cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
States, water, and climate: Who's planning for change?

Abstract The primary objective of this study is to determine what drives states to plan for the impacts of a changing climate. As the climate continues to change, climate scientists have projected changes in water quantities available for human and other uses. This quantitative study examines how state water plans and state hazard mitigation plans address climate change. Plans were coded for the extent to which they address climate change in their calculations regarding future water supply and demand. Ordinal logistic regression models were developed to test the predictive value of independent variables including statewide voting, vulnerability to climate change, and recent experience with droughts and natural disasters. The most significant predictor variable for both state water planning and state hazard mitigation planning was state partisanship. Democratic leaning states were much more likely to include climate change in their plans than were Republican leaning states.
A first-in-human phase I study of a bivalent MET antibody, emibetuzumab (LY2875358), as monotherapy and in combination with erlotinib in advanced cancer

Purpose: The MET/HGF pathway regulates cell proliferation and survival and is dysregulated in multiple tumors. Emibetuzumab (LY2875358) is a bivalent antibody that inhibits HGF-dependent and HGF-independent MET signaling. Here, we report dose escalation results from the first-in-human phase I trial of emibetuzumab.Experimental Design: The study comprised a 3+3 dose escalation for emibetuzumab monotherapy (Part A) and in combination with erlotinib (Part A2). Emibetuzumab was administered i.v. every 2 weeks (Q2W) using a flat dosing scheme. The primary objective was to determine a recommended phase II dose (RPTD) range; secondary endpoints included tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and antitumor activity.Results: Twenty-three patients with solid tumors received emibetuzumab monotherapy at 20, 70, 210, 700, 1,400, and 2,000 mg and 14 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients at 700, 1,400, and 2,000 mg in combination with erlotinib 150 mg daily. No dose-limiting toxicities and related serious or ≥ grade 3 adverse events were observed. The most common emibetuzumab-related adverse events included mild diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, and mild to moderate fatigue, anorexia, and hypocalcemia in combination with erlotinib. Emibetuzumab showed linear PK at doses >210 mg. Three durable partial responses were observed, one for emibetuzumab (700 mg) and two for emibetuzumab + erlotinib (700 mg and 2,000 mg). Both of the responders to emibetuzumab + erlotinib had progressed to prior erlotinib and were positive for MET protein tumor expression.Conclusions: Based on tolerability, PK/PD analysis, and preliminary clinical activity, the RPTD range for emibetuzumab single agent and in combination with erlotinib is 700 to 2,000 mg i.v. Q2W. Clin Cancer Res; 23(8); 1910-9. ©2016 AACR.
Intrusion Detection Using a Multiple-Detector Set Artificial Immune System

The goal of an intrusion detection system (IDS) is to monitor activities to detect breaches in security policies of a computer system or a network. This paper focuses on anomaly detection paradigm of IDS. The goal of anomaly-based IDS is to classify intrusion based on system and network activities outside of a normal region. In this paper we employ a multipledetector set artificial immune system, a variation of artificial immune system, to classify intrusion based on features of application layer protocols (e.g., http, ftp, smtp, etc.) in network data flows. Our result shows the multiple-detector set artificial immune system achieved a Detection Rate of 53.34% and a False Positive Rate of 0.20%. The mAIS achieved an accuracy of 76.57%.
Latin American Art History: An Historiographic Turn

AbstractThis series of research seminars, organized in Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil, focused on Latin American and United States Latino art from 1960 to 1990. It challenges the dominant narrative of modernism that places Latin American and Latino art in the margins. Working together, senior scholars and advanced graduate students analyzed the history of Latin American avant-garde and neo-vanguard art from a comparative perspective, focusing on such topics as transnational exchanges among artists and collectives, and the impact of political and economic change.
How to avoid marketing disasters: back to the basic communications model, but with some updates illustrating the importance of e-word-of-mouth research

It is my guess that nearly everyone reading this article has been exposed to the basic model of communication, originating with Shannon and Weaver (1949) and extended by Berlo (1960). Of course, mo...
Dysregulation of the engulfment pathway in the gut fuels Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Luminal dysbiosis is ubiquitous in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but how the microbes trigger pro-inflammatory cascades in the epithelial and phagocytic cells remains unknown. Here we investigated the role of the microbial sensor ELMO1 (Engulfment and Cell Motility Protein-1) in sensing and responding to IBD-associated microbes in the gut epithelium and in macrophages. METHODS: A stem cell-based technique is used to grow enteroids from WT and ELMO1-/- mice and from colonic biopsies of patients with IBD and subsequently differentiate them into enteroid-derived monolayers (EDMs) that mimic the gut epithelium/Gut in a dish. EDMs infected with IBD-associated invasive E. coli-LF82 were analyzed for bacterial internalization, cytokine production and monocyte-recruitment when co-cultured with monocytes. RESULTS: Expression of ELMO1 is elevated in the colonic epithelium and in the inflammatory infiltrates within the lamina propria in IBD, higher expression correlated with elevated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, MCP-1 and TNF-α. ELMO1-/- murine EDMs displayed a significant reduction of bacterial internalization through epithelial tight junctions and in MCP-1 production compared to WT mice. MCP-1 that is released from the epithelium recruited monocytes. Once recruited, macrophages required ELMO1 to engulf the bacteria and propagate a robust pro-inflammatory cytokine storm (TNF-α). CONCLUSIONS: ELMO1 couples microbial-sensing to inflammation in both phagocytic and non-phagocytic host cells; it is required for the production of MCP-1 in the epithelium and TNF-α in macrophages. Findings raise the possibility that upregulation of epithelial ELMO1 and the epithelial ELMO1→MCP-1 axis may serve as an early biomarker and therapeutic target, respectively, in IBD and other disorders of inflammation.
The Morphogenesis of Imaginal Discs of Drosophila

