cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biodegradation of poly(anhydride-esters) into non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and their effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro and on the foreign-body response in vivo.

Abstract The ability of poly(anhydride-esters) composed of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that biodegrade to salicylic acid (SA) and adipic acid to prevent colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and their effects on the foreign-body response were studied in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Soluble SA in bacterial medium at concentrations up to 300 mg/L did not affect the growth rate or viability of P. aeruginosa, indicating that SA does not exhibit a direct toxicity effect on the bacterium. Batch degradation rates of the salicylate-based polymer in the presence of an actively growing bacterial culture only marginally (14%) increased relative to polymer degradation rates in sterile medium. Short-term (3 h) bacterial adhesion studies in agitated batch systems indicated a 47% reduction in the rate of P. aeruginosa adhesion relative to a control polymer that does not release SA upon biodegradation. Long-term (3-day) biofilm accumulation studies indicated a dramatic reduction in biofilm formation on salicylate-based polymer versus controls. A recombinant P. aeruginosa pMHLAS, containing a fluorescent reporter gene prior to the las regulon, was employed to determine whether salicylate-based polymer prevents biofilm formation by the released SA inhibiting quorum sensing pathways. Long-term biofilm accumulation studies with P. aeruginosa pMHLAS insinuate that salicylate-based polymer prevents biofilm accumulation by inhibiting the las quorum sensing system. Furthermore, unlike control polymer, salicylate-based polymer implanted subcutaneously for a period of 4 weeks-resisted cell-mediated degradation and remained intact. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis indicated a reduction in overall encapsulation and paucity of macrophages in the area of the salicylate-based polymer implant.
S1PR2 links germinal center confinement and growth regulation

Germinal centers (GCs) are sites of rapid B-cell proliferation and somatic mutation. These ovoid structures develop within the center of follicles and grow to a stereotypic size. The cell migration and interaction dynamics underlying GC B-cell selection events are currently under intense scrutiny. In recent study, we identified a role for a migration inhibitory receptor, S1PR2, in promoting GC B-cell confinement to GCs. S1PR2 also dampens Akt activation and deficiency in S1PR2 or components of its signaling pathway result in a loss of growth control in chronically stimulated mucosal GCs. Herein, we detail present understanding of S1PR2 and S1P biology as it pertains to GC B cells and place this information in the context of a current model of GC function.
Vote Buying or Turnout Buying? Machine Politics and the Secret Ballot

Scholars typically understand vote buying as offering particularistic benefits in exchange for vote choices. This depiction of vote buying presents a puzzle: with the secret ballot, what prevents individuals from accepting rewards and then voting as they wish? An alternative explanation, which I term “turnout buying,” suggests why parties might offer rewards even if they cannot monitor vote choices. By rewarding unmobilized supporters for showing up at the polls, parties can activate their passive constituencies. Because turnout buying targets supporters, it only requires monitoring whether individuals vote. Much of what scholars interpret as vote buying may actually be turnout buying. Reward targeting helps to distinguish between these strategies. Whereas Stokes's vote-buying model predicts that parties target moderate opposers, a model of turnout buying predicts that they target strong supporters. Although the two strategies coexist, empirical tests suggest that Argentine survey data in Stokes 2005 are more consistent with turnout buying.
Phosphatidylethanol Levels Are Elevated and Correlate Strongly with AUDIT Scores in Young Adult Binge Drinkers

Aims To compare levels of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) to self-reported alcohol intake among young adult binge drinkers (18–30 years). Methods Abstainers ( n = 23), moderate ( n = 22), and binge drinkers ( n = 58) completed an alcohol consumption questionnaire and the AUDIT. PEth was measured in whole blood and dried blood spots via high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Also measured was mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). Results Most subjects were female (65%) and Caucasian (73%). Among binge drinkers, past-month average number of binge episodes was 7.2 ± 4; average duration of binge drinking behavior was 4.3 ± 3 years. AUDIT scores and PEth levels (ng/ml) in whole blood or dried blood spots were significantly ( P < 0.001) greater in binge drinkers (13 ± 4, 186 ± 170, and 65 ± 53, respectively) compared to moderate drinkers (6 ± 3, 24 ± 29, and 11 ± 13, respectively) and abstainers (0.6 ± 0.89, 0, and 0, respectively). No differences were found in MCV and GGT among groups. There were significant correlations between whole blood and dried blood spot PEth levels and AUDIT scores (Spearman's r = 0.745 and 0.738, P < 0.0001, respectively), and whole blood and dried blood spot PEth levels were significantly correlated (0.899, P < 0.0001). Conclusions PEth levels measured in whole blood and dried blood spots were significantly greater in binge drinkers compared to abstainers and moderate drinkers, and these levels were positively correlated with AUDIT scores.
In situ displacement measurements and numerical predictions of embedded SMA transformation

