cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The first to arrive and the last to leave: colonisation and extinction dynamics of common and rare fishes in intermittent prairie streams

SUMMARY 1. The objectives of our research were to examine commonness–rarity patterns in fish communities in networks of intermittent streams. We quantified species abundance distributions and the importance of nestedness and turnover to community dissimilarity and then related commonness to colonisation, extinction and physiological tolerance. Patterns and relationships were evaluated spatially among sites and temporally within sites during non-drought and drought periods in tallgrass prairie streams of eastern Kansas, U.S.A. 2. Supra-seasonal drought during 2011–2013 resulted in complete or partial drying of some sites and provided an opportunity to evaluate whether commonness was predictive of rather than predicted by colonisation and extinction. Abundance was used to predict re-colonisation in desiccated reaches and persistence in drying pools. 3. Few species were common, while most were rare regardless of drought, and nestedness drove community dissimilarity across sites. Common species had higher colonisation and lower extinction than rarer species, but physiological tolerance was unrelated to commonness. 4. Abundant species were generally the first to re-colonise desiccated reaches, but pre-drought abundance did not predict persistence in partially desiccated reaches. 5. Although common species were the first to colonise and the last to go extinct, we were unable to determine whether commonness was predictive of rather than predicted by colonisation and extinction. Regardless, our study demonstrates linkages among commonness, colonisation and extinction.
Conservation Strategies and Vegetation Characterization in the Columbia Bottomlands, an Under-recognized Southern Floodplain Forest Formation

Abstract The Columbia Bottomlands, a Southern floodplain forest formation on the upper Texas coast, historically covered over 283,000 ha but has since been reduced to 25% of its former extent. The importance of this regional ecosystem as critical stopover and staging habitat for Nearctic-Neotropical migratory landbirds gave rise to the Columbia Bottomlands Conservation Plan, an active land acquisition and conservation program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its governmental and non-governmental partners. The Plan seeks to establish an integrated network of protected tracts as representative examples of the regional landscape, and thus conserve ecosystem integrity, function, heterogeneity, and biological diversity. We describe the Conservation Plan and its progress to date, and we summarize data on the plant composition of a typical preserved tract. Vegetation sampling at the Dance Bayou Unit, a mature forest remnant, revealed a mosaic of species composition across habitats varying i...
Anatomy and Function of the Normal and Diseased Mitral Apparatus: Implications for Transcatheter Therapy

Transcatheter mitral valve therapy requires an in-depth understanding of the mitral valve apparatus (annulus, leaflets, chordae tendinae, and papillary muscles) and the impact of various disease states. Adjacent structures (left atrium, left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve, coronary sinus, and circumflex artery) must also be respected. This article reviews the anatomy and function of the normal and diseased mitral valve apparatus and the implications for catheter-based intervention.
Distal substitutions drive divergent DNA specificity among paralogous transcription factors through subdivision of conformational space.

Many genomes contain families of paralogs—proteins with divergent function that evolved from a common ancestral gene after a duplication event. To understand how paralogous transcription factors evolve divergent DNA specificities, we examined how the glucocorticoid receptor and its paralogs evolved to bind activating response elements [(+)GREs] and negative glucocorticoid response elements (nGREs). We show that binding to nGREs is a property of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) DNA-binding domain (DBD) not shared by other members of the steroid receptor family. Using phylogenetic, structural, biochemical, and molecular dynamics techniques, we show that the ancestral DBD from which GR and its paralogs evolved was capable of binding both nGRE and (+)GRE sequences because of the ancestral DBD’s ability to assume multiple DNA-bound conformations. Subsequent amino acid substitutions in duplicated daughter genes selectively restricted protein conformational space, causing this dual DNA-binding specificity to be selectively enhanced in the GR lineage and lost in all others. Key substitutions that determined the receptors’ response element-binding specificity were far from the proteins’ DNA-binding interface and interacted epistatically to change the DBD’s function through DNA-induced allosteric mechanisms. These amino acid substitutions subdivided both the conformational and functional space of the ancestral DBD among the present-day receptors, allowing a paralogous family of transcription factors to control disparate transcriptional programs despite high sequence identity.
Consumption as a Leading Indicator

This article shows that real, total consumption growth deviations from normal stock market wealth effects lead economic growth. Consumers’ expenditures reflect their information about employment opportunities and future real wage growth, as well as information about the volatility of future investment returns. Previous research has shown that stock prices and the slope of the term structure of interest rates reflect forecasted economic growth and profits. It is shown that consumption deviations improve growth forecasts based upon the signals given by the term structure and stock returns over the 50-year period from 1961 to 2011 and in the recent (2006-2009) volatile period of rapid growth followed by financial panic. Putting the information from the stock market, the bond market and consumers together, we find that all three key variables are statistically significant in regressions and out-of-sample simulations and have a combined explanatory power that rivals the Conference Board’s venerable Index of Leading Economic Indicators.
The American Dinner Party

