cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embedding built environments in social–ecological systems: resilience-based design principles

Globalization, the process by which local settlements and ecosystems are becoming linked in a global network, presents policy scientists and planners with difficult design challenges. Coping with either natural or built environments in isolation is extremely challenging in its own right (e.g. built environments at different scales: a single building, a collection of buildings, a neighbourhood or a city are in themselves very complex). In the Anthropocene era, where human activities shape the planetary system in which built and natural environments are becoming more tightly linked across scales, these complex systems need to be considered as elements in a global network, i.e. as a coupled social–ecological system (SES) at the global scale. In the context of this spiralling complexity, multi-scale and multilevel processes become more important and design/management problems become extraordinarily difficult. Preliminary ideas are explored for how research on this multilevel design problem might proceed. Spec...
The Greek Relief Committee: America's Response to the Greek Genocide (A Research Note)

In studies of the various relief efforts launched in response to the fate of Ottoman Christian minorities in the early twentieth century, much attention is given to the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief and, in particular, to its successors under different names, especially the Near East Relief. The role of other American-based aid organizations has been largely overlooked. This paper serves as an introduction to the Greek Relief Committee, a New York City–based organization that worked alongside other relief organizations from 1917 until 1921, administering aid to the Ottoman Greek population.
Hyperpolarized gas imaging with a simple programmable gas delivery system

A simple system for precise volume delivery of hyperpolarized noble gas to an animal or human inside an MR scanner is described. Dynamic images of the breathing cycle of a live rat lung were demonstrated using this system.
Midlevel Vorticity Structure of the 10–11 June 1985 Squall Line

Abstract The comprehensive analysis of the kinematic structure of the mature phase of the 10–11 June 1985 squall-line system was used to examine the midlevel vertical-vorticity structure of the storm to show that relative vertical vorticity in the stratiform region at midlevels was organized into bands (both cyclonic and anticyclonic) oriented parallel to the convective line, with anticyclonic vorticity between the rear of the convective line and the heaviest stratiform precipitation and cyclonic vorticity farther back. Since previous studies have not found anticyclonic vorticity over such a large portion of the stratiform region at midlevels and since the concentration of anticyclonic vorticity may have been detrimental to the longevity of the storm by limiting the development of an inertially stable cyclonic circulation, the tilting and stretching terms of the vertical-vorticity equation were computed to determine how the observed vertical-vorticity pattern was maintained. Tilting of horizontal vorticit...
Employment Protection Legislation and International Trade

Analyzing the impact of domestic labor regulations on international trade is relevant, in part, because (i) trade negotiations may increasingly constrain countries’ ability to implement trade policies and (ii) concerns over international competition driving countries towards a ‘race to the bottom’ in labor standards are rampant. However, identification of this causal e§ect is challenging due to the potential endogeneity of regulations attributable to crucial unobservables and measurement error. In this light, we use data from more than 30 countries across 21 manufacturing sectors over the period 2001-2009 and examine the impact of employment protection legislation (EPL) on industry-level trade. While a di§erence-in-di§erences type approach controls for several potential confounders, we also employ an instrumental variables (IV) strategy. Across all specifications, EPL is found to significantly encourage imports in relatively labor-intensive industries. Further, the IV estimates uncover a more pronounced e§ect and find concerns over endogeneity to be relevant.
Sex Pheromones of Noctuid Moths. Xviii. Rate of Evaporation of a Model Compound of Trichoplusia ni Sex Pheromone from Different Substrates at Various Temperatures and Its Application to Insect Orientation

The rate of evaporation of lauryl acetate, the saturated analogue of the sex pheromone of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), from various substrates as a function of temperature was determined. Filter paper showed the largest temperaturc dependence, whereas a nonadsorptive surface such as glass or stainless steel had a relatively low temperature dependence. Using a pheromone-baited trap, the number of male moths caught went through a maximum as a function of the rate of evaporation of pheromone.
Reduced Mode Diodes for Increasing Laser Brightness

We report on two-times narrower slow-axis divergence of 9xx nm broad area diode lasers resulting from reduction in allowed lateral modes. This enabled use of larger aperture broad area lasers to achieve 30% higher brightness.
Pd-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of arenes: evidence for transmetalation between two Pd(II)-aryl intermediates.

Pd-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of arenes provides efficient access to biaryl compounds. The biaryl product forms via C–H activation of two arenes to afford a PdIIArAr′ intermediate, which then undergoes C–C reductive elimination. The key PdIIArAr′ intermediate could form via a “monometallic” pathway involving sequential C–H activation at a single PdII center, or via a “bimetallic” pathway involving parallel C–H activation at separate PdII centers, followed by a transmetalation step between two PdII–aryl intermediates. Here, we investigate the oxidative coupling of o-xylene catalyzed by a PdX2/2-fluoropyridine catalyst (X = trifluoroacetate, acetate). Kinetic studies, H/D exchange experiments, and kinetic isotope effects provide clear support for a bimetallic/transmetalation mechanism.
Intercalation of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane into Cerium (IV) Hydrogenphosphate and Ion Exchange Behavior of the Intercalated Complex.

