cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amelogenin Affects Brushite Crystal Morphology and Promotes Its Phase Transformation to Monetite.

Amelogenin protein is involved in organized apatite crystallization during enamel formation. Brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O), one of the precursors of hydroxyapatite mineralization in vitro, has been used for fabrication of biomaterials for hard tissue repair. In order to explore its potential application in biomimetic material synthesis, we studied the influence of the enamel protein amelogenin on brushite morphology and phase transformation to monetite. Our results show that amelogenin can adsorb onto the surface of brushite, leading to the formation of layered morphology on the (010) face. Amelogenin promoted the phase transformation of brushite into monetite (CaHPO4) in the dry state, presumably by interacting with crystalline water layers in brushite unit cells. Changes to the crystal morphology mediated by amelogenin continued even after the phase transformation from brushite to monetite, leading to the formation of organized platelets with an interlocked structure. This effect of amelogenin on brushite morp...
Cholesterol Biosynthesis Supports Myelin Gene Expression and Axon Ensheathment through Modulation of P13K/Akt/mTor Signaling.

Myelin, which ensheaths and insulates axons, is a specialized membrane highly enriched with cholesterol. During myelin formation, cholesterol influences membrane fluidity, associates with myelin proteins such as myelin proteolipid protein, and assembles lipid-rich microdomains within membranes. Surprisingly, cholesterol also is required by oligodendrocytes, glial cells that make myelin, to express myelin genes and wrap axons. How cholesterol mediates these distinct features of oligodendrocyte development is not known. One possibility is that cholesterol promotes myelination by facilitating signal transduction within the cell, because lipid-rich microdomains function as assembly points for signaling molecules. Signaling cascades that localize to cholesterol-rich regions of the plasma membrane include the PI3K/Akt pathway, which acts upstream of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a major driver of myelination. Through manipulation of cholesterol levels and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in zebrafish, we discovered that mTOR kinase activity in oligodendrocytes requires cholesterol. Drawing on a combination of pharmacological and rescue experiments, we provide evidence that mTOR kinase activity is required for cholesterol-mediated myelin gene expression. On the other hand, cholesterol-dependent axon ensheathment is mediated by Akt signaling, independent of mTOR kinase activity. Our data reveal that cholesterol-dependent myelin gene expression and axon ensheathment are facilitated by distinct signaling cascades downstream of Akt. Because mTOR promotes cholesterol synthesis, our data raise the possibility that cholesterol synthesis and mTOR signaling engage in positive feedback to promote the formation of myelin membrane. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The speed of electrical impulse movement through axons is increased by myelin, a specialized, cholesterol-rich glial cell membrane that tightly wraps axons. During development, myelin membrane grows dramatically, suggesting a significant demand on mechanisms that produce and assemble myelin components, while it spirally wraps axons. Our studies indicate that cholesterol is necessary for both myelin growth and axon wrapping. Specifically, we found that cholesterol facilitates signaling mediated by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, a powerful driver of myelination. Because mTOR promotes the expression of genes necessary for cholesterol synthesis, cholesterol formation and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling might function as a feedforward mechanism to produce the large amounts of myelin membrane necessary for axon ensheathment.
A New Reactive Scheduling Approach for Short-Term Crude Oil Operations under Tank Malfunction

A new reactive scheduling model in the form of FRS (full rescheduling strategy) for front-end crude oil operations has been developed. The reactive rescheduling model is triggered off across all the units at the time that tank malfunction is detected. As compared to the previous work (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.. 2014, 53, 12502–12518) more practical features have been addressed on tank failure handling solutions: (i) failure tank leftover inventory will be first evacuated to a backup tank, and later on directed to downstream units, and (ii) failure tank leftover inventory will be immediately directed to its downstream units. Furthermore, comprehensive strategy analyses have been conducted on partial rescheduling strategy (PRS) and FRS to validate their respective pros and cons. It is found out from case studies that although FRS results in more operational costs than PRS due to an increased number of time events, FRS is more flexible and less susceptible to current scheduling results, which ensures more robust ...
Regulatory elements in molecular networks.

Regulatory elements determine the connectivity of molecular networks and mediate a variety of regulatory processes ranging from DNA looping to transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational regulation. This review highlights our current understanding of the different types of regulatory elements found in molecular networks with a focus on DNA regulatory elements. We highlight technical advances and current challenges for the mapping of regulatory elements at the genome-wide scale, and describe new computational methods to uncover these elements via reconstructing regulatory networks from large genomic datasets. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Business Impact of the Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa: A Critical Review of Four Case Studies

