cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenoviral expression of human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in nonhuman primates leads to an antiatherogenic lipoprotein phenotype by increasing high-density lipoprotein and lowering low-density lipoprotein

Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), a key enzyme in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism, has been proposed to have atheroprotective properties by promoting reverse cholesterol transport. Overexpression of LCAT in various animal models, however, has led to conflicting results on its overall effect on lipoproteins and atherosclerosis. In this study, the effect of overexpression of LCAT in nonhuman primates on lipoprotein metabolism is examined. Human LCAT was expressed with adenovirus in squirrel monkeys (n = 8), resulting on day 4 in a 22-fold increase of LCAT activity (257 +/- 23 vs 5618 +/- 799 nmol mL(-1) h(-1), P < .0001). At its peak, LCAT was found to nearly double the level of HDL cholesterol from baseline (113 +/- 7 vs 260 +/- 24 mg/dL, P < .01). High-density lipoprotein formed after treatment with the adenovirus was larger in size, as assessed by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) analysis. By kinetic studies, it was determined that there was a decrease in apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I resident time (0.373 +/- 0.027 vs 0.685 +/- 0.045 d(-1), P < .0001) and almost a doubling in the ApoA-I synthetic rate (22 +/- 2 vs 41 +/- 3 mg kg(-1) d(-1), P < .0001), but no overall change in ApoA-I levels. In addition, increased expression of LCAT was associated with a 37% reduction of ApoB levels (12 +/- 1 vs 19 +/- 1 mg/dL, P < .05) due to increased low-density lipoprotein catabolism (fractional catabolic rate = 1.7 +/- 0.1 d(-1) in controls vs 4.2 +/- 0.3 d(-1) in LCAT-treated group, P < .05). In summary, overexpression of LCAT in nonhuman primates leads to an antiatherogenic lipoprotein profile by increasing HDL cholesterol and lowering ApoB, thus making LCAT a potential drug target for reducing atherosclerosis.
On model-based networked control of nonlinear spatially distributed systems

This work presents a framework for control of spatially distributed systems modeled by nonlinear highly-dissipative partial differential equations (PDEs) over communication networks. The framework aims to enforce closed-loop stability with minimal sensor-controller information transfer over the network. To this end, an approximate finite-dimensional model that captures the PDE's slow dynamics is used to provide the controller with estimates of the slow states when sensor-controller communication is suspended. A finite-dimensional state observer is embedded in the sensors to generate estimates of the slow states from the available measurements, and these estimates are used to update the model states whenever communication is re-established at discrete time instances. By analyzing the behavior of the overall networked closed-loop system between consecutive update times, and exploiting the stability properties of the controller and observer designs, a sufficient condition for networked closed-loop stability is obtained in terms of the sensor-controller communication rate, the model uncertainty, the controller and observer design parameters, as well as the spatial locations of the control actuators and measurement sensors. Finally, the results are illustrated through an application to the problem of stabilizing the zero solution of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky Equation.
Directed epicardial assistance in ischemic cardiomyopathy: flow and function using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Background Heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI) is a result of increased myocardial workload, adverse left ventricular (LV) geometric remodeling, and less efficient LV fluid movement. In this study we utilize cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate ventricular function and flow after placement of a novel directed epicardial assist device. Methods Five swine underwent posterolateral MI and were allowed to remodel for 12 weeks. An inflatable bladder was positioned centrally within the infarct and secured with mesh. The device was connected to an external gas exchange pump, which inflated and deflated in synchrony with the cardiac cycle. Animals then underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during active epicardial assistance and with no assistance. Results Active epicardial assistance of the infarct showed immediate improvement in LV function and intraventricular flow. Ejection fraction significantly improved from 26.0% ± 4.9% to 37.3% ± 4.5% (p Conclusions Directed epicardial assistance can improve LV function and flow in ischemic cardiomyopathy. This novel device may provide a valuable alternative to currently available heart failure therapies.
Capabilities, Cooperation, and Culture: Mapping American Ambivalence Toward China

The Sino-American relationship is arguably the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Whether this relationship remains peaceful or becomes conflictual will have far-reaching economic and political ramifications. For more than two decades, American analysts have been attempting to answer one question: Is China a threat to the United States? The result has been a voluminous collection of data that equally supports contradictory answers. I contend that if we want to understand the probable course of the Sino-American relationship, we need to ask a different question: When and why are Americans likely to perceive China as a threat? This paper reports the results of a social psychological experiment designed to explore the basis of American attitudes toward other states in general and toward China specifically. Contrary to expectations that economic insecurity drives American attitudes toward economic competitors, this study finds that American attitudes toward China are shaped primarily by cultural and institutional judgments. These results contribute to the field of IR by challenging preconceptions about the extent and potential impact of Americans' economic insecurities, by contributing to a nascent constructivist literature that examines how threat is constructed in the national imagination, and by informing how policymakers approach important bilateral relationships.
Parental Role Identity and Fathers' Involvement in Coparental Interaction After Divorce: Fathers' Perspectives†

