cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase activity of isolated rat adipocytes as related to cell size.

SummaryWe have studied cellular cyclic AMP content and protein kinase activity in extracts of small and large adipocytes from two groups of rats differing in age and body weight. The data, expressed on a per cell basis, show that large adipocytes from larger rats present a significantly greater (p < 0.02) content of cyclic AMP and a 3-fold greater (p < 0.001) level of basal protein kinase activity than small adipocytes. Cyclic AMP (0.4 μM) stimulated the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity to a similar degree (about 3-fold) in both types of cells. No significant amount of cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase activity was detected in extracts of adipocytes from either group of rats.The increased cellular content of cyclic AMP and the elevated protein kinase activity in large adipocytes are probably responsible for the greater basal rate of lipolysis observed in these cells.
On the skin friction drag reduction in large wind turbines using sharp V-grooved riblets

Skin friction drag reduction through the use of riblets has been a topic of intensive research during the last decades. Main efforts have been placed on both numerical (mainly DNS) and experimental (wind tunnel and fluid channel) approaches. In spite of the valuable efforts to date, the fundamental mechanisms that induce drag reduction are not well established and, in particular, the potential benefits associated with the use of riblets in wind turbines are unclear. In this research, wind tunnel experiments were performed to quantify the drag reduction in a wind turbine airfoil using V-groove riblet structures. A full-scale 2.5MW wind turbine airfoil section (typical of the 75-80% blade span), was placed in the freestream flow of the wind tunnel at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL), University of Minnesota. Different sizes of V-groove riblets were tested at different angles of attack at full scale Reynolds number. Force sensors were used to measure lift and drag. Momentum deficit was also measured in the wake of the airfoil to determine the net drag. Flat plate experiments were also performed to determine the distribution of the skin friction coefficient in a developing boundary layer. The experimental measurements will be used to develop and test the performance of near-wall boundary conditions for the velocity field that can account for the effects of riblet roughness in the context of RANS and hybrid RANS/LES models. The numerical simulations along with the laboratory experiments will be used in the future to determine the best riblet configuration and guide the application and testing of riblets in a 2.5MW wind turbine under real-life wind conditions.
Space welding seam tracking beased on free floating space robot

Space robot can fly or float in the space to help or replace astronauts to perform space welding task. For a planar free floating dual-arm space robot, the path planning of welding torch position and configuration in tracking space weld is studied. On the basis of kinetic model of dual-arm space robot, the computational approach of robot arm end velocity is discussed and analyzed, and the solution of dual-arm end velocity is defined as a multi-dimentional searching problem, which is solved by introducing Genetic Algrithom to optimize calculation parameter. Finally, an algrithom of path planning of dual-arm space robot tracking space weld is proposed, which is verified and analyzed by two simulation experiments of line and arc welding seam tracking.
Munificence and Carrying Capacity of the Environment and Organization Formation

Two streams of research and theory development, resource dependence and population ecology, are combined to develop a model of the relationship between organization formation and environmental muni...
Pediatric lung transplantation

Pediatric lung transplantation is a highly specialized clinical endeavor. Since the late 1980's, there have only been slightly more than 2200 implants reported to the International Society for Heart and Lung transplantation registry. This review will discuss the historical aspects of pediatric lung transplantation. It will familiarize the reader with the current indications for transplant and the referral and listing process. The current state of lung assist devices as a bridge to pediatric lung transplantation is discussed in addition to the technical aspects of the transplant procedure. Finally, posttransplant outcomes, including anticipated morbidity and the role of retransplantation, are clarified.
Analysis of the Pressure Sintering Kinetics of Ceramic Oxides

