cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Error rates and resource overheads of encoded three-qubit gates

A non-Clifford gate is required for universal quantum computation, and, typically, this is the most error-prone and resource-intensive logical operation on an error-correcting code. Small, single-qubit rotations are popular choices for this non-Clifford gate, but certain three-qubit gates, such as Toffoli or controlled-controlled-$Z$ (ccz), are equivalent options that are also more suited for implementing some quantum algorithms, for instance, those with coherent classical subroutines. Here, we calculate error rates and resource overheads for implementing logical ccz with pieceable fault tolerance, a nontransversal method for implementing logical gates. We provide a comparison with a nonlocal magic-state scheme on a concatenated code and a local magic-state scheme on the surface code. We find the pieceable fault-tolerance scheme particularly advantaged over magic states on concatenated codes and in certain regimes over magic states on the surface code. Our results suggest that pieceable fault tolerance is a promising candidate for fault tolerance in a near-future quantum computer.
Reorientation-induced spectral diffusion of non-isotropic orientation distributions

When reorientation of a vibrational chromophore is faster than the relaxation of its local environment, the frequency fluctuation correlation function (FFCF) measured by two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR) spectroscopy is an interplay of scalar structural spectral diffusion and vectorial reorientation-induced spectral diffusion (RISD). Theory has been established to calculate the RISD component of different polarization configurations with the assumption that the molecule orients randomly in a local electric field. We show here that in the [BMIM][SCN]/AOT/chlorobenzene system, where the local electric field is strong, this assumption is incapable of reproducing the experimental results. We modify the current theory by assuming a Boltzmann distribution of transition dipoles of the chromophores in a local electric field and use a Markov chain model to calculate the RISD component of 2D-IR with different polarization configurations. The result reproduces key features of the experiment and suggests a potential ion-exchange in the [BMIM][SCN]/AOT/chlorobenzene system.
Can Paying Taxes Substitute for Corporate Social Responsibility? Evidence from Socially Responsible Investment Funds

We examine whether corporate tax avoidance impacts the investment decisions of socially responsible investment (SRI) mutual funds. After controlling for corporate social responsibility (CSR) constructs, we find that investment by SRI funds is positively associated with paying corporate taxes. Whereas corporate tax avoidance does not affect SRI fund investment in firms with a strong CSR reputation, greater tax avoidance leads to significantly less SRI fund investment in firms as their CSR reputation weakens. These results hold after accounting for selection bias, controlling for earnings management and managerial entrenchment, and performing several robustness checks. Our findings suggest that socially responsible investors consider corporate tax avoidance an important aspect of CSR and they are consistent with recent findings in the literature that corporate insiders view paying taxes and CSR as substitutes.
Retrospective Analysis of the Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided Magnetic Resonance Arthrogram Injections of the Hip in the Office Setting.

Background:Ultrasound (US)–guided intra-articular hip injections have been proposed in the literature to be accurate, reliable, and safe alternatives to fluoroscopy-guided injections.Purpose:To evaluate the accuracy of US-guided magnetic resonance (MR) arthrogram injections of the hip performed in the office setting by a single orthopaedic surgeon and elucidate the potential effects that patient age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) have on contrast placement.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:From a review of the senior author’s office database, 89 patients (101 hips) who had US-guided MR arthrogram injections performed between December 2014 and June 2016 were identified. Official radiology reports were evaluated to determine whether extra-articular contrast was noted. Patient variables, including BMI, age, and sex, were evaluated between patients who had inappropriately placed contrast and those who did not.Results:Of the 101 hip injections, there were 6 cases that demonstrated inadequ...
Personality Factors of Men and Women Pastoral Candidates, Part 2: Sex-Role Preferences:

Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) data were collected from 90 male and 114 female seminarians in Master of Divinity programs at 11 Protestant seminaries and from 26 male and 52 female Masters of Education students at two secular universities. Results indicated, first, that the seminarians, assumed to be deeply religious, differed from the Education students in responses to many BSRI items. Thus, the BSRI may be biased when used with religious subjects. Second, the original form of the BSRI was compared factorially with Bern's (1981) shortened revision; the new form is psychometrically superior. Third, the male seminarian BSRI responses did not differ from the female ones. However, male seminarians were higher in femininity and female seminarians higher in masculinity than the college men and women, respectively, tested by Kimlicka, Wakefield and Friedman (1980). These findings suggested a hypothesis that seminarians would be more androgynous and less same-sex typed than their Education peers. This hypothesis...
Feminist practical theology and (un)making structural violence against immigrant women and families

