cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mining the genomes of plant pathogenic bacteria: how not to drown in gigabases of sequence

Hundreds of bacterial genomes including the genomes of dozens of plant pathogenic bacteria have been sequenced. These genomes represent an invaluable resource for molecular plant pathologists. In this review, we describe different approaches that can be used for mining bacterial genome sequences and examples of how some of these approaches have been used to analyse plant pathogen genomes so far. We review how genomes can be mined one by one and how comparative genomics of closely related genomes releases the true power of genomics. Databases and tools useful for genome mining that are publicly accessible on the Internet are also described. Finally, the need for new databases and tools to efficiently mine today's plant pathogen genomes and hundreds more in the near future is discussed.
Emergency Tracheal Intubation: Complications Associated with Repeated Laryngoscopic Attempts

contents (1.9% versus 22%), aspiration of gastric contents (0.8% versus 13%) bradycardia (1.6% versus 21%), and cardiac arrest (0.7% versus 11%; P 0.001). Although predictable, this analysis provides data that confirm the number of laryngoscopic attempts is associated with the incidence of airway and hemodynamic adverse events. These data support the recommendation of the ASA Task Force on the Management of the Difficult Airway to limit laryngoscopic attempts to three in lieu of the considerable patient injury that may occur.
The effect of glycation on arterial microstructure and mechanical response.

Like engineered materials, an artery's biomechanical behavior and function depend on its microstructure. Glycation is associated with both normal aging and diabetes and has been shown to increase arterial stiffness. In this study we examined the direct effect of glycation on the mechanical response of intact arteries and on the mechanical response and structure of elastin isolated from the arteries. Samples of intact arteries and isolated elastin were prepared from porcine aortas and glycated. The mechanical response of all samples was completed using a uniaxial material test system. Glycation levels were measured using ELISA. A confocal microscope was used to image differences in the structure of the glycated and untreated elastin fibers. We found that, under the conditions used in this study, glycation led to decreased stiffness of elastin isolated from arteries, which was associated with a thinning of elastin fibers as imaged by confocal microscopy. We observed no effect of glycation on collagen fibers under our treatment conditions. These results suggest that glycation leads to weakening of the elastin component of arteries that could contribute to vascular defects seen in diabetes and aging. Prevention of glycation reactions may be an important consideration for vascular health later in life. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2565–2572, 2014.
The Linear-Quadratic Optimal Control Problem — The Operator Theoretic Viewpoint

The celebrated linear-quadratic optimal control problem is examined in the light of some operator-theoretic techniques. Special attention is devoted to the case where the quadratic integrand of the cost functional is not necessarily positive semidefinite, as this directly opens the road to a fundamental “positivity” issue in general system theory. In essence, the operator theoretic approach to the linear-quadratic problem identifies the crucial role played by two bounded self-adjoint operators defined on appropriate Hilbert spaces of controls. Central in the problem of the existence of a stabilizing solution to the Algebraic Riccati Equation is the positive definiteness of a Wiener-Hopf operator, while the existence of an antistabilizing solution involves the positive definiteness of a perturbed Wiener-Hopf operator. Further, the spectra of the Wiener-Hopf and the perturbed Wiener-Hopf operators reveal a great deal about the “fine” structure of the linear-quadratic problem. Finally, the spectra of both operators can be determined using the factorization ideas of Gohberg and Krein.
Optimizing mammography screening intervals

Mammography prevents morbidity and mortality by detecting breast cancer at an early stage. However, the optimal screening interval is intenselydebated. TheAmericanCancer Society1 andother groups2-4 have recommended annual screening for women 40 years and older. In contrast, the US Preventive Services Task Force(USPSTF)recommendsbiennial screening forwomen aged 50 to 74 years.5,6 Annual screening has more false-positive test results, resulting in more frequent biopsies,which is one of the reasons theUSPSTF recommends less frequent screening. The USPSTF also recommends starting breast cancer screeningat age50years. Theaverageageatonsetofmenopause among US women is 51 years, and breast density decreases after menopause. Breast tissue is denser in younger women, increasing the likelihood of false-negative findings because it ismore difficult for radiologists to identify small lesions indensebreasts, yet breastdensity isan independentrisk factor fordevelopmentofbreast cancer. Younger women also have more false-positive results. The optimal breast cancer screening strategy is not known because of these contradictions. In an effort to better understand the best approach for breast cancer screening, ina recent issueof JAMAOncology,Miglioretti and Related article page 1599 JAMAONCOLOGY
“Not Just a Theory” The Relationship Between Jin Shin Jyutsu® Self-Care Training for Nurses and Stress, Physical Health, Emotional Health, and Caring Efficacy

