to predict the number of platelet units to test for finding compatible units. Methods Platelet XM were performed using the Capture-P® Immucor Gamma® and reported as percent positive of total units tested. cPRA were determined by Luminex® assay using One Lambda® single-antigen HLA-class I beads. A retrospective review of platelet XM during 2008-2012 was performed. Patients with ⩾2 platelet XM were included to compensate for donor bias due to reduced HLA diversity in the platelet donor pool. For each patient the mean %DP-XM was compared with the corresponding mean cPRA. Additionally, the cPRA of each patient was compared with the subsequent most contiguous %DP-XM. Patient cPRA vs %DP-XM were plotted and the slopes compared with the ideal line of equivalence using Microsoft® Excel®. Results A total of 50 patients were analyzed. The mean age was 59 years (range 26-77 years). There was no correlation between positive platelet XM results and age, sex, race, or diagnosis. The mean and median %DP-XM were 61% and 60% (range 0-100%), respectively, and the mean and median cPRA levels were 66% and 68% (range 0-100%), respectively. No significant differences were seen with regression analyses comparing cPRA with its subsequent most contiguous %DP-XM value or the mean cPRA to mean %DP-XM. Conclusions cPRA percentage correlates well with percentage of positive platelet XM. Thus, a higher cPRA is suggestive of a greater number of positive platelet XM, and thereby alerts the blood bank that additional platelets units may be required for finding XM-compatible platelet units.
The impact of intraoperative residual mild regurgitation after repair of degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Abstract Objectives During degenerative mitral repair, surgeons must decide if further repair is warranted for residual mild mitral regurgitation. We examined the incidence of mild mitral regurgitation, late echocardiographic and clinical outcomes, and influence of surgical experience in decision making. Methods From April 2004 to June 2018, 1155 of 1195 patients with pure degenerative disease underwent repair (97% repair rate). Propensity score matching was performed between patients with trace/no mitral regurgitation and patients with mild residual mitral regurgitation. Late echocardiographic outcome and freedom from reoperation were compared using competing-risks models. A comparison of outcomes of the referent surgeon (89.8% of repairs) with all other surgeons was performed. Results Mild mitral regurgitation was present in 73 patients (6%). Propensity score–matched analyses compared 69 patients with mild mitral regurgitation with 198 patients without mitral regurgitation. Late moderate or greater mitral regurgitation was higher in those with mild mitral regurgitation than in those with no mitral regurgitation (17% vs 7%, P = .033), as was late moderate-severe or greater mitral regurgitation (6% vs 1%, P = .016). Ten-year freedom from reoperation was low in both groups (99.5% no vs 96.9% mild; P = .10). The referent surgeon had fewer patients with mild residual mitral regurgitation (6% vs 11%, P = .027) and less progression of mitral regurgitation compared with other surgeons (late moderate or greater mitral regurgitation 6% vs 15%, P = .002). Conclusions Residual mild mitral regurgitation was uncommon, and late progression to moderate or greater mitral regurgitation was rare and never led to late mitral reoperation. Experienced surgeons may be better able to determine repairs likely to remain stable, and most mild residual mitral regurgitation does not require re-repair.
Selection of cancer-targeting ß-lactamase molecules for prodrug therapy using phage-displayed libraries

4073 Targeted prodrug therapy is based on a concept that a systemically administered non-toxic prodrug can be converted locally to high concentrations of a cytotoxic drug by an enzyme predominantly present at the tumor site. We have focused on the design of a bifunctional enzyme molecule that has both tumor binding property and prodrug enzyme activation property. s-lactamase has several desirable characteristics that make it an ideal candidate for targeted enzyme prodrug therapy. We have generated several filamentous bacteriophage-displayed peptide libraries embedded with enzyme s-lactamase (Enterobacter cloacae P99 cephalosporinase; PDB code 1BLS) molecules expressed as gene III fusion protein. Two types of s-lactamase libraries were prepared, loop and N-terminal fusion libraries. In the loop libraries a selected loop on the outer surface of s-lactamase molecule was randomized by replacing/inserting a heptapeptide loop. The randomizations of amino acids at positions 238-244, 275-278, 305-309 or 329-332 of s-lactamase molecule represent the loop-2, loop-3, loop-4 or loop-5 libraries, respectively. In the fusion libraries, a randomized linear dodecapeptide or cysteine constrained decapeptide (CysX10Cys) sequence was linked through a short linker (GGGS) to N-terminal position (-5 to -16) of s-lactamase molecule between the signal peptide and enzyme protein. The complexity of these libraries as determined by frequency and diversity of amino acids distributions in the randomized regions appears consistent with standards of other types of phage display library systems. However, the analysis of s-lactamase active clone numbers in various loop libraries demonstrated a higher tolerance of amino acid substitutions at loop-2 and loop-5 sites in comparison to those at loop-3 and loop-4. In addition, higher numbers of s-lactamase active primary clones in both, linear and cysteine constrained, N-terminal s-lactamase peptide fusion libraries were also observed. The loop-2, loop-5 and N-terminal fusion libraries were panned against erbB family of receptors and several breast cancer cell-lines. The clones from panning outcome were expressed to produce free s-lactamase protein, screened against the targets they were panned and identified several target-specific binders. The process of binding screening of different clones to their target(s) is simple and rapid in the presence a s-lactamase enzyme substrate. Since s-lactamase has been shown to convert a variety of cephalosporin-based anticancer prodrugs to cytotoxic drugs, the cancer target-specific s-lactamase enzyme molecules identified in this study and the phage-display approach that was used to generate and select these molecules should be useful in developing targeted enzyme prodrug therapy of cancer.
Comprehensive assessment of computational algorithms in predicting cancer driver mutations

The initiation and subsequent evolution of cancer are largely driven by a relatively small number of somatic mutations with critical functional impacts, so-called driver mutations. Identifying driver mutations in a patient’s tumor cells is a central task in the era of precision cancer medicine. Over the decade, many computational algorithms have been developed to predict the effects of missense single-nucleotide variants, and they are frequently employed to prioritize mutation candidates. These algorithms employ diverse molecular features to build predictive models, and while some algorithms are cancer-specific, others are not. However, the relative performance of these algorithms has not been rigorously assessed. We construct five complementary benchmark datasets: mutation clustering patterns in the protein 3D structures, literature annotation based on OncoKB, TP53 mutations based on their effects on target-gene transactivation, effects of cancer mutations on tumor formation in xenograft experiments, and functional annotation based on in vitro cell viability assays we developed including a new dataset of ~ 200 mutations. We evaluate the performance of 33 algorithms and found that CHASM, CTAT-cancer, DEOGEN2, and PrimateAI show consistently better performance than the other algorithms. Moreover, cancer-specific algorithms show much better performance than those designed for a general purpose. Our study is a comprehensive assessment of the performance of different algorithms in predicting cancer driver mutations and provides deep insights into the best practice of computationally prioritizing cancer mutation candidates for end-users and for the future development of new algorithms.
The LC3-conjugation machinery specifies cargo loading and secretion of extracellular vesicles

Classical macroautophagy/autophagy functions to maintain cell health during stressful conditions by targeting cytosolic components for degradation and recycling through the lysosomal pathway. In co...
Addition of Silica-Coated Ag Nanoparticles to Enhance Luminescence Intensity of Pressure-Sensitive Paints

Enhancement of the luminescent output of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has been achieved by adding silver nanostructures into a standard formulation by taking advantage of a metal-enhanced fluores...