cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Integrability to Conformal Symmetry: Bosonic Superconformal Toda Theories

In this paper we study the new corformal integrable models obtained from conformal reductions of WZNW theory associated with second order constraints, these models are called bosonic superconformal Toda models due to their conformal spectra and their resemblance to the usual Toda theories. From the reduction procedure we get the equations of motion and the linearized Lax equations for such systems in a generic gradation of the underlying Lie algebra.Then, in the special case of principal gradation, we derive the classical r-matrix, fundamental Poisson relation, exchange algebra of the chiral operators and find out the classical vertex operators. The result shows that our model may play a similar role with respect to the ordinary Toda theories in which one may obtain various conformal properties of the model from its integrability.
Studies on the Integration of Tourism Spatial Distribution in Sanya

The study is based on the tourism resource development of sanya,with the analysis of the reasons why it should be integrated.Some approaches are achieved to solve the problems between rival scenery spots and the expansion of scenery spot during the course of integration.Theoretical basis has been provided to support the sustainable development of sanya.
Cellular mechanisms underlying temperature-induced bleaching in the tropical sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella.

SUMMARY Temperature-induced bleaching in symbiotic cnidarians is a result of the detachment and loss of host cells containing symbiotic algae. We tested the hypothesis that host cell detachment is evoked through a membrane thermotropic event causing an increase in intracellular calcium concentration, [Ca 2+ ] i , which could then cause collapse of the cytoskeleton and perturb cell adhesion. Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of plasma membranes from the tropical sea anemone Aiptasia pulchella and the Hawaiian coral Pocillopora damicornis labeled with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) revealed no membrane thermotropic event. In addition, intracellular imaging using Fura-2AM as well as labeling anemones with 45 Ca revealed no significant change in [Ca 2+ ] i . However, bleaching could be evoked at ambient temperature with 25 mmol l –1 caffeine without affecting [Ca 2+ ] i . [Ca 2+ ] i could be altered with ionomycin in isolated host cells, but ionomycin could not induce bleaching in A. pulchella . As caffeine can affect levels of intracellular protein phosphorylation, the ability of other agents that alter intracellular levels of protein phosphorylation to evoke bleaching was investigated. The protein phosphatase inhibitor vanadate could induce bleaching in A. pulchella . Two-dimensional gels of 32 P-labeled proteins from cold-shocked, caffeine-treated and control anemones show that both temperature shock and caffeine alter the array of phosphorylated host soluble proteins. We conclude that cnidarian bleaching is linked to a temperature-induced alteration in protein phosphorylation.
Mirex incorporation in estuarine animals, sediment, and water, Mississippi Gulf Coast - 1972-74

Analysis of mirex residues in estaurine animals, sediments, and waters collected from the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1972-74 showed the following ranges of concentrations: seston, 200-3000 ppb; molluscs, 36-500 ppb; fish, 0-259 ppb; sediment, 3-5ppb; and water, 0-0.01 ppb. These data indicate that mirex in aquatic environments is localized in animal tissues and bottom substrate and that only a negligible amount is incorporated in the water.
Side impact motor vehicle crashes: driver, passenger, vehicle and crash characteristics for fatally and nonfatally-injured rear-seated adults

Most studies of rear-seated occupants have focused on or included pediatric occupants which may not translate to adults. This study examines passenger, driver, vehicle and crash characteristics for rear-seated adult occupants involved in side crashes. The National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS/GES) for calendar years 2011–2014 was used with accompanying weights to examine the occupant, vehicle and crash characteristics associated with injury in rear-seated adults (n = 395,504) involved in a side crash. A weighted subpopulation analysis includes occupants travelling in a vehicle with an IIHS safety rating (n = 39,208), which was used to control for vehicle safety. Statistical analysis used Chi-square tests and multilevel multivariable logistic regression. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) are reported with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs). Rear-seated occupants on the same side as the crash impact were more likely to be severely/fatally injured than occupants seated on the opposite side (Multivariable adjusted OR: 2.54, 95 % CI: 2.31–2.79), as were those in angle crashes (Multivariable adjusted OR: 10.85, 95 % CI: 9.24–12.73). Rear-seated occupants of belted drivers were 3.28 times more likely to be belted compared to rear-seated occupants of an unbelted driver. In a subpopulation analysis of all same-side crashes, unrestrained occupants were 5.96 times more likely to be severely/fatally injured compared to restrained occupants. Restraint use was protective for rear-seated adult occupants involved in side crashes, including those in same-side crashes. Angle and same-side crashes are associated with increased injury severity.
First stage results of a phase II trial of sorafenib plus doxorubicin (SD) in patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who progressed (POD) on sorafenib (S).

