cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Framework for Evaluation of Energy Policy Proposals

Numerous energy policy proposals are being articulated and advanced that vary along many dimensions, including problem definition, disciplinary origination and focus, scope, scale, and comprehensiveness. This paper provides a framework that evaluates the wide range of energy proposals and transcends the particular approach used in a specific proposal. Proposals, if they are to be successful, must be examined within the context of the world energy system (WES), which is a complex, large-scale, integrated, open, sociotechnical system with sunk assets subject to uncertainty and the response to incentives of consumers and producers. Several categories are proposed in order to classify energy policies. Using this categorization scheme and the concept of a WES, generic limitations of various energy policies can be identified. They are the comprehensiveness, boundary, and feedback problems. The result is that policymakers have a tool to classify, understand, and critique energy proposals, enhancing their ability to evaluate them, and analysts have a framework to guide their work.
Fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome is the most common form of inherited mental retardation. It is seen in people of all nationalities and in all areas of the world. Fragile X syndrome can be a devastating condition, as many boys are severely retarded and require multiple services. Treatment involves behaviour management techniques, appropriate school placement, community support for the family, and careful medical follow-up often including psychopharmacology. The genetics of fragile X syndrome is now understood, prenatal testing is available, and the disorder is preventable through appropriate genetic counselling. This review focuses on the neurobiology of fragile X syndrome, its clinical features and treatment.
Embedded experts for undergraduate engineering faculty professional development

This paper presents a work in progress of our university's initiative aimed at improving undergraduate engineering education through faculty professional development. This professional development is based on continual mentoring and course transformation through embedded education experts paired with engineering faculty. Through such transformative teaching practices, this initiative seeks to increase student achievement, interest, and retention in engineering, particularly with students from underrepresented minority groups.
Constructing Singing Assessments for the Music Classroom

As teachers are increasingly asked to respond to assessment and evaluation demands in their schools, the aim of this article is to provide suggestions and scales for singing accuracy. A description...
Experimental Demonstration of Coordinated Control for Multi-Vehicle Teams

Abstract This paper introduces two unique testbeds that have recently been developed at MIT to demonstrate coordination and control algorithms for teams of autonomous UAYs. The first testbed uses eight rovers and four blimps operated indoors to emulate a heterogeneous fleet of vehicles that could be used to perform a search and rescue mission. The second testbed uses eight small aircraft that are flown autonomously using a commercially available autopilot. This combination of testbeds provides platforms for both advanced research and very realistic demonstrations. Numerous trajectory optimization and team coordination algorithms have recently been developed to perform these missions. This paper highlights several algorithmic pieces of the system and typical results are presented for representative experiments in each of the testbeds.
A Longevity Comparison in Necrophagous Male Flies (Diptera:Calliphoridae) (Fabricus)

Abstract: Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are a family of much importance to the fields of forensic and medical entomology. Blowflies can find decomposing flesh within minutes and are an important species used by forensic entomologists in determining a post-mortem interval (PMI). PMI may be used to estimate a time of death for a given individual and is a very common practice in the field of forensics. This study measured the differences in longevity between adult male Chrysoma rufifacies and Cochliomyia macellaria flies. Maggots were reared in a laboratory in order to properly measure their lifespan. A t-test was done to determine a p-value for the given data. It was found that C. macellaria adult male flies ( M =27.7931; SD= 10.962) experience a greater longevity than Ch. rufifacies adult male flies ( M =21; SD=12.8027). This information can be applicable in determining post-mortem intervals in future forensic entomology cases and for use in secondary myiasis in medical settings. Keywords: Cochliomyia macellaria, Chrysoma rufifaces, forensic entomology, Calliphoridae longevity, post-mortem interval (PMI)
Balanced numerical schemes for SDEs with non-Lipschitz coefficients

In this chapter, we discuss numerical methods for SDEs with coefficients of polynomial growth. The nonlinear growth of the coefficients induces instabilities, especially when the nonlinear growth is polynomial or even exponential. For stochastic differential equations (SDEs) with coefficients of polynomial growth at infinity and satisfying a one-sided Lipschitz condition, we prove a fundamental mean-square convergence theorem on the strong convergence order of a stable numerical scheme in Chapter 5.2. We apply the theorem to a number of existing numerical schemes. We present in Chapter 5.3 a special balanced scheme, which is explicit and of half-order mean-square convergence. Some numerical results are presented in Chapter 5.4. We summarize the chapter in Chapter 5.5 and present some bibliographic notes on numerical schemes for nonlinear SODEs. Three exercises are presented for interested readers.
Comparing physician and nurse ECOG performance status ratings as predictors of clinical outcomes in cancer patients.