The current study was designed to test a family systems-based model of fathers' involvement in coparental interaction during the first year postdivorce (n = 62 fathers). A multiple regression strategy was employed to test the proposed model. Support from the former spouse and fathers' satisfaction with their own parenting performance emerged as significant predictors of coparental interaction. Secondary moderation analyses were conducted to investigate the role that legal custody status played in the proposed model.
Aging-associated changes in cardiac gene expression

Cardiovascular diseases (e.g., vascular diseases, strokes, heart failure) reach epidemic proportions in the elderly and are the primary limits to survival in man. Age-associated changes in heart structure and function represent the major risk factors in heart failure (HF) syndromes and are associated with altered patterns of gene expression that can generally be seen as relative changes in the abundance of gene transcripts. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes should be tantamount to defining a genetic basis for aging; however, the analysis of processes as complicated as aging requires an accounting of biological diversity. Until recently, most of the changes in transcript abundance were identified one at a time, but the advent of gene expression arrays has permitted rapid, large-scale expression profiling. This has provided information about the dynamics of total gene expression, which can be used to identify pathways and elucidate regulatory events that may be affected during senescence or in response to disease. Importantly, very large sample sizes or meta-analyses of studies of smaller sample sizes should be sufficient to account for the diversity of altered gene expression that directs alterations in specific molecular pathways, which underlie changes in cardiac structure and function in senescence and disease.
Phase-controlled series-parallel resonant converter

A constant-frequency, phase-controlled, series-parallel resonant DC-DC converter is introduced, analyzed in the frequency domain, and experimentally verified. To obtain the DC-DC converter, two identical series-parallel resonant inverters are paralleled and the resulting phase-controlled resonant inverter is loaded by a voltage-driven rectifier. The converter can regulate the output voltage at a constant switching frequency in the range of load resistance from full-load resistance to infinity while maintaining good part-load efficiency. The efficiency of the converter is almost independent of the input voltage. For switching frequencies slightly above the resonant frequency, power switches are always inductively loaded, which is very advantageous if MOSFETs are used as switches. Experimentally results are given for a converter with a center-tapped rectifier at an output power of 52 W and a switching frequency of 127 kHz. The measured current imbalance between the two inverters was as low as 1.2:1. >
Fundamental-frequency components in single-phase motors with SCR Voltage Controllers

This paper describes how to extract the fundamental-frequency components from the voltage and current waveforms in a split-phase induction motors that is fed through a static voltage controller. These components are derived not from conducting a fast Fourier transform, but rather from few phase angles that are easily provided by zero-crossing and peak detectors. It is shown that knowledge of these components is useful when attempting to optimize load efficiency, and when assessing the power loss due to harmonic distortion. The analysis in this paper is partially validated by laboratory tests on a 1/3 hp split-phase motor.
Enhancement of experimental pruritus and mechanically evoked dysesthesiae with local anesthesia

Pain reduces itch - a commonly known effect of scratching the skin. Experimentally produced itch from histamine is sometimes accompanied by secondary sensations of pain. The present study investigated the effects of eliminating this pain, by means of a local anesthetic, on the itch and the enhanced mechanically evoked itch and pain that occur after an intradermal injection of histamine. In ten human subjects, the volar forearm was injected with either 20 mul of 2% chloroprocaine (experimental arm), or 20 mul of saline (control arm). Histamine 10 mul was injected into each bleb, and the resulting magnitude of itch estimated. The borders of three cutaneous areas were mapped within which mechanical stimulation of the skin surrounding the bleb elicited abnormal sensations (dysesthesiae): alloknesis, defined as itch evoked by innocuous stroking, and hyperalgesia and hyperknesis, characterized, respectively, by enhanced pain and enhanced itch evoked by pricking the skin with a fine tipped filament. The magnitud...
Biomechanical simulation for 3 layer calvarial prosthesis

In this study, we conducted biomechanical study about behavior of large cranioplasty upon post-operative impact injury. Previous studies utilized a surface model of single layer with thickness of adult skull as 7 mm in the parietal bone. The finite element model used four-node and three-node quadrilateral shell elements. The overall model consists of 2,168 solid elements, and 4,736 shell elements. The dynamic behavior of the model was tested on the composite materials similar to normal adult skull in three layers (inner, outer and diploe layer). This structure resembles characteristics of calvarial implant differently upon impact. In order to overcome limitation of previous model, we designed a physiological model and analyzed dynamic behavior with new implant materials. The composite implant with two popular materials and middle polymer layer was evaluated and compared with bony material.
Meta-analysis: the effect of statins on albuminuria.