A key thesis of this essay is that exploration of the construct of structural violence—especially as iterated in Johan Galtung’s notion of the triangle of violence—can help elucidate the theological concept of systemic or social sin, and thereby help Christians generate a more adequate ethical response to issues and dilemmas in immigration debates in the U.S. today. The notion of structural evil and sin can proffer insight into the reality of complex webs and entanglements in structural violence that enshrouds the lives and journeys of unauthorized Latino/a immigrants into the United States, and into the role of U.S. citizens in perpetuating such violence. Structural violence, seen theologically as social sin, is a conceptual key to “critical seeing” of political, social, legal, and economic structures and policies that drive forced economic immigration in the first place, and also to exposing the moral oblivion and blindness that thwarts the church from offering hospitality and justice to unauthorized immigrants. I argue that because structural violence originates in the vastly unequal distribution of power and privilege among human agents, which systematically advantages elite power brokers at the expense of people on the lowest rungs of society, then repentance from structural violence must entail collective efforts toward redistributing power, and ensuring more equitable access to resources needed for human flourishing. The primary practice and discipline dedicated to this radical task is faith-based community organizing.
A reactive robot system for find and fetch tasks in an outdoor environment

This paper describes the results of using a reactive control software architecture for a mobile robot retrieval task in an outdoor environment. The software architecture draws from the ideas of universal plans and subsumption's layered control, producing reaction plans that exploit low-level competences as operators. The retrieval task requires the robot to locate and navigate to a donor agent, receive an object from the donor, and return. The implementation employs the concept of navigation templates (NaTs) to construct and update an obstacle space from which navigation plans are developed and continually revised. Selective perception is employed among an infrared beacon detector which determines the bearing to the donor, a real-time stereo vision system which obtains the range, and ultrasonic sensors which monitor for obstacles en route. The perception routines achieve a robust, controlled switching among sensor modes as defined by the reaction plan of the robot. In demonstration runs in an outdoor parking lot, the robot located the donor object while avoiding obstacles and executed the retrieval task among a variety of moving and stationary objects, including moving cars, without stopping its traversal motion. The architecture was previously reported to be effective for simple navigation and pick and place tasks using ultrasonics. Thus, the results reported herein indicate that the architecture will scale well to more complex tasks using a variety of sensors.
Performance of commonly requested destructive museum samples for mammalian genomic studies

High-throughput sequencing methods have facilitated obtaining large amounts of data from degraded DNA, thus resulting in a dramatic increase in destructive sampling requests to museums. Because the tissues taken from museum specimens as sources of DNA are destroyed during analysis, consideration of the costs and benefits of loss of valuable specimen material relative to knowledge gained is required for any project utilizing destructive sampling. Variation exists in the preservation of DNA in historical specimens due to specimen age and type of museum preparation, among other factors. Thus, it is important to assess DNA yield and quality from different sources of museum specimens when considering the needs of a particular molecular project. We compared DNA derived from several common sources of museum specimens including bone, claw, skin, and soft tissue adherent to skeletal preparations. To account for differences in preparation type and therefore specimen preservation, we tested the performance of samples representing 3 taxonomic groups: mephitids, rodents, and marsupials. We also compared yields from 2 commonly used DNA extraction techniques. DNA quality was assessed by comparing average fragment size, concentration, and copy number of template DNA (for mitochondrial and nuclear markers) in genomic DNA extracts, as well as mitochondrial genome sequence coverage resulting from shotgun sequencing. We show that DNA quality derived from historic museum samples differs depending on specimen and sample type; however, all samples yielded high mitochondrial copy number except the skin and nail from the tanned specimen. Overall, claw samples produced the greatest number of high-quality sequencing reads with the least amount of bacterial contamination. We also found that high DNA concentrations did not necessarily result in high percentages of on-target reads; in fact, the samples that yielded the highest DNA quantities also had the highest amount of exogenous bacterial DNA. Our results indicate that most historical tissue types can be suitable for next-generation sequencing approaches, therefore providing multiple options for natural history collection staff and researchers when considering destructive sampling requests.
A review of factors affecting cyclic triaxial tests

The effects of testing procedures and material characteristics on the cyclic triaxial strength of cohesionless soils were reviewed with the intent of categorizing the significance of these factors for cognizance in futuretesting standards. It was found that specimen preparation methods, differences between intact and reconstituted specimens, density, and prestraining have major effects on cyclic strength. Intermediate but significant effects influencing cyclic strength are confining stress, loading wave form, material grain size (D 5 0 ) and gradation, overconsolidation ratio (OCR), and consolidation stress ratio (K c ). Other factors having minor effects are freezing intact specimens, loading frequency, specimen size, and frictionless caps and bases. Future testing programs or standards should consider these factors and their effects on test results.
Special Education in the United States: Legal History