The transformation behavior of an embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) ribbon was investigated experimentally and numerically. Single SMA ribbons (55% Ni, 45% Ti) were pre-strained to 1% and then embedded in a room-temperature-cured epoxy resin. The embedded ribbons were heated resistively to a temperature above the austenite start temperature to induce transformation. The development of displacements and strains due to transformation were measured in situ using moire interferometry. Analysis of the resulting fringe patterns at steady-state temperature and after cool down indicated that most of the phase transformation in the embedded SMA ribbon was restricted to a region close to the edge of the sample. Numerical simulation of the embedded ribbon was carried out using a fully-coupled thermomechanical SMA constitutive model. Numerical predictions were in good agreement with both the measured displacements and strains in the ribbon and confirmed that only the outer edges of the ribbon transform due to the constraint imposed by the polymer matrix.
Developing Methodology for Korean Particle Error Detection

We further work on detecting errors in post-positional particle usage by learners of Korean by improving the training data and developing a complete pipeline of particle selection. We improve the data by filtering non-Korean data and sampling instances to better match the particle distribution. Our evaluation shows that, while the data selection is effective, there is much work to be done with preprocessing and system optimization.
Isotopic Alteration of Mammalian Tooth Enamel

Mammalian tooth enamel carbonates from a Pliocene site at Allia Bay in northern Kenya show variable carbon and oxygen isotopic alteration. Sample screening by cathodoluminescence, prior to isotopic analysis, identified areas of extensive chemical alteration and others that were minimally altered. The luminescent patterns were used to guide sampling for the isotope study. Carbon stable isotope ratios of the apatite carbonate from luminescent enamel exteriors differ from the ratios in the enamel interiors and the magnitude of difference varies widely. The interior of the enamel usually retains the carbon isotope ratios expected based on faunal identification, but in a minority of cases, all of the enamel appears to be altered isotopically. Among fauna with an apparent mixed feeding signal, it is particularly difficult to determine whether the δ 13 C value is due to an actual mixed feeding strategy during life or to alteration toward sediment values. Palaeoecological reconstructions based on the δ 13 C values of enamel carbonate in browsing fauna would be affected, in many cases, since differences of 1‰ are significant for such reconstructions. Even so, careful selection of unaltered enamel sections should avoid this problem. Palaeodiet reconstruction would be less affected except in those cases where the alteration approaches 5‰. In such cases, a mixed feeding strategy would be the erroneous interpretation of the data. Oxygen isotope ratios in the enamel carbonates show no pattern and the retention of biogenic values is unlikely. For this reason, palaeotemperature reconstructions, based on the δ 18 O values of the enamel carbonate, would not be possible at this site. Copyright
Adhesives for Fabric Lamination

Laminates of fabrics, and fabrics with other substrates, are a recent development in the long history of fibers, textiles and fabrics. Woven cloth has been known since antiquity; fabric laminations have become widely used only in the past forty years—with the development of syn thetic fibers and the adhesives needed to provide functional bonding.End uses range from the purely decorative, as in a variety of fashion applications, to the highly functional as, for example, in the fabric/film composite increasingly used for industrial, agricultural and marine coverings. The range of substrates and the diversification of end uses grows constantly. Because of this diversity, an appreciation of the substrates, the adhesives available, and the processes used to com bine them becomes of increasing importance for converters intent on obtaining optimum properties through lamination.
Measurement of hydrogen- and self-broadened half-widths of ammonia at 200 and 300°K

The hydrogen- and self-broadened half-widths have been measured for the (nu1 + nu2) and (nu2 + nu3) bands of ammonia at 300 and 207 K. Measurement of hydrogen-broadened widths has been restricted to J and K values not exceeding 6, but that of self-broadened widths is done for a few lines outside that range. Assuming a power-law dependence of half-width on temperature, the average value of the index alpha for the lines measured is found to be 0.57 for hydrogen broadening.
Hot carrier reliability of high-speed SiGe HBT’s under accelerated collector-base avalanche bias

As SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) based technologies reach fT performance above 200 GHz the transistors are more likely to be operating in the avalanche region of collector-base junction. This avalanche effect imposes a reliability concern due to the damage induced by high-energy avalanche charges (hot carriers) on the Si-SiO2 interfaces. The impact of accelerated avalanche bias stress on 200 GHz SiGe HBTs was investigated and found to cause an increase in base current with no corresponding change of collector current. The increase of the base current correlates with the injected avalanche charge and its corresponding kinetic energy. A new empirical avalanche degradation model has been developed to predict the shifts in DC characteristics. Further studies showed that the SiGe HBT avalanche damage can be partially recovered by normal forward operation and/or high temperature anneal. The AC impact of this degradation mechanism has also been studied and found not to be significant. According to the reliability results of this study, the avalanche induced hot carrier degradation will not have a significant impact on the lifetime of the 200 GHz SiGe HBTs in a typical high speed digital circuit application.
The Structure of an Allosamidin Complex with the Coccidioides immitis Chitinase Defines a Role for a Second Acid Residue in Substrate-assisted Mechanism