The dinner party is a seemingly simple part of the American culture. At its core, a dinner party is a gathering of family, friends or honored guests, who come together to share in food, drink and conversation. Contradictory to this simple appearance, dinner parties contain a wealth of historical influence, social expectations, and gender roles. This intriguing part of American life is, unfortunately disappearing from mainstream society. This decline can be explained by the shift in American dining, from formal to informal, as evidenced by dinner parties.
Data-fusion for increasing temporal resolution of building energy management system data

Buildings are known to be significant energy consumers throughout the world. Thus, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is a key research goal. However, maintaining occupant comfort while improving energy efficiency in buildings requires close monitoring of the building environment and immediate control actions taken when sub-optimal behavior is identified. Such monitoring requires high frequency data from sensors. Therefore, increasing the data collection rate or the temporal resolution of sensors can lead to improved building control and state-awareness. This paper presents an on-line learning, data-fusion based methodology that uses Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to increase temporal resolution of building sensor data. The presented method utilizes sensor information from different sensors in the building to predict higher temporal resolution data of specific sensors. Furthermore, the presented method is capable of learning changing building behavior for improved long-term accuracy. The presented method was applied to a real-world building dataset and was shown to be able to predict high temporal resolution data with a higher accuracy compared to classical methods. Furthermore, the on-line learning was shown to increase the prediction accuracy in long-term operation.
GENETIC VARIABILITY IN THE KENTUCKY CAVE BEETLE NEAPHAENOPS TELLKAMPFII (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE).

This paper reports data on genetic variability and genetic similarity in five populations of Neaphaenops tellkampfii, a troglobitic carabid beetle which occurs in many caves of the Central Kentucky Karst, including those of Mammoth Cave National Park. Previous studies have found that cave species generally show lower genetic variability than similar surface species. In the Central Kentucky Karst Region (Quinlan, 1970), Laing et al. (1976a) reported average frequencies of heterozygous loci per individual, H, of 0.008 and 0.056, respectively, for two populations of the obligate cave dwelling (i.e., troglobitic) millipede Scoterpes copei. Likewise, Laing et al. (1976b) reported average H values of 0.048 for six populations of the troglobitic scavenger beetle Ptomaphagus hirtus (Leiodidae) another central Kentucky species. Avise and Selander (1972) compared genetic variability of surface and cave populations of the Mexican cavefish Astyanax mexicanus. Whereas surface populations maintained average H values of 0. 112, cave populations of the same species were much less variable with H values averaging only 0.036. In addition to showing low variability, comparisons of genetic similarity between sets of populations of each of the above species showed low levels of similarity, particularly when contrasted with comparable surface species. An exception to the pattern of low variability and similarity in populations of troglobitic species emerges from preliminary data on Rhadine subterranea (Coleoptera: Carabidae) (Avise and Selander, 1972). This species is a predator in terrestrial communities of a Texas cave system (Mitchell, 197 la; 1971b; 1971c), preying on the eggs of cave crickets. Calculations of H from the data for three loci presented by Avise and Selander (1972) yield values :0.20 for R. subterranea. In addition, the two populations sampled appear to be nearly identical genetically.
Notes on Ypirangathemis Santos (Odonata: Lebellulidae) with a Description of the Female of Y. Calverti Santos

The genus Y pirangathemis was described by Santos (1945) from four males, which he described as Y. calverti , n. sp. On the basis of wing venation and the structure of the male genitalia, Santos believed Ypirangathemis to be closely related to Erythrodiplax Brauer and to Tarnetrum Needham and Fisher.
Anne Roiphe's Ambivalence: A Jewish Feminist Looks at Israel

In a short piece which appeared in the New York Times in December of 1978, Anne Roiphe revealed that her secular Jewish family did not celebrate Chanukah and (worse yet) bought a Christmas tree each year. Her article prompted a hostile response from scores of Jews. Says Roiphe, "Housewives, rabbis, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, all but Indian chiefs phoned or wrote in, furious that the paper had published an article that advocated assimilation, displayed ignorance of Judaism, and seemed to express contempt for the Jewish way of life" ("Taking Down the Christmas Tree" 58). Roiphe, by her own admission, would not have written the piece had she anticipated the public berating she would subsequently be forced to endure; however, she has reason to be thankful for the unsavory episode. The angry responses to her inflammatory article caused her to reflect upon the importance of Judaism in her life and to recognize that assimilation into the dominant culture had nearly stripped her of this central element of her identity. Roiphe immediately began to study Jewish history and the Talmud. Moreover, she began to explore Jewish issues overtly in her works. One must admire Roiphe's courage. She surely realized that several of those who excoriated her for expressing her alienation from Judaism, as embodied in her purchase of Christmas trees, would be eager to attack her chutzpahdik [nervy] exploration of Jewish issues (chutzpahdik since Jews who allow Christmas trees past their threshold know enough to expect a special kind of scrutiny from fellow
Influence of Tillage Practices and Row Spacing on Soybean Insect Populations in Louisiana