Imaginal discs, unique to holometabolous insects, are developmental precursors to many external adult structures. Discs arise early in embryonic development as small invaginations of the epidermis. From then on, the discs follow developmental sequences distinct from those of larval tissues. As the larval epidermis passes through successive molts, with the secretion and apolysis of cuticle, the imaginal discs remain undifferentiated but grow rapidly by cell division. At the end of larval development, each disc contains thousands of cells in an epithelial monolayer that has a characteristic shape and pattern of folds (Figure 1). A layer of mesenchymelike adepithelial cells is loosely associated with the basal surface of the epithelium. Each disc is set aside early in development as a group of around fifty cells to form a specific region of the adult insect. Each leg disc, for example, gives rise to one leg and the surrounding thorax (derived from the disc epithelium) and part of the leg musculature (derived from the adepithelial cells). The fates of particular regions within each disc become specified later in larval development and detailed fate maps of the discs have been established (Bryant, 1978); for example, the central “knob” of the leg disc gives rise to most of the tarsus (Figures 2, 3).
Neurocognitive and behavioral significance of periodic limb movements during sleep in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Study objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the association of abnormal periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) with neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the general population. Methods Four hundred twenty-one adolescents (17.0 ± 2.3 years, 53.9% male) from the Penn State Child Cohort, a random general population sample, underwent 9 hr polysomnography, clinical history, physical examination, neurocognitive evaluation, and completed the Child or Adult Behavioral Checklist (C/ABCL). The presence of ADHD was ascertained by parent- or self-report of receiving a diagnosis of ADHD. PLMS were defined as a PLM index (PLMI) of ≥5 events per hour of sleep. Results Adolescents with ADHD (n = 98) had a significantly higher PLMI (5.4 ± 7.3) and prevalence of PLMS (35%) when compared with controls (3.4 ± 5.6, p = 0.006 and 21%, p = 0.004). Significant interactions between ADHD and PLMS showed that adolescents with both disorders (n = 35) were characterized by deficits in control interference, as measured by Stroop test, and elevated internalizing behaviors, as measured by C/ABCL. ADHD severity and externalizing behaviors were elevated in a dose-response manner across ADHD-alone (n = 63) and ADHD + PLMS groups. The association of ADHD with other neurocognitive functions did not vary as a function of PLMS. Conclusions PLMS are significantly more frequent in adolescents with ADHD. Importantly, adolescents with both disorders not only have worse neurobehavioral functioning than adolescents with ADHD-alone but specifically presented with executive deficits and anxiety symptoms. These data suggest that PLMS may be a marker of more severe underlying neurobiological deficits in adolescents with ADHD and comorbid internalizing problems.
Design approach of a density-driven solar water heater system

Energy conservation continues to play a crucial role in social and economic development. With the remarkable increase in oil prices and exploring solutions for the replacement of fossil fuels, an ecofriendly energy resource has become the priority among more and more people. Keeping the intension for reducing the global warming impact and looking for alternative clean source of energy, solar energy applications such as solar thermal systems, solar water heating and cooling are becoming energy-efficient designs. One of the widely used applications of solar energy is solar water heating systems. Low-cost solar water heaters can cover the domestic needs for water in the range of 100–200 l per day. Solar water heating systems are generally more efficient and advantageous in hot areas. However, the application of solar water heating is still a challenge in winter and sub-zero conditions, having low solar irradiance. In such conditions, solar water heating system cannot produce enough energy, which drives a need for evaluating system component design and improves its performance during low ambient conditions. In this study, detailed design methods for solar water heater components are discussed for cold regions like North Dakota, USA. The type of system chosen in this study is natural circulation-based solar water heating system. The study will also compare the experimental data with previously conducted numerical analysis.
Ancillary Services via VSIs in Microgrids With Maximum DC-Bus Voltage Utilization