Allosamidin is a known inhibitor of class 18 chitinases. We show that allosamidin is a competitive inhibitor of the fungal chitinase CiX1 from Coccidioides immitis, with a K(i) of 60 nM. We report the X-ray structure of the complex and show that upon inhibitor binding the side-chain of Asp169 rotates to form an ion pair with the oxazolinium cation. The mechanism of action is thought to involve protonation of the leaving group by Glu171 and substrate assistance by the sugar acetamido moiety to form an oxazoline-like intermediate. We converted both amino acid residues to the corresponding amide and found that each mutation effectively abolishes enzyme activity. X-ray structures show the mutant enzymes retain the basic wild-type structure and that the loss of mutant activity is due to their altered chemical properties. The high affinity of allosamidin, and its similarity to the putative reaction intermediate, suggests it is a transition state analog. This helps validate our contention that the role of Asp169 is to electrostatically stabilize the reaction transition state.
In-situ bit-reversed ordering for Hartley transforms

The Johnson-Burrus method of in situ ordering for FFTs is applied to fast Hartley transforms. It amounts to tying together two consecutive butterfly operations, involving eight real data, swapping some of their results. Pre- and postpermutation can thereby be avoided. The identification of negative indexes, significantly in Hartley transforms, is nontrivial but easily resolved. >
An efficient graph-cut segmentation for knee bone osteoarthritis medical images

The segmentation of bones in the knee region is one of the first essential steps to perform further analysis, classification and osteoarthritis imaging biomarkers discovery. In this paper, an efficient graph-cut based segmentation algorithm is proposed. One of the challenges in current graph-cut schemes is properly distinguishing between regions of interest (ROI) and background regions with features very similar to those of the ROI. Since obtaining a very discriminative cost function is not always feasible, many algorithms require user interaction to provide an extensive number of seed points. In this paper, a new approach is proposed which uses efficient content-based features to achieve segmentation without the need for any user interaction. Experimental results on actual knee MR images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme with an average accuracy of 95% using the Zijdenbos similarity index.
Long-term litter decomposition controlled by manganese redox cycling

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has been observed between the manganese (Mn) content of litter and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. Here, we show that long-term litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is tightly coupled to Mn redox cycling. Over 7 years of litter decomposition, microbial transformation of litter was paralleled by variations in Mn oxidation state and concentration. A detailed chemical imaging analysis of the litter revealed that fungi recruit and redistribute unreactive Mn(2+) provided by fresh plant litter to produce oxidative Mn(3+) species at sites of active decay, with Mn eventually accumulating as insoluble Mn(3+/4+) oxides. Formation of reactive Mn(3+) species coincided with the generation of aromatic oxidation products, providing direct proof of the previously posited role of Mn(3+)-based oxidizers in the breakdown of litter. Our results suggest that the litter-decomposing machinery at our coniferous forest site depends on the ability of plants and microbes to supply, accumulate, and regenerate short-lived Mn(3+) species in the litter layer. This observation indicates that biogeochemical constraints on bioavailability, mobility, and reactivity of Mn in the plant-soil system may have a profound impact on litter decomposition rates.
The Lagrangian Relaxation Method for Solving Integer Programming Problems

(This article originally appeared in Management Science, January 1981, Volume 27, Number 1, pp. 1-18, published by The Institute of Management Sciences.) One of the most computationally useful ideas of the 1970s is the observation that many hard integer programming problems can be viewed as easy problems complicated by a relatively small set of side constraints. Dualizing the side constraints produces a Lagrangian problem that is easy to solve and whose optimal value is a lower bound (for minimization problems) on the optimal value of the original problem. The Lagrangian problem can thus be used in place of a linear programming relaxation to provide bounds in a branch and bound algorithm. This approach has led to dramatically improved algorithms for a number of important problems in the areas of routing, location, scheduling, assignment and set covering. This paper is a review of Lagrangian relaxation based on what has been learned in the last decade.
Collection of Pedigree Data for Genetic Analysis in Isolate Populations