Intercalation of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane, AMPS, into cerium (IV) hydrogenphosphate (CeP) was investigated by X-ray diffractometry, chemical and thermal analysis, 29Si MAS NMR, and FTIR. AMPS intercalated up to 1.2 mol per phosphate accompanied by hydrolysis of the ethoxy groups and the interlayer spacing of the CeP enlarged from 1.1nm to 1.7nm. The 29Si MAS NMR spectra revealed that the AMPS undergoes polymerization and AMPS octamer, [NH2 (CH2) 3SiO1.5-O (OH) Si (CH2) 3NH2] 4, is formed in the interlayer space of CeP. Infrared spectra showed that the aminopropyl group exists as an ammonium form. On the basis of the relation between the uptake of metal ions and the leached amount of AMPS, the intercalated AMPS octamers was found to be exchanged with divalent metal cations stoichiometrically. Selectivity for the divalent metal ions increases with the following order; Ca2+>Sr2+>Ba2+>Cu2+>Co2+>Ni2+. This order agrees with that of the octylamine-intercalated CeP.
New Conceptual Framework for the Study of "East Asian Modernist Literature"

With reference to such theoretical concepts as Pierre Bourdieu's "field of cultural production" and Peter Burger's "literature as a modern institution," this article explores new analytical frameworks for studies of East Asian literature from a comparative perspective,albeit in a preliminary manner.Special emphasis is given to literary modernism,which has been introduced to various East Asian societies in different parts of the last century,sometimes repeatedly,and accounted for some of their most accomplished artistic output.The article also tries to identify some key critical notions essential for more nuanced examinations of cross-currents in literary traditions of different East Asian regions,such as the disjunctive forms of temporality and spatiality,and the overdetermined evolutionary cycles of artistic trends and genres.As a way to exemplify the broader implications of this new research direction for the study of modern Chinese literary history,the concluding section zeroes in on thoughtfully conceived aesthetic projects launched by major modernist writers in postwar Taiwan.
Abstract B39: Long noncoding RNA PCAT14/PRCAT104; A prognostic biomarker in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common epithelial cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in the United States. While majority of prostate cancer cases are indolent and cause minimal morbidity and mortality, a subset of men progress to a hormone-refractory aggressive disease with high mortality. Markers such as PSA and PCA3 perform well in diagnosis of disease; however these biomarkers are unable to predict disease progression. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify clinical predictors of disease progression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as an important class of biomolecules that exhibit significant lineage- and cancer-specificity making them ideal biomarker candidates. Using RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and as well as from libraries generated in our laboratory, we identified PCAT14/PRCAT104 as a marker of low Gleason disease. PCAT14 was shown to be highly expressed in prostate cancer compared to benign tissue; however, its expression in prostate cancer was limited to low Gleason disease. To directly evaluate the relationship between PCAT14 levels and clinical outcome, we assessed its expression in more that 1600 Prostate cancer samples by a high-density Affymetrix GeneChip platform. In all 5 cohorts analyzed, PCAT14 was shown to be a strong prognostic marker in its ability to predict biochemical recurrence, clinical progression to systemic disease and prostate cancer–specific mortality. Furthermore, in a multivariate analysis, PCAT14 expression also predict resistance to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) (p=0.012). More interestingly, PCAT14 was able to add to prognostic value of SCHLAP1, a lncRNA that we previously showed to be an excellent prognostic marker in prostate cancer. PCAT14 in combination with SCHLAP1 was able better in predicting 10-year metastasis free survival (AUC: 0.64) than SCHLAP1 alone (AUC=0.58). Taken together, we identified a novel marker of low grade prostate cancer that in combination with SCHALP1, a marker of aggressive cancer, can predict disease progression and hence can be of immense value for treatment individualization in prostate cancer Citation Format: Rohit Malik, Xiang Zhang, Sudhanshu Shukla, Yashar Y. Niknafs, Shuang Zhao, Felix Y. Feng, Arul M. Chinnaiyan. Long noncoding RNA PCAT14/PRCAT104; A prognostic biomarker in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Noncoding RNAs and Cancer: Mechanisms to Medicines ; 2015 Dec 4-7; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B39.
Purification and characterization of endoglucanase Ss from Clostridium thermocellum

The extracellular cellulolytic enzymes of the thermophilic anaerobe Clostridium thermocellum occur as a protein complex or aggregate known as the cellulosome. By using a combination of ion-exchange, adsorption and hydrophobic-interaction chromatography, it was possible to isolate from extracellular broth a specific endoglucanase of interest without the use of denaturants. The endoglucanase was identified as the cellulosomal subunit Ss by the use of specific antibodies. The enzyme has an Mr of 83,000, an isoelectric point of 3.55, optimum pH of 6.6 and optimum temperature of 70 degrees C. It hydrolyses CM-cellulose and, at a higher rate, the cellodextrins, cellotetraose and cellopentaose, but does not hydrolyse a crystalline cellulose such as Avicel. Cellobiose and cellotriose are also immune to attack. It differs from endoglucanases previously isolated by others and a 76,000-Mr endoglucanase recently isolated in this laboratory.
Era of Instability and Change: 1913–1944