Grid-interactive inverters allow distributed generation units to provide various ancillary services in microgrids. As the linear modulation region of inverters is restricted by the dc-bus voltage, providing ancillary services may drive the fundamental positive-sequence inverter voltage to the overmodulation region. Therefore, to operate in the linear modulation region the maximum active- and reactive-power of the inverter may have to be reduced unless pulsewidth modulation (PWM) references are adjusted. In this paper, an atypical PWM method is proposed for maximizing dc-bus utilization of grid-interactive two-level voltage source inverters (2L-VSI) providing ancillary services. Two important ancillary services, i.e., negative-sequence compensation and harmonic compensation are considered in this paper. The proposed method increases the maximum active- and reactive-power that a 2L-VSI can deliver when providing ancillary services by injecting a common-mode component in the references computed based on instantaneous reference magnitudes. The validity of the proposed technique is verified through simulation, as well as experimental data obtained using a 208-V three phase grid-connected 2L-VSI.
Ethylene-bridged organosilica nanotubes of controlled inner diameter templated by judiciously selected Pluronic surfactant

Abstract Pluronic P105 (EO37PO56EO37) was identified as a promising surfactant for a single-micelle-templated synthesis of organosilica nanotubes due to the combination of a significant fraction of the hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) component and an appreciable length of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks. The former was expected to promote the cylindrical micelle shape, and the latter was envisioned to provide hindrance to consolidation at sufficiently low framework-precursor/surfactant ratios. The use of this surfactant combined with ethylbenzene as a micelle swelling agent allowed us to synthesize well-defined ethylene-bridged organosilica nanotubes using bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane as a precursor in 2 M HCl solution at an initial synthesis temperatures of 14–20 °C. The sub-ambient temperature step was followed by a hydrothermal treatment at 100 °C. Nanotubes obtained at 16–20 °C were nearly free of nanosphere contamination, the latter being common in single-micelle-templated syntheses of nanotubes. However, the nanosphere contamination was observed for 14–15 °C synthesis. The nanotubes were freed of surfactant via calcination under argon at 350 °C. The inner nanotube diameter increased from ∼10 to ∼20 nm as the initial synthesis temperature decreased from 20 to 15 °C, which resembles the temperature dependences of the pore size in swollen-Pluronic-micelle-based syntheses of ordered mesoporous materials and hollow nanospheres. The synthesis involving swollen Pluronic P105 template was extended on ethenylene-bridged organosilica nanotubes, but it was not fully successful for silicas, as the resulting nanotubes were not stable. The study shows that a judicious selection among commercially available surfactants allows for an identification of promising nanotube templates.
Killing the Third World: civilisational security as US grand strategy

This article disputes explanations of American expansionism that are based on the requirements of national security or more abstract theories such as the balance of power. In contradistinction to t...
Redox Regulation of TRPML1 Channel Activity and Lysosome Trafficking in Podocytes

Recent studies have indicated that redox signaling is importantly involved in the control of exosome secretion from a variety of cells. However, the mechanism by which reactive oxygen species (ROS)...
Clinical Characteristics of Young Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in a Racially Diverse Cohort

Background:Information on the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of young patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is scant, especially among racially diverse populations.Methods:Patients admitted to Montefiore Medical Center between 2000 and 2016 with heart failure and
Theory of triangular lattice quasi-one-dimensional charge-transfer solids

Recent investigations of the magnetic properties and the discovery of superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional triangular lattice organic charge-transfer solids have indicated the severe limitations of the effective $\frac{1}{2}$-filled band Hubbard model for these and related systems. We present computational studies within the $\frac{1}{4}$-filled band Hubbard model for these highly anisotropic systems. Individual organic monomer molecules, and not their dimers, constitute the sites of the Hamiltonian within our theory. We find enhancement of the long-range component of superconducting pairing correlations by the Hubbard repulsive interaction $U$ for band parameters corresponding to $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{(\text{BEDT-}\mathrm{TTF})}_{2}{\mathrm{CF}}_{3}{\mathrm{SO}}_{3}$, which is superconducting under moderate pressure. We find significantly weaker superconducting pairing at realistic values of $U$ in $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{(\text{BEDT-}\mathrm{TTF})}_{2}\mathrm{B}{(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$, and we ascribe the experimentally observed transition to a spin-gapped insulator to the formation of a paired-electron crystal. We make the testable prediction that the spin gap will be accompanied by charge ordering and period doubling in two lattice directions. The weaker tendency to superconductivity in $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{(\text{BEDT-}\mathrm{TTF})}_{2}\mathrm{B}{(\mathrm{CN})}_{4}$ compared to $\ensuremath{\kappa}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{(\text{BEDT-}\mathrm{TTF})}_{2}{\mathrm{CF}}_{3}{\mathrm{SO}}_{3}$ is consistent with the more one-dimensional character of the former. Pressure-induced superconductivity is, however, conceivable. The overall results support a valence bond theory of superconductivity we have proposed recently.
Power Frequency Coordination Control Method for High Penetration Renewable Energy Resources