Pedigree data are useful for a wealth of research purposes in human population biology and genetics. The collection of extended pedigrees represents the most powerful sampling design for quantitative genetic and linkage studies of both normal and disease-related quantitative traits. In this paper we outline an approach for collecting pedigree data in stable isolate populations. As an example, the pedigree for the Jirel population, which was obtained using the methods presented, is described. The Jirel pedigree contains 2,000 study participants and more than 62,000 pairwise relationships that are informative for genetic analysis. Once such pedigrees are genetically characterized by a genome scan for a given trait, they become an invaluable resource for future genetic studies of any quantitative trait.
A STUDY OF NUCLEOLAR VACUOLES IN CULTURED TOBACCO CELLS USING RADIOAUTOGRAPHY, ACTINOMYCIN D, AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Previously it has been found that in tobacco callus cells nucleolar vacuoles repeatedly form and contract. In this study, nucleolar vacuoles were investigated by using radioautography, actinomycin D, and electron microscopy. It was found, from grain counts of nucleoli labeled with uridine-3H, that nucleoli containing vacuoles had more than three times as many grains/µ2 of nucleolar substance as did nucleolei without vacuoles. Treatment of tobacco callus cells with various concentrations of actinomycin D caused the percentage of cells containing nucleolar vacuoles to decrease; with the highest concentration the percentage of these cells dropped from the normal level of about 70% to less than 10%. However, after removal of actinomycin D the cells regained nucleolar vacuoles up to the control level. When radioautography was used with actinomycin D, it was found that the actinomycin D inhibited the uptake of uridine-3H, i.e. inhibited RNA synthesis, in those nucleoli which lost their nucleolar vacuoles. In addition, after removal of the cells from actinomycin D, it was found that as the cells regained nucleolar vacuoles the nucleoli also began to incorporate uridine-3H. Electron micrographs showed the nucleoli to be composed of a compact, finely fibrous central portion surrounded by a layer of dense particles 100–150 A in diameter. Nucleolar vacuoles occurred in the fibrous central portion. Dense particles similar to those in the outer layer of the nucleoli were found scattered throughout the vacuoles and in a dense layer at their outer edge. These data suggest that in cultured tobacco callus cells the formation and contraction of nucleolar vacuoles is closely related to RNA synthesis in the nucleolus.
Computer-Assisted Navigation and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Accuracy and Outcomes

As many as 175,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions are performed annually in the United States at a cost >1 billion dollars. Estimates of the rate of revision surgery are as high as 10%-20%, potentially resulting in as many as 35,000 revisions a year. In addition, errors that are not obvious at short-term or mid-term follow-up may have significant long--term effects in young patients. Studies have demonstrated that the majoriity of visions are related to technical errors, primarily tunnel placement. Computer-aided navigation systems provide enhanced precision in tunnel placement and may reduce the rate of revision surgery. Computer-aided systems can provide valuable data on rotational and translational laxity of the knee.
Depressive vulnerability, stressful life events and episode onset of major depression: a longitudinal model.

Background The nature of the relationship between depressive vulnerability (DV) and acute adversity in the etiology of major depression (MD) remains poorly understood. Method Stressful life events (SLEs) and MD onsets in the last year were assessed at four waves in cohort 1 (females) and at two waves in cohort 2 (males and females) from the Virginia Adult Twin Study. Structural equation modeling was conducted in Mplus. Results In cohort 1, DV was strongly indexed by depressive episodes over the four waves (paths from +0.72 to 0.79) and predicted by SLEs in the month of their occurrence (+0.31 to 0.36). Wave-specific DV was associated both with stable DV (+0.29 to 0.33) and by forward transmission of DV from the preceding wave (+0.33 to 0.36). SLEs were predicted by stable DV (+0.29) and from SLEs in the preceding month (+0.06). As the cohort aged, MD onsets were better indexed by DV and more poorly predicted by SLEs. Parameter estimates were similar in males and females from cohort 2. In individuals with prior depressive episodes, the association between MD onset and SLEs was weakened while the prediction of SLEs from DV was substantially strengthened. We found no evidence for 'reverse causation' from MD episodes to SLEs. Conclusion The interrelationship between DV and acute adversity in the etiology of MD is complex and temporally dynamic. DV impacts on MD risk both directly and indirectly through selection into high stress environments. Over time, depressive episodes become more autonomous. Both DV and SLEs transmit forward over time and therefore form clear targets for intervention.
Objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour does not differ between children and adolescents with and without a congenital heart defect: a pilot examination.

ObjectivesTo objectively evaluate and describe physical activity levels in children with a stable congenital heart defect and compare those levels with children who do not have a congenital heart defect.MethodsWe matched 21 pairs of children for gender and grade in school and gave them an accelerometer-based motion sensor to wear for 7 consecutive days.ResultsPhysical activity levels did not differ between children with and without a congenital heart defect. During the 7 days of monitoring, children in this study spent most of their time in sedentary behaviours, that is, 6.7 hours of the 13 monitored hours, 54 minutes in moderate-intensity physical activity, and 12 minutes in vigorous-intensity physical activity. Less than one-fifth of all participants, with or without a congenital heart defect, accumulated sufficient physical activity to meet current physical activity recommendations for children and adolescents.ConclusionChildren with a stable congenital heart defect have activity behaviours that are similar to children without a congenital heart defect. Habitual physical activity in children with a congenital heart defect should be encouraged early on in life to develop strong physical activity habits that will hopefully follow them across their lifespan.
Comparison and Function in Children's Object Categorization.