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of training nurses in Jin Shin Jyutsu® self-care methods and to correlate the training with measurement of the nurses’ personal and organizational stress and their perceptions of their caring efficacy for patients. Design: A quasi-experimental, pretest, posttest, and 30- to 40-day posttest design was used. Method: In all, 20 participants received three 2-hour Jin Shin Jyutsu self-care training sessions from a certified Jin Shin Jyutsu self-care trainer (who was also a registered nurse). The training took place over a 1-month period, and participants agreed to practice the self-care daily. Two study instruments, one measuring organizational and personal stress and the second measuring caring efficacy, were completed before the first training, after the last training, and 1 month after the trainings had been completed. Findings: Analysis of data from the Personal and Organizational Quality Assessment–Revised by paired t tests showed significant i...
The Analysis of the Spiritual Sundial of "Scenery Realism" of New Jinling Picture School

The 1950s and 1960s saw great events in Chinese history.In drawing history,this time the representative painters of the New Jinling Picture School,the Chang An Picture School,the Lingnan Picture School,the Beijing and Tianjin Picture School invest an intense political enthusiasm into the landscape painting,break the limitation of the theme of the traditional landscape painting,and create one kind of brand-new artistic scheme which this article calls "the Scenery Realism".This article takes the New Jinling Picture School as an example and further annotates the realistic spiritual sundial of the landscape painting of the New Jinling School and the profound connotation of the Scenery Realism.
Using tools to promote novice teacher noticing of science teaching practices in post-rehearsal discussions

Abstract This study explores the potential of tool-supported post-rehearsal discussions in helping novice teachers learn to notice and interpret critical features of science teaching. Three tools are examined: a framework of science teaching practices, information about student misconceptions and scientific practice challenges, and a feedback form. Data were collected from 48 post-rehearsal discussions with 16 novices in four teams in a science methods course. The findings suggest the tools guided novices to collectively identify, interpret, and share insights to respond to critical issues of science teaching and learning related to using the science teaching practices to support student learning.
Is the Hybrid Threat a True Threat

Does the “hybrid threat” discussed in General Marty Dempsey’s 2015 United States National Military Strategy make logical sense? In this paper I define the national security threat risk assessment process, examine the most significant US security threats, and study the hybrid threat. I conclude that the hybrid threat is the one that could most exploit our nation’s critical vulnerabilitiesboth from a security and foreign policy perspective. I conclude with a study of security and economic methods to reduce this threat. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol9/iss2/2
Social Work Recording: A New Look at an Old Issue

Recording is an integral component of social work practice. The focus of recording has changed in recent years as social work records have become increasingly important measures of accountability and of organizational and professional effectiveness. Technology and concerns about defensive practice are also changing the nature of social work recording. At the same time, many old issues remain unresolved, including concerns about client privacy, style, and content. For more than 50 years, social work educators have been criticized for failing to teach recording skills, yet today few texts and curricula on recording exist. Most social work students graduate inadequately equipped for their recording responsibilities. This article proposes some approaches and resources for integrating recording into classroom instruction.
Experimental and Calculated K-Shell Spectra of Simple Free Molecules

Here an overview is given of the spectral features that are encountered in K-shell excitation spectra of simple gas phase molecules. Experimental results obtained by the inner shell electron energy loss, or ISEELS, technique — which is discussed first — are compared to those obtained by different theoretical techniques.
Teacher absenteeism: An examination of patterns and predictors

x Chapter I: Introduction 1 Definitions 6 Chapter II: Literature Review 8 Overview 8 Methods for literature search 10 Review of Literature 11 Teacher Absenteeism and Student Outcomes 12 Student absenteeism 12 Student achievement 13 Predictors of Teacher Absenteeism 18 Organizational Characteristics 18 Organizational policies 22 Absence culture 26 Conflicting evidence of absence behavior 30 Gender 31 Age 31 Day of week 32 Chapter III: Research Methods 34
Ureaplasma Transmitted From Donor Lungs Is Pathogenic After Lung Transplantation

Hyperammonemia is a highly fatal syndrome in lung recipients that is usually refractory to medical therapy. We recently reported that infection by a Mollicute, Ureaplasma, is causative for hyperammonemia and can be successfully treated with antimicrobial agents. However, it remains unknown whether the pathogenic strain of Ureaplasma is donor or recipient derived. Here we provide evidence that donor-derived Ureaplasma infection can be pathogenic. As such, we uncover a previously unknown lethal donor-derived opportunistic infection in lung recipients. Given the high mortality associated with hyperammonemia, strategies for routine donor screening or prophylaxis should be further evaluated in prospective studies.
Hematopoiesis in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome (DS) Recapitulates Many Features of Human DS.

