cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Small Post-Translocation Energy Bias Aids Nucleotide Selection in T7 RNA Polymerase Transcription

The RNA polymerase (RNAP) of bacteriophage T7 is a single subunit enzyme that can transcribe DNA to RNA in the absence of additional protein factors. In this work, we present a model of T7 RNAP translocation during elongation. Based on structural information and experimental data from single-molecule force measurements, we show that a small component of facilitated translocation or power stroke coexists with the Brownian-ratchet-driven motions, and plays a crucial role in nucleotide selection at pre-insertion. The facilitated translocation is carried out by the conserved Tyr639 that moves its side chain into the active site, pushing aside the 3′-end of the RNA, and forming a locally stabilized post-translocation intermediate. Pre-insertion of an incoming nucleotide into this stabilized intermediate state ensures that Tyr639 closely participates in selecting correct nucleotides. A similar translocation mechanism has been suggested for multi-subunit RNAPs involving the bridge-helix bending. Nevertheless, the bent bridge-helix sterically prohibits nucleotide binding in the post-transolocation intermediate analog; moreover, the analog is not stabilized unless an inhibitory protein factor binds to the enzyme. Using our scheme, we also compared the efficiencies of different strategies for nucleotide selection, and examined effects of facilitated translocation on forward tracking.
The effect of a brief mindfulness induction on processing of emotional images: an ERP study.

The ability to effectively direct one’s attention is an important aspect of regulating emotions and a component of mindfulness. Mindfulness practices have been established as effective interventions for mental and physical illness; however, the underlying neural mechanisms of mindfulness and how they relate to emotional processing have not been explored in depth. The current study used a within-subjects repeated measures design to examine if focused breathing, a brief mindfulness induction, could modulate event-related potentials (ERPs) during emotional image processing relative to a control condition. We related ERP measures of processing positive, negative, and neutral images (the P300 and late posterior positivity – LPP) to state and trait mindfulness measures. Overall, the brief mindfulness induction condition did not influence ERPs reflecting emotional processing; however, in the brief mindfulness induction condition, those participants who reported feeling more decentered (a subscale of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale) after viewing the images had reduced P300 responses to negative versus neutral images.
Framework for Analising and Improvement of the Governance of Agrarian Dynamics

In this paper we incorporate interdisciplinary New Institutional and Transaction Costs Economics (combining Economics, Organization, Law, Sociology, Behavioral and Political Sciences), and suggest a framework for analyzing and improvement of governance of socio-economics dynamic of agriculture. This new approach take into account: the role of specific institutional environment (formal and informal “rules of the game”, distribution of various rights between individuals, and systems of enforcement of rights and rules; behavioral characteristics of agents (preferences, bounded rationality, tendency for opportunism, risk aversion, trust); costs of governance and critical factors of transactions (uncertainty, frequency, asset specificity, and appropriability); comparative efficiency of market, private, public and hybrid modes of governance; efficiency of alternative modes for public intervention; complementarities between different modes; needs for multilateral and multilevel governance; technological and ecological factors.
The Curvilinear Relationships between Work Passion and OCB: The Moderating Effect of Collectivism

Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines the curvilinear relationships between work passion and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as well as the moderating effect of...
Formation conditions for triple-chain silicates

Since the first report of triple-chain silicates in 1977, there has been considerable uncertainty about their formation in nature, primarily concerning whether they are stable minerals or an intermediate step in the formation of other chain or sheet silicate minerals. The lack of thermochemical data and relevant experimental studies for any triple-chain silicate has impeded establishment of their thermodynamic stability relative to other minerals. Here we combine recently reported thermochemical data for a sodium-analog of the triple-chain silicate clinojimthompsonite (Na-cjt) with existing data for various common minerals (i.e., enstatite, talc, anthophyllite, and chrysotile). We also present new experimental data to show that Na-cjt should form stably at typical metamorphic conditions of 0.2 GPa and 450 °C. Ion-activity vs. pH diagrams calculated at 100–300 °C and 0.1 GPa show that Na-cjt could form by reaction between primary igneous minerals (enstatite, forsterite) in oceanic harzburgite and seawater at temperatures up to 300 °C. However, formation of Na-cjt from harzburgite that has been altered to talc and chrysotile is not expected to occur, except at the unusually high pH conditions observed for forearc serpentine mounds. Estimates of the thermochemical properties of the Na-free end-member clinojimthompsonite [Mg 10 Si 12 O 32 (OH) 4 ] suggest that it also should form from the primary mineralogy of harzburgite at temperatures and Si concentrations typically observed for various oceanic hydrothermal and geothermal systems, but probably not from ultramafic rock already hydrated to serpentine.
FDA's considerations for anti-bacterial drugs clinical trials for treating complicated urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis

This article is to introduce FDA's(Food and Drug Admin- istration)considerations for anti-bacterial drugs clinical trials for trea- ting complicated urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis.For develo- ping drugs to treat these two diseases,a statistically adequate and well-controlled trial should be conducted establishing safety and effectiveness, similar or superior effectiveness to an approved product.The primary effectiveness parameter in these studies should be microbiological out-come.The study should establish the general correlation between clinical cure and bacterial eradication in these patients.
OCT and Parkinson’s Disease

Research in Parkinson’s disease (PD) using Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is rapidly expanding. These studies aim to better understand the pathobiology of PD and define an accessible biomarker for early diagnosis, monitoring disease severity and progression. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macular scans in many, but not in all studies, demonstrated significant retinal thinning in PD patients and its correlation with disease severity. There is a critical need to define the best region of interest in OCT scans for PD patients. In this chapter, we describe the detailed method of OCT application and evaluation of the retinal thickness in PD. Establishing a unified method of retinal thickness analysis by OCT would be a major advance for further research studies and clinical application of OCT.
Diabetes managed care and clinical outcomes: the Harbor City, California Kaiser Permanente diabetes care system.

OBJECTIVE To investigate diabetes clinical outcomes in a large patient population by comparing results of computer-supported team care to those of usual care. STUDY DESIGN Patients enrolled in a diabetes care management program were tracked by a computerized system. Their subsequent healthcare outcomes were compared with those of usual-care patients and those of patients who had been discontinued from being managed in this program. PATIENTS AND METHODS Screening rates for glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb), urinary protein, serum lipids, and glycemic and blood pressure control were compared between currently managed and usual-care patients. Hospital days and screening rates in a subset of the currently managed group, long-term managed patients, were compared with those of no longer managed patients. RESULTS Screening rates for GHb, urinary protein, and serum lipids were higher in currently managed patients than in usual-care patients. Follow-up of initially elevated GHb in currently managed and usual-care patients showed an overall decrease in both groups. Follow-up of initially elevated blood pressure in currently managed patients showed a decrease in both mean systolic and mean diastolic measurements, while follow-up in usual-care patients showed no change in either mean systolic or mean diastolic measurements. Inpatient utilization for the long-term managed patients decreased between 1995 and 1997 and was lower in 1997 for this group than for no longer managed patients. Screening rates for GHb, urinary protein, and serum lipids were higher in the long-term managed patients than in the no longer managed patients. CONCLUSIONS Computer-supported care management by a dedicated team appears to reduce the number of hospitalizations and improve screening rates and glycemic and blood pressure control.
Hyperlinks as Institutionalized Connective Public Goods for Collective Action Online

Nongovernmental organization NGO hyperlink networks are institutionalized connective public goods. They influence which actors and what aspects of social issues are made visible to the public in search engine results. To understand how contextual forces and institutional pressures influence who hyperlinks to whom online, this research examines a hyperlink network of 410 NGOs with various social missions operating across China. It suggests that institutional factors external to the network impact the structure of NGO hyperlink networks. In particular, institutional convener and legal registration status induce homophily hyperlinking effects among organizations, controlling for network interdependencies and other organizational attributes. Implications for hyperlink networks, institutional homophily, NGO collective action, and the development of civil society in China are drawn from the results.
A Quest for Equity? Measuring the Effect of QuestBridge on Economic Diversity at Selective Institutions

In response to growing income stratification in higher education, President Obama convened a White House Summit in 2014 where over 100 selective institutions committed to increasing the number of low-income students on their campus. One way colleges proposed to do so is through partnerships with college access organizations like QuestBridge, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase the percentage of low-income students at elite universities. While institutions purport that QuestBridge improved socioeconomic diversity, empirical research has not confirmed these claims. In this study, we estimate the effect of QuestBridge on overall access of Pell eligible students at partner institutions using quasi-experimental methods. We find no increase in the economic diversity of colleges after establishing a partnership with QuestBridge, except for colleges simultaneously partnering with QuestBridge and enacting no-loan financial aid policies. We also consider whether participation in QuestBridge increases institutional status through larger application volumes and increased selectivity, and discuss implications for research and practice in the area of stratification.
Removal of Heavy Metals from Mining Wastewater by Micellar-Enhanced Ultrafiltration (MEUF): Experimental Investigation and Monte Carlo-Based Artificial Neural Network Modeling

The removal of copper, nickel, and cobalt ions from synthetic mining wastewater was investigated in this study using micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF). The effect of surfactant-to-metal (S/M) ratio and pH on metal rejection and permeate flux were examined. A Monte Carlo-based artificial neural network (ANN) modeling approach was proposed to predict the MEUF performance and to reveal the importance of process parameters. The results showed that model-predicted values were in agreement with experimental data (R > 0.99). S/M ratio and pH had relatively greater contributions (30–50%) to the metal rejection rate and permeate flux, whereas sampling time contributed less (10%), which indicated high MEUF efficiency. An S/M ratio of 8.5 with a pH of 8–10 was found to be the optimal condition for MEUF, under which the rejection rates of all three metals exceeded 99% and were in compliance with Canadian environmental standards. Flux decrease and concentration polarization effect were observed during the experimental procedure. Statistical analysis showed that the type of metal examined in this study did not affect MEUF performance.
Selective conversion of bio-derived ethanol to renewable BTX over Ga-ZSM-5