248Background: The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG) scale is commonly used in the clinical and research setting, and has been shown to correlate with cancer morbidity, mortality, and tolerance to chemotherapy. ECOG is frequently rated by physicians (MDs) and nurses (RNs), and MD-RN ECOG score agreement varies widely in the literature. It remains unclear whether MD and RN ECOG scores differ in their ability to predict clinical outcomes. Methods: As part of a quality initiative at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center, oncologists and chemotherapy RNs independently scored ECOGs for a random sample of 309 patients with various solid malignancies, on one or more visits, for a total of 506 pairs of ECOG scores. MD/RN interrater agreement was evaluated using the Cohen's kappa coefficient. Logistic regression models were fit to evaluate the ability of RN and MD ECOG scores, as well as the RN-MD score difference, to predict the occurrence of chemotoxicity (CTCAE v4, grade≳3) and hospitalizations ...
Scientists Joking on Social Media: An Empirical Analysis of #overlyhonestmethods:

The #overlyhonestmethods trend on Twitter is a space used by many scientists to peel back the curtain on their work and share observations and insights into the research world. We employ computer-a...
Core-shell patterning of synthetic hydrogels via interfacial bioorthogonal chemistry for spatial control of stem cell behavior.

A new technique is described for the patterning of cell-guidance cues in synthetic extracellular matrices (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. Using s-tetrazine modified hyaluronic acid (HA), bis-trans-cyclooctene (TCO) crosslinkers and monofunctional TCO conjugates, interfacial bioorthogonal crosslinking was used to covalently functionalize hydrogels as they were synthesized at the liquid–gel interface. Through temporally controlled introduction of TCO conjugates during the crosslinking process, the enzymatic degradability, cell adhesivity, and mechanical properties of the synthetic microenvironment can be tuned with spatial precision. Using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and hydrogels with a core–shell structure, we demonstrated the ability of the synthetic ECM with spatially defined guidance cues to modulate cell morphology in a biomimetic fashion. This new method for the spatially resolved introduction of cell-guidance cues for the establishment of functional tissue constructs complements existing methods that require UV-light or specialized equipment.
Cross-Cultural and U.S. Kinship

Kinship units in certain societies, especially agricultural, play economic, political, religious, and other institutional roles. Additional characteristics of kin units in some societies include property-holding and inheritance, housing, need-obligation, and affective or emotional ties. There is, however, no simple linear disappearance of these characteristics as one moves from the kin-based society to the “originally solidary” or differentiated modern industrial state. Yet, compared to agricultural societies, kin units of the United States are less central to society’s operation, fulfilling an affective function to differing degrees and a need-obligation function to some extent and performing idiosyncratically in the areas of housing and inheritance. In the middle section of this chapter the significance of kin terms, the relative as a person, and the meanings of kin “distance” are considered. The last section of the chapter is given to a characterization of relationships among the following kin: parents and adult offspring, siblings and grandparents, secondary kin, and in-laws, with some attention to kin-keeping and to gender and ethnic differences in the United States.
Investigating the Role of Context in Perceived Stress Detection in the Wild

The advances in mobile and wearable sensing have led to a myriad of approaches for stress detection in both laboratory and free-living settings. Most of these methods, however, rely on the usage of some combination of physiological signals measured by the sensors to detect stress. While these solutions work great in a lab or a controlled environment, the performance in free-living situations leaves much to be desired. In this work, we explore the role of context of the user in free-living conditions, and how that affects users' perceived stress levels. To this end, we conducted an 'in-the-wild' study with 23 participants, where we collected physiological data from the users, along with 'high-level' contextual labels, and perceived stress levels. Our analysis shows that context plays a significant role in the users' perceived stress levels, and when used in conjunction with physiological signals leads to much higher stress detection results, as compared to relying on just physiological data.
Effects of Stormwater Capture and Use on Urban Streamflows

Cities across the globe manage stormwater to enhance water supplies. Capturing and using stormwater in urban watersheds can have benefits for groundwater recharge, reduced pollutant loading in downstream watersheds, and habitat management. In California, metropolitan areas in the southern coastal regions of the state have for decades captured an average of 493 Million Cubic Meters (400,000 acre-feet) of runoff annually to recharge groundwater. But in a state with highly managed watersheds and seasonal precipitation, capturing stormwater for water supply goals can affect urban streamflows. Using a model with simulation and optimization of regional urban water resources management in Los Angeles County (Artes), we analyze the potential effects of increasing stormwater capture and infiltration on urban streamflow volumes. Results indicate that for many watersheds in LA, further increasing stormwater capture and use would significantly reduce urban streamflow volumes, especially in downstream basins. But in some basins, streamflows are increased to preferentially direct water to existing stormwater capture basins. Results illustrate potential tradeoffs in water supply, in-stream water flows, and aquatic habitat that must be considered when looking to increase use of local water sources through more stormwater capture.
A prognostic nomogram for patients with resected fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLHC) is a unique entity compared to conventional hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to examine post-resection outcomes and prognostic indicators for survival in this group of FLHC patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for patients with FLHC who underwent resection from 2004 to 2014 was performed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify factors associated with overall survival, and a prognostic nomogram was generated. Results: There were 197 patients identified, 171 (86.8%) of whom had long-term follow-up data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using patient and tumor demographics with the outcome variable of overall survival. On multivariate analysis, age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.03, P=0.003], vascular invasion (HR 1.75, P=0.05), tumor size >7 cm (HR 2.18, P=0.044), multifocal disease (HR 3.34, P=0.002), and node positive (pN+) disease (HR 2.75, P=0.003) were all negative predictors of overall survival. A prognostic nomogram was generated using these factors with a c-statistic superior to that of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging (0.710 vs. 0.654). Conclusions: Independent predictors of decreased overall survival in patients with FLHC include age, vascular invasion, tumor size >7 cm, multifocal disease, and pN+ disease. This is the first study to develop a nomogram exclusively for FLHC that may predict survival in future studies.
On indigenous random consensus and averaging dynamics