The disturbance of integrated power will increase while the rotational inertia that can restrain the change of system frequency will decrease when large-scale renewable energy is integrated to the power grid. This produces new problems and challenges for AGC Control. Based on the model of sub operating area, this paper proposed the fundamental principle of AGC control when large-scale renewable energy, thermal and hydro units are participating in the process of frequency regulation. These three types of resources can undertake the total ARR (Area Regulation Requirement) of the whole operating area by equal proportional regulation capacity ratio strategy or priority coordinated control strategy. Besides, this paper also described how to track inner stable tie-lines and how to coordinate with upper level load dispatch center to jointly regulate system frequency. These research results are helpful for practical applications of AGC regulation.
Tobacco smoking and death from prostate cancer in US veterans

Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for mortality in several genitourinary cancers, likely due to accumulation of carcinogens in urine. However, in prostate cancer (PC) the link has been less studied. We evaluated differences in prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) between current smokers, past smokers, and never smokers diagnosed with PC. This was a retrospective cohort study of PCSM in men diagnosed with PC between 2000 and 2015 treated in the US Veterans Affairs health care system, using competing risk regression analyses. The cohort included 73,668 men (current smokers: 22,608 (30.7%), past smokers: 23,695 (32.1%), and never smokers: 27,365 (37.1%)). Median follow-up was 5.9 years. Current smoker patients were younger at presentation (median age current: 63, never: 66; p < 0.001), and had more advanced disease stage (stage IV disease current: 5.3%, never: 4.3%; p < 0.04). The 10-year incidence of PCSM was 5.2%, 4.8%, and 4.5% for current, past, and never smokers, respectively. On competing risk regression, current smoking was associated with increased PCSM (subdistribution hazard ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: (1.05–1.24), p = 0.002), whereas past smoking was not. Hierarchical regression suggests that this increased risk was partially attributable to tumor characteristics. Smoking at the time of diagnosis is associated with a higher risk of dying from PC as well as other causes of death. In contrast, past smoking was not associated with PCSM suggesting that smoking may be a modifiable risk factor. PC diagnosis may be an important opportunity to discuss smoking cessation.
A multicentre phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death. It is a highly vascular tumour with multiple angiogenic factors, most importantly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), involved in HCC progression. Tivozanib is an oral inhibitor of VEGFR-1/2/3 with promising activity against HCC in vivo. We conducted a phase 1b/2 study of tivozanib in patients with advanced HCC. The safety, dosing, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antineoplastic efficacy of tivozanib were evaluated. Twenty-seven patients received at least one dose of tivozanib. Using a 3+3 design, the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of tivozanib was determined to be 1 mg per os once daily, 21 days on–7 days off. The median progression-free and overall survival were 24 weeks and 9 months, respectively, for patients treated at RP2D. The overall response rate was 21%. Treatment was well tolerated. A significant decrease in soluble plasma VEGFR-2 was noted, assuring adequate target engagement. Although this study did not proceed to stage 2, there was an early efficacy signal with a very favourable toxicity profile. A phase 1/2 trial of tivozanib in combination with durvalumab is currently underway. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01835223, registered on 15 April 2013.
Race is not prognostic in unfavorable prostate cancer: an NCDB analysis

Introduction: It is commonly held that race serves as a significant prognosticator in prostate cancer. We sought to analyze whether race impacted overall survival (OS) of men receiving standard of care treatment. Materials and Methods: All data was obtained from the NCDB (National Cancer Database) and initially contained 1,294,126 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2013. Patients were excluded if they had metastatic or nodal disease, received chemotherapy, or had noninvasive disease. Patients were grouped into 2 cohorts as per NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) criteria: favorable risk and unfavorable risk. All patients received risk-appropriate radiation therapy or surgery, and were subsequently analyzed. Black and white men were also matched 1:1 within each risk cohort using propensity scores, and multivariate analysis was conducted on these matched cohorts. Results: The final cohort 77,448 patients. Median follow-up 58.7 months (range, 48–143.5). In the favorable risk cohort, white men had superior OS compared with black men, 77.63% versus 80.57% at 10 years (hazard ratio, 0.644; 95% confidence interval, 0.536–0.773; P Conclusion: The prognostic value of race-related biological differences of prostate cancer may hold less value in higher risk disease than is commonly believed.
Explicit Multi-element Extension of the Spectral Neighbor Analysis Potential for Chemically Complex Systems

A natural extension of the descriptors used in the Spectral Neighbor Analysis Potential (SNAP) method is derived to treat atomic interactions in chemically complex systems. Atomic environment descr...
Future Time Perspective as an Operationalization of Existential Concerns Related to Time

Psychologists and other clinical therapists often focus on the psychological processes that result from the fact that human beings will one day die, not death anxiety/afterlife anxiety itself. Neve...
A Fishing Trip: Exploiting and Managing the Commons of the Chesapeake Bay

Captain John Smith and his band of English colonists arrived at the Chesapeake Bay in 1607, discovering an estuary little changed by human activity. This contrasted sharply with the European rivers of that era. The estuaries he knew from England and Europe all suffered from dam-building, overfishing, sedimentation, and pollution. The decedents of the original colonizers, and the many thousands that came subsequently reshaped the Bay by their exploitation of its food resources. Over harvesting, damming of waterways, and oyster reef destruction decimated oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and migratory species of finfish, including; shad (Alosa sapidissima), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). In the twentieth century, application of scientific fisheries methods built around the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and habitat restoration has yielded only partial recovery of these and other species. Ecosystem based management (EBM) is discussed as a sustainable alternative to MSY that takes into account non-human consumers of the exploited resource. The chapter also reviews the various fishing techniques used on the Bay, including those invented by Native Americans and later methods that facilitated industrial scale harvesting.
SMC5/6 is required for replication fork stability and faithful chromosome segregation during neurogenesis.