As demonstrated in Chapters 3 and 4, the national banking era was an extension of the antebellum banking era in terms of the increasing instability in banking and the growth in federal regulation. This era marks another extension of the historical trend in commercial banking to become both more regulated and more unstable. As this chapter demonstrates, between 1913 and 1944, commercial banking in the United States witnessed an increase in the severity of bank crises, a tremendous number of bank failures and, in response, a significant increase in the federal regulation of commercial banks.
Gendered Leadership in Multinational Corporations: Gendered Social-Organizations: An Analysis of a Gendered Foundation in Organizations

It is no longer rhetorical when much of the social and economic inequality in the United States and other industrial countries is created in organizations. Feminists have looked at the gendering of organizations and organizational practices to comprehend how inequalities between women and men continue in the face of numerous attempts to erase such inequalities. Scholars working on race inequality have examined the production in work organizations of racial disparities that contribute to society-wide racial discrimination and disadvantage. When a field is numerically dominated by one gender and that same gender has more power, for example, relative to journal editorships, controlling funds, or occupying elite chairs, the other gender may be excluded or subordinated and marginalized, even if unintentionally. As such, the notion of sexuality in all its diverse forms and meanings is implicated in gendered organizational processes, practices and cultures. Inequality regimes can always be challenged and changed. However, change is difficult, and change efforts often fail. The first reason is that owners and managerial class interests and the power those interests can mobilize usually out weigh the class, gender, race, and sexuality interests of those who suffer inequality. The second reason is that, human nature is often conditioned to the status quo, because we are creatures-of-habits. The third reason is that we are fearful creatures and we fear the result, the unknown. Organizations fear that once “Pandora’s Box” has been opened, destruction permeates.
The Effect of Obesity on Perioperative Outcomes for Open and Minimally Invasive Prostatectomy.

Objective To compare the impact of obesity on perioperative outcomes between open radical prostatectomy (ORP) and minimally invasive prostatectomy (MIP). Methods Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program public use files for 2008-2013, we identified patients undergoing prostatectomy using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Those without body mass index (BMI) or comorbidity information were excluded. BMI was treated as a categorical variable according to the World Health Organization classification. Demographic and comorbid conditions were compared between BMI groups, and multivariable logistical regression was used to identify independent predictors of adverse perioperative events. Results We identified 17,693 MIP and 4674 ORP for analysis. Of the entire cohort, only 18.7% had a BMI within the normal range (18.5-24.9), whereas the remaining 81.3% were at least overweight (BMI > 25). Class I, II, and III obesity accounted for 25.0%, 7.0%, and 2.3% of the cohort, respectively. Overall, complications were higher with ORP (19.0%) than with MIP (5.3%), which held true across all BMI categories. The rate of wound, renal, thromboembolic, infectious, neurologic, Clavien grade III-V, and overall complications among MIP were directly related to BMI. Only wound and renal complications were related to BMI in ORP. In multivariable analysis, obesity was found to be an independent predictor of wound, renal, and thromboembolic complications. Conclusion Obesity has a larger impact on morbidity for MIP compared to ORP. Overall morbidity, however, remains lower for MIP across all BMI groups.
Imaging Extracellular Lactate In Vitro and In Vivo Using CEST MRI and a Paramagnetic Shift Reagent

Overproduction of lactate is a hallmark of cancer, yet a method to quantitatively measure lactate production by cancer cells is not straight-forward. Chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging (CEST MRI) can potentially be used to image lactate but the small difference in chemical shift of the lactate -OH proton and water proton resonances make it challenging. Like other spectroscopic methods, CEST MRI cannot discriminate intracellular lactate from extracellular lactate. Herein, we demonstrate a relatively simple way to shift the lactate -OH proton resonance far away from water by addition of the paramagnetic shift reagent, EuDO3A, while retaining the CEST properties of lactate itself. The potential of the method was demonstrated by imaging extracellular lactate excreted from lung cancer cells in tissue culture without interference from other components in the culture media and by imaging excess lactate excreted into the bladder of a mouse.
Loving God in and through the self: Trinitarian love in St. Augustine

ABSTRACTAnders Nygren argues that Augustine’s adherence to a Platonist notion of eros undermines both his own and a wider Christian account of agape. On Nygren’s reading, eros, which is self-fulfilling love that originates in the soul’s movement toward God, stands in contradistinction to agape, which is self-denying love that originates in God and condescends to us through the sacrifice of Christ. While it is true that Platonism plays an important role for Augustine, he comes to interpret love through a lens of Christian doctrines on creation, Christ, and the Trinity that leads him to reshape the Greek ideal of love. In particular, Augustine reads human upward love of God (eros) as flowing out of God’s triune downward love of creation (agape) mediated through the incarnation. Nygren contends that Augustine’s connection here between eros and agape is contradictory, but this presupposes at least a medieval, if not a modern, distinction between natural (erotic) and supernatural (agapic) love. Augustine does ...
Diffusion of Benzene and Alkylbenzenes in Nonpolar Solvents.