We study indigenously evolving random averaging dynamics, i.e., random averaging dynamics whose evolution depends on the history of the random dynamics itself. Such dynamical processes find applications in, e.g., models of distributed learning of comparative adjectives in Linguistics, asymmetric state-dependent random gossiping in Computer Science, Hegselmann-Krause opinion dynamics with link-failure and/or random observation radius in Social Sciences, to name just a few. We introduce a novel supermartingale technique to analyze such history-dependent random dynamics. Using this new tool, we show that an adapted random averaging dynamics converges under general conditions and provide a characterization for the asymptotic behavior of such dynamics.
Stem Cell Transplant Minimizes Insurance Coverage-Driven Outcome Disparities for Multiple Myeloma Patients

Advent of novel anti-myeloma agents and broader use of stem cell transplant has led to significant improvement in survival of patients (pts) with Multiple Myeloma (MM). However, there are well-described issues with affordability of novel drugs and rapidly escalating price of these agents (Shih et al. JCO 2017), leading to significant disparity among different sociodemographic groups. Hereby, we interrogated the National Cancer Database (NCDB) (which covers 70% of MM patient diagnosed nationwide) to assess impact of insurance type on survival. We also sought to investigate if autologous transplant may overcome socioeconomic effects on survival, by potentially minimizing the need for chronic use of expensive drugs. Methods: Data from 117,926 MM pts diagnosed with MM (ICD-O 9732) between 2005 and 2014 were analyzed. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 67 (19-90); 55% were males. 57% of pts lived in areas where the median income was Conclusions: Although insurance type and regional income are associated with MM survival among pts who relied on non-transplant modalities, there was no significant impact of these socioeconomic factors on survival of pts that received an autologous transplant in this large database. This finding merits further investigation.
Faculty Adoption of CS Education Innovations: Exploring Continued Use

Studies on faculty adoption typically focus on the awareness and trial stages: how instructors find out about a new teaching practice and why they decide to try it. While this knowledge is important, reform is unlikely to occur if innovations are only used experimentally; we need to understand why faculty sustain their use. To that end, this study draws on data from a two-phase project in the U.S. to examine why computer science (CS) faculty continue or discontinue use of a practice after the initial trial. In the first phase, we interviewed and observed 66 CS faculty from various institutional settings to explore theory-driven themes. From these results, in the second phase, we collected survey data from 821 faculty at 595 institutions. In this paper, we briefly discuss qualitative results, and then use quantitative data to model what impact the following factors have on sustaining use: achieved benefits for students' performance and their satisfaction in CS, the perception of usefulness to the instructor, student feedback, and ease of use. Results indicate that benefits to students' performance are paramount in predicting continued use. We also explore why faculty abandon a practice, finding that the decision often relates to not achieving desired outcomes and, in some cases, students not making a good faith effort to do their part. We observed that the latter experience can engender negative beliefs about students-that they have, at best, a passive attitude toward their learning. Implications for encouraging sustained usage of innovative teaching techniques are discussed.
Instagram and Pilon Fractures: An Analysis of Social Media and Its Relationship to Patient Injury Perception:

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate social media posts regarding pilon fractures and its relationship to patient injury perception. We evaluated Instagram media posts in patients who have suffered pilon fractures for the following variables: gender, tone, discussion of rehabilitation, activities of daily living (ADL) reference, incision/scar reference, pain, post of radiograph/imaging, external fixation reference, discussion of bracing/splinting, pre- or postoperative swelling, and need for reoperation. Results were determined by comparing each variable to gender and tone of the post to study patient injury perception. Methods: Public Instagram posts from within a 1-year time period were isolated and evaluated using the hashtag "#pilonfracture." Individual posts were analyzed by authors. In total, 241 patient posts were included for investigation and analysis of patient injury perception via social media. Results: Of all included posts, 88% of posts had a positive tone. A majority of the posts (66.8%) mentioned rehabilitation and postoperative progress. There were significant associations between positive tone and rehabilitation (P = .0001), as well as positive tone and ADLs (P = .0361). Conclusion: Reported outcomes after surgical management of pilon fractures are generally poor. Nonetheless, this analysis of patients sharing their experience on social media after open reduction internal fixation of pilon fractures demonstrates a mostly positive attitude toward the injury and recovery. A positive tone of the post was significantly associated with mentions of rehabilitation and ADLs.Levels of Evidence: Level III: Retrospective comparative study.
Contemporary genetic structure affects genetic stock identification of steelhead trout in the Snake River basin.