An analysis of the kinetics of final stage pressure sintering for Al2O3 shows that more than one mechanism is normally operative. In this analysis, the effective stress (σeff) at constant temperature on the sintering particles is taken as the applied pressure (PA) divided by the relative density ( ρ), as recently suggested by Coble. A plot of the measured instantaneous true strain-rate (i. e., densification-rate) versus (1/ρ) for a given experiment results in a constant slope over the final ∼20% of densification. This constant slope is the steady-state strain-rate (έs) for that experiment and is related to the applied pressure (PA) by analogy with the power law creep relationship. This same relationship $$\dot \varepsilon _s = AP_A ^n$$ where A is a constant, is then used to analyze the overall kinetics by a log-log plot of the various (έs) values determined by individual (PA) values from a number of hot pressings. The value of the slope (n) relates to the different kinetic mechanisms: n=1 implies Newtonian flow, a constant n⁠1 implies non-Newtonian flow, and a variable n implies that more than one mechanism is operative (i. e., multi-component kinetics)
A Small Molecule Inhibits Deregulated NRF2 Transcriptional Activity in Cancer

NRF2 serves as the master regulator of oxidative stress resistance in mammalian cells. Although NRF2 activation decreases tumorigenic events in normal cells, accumulating evidence suggests that cancers have broadly selected for NRF2-activating mutations to promote anabolic growth and chemoresistance. Small molecules which inhibit NRF2 activity may therefore offer promise as an alternative anticancer treatment in NRF2 dependent cancers. We have used a high throughput screen to identify small molecules which decrease NRF2 transcriptional activity at antioxidant response element sites. One such molecule, termed AEM1, is capable of broadly decreasing the expression of NRF2 controlled genes, sensitizing A549 cells to various chemotherapeutic agents, and inhibiting the growth of A549 cells in vitro and in vivo. Profiling of multiple cell lines for their responsiveness to AEM1 revealed that AEM1's activities are restricted to cell lines harboring mutations which render NRF2 constitutively active.
Optical flow-switched transport layer protocol simulation and analysis

We explore a hybrid approach as means to eliminate burst errors at transport layer for reliable and high performance communication in Optical Flow Switching (OFS) networks. Previously, there have been several suggestions at different network layers to minimize the damage caused by burst errors, but there has not been an effort to bring them together. We show that the hybrid approach of adiabatic switching at the physical layer and File Segmentation / Burst error correction at the transport layer is able to eliminate the majority of burst errors. This remaining errors will be corrected by an ARQ. First, we develop a stochastic model to characterize transients that produce burst errors. Next, we develop a simulation framework to validate the model. Finally, we show that the hybrid approach shows superior performance compared to the approaches used individually. This hybrid approach is promising as it is cost-effective and easily implementable.
Concentration of Power and Performance

Some proponents of the Glass-Steagall Act are concerned that commercial banks might dominate corporate finance if Congress gave them the right to underwrite and deal freely in securities. Fear of centralised financial power has long been an issue in US politics. Congress only twice accepted federally chartered banks that could operate across state lines, in the form of the First and Second Banks of the United States. In both cases Congress failed to renew their twenty-year charters as a result of political opposition from state- chartered banks. In 1864, when federal chartering was established, national banks could not branch. Only in 1927, with the passage of the McFadden Act, did they receive the right of limited intra-state branching. Because of strong opposition, Congress removed the provision in the first drafts of the Banking Act of 1933 which would have allowed national banks to branch intra-state and within economic regions.
The Future of Cardiovascular Medicine From the Regulatory Perspective.

![Figure][1] For many years, the American public and the entire world have benefited from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulatory system for medical products. The field of cardiovascular medicine has been an exemplary partner with the FDA for much of this time—a period
Racial Psychiatry and the Russian Imperial Dilemma of the “Savage Within”

The article tells the story of racial psychiatry in the Russian Empire. The context in which it has developed is analyzed in epistemological as well as political terms, and the discussion of such scholarly categories as “savagery,” “atavism”, or “survivals” and the language of race in ethnography, race science, and psychiatry is complemented with the discussion of rising mass politics. These two threads of analysis are connected within a broader context of the Russian imperial situation of the turn of the century, marked by human, cultural and administrative heterogeneity and the asynchronous social and cultural dynamics of different peoples, classes, and regions. The article explores in details how the Russian psychiatric profession made sense of the Russian imperial situation, and why a group of highly influential psychiatrists turned to the concept of race and the method of inter-imperial comparison as a solution to this situation’s complexities and ambiguities.
Coping in Patients With Incurable Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Validation Study of the Brief COPE.