The translational diffusion constants, D, of benzene and a series of alkylbenzenes have been determined in n-pentadecane, 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (pristane), 2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane (isocetane), and 2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyltetracosane (squalane) using capillary flow techniques. The solutes’ D values are compared with the predictions of a cylinder diffusion model as are those for (a) benzene and alkylbenzenes in n-nonane, n-decane, n-dodecane, and supercritical CO2 and (b) n-alkanes and 1-alkenes in n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, benzene, and toluene. The D values for benzene and the alkylbenzenes also are compared with the predictions of lollipop diffusion for which the phenyl ring is the candy and the alkyl chain is the handle. Both models give an average difference of less than 4% between experimental and calculated diffusion constants in solvents whose viscosities vary by a factor of more than 600 when benzene and toluene (as solutes) are omitted; the comparisons include 150 and 85 D...
Alternative payment models: can (should) trauma care be bundled?

Background Recent legislation repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate mandates gradual replacement of fee for service with alternative payment models (APMs), which will include service bundling. We analyzed the 2 years’ experience at our state-designated level I trauma center to determine the feasibility of such an approach for trauma care. Methods De-identified data from all injured patients treated by the trauma service during 2014 and 2015 were reviewed to determine individual patient injury profiles. Using these injury profiles we created the ‘trauma bundle’ by concatenating the highest Abbreviated Injury Scale score for each of the six body regions to produce a single ‘signature’ of injury by region for every patient. These trauma bundles were analyzed by frequency over 2 years and by each year. The impacts of physiology and resource consumption were evaluated by determination of the correlation of the mean and SD of calculated survival probability (Ps) and intensive care unit length of stay (ICU LOS) for each profile group occurring more than 12 times in 2 years. Results The 5813 patients treated over 2 years produced 858 distinct injury profiles, only 8% (71) of which occurred more than 12 times in 2 years. Comparison of 2014 and 2015 profiles demonstrated high frequency variation among profiles between the 2 years. Analysis of injury patterns occurring >12 times in 2 years demonstrated an inverse correlation between the mean and SD for Ps (R 2 =0.68) and a direct correlation for ICU LOS (R 2 =0.84). Discussion These data indicate that the disease of injury is too inconsistent a mix of injury pattern and physiologic response to be predictably bundled for an APM. The inverse correlation of increasing SD with increasing ICU LOS and decreasing Ps suggests an opportunity for measurable process improvement. Level of evidence Economic and value-based evaluations, level IV. Study type Economic/decision.
COX-2 and cytosolic PLA2mediate IL-1β-induced cAMP production in human vascular smooth muscle cells

Interleukin (IL)-1 is a potent vasodilator that causes prolonged induction of prostacyclin (PGI2) and cAMP synthesis in human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMC). The present study investigated IL-1 induction of PG synthetic enzymes in HVSMC and tested their respective roles in PGI2 and cAMP production. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 mRNA was not detectable in either control or IL-1-treated HVSMC, as assessed by RT-PCR. In contrast, COX-2 mRNA was detectable in control HVSMC, increased markedly (16-fold) after 1 h of IL-1 exposure, and increased further (52-fold) after 24 h. COX-2 protein levels, assessed by Western analysis, were increased concomitantly. HVSMC contained mRNA encoding both the secreted and cytosolic forms of phospholipase A2(sPLA2 and cPLA2, respectively). IL-1 stimulation did not affect sPLA2mRNA levels, but cPLA2 mRNA levels increased at 8 h, after the initial induction of PG synthesis. HVSMC constitutively expressed PGI2synthase mRNA, and its levels were not affected by IL-1. A selective COX-...
The Natural History of Alzheimer’s Families: An Underutilized Method For Exploring Basic and Therapeutic Strategies in Age-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Biological researchers studying basic and therapeutic strategies in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other age-related neuropsychiatric disorders have noted the critical need for interdisciplinary studies describing the untreated natural history of families of dementia patients (Heston, 1984; Clayton, 1984; Knopman, 1984).
Emergence of the Roman Question

The reform measures undertaken by Pius IX at the beginning of his reign in 1846 were coincidental with the outbreak of revolution in Europe. His innovations in Italy were the climax of a movement which, sporadic in Italy since 1815, revealed a much greater strength than before and also a wider range of activity. Through the earliest of his policies, which were at once economic and political, the reforming pope brought his government into conflict with that of Austria. The collision of these interests enlarged the already evident contrast between the status quo and reform, between the principle of autocratic suppression and that of constitutional amelioration.
DECAYS OF THE EVEN--EVEN LEAD ISOMERS: /sup 202m/Pb AND /sup 204m/Pb.