In 13 of 15 randomized studies involving 1384 patients, statins reduced albuminuria and proteinuria. Since these outcomes were not the primary goals of the 15 clinical trials, we need larger trials...
To Share or Not to Share: When Do Toddlers Respond to Another's Needs?

The developmental origins of sharing remain little understood. Using procedures adapted from research on prosocial behavior in chimpanzees, we presented 18- and 25-month-old children with a sharing task in which they could choose to deliver food to themselves only, or to both themselves and another person, thereby making it possible for them to share without personal sacrifice. The potential recipient, a friendly adult, was either silent about her needs and wants or made them explicit. Both younger and older toddlers chose randomly when the recipient was silent. However, when the recipient vocalized her desires 25-month-olds shared, whereas younger children did not. Thus, we demonstrate that children voluntarily share valued resources with others by the end of the second year of life, but that this depends on explicit communicative cues about another's need or desire.
Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Navassa Island, West Indies

ABSTRACT Nine species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are reported for the first time from Navassa, a small island located centrally among the Greater Antilles. The uninhabited island, a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge, has rugged karst surface with forested areas of low tree diversity and open savanna or exposed rock habitats. Specimen label data, including habitat and collection notes, are given along with comments on the known distribution of each species. All species are of small size, are fully winged, and known to occur on adjacent larger islands or are widespread in the region. The small number of species is attributed to the island's size of only 5.2 km2; and its lack of sand beach, mud flat, and riparian habitats.
Involved field (IF) irradiation with or without chemotherapy in the management of children with Hodgkin's disease

The present policy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) of treating children with Hodgkin's disease (HD) is as follows: involved field (IF) irradiation only (3,600 rad) for Stages IA and IIA; IF irradiation (2,400 or 2,000 rad) combined with multidrug chemotherapy (MDP) protocol for all other stages. A somewhat higher recurrence rate is accepted for Stages IA and IIA in view of the good salvage rate for these recurrences and in view of side effects of more aggressive types of radiation treatment. One hundred forty-two patients with HD, 2-19 years of age, were treated at MSKCC between 1970 and 1981; 98 of these were treated according to the present policy (SP group), and 44 (NP group) were treated differently. All SP patients underwent staging laparotomy. The follow-up time was 12 to 146 months with a median of 65 months; two patients were lost to follow-up. For the SP group, all stages, 10-year disease-free survival is 77%, and 10-year survival is 93%. By comparison, in the NP group 10-year disease-free survival is 64%, and 10-year survival is 80%. The disease-free survival of SP patients in Stages IA and IIA treated with IF radiation alone is 72%, and survival is 95%.more » The disease-free survival of SP patients in advanced stages treated with combined radiation and chemotherapy is 87%; the salvage rate of recurrent disease in these stages is poor. The survival was apparently better in the SP group as compared to the NP group. All 6 patients of the SP group who died had a nodular sclerosing type of HD. None of the patients in the SP group have developed secondary malignancies, and no severe bone growth retardations or late effects to other organs were observed.« less
Why Do Consumers Buy Counterfeit Luxury Brands

Abstract This research demonstrates that consumers' desire for counterfeit luxury brands hinges on the social motivations (i.e., to express themselves and/or to fit in) underlying their luxury brand preferences. In particular, the authors show that both consumers' preferences for a counterfeit brand and the subsequent negative change in their preferences for the real brand are greater when their luxury brand attitudes serve a social-adjustive rather than a value-expressive function. In addition, consumers' moral beliefs about counterfeit consumption affect their counterfeit brand preferences only when their luxury brand attitudes serve a value-expressive function. Finally, the authors demonstrate that the social functions served by consumers' luxury brand attitudes can be influenced by elements of the marketing mix (e.g., product design, advertising), thus enabling marketers to curb the demand for counterfeit brands through specific marketing-mix actions.
A clinical approach to elimination of perinatal HIV transmission in resource-rich settings.

a Department of Obstetrics Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA b Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA c Clinician Consultation Center, National Perinatal HIV Hotline, San Francisco, CA, USA d Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA e Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA f HIVE, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA g Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
Intake and digestion by Holstein steers consuming diets based on litter harvested after different numbers of broiler growing periods or with molasses addition before deep-stacking.