Although young children often rely on salient perceptual cues, such as shape, when categorizing novel objects, children shift towards deeper relational reasoning when they compare category members or attend to functional properties. In this study, we investigated the independent and combined effects of comparison and function in children’s categorization of novel objects. Across two experiments, we found that comparing two perceptually similar category members led children to discover non-obvious relational features that supported their categorization of novel objects. Together, these findings underscore the difficulty in categorizing novel objects but demonstrate that comparison may aid in this process by rendering less obvious relational structures more salient, thus inducing a shift towards a categorical rather than perceptual response.
Simplified Protein Purification Using an Autoprocessing, Inducible Enzyme Tag

The development of affinity tags has greatly simplified protein purification procedures. A variety of affinity tags are now available to improve expression, solubility, and/or tag removal. In this chapter, we describe a method for purifying recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli that uses a highly specific, inducible, C-terminal autoprocessing protease tag. This method streamlines affinity purification, cleavage, and tag separation into a one-step purification procedure, avoiding the need to remove fusion tags from target proteins with exogenous proteases. In addition to accelerating protein purification, we show that this method can enhance the expression, stability, and solubility of select proteins.
Impacts of the representation of riverine freshwater input in the community earth system model

Abstract The impacts of the representation of riverine freshwater input on the simulated ocean state are investigated through comparison of a suite of experiments with the Community Earth System Model (CESM). The aspects of river and estuary processes investigated include lateral spreading of runoff, runoff contribution to the surface buoyancy flux within the K-Profile Parameterization (KPP), the use of a local salinity in the virtual salt flux (VSF) formulation, and the vertical redistribution of runoff. The horizontal runoff spreading distribution plays an important role in the regional salinity distribution and significantly changes the vertical stratification and mixing. When runoff is considered to be a contribution to the surface buoyancy flux, the calculation of turbulent length and velocity scales in the KPP can be significantly impacted near larger discharge rivers, resulting in local surface salinity changes of up to 12 ppt. Using the local surface salinity instead of a globally constant reference salinity in the conversion of riverine freshwater flux to VSF can reduce biases in the simulated salinity near river mouths but leads to drift in global mean salinity. This is remedied through a global correction approach. We also explore the sensitivity to the vertical redistribution of runoff, which partially mimics the impacts of vertical mixing process within estuaries and coastal river plumes. The impacts of the vertical redistribution of runoff are largest when the runoff effective mixing depth is comparable with the mixed layer depth, resulting from the enhanced vertical mixing and the increase of the available potential energy. The impacts in all sensitivity experiments are predominantly local, but the regional circulation can advect the influences downstream.
RIR-MAPLE deposition of plasmonic silver nanoparticles

Nanoparticles are being explored in many different applications due to the unique properties offered by quantum effects. To broaden the scope of these applications, the deposition of nanoparticles onto substrates in a simple and controlled way is highly desired. In this study, we use resonant infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) for the deposition of metallic, silver nanoparticles for plasmonic applications. We find that RIR-MAPLE, a simple and versatile approach, is able to deposit silver nanoparticles as large as 80 nm onto different substrates with good adhesion, regardless of substrate properties. In addition, the nanoparticle surface coverage of the substrates, which result from the random distribution of nanoparticles across the substrate per laser pulse, can be simply and precisely controlled by RIR-MAPLE. Polymer films of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) are also deposited by RIR-MAPLE on top of the deposited silver nanoparticles in order to demonstrate enhanced absorption due to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect. The reported features of RIR-MAPLE nanoparticle deposition indicate that this tool can enable efficient processing of nanoparticle thin films for applications that require specific substrates or configurations that are not easily achieved using solution-based approaches.
Mass spectrometry-based assay for the rapid detection of thiol-containing natural products

Natural products are privileged scaffolds due to their high propensity to possess bioactivity. To expedite discovery of thiol-containing compounds, we devised a selective solid-supported reagent for their immobilization, followed by cleavage of a photocleavable linker to yield stable natural product conjugates for direct detection by mass spectrometry. Importantly, the natural products can also be tracelessly released to yield the native structures for chemical and biological evaluation.
On the performance of space-time codes

This paper provides an overview of the results in a recent journal submission by the same authors. The first part of that paper studies the pairwise error probability of codewords (PEP) of a space-time code over a quasistatic channel, using an approach that allows both known and unknown channel cases to be considered simultaneously. A closed-form expression for the PEP is provided, and given a constraint on the sum of the squares of the singular values of the difference signal matrix, it is shown that the PEP is minimized by choosing signals with equal singular values. A useful sequence of simple upper and lower bounds that converge to the PEP is also provided. An example space-time code is introduced and shown using this sequence of bounds to outperform the corresponding orthogonal-design-based space-time (ODST) code at all values of SNR. Exact expressions, based on the PEP, are given for the asymptotic coding and diversity gain. It is shown that the diversity gain remains unchanged if the PEP is replaced by either the codeword error probability (CEP) or else the message symbol error probability (SEP). Signal-design implications of the above results are also discussed. The second part deals with ODST codes. It is shown that ODST codes represent an instance of orthogonal signaling. This observation is used to derive a closed-form expression for the pairwise error probability of message symbols (PEP-ms) of these codes, as well as an expression for coding gain based on PEP-ms, that is exact in the case of BPSK signaling.
Erratum: Evolution alters the consequences of invasions in experimental communities