Insects were monitored by the sweep-net method for 2 years in conventionally tilled and no-till soybeans planted in narrow and wide row spacings to determine the effects of different cultural practices on soybean insect populations. Season-long differences in population densities due to the influences of tillage practices were detected for several species at each of three locations. However, the banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata (LeConte), was the only species whose populations showed a consistent response at each location. Differential emergence of teneral adults of the banded cucumber beetle and bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster), between conventional tillage and no-till culture at one location indicated an ovipositional preference for the tilled soybeans or a higher egg/larval mortality in the no-till soybeans. A leafhopper, Scaphytopius acutus (Say), an important vector implicated in the transmission of two soybean diseases in Louisiana, was the insect species most affected by differences in row spacings, with larger populations found on the narrower row spacing.
The Effect of Humidity and Flooring Type on the Moisture Content of Broiler Excrements

Abstract THE variations in moisture level of poultry excreta were recently reviewed by Johnson and Mountney (1969). However, little information is available as to the effects of various types of flooring on the moisture content of excreta. The following experiments were conducted in part to determine the effect of humidity and flooring type on the moisture content of excreta from broilers. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS Two experiments using broiler type chicks and fed a high energy ration were conducted in four controlled 1.8×2.4× 2.4 m. environmental chambers. Each environmental chamber contained six 45.7×45.7×91.4 cm. wire cages. Within each chamber the cages were located at three levels with two cages per level. Relative humidity (RH) was measured and maintained with hair element humidistats and pneumatically controlled dry steam humidifiers. Air entered each chamber through perforations in two of the side walls. The tiers of cages in each chamber were located adjacent to one of. . .
A Hundred Years of Excellence: But Is the Past Prologue? Reflections on the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act

This article repeats themes advanced in my address to the PBA Workers’ Compensation Law Section on October 7, 2015 as part of its centennial commemoration of the state’s workers’ compensation statute. The workers’ compensation statutes of Pennsylvania and of most other states emerged out of a remarkable period of cooperation between employers, employees, insurers, and progressive reformers. The statutes have been surprisingly durable, surviving for more than a century, and there is good reason to celebrate their effectiveness in remedying the scourge of workplace injury. On that point Judge Torrey and I agree. The workers’ compensation statutes did not appear out of thin air. They were in effect a product of the failure of both tort law and of various voluntary, non-legal measures created by private actors to combat inadequate compensation of injured workers. The historical conditions under which the broad social consensus of the need for workers’ compensation statutes developed were unique. But driving the entire discussion were two factors which I contend are paramount. First, society writ large believed it had a moral obligation to remedy workplace injuries and accidents. Second, employers understood they could recoup the cost of mandatory workers’ compensation participation by lowering wages. I question herein whether these factors continue to hold true and, if not, whether the workers’ compensation model will endure. My question is informed by recent developments that are under national discussion. In brief, a number of employers are petitioning state legislatures to authorize employers to opt-out from coverage by workers’ compensation statutes. In lieu of statutory coverage, employers would be permitted to substitute lightly regulated “alternative benefit plans.” I question whether these initiatives are prompted in some manner by a low wage economy in which the cost of mandatory workers’ compensation benefits are not so easy to recoup. I also wonder whether employer flight from the workers’ compensation regime represents a kind of moral retreat from what had been thought an uncontroversial duty to provide workers with a safe workplace and with adequate remedies for injury. I issue a warning: although Pennsylvania has always done the right thing and may continue to want to do so, a widespread “race to the bottom” by states abandoning the workers’ compensation model may test Pennsylvania’s moral compass.
Global eradication of poliomyelitis: reinvent the wheel or use existing options effectively?

Abstract The development of serum and nasopharyngeal antibody response, and the magnitude and temporal pattern of fecal shedding of vaccine and revertant polioviruses was examined in infants previously immunized with one or more doses of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), enhanced-potency inactivated poliovirus vaccine (EIPV), or both. The fecal samples were collected at different intervals after the last OPV dose. The nucleic acid sequences of the purified RNA obtained from all virus isolates were examined in the 5' noncoding region by dideoxysequencing to determine whether the viruses shed represent revertants (vaccine), nonrevertants, or both. The frequency and duration of vaccine virus-shedding appeared to be similar in both immunization schedules. Revertant virus shedding was not demonstrated 30 days after immunization with OPV alone. However, shedding of revertants was detected for as long as 60 days in some subjects previously immunized with EIPV. The duration of shedding of revertant virus differed with different serotypes and different immunization regimens. Prior immunization with one or more doses of OPV reduced the length of shedding of revertant virus. Significantly, however, prior immunization with one or more doses of EIPV was not associated with reduced shedding of revertant virus types. The nature of serum immune response as determined by ELISA or neutralizing antibody appeared to be similar after either immunization schedule, although the antibody titers were quantitatively higher after two doses of IPV than observed after a similar schedule with OPV. Highest antibody activity was detected in subjects immunized with a combination of IPV followed by OPV. ELISA antibody activity in the nasopharynx was regularly detected after either form of immunization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Microbiome at Other Mucosal Sites