We determined the effects on feed intake and digestibility by Holstein steers of 1) the number of broiler growing periods before litter harvest and dietary level of broiler litter and 2) level of molasses added to broiler litter before deep-stacking. In Exp. 1, eight steers (179+/-7.4 kg average BW) were used in two simultaneous 4 x 4 Latin squares (2 x 4 factorial) with 21-d periods. Broiler litter harvested after one, three, or six 6-wk growing periods (1P, 3P, and 6P, respectively) mixed with .5 or 1.5% BW of ground corn (.5C and 1.5C, respectively) was consumed ad libitum. Bermudagrass hay was fed to 1P, 3P, and 6P steers at .5% BW and was ingested ad libitum by Control steers, along with feeding of .5 or 1.5% BW of corn (DM basis). Broiler litter was 63, 43, and 35% NDF, 2.2, 3.5, and 4.1% N, and 18, 30, and 27% ash for 1P, 3P, and 6P, respectively. Total tract digestibility of NDF was 53.7, 29.4, 50.4, 58.1, 31.3, 30.8, 34.1, and 49.5% (SE 3.50), and digestible OM intake was 2.21, 1.70, 2.27, 2.39, 2.26, 3.18, 2.93, and 3.34 kg/d (SE .160) for .5C-Control, .5C-1P, .5C-3P, .5C-6P, 1.5C-Control, 1.5C-1P, 1.5C-3P, and 1.5C-6P, respectively. In Exp. 2, five steers (228+/-6.0 kg average BW) were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square with 21-d periods. Offered diets were 15% bermudagrass hay and 60% broiler litter (6P of Exp. 1; DM). Molasses was offered at 0, 3.2, or 6.7% of total DM, with the balance of the diet composed of corn. Molasses for two treatments was mixed with litter at meals, whereas for two other treatments molasses and litter were mixed before deep-stacking. Only a few minor treatment effects on intakes and digestibilities occurred. In conclusion, digestible OM intake by growing steers was less for litter harvested after one broiler growing period than after three or six when fed with only .5% BW of corn, although the effect of the number of periods was negligible with corn given at 1.5% BW. Molasses addition before deep-stacking or at meals did not enhance feeding value of litter harvested after six broiler growing periods.
Transnational Corporate Constitutionalism: The Emergence of a Constitutional Order for Economic Enterprises

The convergence of public and private law has emerged as one of the great legal issues of the 21st century. It touches everything from the regulation of state activity, to the character and effect of the activities of non-state actors — and particularly those amalgamations of authority organized as juridically distinct persons. At its core, it implicates issues of the character and nature of the state, the state system, and the division of power — political, economic, religious, social and cultural — among a number of actors of which the state is only one. Economic entities are increasingly seen as state-like actors requiring regulation at a transnational level; states seek to participate in domestic and foreign markets as economic rather than as political actors. Large multinational enterprises are increasingly able to self regulate. Simultaneously, the nature of the legal order among states and the principles within which states may constitute themselves have become increasingly regularized — the community of nations has begun to move from an acceptance of constitution as a means of organizing political communities to constitutionalism as a system for the regulation of the organization of non-state communities with political authority. This paper engages emerging principles of transnational constitutionalism as a basis for the organization and integration of economic enterprises. For that purpose, the paper considers the role of two influential efforts in the construction of a global enterprise constitutionalism — the United Nations Global Compact system and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The paper starts with context, examining the rise and character of the conceptual elements of transnational constitutionalism and its applicability to functionally distinct communities — like that of business enterprises. It then examines the development of and current efforts to ‘operationalize’ the Global Compact and the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises as two related substantive regulatory frameworks for the transnational governance of economic actors. It also sketches the normative elements of these efforts and their potential limitations as constitutionalist frameworks. The paper ends with an analysis of the utility and effectiveness of these related normative frameworks as a basis for the elaboration of a transnational enterprise constitutionalism and as a regulatory framework for its implementation.
Effects of dopamine and isoproterenol on renin secretion in the dog.

SummaryThe effects of intra-arterial infusion of dopamine (3 μg/kg/min) and isoproterenol (0.15 μg/kg/min) on renal blood flow (RBF) and renal venous plasma renin activity (RVR) were studied in eight anesthetized dogs, before and after propranolol. Dopamine caused an increase in RBF from 201±21 to 238±39 ml/min (p .05). Isoproterenol increased RBF from 202±28 to 214±39 ml/min (p < .05) and augmented RVR from 470±130 to 1192±395 ng/100 ml (p < .01). Propranolol did not alter the effects of dopamine on RBF and RVR, but effectively blocked the isoproterenol-induced vasodilation and renin secretion.This demonstrates the unique action of dopamine on renin secretion. The presently available evidence suggests that there probably are no specific adrenergic receptors directly mediating renin secretion by the kidney.
Method of Separating Fall Armyworm Eggs from Masses

Eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) are oviposited in mass. This phenomenon reduces their utility for research purposes and renders them incompatible for use in most mass rearing systems. A method is described here wherein a wax-impregnated oviposition substrate, in combination with physical pressure and a directed stream of water, is used to separate single eggs from masses.
Predicting Participation and Production Outcomes Through a Two-Dimensional Model of Organizational Commitment

In this study, we tested a two-dimensional model of organizational commitment and theoretically relevant outcomes based on the motivational distinction proposed by March and Simon (1958) between em...
A New Concept for a Thermal Air Power Tube Used With Concentrated Solar Energy Power Generation in Open-Pit Mines and Large Natural Geo-Physical Phenomenon