Down syndrome-associated acute megakaryocytic leukemia (DS-AMKL) is a complex malignancy that evolves in hematopoietic progenitors with trisomy 21 that acquire a somatic mutation in the blood transcription factor GATA1 . The mechanistic relationship between these two genetic factors that leads to leukemia is poorly understood. In order to study the interplay between trisomy 21 and GATA1 mutations, we are developing a mouse model of this malignancy. The Ts65Dn mouse, which contains a segmental trisomy for mouse chromosome 16, homologous to human 21, has been reported to display several of the cognitive and craniofacial phenotypes seen in humans with DS, but the hematopoietic system has not been assessed as a model for blood development in humans with DS. We have evaluated adult hematopoiesis in the Ts65Dn strain by comparing monthly complete blood counts (CBC) of peripheral blood from 14 trisomic and 20 disomic littermates. Similar to humans with DS, Ts65Dn trisomic mice display persistent erythrocyte macrocytosis, with values at the high end of the normal range. Trisomic mice also harbor decreased numbers of red blood cells, mildly elevated platelet counts, a higher percentage of monocytes and a lower hemoglobin concentration. Interestingly infants with DS frequently display thrombocytosis. In addition, we have characterized fetal liver hematopoiesis in the Ts65Dn strain by FACS analysis of hematopoietic precursors and by performing colony assays. In general, we did not detect any significant differences in erythroid, myeloid, or megakaryocytic colony formation between trisomic or disomic fetuses. Likewise flow cytometry for CD34, TER119, and CD41 demonstrated overall similar numbers of cells in these compartments for Ts65Dn mice and disomic littermates. However, one of seven trisomic embryos displayed a significant increase in the proportion of CD34+ cells with concomitant decrease in both Ter119+ and CD41+ populations. In addition, cells from this fetal liver gave rise to seven-fold and three-fold increases in BFU-E and CFU-Mk colonies respectively, with no change in the CFU-GM. Although the sample size is small, these findings suggest that a subset of Ts65Dn trisomic fetuses exhibit aberrant hematopoiesis. Taken together, our study indicates that the Ts65Dn trisomic mouse may be an excellent model to study human DS hematopoiesis.
Methods for Analysis of Pre-Post Data in Clinical Research: A Comparison of Five Common Methods

Often repeated measures data are summarized into pre-post-treatment measurements. Various methods exist in the literature for estimating and testing treatment effect, including ANOVA, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and linear mixed modeling (LMM). Under the first two methods, outcomes can either be modeled as the post treatment measurement (ANOVA-POST or ANCOVA-POST), or a change score between pre and post measurements (ANOVACHANGE, ANCOVA-CHANGE). In LMM, the outcome is modeled as a vector of responses with or without Kenward- Rogers adjustment. We consider five methods common in the literature, and discuss them in terms of supporting simulations and theoretical derivations of variance. Consistent with existing literature, our results demonstrate that each method leads to unbiased treatment effect estimates, and based on precision of estimates, 95% coverage probability, and power, ANCOVA modeling of either change scores or post-treatment score as the outcome, prove to be the most effective. We further demonstrate each method in terms of a real data example to exemplify comparisons in real clinical context.
Illegitimate Tasks and Counterproductive Work Behavior: A Daily Diary Investigation

In this study we investigated the relationship between illegitimate tasks and counterproductive work behavior (CWB) in a moderated mediation model with anger as a mediator and time pressure and pol...
Memory Errors in Alibi Generation: How an Alibi Can Turn Against Us

Alibis play a critical role in the criminal justice system. Yet research on the process of alibi generation and evaluation is still nascent. Indeed, similar to other widely investigated psychological phenomena in the legal system - such as false confessions, historical claims of abuse, and eyewitness memory - the basic assumptions underlying alibi generation and evaluation require closer empirical scrutiny. To date, the majority of alibi research investigates the social psychological aspects of the process. We argue that applying our understanding of basic human memory is critical to a complete understanding of the alibi process. Specifically, we challenge the use of alibi inconsistency as an indication of guilt by outlining the "cascading effects" that can put innocents at risk for conviction. We discuss how normal encoding and storage processes can pose problems at retrieval, particularly for innocent suspects that can result in alibi inconsistencies over time. Those inconsistencies are typically misunderstood as intentional deception, first by law enforcement, affecting the investigation, then by prosecutors affecting prosecution decisions, and finally by juries, ultimately affecting guilt judgments. Put differently, despite the universal nature of memory inconsistencies, a single error can produce a cascading effect, rendering an innocent individual's alibi, ironically, proof of guilt. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Thorny Problem of Translation and Interpreting Quality