Abstract Context Patients with incurable cancer engage in several coping styles to manage the impact of cancer and its treatment. The Brief COPE is a widely used measure intended to capture multiple and distinct types of coping. The Brief COPE has not been validated among patients with incurable cancer. Objectives We sought to validate seven subscales of the Brief COPE in a large sample of patients newly diagnosed with incurable lung and noncolorectal gastrointestinal cancers ( N = 350). Methods Participants completed the Brief COPE and measures assessing quality of life (QOL) (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) within eight weeks of diagnosis of incurable cancer. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Brief COPE using a confirmatory factor analysis and tests of correlation with the QOL and distress scales. Results The Brief COPE factors were consistent with the original subscales, although the Behavioral Disengagement Scale had low internal consistency. Factors showed anticipated relationships with QOL and distress measures, except emotional support coping, which was correlated with increased depression and anxiety. We also conducted an exploratory high-order factor analysis to determine if subscales' score variances grouped together. The high-order factor analysis resulted in two factors, with active, emotional support, positive reframing, and acceptance loading onto one factor and denial and self-blame loading onto the second. Conclusion The selected subscales of the Brief COPE are appropriate measures of coping among individuals newly diagnosed with incurable lung and gastrointestinal cancers.
Integrating frameworks for evaluating tourism partnerships: An exploration of success within the life cycle of a collaborative ecotourism development effort

Abstract Partnerships and collaborations have been promoted as an effective economic development strategy within the recreation and tourism fields for several decades, particularly in rural areas. In turn, researchers have developed criteria for success, identified the stages and phases of collaborative processes, and proposed a “life cycle” of partnerships. Case studies of tourism partnerships have been explored in multiple countries (e.g., Australia, Canada, Kenya, Peru, United Kingdom, United States) and in multiple contexts (e.g., marketing, planning, policy networks). However, nearly all studies have been conducted in areas where tourism was previously established and most studies only examine success through the lens of one evaluative framework. In this study, we examine two frameworks—specifically, Wondolleck and Yaffee’s (2000) set of eight lessons to making collaboration work and Caffyn’s (2000) tourism partnership life cycle model—in the context of a rural area abundant in natural and cultural resources but unable to capture significant tourism revenue. This case study of the Tyrrell County Ecotourism Committee in eastern North Carolina, United States demonstrates the advantage of integrating multiple evaluative lenses and highlights the challenges of partnerships with limited structure and narrow vision. Furthermore, this case study documents the difficulties rural areas face when competing with nearby established destinations. Management Implications Despite the prevalence of partnerships for tourism development, collaborative efforts are not always apanacea. Collaborative efforts for ecotourism development have a life cycle, require certain elements to be successful, and need to be evaluated throughout their duration. Tourism managers need to recognize the limitations of partnerships, particularly in rural areas where destination marketing is insufficient for developing a robust ecotourism economy
A National Study of the Validity and Utility of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environment (CASE) Survey

A healthy school climate is necessary for improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity and usability of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environment (CASE) as it was purportedly realigned to the three dimensions of the Breaking Ranks Framework developed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Over 4,000 stakeholders representing 28 secondary schools across 21 states participated. A four-factor solution was derived and CASE was found to be usable.
Permeability and Conductance of Ion Channels A Primer

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to conductance and permeability, the two phenomenological parameters that are universally used to describe the process of ion permeation through channels. Both of these parameters contain information about how easy or difficult it is for an ion to enter a channel, move through it, and exit on the other side, but in some cases conductance and permeability can report different aspects of the permeation process. This difference arises because it is possible to use the term permeability in two different ways. Permeability can be used as a measure of how readily an ion will cross a membrane via an open channel. I will refer to this as the apparent permeability because it is a reflection of the nature of the interaction of a particular test ion with the channel, but can also include a contribution due to competition from other ions that can limit accessibility of the channel to the test ion. It is possible in principle, however, to circumvent these latter effects experimentally, and determine what I shall call the intrinsic permeability, that is, a measure of the interaction of the test ion with the channel in the absence of competition from other ions.
Alterations in the Salivary Proteome and N-Glycome of Sjögren’s Syndrome Patients