This paper reviews a novel power generation system that improves the overall efficiency of concentrated solar energy systems while also providing for the cost effective reclamation and utilization of a man-made geo-physical phenomenon: decommissioned, open pit mines. A preliminary feasibility will be presented of an integrated system consisting of a concentrated solar energy powered Rankine Cycle system and the authors’ novel (patent pending) energy recovery system that consists of a thermally induced, pneumatic (wind turbine) power tube system (Pneumatic Power Tube) that is designed with reflective surfaces for concentrating solar energy. The proposed system is unique in the field of power generation using renewable/natural resources while also providing a solution to the reclamation and utilization of depleted open pit mines. The paper presents a parametric feasibility study of the proposed system installed for a range of “small” and “large” open-pit mines, such as the Palabora copper open pit mine located in South Africa. Using state-of-the-art specifications for power generation from concentrated solar energy systems based on D.O.E. supported research, a average size integrated installations could generate approx. 700–750 Mwe with 12–18 Mwe contributed by the new Pneumatic Power Pit Tubes. The enhancements include a unique design for a pneumatic power tube that combines the functions of solar collector/reflector with a hot air “chimney” air diffuser and wind power generation. A schematic of the proposed integrated system is also provided. The paper also presents a summary of the major technical benefits of the proposed system including the synergisms between the proposed renewable energy system and the application of DOE’s microwave power generation and transmission as well as the societal benefits of reclaiming land areas that are otherwise not suitable for habitation. Suggestions will also be made as to the application of authors’ pneumatic wind turbine power tubes to other large, naturally occurring geo-physical phenomenon.© 2003 ASME
Synthesis and Properties of NHC-Supported Palladium(I) Dimers with Bridging Allyl, Cyclopentadienyl, and Indenyl Ligands

The synthesis of a family of new Pd(I) dimers, (μ-All)(μ-Cp){Pd(IPr)}2 (All = C3H5, Cp = C5H5, IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-ylidene), (μ-All)(μ-Ind){Pd(IPr)}2 (Ind = C7H9), (μ-Cp)(μ-Cp){Pd(IPr)}2, (μ-Cp)(μ-Ind){Pd(IPr)}2, and (μ-Ind)(μ-Ind){Pd(IPr)}2, which contain a combination of bridging allyl, Cp, and indenyl ligands and are all supported by IPr as the ancillary ligand, is reported. All of these compounds are thermally stable at room temperature, and the solid-state geometries, electronic structures, reactivity, and redox chemistry of these new compounds have been compared with those of the dimer (μ-All)2{Pd(IPr)}2, which was previously reported. This work provides further evidence that bridging allyl, Cp, and indenyl ligands bind in a similar manner to Pd(I). However, it is demonstrated that there are notable differences between the IPr-supported species and related Pd(I) dimers with triethylphosphine ancillary ligands, which have been previously described.
MIMO-radar-based indoor passive geolocation and tracking

In this paper, indoor passive localization and tracking using a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar are studied. Indoor localization suffers from severe multipath propagation. We propose two novel clustering-based algorithms for multi-target tracking in such environments. These techniques aim to exploit either the delay-Doppler diversity offered by spread spectrum signals or the delay-angle diversity of received signals using successive beamforming. The targets are tracked using a bank of extended Kalman filters and the filters' predicted future locations of all targets are intelligently utilized to solve the data association problem. Finally, the feasibility of both techniques is analyzed and discussed in light of two common indoor tracking layouts.
Survival analysis of carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae infections in hospital patients

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than two million people are sickened every year with antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, and at least 23,000 die as a result of these infections in the U.S. alone. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a particularly important subgroup with the ability to share genetic material, including the gene responsible for the production of carbapenemase enzyme. As a major threat to public health, CRE primarily affects sick patients in acute long-term health care facilities, such as Intensive Care Units. This study uses clinical data from a major U.S. hospital, as well as survival analysis methods to estimate time-to-colonization, patient risk of CRE colonization, and risk factors. A survival model was developed using Cox proportional-hazards regression to estimate time of infection. Additionally, we also used Kaplan-Meier estimation to approximate survival time. Our results support CDC's understanding of CRE infection. Sick patients with a history trauma and of staying in an ICU, which undergo certain procedures such as dialysis, fluoroscopy, respiratory intubation and mechanical ventilation, are more likely to get colonized by CRE. The fit was evaluated using the likelihood ratio test and we have found all our models to be significant.
Activation Mechanism of the Bacteroides fragilis Cysteine Peptidase, Fragipain

Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis produces a secreted metalloprotease known as B. fragilis toxin (BFT), which contributes to anaerobic sepsis, colitis, and colonic malignancy in mouse models of disease. A C11 family cysteine protease, fragipain (Fpn), directly activates BFT in the B. fragilis cell by removing the BFT prodomain. Fpn is itself a proenzyme and is autoactivated upon cleavage at an arginine residue in its activation loop. We have defined the proteolytic active site of Fpn, demonstrated that Fpn autoactivation can occur by an in trans loop cleavage mechanism, and characterized structural features of the Fpn activation loop that control peptidase activity against several substrates, including BFT. An arginine residue at the autocleavage site determines the fast activation kinetics of Fpn relative to the homologous C11 protease, PmC11, which is cleaved at lysine. Arginine to alanine substitution at the cleavage site ablated peptidase activity, as did partial truncation of the Fpn activation loop. However, complete truncation of the activation loop yielded an uncleaved, pro form of Fpn that was active as a peptidase against both Fpn and BFT substrates. Thus, Fpn can be transformed into an active peptidase in the absence of activation loop cleavage. This study provides insight into the mechanism of fragipain activation and, more generally, defines the role of the C11 activation loop in the control of peptidase activity and substrate specificity.
Sustainability Assessment and Performance Improvement of Electroplating Process Systems

Abstract Electroplating processes are among the most polluting systems in the process industry. In production, various types of chemical solvents, chemical–metal-containing plating solutions, water, and energy are consumed usually in excess. Thus process wastewater contains a high concentration of toxic or hazardous chemicals and metals that are dragged out by work pieces from cleaning and plating units into rinsing systems. The pollutants can enter the working environment through air emission, liquid discharge, and sludge handling. In addition, energy waste is frequently considerable. Although electroplating systems are environmentally much more benign than before, significant efforts are needed to ensure economic, environmental, and social sustainability, especially in the globally highly competitive environment. To improve sustainability performance, a critical step is to conduct comprehensive sustainability assessment of plating processes and products. However, there are no such methodologies available in the electroplating industry. In this chapter we introduce a set of sustainability metrics for evaluating economic, environmental, and social sustainability and demonstrate how the metrics can be selected in application. We also describe a method for prioritizing options for sustainability performance improvement. The applicability of the metrics system and the efficacy of the sustainability assessment and improvement methods are demonstrated through a case study.
Placing and Designing Disaffiliative Actions

While it is clear from excerpts in Chapter 5 that women are perfectly able to produce questions that challenge co-participants, we should note that taking issue with others’ ideas is a delicate and disaffiliative action, as has been amply demonstrated in studies of ordinary conversations. Disaffiliative actions are regularly formulated with care: they are delayed, prefaced, and interwoven with displays of hesitancy. Once launched, such turns are formulated in ways that further delay and also mitigate the disaffiliative action itself. Disaffiliative actions are regularly accompanied by accounting, with such accounts or excuses indexing a speaker’s recognition of deviation from the normative preference for agreement (Sacks, 1987; Pomerantz, 1984). That delicate and dispreferred actions are presented with care is one way in which interactants display the general orientation to avoid such actions. But, of course, disaffiliative actions cannot be avoided altogether, particularly in workplace meetings.
Images of the Self: Toward a Model of CSR Leadership

In his highly influential book Images of Organization, Gareth Morgan examines the role of metaphor in theories of organization. His thesis is that all theories of organization and management result in implicit images or metaphors that lead us to see, understand, and manage organizations in distinctive yet partial ways. In this way, metaphor that is drawn from theory has far-reaching consequences. Morgan adds that although metaphors can create valuable insights, they can also be misleading, because of their incompleteness and biases (Morgan, 1997, p. 4). Taking this viewpoint into consideration, this chapter compares the image of self cast by standard economics with representations of the self cast by other theoretical perspectives.1 This analysis is designed to shed light on a sense of self befitting corporate social responsibility (CSR) leadership.
Referential and lexical forces in number agreement

ABSTRACTIn work on grammatical agreement in sentence production, there are accounts of verb number formulation that emphasise the role of whole-structure properties and accounts that emphasise the role of word-driven properties. To evaluate these alternatives, we carried out two experiments that examined a referential (wholistic) contributor to agreement along with two lexical-semantic (local) factors. Both experiments gauged the accuracy and latency of inflected-verb production in order to assess how variations in grammatical number interacted with the other factors. The accuracy of verb production was modulated both by the referential effect of notional number and by the lexical-semantic effects of relatedness and category membership. As an index of agreement difficulty, latencies were little affected by either factor. The findings suggest that agreement is sensitive to referential as well as lexical forces and highlight the importance of lexical-structural integration in the process of sentence production.
Gallium and Copper Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry

Gallium and copper radionuclides have a long history of use in nuclear medicine. Table 1 presents the nuclear properties of several gallium and copper isotopes that either are used in the routine practice of clinical nuclear medicine or exhibit particular characteristics that might make them useful in diagnostic or therapeutic medicine. This paper will provide some historic perspective along with an overview of some current research directions in gallium and copper radiopharmaceutical chemistry. A more extensive review of gallium radiopharmaceutical chemistry has recently appeared3 and can be consulted for a more in-depth treatment of this topic.
The detection of fetal hemoglobin in bloodstains by means of thin-layer immunoassay.