Judging quality in translation and interpreting and in the associated task of revision has a long and controversial history. We briefly comment on some aspects of this history to provide context for the contemporary perspectives on and investigations into quality assessment that are represented in this volume of Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series: Themes in Translation Studies. A fundamental obstacle to progress is the lack of consensus about how to characterize high-quality translation or interpreting, let alone the identification of broadly accepted models for measuring translation or interpreting quality or the ability of translators or interpreters. The advent of machine translation and post-editing has focused attention on the very nature of quality: Is it proximity to a “gold standard” of perfection or is it characteristic of a product that simply serves its purpose well enough to satisfy the needs of the consumer? In other words, is quality something that should be measured and judged in absolute terms or in relative terms? Different philosophies of quality assessment reflect these dichotomies, with the absolutists seeking objective assessments based on detailed analyses of taxonomies of errors, whereas the relativists prefer a more holistic approach that is more sympathetic to subjective judgements. The contributors to this volume present a broad range of approaches to quality assessment in a variety of contexts. We describe their achievements and provide brief analyses through the lens of the framework above.
Reverberation enhances onset dominance in sound localization.

Temporal variation in sensitivity to sound-localization cues was measured in anechoic conditions and in simulated reverberation using the temporal weighting function (TWF) paradigm [Stecker and Hafter (2002). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 112, 1046–1057]. Listeners judged the locations of Gabor click trains (4 kHz center frequency, 5-ms interclick interval) presented from an array of loudspeakers spanning 360° azimuth. Targets ranged ±56.25° across trials. Individual clicks within each train varied by an additional ±11.25° to allow TWF calculation by multiple regression. In separate conditions, sounds were presented directly or in the presence of simulated reverberation: 13 orders of lateral reflection were computed for a 10 m × 10 m room ( R T 60 ≊ 300 ms) and mapped to the appropriate locations in the loudspeaker array. Results reveal a marked increase in perceptual weight applied to the initial click in reverberation, along with a reduction in the impact of late-arriving sound. In a second experiment, target s...
Data Monitoring Committees: Current issues:

Maintaining confidentiality of emerging data and ensuring the independence of Data Monitoring Committees are best practices of considerable importance to the ability of these committees to achieve their mission of safeguarding the interests of study participants and enhancing the integrity and credibility of clinical trials. Even with the wide recognition of these principles, there are circumstances where confidentiality issues remain challenging, controversial or inconsistently addressed. First, consider settings where a clinical trial's interim data could provide the evidence regulatory authorities require for decisions about marketing approval, yet where such a trial would be continued post-approval to provide more definitive evidence about principal safety and/or efficacy outcomes. In such settings, data informative about the longer term objectives of the trial should remain confidential until pre-specified criteria for trial completion have been met. Second, for those other than Data Monitoring Committee members, access to safety and efficacy outcomes during trial conduct, even when presented as data pooled across treatment arms, should be on a limited "need to know" basis relating to the ability to carry out ethical or scientific responsibilities in the conduct of the trial. Third, Data Monitoring Committee members should have access to unblinded efficacy and safety data throughout the trial to enable timely and informed judgments about risks and benefits. Fourth, it should be recognized that a mediator potentially could be useful in rare settings where the Data Monitoring Committee would have serious ethical or scientific concerns about the sponsor's dissemination or lack of dissemination of information. Data Monitoring Committee Contract Agreements, Indemnification Agreements and Charters should be developed in a manner to protect Data Monitoring Committee members and their independence, in order to enhance the Data Monitoring Committee's ability to effectively address their mission.
Public Affairs Programs and the Changing Political Economy of Higher Education

The changing political economy of higher education threatens the viability of some public affairs programs and challenges the overall value of public affairs education, research, and service. This ...
Red-cockaded woodpecker nest-cavity selection: relationships with cavity age and resin production