e15147 Background: Retrospective analysis of 14 pts with advanced HCC treated with SD after POD on S, showed a median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 3.4 and 10.1 months respectively. We theorize SD may have synergistic activity in HCC through inhibition of Raf-1 by S promoting D induced ASK-1 mediated apoptosis. Methods: A single arm phase II study evaluated SD in pts with advanced HCC with RECIST 1.1 radiologic POD on S, ECOG 0-1, Child-Pugh A, and adequate bone marrow, renal, hepatic and cardiac function. The primary endpoint was OS at 6 months (OS6). Statistical plan: two stage design, unacceptable OS6 50%, acceptable OS6 72%, type I and II errors 5 and15% respectively. Secondary endpoints: median PFS, median OS, tolerance to SD, response rate by RECIST 1.1, and associations between previous length of exposure to S and OS and PFS. Results: Starting April 2012, 15 pts were enrolled. Male = 13, Median age 70 years (range 24-82), Median KPS 80%. The median duration of prior S...
P030 Previously believed to be nonsensicl crossmatch results, explained by ANTI-HLA-C antibodies

Aim While trying to determine the frequency of “False Positive” Flow cytometric crossmatches (FCXM) in our laboratory, we observed that almost all cases in which we saw a Positive T-cell, Negative B-cell (T+/B-) result, a HLA-C donor specific antibody (DSA) was present. Prior to the development of assays that enabled us to accurately detect HLA-C antibodies, it was believed that a T+/B- result was likely due to a technical error, B-cell viability issue, or a Non HLA antibody. Methods FCXM results with Positive T-cell, Negative B-cell results were collected and assessed for DSA. Results We found one case where two different patients showed T+/B- results against the same donor. Both patients had Strong (>10,000 MFI) DSA to HLA-C (DSA-C). We also found a number of patients that responded this way against multiple donors. In particular, we found 1 patient that has had FCXM against 30 different donors. Of the 30 FCXM, 26 of these resulted in T+/B- and DSA-C (Median MFI = 5010) was detected in all of these cases. There was 1 FCXM with DSA-C that was T-/B- (DSA MFI 4492). The remaining 3 cases without DSA-C were T-/B-. (See Table 1). Epitope analysis of this patient’s antibody results show a clear 76VRN antibody pattern, that explained all of her Class I antibodies. Conclusions It has been recently reported that HLA-C is expressed higher on T cells than B cells. This is contrary to what many of us were taught and should now be considered as a possible explanation of an “unexpected” FCXM result, in which the T-cell is positive and the B-cell is Negative. Download : Download high-res image (69KB) Download : Download full-size image
An fMRI Analysis of Subjective Well-Being Responses: More Positive Responses Engage Brain Regions Similar to Positive Cognitive Reappraisal

This paper presents results from a parametric analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data examining within-subject differences in brain activations associated with more and less positive responses to the types of questions commonly used to measure subjective well-being (SWB) in social science research. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive reappraisal as a strategy to improve SWB. Neuroimaging research has shown positive reappraisal of negative stimuli to be consistently associated with activations in the superior and middle frontal gyrus. In the current study, relatively more positive (within-subject) responses to SWB questions were also associated with increased activation in the superior and middle frontal gyrus. We speculate that positive cognitive reappraisal processes may not only be one of several potentially successful SWB intervention strategies, but may actually be an inherent component of relatively more positive SWB evaluation.
A comparison of skin cancer screening and treatment costs at a Massachusetts cancer center, 2008 versus 2013

Background Temporal analyses of skin cancer costs are needed to examine how expenditure differences between diagnoses are changing. Objective To tabulate the costs of skin cancer–related care (SCRC), including both screening and treatment, at an academic cancer center at 2 time points. Methods Cost data (insurance and patient payments) at an academic cancer center from 2008 and 2013 were queried for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes pertaining to skin cancer. Screening costs were separated from treatment costs through associated Current Procedural Terminology codes. Results The total annual cost of SCRC increased by 64%, the number of patients receiving SCRC increased by 45%, and the mean cost per patient treated increased by 13%. Screening accounted for 17% and 16% of total annual costs in 2008 and 2013, respectively. The mean cost per patient with melanoma increased by 84%, which was the largest increase among skin cancer diagnoses. In 2013, the few patients with melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab (n = 48 [4% of patients with melanoma]) accounted for 42% of melanoma treatment costs and 20% of SCRC costs. Limitations Prescription costs were unavailable. Conclusions Melanoma costs have increased as a result of the introduction of ipilimumab. Ongoing studies are needed to monitor the cost-effectiveness of SCRC at a national level.
Chirped wavepacket dynamics of solvating HgBr

Ultrafast photodissociation of HgBr2 in DMSO shows chirped wavepacket motion with nonexponential decay, providing microscopic insight into the structural and dynamical properties of solvation.
A Reassessment of Atmospheric Pollution as a Cause of Long-Term Changes of Global Temperature