Genetic stock identification is a widely applied tool for the mixed-stock management of salmonid species throughout the North Pacific Rim. The effectiveness of genetic stock identification is dependent on the level of differentiation among stocks which is often high due to the life history of these species that involves high homing fidelity to their natal streams. However, the utility of this tool can be reduced when natural genetic structuring has been altered by hatchery translocation and/or supplementation. We examined the genetic population structure of ESA-listed steelhead in the Snake River basin of the United States. We analyzed 9,613 natural-origin adult steelhead returning to Passive Integrated Transponder detection sites throughout the basin from 2010 through 2017. Individuals were genotyped at 180 single nucleotide polymorphic genetic markers and grouped into 20 populations based on their return location. While we expected to observe a common pattern of hierarchical genetic structuring due to isolation by distance, we observed low genetic differentiation between populations in the upper Salmon River basin compared to geographically distant populations in the lower Snake River basin. These results were consistent with lower genetic stock assignment probabilities observed for populations in this upper basin. We attribute these patterns of reduced genetic structure to the translocation of lower basin steelhead stocks and ongoing hatchery programs in the upper Salmon River basin. We discuss the implications of these findings on the utility of genetic stock identification in the basin and discuss opportunities for increasing assignment probabilities in the face of low genetic structure.
Dynamic behavior in the light and dark phases of alkane photochemical functionalization by [W10O32]4−

Picosecond irradiation of [W10O32]4−,1, indicates that this complex forms a ligand-to-metal charge-transfer (LMCT) excited state that decays withτ 15 ns) that is responsible for attack on alkane substrate and is distinguishable from the reduced complex, [W10O32]5−. Kinetics of production of reduced complex and the organic product (ethylalkane) in the presence of ethylene indicate that the role of1 in production of this product is not simply as an initiator of radical chain ethylene addition.
Dimensionality Reduction of Sliced-Normal Distributions

Abstract Sliced-Normal (SN) distributions enable the characterization of complex multivariate data as both a vector of possibly dependent random variables and as a semi-algebraic, tightly enclosing set. SNs inject the physical space into a higher dimensional (so-called) feature space using a polynomial mapping. Optimization-based strategies for estimating SNs from data in both physical and feature space were recently developed. The formulations in physical space yield non-convex optimization programs whose solutions exhibit the best performance, whereas the formulations in feature space yield either an analytical solution or a convex program thereby facilitating their application to higher dimensional datasets. In both cases, however, the exponential dependency of the number of optimization variables on the dimension of feature space limits their application to moderately sized problems. Two strategies to mend for this deficiency are proposed herein. The first strategy identifies groups of highly interdependent parameters exhibiting a possibly nonlinear dependency using a distribution-free framework. This classification enables estimating a SN for any of such groups independently of the other groups thereby reducing the computational complexity of the estimation process. The second strategy reduces the dimension of feature space by only retaining the monomials of the polynomial mapping that significantly increase the likelihood of the data while leveraging lower dimensional SNs. A system identification example is used for illustration.
Applying the Un Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to Online Content Moderation

What do Rembrandt and social media platforms have in common? Light. Both judiciously use it to emphasize certain aspects and relegate others to obscurity, leveraging darkness to highlight flattering features. This article assesses the accountability of social media platforms with regards to content moderation. It probes voluntary measures like the Facebook Oversight Board and transparency reports for similarities with the chiaroscuro painting technique. These two self-governance initiatives shed light on fairly uncontroversial aspects of content moderation, obscuring more problematic areas in the process. In that sense, chiaroscuro and self-governance actually travel in opposite directions; chiaroscuro uses darkness to create light while self-governance uses light to create darkness. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) could fill self-governance gaps by activating a clearer link between companies and user well-being. The notions of access to remedy and due diligence support the case for harmonizing accountability measures across moderation practices. External oversight should cover a broader array of moderation decisions, beyond individual content takedowns. It should also approach harms holistically, integrating privacy, equality and other human rights dimensions to the analysis. Transparency reports should provide more granular information about platforms’ informal collaboration with states.
Social enterprises and market performance: The moderating roles of innovativeness, sectoral alignment, and geographic localization