Abstract Culture-independent studies of the microbiome of mucosal sites other than the intestine are at an early and exciting stage. Mucosal surfaces are universally warm and moist and often contiguous with or adjacent to each other and the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. The microbiome at different sites may share common elements as well as possessing distinct and characteristic members. The impression from the limited number of studies currently available is that each site may possess a surprisingly consistent core microbiome that is shared by most individuals. This consistency is likely to reflect almost completely unexplored host factors that actively manage the microbiome. In the place of a simplistic model that pathogens cause disease, microbial-induced injuries may now be understood in terms of complex changes in a dynamic and innately homeostatic community. Therefore, in this review, we discuss what is known about the normal microbiome at each site, before exploring changes in the microbiome that accompany or cause disease. The emphasis of the review is on the bacterial microbiome only because of the limited nature of investigation into normal viral and fungal communities at human mucosal sites.
Natural Computing in Pump-Scheduling Optimization for Water Supply System: Case Study

The electrical energy cost represents a significant fraction of the total cost in a water supply system. Any optimization in pumping operational procedures results in a reduction of this cost. The aim of this paper is the optimization of pump operation in a water distribution system, located at Guarapuava, Brazil. For this, we used two techniques of Natural Computing: Genetic Algorithms and Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm. Both techniques were effective when comparing with a traditional approach. However, in our experiments, the SFLA achieved lower costs.
POSSIBLE DIRECT ANTAGONISM OF NOREPINEPHRINE BY ALPHA METHYLDOPA

ABSTRACT Experimental evidence is presented in this paper intended to show that the effects of norepinephrine (NE) at a variety of sympathetic receptor sites (SRS) are greatly reduced by methyldopa (mD). The results obtained in the experiments serve to raise seriously the question regarding antagonism of NE by mD at SRS as a possible mechanism by which mD is effective in hypertension.
Fatigue life modeling of linear actuators in robotics and automation

The wear and fatigue life of actuators is a topic of great interest in the field of Industrial Automation since linear actuators are essential components to many machine tools and robots. The fatigue life of a linear actuator closely relates to many factors such as loads lubrication, material properties, surface properties, pressure, and temperature. Therefore, the fatigue life cannot be modeled without a simultaneous consideration of solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, contact mechanics, and thermal dynamics. Despite of numerous publications in past 50 years, research is in a great demand in predicting fatigue life of linear actuators. We are motived to model and validate the fatigue life of lead screw actuators. Firstly, the theory of asperity contact and the Archard's model of sliding wear are applied to estimate the amount of wear under given circumstances. Secondly, a test platform is developed based on a standard ASTM test protocol, and the wear phenomenon at the ball-on-flat sliding is measured to validate the developed wear model. Thirdly, the finite element analysis is conducted to assess the contact stresses in the assembly model of actuators. The estimated data from three sources are merged to formulate a mathematical model in predicting the fatigue life of lead-screw actuators.
Chemistry of Hydrogen Donor Solvents

Publisher Summary This chapter describes hydrogen donor solvents as important constituents of the feed streams for many proposed or operating direct liquefaction processes. One of the major functions of these liquids is to act as a vehicle for powdered feed coal, thus making a manageable and pumpable feed slurry. In addition to this vital role, donor solvents have several other important roles that relate directly to the chemistry of coal liquefaction. In the initial stage of coal liquefaction, the solvent plays a role in two principal processes: (1) the stabilization of reactive molecular fragments formed during the degradation of coal's macromolecular structure by scission of cross-linking bonds, and (2) the dissolution of the resulting fragments in the liquefaction medium. The solvent also plays a vital role in the subsequent stages of liquefaction during which the initial products are upgraded by hydrogenation, removal of heteroatoms, and reduction of their average molecular weight.
Induced pluripotent stem cells: an emerging theranostics platform.