The majority blacks in South Africa were systematically excluded from meaningful participation in the economic life of the country during the apartheid era from 1948 to 1994. More specifically, the blacks were deprived of ownership in industrial firms and denied responsible positions in the private as well as the public sectors. To address this injustice, the South African government introduced the policy of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) in the aftermath of the collapse of the apartheid regime in 1994. This paper investigates the impact of the BEE policy on the businesses in South Africa by reviewing four case studies. The companies covered in three of the four case studies and 500 managers surveyed in the fourth reported different challenges in implementing BEE while at the same a number of commonalities were also found. This paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and commonalities in implementing BEE in South Africa.
The Las Campanas Observatory/Palomar 10,000 Kilometer per Second Cluster Survey. II. Constraints on Large-Scale Streaming

The LCO/Palomar 10,000 km s-1 (LP10K) Tully-Fisher (TF) data set is used to test for bulk streaming motions on a ~150 h-1 Mpc scale. The sample consists of 172 cluster galaxies in the original target range of the survey, 9000-13,000 km s-1, plus an additional 72 galaxies with cz ≤ 30,000 km s-1. A maximum likelihood analysis that is insensitive to Malmquist and selection bias effects is used to constrain the bulk velocity parameters, and realistic Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to correct residual biases and determine statistical errors. When the analysis is restricted to the original target range, the bias-corrected bulk flow is vB = 720 ± 280 km s-1 (1 σ error) in the direction l = 266°, b = 19°, with an overall 1 σ directional error of 38°. When all objects out to z = 0.1 are included, the result is virtually unchanged, vB = 700 ± 250 km s-1 toward l = 272°, b = 10° with a directional uncertainty of 35°. The hypothesis that the Hubble flow has converged to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) frame at distances 100 h-1 Mpc is ruled out at the 97% confidence level. The data are inconsistent with the flow vector found by Lauer & Postman; though similar in amplitude, the LP10K and Lauer-Postman flow vectors are nearly orthogonal. However, the LP10K bulk flow is consistent with that obtained from the Streaming Motions of Abell Clusters (SMAC) survey of elliptical galaxies recently described by Hudson et al. If correct, the LP10K results indicate that the convergence depth for the Hubble flow is 150 h-1 Mpc. However, the modest statistical significance of these results, together with contrasting claims recently made in the literature, suggest that further observational data are required before firm conclusions are drawn.
β-Galactosidase Deficiency: GM1 Gangliosidosis, Morquio B Disease, and Galactosialidosis

Abstract This chapter focuses on certain lysosomal diseases, in particular, GM1 gangliosidosis, Morquio B disease, and galactosialidosis, caused by mutations in genes coding for lysosomal β-galactosidases. The chapter discusses certain glycosaminoglycans, their structure and the enzymes required for their degradation, and the disease related to mutations affecting these degradative enzymes. The various lysosomal hydrolases enzymes involved are discussed, as well as their protective proteins, protective protein/cathepsin A (PPCA, known also as PPGB [protective protein for β-galactosidase], or as cathepsin A or lysosomal carboxypeptidase). The clinical phenotypes resulting from damage to these enzymes or protective proteins are discussed in some detail along with the approach to diagnosis and the diagnostic tests required, and the nature and structure of the stored substrates. The rapidly increasing number of mutations is discussed along with their worldwide distribution. Therapy of these disorders is challenging but there have been some successes, and these are discussed. The chapter has been updated and new references added. Six of the 55 references are new, four of them from 2013 and 2014. The work will be useful for a wide variety of readers, including clinicians, biochemists, molecular geneticists and epidemiologists.
Native Mass Spectrometry, Ion mobility, and Collision-Induced Unfolding Categorize Malaria Antigen/Antibody Binding

Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein (PvDBP) is a promising vaccine candidate for P. vivax malaria. Recently, we reported the epitopes on PvDBP region II (PvDBP-II) for three inhibitory monoclonal antibodies (2D10, 2H2, and 2C6). In this communication, we describe the combination of native mass spectrometry and ion mobility (IM) with collision induced unfolding (CIU) to study the conformation and stabilities of three malarial antigen–antibody complexes. These complexes, when collisionally activated, undergo conformational changes that depend on the location of the epitope. CIU patterns for PvDBP-II in complex with antibody 2D10 and 2H2 are highly similar, indicating comparable binding topology and stability. A different CIU fingerprint is observed for PvDBP-II/2C6, indicating that 2C6 binds to PvDBP-II on an epitope different from 2D10 and 2H2. This work supports the use of CIU as a means of classifying antigen-antibody complexes by their epitope maps in a high throughput screening workflow.
An overview of reciprocal L1-regularization for high dimensional regression data

High dimensional data plays a key role in the modern statistical analysis. A common objective for the high dimensional data analysis is to perform model selection, and penalized likelihood method is one of the most popular approaches. Typical penalty functions are usually symmetric about 0, continuous and nondecreasing in (0, ∞). In this review article, we will focus on a special type of penalty function, the so call reciprocal Lasso (rLasso) penalty. The rLasso penalty functions are decreasing in (0, ∞), discontinuous at 0, and converge to infinity when the coefficients approach zero. Although uncommon, this choice of penalty is intuitively appealing if one seeks a parsimonious model fitting. In this article, we will provide an overview for the motivation, theory, and computational challenges of this rLasso penalty, and we will also compare the theoretical properties and empirical performance of rLasso with other popular penalty choices. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Slicing and Dicing: The Structural Problems of the Tax Reform Framework