People with disabilities have often been excluded from schools. Institutionalized inequalities of children with disabilities in schooling has been justified on the basis of the claimed ineducability of those children or on the grounds that ‘separate but equal’ education best meets their needs. A legal history of the development of special education as a social institution is provided. This is followed by a conceptual history of the institutionalizing of education for students with disabilities. Efforts to create more inclusive educational environments are examined and the issue of least restrictive school environments is discussed.
Abstract 2672: Phyllanthusmins induce apoptosis and reduce tumor burden in high grade serous ovarian cancer by late-stage autophagy inhibition

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a lethal gynecological malignancy with a need for new therapeutics. Many of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs are derived from natural products or their semi-synthetic derivatives. We developed potent synthetic analogues of a class of compounds known as the phyllanthusmins, inspired by natural products isolated from Phyllanthus poilanei Beille. The most potent analogue, PHY34, had the highest potency in HGSOC cell lines in vitro and displayed cytotoxic activity through activation of apoptosis. PHY34 exerts its effects by initially inhibiting autophagy at a late stage in the pathway, involving the disruption of lysosomal function. The autophagy activator, rapamycin, combined with PHY34 eliminated apoptosis, suggesting that autophagy inhibition was required for apoptosis. PHY34 was readily bioavailable through intraperitoneal administration in vivo where it significantly reduced cancer cell lines grown in hollow fibers as well as ovarian tumor burden. We show that PHY34 is a new late-stage autophagy inhibitor with nanomolar potency and significant antitumor efficacy as a single-agent against HGSOC in vivo. This class of compounds holds promise as a potential, novel chemotherapeutic and demonstrates the effectiveness of targeting the autophagic pathway as a viable strategy for combating the disease. Citation Format: Alexandria N. Young, Denisse Herrera, Andrew Huntsman, Daniel D. Lantvit, Melissa A. Korkmaz, Leslie N. Aldrich, A. Douglas Kinghorn, James R. Fuchs, Joanna E. Burdette. Phyllanthusmins induce apoptosis and reduce tumor burden in high grade serous ovarian cancer by late-stage autophagy inhibition [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2672.
Vangl2-dependent regulation of membrane protrusions and directed migration requires a fibronectin extracellular matrix

ABSTRACT During zebrafish gastrulation the planar cell polarity (PCP) protein Vang-like 2 (Vangl2) regulates the polarization of cells that are engaged in directed migration. However, it is unclear whether Vangl2 influences membrane-protrusive activities in migrating gastrula cells and whether these processes require the fibronectin extracellular matrix. Here, we report that Vangl2 modulates the formation and polarization of actin-rich filopodia-like and large lamellipodia-like protrusions in ectodermal cells. By contrast, disrupted Glypican4/PCP signaling affects protrusion polarity but not protrusion number or directed migration. Analysis of fluorescent fusion protein expression suggests that there is widespread Vangl2 symmetry in migrating cells, but there is enrichment at membrane domains that are developing large protrusions compared with non-protrusive domains. We show that the fibronectin extracellular matrix is essential for cell-surface Vangl2 expression, membrane-protrusive activity and directed migration. Manipulation of fibronectin protein levels rescues protrusion and directed migration phenotypes in vangl2 mutant embryos, but it is not sufficient to restore either PCP, or convergence and extension movements. Together, our findings identify distinct roles for Vangl2 and Glypican4/PCP signaling during membrane protrusion formation and demonstrate that cell-matrix interactions underlie Vangl2-dependent regulation of protrusive activities in migrating gastrula cells.
Household Food Insecurity in Early Adolescence and Risk of Subsequent Behavior Problems: Does a Connection Persist Over Time?

Objective Household food insecurity is common among U.S. families, and adolescents are almost twice as likely as school-aged children to be food insecure. However, little is known about how household food insecurity relates to adolescent behavioral outcomes over time. The purpose of this study was to examine whether food security status in early adolescence is associated with behavioral problems over a 6-year period in an ethnically diverse sample of teenagers from low-income households. Methods The study examined longitudinal data from the Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study. A total of 1,049 primary caregivers completed measures of child/adolescent behavioral problems and household food insecurity during the past year. Data were collected across three waves, when focal children were between 10 and 14 years old, 11 and 16 years old, and 16 and 18 years old, respectively. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess initial household food insecurity as a time-invariant effect on adolescent behavioral problems over time. Results Baseline household food insecurity in pre- or early adolescence was significantly associated with greater internalizing problems and total behavioral problems over time. Conclusions These findings indicate that household food insecurity is associated with behavioral problems throughout adolescence. This suggests the need for health providers to screen for household food insecurity during scheduled health visits and highlight the need for integration of psychosocial services into pediatric care and expansions in current federal assistance programs.
Better Oxygenation in Upper Lobes Than in Whole Lungs in Marginal Human Donor Lungs Utilized for Cellular Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion

Purpose Anatomical regions of marginal donor lungs display significant heterogeneity in function raising the possibility that good functioning regions might be suitable for transplantation. The aim of this study was to compare gas exchange of upper lobes, which are possibly less susceptible to injury, with whole lungs using ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP). Methods Nine rejected donor lungs were perfused for 2 hours of cellular EVLP utilizing the Swedish protocol. Transplant suitability was evaluated based on blood gas analysis, hemodynamics, ventilator parameters, palpation, visual findings, and lung weight. In order to assess upper lobe gas exchange, blood samples from upper lobe pulmonary vein (ULPV) were taken selectively at 2 hours of EVLP. PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio, shunt fraction (SF), and A-a gradient in ULPV samples were compared with those of left atrium (LA). Results Upper lobes demonstrated a significantly higher P/F ratio [median (minimum - maximum)] [396 (315-583) vs. 284 (104-415), mmHg, p = 0.02, Figure A] and lower SF [21.8 (7.3-34.6) vs. 29.1 (22.7-73.9), %, p = 0.04] than whole lungs. Based on evaluation at 2 hours of EVLP, 6 of 9 lungs were deemed to be non-suitable for transplantation. In non-suitable group, P/F ratio in ULPV was significantly higher than that in LA [439 (315-583) vs. 245 (104-415) mmHg, p = 0.02, Figure B], whereas SF and A-a gradient of ULPV were significantly lower than those of LA [SF, 18.5 (7.3-34.6) vs. 34.8 (22.7-73.9) %, p = 0.04; A-a gradient, 224.9 (83.5-347.9) vs. 418.4 (246.2-569.6) mmHg, p = 0.02]. In contrast, no difference was found between the ULPV and LA parameters in lungs deemed suitable for transplant. Conclusion These results demonstrate that in marginal donor lungs judged to be non-suitable for transplant at 2 hours of EVLP, the majority of lungs have well-functioning upper lobes. These findings suggest that, in this setting, upper lobes may be suitable for lobar transplantation which could help reduce wait-list mortality.
Mortality and medical comorbidity among psychiatric patients: a review.

OBJECTIVES To fuel advocacy for improved health care for mentally ill persons, the authors reviewed the literature that describes excess mortality and underrecognition and undertreatment of comorbid medical conditions in this population. Barriers to optimal primary medical care for psychiatric patients are discussed. METHODS A MEDLINE search focusing on mortality and medical problems in psychiatric patients yielded 66 papers in English published between 1934 and 1996. These studies and a German paper from 1912 are included in the review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Standardized mortality ratios for psychiatric patients, derived from comparisons with the general population and matched control groups, have repeatedly demonstrated excess mortality from both natural and unnatural causes among psychiatric patients. Several large studies that have attempted to clarify the issues underlying increased death rates are discussed. Although no single diagnostic group emerges as being at particularly high risk, substance abuse disorders alone or in combination with other psychiatric disorders have been repeatedly found to lead to increased mortality rates. Other studies have also repeatedly demonstrated that psychiatric patients suffer a high rate of comorbid medical illnesses, which are largely undiagnosed and untreated and which may cause or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms. Atypical presentations are common, and changes in vision are the symptoms most predictive of medical illness. Elderly patients and those with diagnoses of organic brain syndromes are at highest risk for comorbid medical illness. Parity in the medical and mental health treatment of psychiatric patients requires both political advocacy and development of primary care programs capable of efficiently meeting their needs.
A Spatial View of How United States Cesarean Section Rates Changed from 1990 to 2014

The overuse of cesarean sections (C-sections) in the United States is a contested issue. The rate of C-section births in 2015 at 32 percent was over double the World Health Organization recommendat...
The Occurrence and Concentration of Rare Earth Elements in Acid Mine Drainage and Treatment By-products: Part 1—Initial Survey of the Northern Appalachian Coal Basin

The conventional rare earth element (REE) industry has historically sought to develop ore deposits where geologic processes have produced mineralized zones with commercially attractive REE concentrations. These deposits are extremely uncommon, particularly in the USA. Given the criticality of these materials and the need for sustainable domestic supply, the current research seeks to leverage other autogenous processes that lead to concentrated REE resources. One such process is the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD is very common in many coal mining districts and results from the exposure and oxidation of pyrite during mining. During the generation and migration of AMD, liberated sulfuric acid mobilizes several metal ions including REEs. Treatment of AMD is required under U.S.C §1251, the Clean Water Act, and often consists of neutralization, oxidation, and metal hydroxide precipitation. To investigate the deportment of REEs during this process, a field sampling campaign was undertaken, whereby the concentration of REEs in AMD and AMD precipitates was measured directly. In the nine sites evaluated in this study, the REE concentrations of the precipitates varied from 29 to 1286 ppm with an average of 517 ppm among the sampled sites. The individual elements were enriched compared with the associated bulk Northern Appalachian (NAPP) coal material by factors ranging from 3 to 15. Furthermore, the distribution of REEs in all precipitate samples favored the heavy REEs (HREEs) when compared with traditional REE ores. This research represents the first part of multi-part research endeavor to characterize, classify, and determine the practicality of refining REEs from AMD and its by-products.
Synthetic Applications of Sulfur-based Chiral Auxiliaries in Asymmetric Syntheses