We used isobaric mass tagging (iTRAQ) and lectin affinity capture mass spectrometry (MS)-based workflows for global analyses of parotid saliva (PS) and whole saliva (WS) samples obtained from patients diagnosed with primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (pSS) who were enrolled in the Sjogren’s International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) as compared with two control groups. The iTRAQ analyses revealed up- and down-regulation of numerous proteins that could be involved in the disease process (e.g., histones) or attempts to mitigate the ensuing damage (e.g., bactericidal/permeability increasing fold containing family (BPIF) members). An immunoblot approach applied to independent sample sets confirmed the pSS associated up-regulation of β2-microglobulin (in PS) and down-regulation of carbonic anhydrase VI (in WS) and BPIFB2 (in PS). Beyond the proteome, we profiled the N-glycosites of pSS and control samples. They were enriched for glycopeptides using lectins Aleuria aurantia and wheat germ agglutinin, which r...
Strength in the midst of pain: Abuse as a predictor of sexual relationship power among substance-abusing Black women

The aim of this research was to explore the association of abuse experiences (child sexual abuse and adult physical/sexual violence) to sexual relationship power among Black substance-abusing women. The study was a secondary analysis of baseline data collected from 124 Black women in 12 drug treatment programs across the United States who initially participated in an HIV risk reduction trial conducted within the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The findings revealed that adult sexual abuse, but not childhood sexual or adult physical abuse, was associated with lower relationship control and decision-making dominance as measured by the Sexual Relationship Power Scale. The findings suggest that designing and implementing sexual risk reduction interventions that address adult sexual violence may enhance the relationship power of Black substance-abusing women and in turn may promote safer sex practices.
Bridging the Robot Perception Gap with Mid-Level Vision

The practical application of machine perception to support physical manipulation in unstructured environments remains a barrier to the development of intelligent robotic systems. Recently, great progress has been made by the large-scale machine perception community, but these methods have made few contributions to the applied robotic perception. This is in part because such large-scale systems are designed to recognize category labels of large numbers of objects from a single image, rather than highly accurate, efficient, and robust pose estimation in environments for which a robot has reliable prior knowledge. In this paper, we illustrate the potential for synergistic integration of modern computer vision methods into robotics by augmenting a RANSAC-based registration method with a state-of-the art semantic segmentation algorithm. We detail a convolutional architecture for semantic labeling of the scene, modified to operate efficiently using integral images. We combine this labeling with two novel scene parsing variants of RANSAC, and show, on a new RGB-D dataset that contains complex configurations of textureless and highly specular objects, that our method demonstrates improved performance of pose estimation over the unaugmented algorithms.
Microperforate Hymen and Pyocolpos: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Abstract Background Microperforate hymen is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a small pinpoint opening in the hymen; girls with this anomaly are prone to develop ascending pelvic infections and recurrent urinary tract infections. Case We report the case of a 3-year-old girl who presented with fevers, abdominal pain, recurrent vaginitis, and dysuria. She was found to have a microperforate hymen and pyocolpos. She was treated with intravenous antibiotics and underwent hymenotomy and drainage of 150 cc of purulent fluid. Summary and Conclusion This case highlights the need to perform thorough genital inspection and to consider hymenal anomalies in the differential diagnosis of girls who present with recurrent dysuria, vaginitis, fevers, and abdominal pain. Early intervention might prevent the development of pyocolpos and other sequelae associated with this anomaly.
Multiphysics model of a notional all-electric ship railgun — Model development and application