Two globally extensive forms of atmospheric pollution (carbon dioxide and particulate loading) are each considered from the viewpoint of long-term changes in their total abundance, and the impact of such changes on the equilibrium temperature of the Earth.
Computational tool for a mini-windmill study with SOFT

In this paper, we present a parallel computational framework for the completely automated design of a Vertical Axis Fluid Turbine (VAFT). Simulation, Optimum design, Fabrication and Testing (SOFT) of the VAFT is integrated into a hardware/software environment that can fit into a small office space. The components of the four steps design loop are as follows Simulation: We use a parallel CFD algorithm to run a direct simulation of the fluid structure interaction problem. We derive from that computation the torque and the average rotation speed for a given friction coefficient on the rotor shaft and an average flow speed. Our objective is to get the most power out of the windmill, consequently the highest rotation speed possible. Optimization: We optimize the shape of the blade section with a genetic algorithm and/or a surface response. The evaluation of the objective function (average rotation speed) corresponds to the direct simulation of the Navier Stokes flow interacting with the rotating turbine, until reaching a stationary regime. Because this simulation is compute-intensive, we distribute the evaluation of the objective function for the different shapes (gene or parameter combinations) on a network of computers using an embarrassingly parallel algorithm. Fabrication: The optimization procedure results in a supposedly optimum shape in the chosen design space. This shape is sent to a 3-D printer that fabricates the real turbine. This turbine is set up such that it can be easily mounted on a standard base equipped with an electric alternator/generator. Testing: The windmill is tested in a mini wind tunnel. The electric output is measured and a video camera can directly monitor the windmill rotation through the transparent wall of the wind tunnel. This information can be analyzed by the computer system and comparison with the simulation is assessed. Figure 1 gives a graphical overview of the SOFT concept.
REACT trend estimation in correlated noise

Suppose that the data is modeled as replicated realizations of a p-dimensional random vector whose mean μ is a trend of interest and whose covariance matrix ∑ is unknown, positive definite. REACT estimators for the trend involve transformation of the data to a new basis, estimating the risks of a class of candidate linear shrinkage estimators, and selecting the candidate estimator with smallest estimated risk. For Gaussian samples and quadratic loss, the maximum risks of REACT estimators proposed in this paper undercut that of the classically efficient sample mean vector. The superefficiency of the proposed estimators relative to the sample mean is most pronounced when the new basis provides an economical description of the vector ∑−/ μ, dimension p is not small, and sample size is much larger than p. A case study illustrates how vague prior knowledge may guide choice of a basis that reduces risk substantially.
A synergy of contemporary activism to address police maltreatment of Black males: An intersectional analysis

ABSTRACTA panoramic overview of contemporary and historical activism to address the perennial tension between police and young Black males in the United States of America is extensively articulated. Furthermore, an intersectional analysis framework is utilized to provide, and explain the unintentional synergy of activism among different groups in the Black community such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the inveterate political class, and the venerable Black church to mitigate police maltreatment of Black males during the era of the nation’s first Black president. Moreover, we discuss the various aggressive policing tactics used in maltreating Black males, some criminal justice reforms achieved in the last eight years, and more importantly we offer suggestions to improve the relationship between police and the Black community.
Undergraduate business students’ perceptions about engagement

Student perceived engagement and student perceived learning are important concepts in today’s higher education classroom environment. Examining engagement from the students’ perspective is an impor...
A Team Approach to Response to Intervention for Speech Sound Errors in the School Setting

Purpose Response to intervention (RTI) has been used within the school setting to support students at risk for a variety of communication disorders. Through RTI, these students can receive services...
Science Teacher Motivation and Evaluation Policy in a High-Stakes Testing State:

This qualitative case study explored the teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of a newly implemented teacher evaluation policy in a high-stakes testing state, and how this policy impacted thei...
Rapamycin suppresses postnatal muscle hypertrophy induced by myostatin-inhibition accompanied by transcriptional suppression of the Akt/mTOR pathway.