The “Unified Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code” (the “Framework”) released by the “Big Six” group of Treasury, White House and Congressional leaders on September 27 has been the focus of a lot of commentary. Most of the comments have focused on the distributive aspects of the plan and on the proposed rate structure, as well as the impact on revenues and the federal deficit. In this comment, I plan to focus instead on the structural aspects of the plan and in particular on the various new lines that it draws, because these are more likely to be lasting.
Rates and Risk Factors of Conversion Hip Arthroplasty After Closed Reduction Percutaneous Hip Pinning for Femoral Neck Fractures-A Population Analysis.

Abstract Background Closed reduction with percutaneous pinning (CRPP) for nondisplaced or valgus impacted femoral neck fractures is a relatively low-risk operation that can produce excellent union rates in some patients; however, failure can occur in selected patients requiring conversion to arthroplasty. The primary aim of this study was to perform a population-level analysis to determine the rate and timeframe of conversion from CRPP to total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hemiarthroplasty. Methods The PearlDiver database was queried from 2007-2015 for all patients who underwent CRPP for a femoral neck fracture. Survival analysis was used to evaluate the rate of conversion of CRPP to hemiarthroplasty or THA. Risk factors for conversion arthroplasty were identified using a multivariable cox proportional hazards model that included patient demographics and comorbidities. Results There were 5122 patients in the Humana database and 4840 patients in the Medicare database that were included in analysis. At 5 years after CRPP, the conversion rate was 10.0% in the Medicare patients and 10.8% in the Humana patients. Risk factors for undergoing conversion from CRPP to arthroplasty in the Medicare cohort included preexisting diagnoses of pulmonary and/or circulatory comorbidities, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and metastatic cancer. In the Humana cohort, the only risk factors were male gender and acute blood loss anemia. Conclusion Although CRPP remains a successful operation in elderly patients and patients with certain comorbidities, failure of CRPP for the treatment of a femoral neck fracture is high at approximately 10%-11%, which is much higher than reported failure rates for THA in the same population. Patients with femoral neck fractures being considered for CRPP should be counseled about the possibility of further surgery.
Efficacy of educational video game versus traditional educational apps at improving physician decision making in trauma triage: randomized controlled trial

Abstract Objective To determine whether a behavioral intervention delivered through a video game can improve the appropriateness of trauma triage decisions in the emergency department of non-trauma centers. Design Randomized clinical trial. Setting Online intervention in national sample of emergency medicine physicians who make triage decisions at US hospitals. Participants 368 emergency medicine physicians primarily working at non-trauma centers. A random sample (n=200) of those with primary outcome data was reassessed at six months. Interventions Physicians were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to one hour of exposure to an adventure video game (Night Shift) or apps based on traditional didactic education (myATLS and Trauma Life Support MCQ Review), both on iPads. Night Shift was developed to recalibrate the process of using pattern recognition to recognize moderate-severe injuries (representativeness heuristics) through the use of stories to promote behavior change (narrative engagement). Physicians were randomized with a 2×2 factorial design to intervention (game v traditional education apps) and then to the experimental condition under which they completed the outcome assessment tool (low v high cognitive load). Blinding could not be maintained after allocation but group assignment was masked during the analysis phase. Main outcome measures Outcomes of a virtual simulation that included 10 cases; in four of these the patients had severe injuries. Participants completed the simulation within four weeks of their intervention. Decisions to admit, discharge, or transfer were measured. The proportion of patients under-triaged (patients with severe injuries not transferred to a trauma center) was calculated then (primary outcome) and again six months later, with a different set of cases (primary outcome of follow-up study). The secondary outcome was effect of cognitive load on under-triage. Results 149 (81%) physicians in the game arm and 148 (80%) in the traditional education arm completed the trial. Of these, 64/100 (64%) and 58/100 (58%), respectively, completed reassessment at six months. The mean age was 40 (SD 8.9), 283 (96%) were trained in emergency medicine, and 207 (70%) were ATLS (advanced trauma life support) certified. Physicians exposed to the game under-triaged fewer severely injured patients than those exposed to didactic education (316/596 (0.53) v 377/592 (0.64), estimated difference 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 0.16; P Conclusions Compared with apps based on traditional didactic education, exposure of physicians to a theoretically grounded video game improved triage decision making in a validated virtual simulation. Though the observed effect was large, the wide confidence intervals include the possibility of a small benefit, and the real world efficacy of this intervention remains uncertain. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02857348 (initial study)/NCT03138304 (follow-up).
Pediatric Renal Transplantation: Focus on Current Transition Care and Proposal of the “RISE to Transition” Protocol