Selective conversion of bio-derived ethanol to benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) is desirable for producing renewable BTX. In this work, we show that addition of Ga to H-ZSM-5 leads to a two-fold increase in the BTX yield as compared with H-ZSM-5 when ethanol is converted over these zeolites at 450 °C and ambient pressure. Besides promoting BTX formation, Ga also plays an important role in enhancing molecular hydrogen production and suppressing hydrogen transfer reactions for light alkane formation. The ion exchange synthesis of Ga-ZSM-5 results in the majority of Ga at the outer surface of zeolite crystals as extra-zeolitic Ga2O3 particles and only a small fraction of Ga exchanging with the Bronsted acid sites which appears to be responsible for higher ethanol conversion to BTX. The interface between H-ZSM-5 and Ga2O3 particles is not active since H-ZSM-5 and the physical mixture of β-Ga2O3/H-ZSM-5 furnish an almost identical product distribution. Hydrogen reduction of the physical mixtures facilitates movement of Ga to ion exchange locations and dramatically increases the BTX yield becoming comparable to those obtained over ion-exchanged Ga-ZSM-5, suggesting that exchanged Ga(III) cations are responsible for the increased BTX production. A linear correlation between the BTX site time yield and exchanged Ga sites further confirms that Ga occupying cationic sites are active sites for enhancing BTX formation. Reduction of physical mixtures (β-Ga2O3/H-ZSM-5) also provides an economical and environmentally friendly non-aqueous method for large scale catalyst synthesis without sacrificing catalyst performance for ethanol conversion application.
Common garden test of range limits as predicted by a species distribution model in the annual plant Mimulus bicolor.

Premise of the study Direct tests of a species distribution model (SDM) were used to evaluate the hypothesis that the northern and southern edges of Mimulus bicolor's geographical range are limited by temperature and precipitation. Methods Climatic suitability was predicted using an SDM informed only by temperature and precipitation variables. These predictions were tested by growing plants in growth chambers with temperature and watering treatments informed by weather stations characteristic of environments at the geographic center, edges, and outside the range. An Aster analysis was used to assess whether treatments significantly affected lifetime flower production and to test for local adaptation. The relationship between climatic suitability and lifetime flower number in the growth chambers was also evaluated. Key results The temperature and watering treatments significantly affected lifetime flower number, although local adaptation was not detected. Flower production was significantly lower under the two edge treatments compared to the central treatment. While no flowers were produced under the beyond-south treatments, flower production was greatest under the beyond-north treatment. These results suggest a hard abiotic limit at the southern edge, and suitable temperature and precipitation conditions beyond the northern edge. While predicted climatic suitability was significantly lower at the range edges, there was no correlation between the climatic suitability of the weather stations' locations and flower production. Conclusions These results suggest that temperature and precipitation play a significant role in defining the distribution of M. bicolor, but also indicate that dispersal limitation or metapopulation dynamics are likely important factors restricting access to habitable sites beyond the northern range limit.
Compact Direct Flux Reconstruction for Conservation Laws

In this study, a high-order discontinuous compact direct flux reconstruction (CDFR) method is developed to solve conservation laws numerically on unstructured meshes. Without explicitly constructing any polynomials, the CDFR method directly calculates the nodal flux derivatives via the compact finite difference approach within elements. To achieve an efficient implementation, the construction procedure of flux derivatives is conducted in a standard element. As a result, a standard flux-derivative-construction matrix can be formulated. The nodal flux derivatives can be directly constructed through the multiplication of this matrix and the flux vectors. It is observed that the CDFR method is identical with the direct flux reconstruction method and the nodal flux reconstruction–discontinuous Galerkin method if Gauss–Legendre points are selected as solution points for degrees p up to 8 tested. A von Neumann analysis is then performed on the CDFR method to demonstrate its linear stability as well as dissipation and dispersion properties for linear wave propagation. Finally, numerical tests are conducted to verify the performance of the CDFR method on solving both steady and unsteady inviscid flows, including those over curved boundaries.
Recurrent establishment of de novo centromeres in the pericentromeric region of maize chromosome 3.