Abstract Despite the growing attention on social enterprises, the extant research lacks an overarching theory and a solid empirical basis to examine these enterprises’ performance implications. This study addresses this gap by taking a novel research approach with new data to identify social enterprises and by comparing market performance within social enterprises and between social and commercial ventures. Using the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS) longitudinal dataset of 4,928 new ventures in the United States between 2004 and 2010, we find that new social enterprises tend to survive significantly longer, but do not achieve higher sales growth than commercial ventures. Our econometric analyses among 232 social enterprises further show that social enterprises perform better when they offer innovative products or services, participate in social sectors, and localize their businesses.
Canonical Huffman Decoder on Fine-grain Many-core Processor Arrays

Canonical Huffman codecs have been used in a wide variety of platforms ranging from mobile devices to data centers which all demand high energy efficiency and high throughput. This work presents bit-parallel canonical Huffman decoder implementations on a fine-grain many-core array built using simple RISC-style programmable processors. We develop multiple energy-efficient and area-efficient decoder implementations and the results are compared with an Intel i7-4850HQ and a massively parallel GT 750M GPU executing the corpus benchmarks: Calgary, Canterbury, Artificial, and Large. The many-core implementations achieve a scaled throughput per chip area that is 324× and 2.7× greater on average than the i7 and GT 750M respectively. In addition, the many-core implementations yield a scaled energy efficiency (bytes decoded per energy) that is 24.1× and 4.6× greater than the i7 and GT 750M respectively.
Lessons for Advocacy from the Life and Legacy of the Reverend Doctor Pauli Murray

Many lessons may be drawn from the life and work of Anna Pauline Murray, who was known to the world as Pauli Murray, Part I of this article discusses the life of the Reverend Dr. Murray; Part II suggests some of those lessons; and Part III, Dr. Murray's legacy.
Organizational Buying Behavior: the Effects of Information Technology

New technology is reshaping the relationship between the customer and the organization (Manrodt and Davis 1992). Many transactions that once required personal interaction can now be done electronically, with little human involvement. Buying organizations now expect to be freed from routine interactions with the supplier. Additionally, managers in the modern organization have virtually unlimited access to information technology (IT) for their decision support needs. The purpose of this abstract is to present an Information Technology Organizational Buying Model (ITOBM). The model was deduced from the extant literature on organizational buying behavior for the purpose of guiding future research on the effect of IT on the organizational buying process.
The influence of build strategies in selective inhibition sintering (SIS)

Selective Inhibition Sintering of metal alloys (SIS-metal) has been proven effective in the additive manufacture (AM) of low resolution bronze parts. Recent advancements in the use of a high-precision inkjet print head represented an order of magnitude improvement in SIS-metal resolution. However, the fabrication of complex three-dimensional metallic parts required new SIS-metal compatible, cross-sectional image generation based on the part boundary profile. In the proposed study, five candidate layer-processing approaches were identified and validated for basic geometries. These approaches were chosen from previous research as well as preliminary investigations and were applied to a modified SIS-metal process for validation. The validation criteria were based upon the amount of powder waste produced, the ability to handle complex geometries, printing speed, extraction (post-processing) speed, and part integrity. Results are discussed for implementation of the five candidate layer processing approaches in the fabrication of basic shapes. A preliminary evaluation is presented for their use on more complex geometries. Two approaches were then chosen for the construction of more complex geometries, the results of which are presented.
Computing the origin and evolution of the ribosome from its structure - Uncovering processes of macromolecular accretion benefiting synthetic biology.

Accretion occurs pervasively in nature at widely different timeframes. The process also manifests in the evolution of macromolecules. Here we review recent computational and structural biology studies of evolutionary accretion that make use of the ideographic (historical, retrodictive) and nomothetic (universal, predictive) scientific frameworks. Computational studies uncover explicit timelines of accretion of structural parts in molecular repertoires and molecules. Phylogenetic trees of protein structural domains and proteomes and their molecular functions were built from a genomic census of millions of encoded proteins and associated terminal Gene Ontology terms. Trees reveal a ‘metabolic-first’ origin of proteins, the late development of translation, and a patchwork distribution of proteins in biological networks mediated by molecular recruitment. Similarly, the natural history of ancient RNA molecules inferred from trees of molecular substructures built from a census of molecular features shows patchwork-like accretion patterns. Ideographic analyses of ribosomal history uncover the early appearance of structures supporting mRNA decoding and tRNA translocation, the coevolution of ribosomal proteins and RNA, and a first evolutionary transition that brings ribosomal subunits together into a processive protein biosynthetic complex. Nomothetic structural biology studies of tertiary interactions and ancient insertions in rRNA complement these findings, once concentric layering assumptions are removed. Patterns of coaxial helical stacking reveal a frustrated dynamics of outward and inward ribosomal growth possibly mediated by structural grafting. The early rise of the ribosomal ‘turnstile’ suggests an evolutionary transition in natural biological computation. Results make explicit the need to understand processes of molecular growth and information transfer of macromolecules.
Abstract 12185: Restoration of Autophagy in Endothelial Cells From Patients With Diabetes Improves Nitric Oxide Signaling