A method for the detection of fetal hemoglobin in bloodstains by means of thin- layer immunoassay is described. The equivalent of 0.01 #L of blood containing 0.18 to 0.24 #g of fetal hemoglobin may be detected by this method. Studies with stains up to two years old and blind studies have shown these methods to be sufficiently sensitive and specific to be of value in forensic serology.
Landscape features associated with lyme disease risk in a suburban residential environment

The landscape features of residential properties within two communities were studied in relation to the abundance of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis. Habitat types of 400 properties, located in a Lyme disease endemic area of Westchester Co., New York, USA, were categorized into lawn, ornamental, ecotone, woods, and stone wall as measured from aerial photographs and sampled for nymphal-stage ticks. Logistic regression results indicate that presence or absence of ticks is influenced by the proportion of either lawn or woodland, and total woodland area. Poisson regression results indicate the abundance of nymphs is negatively associated with proportion, area, and patch frequency of lawn, and positively associated with proportion, area, and patch frequency of woodland. Predictions of tick presence and abundance from landscape features at the scale of individual property is useful for implementing disease prevention measures.
Posterior Tibial Tendon Endoscopic Debridement for Stage I and II Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction

Abstract Adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD), formerly known as posterior tibial tendon (PTT) dysfunction, is one of the most common problems of the foot and ankle. It was first described as tendon failure but has since been revealed as ligamentous failure in addition. AAFD is a spectrum of deformities that ranges from tenosynovitis (stage I) to AAFD (stages II-IV). Regarding mild stage I and stage II disease, it was once standard to perform an open synovectomy completely removing the inflamed synovium; this procedure required a large 6-cm medial ankle incision. Postoperative management included plaster cast immobilization for 3 weeks, followed by a boot with controlled ankle movement for another 3 weeks. Now, the standard is shifting to PTT endoscopy, which has proved to be an efficient way to treat tenosynovitis in stage I and II AAFD with a shorter postoperative period. Using this technique, we can achieve 360° visualization of the PTT within the tendon sheath, allowing for a complete exploration and debridement. We hope that by using this video description, practitioners could avoid the increased morbidity associated with open procedures, as well as help patients return to activity sooner after surgery.
Don’t stop believin’: The journey to entrepreneurial burnout and back again.

Burnout is a well-studied phenomena that can cause deleterious effects to an organization especially if the organization is a recent startup. I argue that a closer look at the role of entrepreneurial passion and hope is required in order to better understand the entrepreneurial burnout process. I used grounded theory-building techniques to analyze more than 15 months of data from an entrepreneur starting his first entrepreneurial venture. The findings are discussed and a new entrepreneurial model of success is introduced.
Many-body localization proximity effects in platforms of coupled spins and bosons

We discuss the onset of many body localisation in a one-dimensional system composed of a XXZ quantum spin chain and a Bose-Hubbard model linearly coupled together. We consider two complementary setups depending whether spatial disorder is initially imprinted on spins or on bosons; in both cases, we explore the conditions for the disordered portion of the system to localise by proximity of the other clean half. Assuming that the dynamics of one of the two parts develops on shorter time scales than the other, we can adiabatically eliminate the fast degrees of freedom, and derive an effective hamiltonian for the system's remainder using projection operator techniques. Performing a locator expansion on the strength of the many-body interaction term or on the hopping amplitude of the effective hamiltonian thus derived, we present results on the stability of the many body localised phases induced by proximity effect. We also briefly comment on the feasibility of the proposed model through modern quantum optics architectures, with the long-term perspective to realize experimentally, in composite open systems, Anderson or many-body localisation proximity effects.
The Tipping Point: Key Oncologic Imaging Findings Resulting in Critical Changes in the Management of Malignant Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this article is to review tumor staging systems for gastrointestinal tumors including pancreatic adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, small bowel adenocarcinoma, rectal carcinoma, and anal carcinoma and identify the key imaging findings (“tipping points”), which change patient management based on changes in tumor staging. Conclusion For all malignant gastrointestinal tumors, there are key imaging findings (“tipping points”) including tumor size, tumor extension, lymphadenopathy, vascular invasion, and distant metastasis that dictate patient management and prognosis, based on changes in tumor stage. In interpreting these imaging studies, radiologists should be cognizant of these “tipping points” to guide patient management.
Equilibrium Distribution of Elements between Coexisting Solid-Solution Phases

The thermodynamic basis for the distribution of cations between two coexisting binary solid solutions is derived using olivine and pyroxene phases as examples. Data are presented for magnesium-iron and calcium-iron silicates which have been studied experimentally at elevated temperatures.
Surrogate model–based optimal feed-forward control for dimensional-variation reduction in composite parts' assembly processes