Abstract Myostatin (MSTN) is a well-known negative growth factor of muscle mass, and studies have shown that MSTN-inhibition would be a potential strategy to treat muscle atrophy seen in various clinical conditions. Recent studies suggest that MSTN-inhibition induces skeletal muscle hypertrophy through up-regulation of the anabolic Akt/mTOR pathway. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the muscle hypertrophy induced by MSTN-inhibition would be suppressed by the administration of rapamycin (RAP), a mTOR suppressor. A MSTN transgenic mouse strain (MSTN-pro), which is characterized by a postnatal hyper-muscularity due to MSTN inhibition through transgenic overexpression of MSTN propeptide, was used in producing experimental animals. Five-week-old male heterozygous MSTN-pro mice and wild-type littermates were administered with 0 or 3 mg/kg body weight of RAP intraperitoneally every other day for 4 weeks. The effects of RAP on muscle growth, mRNA abundance of signaling components of the Akt/mTOR pathway, and myogenic regulatory factors (MyoD, Myf5, MyoG, and Mrf4) were examined in comparison to wild-type mice. Body weight gain of MSTN-pro mice was significantly greater than that of wild-type mice. RAP suppressed body weight gain and muscle mass in both MSTN-pro and wild-type mice. The extent of both body weight and muscle mass suppression was significantly greater in MSTN-pro mice than in wild-type mice. Real-time qPCR analysis showed that mRNA abundance of the signaling molecules of the Akt/mTOR pathway, including Akt, p70S6K, and 4E-BP1, were significantly higher in MSTN-pro mice. RAP treatment decreased mRNA abundance of Akt, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 only in MSTN-pro mice. mRNA abundances of MyoD and MyoG were not affected by MSTN suppression or RAP treatment. mRNA abundance of Myf5 was decreased by RAP, but not affected by MSTN suppression. mRNA abundance of Mrf4 was decreased by MSTN suppression. RAP treatment decreased mRNA abundance of Mrf4 only in wild type mice. Results of this study indicate that transcriptional regulation of signaling components of the Akt/mTOR pathway and myogenic regulatory transcription factor Mrf4 is involved in the enhancement of skeletal muscle mass induced by MSTN suppression.
Walk This Way: Our Perspective on Challenges and Opportunities for Extension Statewide Walking Promotion Programs

Evidence-based walking programs exist and some have been tailored specifically for the national Cooperative Extension System; however, program outcomes and translational challenges and successes are underreported. This has presented a challenge to scaling the best-fit intervention for walking promotion within this national system. Here, we describe existing open-access walking programs as well as implications for improving the fit and sustainability of this intervention type within the system. Our experience provides suggestions for pragmatic data collection, infrastructure to support pragmatic data collection, and novel ways to disseminate best practices, as well as considerations for de-implementing what is not working.
Connectivity in coastal systems: Barrier island vegetation influences upland migration in a changing climate

Due to their position at the land-sea interface, barrier islands are vulnerable to both oceanic and atmospheric climate change-related drivers. In response to relative sea-level rise, barrier islands tend to migrate landward via overwash processes which deposit sediment onto the backbarrier marsh, thus maintaining elevation above sea level. In this paper, we assess the importance of interior upland vegetation and sediment transport (from upland to marsh) on the movement of the marsh-upland boundary in a transgressive barrier system along the mid-Atlantic Coast. We hypothesize that recent woody expansion is altering the rate of marsh to upland conversion. Using Landsat imagery over a 32 year time period (1984-2016), we quantify transitions between land cover (bare, grassland, woody vegetation, and marsh) and the marsh-upland boundary. We find that the Virginia Barrier Islands have both gains and losses in backbarrier marsh and upland, with 19% net loss from the system during the timeframe of the study and increased variance in marsh to upland conversion. This is consistent with recent work indicating a shift toward increasing rates of landward barrier island migration. Despite a net loss of upland area, macroclimatic winter warming resulted in 41% increase in woody vegetation in protected, low-elevation areas, introducing new ecological scenarios that increase resistance to sediment movement from upland to marsh. Our analysis demonstrates how the interplay between elevation and interior island vegetative cover influences landward migration of the boundary between upland and marsh (a previously underappreciated indicator that an island is migrating), and thus, the importance of including ecological processes in the island interior into coastal modeling of barrier island migration and sediment movement across the barrier landscape.
The Initial Steps in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens Pathogenesis: Chemical Biology of Host Recognition

The biology of host recognition in Agrobacterium tumefaciens has set the tone for host interactions and xenognosis for several decades, and the twists and turns of the discoveries provide many valuable lessons and insights. From transposon mutagenesis enabling discovery of the initial chemical exchanges to two-component signal transduction and receptor identification, this organism continues to enrich our understanding of chemical ecology and pathogenic strategies. The complexity of the host commitment and the intricate nature of the evolved machinery remains awe inspiring. This system is now poised with the necessary chemical and biological resources, for both host and parasite, to reveal the detailed chemical biology that occurs within the host tissues. Here we review our current understanding of the signal exchanges, and highlight the many questions that remain to be addressed. We use this perspective to set the stage for the rich chemical biology this organism continues to offer..
Impact of glutamate carboxylation in the adsorption of the α-1 domain of osteocalcin to hydroxyapatite and titania