Centromeres can arise de novo from non-centromeric regions, which are often called “neocentromeres.” Neocentromere formation provides the best evidence for the concept that centromere function is not determined by the underlying DNA sequences, but controlled by poorly understood epigenetic mechanisms. Numerous neocentromeres have been reported in several plant and animal species. However, it has been elusive how and why a specific chromosomal region is chosen to be a new centromere during the neocentromere activation events. We report recurrent establishment of neocentromeres in a pericentromeric region of chromosome 3 in maize (Zea mays). This latent region is located in the short arm and is only 2 Mb away from the centromere (Cen3) of chromosome 3. At least three independent neocentromere activation events, which were likely induced by different mechanisms, occurred within this latent region. We mapped the binding domains of CENH3, the centromere-specific H3 histone variant, of the three neocentromeres and analyzed the genomic and epigenomic features associated with Cen3, the de novo centromeres and an inactivated centromere derived from an ancestral chromosome. Our results indicate that lack of genes and transcription and a relatively high level of DNA methylation in this pericentromeric region may provide a favorable chromatin environment for neocentromere activation.
Peanut allergy: a mouse model comparison (HYP4P.309)

Peanut induced anaphylaxis often results in a bi-phasic response, associated with a second anaphylaxis once current treatment interventions have been removed. Previous reports have suggested that this response is associated with elevated levels of platelet activating factor. Our studies have focused on refining the murine model of peanut anaphylaxis with the hypothesis that we can generate a model that recapitulates the anaphylactic response to peanuts. We used BALB/c and C3H/HeJ mice (N=20 for each study) mice were sensitized weekly for 6 weeks with crude peanut extract in cholera toxin. Mice were then grouped for crude peanut extract or saline challenge by intra-peritoneal injection. In all mice, temperatures and clinical scores were accessed both early post injection as well as 2 hours later. Serum, lungs, spleen, and liver were stored from all animals for future studies. The BALB/c strain had a mean temperature change from baseline of 0.2 C⁰ for the controls initial post IP versus the 1.89 C⁰ for the challenged mice. The C3H/HeJ strain had a mean temperature change from baseline of 0.1 C⁰ for the controls at the initial post IP versus the 4.2 C⁰ change for the challenged mice. Similar results were noted at the 2 hour mark with the C3H/HeJ strain with the greater temperature change. Both strains had notable changes in clinical scores between the control and challenge groups. This was more pronounced in the C3H/HeJ mice both clinically and by temperature measurement.
Investigation of mechanical energy storage system for agile mobile robot motion: Counter rotating flywheel controlled hovering robot

In this paper, we present our research efforts which investigates efficiency of mechanical energy transfer from flywheel to the overall mobile hovering robot body not only with simulations but also with real world experiments. To generate varying amounts of inertia with respect to rotation requirements, a counter rotating flywheel system is developed and multiple angular motion profiles are applied within simulations and experiments. Mechanical design, simulation details, manufacturing steps and various test cases to generate different amount of torque are presented at the end of the paper. It is shown that, with accurate parameters, mechanical energy storage system is capable of generating required amount of forces to increase the maneuverability of a hovering mobile robot while it reduces its internal mechanical disturbances compared to a traditional control schema for a path following mission.
Open Tibial Inlay PCL Reconstruction: Surgical Technique and Clinical Outcomes.

To review the current literature on clinical outcomes following open tibial inlay posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction and provide the reader with a detailed description of the author’s preferred surgical technique. Despite earlier biomechanical studies which demonstrated superiority of the PCL inlay technique when compared to transtibial techniques, recent longitudinal cohort studies have shown no significant differences in clinical or functional outcomes at 10-year follow-up. Furthermore, no significant clinical differences have been shown between graft types used and/or single- versus double-bundle reconstruction methods. The optimal treatment for the PCL-deficient knee remains unclear. Open tibial inlay PCL reconstruction is safe, reproducible, and avoids the “killer turn” that may potentially lead to graft weakening and failure seen in transtibial reconstruction methods. No significant differences in subjective outcomes or clinical laxity have been shown between single-bundle versus double-bundle reconstruction methods.
A new nitrilase from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110. Gene cloning, biochemical characterization and substrate specificity

A nitrilase gene blr3397 from Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 was cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli, and the encoded protein was purified to give a nitrilase with a single band of about 34.5kD on SDS-PAGE. The molecular weight of the holoenzyme was about 340kD as determined by light scattering analysis, suggesting that nitrilase blr3397 self-aggregated to an active form with the native structure being a decamer. The V(max) and K(m) for phenylacetonitrile were 3.15U/mg and 4.36mM, respectively. The catalytic constant k(cat) and specificity constant k(cat)/K(m) were 111min(-1) and 2.6x10(4)min(-1)M(-1). This nitrilase is most active toward the hydrolysis of hydrocinnamonitrile among the tested substrates (4.3 times that of phenylacetonitrile). The nitrilase blr3397 shows higher activity towards the hydrolysis of aliphatic nitriles than that for the aromatic counterparts, and can be characterized as an aliphatic nitrilase in terms of activity. This nitrilase also possesses distinct features from the nitrilase bll6402 of the same microbe.
Genome-Wide Expression Profiling of Neurogenesis in Relation to Cell Cycle Exit