Dimension control and variation reduction are vital for composite parts' assembly processes. Due to the nonlinear properties of composites, physics-based models cannot accurately and efficiently ap...
A Networked Cyber-Physical System Testbed for Undergraduate Education

This paper presents a networked cyber-physical system (CPS) testbed used in an undergraduate course project-based learning activity. The low-cost, portable testbed can be used in wide-ranging activities to include exploration of modeling and simulation, controls, communications, networks, embedded systems, and cyber security. The activity presented focuses on a subset of this list, providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate understanding of course lecture material while working in a small team.
Oral History of Dov Frohman

Dov Frohman is an Israeli electrical engineer and businessman. In 1970, he invented the Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), a key enabling technology for rapid development of microprocessor-based systems, from personal computers to industrial controls. Intel founder Gordon Moore called it “as important in the development of the microcomputer industry as the microprocessor itself.” Frohman was also responsible for establishing Intel's R&D and manufacturing presence in Israel, one of Intel's most productive and advanced design centers. Frohman is a nationally known figure in Israel.
Treatment of Musicians’ Dystonia

Musicians’ dystonia is an example of a focal task-specific dystonia, i.e., dystonia affecting one part of the body, only when it is engaged in performance of a specific task. Musicians’ dystonia may involve the upper extremity (either the hand, arm, or shoulder) or the embouchure (the muscles of lower face, tongue, and pharynx that control the flow of air into a brass or woodwind instrument). Musicians’ dystonia typically affects professionals at the peak of their performing careers, often with devastating consequences. Recent work has revealed that both genetic and environmental influences contribute to the development of the condition. Current treatments for musicians’ dystonia include instrument modification, physical therapy, oral medication, injection of botulinum toxin, and even stereotactic surgery. Management remains challenging, and there is a need for more innovative approaches for treatment.
Calcium supplementation: Results may not be generalisable.

Bolland et al showed an increased risk of vascular events, particularly myocardial infarction, in healthy postmenopausal women receiving calcium supplements.1 2 We recently completed a similar study with a primary skeletal end point.3 4 We queried our database about the principal adverse events reported by Bolland et al. We followed up 1179 women for four years, similar to the …
Resistant hypertension-defining the scope of the problem

Abstract The updated scientific statement by the American Heart Association has defined resistant hypertension (HTN;RH) as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) ≥ 130/80 mmHg, despite concurrent use of 3 anti-HTN drug classes comprising a calcium channel blocker, a blocker of renin-angiotensin system, and a thiazide diuretic, preferably chlorthalidone. Using the updated BP criteria, the prevalence of RH in the United States is found to be modestly increased by approximately 3–4% among treated population. Meta-analysis of observational studies have demonstrated that pseudo-RH from white coat HTN or medication nonadherence is as much common as the truly RH. Thus, screening for pseudo-resistance in the evaluation of all apparent RH is of utmost importance as diagnosis of white-coat HTN requires no treatment, while medication nonadherence would benefit from identifying and targeting barriers to adherence.
Building a Conceptual Framework for Data Literacy.

BackgroundThe increasing focus on education as an evidence-based practice requires that educators can effectively use data to inform their practice. At the level of classroom instructional decision...
Realtime Multi-Diver Tracking and Re-identification for Underwater Human-Robot Collaboration

Autonomous underwater robots working with teams of human divers may need to distinguish between different divers, e.g., to recognize a lead diver or to follow a specific team member. This paper describes a technique that enables autonomous underwater robots to track divers in real time as well as to reidentify them. The approach is an extension of Simple Online Realtime Tracking (SORT) with an appearance metric (deep SORT). Initial diver detection is performed with a custom CNN designed for realtime diver detection, and appearance features are subsequently extracted for each detected diver. Next, realtime tracking-by-detection is performed with an extension of the deep SORT algorithm. We evaluate this technique on a series of videos of divers performing human-robot collaborative tasks and show that our methods result in more divers being accurately identified during tracking. We also discuss the practical considerations of applying multi-person tracking to on-board autonomous robot operations, and we consider how failure cases can be addressed during on-board tracking.
Monocular visual loss as the presenting symptom of COVID-19 infection.

Abstract Background and Importance: Additional time is needed to determine the exact impact of COVID-19 on acute cerebrovascular disease incidence, but recently published data has correlated COVID-19 to large vessel occlusion strokes. Clinical Presentation: We report the first case of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) as the initial manifestation of COVID-19 infection. Subsequent neuroimaging revealed a large thrombus extending into the internal carotid artery. Conclusion: This case illustrates the need to suspect COVID-19 infection in patients presenting with retinal arterial occlusion, including individuals who are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic for COVID-19 infection.