One proposed mechanism of implant fouling is attributed to the nonspecific adsorption of non-collagenous bone matrix proteins (NCPs) onto a newly implanted interface. With the goal of capturing the fundamental mechanistic and thermodynamic forces that govern changes in these NCP recognition domains as a function of γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) post-translational modification and surface chemistry, we probe the adsorption process of the most commonly occurring NCP, osteocalcin, onto a mineral and metal oxide surface. Here, we apply two enhanced sampling methods to independently probe the effects of post-translational modification and peptide structure on adsorption. First, well-tempered metadynamics was used to capture the binding of acetyl and N-methylamide capped glutamic acid and Gla single amino acids onto crystalline hydroxyapatite and titania model surfaces at physiological pH. Following this, parallel tempering metadynamics in the well-tempered ensemble (PTMetaD-WTE) was used to study adsorption of the α-1 domain of osteocalcin onto hydroxyapatite and titania. Simulations were performed for the α-1 domain of osteocalcin in both its fully decarboxylated (dOC) and fully carboxylated (OC) form. Our simulations find that increased charge density due to carboxylation results in increased interactions at the interface, and stronger adsorption of the single amino acids to both surfaces. Interestingly, the role of Gla in promoting compact and helical structure in the α-1 domain resulted in disparate binding modes at the two surfaces, which is attributed to differences in interfacial water behavior. Overall, this work provides a benchmark for understanding the mechanisms that drive adsorption of Gla-containing mineralizing proteins onto different surface chemistries.
Resistance, Medicine, and Moral Courage: Lessons on Bioethics from Jewish Physicians during the Holocaust

There is a perpetrator historiography of the Holocaust and a Jewish historiography of the Holocaust. The former has received the lion’s share of attention in bioethics, particularly in the form of warnings about medicine’s potential for complicity in human atrocity. However, stories of Jewish physicians during the Holocaust are instructive for positive bioethics, one that moves beyond warnings about what not to do. In exercising both explicit and introspective forms of resistance, the heroic work of Jewish physicians in the ghettos and concentration camps tells us a great deal about the virtues and values of medicine. In this article, we frame the stories of four of these Jewish physicians in ways that are instructive for contemporary medicine. By far, the most widely recognized and discussed figure is Viktor Frankl, whose work on hope and the meaning of suffering remains essential insofar as medicine inherently confronts disease and death. Less discussed in bioethics and medical humanities are the cases of Mark Dworzecki, Karel Fleischmann, and Gisella Perl. Dworzecki’s efforts to encourage others in the Vilna Ghetto to document their experiences illustrates the power of narrative for the human experience and the notion of ethics as narrative in the face of suffering. Fleischmann’s art underscores not only the importance of reflective practices for professionals as a form of simultaneous introspection and testimonial, but illuminates hope amid sheer hopelessness. This hope, which was comparatively implicit in much of Fleishmann’s art, is explicated as a method by Frankl, becoming a form of therapy for both physicians wrestling with their professional work, and patients wrestling with their illnesses and diseases. Finally, Perl’s resistance to Mengele’s orders highlights the importance of moral action, not just reflective reaction. The experiences of each of these figures, while certainly located in the unique horrors of Holocaust Germany, portends lessons for today’s physicians faced with moral distress and ethical dilemma in the face of suffering, interpersonal relationships, and socio-political conflicts that increasingly test the professed ideals of medicine. In this article we briefly tell the story of each of these physicians and connect the lessons therein to contemporary medical practice.
Leaving My Religion: How Ex-Fundamentalists Reconstruct Identity Related to Well-Being.

There is a well-established, steady trend of religious disaffiliates in the USA. However, little qualitative research has been devoted to documenting the experience of religious disaffiliation or “exiting,” specifically in the context of identity reconstruction and well-being. This study investigates an understudied subgroup of exiters—individuals who have left Christian fundamentalist religions. Drawing on 24 in-depth interviews, this research reveals the social psychological processes through which former religious participants reconstruct their identity and self-concepts related to their well-being. The results demonstrate that while it is challenging in the beginning stages of the exiting process to develop a new identity and improve self-concepts, over time the construction of a nonreligious identity eventually contributed to participants’ greater well-being.
An Honors Teacher Like Me: Effects of Access to Same-Race Teachers on Black Students’ Advanced-Track Enrollment and Performance:

Using rich administrative data from North Carolina and school-course fixed effects models, this study explores whether the availability of same-race instructors in advanced-track sections of course...
The diabetes care index: A novel metric to assess delivery of optimal type 1 diabetes care.

OBJECTIVES The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) have outlined standards for best practices in providing optimal diabetes care to children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Our objectives were to design a metric that evaluated delivery of optimal diabetes care and to use this metric to drive improvement within our diabetes program. METHODS Using published guidelines, we identified 11 elements of optimal diabetes care that should be reliably delivered at our institution as standard-of-care. We utilized our electronic medical record to aid in data collection and to notify staff when to deliver specific care elements (eg, lipid collection, depression screening, etc.). We designed the T1D Care Index (T1DCI), a metric which aggregates missed opportunities to deliver elements of optimal diabetes care over a given period into a cumulative score, with a lower T1DCI reflecting better care delivery and improved program performance. RESULTS Tracking the T1DCI permitted recognition of areas to focus on quality improvement efforts, guided interventions to improve processes for care delivery, and helped determine the allocation of time and resources. Interventions resulted in improvement of care delivery across some elements of care. Overall, we observed a 26% reduction in the T1DCI after 12 months of utilization. CONCLUSIONS The T1DCI is a powerful metric to evaluate the ability of our diabetes program to standardize, quantify, and monitor delivery of optimal diabetes care to children with T1D, and to drive our program toward zero missed opportunities for quality care delivery.
Thrombin-mediated release of factor VIII antigen from human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture

We have examined the effects of purified human alpha-thrombin on factor VIII antigen (FVIII-Ag) release by human umbilical vein endothelial cells in culture. Alpha-thrombin induced a time and dose-dependent release of FVIII-Ag into supernatant medium. Alpha-thrombin-mediated FVIII-Ag release was not dependent on protein synthesis and was observed in both serum-free and serum-containing media. FVIII-Ag release, however, was prevented when the serine esterase activity of thrombin was inhibited. Pretreatment of human endothelial cells with alpha-thrombin, but not diisofluorophosphate-thrombin, prevented subsequent FVIII-Ag release by alpha-thrombin. Thrombin-mediated FVII- Ag release was not associated with significant 51Cr release from prelabeled endothelial monolayers. We conclude that alpha-thrombin induces release of preformed FVIII-Ag from human umbilical vein endothelial cells by a receptor-independent, nonlytic mechanism requiring serine esterase activity.
A Tale of Two Crises: The 2008 Mortgage Meltdown and the 2020 COVID-19 Crisis

The causes and consequences of the 2008 mortgage meltdown and 2020 COVID-19 crisis are quite different: the 2008 mortgage meltdown reflected infection of the financial system due to excess leverage and poor-quality mortgage loans, and the recent crisis reflects a substantial global economic shock to contain the viral outbreak of the coronavirus Yet the financial and medical systems share many elements, such as opacity and interconnectedness as well as adequate buffers and reserves We examine these themes as well as asset pricing, moral hazard (though it was at the root of the crisis only in the Great Recession), the consequences for government as a systemic actor, economic concentration, and capital market regulation in the two crises In both crises, interventions in financial markets and disruptions in the housing market played important, but differing, roles The recent crisis elucidates open questions about the foundation of financial economics and risk sharing
Trends in Resource Capacity and Collaboration for City Sustainability: Implications for Planning Research and Practice

Can local sustainability efforts scale up to achieve meaningful impact? Although this question continues to be debated (Fuhr et al., 2018; van der Heijden et al., 2019), city governments have none-...
The Effect of Elections on Post-Conflict Peace and Reconstruction

Elections are the centerpiece of efforts to rehabilitate countries devastated by civil conflict, and they are held increasingly often and early. We argue that the inability of postconflict politicians to commit credibly to respect peace and democracy implies that elections will inflame tensions unless countries have previous democratic experience or elections are delayed to allow for institution building. We test this theoretical framework with a statistical model of economic recovery and conflict recurrence. We show that early elections, particularly in new democracies, hasten recurrence; delaying elections two years in new democracies or one year in more established democracies can help forestall renewed violence.
Stochastic Assignment for Deploying Multiple Marsupial Robots.

Marsupial robot teams consist of carrier robots that transport and deploy multiple passenger robots, such as a team of ground robots that carry and deploy multiple aerial robots, to rapidly explore complex environments. We specifically address the problem of planning the deployment times and locations of the carrier robots to best meet the objectives of a mission while reasoning over uncertain future observations and rewards. While prior work proposed optimal, polynomial-time solutions to single-carrier robot systems, the multiple-carrier robot deployment problem is fundamentally harder as it requires addressing conflicts and dependencies between deployments of multiple passenger robots. We propose a centralized heuristic search algorithm for the multiple-carrier robot deployment problem that combines Monte Carlo Tree Search with a dynamic programming-based solution to the Sequential Stochastic Assignment Problem as a rollout action-selection policy. Our results with both procedurally-generated data and data drawn from the DARPA Subterranean Challenge Urban Circuit show the viability of our approach and substantial exploration performance improvements over alternative algorithms.
Characterization of a large form of DNA polymerase δ from HeLa cells that is insensitive to proliferating cell nuclear antigen

Abstract A large form of DNA polymerase delta from HeLa cells was recently purified in this laboratory as a factor required for conservative DNA synthesis in a reconstituted system utilizing UV-irradiated permeabilized human diploid fibroblasts (Nishida, C., Reinhard, P., and Linn, S. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 501-510). We have now purified this form of the enzyme utilizing its polymerase activity and further characterized it. The enzyme activity sediments at 11.1 S in low salt and 6.8 S in high salt. In both cases, activity cosediments with the major visible peptide displayed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels which has an Mr of 215,000. This value is consistent with the molecular mass calculated from the sedimentation coefficient and gel filtration behavior in high salt. In low salt the apparent molecular mass was approximately double. The enzyme prefers poly(dA).oligo(dT) as template/primer in low salt, with which it has a processivity of several thousand nucleotides in 1 mM MgCl2. At isotonic KCl or potassium phosphate concentrations, the preferred template/primer is activated DNA. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen, also characterized as a DNA polymerase delta auxiliary protein, does not increase the activity of this preparation of the enzyme. An antibody to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen has no inhibitory effect, nor is it able to recognize any peptides in immunoblots of purified enzyme fractions. Under polymerizing conditions, the enzyme removes mismatched, but not matched nucleotides from the 3' terminus of oligo(dT) annealed to poly(dA) suggesting a proofreading function. The properties of this form of DNA polymerase delta distinguish it from other preparations reported in the literature.
Analysis of three-dimensional structures in boundary layers