The transition from pediatric to adult medical services is an important time in the life of an adolescent or young adult with a renal transplant. Failure of proper transition can lead to medical non-adherence and subsequent loss of graft and/or return to dialysis. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and survey to assess the challenges and existing practices in transition of renal transplant recipient children to adult services, and to develop a transition protocol. We conducted a literature review and performed a survey of pediatric nephrologists across the United States to examine the current state of transition care. A structured transition protocol was developed based on these results. Our literature review revealed that a transition program has a positive impact on decline in renal function and acute rejection episodes, and may improve long-term graft outcomes in pediatric kidney transplant patients. With a response rate of 40% (60/150) from nephrologists in 56% (49/87) of centers, our survey shows inconsistent use of validated tools despite their availability, inefficient communication between teams, and lack of use of dedicated clinics. To address these issues, we developed the "RISE to Transition" protocol, which relies on 4 competency areas: Recognition, Insight, Self-reliance, and Establishment of healthy habits. The transition program decreases acute graft rejection episodes, and the main challenges in transition care are the communication gap between health care providers and inconsistent use of transition tools. Our RISE to transition protocol incorporates transition tools, defines personnel, and aims to improve communication between teams.
Quantitative Scanning Calorimetry with Computerized Data Acquisition and Reduction

A description is given of data acquisition and reduction procedures for differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) using an IBM System/7 and 360 computer system. These procedures have been applied to the DuPont 990 DTA and the Perkin-Elmer DSC-2. A significant improvement was obtained in calorimeter speed, precision and accuracy.
Intermezzo: American Populism and the Jews

Antisemites identify themselves with the “people,” and its general will, even when they lack a majority. That is because the concept of the people does not translate into the legal citizens of a nation. The “people” reflects the community underpinning the bureaucratic and legal apparatus that defines the state. Populism, instead, embraces those whom is consequently skeptical about the bureaucratic political apparatus. It embraces those whom Rousseau liked to call “simple souls” and the small-town ideals that they hold dear. Populism builds on common experiences, myths, habits, customs, and prejudices. Historical experience trumps critical reason and its projection of rights, while provincial intuitions challenge cosmopolitan values. It is quite true that romantic populism can take progressive or regressive forms. Right-wing populism embraces the “nation” and pits it against the “Other”—or what is “alien”—whereas left-wing populism is inclusive and confronts (urban) business elites with the claims of everyday people. The contrast becomes clear by juxtaposing the Tea Party with its parochial cultural ideals and contempt for big government with Occupy Wall Street and its assault on bureaucratic hierarchy and the “1%.” Both movements expressed residual communitarian resentments following the economic crisis of 2007–2008 and avoided dealing with structural imbalances of power, class contradictions among the “poor,” and international conflicts.
The mitigation of high-growth-related accounting distortions after sarbanes-oxley

Abstract This study examines the effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) on accounting distortions in the context of the earnings quality of high-growth firms relative to lower-growth firms. High-growth creates unique management and reporting challenges that can contribute to accounting-related distortions. SOX, with its emphasis on financial reporting, control systems and management responsibility, could have been particularly relevant for high-growth firms with such challenges. Test results indicate a stronger reduction (weaker increase) in accounting distortions related to total accruals and book-tax differences (performance-matched modified Jones discretionary accruals) for high-growth firms from the pre- to the post-SOX period relative to lower-growth firms. Other tests indicate that the relation between accounting returns and market returns strengthened for high-growth firms in the period after SOX, but not for lower-growth firms. These results suggest greater reductions in accounting distortions and related improvements in reporting quality for high-growth firms relative to other firms coinciding with the post-SOX period.
A novel in vitro approach for the identification of exceptional responders in acute myeloid leukemia.

e19011Background: Each case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a unique ecosystem. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the genetic landscape of AML, this information remains ins...
Allometric equations for Sequoia sempervirens in forests of different ages