Mutations of SMC5/6 components cause developmental defects, including primary microcephaly. To model neurodevelopmental defects, we engineered a mouse wherein Smc5 is conditionally knocked out (cKO) in the developing neocortex. Smc5 cKO mice exhibited neurodevelopmental defects due to neural progenitor cell (NPC) apoptosis, which led to reduction in cortical layer neurons. Smc5 cKO NPCs formed DNA bridges during mitosis and underwent chromosome missegregation. SMC5/6 depletion triggers a CHEK2-p53 DNA damage response, as concomitant deletion of the Trp53 tumor suppressor or Chek2 DNA damage checkpoint kinase rescued Smc5 cKO neurodevelopmental defects. Further assessment using Smc5 cKO and auxin-inducible degron systems demonstrated that absence of SMC5/6 leads to DNA replication stress at late-replicating regions such as pericentromeric heterochromatin regions. In summary, SMC5/6 is important for completion of DNA replication prior to entering mitosis, which ensures accurate chromosome segregation. Thus, SMC5/6 functions are critical in highly proliferative stem cells during organism development.
Nanoantenna design for enhanced carrier–envelope-phase sensitivity

Optical-field emission from nanostructured solids such as subwavelength nanoantennas can be leveraged to create sub-femtosecond, petahertz-scale electronics for optical-field detection. One application of particular interest is the detection of an incident optical pulse’s carrier–envelope phase (CEP). Such CEP detection requires few-cycle, broadband optical excitation where the resonant properties of the nanoantenna can strongly alter the response of the near field in time. Little quantitative investigation has been performed to understand how the geometry and resonant properties of the antennas should be tuned to enhance the CEP sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio. Here we examine how the geometry and resonance frequency of planar plasmonic nanoantennas can be engineered to enhance the emitted CEP-sensitive photocurrent when driven by a few-cycle optical pulse. We find that with the simple addition of curved sidewalls leading to the apex, and proper tuning of the resonance wavelength, the net CEP-sensitive current per nanoantenna can be improved by 5−10×, and the signal-to-noise-ratio by 50−100× relative to simple triangular antennas operated on resonance. Our findings will inform the next generation of nanoantenna designs for emerging applications in ultrafast photoelectron metrology and petahertz electronics.
COVID-19 Disparities in Nursing Homes

Cases of COVID-19, the coronavirus that has spread throughout the world, affect and kill the poor, racial minorities, and the elderly disproportionately. The toll to the elders of our society is extreme and does not seem to relent over time. This work examines the statistics of the cases and deaths at the early onset of the disease in nursing homes. It reveals the age disparities seen in the COVID-19 pandemic by using data from nursing homes across the states, and particularly in Maryland, as a source to illustrate the effect on the elderly living in group-like settings. It presents an overview of the disease in the early months as it ravaged across the states, indicating that the older generation was a lot more at risk than the general population. It is necessary to illustrate these disparities even as the numbers of infections and deaths are not static.
Digital imaging for reading of direct rapid antibiotic susceptibility tests from positive blood cultures

Delaying effective antibiotic therapy is a major cause of sepsis-associated mortality. The EUCAST rapid antibiotic susceptibility test (RAST) is performed from positive blood cultures to provide rapid results. Disc diffusion tests inoculated with positive blood culture broth are read at 4, 6, and 8 h and interpreted against species and time-specific criteria. Potential problems are the possibility of missing specific reading times for tests and slower growth in incubators that are frequently opened. The current study aimed to assess if digital visualization by the BD Kiestra™ total laboratory automation system is suitable for reading RASTs by capturing images at the correct times and retaining them for review. Utilizing the Kiestra™ InoqulA, 100 μl of positive blood culture broth was lawn-inoculated onto Mueller-Hinton agar and incubated at 35 °C for automated digital zone measurement at 4, 6, and 8 h. Aliquots from 135 positive blood cultures were tested against EUCAST-recommended and other drugs and assessed for readability of digital images. Microdilution MICs were determined in parallel to RASTs. All isolates except 7/10 enterococci yielded images of suitable quality for zone measurement. Of the 641 digitally read tests for other organisms, 207 (32.3%) were readable in 4 h, 555 (86.6%) in 6 h, and 641 (100%) in 8 h. For tests included in EUCAST criteria, 92.1% provided categorical agreement with microdilution MICs. Digital image reading of RASTs is a potentially viable, inexpensive tool for providing rapid susceptibility results which can help reduce sepsis-associated mortality.
Attractive CEOs: Let off the Hook or Held to a Higher Standard?