Evolution has the capacity to alter the course of biological invasions, although such changes remain mostly unexplored by experiments. Integrating evolution into studies of invasions is important, because species traits can potentially evolve in ways that either moderate or exacerbate the impacts of invasions. We have assessed whether species evolved during experimental invasions by comparing the performance of founder populations and their potentially evolved descendants in communities of ciliates and rotifers. Residents (analogous to native species) that have previous experience with invaders consistently reduced the performance of naive invaders, supporting the emergence of increased biotic resistance as one consequence of evolution during invasions. Experienced invaders exhibited both increased and decreased performance depending on the invader species considered. Through its influence on performance and species abundance, evolution also changed community composition during the course of invasions. The idiosyncratic patterns of evolutionary changes in invading and resident species complicate predictions about the long-term consequences of invasions from initial post-invasion dynamics.
Best Practices for Medication Utilization Evaluations in Postsurgical Pain Management

Purpose The purpose of this review is to provide guidance that aids in the practical design, implementation, and analysis of medication use evaluations (MUEs) for postsurgical pain management.
Abstract 462: Dose Matters: Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation at 3600 mg/d but Not 900 mg/d Reduces Inflammatory Response to Evoked Endotoxemia in Healthy Volunteers

Inflammation is a key component in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic disease. Certain anti-inflammatory compounds may improve atherosclerotic disease risk by modulating systemic and vascular inflammation. Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) may represent a dietary mechanism for improving cardiometabolic health through reduction of inflammation. We hypothesized that n-3 PUFA supplementation would reduce the inflammatory response to evoked endotoxemia in healthy humans. In the Fenofibrate and omega-3 Fatty Acid Modulation of Endotoxemia study (FFAME Study), we recruited healthy individuals (N=60; age 18-45; BMI 18-30; 43% Female; 65% Caucasian, 20% African, 15% Asian ancestry) randomized to one of three treatment groups; n-3 PUFA (Lovaza 465mg EPA/375mg DHA) supplemented at either 900mg per day or 3,600mg per day, or placebo. An additional arm of the study included a fenofibrate treatment group, not included here. Participants were treated for ∼8 weeks then admitted to the research center for an endotoxin challenge of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 0.6ng/kg intravenously. Multiple clinical and biochemical variables were assessed throughout, and analyzed using RM-ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests for between group differences. Compared to placebo, high-dose (P The specific anti-inflammatory properties of n-3 PUFA appear to be dose-specific, with high doses (3,600mg/day) leading to attenuation of the inflammatory response to evoked endotoxemia, while lower doses (900mg/day) do not reduce the inflammatory response despite similar reductions in plasma lipids.
Sum, Product and Ratio for the Normal Random Variables

The distributions of the sum, product, and ratio of two independent random variables arise in many fields of research, for example, automation, biology, computer science, control theory, economics, engineering, fuzzy systems, genetics, hydrology, medicine, neuroscience, number theory, statistics, physics, psychology, reliability, risk management, etc. (for details, see Grubel (1968), Rokeach and Kliejunas (1972), Springer (1979), Kordonski and Gertsbakh (1995), Ladekarl et al. (1997), Amari and Misra (1997), Sornette (1998), Cigizoglu and Bayazit (2000), Brody et al. (2002), Galambos and Simonelli (2005), among others).
The New Fulcrum of Asia: The Indo-Japan Entente and the Rise of China

A potentially pivotal alignment of India and Japan is forming. This informal military partnership implicitly premised on countering an ever-more-powerful China reflects common apprehensions. Fearing entanglement in China’s quarrels, New Delhi is, nonetheless, cognizant of the enhancement of Indian capabilities that may flow from a tilt toward Tokyo and Washington, even if such realist calculations are still anathema to some opinion groups in both countries. Koizumi and Abe (during both of his times in office) were effective engineers of the Japan–India entente, seeing India as a natural partner. The coalescence of the India–Japan entente is testimony to the failure of Chinese diplomacy and its on-again, –off-again resort to coercive diplomacy. India is in the swing position in the emerging Japan–India–China triangle. Its strategy is to use Beijing’s fear of too-close Indo-Japan friendship to get China to undertake friendlier policies.
BRIAN DE PALMA'S SPLIT-SCREEN: A LIFE IN FILM By Douglas Keesey. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 2015. 348pp. $55.00 cloth.