The decays of the ${9}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ isomers, $^{202m}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{204m}\mathrm{Pb}$, have been investigated using Ge(Li) detectors in a variety of singles and coincidence configurations. Improved conversion coefficients were obtained for two of the transitions following the decay of $^{204m}\mathrm{Pb}$, but no new, weak transitions were seen. Considerable improvement and enlargement of the $^{202m}\mathrm{Pb}$ decay scheme was possible. We have been able to make unambiguous multipolarity assignments for 15 of the 18 transitions following its decay and to place all 18 in a consistent decay scheme. States in $^{202}\mathrm{Pb}$ were established (following the 90.5% isomeric-transition decay) at 0 (${J}^{\ensuremath{\pi}}={0}^{+}$), 960.70 (${2}^{+}$), and 1382.82 (${4}^{+}$), 1623.1 (${4}^{+}$), 1915.2 (${4}^{+}$), 2040.3 (${5}^{\ensuremath{-}}$), and 2169.8 keV (${9}^{\ensuremath{-}}$). Those in $^{202}\mathrm{Tl}$ (following the 9.5% electron-capture decay) lie at 0 (${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$), 490.47 (${4}^{\ensuremath{-}}$), 950.19 (${7}^{+}$), 1098.7 (${6}^{+}$, ${7}^{+}$, ${8}^{+}$), 1340.1 (${8}^{+}$), 1552.1 (${8}^{+}$ [${9}^{+}$]), and 1675.6 keV (${9}^{+}$, ${8}^{+}$). Interpretation is made concerning the nature of the states in $^{202}\mathrm{Pb}$ and even-even Pb isotopes and also in $^{202}\mathrm{Tl}$ and odd-odd Tl isotopes on the basis of the simple shell-model plus pairing forces.
Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of C-Lignin

Lignin composed solely of caffeyl alcohol units, or C-lignin, was recently discovered in the seed coats of a number of vanilla orchid and cactus species. The caffeyl alcohol monomer polymerizes into a highly uniform benzodioxane backbone, making C-lignin a promising substrate for lignin valorization, where heterogeneity is a key challenge. In this study, we used reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF) on vanilla seeds to investigate the depolymerization of naturally grown C-lignin. To overcome challenges associated with the high extractive content and poor sugar retention in vanilla seeds, the ratio of monomer yield to total lignin yield was used to isolate the depolymerization efficiency of C-lignin from the extraction efficiency of lignin from seeds. This approach allowed us to compare extents of depolymerization across lignin types and biomass feedstocks. C-Lignin RCF generated extents of depolymerization akin to those of hardwoods, despite observing incomplete benzodioxane cleavage due to catalyst dea...
Motor Control and Sensory Feedback Enhance Prosthesis Embodiment and Reduce Phantom Pain After Long-Term Hand Amputation.

We quantified prosthesis embodiment and phantom pain reduction associated with motor control and sensory feedback from a prosthetic hand in one human with a long-term transradial amputation. Microelectrode arrays were implanted in the residual median and ulnar arm nerves, and intramuscular electromyography recording leads were implanted in residual limb muscles to enable sensory feedback and motor control. Objective measures (proprioceptive drift) and subjective measures (survey answers) were used to assess prosthesis embodiment. For both measures, there was a significant level of embodiment of the physical prosthetic limb after open-loop motor control of the prosthesis (i.e., without sensory feedback), open-loop sensation from the prosthesis (i.e., without motor control), and closed-loop control of the prosthesis (i.e., motor control with sensory feedback). There was also a statistically significant reduction in reported phantom pain after experimental sessions that included open-loop nerve microstimulation, open-loop prosthesis motor control, or closed-loop prosthesis motor control. The closed-loop condition provided no additional significant improvements in phantom pain reduction or prosthesis embodiment relative to the open-loop sensory condition or the open-loop motor condition. This study represents the first long-term (14-month), systematic report of phantom pain reduction and prosthesis embodiment in a human amputee across a variety of prosthesis use cases.
Structure and Dynamics of tRNAMet Containing Core Substitutions.

Open in a separate window The fidelity of protein synthesis is largely dominated by the accurate recognition of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) by their cognate aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Aminoacylation of each tRNA with its cognate amino acid is necessary to maintain the accuracy of genetic code input. Aminoacylated tRNAMet functions in both initiation and elongation steps during protein synthesis. As a precursor to the investigation of a methionyl-tRNA synthetase–tRNAMet complex, presented here are the results of molecular dynamics (MD) for single nucleotide substitutions in the D-loop of tRNAMet (G15A, G18A, and G19A) probing structure/function relationships. The core of tRNAMet likely mediates an effective communication between the tRNA anticodon and acceptor ends, contributing an acceptor stem rearrangement to fit into the enzyme-active site. Simulations of Escherichia coli tRNAMet were performed for 1 μs four times each. The MD simulations showed changes in tRNA flexibility and long-range communication most prominently in the G18A variant. The results indicate that the overall tertiary structure of tRNAMet remains unchanged with these substitutions; yet, there are perturbations to the secondary structure. Network-based analysis of the hydrogen bond structure and correlated motion indicates that the secondary structure elements of the tRNA are highly intraconnected, but loosely interconnected. Specific nucleotides, including U8 and G22, stabilize the mutated structures and are candidates for substitution in future studies.
The 9-criteria evaluation framework for perceptions survey: the case of VA’s Learners’ Perceptions Survey