It may be unpleasant to think that directors treat CEOs differently based on physical appearance, but this is precisely what happens. In this study, we measure CEO facial attractiveness, which sociologists have identified as an objective means to assess beauty. We develop competing arguments for how boards, following revelation of misconduct, treat CEOs differently based on their attractiveness. Using research on the halo effect, we develop arguments showing that attractiveness dampens the likelihood that a board will fire their CEO for corporate misconduct. Using expectancy violations theory, we develop competing arguments about attractiveness, suggesting that it exacerbates the likelihood that a board will fire their CEO for corporate misconduct. Findings support the latter. In the wake of misconduct, only attractive CEOs lose their job. Results show that, following misconduct, boards are far more likely to replace a CEO that scores above average on attractiveness than they are to replace a CEO whose attractiveness score is below average.
FAR-INFRARED MAGNETO-OPTICAL STUDIES OF HgTe-CdTe SUPERLATTICES IN THE SEMIMETALLIC REGIME

We review recent magneto-optical investigations performed on HgTe-CdTe semimetallic superlattices. Far infrared magnetotransmission data obtained as a function of temperature, photon energy, and sense of circular polarization are compared with the predictions of a comprehensive new theory which fully incorporates the complexities of type-III superlattice band structure. It is found that the theory accounts for nearly all of the many unusual features which have been observed experimentally. These include the occurrence of two cyclotron resonances due to holes; the coexistence of electron and hole cyclotron resonances in the low temperature limit; the observation of three distinct CRA minima; a step-like change in the temperature dependence of the electron cyclotron mass; and a dramatic increase of the CRI absorption peak intensity with increasing magnetic field.
Monoamines in Cerebral Ischemia in Relation to Brain Edema

Cerebral ischemia was produced by unilateral ligation of the common carotid artery in Mongolian gerbils. Levels of monoamines and their metabolites, with and without pretreatment with modulators of monoamine turnover, were measured. The results suggest that cerebral ischemia is accompanied by: (1) decreased rate of monoamine synthesis, (2) increased synaptosomal release of monoamines, and (3) accumulation of monoamine metabolites due to changes in the active transport of these substances out of the brain.
Direct Evaluation of J-Resistance Curves from Load Displacement Records

The objective of this work was to experimentally develop a key curve for compact specimens of Hy130 steel and to use this experimental function to generate the J-resistance curve from load displacement records alone usingthe analysis of Ernst et al. Eight ½T compact tension specimens with crack lengths from a/W = 0.59 to 0.94 were used to generate a series of load displacement records, which were assembled in a computer file as the key curve for geometrically similar compact specimens of this steel. Using this file, J-resistance curves (J-R curves) for IT compact specimens were then obtained directly from the load displacement records and compared with unloading compliance J-R curves obtained for the same specimens. The critical J-values were found to be identical, but the new analysis gives much lower J-R curve slopes beyond the criticalJ for nonside grooved specimens. For side grooved specimens in which the crack does not tunnel, however, the J-R curves for the two methods were nearly identical. The J-R curves evaluated using the key curve method showed much less dependence on crack length than those obtained by the unloading compliance method. Agreement between the predicted and measured final crack length was excellent using the key curve method.
Externalities and government

In Whither socialism Stiglitz (1994) argues market equilibria with imperfect or incomplete information are generally not constrained pareto efficient.' A government subject to the same informational limitations can achieve better outcomes. In this he is, of course, following the conventional wisdom. For him this is the central proposition that establishes the merit of policy activism. Of course, this is not perfectly true, but he at least says it can achieve better outcomes, not that it will. There are two problems here. The first and least important is that he is implicitly assuming a set of motives which are not exactly likely. He is assuming that the market participants are solely engaged in maximizing their own utility, and the government officials are trying to do good. We can invert this and assume that the government officials are trying to maximize their own utility, and the market participants, perhaps under the influence of St. Thomas, are attempting to do good. Under these circumstances, the government would not achieve Pareto efficiency, and the market could do better, although once again it is not obvious that it would. Of course, the incentives implicitly assumed here are not very realistic. Both the participants in the market, and the participants in the government are primarily interested in their own and their families well-being, but both of them to some extent are willing to sacrifice to help the poor and downtrodden, carry out moral duties, etc. From my own experience, I would say that perhaps the government officials are less interested in helping others than the private business men. This may come from the fact that it is easier for a government official to conceal, even from himself his private interests, than it is for business men. Of course, my perspective may be biased. My initiation into government was
Good Dictator, Bad Dictator: United Fruit Company and Economic Nationalism in Central American in the Twentieth Century