Diabetes is associated with oxidative stress and decreased nitric oxide bioactivity in the vasculature. Autophagy is a critical multistep pathway that eliminates damaged proteins and organelles from the cell. Emerging evidence suggests impaired autophagy in non-vascular tissues contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes. We hypothesized that impaired autophagy contributes to endothelial dysfunction associated with diabetes in humans. We measured vascular function and autophagy markers in freshly isolated endothelial cells (ECs) from patients with diabetes and non-diabetic controls. Diabetes was associated with endothelial dysfunction characterized by lower brachial artery flow-mediated dilation and impaired activation of eNOS by insulin in ECs. ECs from diabetic patients had higher levels of p62 (Figure), a protein that accumulates with reduced autophagic flux. Measures of autophagy initiation including rapamycin stimulation, beclin 1 levels, and LC3 puncta were not different. Global activation of autophagy with spermidine reversed endothelial dysfunction in freshly isolated ECs from diabetic patients (Figure). In ECs from controls, inhibiting autophagy with bafilomycin impaired eNOS activation confirming that intact autophagy promotes NO signaling. Evidence from cultured endothelial cells in high glucose conditions suggested that lysosomal function is intact as measured by lysosomal number and acidification. Blocking the terminal step of autophagy with bafilomycin in ECs from diabetics led to a further accumulation of p62, suggesting intact but insufficient levels of autophagy. Lamp2a, which facilitates the merger of autophagosomes and lysosomes, was higher in diabetic cells, possibly reflecting a compensatory response to reduced flux. These findings provide evidence for inadequate autophagic flux in ECs from diabetic patients that contributes to impaired NO signaling and may be a target for therapy of diabetic vascular disease.
Globular cluster X-ray sources.

The discoveries of both steady and bursting X-ray sources in globular clusters have made them as interesting for high energy astrophysics and X-ray astronomy as they were for unlocking galactic structure in Shapley’s day. Globular clusters are massive (~105 M⊙) spherical clusters of primarily low mass (⪝0.8 M⊙) evolved stars and may be the oldest systems in the Galaxy. Thus when several globular clusters were tentatively identified as containing X-ray sources (Giacconi et al. 1974), it was apparent that either dynamical or evolutionary processes must be occurring among the ancient stars in globular clusters to produce the relatively short-lived X-ray sources. The existence of these X-ray sources has prompted considerable discussion as to their origin, since they exist with ~100 times the probability per unit mass in globular clusters as in the Galaxy as a whole (Katz 1975; Clark 1975). They may be yet another example of X-ray binaries (e. g., Clark 1975; Fabian et al. 1975) or be due to accretion onto a single collapsed object (black hole) at the center of the cluster (Bahcall and Ostriker 1975; Silk and Arons 1975). At present both of these classes of models are possible and generally consistent with the data, though each has its particular difficulties. We shall review the observational data and then the models in an effort to point out the present balance of evidence for the binary vs. black hole models as well as the most promising directions for future work. Given the possibly high incidence of X-ray bursters in globular clusters, our discussion will refer to both observations and recent models for bursters. While this review will primarily address the X-ray sources in globular clusters, it is obvious that their eventual understanding will contribute much to studies of globular clusters in general and will prompt future studies in particular areas.
Uniform period spacings in white dwarf models

Theoretical models of g-mode oscillations in white dwarfs are investigated analytically. Numerical results of period-spacing computations for DOV, DAV, and DBV models are presented in tables, and the relationships between period spacings and the composition and structure of the stellar atmospheres are discussed.
catena-Poly[[(triaqua-cadmium)-μ-1,4-phenyl-enediacetato-κO,O':O'',O'''] dihydrate].

In the title compound, {[Cd(C10H8O4)(H2O)3]·2H2O}n, penta­gonal–bipyramidally coordinated CdII ions on a twofold rotation axis are linked by tethering 1,4-phenyl­enediacetate (1,4-phda) ligands into [Cd(1,4-phda)(H2O)3]n coordination polymer chains. The chain motifs are oriented parallel to the c-axis direction. Individual chains are connected into a supra­molecular network via O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding involving the aqua ligands.
Relationships between Arabidopsis genotype-specific biomass accumulation and associated soil microbial communities

Rhizosphere microbial communities are impacted by resident plant species and have reciprocal effects on their host plants. We collected resident soil from five wild populations of Arabidopsis in th...
Modification of drinking behavior in the adipsic rat.