Nuclear reprogramming generates induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells endowed with the unlimited potential to reconstruct genetically identical tissues. This biomedical tool offers unprecedented opportunities to develop scalable yet personalized cell-based reagents. The emerging platform of regenerative theranostics provides a unique approach to expose mechanisms of disease etiology in the context of dysfunctional cell biology. Resolved molecular dynamics that define and regulate the regenerative capacity of individual stem cells will enable next-generation, patient-specific diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2011) 89 5, 648–650. doi:10.1038/clpt.2010.304
Power system state estimation via feasible point pursuit

Power system state estimation (PSSE) is a critical task for grid operation efficiency and system stability. Physical laws dictate quadratic relationships between observable quantities and voltage state variables, hence rendering the PSSE problem nonconvex and NP-hard. Existing SE solvers largely rely on iterative optimization methods or semidefinite relaxation (SDR) techniques. Even when based on noiseless measurements, convergence of the former is sensitive to the initialization, while the latter is challenged by small-size measurements especially when voltage magnitudes are not available at all buses. At the price of running time, this paper proposes a novel feasible point pursuit (FPP)-based SE solver, which iteratively seeks feasible solutions for a nonconvex quadratically constrained quadratic programming reformulation of the weighted least-squares (WLS) SE problem. Numerical tests corroborate that the novel FPP-based SE markedly improves upon the Gauss-Newton based WLS and SDR-based SE alternatives, also when noisy measurements are available.
TLS Inspection: How Often and Who Cares?

TLS inspection -- inline decryption, inspection, and re-encryption of TLS traffic -- is a controversial practice used for both benevolent and malicious purposes. This article describes measurements of how often TLS inspection occurs and reports on a survey of the general public regarding the practice of TLS inspection. This helps inform security researchers and policymakers regarding current practices and user preferences.
Inversion of DNA charge by a positive polymer and fractionalization of the polymer charge

Publisher Summary Gene delivery requires the inversion of DNA charge to facilitate its contact with negative cell membranes and penetration inside the cytoplasm. Charge inversion of a DNA double helix by a positively charged flexible polymer (polyelectrolyte) is used for this purpose, including trials on cancer patients. Charge inversion is considered in terms of discrete charges of DNA and concentrate on the worst scenario case when in the neutral state of the DNA-polyelectrolyte complex, the matching of DNA and polyelectrolyte structure is so perfect that all DNA charges are locally compensated by a polyelectrolyte charge so that it can be expected that charge inversion is impossible. Fractionalization-driven charge inversion is also possible when polyelectrolyte is adsorbed on a surface with a two-dimensional lattice of opposite charges. This is the first classical example of the fractionalization of charge beyond one dimension.
Perioperative Complications and Mortality in Patients with Urothelial Carcinoma and End-Stage Renal Disease Undergoing One-Stage Complete Urinary Tract Extirpation.

Complete urinary tract extirpation (CUTE) is a complex procedure with substantial risk for perioperative complications. The association between clinical characteristics and the risk of major postoperative complications has not been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and risks for major perioperative complications after CUTE. Respective chart review of 81 patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who were treated with one-stage CUTE between January 2004 and December 2015. Fisher’s exact test with Chi square and two-tailed t test were used in categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the probability of major complications. In this population, 53 (65.4%) patients had Clavien grade 0–2 complications (‘no major complications’) and 28 (34.6%) patients had Clavien grade 3–5 complications (‘major complications’). Compared with the major complications group, patients in the no major complications group were younger, had lower Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), higher preoperative serum albumin, and shorter duration of hospitalization (p < 0.05 for all). Major complications were more common in low-volume surgeons (p = 0.002). On multivariate logistic regression analyses, CCI ≥ 5 (odds ratio [OR] 6.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–27.47; p = 0.015) and surgery by a provider who performed three or fewer cases during the study interval (OR 13.4, 95% CI 2.20–80.89; p = 0.005) were independent predictors for major complications. High CCI should alert providers to increased probability of major complications, and warrant vigilant management after CUTE. Surgeon volume was inversely related to major postoperative complications.
Functional Vomiting Disorders and Patterns

Functional vomiting patterns and disorders are, by definition, not caused by underlying organic disease. However, many have organic complications, e.g., Infant Rumination Syndrome, Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, vomiting associated with Bulimia.
Evidence for Reverse Hoogsteen Hairpin Intermediates in the Photocrosslinking of Human Telomeric DNA Sequences

UVB irradiation of human telomeric d(GGGTTA)3 GGG sequences in potassium ion solution crosslinks the first and third TTA segments through anti cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) formation. The photocrosslinking reaction was first proposed to occur through a form 3 two-tetrad G-quadruplex in which the lateral four-nucleotide GTTA loop can interact with an adjacent TTA loop. Curiously, the reaction does not occur with sodium ion, which was explained by the formation of a basket structure which only has three-nucleotide TTA loops that cannot interact. Sequences known or expected to favor the two-tetrad basket did not show enhanced photocrosslinking, suggesting that some other structure was the reactive intermediate. Herein, we report that anti CPDs form in human telomeric DNA sequences with lithium ion that is known to disfavor G-quadruplex formation, as well as with potassium ion when the bases are modified to interfere with G-quartet formation. We also show that anti CPDs form in sequences containing A's in place of G's that cannot form Hoogsteen hairpins, but can form reverse Hoogsteen hairpins. These results suggest that reverse Hoogsteen hairpins may play a hitherto unrecognized role in the biology and photoreactivity of DNA in telomeres, and possibly in other purine-rich sequences found in regulatory regions.
Data Hiding in Images