For its clinical, epidemiologic, educational, and health services research, evaluation, administrative, regulatory, and accreditation purposes, the perceptions survey is a data collection tool that...
Means of Exchange: Ever Present Competition (Beyond Bitcoin, Chapter 2)

In this chapter, we present the history of money in the light of ever-present competition between means of payment. 2.1. The medium of exchange – historical overview 2.2. What roles does money serve? 2.3. Competing money 2.3.1. Coexistence is costly 2.3.2. Network effects 2.3.3. The difficulty of introducing new currency: Excess inertia 2.3.4. Coexistence of various currencies 2.4. Virtual money? For Chapter 1 (Introduction), see https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135021. For Chapter 3 (Platform-based Currencies), see https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135030. For Chapter 4 (Cryptocurrencies), see https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135043. For Chapter 5 (Conclusions), https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135057.
How do industry peers influence individual firms’ voluntary disclosure strategies?

This paper investigates how industry peer firms influence the voluntary disclosure strategies of individual firms. Our 2SLS regressions on an empirical sample of management earnings forecasts show that the disclosure strategies of individual firms are significantly influenced by their peer firms’ disclosure behaviors. Specifically, the increased disclosure frequency and disclosure horizon of their industry peers encourage individual firms to increase their disclosure frequency and disclosure horizon. Moreover, firms with S&P credit ratings, higher profitability, larger size, and/or a higher market-to-book ratio tend to be more sensitive to their peer firms’ voluntary disclosure frequency, and react more strongly to peer firms that are of dissimilar size or profitability. Finally, we find that the leader–follower relation does not influence the effects of peer firms’ disclosure strategies. Additional tests suggest that signaling theory and litigation risk provide stronger explanations of why firms mimic their peers than herding theory and free rider theory. This paper contributes to the accounting literature by providing new evidence on the effects of voluntary disclosure. Our findings are also of relevance to industry practitioners, and they shed light on the recently proposed voluntary disclosure regulations.
A catalytic domain variant of mitofusin requiring a wildtype paralog for function uncouples mitochondrial outer-membrane tethering and fusion.

Mitofusins (Mfns) are dynamin-related GTPases that mediate mitochondrial outer-membrane fusion, a process that is required for mitochondrial and cellular health. In Mfn1 and Mfn2 paralogs, a conserved phenylalanine (Phe-202 (Mfn1) and Phe-223 (Mfn2)) located in the GTPase domain on a conserved β strand is part of an aromatic network in the core of this domain. To gain insight into the poorly understood mechanism of Mfn-mediated membrane fusion, here we characterize a Mitofusin mutant variant etiologically linked to Charcot–Marie–Tooth syndrome. From analysis of mitochondrial structure in cells and mitochondrial fusion in vitro, we found that conversion of Phe-202 to leucine in either Mfn1 or Mfn2 diminishes the fusion activity of heterotypic complexes with both Mfn1 and Mfn2 and abolishes fusion activity of homotypic complexes. Using coimmunoprecipitation and native gel analysis, we further dissect the steps of mitochondrial fusion and demonstrate that the mutant variant has normal tethering activity but impaired higher-order nucleotide-dependent assembly. The defective coupling of tethering to membrane fusion observed here suggests that nucleotide-dependent self-assembly of Mitofusin is required after tethering to promote membrane fusion.
Men and women’s plans for romantic initiation strategies across four settings

This study, with a sample (N = 735) of both university students and non-student adults, examined the various strategies that men and women believe they would use to initiate romantic contact with an attractive other in four different settings: social gathering, bar/nightclub, class/workplace, and Facebook. We found that men to a greater degree than women reported they would use direct approaches (e.g., initiate a conversation) and women to a greater degree than men reported they would use the indirect strategy of having a friend introduce them and the passive strategy of waiting for the other to do something. Men’s greater expectation of being direct in relationship initiation (relative to women) was found across the settings. Shyness was associated with the lower likelihood of expecting to be direct in initiation strategies, although the strength of the association was stronger for men than for women and depended on both the particular initiation strategy and the setting. The findings offer insights into the dynamics of relationship development and how plans for initiation strategies may differ for men and women, including the differential influence of shyness on romantic initiation for men and women.
A Divergent Alkyne Diol Directs [2 + 2] Photoreactivity in the Solid State: Cocrystal, Supramolecular Catalysis, and Sublimation Effects.

2-butyne-1,4-diol (1,4-bd) is used as a divergent ditopic template that directs trans-1,2-bis (n-pyridyl) ethylene (n,n′-bpe, where n = n′ = 3 or 4) to undergo an intermolecular [2 + 2] photodimerization in the solid state. The components of cocrystals [(1,4-bd)·(4,4′-bpe)]n and [(1,4-bd)·(3,3′-bpe)]n form 1D hydrogen-bonded polymers with n,n′-bpe assembled as infinite parallel stacks. The alkenes undergo [2 + 2] photocycloadditions to form rctt-tetrakis (n-pyridyl) cyclobutane (where n = 3 or 4). We demonstrate that the reactive solid involving 4,4′-bpe exhibits supramolecular catalysis.
Optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels in constructed water treatment wetland systems in southern California, USA.