Abstract A long-standing problem in understanding the neural substrates subserving behavior is to determine the extent that function can be precisely localized in the brain. The commonly asserted one-to-one relation between function and structure is directly challenged here and a more relativistic model is proposed. In brief, rats were rendered adipsic by a lesion in the lateral hypothalamus and, on careful measure, were found post-operatively to have a very low probability of drinking. At the same time, they showed a much higher probability of running. When the two behaviors were made contingent, such that in order to run the animal had to first drink, drinking immediately commenced. Yet, when the contingency was removed, no spontaneous drinking occurred. The results are consistent with the view that specific psychological processes, such as the motivation to drink, cannot be easily localized to specific brain structures. Rather, it would appear the entire cerebrum is involved in the process of determining motivational states.
On chains of 3-connected matroids

Abstract A sequence of k-connected matroids N0, N1,…,Nm is called a k-chain, from N0 to Nm, if Ni−1 is a minor of Ni(i=1,…,m); this chain is said to have gap t = max {|E(Ni)| − |E(Ni−1)|: i = 1,…,m}. Chains of gap 1 are said to be dense. If M and N are 3-connected matroids, M is not a wheel or whirl, |E(N)| ⩾ 4 and N is a minor of M, then there is a dense 3-chain from N′ to M where N′ is isomorphic to N. For graphs this is a theorem of Negami, and for matroids a theorem of Seymour and Tan. Truemper has proved that for M and N 3-connected and N a minor of M, if we do not allow the insertion of an isomorphic copy for N, then there is always a 3-chain from N to M of gap at most 3. We investigate the structure of these chains, and show that if N has no circuits or cocircuits with 3 or fewer elements, then there is a 3-chain of gap at most 2.
Communications: Clearance of Amyloodinium ocellatum Dinospores by Artemia salina

Abstract The potential for using nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia salina to remove the dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum from aquaculture systems for red drum Sciaenops ocellatus was investigated. Dinospores of A. ocellatum were dispensed in cell culture plates at a concentration of approximately 10,000/mL and were exposed to brine shrimp nauplii at concentrations of l, 2, 4, or 8 nauplii/mL over a 24-h period. 1n the presence of 8 nauplii/mL, dinospores were eliminated in 8 h. In another study, 300,000 dinospores were placed in 3 L of saltwater in two tanks, and l,000 nauplii were added to one tank. After 12 h, three 202-g red drums were placed in both tanks for an additional 12-h-exposure period, after which the fish were euthanized and the trophont load on gill filaments was assessed. Fish from the tank with brine shrimp nauplii had 65% fewer trophonts on their gills than those from the nontreated tank (10.75 versus 3.75 trophonts/filament). These data and the observation that dinospore remains coul...
Use of parallel validation high-throughput screens to reduce false positives and identify novel dengue NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitors

Abstract Dengue virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne member of the family Flaviviridae, is a significant global pathogen affecting primarily tropical and subtropical regions of the world and placing tremendous burden on the limited medical infrastructure that exists in many of the developing countries located within these regions. Recent outbreaks in developed countries, including Australia ( Hanna et al., 2009 ), France ( La Ruche et al., 2010 ), Taiwan ( Kuan et al., 2010 ), and the USA ( CDC, 2010 ), lead many researchers to believe that continued emergence into more temperate latitudes is likely. A primary concern is that there are no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies to treat DENV infections. Since the viral NS2B-NS3 protease (DENV NS2B-NS3pro) is required for virus replication, it provides a strategic target for the development of antiviral drugs. In this study, proof-of-concept high-throughput screenings (HTSs) were performed to unambiguously identify dengue 2 virus (DEN2V) NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors from a library of 2000 compounds. Validation screens were performed in parallel to concurrently eliminate insoluble, auto-fluorescing, and/or nonspecific inhibitors. Kinetic analyses of the hits revealed that parallel substrate fluorophore (AMC) interference controls and trypsin inhibition controls were able to reduce false positive rates due to solubility and fluorophore interference while the trypsin inhibition control additionally eliminated non-specific inhibitors. We identified five DEN2V NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors that also inhibited the related West Nile virus (WNV) protease (NS2B-NS3pro), but did not inhibit the trypsin protease. Biochemical analyses revealed various mechanisms of inhibition including competitive and mixed noncompetitive inhibition, with the lowest Ki values being 12 ± 1.5 μM for DEN2V NS2B-NS3pro and 2 ± 0.2 μM for WNV NS2B-NS3pro.
Mutational analysis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa myovirus KZ morphogenetic protease gp175.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa myovirus ϕKZ has a 270-kb genome within a T=27 icosahedral capsid that contains a large, unusual, and structurally well-defined protein cylindrical inner body (IB) spanning its interior. Proteolysis forms a pivotal stage in ϕKZ head and IB morphogenesis, with the protease gp175 cleaving at least 19 of 49 different head proteins, including the major capsid protein and five major structural IB proteins. Here we show that the purified mature form of gp175 is active and cleaves purified IB structural proteins gp93 and gp89. Expression vector synthesis and purification of the zymogen/precursor yielded an active, mature-length protease, showing independent C-terminal gp175 self-cleavage autoactivation. Mutation of either the predicted catalytic serine or histidine inactivated mature gp175, supporting its classification as a serine protease and representing the first such direct biochemical demonstration with purified protease and substrate proteins for any phage protease. These mutations also blocked self-cleavage of the precursor while allowing intermolecular gp175 processing. To confirm the cleavage specificity of gp175, we mutated three cleavage sites in gp93, which blocked proteolysis at these sites. The N-terminal propeptide of gp93 was shown to undergo more extensive proteolysis than previously identified. We found that proteolysis in gp93 progressed from the N to C terminus, while blocking cleavage sites slowed but did not eliminate downstream proteolysis. These findings were shown by informatics to be relevant to the head morphogenesis of numbers of other related IB-containing giant phages as well as to T4 and herpesviruses, which have homologous proteases.
A “lookup table” schema for synthetic biological patterning