We evaluated selection of nest sites by male Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Pi- coides borealis) in Texas relative to the age of the cavity when only cavities excavated by the woodpeckers were available and when both naturally excavated cavities and artificial cavi- ties were available. We also evaluated nest-cavity selection relative to the ability of naturally excavated cavity trees to produce resin, which is used by the woodpeckers to maintain a barrier against predation by rat snakes (Elaphe spp.). Longleaf pines (Pinus palustris) selected by breeding males as nest trees produced significantly greater resin yields at 2, 8, and 24 h post-wounding than cavity trees used for roosting by other group members. This preference was observed in loblolly pine (I! taeda) and shortleaf pine (I? echinata) cavity trees only at the 2-h resin-sampling period. When only naturally excavated cavities were available, Red-cock- aded Woodpeckers in both longleaf pine and loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat selected thenew- est cavities available for their nest sites, possibly as a means to reduce parasite loads. When both naturally excavated and artificial cavity inserts were available, Red-cockaded Wood- peckers continued to select the newest cavity for nesting in loblolly-shor tleaf pine habitat but not in longleaf pine habitat. Resin production in existing longleaf pine nest trees re- mained sufficient for continued use, whereas resin production in loblolly pine and shortleaf pine nest trees decreased through time, probably because of woodpecker activity at resin wells. For these latter tree species, breeding males switched to newer cavities and/or cavity trees with higher resin yields. Received 7 )uly 1997, accepted 11 November 1997.
The onset of female puberty: studies in the rat.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the onset of female puberty from the studies in rat. The developmental regulation of the neuroendocrine reproductive axis at the level of its three basic components: the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, and the ovaries were investigated in both in vivo and in vitro. The developmental process that leads to puberty in the female rat is composed of an extraordinary, complex series of interrelated events. The CNS plays a pivotal role in the process by controlling both anterior pituitary function through the secretion of hypothalamic factors and the ovary via pituitary hormones and direct neural inputs. Based on the results, it was noticed that the first activational period occurs during infantile development and is expressed as an enhancement in FSH secretion, with sporadic elevation in LH levels. The second activational period signals the end of juvenile development and represents the first neuroendocrine manifestation of the onset of puberty. This activational period is also determined by a centrally driven, gonadal-independent mechanism and is expressed as a diurnal change in pulsatile LH release. The third and final activational period occurs more abruptly, and is predominantly determined by an increased output of ovarian steroids, especially E2. This period corresponds to the preovulatory discharge of LHRH which directly promotes the first surge of gonadotropins. The ovaries grow under the influence of the gonadotropins, which is modulated by milk LHRH during the neonatal–infantile development, and facilitated afterward by the growth hormone and prolactin. An additional facilitatory control mechanism is provided by adrenergic and peptidergic nerves, and by EPI of adrenal medullary origin.
Evolution of the Sexually Dimorphic Brain

This article provides a survey of sex dimorphism in behaviors and cognitive abilities, its expression across the life span and across different primate species, and its relation to brain anatomy and function. Gonadal hormones organize the brain pre- and perinatally and result in sexually dimorphic behaviors related to reproductive functions and cognitive functions. The pattern of sexual variations in cognitive abilities found through adolescence, adulthood, and aging suggests that sex differences in cognitive abilities may in part be due to activational gonadal influence on the brain structures and functions throughout life. Sex differences in brain structure and function appear to be a pervasive characteristic of brain organization and occur very early in evolution, prior to the emergence of a distinct hominid lineage. While the causes and functions of sex differences in cognitive processes are largely unknown, the challenge is to specify precisely biological mechanisms by which these differences occur and to take into consideration the circular interactions between biological factors and socioenvironmental factors. Ultimately, the understanding of cognitive sex differences will necessarily depend upon converging evidence from many different disciplines, including anthropology, evolution, endocrinology, animal and human behavior, neurobiology, electrophysiology, and brain imaging.
Evidence for a pretranslational defect in hereditary and acquired myeloperoxidase deficiency

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a heme containing enzyme involved in the oxygen-dependent microbicidal activity of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Complete hereditary and acquired MPO deficiencies are defined as lack of peroxidase activity in PMN. Using this criterion, we studied a patient with complete hereditary MPO deficiency, and a MPO deficient variant cell line of HL-60 (HL-60-A7), which we used as a model for acquired MPO deficiency. Western blot analysis showed complete absence of mature and precursor protein of MPO both in PMN from the patient and in HL-60-A7 cells. PMN from both parents had one half of normal levels of these proteins. To study further the molecular basis of this defect, we isolated an intron specific probe for MPO and used it and a cDNA probe. Both normal human bone marrow cells and the promyelocytic HL-60 leukemia cells contained MPO mRNA species of 2.8, 3.3, approximately 4, and greater than 8 kilobase (kb). The transcripts of greater than 8 and approximately 4 kb contained sequences hybridizing to a probe specific for intron 7 of the MPO gene. Bone marrow cells of the MPO deficient patient contained two species of heterogeneous nuclear (hn) RNA of greater than 8 and approximately 4 kb, but only trace amounts of the normal sized 3.3 kb MPO mRNA and undetectable 2.8 kb MPO mRNA. HL-60-A7 cells contained both greater than 8 and approximately 4 kb hnRNA, but only small amounts of normal sized 2.8 kb MPO mRNA and undetectable levels of the 3.3 kb mRNA. Southern blot analyses revealed no gross alteration of the MPO gene in both cases. Our results suggest that a pretranslational defect is one mechanism leading to MPO deficiency.
The Dilemma of the Blue Book

Ever since its publication in 1958, readers of the Blue Book 1 have been struck by the peculiar and incomparable qualities of that little book. Some have even come to regard it as Wittgenstein’s best single work.
An Overview of Conceptualizations of Eating Disorder Recovery, Recent Findings, and Future Directions.