Abstract Many removal mechanisms in treatment wetlands involve absorption to organic matter. Optical properties and DOC levels of waters entering and exiting 4 treatment wetland systems in Orange County, Southern California, were measured to characterize the dissolved organic matter pool. Average DOC levels decreased between the inlets and outlets, except for Forge Street (FS), which increased. For 3 wetlands, absorption coefficients decreased between inlet and outlet; the exception was FS, which increased. Average spectral slopes for the inlets and outlets were similar. Average intensities of terrestrial humic peaks A and C from 3D EEM fluorescence spectra decreased between the inlets and outlets for most wetlands. No EEM protein peaks were observed. Average flu/abs ratios for inlets and outlets were similar (high point for FS inlet excluded), suggesting chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) of a similar composition was present. The average FI value for the inlets and outlets was ∼1.5, consistent with terrestrial sources of CDOM. Average BIX values for the inlets and outlets were ∼0.8, suggesting limited contributions from autochthonous production of CDOM. Dominant plant species in the wetlands were cattail and bulrush. Humic peaks A and C, along with protein peaks, were observed in plant leachates. Protein peaks rapidly degraded with solar simulator irradiation. Results indicate that most of the wetlands are a net sink for CDOM, possibly due to absorption to sediments. The FS wetland appears to have a source of non-CDOM optically active organic carbon, possibly from a pollutant.
Evaluating the Use of Avida-ED Digital Organisms to Teach Evolution & Natural Selection

The concepts of evolution and natural selection remain as some of the most challenging topics to teach. The difficulty in teaching these topics arises from the fact that evolution is difficult to observe, and computer simulations do not always result in a clear understanding of evolutionary principles. Recently, the Avida-ED software has been developed to simulate evolution in a laboratory setting. Unlike other simulations, Avida-ED allows students to manipulate the environment, change the genetics of the virtual organisms, and track offspring in real time. We have demonstrated, by using pretest and posttest questionnaires, that students gained a deeper understanding of evolutionary concepts by using this software. In particular, students showed the greatest increase in their ability to explain evolutionary concepts in answers to open-ended questions. Our results show that Avida-ED could be a useful tool in helping students understand and combat preconceived notions about evolution.
From Training to Practice: The Experiences of Native American Psychologists Who Have Maintained Their Indigenous Knowledge

As a Native American student of psychology I pondered the deep changes needed to provide relevant training for Natives, especially regarding the development of their professional identity as psychologists. How do Native psychologists think about integrating Western psychology, and how much of it, if any, can they integrate? What does this process of obtaining a degree in Western psychology teach us as Native American people who are continually fighting preserving and protecting for our ways of life which include healing and culture such as chants, dances, offerings in sacred places, use of plants and ancient knowledge that still is stron in our Native communities. ?
Living swine to maintain donor organs

Use of xenogeneic cross-circulation recovered injured human lungs and expand the pool of donor organs in lung transplantation.
Optimal Control of a High-Volume Assemble-to-Order System

We consider an assemble-to-order system with a high volume of prospective customers arriving per unit time. Our objective is to maximize expected infinite-horizon discounted profit by choosing product prices, component production capacities, and a dynamic policy for sequencing customer orders for assembly. We prove that a myopic discrete-review sequencing policy, which allocates scarce components among orders for different products to minimize instantaneous physical and financial holding costs, is asymptotically optimal. Furthermore, we prove that optimal prices and production capacity nearly balance the supply and demand for components (i.e., it is economically optimal to operate the system in heavy traffic), so system performance is characterized by a diffusion approximation. The diffusion approximation exhibits state-space collapse: Its dimension equals the number of components (rather than the number of components plus the number of products). These results complement the existing assemble-to-order literature, which focuses on managing component inventory and assumes FIFO sequencing of orders for assembly.
The OCI-12: A syndromally valid modification of the obsessive-compulsive inventory-revised.

Abstract The 18-item Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) is a widely used self-report measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, yet its factor structure does not converge with contemporary dimensional models of OCD symptoms. In addition to assessing the four core OCD dimensions, the OCI-R includes hoarding and neutralizing factors. However, since its publication, hoarding has been designated as a separate disorder, and there are concerns about the neutralizing factor's reliability and validity. The aim of this study was to evaluate a syndromally valid modification of the OCI-R. Adult samples of individuals diagnosed with OCD (n = 1087), anxiety related disorders (n = 1306), and unselected community volunteers (n = 423) completed the OCI-R and measures of anxiety and mood. Analyses excluded the 3 OCI-R hoarding items and suggested the removal of the 3 neutralizing items. Internal consistency, sensitivity and specificity to OCD clinical status, test-retest reliability, sensitivity to treatment, and convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated for the resultant 12-item scale (termed the OCI-12). The OCI-12 evidenced good to excellent psychometric properties. Clinical norms, severity benchmarks, and a clinical cutoff score were computed. In conclusion, the OCI-12 represents a syndromally valid update of the OCI-R with comparable psychometric properties and superior sensitivity and specificity.
CEO replacement, top management vacancy, and the sequence of top management team changes in high technology turnaround companies