Neurogenesis is the process by which new brain cells are produced either during development or in the adult brain. More specifically, it is “the proliferation of neuronal precursor cells to produce neurons.” Both definitions embody a key role for the cell cycle in the process particularly because the brain is an architecturally complex, multicompartmented tissue and the correct numbers of neurons (and glial cells) must be placed into each compartment. The process is made more complicated by the fact that neurons within each compartment are highly specialized, mandating that the new neurons also have the correct phenotype. Therefore, a mechanistic understanding of neurogenesis requires an understanding of several processes—control of the cell cycle to generate neurons in sufficient numbers, spatial mechanisms that ensure the correct number of cells in each compartment, the differentiation process that transforms a progenitor cell into a neuron, and an explanation of how so many neuronal subtypes can be readily created. Equally important is an understanding of the temporal coordination of these four processes, particularly regarding cell cycle exit.
Temperature Impact on Surface Roughness Modeling for On-Package High Speed Interconnects

The introduction of new dielectrics and adhesion promotion techniques for future interconnect technology generations is one of the key enablers for lower loss and higher bandwidth. However, temperature increase due to active die or environmental factors can cause variations in material properties and loss, which is required to be included in modeling assumptions to be able to set realistic specifications. High temperature can account for significant increase in dielectric loss and decrease in bulk conductivity. The former becomes less critical considering today's on-package high speed interconnect loss is largely dominated by conductors due to thinner substrate. The latter has a loss impact only at low frequencies due to skin effect, and high frequency conductor loss is considerably influenced by surface roughness. This paper presents a systematic methodology to show temperature impact on surface roughness modeling for on-package high speed interconnects. Correlation to high fidelity insertion loss measurements at different temperatures indicates the roughness correction factor extracted at one temperature does not fit all, necessitating an explicit temperature dependence for surface roughness models.
LITTORAL TRANSPORT IN THE GREAT LAKES

The Great Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario extend almost to the middle of the North American Continent. With their 95,000 square miles of water surface and their three navigable connections with the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, they affect the well-being of about 4.0 million people living within their vicinity in Canada and the United States. Possessing a shoreline of 6,600 miles, these waters have been called the fourth coast of the continent along with the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. This paper analyzes one of the many problems of the Great Lakes, the littoral transport problem. Littoral transport has been defined as the movement of material along the shore in the littoral zone by waves and currents. The material thus transported is referred to as the littoral drift. The littoral drift originates from the beach material, being picked up by the water and transported along the shore and deposited in another location. Shore erosion, littoral transport, and deposition of drift are all factors in the littoral process. A knowledge of the littoral process is important for many engineering projects including the construction and maintenance of shoreline harbors. The harbor breakwater extending from the shore into deep water forms a littoral barrier, and by stopping the transport action causes the depositio of drift on the updrift side. If the breakwater does not entirely stop the transport, or when the storage area on the updrift side is filled, the drift will bypass the breakwater and fill the dredged navigation channel causing frequent and expensive maintenance dredging. This problem is especially important in the small harbors on the Great Lakes planned every 25 to 30 miles as refuge for fishing and pleasure boats. These harbors have a rather small capacity for littoral drift, and the costs of maintenan dredging of so many entrance channels would be almost prohibitive. In order to provide data required for the design and economic evaluation of the small refuge harbors on the Great .Lakes, the United States Lake Survey, Corps of Engineers, conducted a study of the best method of estimating the rate of littoral transport along the shores of the Great Lakes. Although much of the data used in this paper was taken from the above study, the views and
Energy Management for Timely Charging a System of Drones

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of drone for commercial applications. To support these drone systems, autonomous drone charging has received lots of attention. However, control algorithms on how to assign drones to different charging stations have not been well studied. In this work, we consider a drone charging network with charging stations equipped with renewable resources and batteries, and focus on the problem of designing a joint drone-charging-station association and energy control algorithm, with the aim of minimizing the electricity cost of the charging network system. We show that our algorithm achieves asymptotic (as the battery capacity increases) optimality. We then show via simulations that a large cost reduction is achieved by our proposed algorithm under a reasonable battery size.
Ameliorating effects of sacral neuromodulation on gastric and small intestinal dysmotility mediated via a sacral afferent‐vagal efferent pathway