This review delineates issues in the conceptualization and operationalization of eating disorder recovery, highlights recent findings about recovery (since 2016), and proposes future directions. A longstanding problem in the field is that there are almost as many different definitions of recovery in eating disorders as there are studies on the topic. Yet, there has been a general shift to accepting that psychological/cognitive symptoms are important to recovery in addition to physical and behavioral indices. Further, several operationalizations of recovery have been proposed over the past two decades, and some efforts to validate operationalizations exist. However, this work has had limited impact and uptake, such that the field is suffering from “broken record syndrome,” where calls are made for universal definitions time and time again. It is critical that proposed operationalizations be compared empirically to help arrive at a consensus definition and that institutional/organizational support help facilitate this. Themes in recent recovery research include identifying predictors, examining biological/neuropsychological factors, and considering severe and enduring anorexia nervosa. From qualitative research, those who have experienced eating disorders highlight recovery as a journey, as well as factors such as hope, self-acceptance, and benefiting from support from others as integral to the process of recovery. The field urgently needs to implement a universal definition of recovery that is backed by evidence, that can parsimoniously be implemented in clinical practice, and that will lead to greater harmonization of scientific findings.
Presence of an invasive species reverses latitudinal clines of multiple traits in a native species

Understanding the processes driving formation and maintenance of latitudinal clines has become increasingly important in light of accelerating global change. Many studies have focused on the role of abiotic factors, especially temperature, in generating clines, but biotic factors, including the introduction of non-native species, may also drive clinal variation. We assessed the impact of invasion by predatory fire ants on latitudinal clines in multiple fitness-relevant traits-morphology, physiological stress responsiveness, and antipredator behavior-in a native fence lizard. In areas invaded by fire ants, a latitudinal cline in morphology is opposite both the cline found in museum specimens from historical populations across the species' full latitudinal range and that found in current populations uninvaded by fire ants. Similarly, clines in stress-relevant hormone response to a stressor and in antipredator behavior differ significantly between the portions of the fence lizard range invaded and uninvaded by fire ants. Changes in these traits within fire ant-invaded areas are adaptive and together support increased and more effective antipredator behavior that allows escape from attacks by this invasive predator. However, these changes may mismatch lizards to the environments under which they historically evolved. This research shows that novel biotic pressures can alter latitudinal clines in multiple traits within a single species on ecological timescales. As global change intensifies, a greater understanding of novel abiotic and biotic pressures and how affected organisms adapt to them across space and time will be central to predicting and managing our changing environment.
The state of research on sovereign wealth funds

Abstract The new global economic and political environment brings new challenges to sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) and forces them to adopt new strategies to adapt to the environmental changes. This study is a sequel to Fotak, Gao, and Megginson (2017). We focus on the newly produced research on SWFs and confirm the impact of new environmental changes on SWFs' asset allocations and decision-making process. Recent studies on cross-border SWF investments show that SWFs are different from other private institutional investors although no evidence explicitly proves that SWFs have exerted political influence on recipient countries through their cross-border deals. SWFs are improving their transparency. However, the variations in transparency and institutionalization are attributed to the disparities in national culture, political regime, and internal political dynamics. We re-examine the long-term impact of SWF investments on target firms and industries and affirm the necessity to consider the heterogeneity among SWFs. We also survey the research investigating the government's motivations to establish new SWFs.
Analysis and Forecasting for Power Load of Office Buildings Taking Crowd Behavior into Account

With the advancement of big data technology and sensor technology, big data of power systems is gradually being established. Specialized power load analysis and prediction for different types of users has become an emerging hot spot. However, there is still little research on the power load of office buildings and crowd behavior has not been taken into account in the existing power load analysis. What’s more, existing correlation analysis methods are not well adapted to the multi-source heterogeneity of big data. Aiming at the above problems, a comprehensive association analysis method for multi-source heterogeneous data is proposed. Taking the mobile base station data as the characteristic data of the crowd behavior, the relationship between the office building power load and its influencing factors is tapped by the above method. Finally, taking the measured data of two office buildings in Shanghai as an example, mathematical analysis for office building load through statistical and clustering methods and short-term load forecasting is carried out by means of power load correlation. The results show that the analysis method has strong robustness, and considering the crowd behavior can also improve the accuracy of short-term forecasting for power load of office buildings.
High-throughput operando-ready X-ray absorption spectroscopy flow reactor cell for powder samples

A high-throughput, operando-ready X-ray absorption spectroscopy catalytic reaction cell consisting of 4 parallel reactors was designed to collect X-ray absorption near edge structure and extended fine structure spectra under reaction conditions. The cell is capable of operating at temperatures from ambient conditions up to 773 K and pressures from ambient to 2 MPa in a variety of gas environments. The cell design is mechanically simple, and programmable operation at beamline 8-ID (NSLS-II, Brookhaven National Laboratory) makes it straightforward to use. Reactor tube parts were available as-fabricated from commercial sources, while the heating jacket and cell mounting required custom machining.
Emergency department operations in a large health system during COVID-19.