A perturbation scheme, based on the simultaneous expansion of primary and secondary modes, is used to study the prebreakdown flow field. Results of the analysis are in good agreement with experiments for amplitudes in excess of 5%. For peak-valley splitting the analysis captures the development of the high shear layer associated with breakdown. Subharmonic modes evolve differently, with the region of high shear concentrated near the wall.
Vitamin D, calcium, and protein synthesis.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the vitamin D transformations, calcium transport, and protein synthesis. The vitamin D affects the formation of specific proteins that appear to be concerned with calcium metabolism. In intestine, calcium-binding protein is identified in several species and the synthesis of this protein is absolutely dependent on the presence of vitamin D. The majority of the evidence indicates CaBP to arise by de novo synthesis and by the action of a specific messenger RNA, at least in the chick. The proteins that increase as a consequence of vitamin D are the phosphatases—alkaline phosphatase, CaATPase, and phytase—and each of these may represent different manifestations of the same macro-molecular complex. In the kidney, the effect of vitamin D shown on this organ is the induction of CaBP synthesis. In bone, vitamin D repletion has important effects on collagen synthesis and metabolism, particularly on the cross-linking reaction and hydroxylation of lysyl residues. The chapter also discusses the general effects of vitamin D and calcium on cell, metabolism, and growth.
Chapter 7 Synthesis studies of dolabellanes and transannular processes leading to related diterpenes

Summary Dolabellanes represent a large class of diterpenes that are characterized by a [9.3.0] cyclotetradecane skeleton. Biosynthetic studies have shown that dolabelladienes serve as precursors for enzymatic conversions to a variety of diterpenoid natural products including neodolabellanes, dolas-tanes, and fusicoccanes. Recognizing the central importance of the dola-bellane system as a progenitor of important classes of naturally occurring metabolites, our studies have explored intramolecular alkylation reactions to provide general approaches for the formation of functionalized eleven-membered carbocycles. Internal alkylations using enolates of cyanohydrin derivatives as acyl anion equivalents have produced nonconjugated dola-belladienones, and intramolecular Julia condensations of aldehydic sulfones have shown surprising versatility for the production of several dolabellane systems. Stereocontrolled, transannular reactions of dolabelladienes have been examined via the π-cation cyclization, which is induced via ringopening of an intermediate epoxide. These efforts have demonstrated the stereoselective formation of a dolastane natural product from its putative dolabellane precursor. Additional studies of nonconjugated dolabella-dienones have documented Lewis acid-catalyzed transannular processes leading to 5-7-6 tricyclic enones as well as 5-8-5 tricyclic fusicoccanes. Finally, our investigations have utilized cross-conjugated dolabella-dienones as key substrates for Nazarov cyclizations to produce the 5-8-5 fusicoccane skeleton, which has led to a total synthesis of (+)-fusicoau-ritone. Beginning with our early efforts, these studies were devised to specifically examine the regio- and stereocontrolled preparation of complex tricyclic diterpenes via the initial formation of appropriate medium-sized carbocycles. In this manner, our studies have highlighted the vibrant and fascinating chemistry of dolabellane natural products, and perhaps by undertaking this task, we have identified a departure point for a grand journey of new insights and future opportunities.
An evaluation of commercial DNA extraction kits for the isolation of bacterial spore DNA from soil

Aims: To evaluate six commercial DNA extraction kits for their ability to isolate PCR-quality DNA from Bacillus spores in various soil samples. Methods and Results: Three soils were inoculated with various amounts of Bacillus cereus spores to simulate an outbreak or intentional release of the threat agent Bacillus anthracis. DNA was isolated from soil samples using six commercial DNA extraction kits. Extraction and purification efficiencies were assessed using a duplex real-time PCR assay that included an internal positive control. The FastDNA® SPIN kit for Soil showed the highest DNA extraction yield, while the E.Z.N.A.® Soil DNA and PowerSoil® DNA Isolation kits showed the highest efficiencies in removing PCR inhibitors from loam soil extracts. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that commercially available extraction kits can be used to extract PCR-quality DNA from bacterial spores in soil. The selection of an appropriate extraction kit should depend on the characteristics of the soil sample and the intended downstream application. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results of this study aid in the selection of an appropriate DNA extraction kit for a given soil sample. Its application could expedite sample processing for real-time PCR detection of a pathogen in soil.
Use of azoles for systemic antifungal therapy.