The films of Brian De Palma commonly evoke strong reactions from audiences and critics. Media professors are fortunate the work exists, because De Palma's films are wonderful texts to spur discussi...
Electromagnetic and thermodynamic design of a novel integrated flux-switching motor-compressor with airfoil-shaped rotor

The objective of this paper is to investigate the electromagnetic design aspects of a novel flux-switching motor-compressor with rotor poles designed as airfoils to perform compression. The proposed novel flux-switching motor-compressor is both an electric motor as well as an axial-flow compressor. Conventional motor-driven compressor system typically requires an electric motor and a gear box to connect the compressor. In contrast, the proposed novel integrated flux-switching motor-compressor simplifies the system by integrating the motor and compressor into a single machine. By eliminating the connection between the electric motor and the compressor, the proposed system has the benefits of compactness, high reliability, and high efficiency. In conventional compressor system, the electromagnetic design of the electric motor and the thermodynamic design of the compressor are not related. In the proposed integrated motor-compressor, the electromagnetic design is influenced by the shape of the novel machine including the curved rotor poles (or blades) and modified stator parts. The operating principle of the proposed motor-compressor is discussed. The design considerations including using step skewing for the stator part and soft magnetic composite (SMC) for the rotor design are elaborated. The electromagnetic performances of the proposed novel motor-compressor are compared with the conventional flux-switching motor. Results from finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) validate the proposed novel motor-compressor.
Evidence that the metabolite repair enzyme NAD(P)HX epimerase has a moonlighting function

NAD(P)H-hydrate epimerase (EC 5.1.99.6) is known to help repair NAD(P)H hydrates (NAD(P)HX), which are damage products existing as R and S epimers. The S epimer is reconverted to NAD(P)H by a dehydratase; the epimerase facilitates epimer interconversion. Epimerase deficiency in humans causes a lethal disorder attributed to NADHX accumulation. However, bioinformatic evidence suggest caution about this attribution by predicting that the epimerase has a second function connected to vitamin B6 (pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and related compounds). Specifically, (i) the epimerase is fused to a B6 salvage enzyme in plants, (ii) epimerase genes cluster on the chromosome with B6-related genes in bacteria, and (iii) epimerase and B6-related genes are coexpressed in yeast and Arabidopsis The predicted second function was explored in Escherichia coli, whose epimerase and dehydratase are fused and encoded by yjeF The putative NAD(P)HX epimerase active site has a conserved lysine residue (K192 in E. coli YjeF). Changing this residue to alanine cut in vitro epimerase activity by ≥95% but did not affect dehydratase activity. Mutant cells carrying the K192A mutation had essentially normal NAD(P)HX dehydratase activity and NAD(P)HX levels, showing that the mutation had little impact on NAD(P)HX repair in vivo However, these cells showed metabolome changes, particularly in amino acids, which exceeded those in cells lacking the entire yjeF gene. The K192A mutant cells also had reduced levels of 'free' (i.e. weakly bound or unbound) pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. These results provide circumstantial evidence that the epimerase has a metabolic function beyond NAD(P)HX repair and that this function involves vitamin B6.
Redundant and Antagonistic Roles of XTP3B and OS9 in Decoding Glycan and Non-glycan Degrons in ER-Associated Degradation.

Summary Glycoproteins engaged in unproductive folding in the ER are marked for degradation by a signal generated by progressive demannosylation of substrate N-glycans that is decoded by ER lectins, but how the two lectins, OS9 and XTP3B, contribute to non-glycosylated protein triage is unknown. We generated cell lines with homozygous deletions of both lectins individually and in combination. We found that OS9 and XTP3B redundantly promote glycoprotein degradation and stabilize the SEL1L/HRD1 dislocon complex, that XTP3B profoundly inhibits the degradation of non-glycosylated proteins, and that OS9 antagonizes this inhibition. The relative expression of OS9 and XTP3B and the distribution of glycan and non-glycan degrons within the same protein contribute to the fidelity and processivity of glycoprotein triage and, therefore, determine the fates of newly synthesized proteins in the early secretory pathway.
A Generalized Single-Level Formulation for Origin–Destination Estimation under Stochastic User Equilibrium:

Origin–destination (OD) demand is an indispensable component for modeling transportation networks, and the prevailing approach to estimating OD demand using traffic data is through bi-level optimiz...
Asynchronous coordination of distributed energy resources with packetized energy management

To enable greater penetration of renewable energy, there is a need to move away from the traditional form of ensuring electric grid reliability through fast-ramping generators and instead consider an active role for flexible and controllable distributed energy resources (DERs), e.g., plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), and energy storage systems (ESSs) at the consumer level. However, in order to facilitate consumer acceptance of this type of load coordination, DERs need to be managed in a way that avoids degrading the consumers’ quality of service (QoS), autonomy, and privacy. This work leverages a probabilistic packetized approach to energy delivery that draws inspiration from random access, digital communications. Packetized energy management (PEM) is an asynchronous, bottom-up coordination scheme for DERs that both abides by the constraints of the transmission and distribution grids and does not require explicit knowledge of specific DER’s local states or schedules. We present a novel macro-model that approximates the aggregate behavior of packetized DERs and is suitable for estimation and control of available flexible DERs to closely track a time-varying regulation signal. PEM is then implemented in a transmission/distribution system setting, validated with realistic numerical simulations, and compared against state-of-the-art load coordination schemes from industry.
OraGIS and Loom: Spatial and Temporal Extensions to the ORA Analysis Platform