Virtually all sophisticated steganographic methods hide a message by embedding it as low-level noise in an image or audio file which then becomes the cover file. This approach has two disadvantages: the information hiding capacity of a cover file is small, so a large cover file is needed to hide a substantial amount of data; and once data are hidden in an image or audio file, any lossy compression destroys the embedded data. It seems that such an image should be compressed with lossless compression only, but this chapter shows how secret data can be hidden even in a lossily compressed image.
Entrepreneurial skills for sustainable small business: An exploratory study of SCORE, with comparison

Which skills must community members acquire and nurture to become successful local entrepreneurs in the communities in which they live and serve? Local small businesses are important community asse...
The Synthesis: forecasting corn cash prices using a synthetic model of wavelets and svms

Accurate forecasts of cash market prices for agricultural commodities are of a great value to market participants who are looking to reduce the risk involved in buying and selling commodities. This paper discusses the use of "The Synthesis" model to forecast cash market prices for corn or any other agricultural commodities four months in advance. The Synthesis does not only forecast a single price realization four months ahead but also forecasts the whole signal up to four months in the future. Predicting a continuous signal at a weekly temporal resolution provides the best forecasts of the resolutions considered. The Synthesis is a synthetic model of wavelets and Support Vector Machines (SVMs). The wavelet decomposition is used to break down the input and the output signals into different temporal resolution then for each consistent set of input and output signal, an SVM machine is employed to unfold the pattern at this particular resolution. The Synthesis has shown good results in comparison to previous and traditional methods.
Recycling of Golgi glycosyltransferases requires direct binding to coatomer

The glycosyltransferases of the mammalian Golgi complex must recycle between the stacked cisternae of that organelle to maintain their proper steady-state localization. This trafficking is mediated by COPI-coated vesicles, but how the glycosyltransferases are incorporated into these transport vesicles is poorly understood. Here we show that the N-terminal cytoplasmic tails (N-tails) of a number of cis Golgi glycosyltransferases which share a ϕ-(K/R)-X-L-X-(K/R) sequence bind directly to the δ- and ζ-subunits of COPI. Mutations of this N-tail motif impair binding to the COPI subunits, leading to mislocalization of the transferases to lysosomes. The physiological importance of these interactions is illustrated by mucolipidosis III patients with missense mutations in the N-tail of GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase that cause the transferase to be rapidly degraded in lysosomes. These studies establish that direct binding of the N-tails of mammalian cis Golgi glycosyltransferases with COPI subunits is essential for recycling within the Golgi.
Rapid Assessment of Mitochondrial Complex I Activity and Metabolic Phenotyping of Breast Cancer Cells by NAD(p)H Cytometry

Cancer cells are known to display a variety of metabolic reprogramming strategies to fulfill their own growth and proliferative agenda. With the advent of high resolution imaging strategies, metabolomics techniques, and so forth, there is an increasing appreciation of critical role that tumor cell metabolism plays in the overall breast cancer (BC) growth. In this report, we demonstrate a sensitive, flow-cytometry-based assay for rapidly assessing the metabolic phenotypes in isolated suspensions of breast cancer cells. By measuring the temporal variation of NAD(p)H signals in unlabeled, living cancer cells, and by measuring mitochondrial membrane potential {Δψm } in fluorescently labeled cells, we demonstrate that these signals can reliably distinguish the metabolic phenotype of human breast cancer cells and can track the cellular sensitivity to drug candidates. We further show the utility of this metabolic ratio {Δψm /NAD(p)H} in monitoring mitochondrial functional improvement as well as metabolic heterogeneity in primary murine tumor cells isolated from tumor biopsies. Together, these results demonstrate a novel possibility for rapid metabolic functional screening applications as well as a metabolic phenotyping tool for determining drug sensitivity in living cancer cells. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Finite Element Analysis of Particle Pushing During Selective Laser Melting of AlSi10Mg/AlN Composites

Distribution of particles in metal matrix composites has a crucial effect on the efficiency of the mechanical reinforcing process. Re-melting and solidification of the matrix due to laser energy input during selective laser melting increases the probability of the secondary phase agglomeration. Reinforcement particles reallocate locally based on the speed of the solidification front through formation of the melt pool. Adequate energy input and optimized scanning speed are required not only to assure consolidation of the product, but also to control the melt pool geometry and solidification rate and consequently avoid particle pushing and clustering. A finite element model was developed to exhibit the interaction of aluminum nitride particles with the AlSi10Mg melt pool with respect to the solidification front. The model shows that the critical solidification conditions define whether engulfing or particle pushing take place; as an essential consideration when manufacturing metal matrix composites through selective laser melting.
The Impact of Aggregating Distributed Energy Resources on Electricity Market Efficiency