Abstract Mature second-growth forests dominated by Sequoia sempervirens occupy only two percent of the species’ current distribution yet represent an important benchmark for restoration management. Here we develop new allometric equations for these forests based on 44 trees 23–84 m tall, which can be used to estimate leaf, bark, cambium, sapwood, and heartwood quantities, including biomass and carbon content, from ground-based measurements of trunk diameter, height, and crown size. New equations complement those already available for S. sempervirens in young and old-growth forests and should be applied judiciously. We use fixed area plots in a 159-year-old second-growth forest (0.5 ha) and a primary forest with trees >1100 years old (1.0 ha) to compare three sets of equations. Whereas equations from young forests underestimate biomass in older forests, new equations underestimate trunk and overestimate branch quantities in the old-growth forest, and equations from old-growth forests do the opposite in the mature second-growth forest. Despite the great age difference, canopy structure of these low-elevation, alluvial forests is similar with S. sempervirens stratified into dominant and subordinate crown classes towering above a diminutive understory. Dendrochronological reconstruction of heights and wood radii for nine individuals reveal that both forests have trees producing >300 kg yr−1 with tall trees in the old-growth forest producing up to 800 kg yr−1 in recent decades. Sequoia sempervirens represents nearly 100% of biomass and 83 to –92% of leaf area in the second-growth (total LAI = 15.0) and old-growth (total LAI = 19.3) forests, respectively. The best allometric equations estimate that the second-growth forest holds 1667 Mg ha−1 of aboveground biomass (837 Mg C ha−1), 56% of which is heartwood, whereas the old-growth forest holds 4595 Mg ha−1 of aboveground biomass (2332 Mg C ha−1), 76% of which is heartwood. Restoration management has potential to harness the carbon sequestration potential of S. sempervirens by promoting heartwood accumulation through silviculture.
Cryogenic Fabrication of Dry Powders to Enhance the Solubility of a Promising Anticancer Drug, SHetA2, for Oral Administration.

SHetA2 is a novel anticancer drug with poor aqueous solubility. In formal toxicological studies, Kolliphor HS 15 was used as a solubilizing agent to increase the oral bioavailability of SHetA2. The purpose of this study was to formulate SHetA2 and Kolliphor HS 15 as solid powders to facilitate their filling in hard gelatin capsules for clinical trials. Two manufacturing processes, ultra-rapid freeze-drying (URFD) and spray freeze drying (SFD), were employed to fabricate solid powders of SHetA2-Kolliphor HS 15 and trehalose. The morphology, size, flowability, and compressibility of URFD-SHetA2 and SFD-SHetA2 powders were characterized. The crystallinity and apparent maximum solubility of SHetA2 in both powders were also determined. SFD-SHetA2 powders were spherical in shape, small, and with a wide size distribution while the URFD-SHetA2 powders were irregularly shaped and big but with a narrower distribution. DSC and XRD analyses indicated that SHetA2 was mostly amorphous in both powders. The flow of both powders was categorized as “good” (angle of repose < 35°). The uniformity of drug content in URFD-SHetA2 powders was more variable than that in SFD-SHetA2 powders. The solubility profile of SHetA2 in both powders SGF exhibited a transient supersaturation “spring effect” due to the drug’s amorphousness followed by extended supersaturation “parachute effect” at approximately 6 μg/ml for both powders compared to 0.02 ± 0.01 μg/ml for unprocessed drug. In conclusion, both URFD and SFD formed solid SHetA2 Kolliphor powders that are possible formulation candidates to be filled in hard gelatin capsules for clinical trials.
The relationship between sequence-specific termination of DNA replication and transcription.

Abstract In Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis replication fork arrest occurs in the terminus at sequence-specific sites by the binding of replication terminator proteins to the fork arrest sites. The protein-DNA complex causes polar arrest of the replication forks by inhibiting the activity of the replicative helicases in only one orientation of the terminus with respect to the replication origin. This activity has been named as polar contrahelicase. In this paper we report on a second novel activity of the terminator proteins of E.coli and B.subtilis, namely the ability of the proteins to block RNA chain elongation by several prokaryotic RNA polymerases in a polar mode. The replication terminator proteins ter and RTP of E.coli and B.subtilis respectively, impeded RNA chain elongation catalyzed by T7, SP6 and E.coli RNA polymerases in a polar mode at the replication arrest sites. The RNA chain anti-elongation and the contrahelicase activities were isopolar. Whereas one monomer of ter was necessary and sufficient to block RNA chain elongation, two interacting dimers of RTP were needed to effect the same blockage. The biological significance of the RNA chain anti-elongation activity is manifested in the functional inactivation of a replication arrest site by invasion of RNA chains from outside, and the consequent need to preserve replication arrest activity by restricting the passage of transcription through the terminus-terminator protein complex.
Acting Theory Applied to Counseling: Stanislavski Continues to Contribute to Psychic Healing

This article explores a specific aspect of Stanislavski’s methods of training actors to examine the potential benefits for helping clients in the cultivation of new perceptions through empathy, whi...
Actinotignum schaalii Abscess in a Patient with Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Actinotignum schaalii is an anaerobic, gram-positive commensal organism of the urogenital tract. A. schaalii typically causes urinary tract infections, predominantly in the elderly. Here, we describe the first case of A. schaalii infection presenting as cellulitis and abscess in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency. The patient was successfully treated with an incision and drainage and a prolonged antibiotic course. A. schaalii infection should be considered in sterile abscesses, and anaerobic cultures should be requested in the absence of positive routine cultures.
“To them, we're just kids from the hood”: Citizen-based policing of youth of color, “white space,” and environmental gentrification