We present herein a quasi-3D multiphysics model of a notional all-electric ship railgun, along with its application to assess the practicality of exploiting seawater for railgun cooling. The model combines a 2D electromagnetic-thermal model and a 3D thermal-fluid model developed based on the fundamental laws of electromagnetism, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics, and is solved numerically with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Simulation results demonstrate the proposed model's ability to capture intricate electromagnetic-thermal interactions at a low computational cost. Furthermore, we conclude that optimal cooling channel allocation in the rail are needed to achieve the desired cooling effect within a short time period.
Socio-scientific reasoning and environmental literacy in a field-based ecology class

The complex environmental challenges humanity faces require citizens who are scientifically and environmentally literate. Many environmental education programs are situated in the field where stude...
Diversity of Neuropeptide Cell-Cell Signaling Molecules Generated by Proteolytic Processing Revealed by Neuropeptidomics Mass Spectrometry

Neuropeptides are short peptides in the range of 3-40 residues that are secreted for cell-cell communication in neuroendocrine systems. In the nervous system, neuropeptides comprise the largest group of neurotransmitters. In the endocrine system, neuropeptides function as peptide hormones to coordinate intercellular signaling among target physiological systems. The diversity of neuropeptide functions is defined by their distinct primary sequences, peptide lengths, proteolytic processing of pro-neuropeptide precursors, and covalent modifications. Global, untargeted neuropeptidomics mass spectrometry is advantageous for defining the structural features of the thousands to tens of thousands of neuropeptides present in biological systems. Defining neuropeptide structures is the basis for defining the proteolytic processing pathways that convert pro-neuropeptides into active peptides. Neuropeptidomics has revealed that processing of pro-neuropeptides occurs at paired basic residues sites, and at non-basic residue sites. Processing results in neuropeptides with known functions and generates novel peptides representing intervening peptide domains flanked by dibasic residue processing sites, identified by neuropeptidomics. While very short peptide products of 2-4 residues are predicted from pro-neuropeptide dibasic processing sites, such peptides have not been readily identified; therefore, it will be logical to utilize metabolomics to identify very short peptides with neuropeptidomics in future studies. Proteolytic processing is accompanied by covalent post-translational modifications (PTMs) of neuropeptides comprising C-terminal amidation, N-terminal pyroglutamate, disulfide bonds, phosphorylation, sulfation, acetylation, glycosylation, and others. Neuropeptidomics can define PTM features of neuropeptides. In summary, neuropeptidomics for untargeted, global analyses of neuropeptides is essential for elucidation of proteases that generate diverse neuropeptides for cell-cell signaling. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Responses to Deforestation in a Group of Mantled Howlers (Alouatta palliata) in Costa Rica

To evaluate the effects of partial deforestation of the home range of a group of free-ranging howlers on Hacienda La Pacifica, Costa Rica, we compared activity patterns, social interactions, daily travel lengths, group sizes and migration patterns before, during, and after habitat destruction. Immediate responses were a decrease in social interactions and increase in start to travel. Long-term responses included an increase in feeding time and longer daily path length. The long-term responses were associated with the adjustment to a new home range which was longer and narrower, with the patchiest resources at the furthest end points. Group size decreased due to a significant decrease in adult males and females and a significant increase in infant deaths between the predeforestation period and the deforestation/postdeforestation periods. Significant increase in adult female deaths/emigration continues, though emigration of immatures remains unchanged. Reduced group size could be due to reduced resources or disturbed migration routes throughout the farm due to the construction of a major canal system.
Weighted Compact Schemes for Shock / Boundary Layer Interaction

In this paper, we introduce a new type of weighted, finite-difference schemes. The basic idea comes from the compact schemes discussed in [le le92] paper and the weighted compact schemes proposed in [jiang01] paper. The purpose of this new scheme is to achieve spectral-like resolution and high order of accuracy in smooth regions and to keep the ability to capture shocks without sacrificing the order of accuracy too much. This is really a hybrid scheme that the flux of the conservative Navier-Stokes equations is given by weighted compact scheme (WCS) but with some components from 5th order WENO ([jiang96]). The former gives sharp shock and high resolution, but the later provides necessary dissipation to avoid non-physical oscillations. In the paper, a sixth-order weighted compact scheme and corresponding 5th order WENO are combined following this basic idea. Numerical tests show that the new scheme has improved performance for the problems of two-dimensional shock/boundary layer interaction including test cases with incident shock and double cones. The scheme is especially appropriate for the problems of shock/boundary layer, shock/vertex or shock/turbulence interaction.
Using the San Francisco Federal Reserve's Online Fed Chairman Game in the Classroom