Distributed energy resources (DERs) have too small supply capacities to directly participate in a wholesale electricity market. In this paper, we study the efficiency of the market, when a collection of DERs are represented by a profit-maximizing aggregator. We model the interaction between the aggregator and the DER owners as a Stackelberg game. Our analysis characterizes the price of aggregation—the efficiency loss due to the strategic incentives of the aggregator in representing a collection of DERs as opposed to direct DER participation in the wholesale market.
Complex abdominal wall reconstruction combined with bladder closure in OEIS complex

Abstract Purpose Due to the large abdominal defect from the omphalocele and extreme pubic diastasis in cloacal exstrophy (CE), bioprosthetic material may be used to bridge this gap during abdominal closure in CE. This study examined presurgical factors associated with the use of bioprosthetic materials in CE closure and complications in these patients. Methods An institutional database of exstrophy-epispadias complex patients was reviewed for CE. Inclusion criteria included CE and primary closure performed at the host institution from 1998 to 2018. Data collection included demographics, presurgical factors, use of bioprosthetic material, complications, and outcomes. Results All 32 patients had a staged closure and pelvic osteotomy prior to bladder closure. Ten of the 32 patients incorporated a bioprosthetic material during abdominal wall closure. There is at least 3 months follow up for all patients, all had successful bladder closure without any postoperative hernias. Those who underwent closure without bioprosthetic material were younger at the time of closure (565 vs 693 days, p = 0.043). The differences in complication rates and mean pubic diastasis was not statistically significant, p = 0.079 and p = 0.457 respectively. Conclusions The use of bioprosthetic material is associated with older age at abdominal wall and bladder closure. The use of bioprosthetic material is a useful adjunct for secure abdominal wall closure in the reconstruction of CE. Type of Study Prognostic. Level of Evidence III.
Local Pediatricians Partner with Food Bank to Provide Produce Prescription Program

Most Americans do not consume recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a fruit and vegetable prescription program offered to low-income families by loc...
Computational Tools for Discovering and Engineering Natural Product Biosynthetic Pathways

Natural products (NPs), also known as secondary metabolites, are produced in bacteria, fungi, and plants. NPs represent a rich source of antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agents. Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics unveiled nature's great potential for synthesizing numerous NPs that may confer unprecedented structural and biological features. However, discovering novel bioactive NPs by genome mining remains a challenge. Moreover, even with interesting bioactivity, the low productivity of many NPs significantly limits their practical applications. Here we discuss the progress in developing bioinformatics tools for efficient discovery of bioactive NPs. In addition, we highlight computational methods for optimizing the productivity of NPs of pharmaceutical importance.
Connecting Current Literature, Cartoons, and Creativity: Incorporating Student-Created Cartoons in a Biochemistry Course to Enhance Learning

Pharmacy students in a biochemistry course enhance their learning by creating cartoons on pharmaceutical topics. For each of six course assignments, students are given and reflect on a current, advanced review article. The assignment has three parts: (i) Students write a one-sentence synopsis of the article; (ii) students create a cartoon that includes speech balloons; and (iii) students ask a “How?” or “Why?” question about the topic. Students gain understanding of subject matter directly related to their major and approach the literature with creative engagement and a novel perspective.
Orthopaedic Principles of Lower Extremity Injuries

Fracture management, the biology of bone healing, and the physiologic implications of extremity injuries are all equally important factors that should be considered together. Fractures do not occur in isolation and are associated with concomitant soft tissue injuries of varying degrees. Treatment should be properly planned so that fracture management occurs in concert with management of other injuries to facilitate early mobilization and optimize the ultimate function of the injured extremity.
Reproducibility: Buy Low, Sell High

Are papers in computer security reproducible? The health of the reproducibility culture in a subfield of security biometrics was assessed in a reproducibility audit of all papers published in the first quarter of 2020. Many papers met some reproducibility criteria, but none met them all. Even in a culture of faster, better, cheaper, reproducibility needn't cost much, but its benefits can be substantial. Buy low, sell high.
Artemisinins target the intermediate filament protein vimentin for human cytomegalovirus inhibition