This mini-review intends to present one of the themes that has driven my research in developing methodology for the synthesis of natural products and important biologically active molecules. Sulfur-based chiral auxiliaries from aminoacids have been shown to have superior qualities in many cases to other well-known chiral auxiliaries. Some applications of these auxiliaries include acetate aldol reactions, resolution of racemic mixtures, Michael additions, intramolecular thio-Michael/aldol cyclization cascade reactions, and synthesis of natural products, including a new practical and efficient indene-based thiazolidienthione auxiliary.
Curcumin: A natural derivative with antibacterial activity against Clostridium difficile.

Abstract Objectives The rapid emergence of hypervirulent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) isolates and the paucity of effective anti-clostridial antibiotics call for extensive research to identify new treatment options. This study aimed to test the anti-clostridial activity of bioactive extracts of turmeric, which is a natural herb widely known for its profound medicinal properties. Methods The MICs of turmeric derivatives were determined against 27 C. difficile strains, including hypervirulent (BI/NAP1/027) and clinical toxigenic isolates. Additionally, their ability to inhibit C. difficile toxin production and spore formation was investigated. Furthermore, the safety profiles of turmeric derivatives regarding their effects on human gut microflora – such as Bacteroides, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium – were evaluated. Results Curcuminoids, the major phytoconstituents of turmeric – including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin – inhibited growth of C. difficile at concentrations ranging from 4 to 32 μg/mL. Additionally, curcuminoids showed no negative effect on major populating species of the human gut. Curcumin was more effective than fidaxomicin in inhibiting C. difficile toxin production, but less so in inhibiting spore formation. Conclusion The findings suggest that curcumin has potential as an anti-clostridial agent. More work is needed to further investigate the efficacy of curcumin as a stand-alone drug or as a supplement of current drugs of choice, as it has no antagonistic activities but might overcome their drawbacks.
The interplay of prior experience and actual situational context in intercultural first encounters

Abstract The study aims to investigate how prior experience of interlocutors interacts with actual situational context in intercultural interactions when the latter is represented by a well-known frame: getting acquainted with others. It attempts to demonstrate how the cultural frame of the target language is broken up and substituted with an emergent frame that is co-constructed from elements from prior experience with the target language, the first language and the actual situational experience. Getting acquainted with others is a closed social situation, a cultural frame in which interlocutors usually have to follow a behavior pattern dictated by the requirements of the socio-cultural background in a given speech community. There is a ‘skeleton’ of these ‘getting to know you’ procedures that can be considered universal but is substantiated differently in every language. In each conversation in any language, ‘flesh’ is added to the ‘skeleton’ in a dynamic and co-constructed manner. However, there is a difference between how this happens in L1 and in intercultural interactions. While in L1 the ‘flesh’ on the skeleton is predetermined to a significant extent by requirements of core common ground in the given language, in intercultural encounters this ‘flesh building’ process in the target language (in this case English) is not set but is co-constructed by the interlocutors as emergent common ground relying on their prior experience with their own L1 culture, limited experience with the target culture and the assessment of the actual situational context. In this study the co-construction process, i.e. emergent common ground will be analyzed by examining the use of formulaic language and freely generated language in several discourse segments.
Vortices in brain activity: Their mechanism and significance for perception

Brains interface with the world through perception. The process extracts information from microscopic sensory inputs and incorporates it into the mesoscopic memory store for retrieval in recognition. The process requires creation of spatiotemporal patterns of neural activity. The construction is done through phase transitions in cortical populations that condense the background activity through spontaneous symmetry breaking. Large-scale interactions create fields of synaptically driven activity that is observed by measuring brain waves (electrocorticogram, ECoG) and evaluated by constructing a mesoscopic vectorial order parameter as follows. The negative feedback among excitatory and inhibitory neurons creates spatially and spectrally distributed gamma oscillations (20-80 Hz) in the background activity. Band pass filtering reveals beats in ECoG log analytic power. In some beats that recur at theta rates (3-7 Hz), the order parameter transiently approaches zero, giving a null spike in which the microscopic activity is uniformly disordered (symmetric). A phase transition that is manifested in an analytic phase discontinuity breaks the symmetry. As the null spike terminates, the resurgent order parameter imposes mesoscopic order seen in spatial patterns of ECoG amplitude modulation (AM) that actualize and update the memory of a stimulus. Read-out is through a divergent/convergent projection that performs on cortical output an irreversible spatiotemporal integral transformation. The ECoG reveals a conic phase gradient that accompanies an AM pattern. The phase cone manifests a vortex, which is initiated by the null spike, and which is inferred to help stabilize and prolong its accompanying AM pattern that might otherwise be rapidly degraded by the turbulent neural noise from which it emerges.
Alternative Approaches to Oral Tolerance Induction to Factor FVIII