Abstract In gentrifying communities, youth of color are often the subject of citizen-based policing by white residents, who use nonemergency 311 calls to police unwanted behaviors, eliminate incumbent symbols of ownership (e.g., graffiti), and gain control of the space. To date, little research has examined such policing efforts in neighborhoods experiencing environmental gentrification. In these neighborhoods, parks and greenways are often established to attract white newcomers, and thus citizen-based policing to ensure that parks remain “white spaces” might be particularly strong. Using a mixed-method design, we examined the citizen-based policing of youth proximate to Chicago’s 606, an urban greenway connected to environmental gentrification. Interviews revealed that white residents frequently and increasingly used citizen-based policing to monitor and control youth of color’s behaviors on The 606. In response, youth avoided greenway segments in white-majority neighborhoods, used the greenway when less populated, or avoided it altogether. A mixed-effects quasi-Poisson model supported these findings, showing that the number of graffiti-related 311 calls significantly increased in the years preceding and following the greenway’s opening, particularly in areas closest to The 606. Planners and policymakers need to recognize these issues and work to ensure park spaces in gentrifying areas promote inclusion and diversity.
Protoplast fusion in Bacillus species produces frequent, unbiased, genome-wide homologous recombination

In eukaryotes, fine-scale maps of meiotic recombination events have greatly advanced our understanding of the factors that affect genomic variation patterns and evolution of traits. However, in bacteria that lack natural systems for sexual reproduction, unbiased characterization of recombination landscapes has remained challenging due to variable rates of genetic exchange and influence of natural selection. Here, to overcome these limitations and to gain a genome-wide view on recombination, we crossed Bacillus strains with different genetic distances using protoplast fusion. The offspring displayed complex inheritance patterns with one of the parents consistently contributing the major part of the chromosome backbone and multiple unselected fragments originating from the second parent. Computational analyses suggested that this bias is due to the action of restriction-modification systems whereas genome features like GC content and local nucleotide identity did not affect distribution of recombination events around the chromosome. Furthermore, we found that the intensity of recombination is uniform across the genome without concentration into hotspots. Unexpectedly, our results revealed that large species-level genetic distance did not affect key recombination parameters. Our study provides a new insight into the dynamics of recombination in bacteria and a platform for studying recombination patterns in diverse bacterial species.
An emerging community in online mathematics teacher professional development: an interactional perspective

Online collaborative and content-focused professional development (PD) is becoming an increasingly important setting for supporting mathematics teachers’ professional learning. The purpose of this study was to better understand the process by which a community emerges in such a PD setting by examining how the cohesiveness of 21 mathematics teachers’ social network evolves and associated shifts in the quality of mathematics teachers’ mathematical discourse. We employed social network analysis (SNA) to examine the evolving cohesiveness of mathematics teachers’ social network and coding procedures to examine teachers’ mathematical discourse. A key finding was the documentation of an emergent divide between participation in the core and periphery during initial weeks of the PD and then a reduced divide and emergence of a social network that resembles a community. We argue that the instructor’s pattern of participation that included distributing their interactions across the subgroups while sending a common message regarding expectations for mathematical discourse in the PD may have contributed to the community formation process. We propose the Interaction Assessment Model, which outlines an approach for PD facilitators to use SNA as a feedback mechanism to differentiate facilitation of online collaborative and content-focused PD and build online communities.
Specific heat of He 4 and He 3 - He 4 mixtures at their λ transition

We have measured the specific heat near the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ transition of pure $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ and of five $^{3}\mathrm{He}$-$^{4}\mathrm{He}$ mixtures up to a mole fraction of 0.39 $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. Our data for $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ confirm the results of Ahlers revealing an asymmetry in the exponents above and below ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ when the specific heat is represented by a simple-power-law temperature dependence. Our results for these exponents ($\ensuremath{\alpha}=0.012\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002$ and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}=\ensuremath{-}0.012\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004$) differ somewhat from Ahlers's. Our results can be reconciled with the requirement of scaling ($\ensuremath{\alpha}={\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) only by supposing substantial contributions to ${C}_{p}$ are made by singular correction terms to a simple power law. The measured specific heat of the mixtures richest in $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ appears to be finite, continuous, and cusped at the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ line. These qualitative features have been termed "renormalization" by Fisher. An analysis of our mixture data with a power-law temperature dependence does not yield a fully renormalized exponent, but rather an effective exponent. We have calculated the following derivatives at the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ line: ${(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}s}{\ensuremath{\partial}T})|}_{p,\ensuremath{\lambda}}$, ${(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\varphi}}{\ensuremath{\partial}T})|}_{p,\ensuremath{\lambda}}$, and ${(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}x}{\ensuremath{\partial}T})|}_{p,\ensuremath{\lambda}}$. We have used these derivatives to calculate the specific heat along paths of constant pressure and constant relative chemical potential ${C}_{p\ensuremath{\varphi}}$. This specific heat behaves very much like ${C}_{p}$ of pure $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ supporting the idea of universality for the specific-heat exponents. It is also true that the same asymmetry in the branches above and below ${T}_{\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ which is observed in pure $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ is retained in the mixtures. The persistence of the asymmetry of ${C}_{p\ensuremath{\varphi}}$ as one moves along the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ line towards increasing $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ concentration (at the saturated vapor pressure of the mixtures) is analogous to the persistence of the asymmetry of ${C}_{p}$ as one moves along the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ line towards increasing pressure in pure $^{4}\mathrm{He}$. In both cases a unique reconciliation of the asymmetry with scaling must await better predictions of the form of the corrections to scaling. We have used our calculated ${C}_{p\ensuremath{\varphi}}$ to construct the derivative ${(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}x}{\ensuremath{\partial}T})|}_{p,\ensuremath{\varphi}}$ hence paths of constant $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ on the $x\ensuremath{-}T$ plane, as well as the derivative ${(\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}x}{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\varphi}})|}_{p,T}$.
Looking Forward and Backward at Extreme Event Attribution in Climate Policy