BACKGROUND/AIMS In a recent study of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for colonic inflammation, a possible spinal-vagal pathway was implicated. The aim of this study was to provide evidence for such a pathway by investigating the effects of SNS on dysmotility of the stomach and duodenum that are not directly innervated by the sacral efferents. METHODS Twenty-seven rats were chronically implanted with wire electrodes for SNS and gastrointestinal slow waves. SNS was performed in several acute sessions to investigate its effects on gastric/duodenal slow waves and emptying/transit impaired by glucagon and rectal distention (RD). RESULTS (a) SNS increased the percentage of normal gastric slow waves impaired by glucagon (from 53.9% to 77.0%, P < .0001) and RD (from 64% to 78%, P = .037). This improvement was abolished by atropine. (b) Similar effects were observed with SNS on duodenal slow waves, which was also blocked by atropine. (c) SNS normalized delayed gastric emptying induced by glucagon (control: 61.3%, glucagon: 44.3%, glucagon + SNS: 65.8%) and RD (control: 61.3%, RD: 46.7%, RD + SNS: 64.3%). It also normalized small intestinal transit delayed by RD (P = .001, RD + SNS vs RD; P = .9, RD + SNS vs control). (4) Both glucagon and RD induced an increase in the sympathovagal ratio (P = .007, glucagon vs baseline; P < .001, RD vs baseline) and SNS decreased the ratio (P = .006, glucagon + SNS vs glucagon; P = .04, RD + SNS vs RD). CONCLUSIONS Neuromodulation of the sacral nerve improves gastric and small intestinal pacemaking activity and transit impaired by glucagon and RD by normalizing the sympathovagal balance via a retrograde neural pathway from the sacral nerve to vagal efferents.
Modeling buffer capacity and pH in acid and acidified foods

Standard ionic equilibria equations may be used for calculating pH of weak acid and base solutions. These calculations are difficult or impossible to solve analytically for foods that include many unknown buffering components, making pH prediction in these systems impractical. We combined buffer capacity (BC) models with a pH prediction algorithm to allow pH prediction in complex food matrices from BC data. Numerical models were developed using Matlab software to estimate the pH and buffering components for mixtures of weak acid and base solutions. The pH model was validated with laboratory solutions of acetic or citric acids with ammonia, in combinations with varying salts using Latin hypercube designs. Linear regressions of observed versus predicted pH values based on the concentration and pK values of the solution components resulted in estimated slopes between 0.96 and 1.01 with and without added salts. BC models were generated from titration curves for 0.6 M acetic acid or 12.4 mM citric acid resulting in acid concentration and pK estimates. Predicted pH values from these estimates were within 0.11 pH units of the measured pH. Acetic acid concentration measurements based on the model were within 6% accuracy compared to high-performance liquid chromatography measurements for concentrations less than 400 mM, although they were underestimated above that. The models may have application for use in determining the BC of food ingredients with unknown buffering components. Predicting pH changes for food ingredients using these models may be useful for regulatory purposes with acid or acidified foods and for product development. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Buffer capacity models may benefit regulatory agencies and manufacturers of acid and acidified foods to determine pH stability (below pH 4.6) and how low-acid food ingredients may affect the safety of these foods. Predicting pH for solutions with known or unknown buffering components was based on titration data and models that use only monoprotic weak acids and bases. These models may be useful for product development and food safety by estimating pH and buffering capacity.
Extensive Primary Anetoderma Refractory to Erbium YAG Fractionally Ablative Laser

Primary anetoderma is a rare elastolytic disorder characterized by well-circumscribed flaccid, atrophic macules and patches caused by focal loss of elastic fibers. Anetoderma is divided into two forms: primary, which is idiopathic and occurs on clinically normal skin, and secondary, which follows a prior dermatosis. Although it is indolent, the lesions of anetoderma persist and may be associated with significant aesthetic changes causing potential psychosocial difficulties. Anetoderma has been successfully treated with ablative, pulsed dye and non-ablative fractionated lasers. Patients with secondary anetoderma and anetoderma limited to a relatively small body surface area may be more amenable to laser treatment than patients with extensive involvement.
Lithium and transition metal dissolution due to aqueous processing in lithium-ion battery cathode active materials

Abstract Enabling aqueous processing for lithium-ion battery cathodes is essential as solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) are expensive, hazardous, and being phased out of usage around the world. Using water as a solvent can reduce electrode manufacturing cost and environmental impact, but it presents unique challenges for cathodes such as Li and transition metal dissolution from the active material and current collector corrosion. In this study, the suitability of aqueous processing for five cathode active materials is evaluated: LiCoO2 (LCO), LiFePO4 (LFP), LiMn2O4 (LMO), LiNi0.80Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA), and LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 (NMC532). After three days of water exposure, NCA and NMC532 exhibit significantly greater pH values (11.5–12.5) than the Ni-free materials (9.0–10.5), though all pH values suggest corrosion of the Al substrate would occur. Surface compositions change to various extent while little change is observed in the crystal structures. The transition metal dissolution in water and electrolyte is relatively low for all materials, though the Li dissolution in water is high for NCA (~0.1 mg mL−1). Electrochemical testing in half coin cells reveals that high-molecular weight polyacrylic acid addition is able to modify the pH and provide adequate binding to the current collector to permit aqueous processing of NCA.
Taking Stock and Moving Forward from IP to GP: Building on the Legacy of K. S. Yang

In this concluding chapter, I sum up the contributions of this volume to the field of indigenous psychology (IP) with a special focus on its expansion from IP to GP (global psychology). The inspiration for this expansion comes from the guiding vision of the late Professor K. S. Yang who spoke of the development of “a genuine, balanced global human psychology” (Yang in Chang Gung Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 5:11, 2012). Bringing to bear insights from the contributors to this volume, I present a critical evaluation of Yang’s legacy, followed by appreciation of his deep concerns for IP, and conclude with some suggestions for the way forward.
Systems-Focused Equity Leadership Learning: Shifting Practice Through Practice:

This article shares our experience using a job-embedded active learning approach to support candidates’ growth as systems-focused equity leaders in the University of Washington’s Leadership for Lea...
Prognostic value of absent left ventricular ejection fraction reserve with regadenoson SPECT MPI.