A serious complication in the treatment X-linked bleeding disorder hemophilia A is the formation of inhibitory antibodies against factor VIII (FVIII), which compromise traditional replacement therapy. We previously developed an Oral immunotherapy (OTI) based on repeated uptake of a mixture of lettuce plant cells transgenic for heavy chain (HC) or C2 domain of human FVIII fused to cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit [Blood 124:1659; Plant Biotechnol J. 16:1148]. Fusion proteins were transgenically expressed in the chloroplasts. Repeated oral uptake of a mixture of freeze-dried powder of lettuce cells accomplished antigen delivery to the immune system of the small intestine by targeting of the GM1 receptor that is highly expressed on the surface of the gut epithelium, resulting in induction of regulatory T cells (Treg) that suppress inhibitor formation upon subsequent intravenous (iv) FVIII replacement therapy. An alternative to oral antigen delivery is the oral delivery of immune modulatory antibodies. Here, we compared the plant cell-based method with oral delivery of anti-CD3, which has been successful in murine models of autoimmune disease and is currently evaluated in clinical trials. Unlike in iv administration, oral anti-CD3 does not systemically deplete T cells. Hemophilia A BALB/c mice (F8 e16 gene deletion) received oral gavage of a mixture of CTB-FVIII-HC/-C2 (1.5 µg/antigen) expressing lettuce leaf cells 2x/week for 9 weeks. Starting at 4 weeks into the experiment, 1 IU/mouse of BDD-FVIII (Xyntha) was given iv, once per week for 5 weeks. Alternatively, following a published protocol that was successful in other models, 5 µg of hamster anti-murine CD3 was given by oral gavage daily for 5 straight days, followed by 5 weekly iv injections of BDD-FVIII. Control animals (no OTI) developed inhibitors with an average titer of 18 ± 3 BU/ml (n=16). Of these, 88% were high-titer (i.e >5 BU/ml, up to 43 BU/ml). Inhibitor formation was significantly reduced in plant cell-treated mice (10 ± 2.5 BU/ml, n=17), with 47% showing no or low-titer inhibitors ( Disclosures Daniell: Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties. Herzog: Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties.
The Sky's the Limit: Bubbles and crashes when margin traders are all in

We analyze a setting in which a risky asset is traded by two types of investors: some are all in and buy up to their margin limit and some buy and sell based on the asset's fundamental value. A higher price of the asset increases all-in investor wealth and they borrow against this wealth to buy more shares. All-in investor demand for shares is therefore upward sloping. If all-in investors have (i) enough wealth and (ii) access to enough leverage, then aggregate demand for shares is Z-shaped. If the most recent price was P_1, then there are three equilibrium prices, P_2>P_1>P_0. If the price were to rise to P_2, then there would again be three equilibrium prices, P_3>P_2>P_0. This is true for any arbitrarily high proposed price. If the price were ever to fall to P_0, then P_0 would be the unique market-clearing price in all future periods. Prices will tend to rise repeatedly prior to a permanent collapse. Our theory applies to markets as diverse as the housing market and the market for meme stocks like GameStop Corporation and AMC Entertainment.
Household Income, Asset Location and Real Estate Value: Evidence from REITs

This article investigates the extent to which the market valuation of properties is related to the income growth of their asset locations. Based on the income tax data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the individual property information of US equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) from 1995-2018, I construct an aggregated measure of income growth for each REIT based on its asset locations in different metropolitan areas. The results show that REITs’ market value and stock return are positively correlated with their previous-year household income growth. Further analysis provides evidence that income growth enhances shareholder value mainly through wages & salaries growth, not investment income growth. Moreover, firm-level operational efficiency is also found to be positively related to household income growth and wages & salaries growth. Additional tests such as splitting REITs into demand services and supply jobs subsample, controlling GDP growth and population growth, and analyzing real estate value growth at the MSA level are conducted. The results are largely consistent. Overall, these findings suggest that household income growth has a significant impact on real estate value and that the asset allocation strategy of a portfolio can play an important role in its long-term prospects.
Listeria monocytogenes biofilm formation as affected by stainless steel surface topography and coating composition