We describe the interactive Fed Chairman Game available on the San Francisco Federal Reserve's website. We describe how the game can be used in a principles of macroeconomics class and provide an assignment to go along with it. Also, we discuss an assignment that can be used to adapt the game for an upper division course such as intermediate macroeconomics or money and banking. Finally, we discuss how the game and assignments can be used to achieve learning outcomes.
What underpins BVA's ethical decisions?

Thank you to Jane Sansom for her letter and Vet Record for the opportunity to respond. As veterinary surgeons we are all bound by our declaration ‘that, above all , my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care’. Building on the declaration and RCVS Code of Conduct, in 2016 BVA published its landmark animal welfare strategy1 …
Crude glycerin alters beef cow ruminal fluid degradability of nutrients in vitro

Crude glycerin (GLY) is used as an energy supplement for cattle and has been shown to increase propionate and decrease acetate concentrations in the rumen. Glycerin also decreases ruminal NH3, and therefore, we hypothesized that GLY in rumen fluid would decrease protein degradability of feedstuffs. The objective was to evaluate the effect of GLY in bovine rumen fluid on extent of protein degradability of alfalfa hay (ALF), dried distiller's grains (DDG), and soybean meal (SBM). The study was conducted using an in vitro incubator with four incubation jars. Each incubation jar contained 18 filter bags with 0.5 g of ground feed sample (six bags contained ALF, six contained DDG, and six contained SBM), six blank bags, 1,600 mL of buffer solution, 400-mL rumen fluid (collected from two ruminally cannulated cows), and one of the two treatments. Treatments were 12.7 g of deionized water (-GLY) or 12.7 g of GLY (+GLY) added to the 2-liter contents of each jar. Incubation jars were purged with CO2 and allowed to incubate at 39°C for 48 h. The 48-h incubation period was repeated for a total of three runs (the study was a randomized complete block design). Fluid samples from incubation jars were collected at 0 and 48 h into 25-mL vials for measurement of pH and analysis of VFA and NH3. At the end of the 48-h incubation period, filter bags containing feed samples were collected for determination of DM, NDF, and CP disappearance. The pH and NH3 concentrations of the contents of jars were lower (P ≤ 0.01) and total VFA concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) for +GLY than -GLY after 48 h of incubation. Molar percentages of acetate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate were lower (P < 0.01) and molar percentages of propionate and valerate were greater (P ≤ 0.02), resulting in a lower (P < 0.01) acetate-to-propionate ratio for +GLY compared with -GLY after the 48-h incubation period. A GLY × feed interaction (P < 0.01) occurred for DM and CP disappearance, where +GLY decreased DM and CP disappearance of SBM more than that of ALF and DDG. Disappearance of NDF from ALF, DDG, and SBM was lower for +GLY compared with -GLY (GLY; P < 0.01). These results suggest that supplementing glycerin to ruminants may cause an increase in RUP fraction escaping to the small intestine for potential digestion and absorption.
Design Space Exploration of 3D Network-on-Chip: A Sensitivity-based Optimization Approach