A schema is proposed by which the three-dimensional structure and temporal development of a biological organism might be encoded and implemented via a genetic “lookup table”. In the schema, diffusive morphogen gradients and/or the global concentration of a quickly diffusing signal index sets of kinase genes having promoters with logarithmically diminished affinity for the signal. Specificity of indexing is enhanced via concomitant expression of phosphatases undoing phosphorylation by “neighboring” kinases of greater affinity. Combinations of thus-selected kinases in turn jointly activate, via multiple phosphorylation, a particular enzyme from a virtual, multi-dimensional array thereof, at locations and times specified within the “lookup table”. In principle, such a scheme could be employed to specify arbitrary gross anatomy, surface pigmentation, and/or developmental sequencing, extending the burgeoning toolset of the nascent field of synthetic morphology. A model of two-dimensional surface coloration using this scheme is specified, and LabVIEW software for its exploration is described and made available.
The changing role of online pedagogy: how may instructional management systems, metadata, and problem-based learning combine to facilitate learner-centered instruction

Over the past decade, online instruction has taken many shapes and forms. No single construct, however, has harbored enough inertia to affect the thousands of educational professionals seeking best online practices. Instead, small insights are realized and duly reported, often only reaching a small audience. As instructional technologies advance at a furious rate, the small constituent of true educational innovators usually find themselves unable to keep up with change-let alone share their findings in a time-efficient manner. Some new educational technologies, however, have come to market recently to diffuse some of this burden.
D, H, and Mu in GaN : Theoretical predictions at finite temperatures

Abstract The so-called ‘first-principles’ theory of defects in semiconductors is very good at predicting many ground state properties of impurities in periodic supercells at T = 0 K . Even though the total zero-point energy is at best partially taken into account, these calculations generally lead to reliable geometries, energetics, densities, and local vibrational modes. However, in the case of light impurities such as a proton or muon, the contribution of the zero-point energy is large and must be taken into account. In this paper, we discuss the calculation of structures, dynamical matrices, phonon densities of state and vibrational free energy contributions, and apply the results to D, H, and Mu in GaN. The temperature dependence of the free energy difference between various configurations is calculated.
Association of traditional risk factors with coronary calcification in persons with a family history of premature coronary heart disease: the study of the inherited risk of coronary atherosclerosis.

Background Genetic factors strongly influence the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but their contribution to variation in coronary atherosclerosis beyond that measured by traditional CHD risk factors is uncertain. Methods We recruited healthy subjects with family histories of premature CHD. We assessed traditional risk factors and performed electron beam tomography (EBT) to quantitate coronary artery calcification (CAC), a marker of coronary atherosclerosis. Persons with significant risk factors that included diabetes, total cholesterol >300 mg/dL, active cigarette smoking, and poorly controlled hypertension were excluded from the study. In this paper, we report on the relationship between traditional risk factors and CAC in this cohort. Results The incidence of coronary calcification was significantly higher in this cohort than in the population-based Rochester Heart Study. In our cohort, most traditional risk factors were significantly associated with CAC on univariate analysis. On the other hand, in stepwise logistical regression, age and triglycerides were the only predictors of variation in CAC in men and accounted for only 30% of the variation; in women, age, body mass index (BMI), and triglycerides were the only traditional risk factors significantly associated with CAC variation and accounted for 22.2% of CAC variance. Conclusions In a cohort of subjects specifically selected for the characteristic of a family history of premature CHD, traditional risk factors accounted for less than one-third of the variation in CAC, and the most important predictors of CAC after age were plasma triglycerides. This supports the opinion that other inherited risk factors have important effects on the variation in coronary atherosclerosis and that the strategy of using EBT to phenotype clinically asymptomatic subjects with regard to coronary atherosclerosis may be a useful tool for identification of genes that are associated with CHD.