The antimalarial agents artemisinins inhibit cytomegalovirus (CMV) in vitro and in vivo, but their target(s) has been elusive. Using a biotin-labeled artemisinin, we identified the intermediate filament protein vimentin as an artemisinin target, validated by detailed biochemical and biological assays. We provide insights into the dynamic and unique modulation of vimentin, depending on the stage of human CMV (HCMV) replication. In vitro, HCMV entry and viral progeny are reduced in vimentin-deficient fibroblasts, compared with control cells. Similarly, mouse CMV (MCMV) replication in vimentin knockout mice is significantly reduced compared with controls in vivo, confirming the requirement of vimentin for establishment of infection. Early after HCMV infection of human foreskin fibroblasts vimentin level is stable, but as infection proceeds, vimentin is destabilized, concurrent with its phosphorylation and virus-induced calpain activity. Intriguingly, in vimentin-overexpressing cells, HCMV infection is reduced compared with control cells. Binding of artesunate, an artemisinin monomer, to vimentin prevents virus-induced vimentin degradation, decreasing vimentin phosphorylation at Ser-55 and Ser-83 and resisting calpain digestion. In vimentin-deficient fibroblasts, the anti-HCMV activity of artesunate is reduced compared with controls. In summary, an intact and stable vimentin network is important for the initiation of HCMV replication but hinders its completion. Artesunate binding to vimentin early during infection stabilizes it and antagonizes subsequent HCMV-mediated vimentin destabilization, thus suppressing HCMV replication. Our target discovery should enable the identification of vimentin-binding sites and compound moieties for binding.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Biomass Yield of Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.)

Sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.) is one of the most productive native grasses on sandy soils in the Great Plains, making it a good candidate for a multispecies approach to biomass production. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the biomass yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and apparent N fertilizer recovery of sand bluestem grown in a monoculture. Plots were fertilized annually with N at the rates of 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg ha−1. Biomass yield varied with N rate × year interactions (P < 0.01). Averaged over 6 years, which included 2 drought years, biomass yield ranged from 3.0 to 8.3 ± 0.3 Mg ha−1. Nitrogen use efficiency and crop N recovery efficiency varied with year and N rate (P < 0.01). Nitrogen use efficiency was 69, 88, and 154 kg kg−1 of applied N for the 120, 80, and 40 kg N ha−1 rate, respectively. Apparent fertilizer N recovery varied from 0.27 to 0.40 kg kg−1 of applied N among fertilization treatments with the greatest recovery from the 40 kg N ha−1 rate. Under certain environmental conditions, monocultures of sand bluestem can produce biomass yields in excess of 10 Mg ha−1 when fertilized at rates ≥ 80 kg N ha−1. To consistently produce these yields, supplemental irrigation would need to be used; however, the economics of irrigation still needs to be researched to determine the optimum irrigation schedules and amounts of water to apply as well as nutrient management with irrigation.
Prognosis in Pediatric Myasthenia Gravis

Investigators from Oxford John Radcliff Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children performed a retrospective study of myasthenia patients diagnosed before the age of 16 years.
ϕ-meson lepto-production near threshold and the strangeness D-term

Abstract We present a model of exclusive ϕ-meson lepto-production e p → e ′ p ′ ϕ near threshold which features the strangeness gravitational form factors of the proton. We argue that the shape of the differential cross section d σ / d t is a sensitive probe of the strangeness D-term of the proton.
A new comparative citation analysis: Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, and Web of Science

This study compares search results in Google Scholar (GS), Microsoft Academic (MA), Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) for a set of fifteen business and economics journals, ten of which had impact fa...
Data Warehouse Development and Management: Practices of Some Large Companies

While data warehousing (DW) has emerged as a key component of many organizations' information systems, few studies have assessed companies' DW practices. This research examines a range of DW development and management issues. Data collected from more than two dozen large companies suggest that the DW concept has been implemented quite differently across enterprises, and that DW practices are still at an early stage of development. The results are also compared across two different DW architecture types, the hub & spoke and federated data mart approaches. This analysis suggests that the choice of architecture appears to have an important effect on a number of DW development and management measures. The results of this study should be useful to companies looking to initiate or expand their DW operations and to researchers in understanding the current scope and operations of companies' data warehousing efforts.
Tumor-on-a-chip devices for cancer immunotherapy

Abstract This chapter introduces a range of microfluidics-based approaches to the manipulation of immune cells and the recapitulation of the tumor microenvironment, i.e., Tumor-on-a-Chip, for elucidating the mechanism of immune surveillance and for advancing cancer immunotherapy. This chapter starts with a brief introduction of microfluidics created by the use of advanced microfabrication, as well as unique flow phenomena at the microscale, such as laminar flow and droplets. Tumor-on-a-chip models and approaches have demonstrated unprecedented capability to reconstruct and exploit essential tumor features and to produce and screen therapeutic immune cells and compounds in an efficient and high(er)-throughput manner. In particular, Tumor-on-chips enable the recapitulation of key complex and tissue-level tumor features, such as vascularization and extravasation, which are usually challenging for conventional in vitro methods. Tumor-on-chips represent a set of powerful and versatile engineering tools that hold promise for meeting diverse needs of advancing cancer immunotherapy.