An absent left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reserve with vasodilator stress with PET cardiac imaging has been shown to provide significant independent and incremental value to the perfusion images for prediction of future cardiovascular adverse events. However, the prognostic value of LVEF reserve has not been well characterized with SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). We studied 858 consecutive patients with normal and abnormal perfusion pattern with regadenoson SPECT MPI. Change in LVEF was calculated as post-stress LVEF—rest LVEF. Absent LVEF reserve was defined as a drop in LVEF by 5% or more on the post-stress images. The primary outcome was a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and late coronary revascularization. An absent LVEF reserve was more common in patients with abnormal vs normal MPI (31% vs 19%, P = .001). During a median follow-up of 32 months, the primary outcome was experienced by 31% of the study population. An absent LVEF reserve was not associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome in patients with normal (hazard ratio 1.1, 95% CI .4-2.7, P = .8) or abnormal (.75, .56-1.00, P = .05) MPI. There was no significant correlation between extent of ischemia and post-stress change in LVEF (Pearson r = − .072, P = .07). In patients undergoing regadenoson SPECT MPI, absent LVEF reserve is not associated with worse cardiac outcomes. Thus, routine reporting of both post-stress and rest LVEF measurements in this setting may not be necessary.
On the Nature of the `Quasiparticle' Peak in the Angular Resolved Spectrum of the Superconducting Underdoped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_8$

We study the reconfiguration of the angular resolved photoemission spectrum near $M$ point which occurs in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_8$ upon cooling below the superconducting transition temperature. Restricting our attention to the case of underdoped samples we offer a phenomenological mechanism-independent argument which explains the emergence of a peak in the spectrum in terms of the normal state pseudogap. All of the basic experimental observations, including the peak dispersion, `dip-and-hump' shape of the superconducting state spectrum and appearance of the peak at the temperatures somewhat higher than $T_c$, are naturally explained.
Association of thoracic cage fractures and pericardial effusion in blunt trauma

Abstract Background Several case reports suggest that penetrating thoracic cage fractures are an important cause for hemopericardium and cardiac tamponade following blunt trauma. However, the prevalence of this mechanism of injury is not fully known, and considering this association may provide a better understanding of the utility of cardiac component of the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma). Objective To determine the association of thoracic cage fractures and pericardial effusion in patients with blunt trauma. Methods We performed a retrospective, multicenter cohort study using the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database (2015–2017) of adults ≥18 years of age whose mechanism of injury was either a fall or motor vehicle accident. Thoracic cage fractures were defined as any rib or sternum fracture. The primary outcome was the presence of pericardial effusion. Confounding variables were accounted for using multivariable logistic regression. Results We included 1,673,704 patients in the study; 226,896 (14%) patients had at least one thoracic cage fracture. A pericardial effusion was present in 4923 (0.3%) patients. When a thoracic cage fracture was present, the odds of having a pericardial effusion was significantly higher (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 6.5 [95% CI: 6.1–7.0]). Patients with left and right-sided rib fractures had similar odds of a pericardial effusion (aOR 1.2 [95% CI 1.04–1.4]). Sternal fractures carried the highest odds of having a pericardial effusion (aOR 11.1 [9.9–12.3]). Conclusion Thoracic cage fractures secondary to blunt trauma represent a significant independent risk factor for the development of a pericardial effusion. Our findings lend support for the mechanism of bony injuries causing penetrating cardiac trauma. Given these findings, and the fact that many thoracic cage fractures are detected after the initial evaluation, we support maintaining the cardiac view in the FAST examination for all blunt trauma patients.
Identification of a Suitable Untargeted Agent for the Clinical Translation of ABY-029 Paired-Agent Imaging in Fluorescence-Guided Surgery.