High-performance and energy-efficient Network-on-Chip (NoC) architecture is one of the crucial components of the manycore processing platforms. A very promising NoC architecture recently proposed in the literature is the three-dimensional small-world NoC (3D SWNoC). Due to short vertical links in 3D integration and the robustness of small-world networks, the 3D SWNoC architecture outperforms its other 3D counterparts. However, the performance of 3D SWNoC is highly dependent on the placement of the links and associated routers. In this article, we propose a sensitivity-based link placement algorithm (SEN) to optimize the performance of 3D SWNoC. The sensitivity of a link in a NoC measures the importance of the link. The SEN algorithm optimizes the performance of 3D SWNoC by calculating the sensitivities of all the links in the NoC and removing the least important link repeatedly. We compare the performance of SEN algorithm with simulated annealing- (SA) and recently proposed machine-learning-based (ML) optimization algorithm. The optimized 3D SWNoC obtained by the proposed SEN algorithm achieves, on average, 11.5% and 13.6% lower latency and 18.4% and 21.7% lower energy-delay product than those optimized by the SA and ML algorithms respectively. In addition, the SEN algorithm is 26 to 33 times faster than the SA algorithm for the optimization of 64-, 128-, and 256-core 3D SWNoC designs. The performance gain provided by the SEN-, SA-, and ML-based methods also depend on the characteristics of the benchmarks under consideration. If the traffic pattern generated by a benchmark does not have enough variation, then the ML-based method does not have adequate opportunity to optimize the network. However, we find that ML-based methodology has faster convergence time than SEN and SA for bigger systems. The ML-based optimization algorithm is almost 4 and 97 times faster than the SEN- and SA-based algorithm for a system with 256 cores.
Multilevel Mixed Methods Research Designs: Advancing a Refined Definition:

Many research problems in social science involve multilevel phenomena. However, discussions about multilevel research designs are limited in the mixed methods (MM) literature. Building on early wri...
Human PLD structures enable drug design and characterization of isoenzyme selectivity

Phospholipase D enzymes (PLDs) are ubiquitous phosphodiesterases that produce phosphatidic acid (PA), a key second messenger and biosynthetic building block. Although an orthologous bacterial Streptomyces sp. strain PMF PLD structure was solved two decades ago, the molecular basis underlying the functions of the human PLD enzymes (hPLD) remained unclear based on this structure due to the low homology between these sequences. Here, we describe the first crystal structures of hPLD1 and hPLD2 catalytic domains and identify novel structural elements and functional differences between the prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes. Furthermore, structure-based mutation studies and structures of inhibitor-hPLD complexes allowed us to elucidate the binding modes of dual and isoform-selective inhibitors, highlight key determinants of isoenzyme selectivity and provide a basis for further structure-based drug discovery and functional characterization of this therapeutically important superfamily of enzymes.
Where Does the Crowd Fund – And How Does It Matter to Regional Entrepreneurship?

Where does crowdfunding occur and what impact does it have on new firm starts and regional entrepreneurship? We find that crowdfunding occurs more often in regions with greater population, foreign born, and college educated and attending residents, and less often in regions with higher median household income, low educational attainment, and middle-aged residents. Clustering regions by these same variables, we find an increasing disparity in per capita crowdfunding in large cities relative to smaller cities, college towns, and poor regions with weak human capital. CF appears to precede regional entrepreneurship, yet that effect comes mainly from the less urban regions with less CF. While CF occurs less in the communities that might benefit most from it, it has greater impact when it does.
Rapid Scaling Up of Covid-19 Diagnostic Testing in the United States - The NIH RADx Initiative.

RADx — Rapid Scaling Up of Covid-19 Testing In April 2020, Congress appropriated $1.5 billion to the NIH to increase national testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2. The NIH established the Rapid Accelera...
Multiple Potential Stressors and Dieback of Phragmites australis in the Mississippi River Delta, USA: Implications for Restoration

In 2016, widespread dieback of Phragmites australis was reported in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), Louisiana. We conducted two common-garden experiments to investigate several potentially important factors associated with this dieback: scale insects, water depth, fertilization and P. australis genetics (three lineages: Gulf, Delta and invasive EU). Predictions tested were scale abundance is lower in high water, at low fertilization, and for EU; plant biomass is negatively impacted by scales, high water and high fertilization; and EU suffers the least damage from the three potential stressors. Scale abundance was 41% lower in high water and decreased 2.7 fold as fertilization increased. Also, EU had 1.5–2.6 times fewer scales than Gulf, but had similar scale abundance to Delta. Impacts of scales, water depth and fertilizer on plant biomass depended strongly on lineage. Scales reduced biomass of Delta, EU and Gulf by 38%, 32% and 10%, respectively. In comparison, biomass was 30% higher for EU, 46% lower for Gulf and unchanged for Delta in high versus low water. Finally, at high fertilization levels, Gulf produced 57% more biomass than EU. Owing to its greater tolerance to scales and high water, EU may be most suitable for use in restoration of the MRD.
TWO PROXIES FOR SHAREHOLDER INFLUENCE: A CASE OF PAYOUT POLICY