The US multinational United Fruit Company has been considered the quintessential representative of American imperialism in Central America. Not only did the company enjoy enormous privileges in that region, but also counted on authoritarian governments in dealing with labor unrest. The literature assumes that United Fruit and the dictators were natural allies due to their opposition to organized unionism. This paper shows that this alliance could only survive as long as the multinational provided the dictators with economic stability for the country. However, when the multinational proved to be incapable of doing that, the dictators allied with the working class to confront the multinational and extract higher rents from it.
Improving interactive retrieval by combining ranked lists and clustering

We study the problem of organizing the documents returned by an information retrieval system in response to a natural language query. We consider two well-known approaches - the ranked list and clustering of the results - and we show how they can be integrated. This new procedure is designed to accept user feedback and direct the user toward the relevant material as effectively as the traditional relevance feedback approach. We show how our technique can be explained to the user by visualizing the process in two or three dimensions, providing him or her with complete control of the procedure. We show that increasing the dimensionality of the visualization generally improves its quality, albeit only a small amount Additionally we present the result of a small user study designed to investigate how effective our visualization is in supporting the user navigating the retrieved results.
Point-based high-order moment method for thin wire scattering and antenna analysis

Electromagnetic scattering method of moment (MoM) solutions typically employ low-order basis and testing functions. That is functions that lead to fixed error convergence rates. In contrast to a low-order scheme, a high-order method should lead to controllable error convergence. Further, a high-order scheme should reduce the solution error with a modest increase in computational resources and complexity. A number of high-order basis functions have been introduced for MoM solutions employing such basis can result in high-order accuracy using a Galerkin solution. The difficulty is that a Galerkin scheme results in an expensive double integration that must be computed to controllable accuracy. A novel high-order method is introduced for the thin-wire problem. The method is posed in a Galerkin form. A simple transformation is then applied that leads to a point-matched form of the operator, subsequently eliminating the outer integration. Through numerical examples based on both scattering of thin wires and antenna radiation, it is demonstrated that the method leads to true high-order convergence.
Corticosterone enhances the potency of ethanol against hippocampal long-term potentiation via local neurosteroid synthesis

Corticosterone is known to accumulate in brain after various stressors including alcohol intoxication. Just as severe alcohol intoxication is typically required to impair memory formation only high concentrations of ethanol (60 mM) acutely inhibit long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular memory mechanism, in naive hippocampal slices. This LTP inhibition involves synthesis of neurosteroids, including allopregnanolone, and appears to involve a form of cellular stress. In the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices, we examined whether a lower concentration of ethanol (20 mM) inhibits LTP in the presence of corticosterone, a stress-related modulator, and whether corticosterone stimulates local neurosteroid synthesis. Although low micromolar corticosterone alone did not inhibit LTP induction, we found that 20 mM ethanol inhibited LTP in the presence of corticosterone. At 20 mM, ethanol alone did not stimulate neurosteroid synthesis or inhibit LTP. LTP inhibition by corticosterone plus ethanol was blocked by finasteride, an inhibitor of 5α-reductase, suggesting a role for neurosteroid synthesis. We also found that corticosterone alone enhanced neurosteroid immunostaining in CA1 pyramidal neurons and that this immunostaining was further augmented by 20 mM ethanol. The enhanced neurosteroid staining was blocked by finasteride and the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV). These results indicate that corticosterone promotes neurosteroid synthesis in hippocampal pyramidal neurons and can participate in ethanol-mediated synaptic dysfunction even at moderate ethanol levels. These effects may contribute to the influence of stress on alcohol-induced cognitive impairment.
Using Interest Graphs to Predict Rich-Media Diffusion in Content-Based Online Social Networks

Rich-media, pictures, and videos, are becoming an increasingly important aspect of online social networks. Unlike social networks, where users are connected primarily because of being friends, peers, or co-workers, content-based networks build connections between individuals founded on a shared interest in rich-media content. In this study, “interest-graphs” comprised of these content-based connections were examined. As shown, interest graph analysis provides important advantages over traditional social network analysis to identify valuable network members and predicting rich-media diffusion.
Review of Polar Microbiology: Life in a Deep Freeze

Review of : Polar Microbiology: Life in a Deep Freeze ; Robert V. Miller and Lyle G. Whyte (ed); (2012). ASM Press, Washington, DC. 312 pages.
Measurements of PCB Fluxes into the Atmosphere from a Site Receiving Stabilized Dredged Material

A 50 ha known contaminated site in Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.A. is permitted to receive up to 3 × 106 m3 of sediment dredged from navigation channels in the New York/New Jersey Harbor. Much of the sediment is expected to contain low to moderate concentrations of industrial and agricultural chemicals, including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). The dredged material brought to the site is stabilized with cement and then placed as a capping and grading layer. The flux of PCBs from drying stabilized dredged material has been estimated from measurements of PCB air concentrations at two heights above the ground along with micrometeorological observations. A statistically significant gradient in PCB concentrations has been consistently measured in the first 3 m above the ground. Observed PCB fluxes were highest over freshly placed stabilized dredged sediment and decreased as it cured. The highest flux observed in this study was 7214 ng/m2/h, but during subsequent sampling intervals at the same site, the flux estimates decreased by an order of magnitude over a 5-day interval.
Single particle analysis of relaxed and activated muscle thin filaments.