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) biofilm formation on food-contact surfaces is a significant food safety concern. However, research on the ability of contact surfaces to resist fouling by L. monocytogenes biofilm is limited. With the objective of assessing the combined effects of substrate topography and coating composition on L. monocytogenes biofilm formation, we used stainless steel 304 with three surface topographies (native finish, #4 commercial brushed finish, and native finish with microfabricated pillars developed by a new process), in each case either uncoated or coated with one of five FDA-approved food-contact substances (chromium nitride, titanium nitride, Dursan, Ni–P-polytetrafluoroethylene (Ni–P-PTFE), and Lectrofluor 641). Results indicate that surface topography and composition significantly affected fouling resistance. Significant enhancement of resistance to L. monocytogenes fouling was observed on native finish coated by Ni–P-PTFE, which reduced L. monocytogenes by 1.5 Log CFU/cm2. Coating the brushed finish with Ni–P-PTFE, Lectrofluor 641, or Dursan reduced L. monocytogenes fouling by 0.5, 0.4, and 0.9 Log CFU/cm2, respectively. The greatest reductions in L. monocytogenes biofilm formation were obtained with Dursan coated on the native finish (3.4 Log CFU/cm2) and on the micropillar-modified native finish (2.8 Log CFU/cm2). The combined variation of substrate topography modification and coating composition provides a new approach to enhance fouling resistance of stainless steel against L. monocytogenes biofilm for improved sanitary design of food processing equipment.
Primary production ultimately limits fisheries economic performance

Living marine resources (LMRs) contribute considerably to marine economies. Oceans continue to respond to the effects of global change, with environmental factors anticipated to impact future seafood production and its associated economic performance. Here we document novel relationships between primary productivity and LMR-based economics for US regional marine ecosystems and 64 international large marine ecosystems (LMEs). Intermediate relationships between production, total biomass, fisheries landings, revenue, and LMR-based employment are also elucidated. We found that all these factors were dependent on the amount of basal production in a given system. In addition, factors including human population, exploitation history, and governance interventions significantly influenced these relationships. As system productivity plays a foundational role in determining fisheries-based economics throughout global LMEs, greater accounting for these relationships has significant implications for global seafood sustainability and food security. Quantifying the direct link between primary production and fisheries economic performance serves to better inform ecosystem overfishing thresholds and their economic consequences. Further recognition and understanding of these relationships is key to ensuring that these connections are accounted for more effectively in sustainable management practices.
Spacecraft Custody Maintenance and Maneuver Detection Using Robotic Telescopes and Reachable Sets

The increased congestion of the orbital environment necessitates improved ground-based telescope tasking, most forms of which focus on covariance minimization. Limited work has been done on tactica...
How to Get Research Approved by an Institutional Review Board

We have seen in previous chapters how Institutional Review Boards have come to wield the power they currently have and we have examined some of the issues which they examine. For example, we have seen that procedures for informed consent appear to be one of the most common areas of a research proposal to receive the closest scrutiny by IRBs. Thus one entire chapter of this volume was devoted to the intricacies of constructing a consent form so that a researcher can ethically protect subjects. An assumption maintained throughout these discussions has been that the well-prepared researcher who, among other activities, constructs a good consent form will have little difficulty obtaining IRB approval for the research. Such approval is often then followed by the researcher’s sending various materials on to a funding agency to receive funds necessary to support the research. Obtaining IRB approval of the researcher’s subject-protection procedures is therefore usually the last step before obtaining research funds.
Successful E‐Resource Acquisitions: Looking Beyond Selecting, Ordering, Paying, and Receiving to Discovery and Access