How the science of probabilistic extreme event attribution might inform climate change adaptation is hotly debated. Central to these debates is an understanding that event attribution’s backward-lo...
Home-based, slow up-dosing oral immunotherapy for hen's egg allergy in an adult patient

Standard therapy for food allergies involves avoiding causative foods until a patient has outgrown their allergies. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an optional treatment for children unlikely to outgrow their food allergy. However, information about OIT in adult patients with food allergies is very limited. We present a case of severe hen's egg allergy (HEA) in an adult who tried home-based, slow up-dosing OIT, reported to have been tolerable and effective in children. A 20-year-old woman with HEA experienced repeated anaphylaxis since childhood when she consumed a small quantity of hen's egg, so she completely avoided hen's eggs. She underwent inpatient oral food challenge (OFC) with 10-g boiled egg yolk and presented lip swelling and abdominal pain. OFC with 1-g boiled egg yolk the following day induced no adverse reaction. OIT was initiated using a home-based, slow up-dosing protocol. She consumed 1 g of boiled egg yolk at home every day, increasing this by 5%-10% every 2 weeks. She started 0.5-g boiled egg white after reaching a whole egg yolk. If adverse reactions occurred, the daily dose was decreased. After 59 months, she was able to eat an entire boiled egg. Anaphylaxis occurred 3 times during OIT due to accidental consumptions of egg products or insufficient heating of egg. Home-based, slow up-dosing OIT might be applicable for adults with severe HEA. It should be performed with appropriate equipment and education for patients, in case of emergency.
Study of $B^- \to D^*_2(2460)^0 \pi^-$ and $B^- \to D_1(2420)^0 \pi^-$ Decays

We report on a study of B mesons decaying into one of the narrow P-wave charm resonances, D*{sub 2}(2460){sup 0} and D{sub 1}(2420)0. Our preliminary results are based on 89 million B{bar B} pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory. Our study will be useful in the investigation of the properties of Heavy Quark Effective Theory.
Alzheimer mutant speeds APP transport

APPS198P segregates with rare familial forms of Alzheimer's disease and resides within exon 5, unlike 27 other mutations that reside in exons 16 or 17. In this issue, Zhang et al. (2021. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20210313) show that the brains of APPS198P transgenic mice accumulate excess levels of Aβ. In cultured cells, APPS198P undergoes accelerated ER folding, leading to early arrival in late vesicular compartments, thereby enhancing generation of Aβ.
Maximizers and Satisficers: Can’t choose and Can’t reject

Abstract Decision-makers show a status-quo bias when they cannot relinquish status quo selections. Maximizers tend to be regretful and indecisive, while satisficers tend to be content. Does this mean that maximizers will show a larger status-quo bias than satisficers? Could the reverse occur? To answer these questions, we study the ways in which the moderating effect of the maximization trait on the choose-reject status-quo bias (choosing few options but also rejecting few) is itself moderated by three contextual factors: information load, counterfactuals, and mood. Our results show that, compared to each other, both maximizers and satisficers show a larger choose-reject status-quo bias under compatible contextual factors. Maximizers do so when information load is high (study 1), and satisficers do so when experiencing a downward counterfactual (study 2) and positive mood (study 3). We believe that compatible contextual moods amplify the influence of maximization trait moods and drive our effects.
Russian Industrial Sector in May 2019: Out of Stagnation

In May, according to industrial enterprises estimates, output, and employment held steady. Moreover, industry indicated its readiness to cut prices thus showing the termination of the VAT new rate pass-through into producers’ prices. Business forecasts retain high level of optimism maintained by the growth of finished goods inventories.
Domestic Logistics: Worldbuilding the Home

Architecture furnishes spaces for narratives but also contributes to the building of fictional worlds. While these worlds might be glimpsed through the more classical drawn representations of archi...
School-Bus Taking for Students with Disabilities: Who’s On-Board?:

Taking the school bus has long been an integral part of the school experience in the U.S. However, not much is known about how school transportation relates to getting to school each day, particula...
Anger, race, and the neurocognition of threat: attention, inhibition, and error processing during a weapon identification task

This study measured event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to test competing hypotheses regarding the effects of anger and race on early visual processing (N1, P2, and N2) and error recognition (ERN and Pe) during a sequentially primed weapon identification task. The first hypothesis was that anger would impair weapon identification in a biased manner by increasing attention and vigilance to, and decreasing recognition and inhibition of weapon identification errors following, task-irrelevant Black (compared to White) faces. Our competing hypothesis was that anger would facilitate weapon identification by directing attention toward task-relevant stimuli (i.e., objects) and away from task-irrelevant stimuli (i.e., race), and increasing recognition and inhibition of biased errors. Results partially supported the second hypothesis, in that anger increased early attention to faces but minimized attentional processing of race, and did not affect error recognition. Specifically, angry (vs. neutral) participants showed increased N1 to both Black and White faces, ablated P2 race effects, and topographically restricted N2 race effects. Additionally, ERN amplitude was unaffected by emotion, race, or object type. However, Pe amplitude was affected by object type (but not emotion or race), such that Pe amplitude was larger after the misidentification of harmless objects as weapons. Finally, anger slowed overall task performance, especially the correct identification of harmless objects, but did not impact task accuracy. Task performance speed and accuracy were unaffected by the race of the face prime. Implications are discussed.
Does Job Security Help Innovation in Small Firms?: Commitment-Based Human Resource Practice and Innovation in Software Firms in Seoul, Korea

The primary goal of this study is to elaborate and test of how commitment-based HR practices affect the innovative capacity of firms. While a remarkable wealth of knowledge has been accumulated on what accounts for small firm innovation including various internal and external factors, a void still remains in our understanding on how a firm’s human resource management efforts make a difference. This study attempts to fill this hole in the literature by empirically testing which human resource practices are positively related to the innovative capacity of entrepreneurial high technology firms. In particular, this research is interested in the effects of job security on the innovative capacity because retaining knowledgeable and skilled workers is critical, for an entrepreneurial firm’s success. In doing so, this study builds its theoretical framework on commitment-based human resource management. This approach argues that a certain set of HR practices induce employees’ attachment and voluntary contribution to a firm are positively related with firm’s performance improvement and innovation. Those practices include selective hiring of high human capital; incentive policies including high wages, job security, off-site training; and work place design.Using data from a survey of small-sized software development firms in Seoul conducted by Korea Internal Promotion Agency in 2004, this study performs a logistic regression to determine predictors of innovation in small software firms. The results show that the existence of high skilled workers (high human capital); and job security for managers (measured by the percentage of full time managers) and non-software technicians are highly correlated with innovation. Job security for software technicians is not significant. These results reflect the reality that under highly competitive markets and rapidly changing technological environments, the existence of committed managers who can identify new marketable products and the right time to launch them on the market might be more critical than technological prowess itself. However, other HR incentives such as high compensation (measured by annuated average wage), off-site training and prime office location, which are typically positively related to a large firm performance, are not significantly related to innovation. This study contributes to the small firm innovation related literature by confirming that job security is positively related to the innovative capacity of a firm. This study also demonstrates how a contextualized approach helps understanding the specific conditions that govern the effects of HR practices.
Bioinformatics Analysis to Identify RNA-Protein Interactions in Oogenesis

Hundreds of RNA-binding proteins are known, but the biological functions are known for only a few of them. They regulate various aspects of RNA processing or biogenesis such as splicing, polyadenylation, and translation. Here I describe a bioinformatics approach that we developed to identify potential new mRNA target(s) of the Drosophila master sex-switch protein Sex-lethal (SXL) by combining computational analysis with genetic and biochemical investigation. This approach could be used to identify new RNA-protein interactions during oogenesis in the female germline and should be applicable to numerous other posttranscriptional regulatory events.
Composition and Rheological Properties of Extracellular Polysaccharide 105-4 Produced by Pseudomonas sp. Strain ATCC 53923.

A soil isolate produced a novel extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) with unusually potent thickening powers. The EPS contained d-mannose, d-glucose, d-galactose, and d-glucuronic acid in the unique molar ratio 1:4:1:2 and 10 to 15% acetate. Viscosities of a 1-g/liter aqueous solution were 1 × 106 and 14 × 103 cP at shear rates of 0.01 and 0.1 s-1, respectively. The EPS was insensitive to high concentrations of NaCl and CaCl2.
Endovascular treatment of peripheral arterial disease

Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease affecting quality and length of life. Endovascular revascularization can be used to improve quality of life. The benefit is greatest in patients with subclavian, renal, or iliac artery symptomatic disease. The advent of stents improves the initial technical success rates of angioplasty to more than 90% in most locations. The development of stent: grafts has altered the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms and should be strongly considered as an alternative to open surgery.