The movement of tropomyosin from actin's outer to its inner domain plays a key role in sterically regulating muscle contraction. This movement, from a low Ca 2+ to a Ca 2+ -induced position has been directly demonstrated by electron microscopy and helical reconstruction. Solution studies, however, suggest that tropomyosin oscillates dynamically between these positions at all Ca 2+ levels, and that it is the position of this equilibrium that is controlled by Ca 2+ . Helical reconstruction reveals only the average position of tropomyosin on the filament, and not information on the local dynamics of tropomyosin in any one Ca 2+ state. We have therefore used single particle analysis to analyze short filament segments to reveal local variations in tropomyosin behavior. Segments of Ca 2+ -free and Ca 2+ -treated thin filaments were sorted by cross-correlation to low and high Ca 2+ models of the thin filament. Most segments from each data set produced reconstructions matching those previously obtained by helical reconstruction, showing low and high Ca 2+ tropomyosin positions for low and high Ca 2+ filaments. However, ∼20% of segments from Ca 2+ -free filaments fitted best to the high Ca 2+ model, yielding a corresponding high Ca 2+ reconstruction. Conversely, ∼20% of segments from Ca 2+ -treated filaments fitted best to the low Ca 2+ model and produced a low Ca 2+ reconstruction. Hence, tropomyosin position on actin is not fixed in either Ca 2+ state. These findings provide direct structural evidence for the equilibration of tropomyosin position in both high and low Ca 2+ states, and for the concept that Ca 2+ controls the position of this equilibrium. This flexibility in the localization of tropomyosin may provide a means of sterically regulating contraction at low energy cost.
TELLURITE REDUCTION BY FOODBORNE BACTERIA

Using an agar overlay technique, we determined that colonies of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria could reduce tellurite. We also observed that under anaerobic conditions, the growth of Gram-positive bacteria was inhibited if tellurite was present in the plating medium.
A review of US EPA and FDA requirements for electronic records, electronic signatures, and electronic submissions.

Both the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued regulatory documents that address the issues and requirements concerning electronic reporting to the Agencies. EPA has published two comprehensive and useful electronic data interchange (EDI) guidelines: 1) the EPA Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Implementation Guideline, Draft of September 23, 1994 and October 18, 1994 that is available at the following EPA web site address: www.epa.gov/oppeedi1/guidelines/general.pdf and 2) the Interim Final Notice, Filing of Electronic Reports via Electronic Data Interchange, September 4, 1996, Federal Register Notice [FRL-5601-4, Volume 61, Number 172, page 46684], also available at: www.epa.gov/oppeedi1/edipoli.htm. The FDA has published a guidance document titled, "Guidance for Industry, Computerized Systems Used in Clinical Trials, April 1999" that is available at FDA's web site: www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/bimo/ffinalcct.++ +htm. FDA's guidance document addresses a number of issues for electronic records that are applicable to all areas of GLP compliance. Another FDA document presently under development is titled, "Electronic Standards for the Transmission of Regulatory Information (ESTRI) Gateway." The ESTRI document defines strategic plans for electronic submissions to FDA. FDA has published a guidance document in this area titled, "Guidance for Industry: Providing Regulatory Submissions in Electronic Format--General Considerations, January 1999." This guidance document is available at: www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/index.htm. FDA has also published an important final rule applicable to all electronic records and signatures that is part of the U.S. Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 11, titled, "FDA's Final Rule, Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures, effective August 20, 1997." This FDA ruling is discussed below and is available at: www.fda.gov/cder/esig/index.htm.
Syntheses and optical properties of conjugated polymers containing cross-conjugated oxadiazole units

Abstract In this paper, we report the detailed synthesis and optical properties of three new conjugated polymers with cross-conjugated oxadiazole segments containing ester substituents. It was found that, due to the electron-withdrawing nature of the four ester substituents, the π* state of the oxadiazole segments was lowered to such an extent that it has a lower energy than the π* state of the PPV backbone. Consequently, a charge-transfer (CT) excited state becomes the lowest-lying excited state in these polymers. As a result, these polymers exhibit dramatically different fluorescence behavior and much lower photoluminescence (PL) quantum efficiencies than the previously reported polymer containing t-butyl substituents. Although these polymers with their low PL quantum efficiencies are not suitable for LED applications, they may be highly photoconductive materials.
Gossypol, a potent inhibitor of arachidonate 5- and 12-lipoxygenases.

Abstract Gossypol inhibited 5- and 12-lipoxygenases of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cells with ID50 of 0.3 μM and 0.7 μM, respectively. Nearly two orders of magnitude of higher concentration of gossypol was required to inhibit prostaglandin synthetase. The inhibition was of a non-competitive type with respect to arachidonate.