Abstract This study extends the literature on CEO replacement, top management change, and corporate turnaround by examining the sequence of top management team change events and turnaround outcomes among declining firms in industries affected by technological innovation and digitalization, including information technology, electronics, imaging and communications. This study focuses specifically on the top management change events before and after CEO replacement during the turnaround attempts. Using 12 cases of successful/unsuccessful turnaround matched pairs, we adopt a two-phase case study research approach, first generating insights from six cases (three pairs), and then cross validating our findings with additional six cases (three pairs). Through the qualitative examination of these cases, we uncover top management vacancy as a new theoretical construct and refine an existing construct, top management change, by differentiating between primary and support functions. We then observe distinct patterns of CEO replacement and top management changes separating successful and unsuccessful turnarounds. Our case findings indicate that successful turnarounds are characterized by top management vacancy in primary functions before the new CEO arrival and by top management stability in support functions after the new CEO arrival, and that unsuccessful turnarounds involve top management personnel replacement in primary functions after the new CEO arrival. Based on the case findings and related literature, we propose a theoretical model for CEO replacement, top management change, and corporate turnaround.
From Warranty Voids to Uprising Advocacy: Human Action and the Perceived Moral Patiency of Social Robots.

Moral standing can be understood along two dimensions: moral agency (capacities to be and do good [or bad]) and moral patiency (extents to which entities are objects of moral concern), where the latter especially has implications for how humans accept or reject machine agents into human social spheres. As there is currently limited understanding of how people innately understand and imagine the moral patiency of social robots, this study inductively explores key themes in how robots may be subject to humans’ (im)moral action across 12 valenced foundations in the moral matrix: care/harm, fairness/unfairness, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, purity/degradation, liberty/oppression. Findings indicate that people can imagine clear dynamics by which anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and mechanomorphic robots may benefit and suffer at the hands of humans (e.g., affirmations of personhood, compromising bodily integrity, veneration as gods, corruption by physical or information interventions). Patterns across the matrix are interpreted to suggest that moral patiency may be a function of whether people diminish or uphold the ontological boundary between humans and machines, though even moral upholdings bare notes of utilitarianism.
Coupled small molecules target RNA interference and JAK/STAT signaling to reduce Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti

ABSTRACT The recent global Zika epidemics have revealed the significant threat that mosquito-borne viruses pose. There are currently no effective vaccines or prophylactics to prevent Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. Limiting exposure to infected mosquitoes is best way to reduce disease incidence. Recent studies have focused on targeting mosquito reproduction and immune responses to reduce transmission. In particular, previous work evaluated the effect of insulin signaling on antiviral JAK/STAT and RNAi in vector mosquitoes. In this work, we demonstrate that targeting insulin signaling through the repurposing of small molecule drugs results in the activation of both of these antiviral pathways. Activation of this coordinated response additively reduced ZIKV levels in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This effect included a quantitatively greater reduction in salivary gland ZIKV levels relative to single pathway activation, indicating the potential for field delivery of these small molecules to substantially reduce virus transmission.
Low-Dose Metformin as a Monotherapy Does Not Reduce Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Tumor Burden in Mice

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) makes up 80–85% of lung cancer diagnoses. Lung cancer patients undergo surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and/or radiation. Chemotherapy and radiation can induce deleterious systemic side effects, particularly within skeletal muscle. To determine whether metformin reduces NSCLC tumor burden while maintaining skeletal muscle health, C57BL/6J mice were injected with Lewis lung cancer (LL/2), containing a bioluminescent reporter for in vivo tracking, into the left lung. Control and metformin (250 mg/kg) groups received treatments twice weekly. Skeletal muscle was analyzed for changes in genes and proteins related to inflammation, muscle mass, and metabolism. The LL/2 model effectively mimics lung cancer growth and tumor burden. The in vivo data indicate that metformin as administered was not associated with significant improvement in tumor burden in this immunocompetent NSCLC model. Additionally, metformin was not associated with significant changes in key tumor cell division and inflammation markers, or improved skeletal muscle health. Metformin treatment, while exhibiting anti-neoplastic characteristics in many cancers, appears not to be an appropriate monotherapy for NSCLC tumor growth in vivo. Future studies should pursue co-treatment modalities, with metformin as a potentially supportive drug rather than a monotherapy to mitigate cancer progression.
Instantaneous Dynamic Route Choice Models

In this chapter, we present several variational inequality (VI) models for instantaneous dynamic user-optimal route choice problems for a network with multiple origin-destination pairs. In Section 7.1, the definition of instantaneous dynamic user-optimal (DUO) state is presented. Then, a route-time-based VI model is proposed in Section 7.2. The equivalence of the VI model with the route-time-based instantaneous DUO route choice conditions is demonstrated.