• The initial COVID-19 pandemic led to decreased ED volumes across a health system. • Decreased ED volumes during the COVID-19 pandemic led to improved operations metrics. • Hospital decompression led to decreased boarding times during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Current Management of Craniopharyngiomas

This paper reviews the current management of craniopharyngioma tumors with a focus on surgical treatment options. Advances in transnasal endoscopic skull base surgery and proton therapy have altered the management options available for this challenging condition. Craniopharyngiomas are benign suprasellar tumors that originate from Rathke’s pouch. These complex lesions may cause major neurologic, endocrine, and visual deficits. Treatment modalities include endoscopic transnasal versus open transcranial surgery to achieve gross total or subtotal resection. Various forms of radiation therapy are often integral to comprehensive management of craniopharyngiomas. This article reviews current treatment modalities and surgical risks, highlighting differences between endoscopic versus transcranial surgical approaches.
Recent developments in the characterization of nucleic acids by liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, ion mobility, and mass spectrometry (2010–2020)

The development of new strategies for the analysis of nucleic acids has gained momentum due to the increased interest in using these biomolecules as drugs or drug targets. The application of new mass spectrometry ion activation techniques and the optimization of separation methods including liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and ion mobility have allowed more detailed characterization of nucleic acids and oligonucleotide therapeutics including confirmation of sequence, localization of modifications and interaction sites, and structural analysis as well as identification of failed sequences and degradation products. This review will cover tandem mass spectrometry methods as well as the recent developments in liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and ion mobility coupled to mass spectrometry for the analysis of nucleic acids and oligonucleotides.
Configuring Surgical Instrument Trays to Reduce Costs

Most hospitals in the US provide and manage durable surgical instruments used in operating rooms. Instruments are customarily stored and delivered to operating rooms as trays (kits). The advantages of organizing instruments into custom trays have been discussed elsewhere. They include: reliability in providing the needed instrument, speed of delivery in an emergency situation, and tighter control over the inventory. Hospital materials managers and surgeons appear to weigh differently the various attributes of different tray configurations. Surgeons prefer trays with the minimum number of unneeded instruments, while materials managers want to limit the cost of inventory and the variety of trays. We propose a mathematical programming formulation to decide on the composition of trays to minimize the relevant costs. We show that the optimal configuration depends not only on physician instrument preferences but also on the actual operating rooms’ schedules. This implies that changing surgery schedules can have significant impact on how trays should be configured. Using real-world data we demonstrate that optimizing trays can result in significant cost savings for the hospital and increase surgeons’ satisfaction, based on the reduction of the “unneeded instruments.” We describe a column-generation algorithm and a heuristic algorithm for finding a low-cost trays configuration given surgeons’ preferences and surgical schedules. Our numerical experiments suggests that currently hospital materials managers overestimate the cost of tray variety and underestimate the cost of re-processing the extra instruments in a tray.
Impact of BioFire FilmArray respiratory panel results on antibiotic days of therapy in different clinical settings

Objective: The BioFire FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RFA) has been proposed as a tool that can aid in the timely diagnosis and treatment of respiratory tract infections but its effect on antibiotic prescribing among adult patients has varied. We evaluated the impact of RFA result on antibiotic days of therapy (DOTs) in 2 distinct cohorts: hospitalized patients and patients discharged from the emergency department (ED). Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted in 3 community hospitals in Des Moines, Iowa, from March 3 to March 16, 2019. Patients: Adults aged >18 years. Methods: Potential outcome means and average treatment effects for RFA results on antibiotic DOTs were estimated. Inverse probability of treatment weighting with regression adjustment was used. Results: We identified 243 patients each in the hospitalized and ED-discharged cohorts. Among hospitalized patients, RFA results did not affect antibiotic DOTs. Among patients discharged from the ED, we found that if all patients had had influenza detected, the average DOTs would have been 2.3 DOTs (−3.2 to −1.4) less than the average observed if all the patients had had a negative RFA (P < .0001); no differences in DOTs were observed when comparing an RFA with a noninfluenza virus detected compared to an RFA with negative results. Conclusions: The impact of RFA results on antibiotic DOTs varies by clinical setting, and reductions were observed only among patients discharged from the ED who had influenza A or B detected.
Terrestrial planet formation in a circumbinary disc around a coplanar binary