Publisher Summary The azole antifungal agents have expanded the armamentarium of agents useful in the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Clotrimazole, an early imidazole antifungal, proved was found to rapidly induce its own metabolism after oral or intravenous administration. Its use is now confined to topical therapy. Miconazole is toxic and its availability is only as an intravenous formulation. Ketoconazole, the first oral imidazole, has proved useful for a wide variety of fungal infections. This chapter focuses on the use of these four azole agents that have proved beneficial in treating systemic fungal infections. The imidazole compounds contain a five member azole ring with two nitrogen atoms. The triazoles have a third nitrogen atom added. The triazole ring increases tissue penetration, prolongs half-life, and enhances efficacy of the azoles while decreasing the toxicity when compared with imidazole antifungal agents. Azoles inhibit the biosynthesis of ergosterol, a component of fungal cell membranes, via inhibition of the cytochromes P450-dependent enzyme lanosterol14-α-demethylase.Lanosterol14-α-demethylase is necessary for the conversion of lanosterol to ergosterol. Depletion of ergosterol in the fungal cell membrane results in altered membrane fluidity, thereby reducing the activity of membrane-associated enzymes. This leads to increased permeability and subsequent inhibition of cell growth and replication. The binding efficiency of azole antifungal agents to cytochromes P450 differs, resulting in differences in antifungal activity, toxicity of the agents, and the drug interactions with other cytochrome P45O-metabolized drugs. The chapter details the antifungal activity of the azoles, their pharmacology, clinical use, side effects, and administration. Drug interactions with azole antifungals are of two categories—decreases in azole bioavailability because of chelation or secondary to increases in gastric pH; and interactions with other cytochrome P45O-metabolized drugs. Drug interactions in the second category may result in increases or decreases in the azole antifungal, in the interacting drug, or in both drugs.
Measurement invariance of the Servant Leadership Questionnaire across K-12 principal gender

Measurement invariance of the five-factor Servant Leadership Questionnaire between female and male K-12 principals was tested using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. A sample of 956 principals (56.9% were females and 43.1% were males) was analysed in this study. The hierarchical multi-step measurement invariance test supported the measurement invariance of the five-factor model across gender. Latent factor means were compared between females and males when measurement invariance was established. Results showed that females were significantly higher than males on emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping and organisational stewardship, and they were not statistically different on altruistic calling.
MreB, the cell shape‐determining bacterial actin homologue, co‐ordinates cell wall morphogenesis in Caulobacter crescentus

Summary The bacterial actin homologue, MreB, is required for the maintenance of a rod-shaped cell and has been shown to form spirals that traverse along the longitudinal axis of Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli cells. The depletion of MreB in Caulobacter crescentus resulted in lemon-shaped cells that possessed defects in the integrity of the cell wall. MreB localization appeared as bands or spirals that encircled the cell along its entire length and switched to a mid-cell location at a time that coincided with the initiation of cell division. The formation of smaller MreB spirals or bands at the mid-cell was dependent on the presence on the cytokinetic protein, FtsZ. Penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) also formed band-like structures perpendicular to the cell periphery that resembled, and depended upon, MreB localization. PBP2 co-immunoprecipitated with several other penicillin-binding proteins, suggesting that these proteins are in association in Caulobacter cells. We hypothesize that MreB filaments function as a cytoskeleton that serves as an organizer or tracking device for the PBP2–peptidoglycan biosynthesis complex.
Strong selection against hybrids maintains a narrow contact zone between morphologically cryptic lineages in a rainforest lizard.

Phenotypically cryptic lineages comprise an important yet understudied part of biodiversity; in particular, we have much to learn about how these lineages are formed and maintained. To better understand the evolutionary significance of such lineages, we studied a hybrid zone between two morphologically cryptic phylogeographic lineages in the rainforest lizard, Lampropholis coggeri. Analyzing a multilocus genetic dataset through cline inference, individual-based methods and population measures of disequilibrium and using simulations to explore our genetic results in context of theoretical expectations, we inferred the processes maintaining this hybrid zone. We find that these lineages meet in a hybrid zone that is narrow (≈400 m) relative to inferred dispersal rate. Further, the hybrid zone exhibits substantial genetic disequilibrium and sharply coincident and largely concordant clines. Based on our knowledge about the region’s biogeography, the species’ natural history, and our simulation results, we suggest that strong selection against hybrids structures this system. As all clines show a relatively narrow range of introgression, we posit that this hybrid zone might not yet be in equilibrium. Nonetheless, our results clearly show that phylogeographic lineages can evolve substantial reproductive isolation without concomitant morphological diversification, suggesting that such lineages can constitute a significant component of evolutionary diversity.