E‐resource acquisitions began as a complex process and libraries struggled to manage it. When e‐resources first arrived, librarians spent considerable time determining how to acquire these resources. A movement ensued to generate the best methods for selecting, ordering, negotiating licenses, choosing content, and paying. Libraries were prompted to develop new workflows. Time has passed and acquisitions functions have mostly been standardized. However, with the acquisition of e‐resources comes the challenges of discovery, access, and user needs. Now that many libraries feel more comfortable in acquiring e‐resources with the help of technology, cloud‐based services, and task coordination, they are moving beyond acquisitions and focusing on discovery and access. It takes much time and great effort to efficiently manage e‐resources so that there is seamless discovery and access. The transition from print to electronic is a continuous process for most libraries as they allocate funds for electronic serials and books. Workflows are being developed that incorporate, not only new technology, but also, new staff skills and knowledge. This paper will introduce new workflows and technologies that VCU libraries have adopted to provide discovery and access. A discussion of how workflows have changed since the implementation of Alma and Primo and the influx of e‐resources is included. Ideas for identifying successful methods for moving e‐resources beyond acquisitions will be shared. Readers will be exposed to a number of ideas for improving the management of e‐resources and opportunities that are available for adding value to their library.
Surgical treatment of 32 patients with peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Background Peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (PIC) is an intrahepatic primary liver neoplasm which is clinicopathologically distinct from hepatocellular carcinoma and major duct cholangiocarcinoma. The clinical outcome after resection of these rare tumours is not well documented. Methods Review of the hepatic database and tumour registry at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center identified 32 cases of PIC resected for cure over a 23-year period. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas with major bile duct involvement were excluded from this analysis. Demographics, pathological features, biochemical markers, operative results and survival were analysed. Results The majority of patients presented with abdominal pain (n = 19). Only two patients had pathological evidence of hepatic cirrhosis. Serum marker levels included α-fetoprotein (AFP; median 3·7 (range 0–225) ng/ml) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; median 1·6 (range 0–30) ng/ml). Type of hepatic resection included: wedge (n = 2), lobectomy (n = 14) and extended lobectomy (n = 16). There was one postoperative death. Median follow-up time was 27 months. Median survival was 59 months with an actuarial 5-year survival of 42 per cent. Vascular invasion and intrahepatic satellite lesions were predictors of worse survival (P < 0·05). Conclusion PIC is a rare hepatic primary tumour, which usually presents in non-cirrhotic livers with a normal serum AFP and CEA level. In selected patients, complete surgical resection can be performed safely and is associated with long-term survival. © 1998 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd
Characteristics that distinguish outstanding urban principals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on two research questions. First, what are the emotional and social intelligence competencies that distinguish outstanding from typical urban principals? Second, how do outstanding and typical urban principals conceptualize and adapt differently to their external organizational environment?Design/methodology/approach – A criterion sample of 12 outstanding and eight typical principals was identified from a large Midwestern urban school district. Data from critical incident interviews and written questionnaires were collected. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to identify the key characteristics that describe differences between the two performance groups.Findings – Significant differences are found in both areas of inquiry. Outstanding principals demonstrate a broad and deep repertoire of competencies related to emotional and social intelligence. Twelve of the 20 competencies studied significantly differentiate outstanding and typical princi...
Analyzing the Welfare System: The Excessive Influence of Government

I have been asked to address the question of the welfare state. In my view, the ideal situation would be one where we had no welfare state at all. Welfare is demeaning to recipients, it creates dependency, and it reduces self-reliance. Further, it is morally suspect because the money used is derived through force, through the compulsory tax system
Essays on entrepreneurship and borrowing constraints

This dissertation constructs and studies a tractable, dynamic model of occupational choice with life-cycle savings to investigate theimportance of poverty traps and the welfare cost of borrowing constraints forindividuals choosing occupations to maximize their income. The model containsfour parts: occupational choice between wage earner and entrepreneur, borrowingconstraints, standard inter-temporal preferences, and heterogeneity in wealthand talent. The first of two sections examines the interaction between individual savings and the decision to become an entrepreneur, since more able entrepreneurs are less likely to be in a poverty trap. When compared with U.S.data (drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, Survey of Consumer Finances, and Consumer Expenditure Survey), the model provided limited supportfor predictions about savings rates, consumption growth, and the transition to entrepreneurship. The model shows that the importance of poverty traps and the welfare cost of borrowing constraints are significant. A well-defined transition of individuals from wage earners to entrepreneurs is generated. The probability of a personbecoming an entrepreneur as a function of wealth increases for low levels ofwealth and decreases for higher levels of wealth. The second section studies testable implications of a general model ofoccupational choice proposed by Heckman and Honore, in relation to choice of entrepreneurship. The model allows functions characterizing the income of different occupations and proves identification using weaker exclusion restrictions. The model is shown to have testable implications. (TNM)
A Simplified Assay for Porphyrins in Whole Blood

Recent investigations concerning the significance of porphyrins in erythrocytes indicate a need for a rapid quantitative assay, easily adaptable to routine clinical use. To fill this need, we have developed a simplified procedure for the measurement of porphyrins (essentially protoporphyrin) in whole blood. Blood is stirred with acetone—ethyl acetate and the porphyrins are extracted with formic acid—ether. The porphyrins are then extracted into HCl and measured spectrophotometrically at three wavelengths, a procedure that allows a corrected absorbance to be calculated, to minimize error caused by interfering substances. The assay requires little apparatus, is simple and dependable, and the results correlate well with those obtained by use of a more complex conventional procedure.
Critical eigenvalue trajectory tracing for power system oscillatory stability assessment

This paper presents an integration based approach to trace a critical eigenvalue to identify oscillatory instability. Indices are developed to identify critical eigenvalue to be traced for further analysis. This index takes into account the rate of change as well as direction of the movement. The rate of change is with respect to any parameter variation of interest. This method in combination with maximum real part calculation provides reliable information related to margins with respect to oscillatory stability and minimum damping requirements. Eigenvalue and eigenvector sensitivities (with respect to any explicit /implicit parameters) are by products of this approach