Non-specific uptake and retention of molecular targeted agents and heterogeneous tissue optical properties diminish the ability to differentiate between tumor and normal tissues using molecular targeted fluorescent agents. Paired-agent imaging (PAI) can increase the diagnostic ability to detect tumor tissue by mitigating these non-specific effects and providing true molecular contrast by co-administration of an untargeted control imaging agent with a targeted agent. This study evaluates the suitability of available clinically translatable untargeted agents for the translation of PAI in fluorescence-guided surgery using an affibody-based targeted imaging agent (ABY-029). Three untargeted agents that fluoresce near 700 nm and exhibit good clinical safety profiles (methylene blue, IRDye 700DX, and IRDye 680LT) were tested in combination with the clinically tested IRDye 800CW–labeled anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) affibody molecule, ABY-029 (eIND 122,681). Properties of the untargeted agent important for human use and integrity of PAI were tested: (1) plasma protein binding; (2) fluorescence signal linearity in in vitro whole blood dilution; (3) in vivo pharmacokinetic matching to targeted agent in negative control tissue; and (4) in vivo diagnostic accuracy of PAI vs single agent imaging (SAI) of ABY-029 alone in orthotopic oral head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. IRDye 680LT outperformed IRDye 700DX and methylene blue with the highest signal linearity (R2 = 0.9998 ± 0.0002, 0.9995 ± 0.0004, 0.91 ± 0.02, respectively), the highest fluorescence yield in whole blood at 1 μM (104.42 ± 0.05, 103.68 ± 0.09, 101.9 ± 0.2, respectively), and the most closely matched ABY-029 pharmacokinetics in EGFR-negative tissues (binding potential error percentage = 0.31% ± 0.37%, 10.25% ± 1.30%, and 8.10% ± 5.37%, respectively). The diagnostic ability of PAI with ABY-029 and IRDye 680LT outperformed conventional SAI with an area-under-the-receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.964 vs. 0.854, and 0.978 vs. 0.925 in the Odyssey scanning system and Pearl wide field imaging system, respectively. PAI is a highly promising methodology for increasing detection of tumors in fluorescence-guided surgery. Although not yet clinically approved, IRDye 680LT demonstrates promise as an untargeted agent when paired with ABY-029. The clinical translation of PAI to maximize tumor excision, while minimizing normal tissue removal, could improve both patient survival and life quality.
Neck injuries: III. Ligamentous injuries of the craniocervical articulation without occipito-atlantal or atlanto-axial facet dislocation. A pathologic study of 21 traffic fatalities

Craniocervical ligamentous injuries without dislocation of the occipito-atlantal or atlantoaxial motion segments have been described rarely if at all. Among 155 traffic fatalities were 21 persons with such injuries. Among the 21 fatalities were 20 alar ligament injuries, eight tectorial membrane injuries, and ten injuries of the subaxial cervical spine. All 21 had craniocerebral trauma, including twelve with skull fractures, seven with facial or mandibular fractures, eight with subdural hemorrhages, twelve with subarachnoid hemorrhages, seven with cerebral contusions, five with cerebral lacerations, two with midbrain lacerations, nine with pontomedullary lacerations, and four with spinomedullary injuries. The mechanisms of death was acute neurogenic shock in seven victims, acute neurogenic shock in combination with other physiological derangements in six, acute neurogenic respiratory arrest in three, brain swelling in two, and mechanisms unrelated to head and neck trauma in three victims. In six victims, the neck injury did not contribute to death. No conclusions regarding the biomechanical mode of injury are drawn.
Significance of fungal peptide secondary metabolites in the agri-food industry

Abstract Among the vast and varied secondary metabolites that fungi produce are small peptides, synthesized not as a result of translation, but rather by an unusual class of enzymes called nonribosomal peptide synthetases. These peptide secondary metabolites impact the agri-food industry in a numbers of ways. Ergopeptines and other peptides produced by plant pathogens or symbionts poison our food or animal feed. The production of HC-toxin, victorin, and other peptides by plant pathogens affects the yield and genetic constitution of some important crop plants. Still other peptides, such as beauvericin and destruxin, have a positive effect by contributing to the anti-insect arsenals of fungi used as biological control agents. In this chapter we address the nature and biosynthesis of these peptides, the impact of fungal peptides in examples from several agricultural systems, and, finally, speculate on how through biotechnological manipulations we may alter, augment, or diminish the biosynthesis of these peptides for our benefit.
Relaciones de causalidad entre gastos e ingresos del gobierno

En las ultimas decadas, el gobierno ha sido un agente economico que ha originado grandes polemicas acerca de su rol y tamano en la economia. Un importante indicador de este rol es el Deficit Fiscal, el cual refleja un exceso de gastos del gobierno sobre sus ingresos. Pero la situacion es mas compleja que una simple comparacion entre estas variables; el reconocimiento del verdadero significado del deficit fiscal implica el entendimiento de las relaciones causales que existen entre gastos e ingresos del gobierno. Recientemente, varios economistas han formulado divergentes teorias acerca del comportamiento del gobierno. A menudo, el punto de divergencia surge en los supuestos, los cuales se formulan a priori, acerca de las relaciones causales entre las variables involucradas. Por lo tanto, este estudio busca senalar cuan plausibles son los supuestos usados para que sirvan de base futuras especificaciones de modelos que traten del comportamiento del gobierno como agente economico. Para ello se analizan los gastos e ingresos del gobierno peruano en el periodo 1950-1984.