With n-body simulations, we model terrestrial circumbinary planet (CBP) formation with an initial surface density profile motivated by hydrodynamic circumbinary gas disc simulations. The binary plays an important role in shaping the initial distribution of bodies. After the gas disc has dissipated, the torque from the binary speeds up the planet formation process by promoting body-body interactions but also drives the ejection of planet building material from the system at an early time. Fewer but more massive planets form around a close binary compared to a single star system. A sufficiently wide or eccentric binary can prohibit terrestrial planet formation. Eccentric binaries and exterior giant planets exacerbate these effects as they both reduce the radial range of the stable orbits. However, with a large enough stable region, the planets that do form are more massive, more eccentric and more inclined. The giant planets remain on stable orbits in all our simulations suggesting that giant planets are long-lived in planetary systems once they are formed.
Alternative Exit and Restructuring Strategies: Bankruptcy Reorganization and Liquidation

The focus of this chapter is on bankruptcy and liquidation as alternative restructuring or exit strategies for failing firms. Bankruptcy enables a failing firm to reorganize, while protected from its creditors, or to cease operation by selling its assets to satisfy all or a portion of the firm’s outstanding debt. How reorganization and liquidation take place both inside and outside the protection of the bankruptcy court are examined in detail. This chapter also discusses common strategic options for failing firms and how to value such firms, the current state of bankruptcy prediction models, and empirical studies of the performance of firms experiencing financial distress.
The word order problem in agrammatism. II. Production.

Abstract This study demonstrates that agrammatic aphasics have difficulty describing relations that are signified by the order of noun phrases around verbs or prepositions. The word order deficit is found in a Sentence Order Task, in which written words must be arranged linearly to form a sentence, as well as in oral production. Ordering tendencies reflect factors like animacy or potency, rather than the systematic use of syntactic rules. These results point to a fundamental syntactic disorder in agrammatism.
The two-region Milne problem

The authors consider the two-region Milne problem, defined as the steady-state monoenergetic linear transport problem for two adjoining homogeneous source-free half-spaces, with a particle source coming from infinity in one of the half-spaces. They demonstrate that the asymptotic (Case discrete mode) component of the solution for the scalar flux is easily and explicitly written in terms of Chandrasekhar`s H-function for each medium. This asymptotic solution is shown to exhibit a discontinuity in both the scalar flux and current at the interface between the two half-spaces. Numerical benchmark results for the linear extrapolation distance and the discontinuities are given for various combinations of the mean number of secondaries (c) characterizing the two media. Contact is also made with a variational treatment. In particular, the variational formalism is shown to predict the linear extrapolation distance and these asymptotic discontinuities correct to first order in the difference between the values of c characterizing the two half-spaces.
How to design an effective treatment outcome study.

This paper provides a “how to” guide for designing an effective treatment outcome study. Three areas addressed are (1) a description of the three stages: treatment development, efficacy testing, and effectiveness testing; (2) suggestions for writing a grant proposal; and (3) optimal study design. The latter includes considerations of comorbidity, standard design features, treatment, assessment, patients, therapists, and replication. These are discussed with regard to the testing of psychosocial treatments, with examples from the area of pathological gambling. Finally, general questions applicable to any study are provided, including: Is there a rationale for all design decisions? Is the investigator aware of what can and cannot be inferred from the data, based on the design? Does the study design address research questions that are important and genuinely of benefit to the field?
Fusion kinetics of phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidic acid mixed lipids vesicles: a proton nuclear magnetic resonance study.

The kinetics of Ca2+-induced fusion of phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidic acid vesicles has been studied using the dependence of proton nuclear magnetic resonance linewidths on vesicle size. The linewidth of the lipid acyl chain methylene resonance has been shown to be sensitive to changes in vesicle size but insensitive to vesicle aggregation. For vesicle systems with the same lipid composition, the linewidth increases in a linear fashion with vesicle radius over the range 125--300 A. This dependence has been used to determine quantitatively fusion rates and the dependence of such rates of Ca2+ as well as an vesicle concentration. For vesicle concentrations in the range of 3 . 10(-6)--10(-5) M and Ca2+ concentration at a level approaching 1 : 1 with respect to phosphatidic acid, the initial fusion rates have been found to be fast, with half-times of 1--10 min. An order of reaction of 2.7 with respect to vesicle concentration has been observed. Mechanisms of vesicle fusion are discussed in view of these observations.