Abstract : Increasingly, data available to network analysts includes not only relationships between actors but measurements of entity attributes and relations through time and space. Integrating this information with existing dynamic network analysis techniques demands new models and tools. This paper introduces two extensions to the ORA dynamic network analysis platform intended to meet this need. The first, OraGIS, provides geospatial visualization and clustering algorithms. The second, Loom, assists in the analysis of agent movements through a discrete state space "such as a set of named locations" over time. We discuss the capabilities of both tools and their integration with the traditional analytics in the ORA platform.
Evidence for the Role of the Cecal Microbiome in Maintenance of Immune Regulation and Homeostasis

Objective (s):Our objective was to investigate alterations in the cecal microbial composition during the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) with or without IgM therapy, and correlate these alterations with the corresponding immune profile.Methods:(1) Female nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice treated wit
The effects of task modality on L2 Chinese learners’ pragmatic development: Computer-mediated written chat vs. face-to-face oral chat

Abstract Recent studies in Task-based Language Teaching showed the unique benefits of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on task-based interaction such as providing visual saliency of text and extended processing time for modified output (e.g., Smith, 2004, 2005). However, it is not clear whether CMC is more conducive for task-based learning compared to traditional face-to-face (FTF) mode. This study directly compared the effects of the two task modalities (CMC and FTF) on the pragmatics learning of Chinese modal verbs. This study focused on task-based pragmatics learning because tasks are supposed to promote learners to use language for pragmatic purposes. Thirty learners of L2 Chinese (high-elementary to intermediate level) completed two decision-making tasks in pairs. Half of the participants completed the tasks in CMC (N = 16), while the other half completed the same tasks in FTF (N = 14). Production and recognition tests were used at pre, post and delayed post-test to measure the learning outcomes. Task-based interaction in both modalities was analyzed for the frequency and pattern of modal verb use. Resudlts showed that the FTF group outperformed the CMC group at the immediate and delayed post-test. The FTF group also produced modal verbs more frequently during the tasks. Contrary to the previous claims on the potential advantages of CMC, this study indicates that FTF might be more beneficial for task-based pragmatics learning. The efficacy and challenges of CMC-based learning thus deserves further investigation.
Generalization in Deep Networks: The Role of Distance from Initialization.

Why does training deep neural networks using stochastic gradient descent (SGD) result in a generalization error that does not worsen with the number of parameters in the network? To answer this question, we advocate a notion of effective model capacity that is dependent on {\em a given random initialization of the network} and not just the training algorithm and the data distribution. We provide empirical evidences that demonstrate that the model capacity of SGD-trained deep networks is in fact restricted through implicit regularization of {\em the $\ell_2$ distance from the initialization}. We also provide theoretical arguments that further highlight the need for initialization-dependent notions of model capacity. We leave as open questions how and why distance from initialization is regularized, and whether it is sufficient to explain generalization.
Donor Characteristics, Recipient Outcomes, and Histologic Findings of Kidney Allografts With Diffuse Donor-derived Glomerular Fibrin Thrombi

Background Limited data are available on whether donor kidneys with diffuse glomerular fibrin thrombi (GFT) are safe to use. In this study, the clinicopathologic characteristics of allografts with diffuse donor-derived GFT were examined. Methods All deceased donor kidney transplant implantation biopsies from our institution between July 2011 and February 2018 with diffuse GFT were included. A control group for comparison consisted of all cases with implantation biopsies obtained during the study period without diffuse GFT. Clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records for all study patients, including donor information. Results Twenty-four recipients received kidneys with diffuse GFT from 16 deceased donors. All donors died from severe head trauma. On average, 79% of glomeruli contained fibrin thrombi. Nineteen cases had subsequent biopsy; all revealed resolution of GFT. Compared with the control group, kidneys with diffuse GFT had longer cold ischemia time (34 versus 27 h), were more frequently pumped using machine perfusion (100% versus 81%), and recipients experienced a higher frequency of delayed graft function (58% versus 27%). Only 2 grafts with diffuse GFT failed within the first year. Overall graft survival was similar between the diffuse GFT group and control group. Conclusions Deceased donor kidneys with diffuse GFT appear to be safe to use given that nearly 92% of recipients in this cohort who received such allografts experienced good clinical outcomes. Histologically, GFT demonstrated rapid resolution following transplantation. Interestingly, diffuse GFT only occurred in donors who suffered severe head trauma in this cohort, which may be a predisposing factor.