Using the Banzhaf index as a proxy for voting power, this paper investigates the relative importance of the size of equity ownership and voting power of large shareholders in influencing corporate policy regarding cash dividends and share repurchase. Our empirical findings indicates that consideration of voting power in models may results in conclusions different from those that consider the size of equity ownership. Conclusions may also differ for large insider and outsider shareholders, if firms are either paying dividends or repurchasing shares, or doing both.
Using Multiple Pre-treatment Periods to Improve Difference-in-Differences and Staggered Adoption Design

While difference-in-differences (DID) was originally developed with one pre- and one post-treatment periods, data from additional pre-treatment periods is often available. How can researchers improve the DID design with such multiple pre-treatment periods under what conditions? We first use potential outcomes to clarify three benefits of multiple pre-treatment periods: (1) assessing the parallel trends assumption, (2) improving estimation accuracy, and (3) allowing for a more flexible parallel trends assumption. We then propose a new estimator, double DID, which combines all the benefits through the generalized method of moments and contains the two-way fixed effects regression as a special case. In a wide range of applications where several pre-treatment periods are available, the double DID improves upon the standard DID both in terms of identification and estimation accuracy. We also generalize the double DID to the staggered adoption design where different units can receive the treatment in different time periods. We illustrate the proposed method with two empirical applications, covering both the basic DID and staggered adoption designs. We offer an open-source R package that implements the proposed methodologies.
The Outsider's Advantage: Distrust as a Deterrent to Exploitation

Trust creates vulnerability to exploitation. This paper approaches this paradox by comparing the exploitability of categorical trust within social groups to the deterrent effect of categorical distrust between rival groups. The empirical setting is a 2008 stockbrokerage fraud perpetrated on an ethnically diverse population of investors in Kenya’s Nairobi Securities Exchange. As expected, investors prefer brokerages operated by coethnics and avoid brokerages operated by ethnic rivals, but clients coethnic with the corrupt brokerage are not protected from victimization in the fraud. Instead, the brokerage’s rival-group clients receive this protection. Both patterns are primarily seen in high conflict areas rather than true across all settings. Mechanism tests suggest that monitoring stimulated by rivals’ distrust drives this result, but deepening relational embedding with the brokerage attenuates it. A concluding discussion positions these findings in the larger social capital literature and considers whether social homogeneity might be a causal factor in opportunism.
You Will Love

In an act of faith and fatherhood, the narrator in this poem conveys to a queer young man, whom he refers to as mijo (my son), daily-life commonsense as well as truths, observations, and advice regarding same-sex relationships with men. The narrator tells the young man never to forget the importance of family, mother, grandmother, class, and Mexican culture, language, and people as vital parts of one’s identity. Throughout the poem, as though a heartbeat, the narrator declares the presence of love in the young man’s life and future.
Ligand-Metal Cooperation Enables C–C Activation Cross-Coupling Reactivity of Cyclopropyl Ketones

Activation of C–C bonds has the potential to revolutionize how molecules are made by altering the carbon skeleton and enabling new synthetic routes. Stereodefined cyclopropyl ketones have become readily available and would be an ideal source of linear 3-carbon fragments, but this reactivity is unknown. In this study we show how a new type of C–C activation catalyst, that relies upon a different, metalloradical mechanism, can enable new subsequent reactivity: the cross- coupling of cyclopropyl ketones with organozinc reagents and chlorotrimethylsilane to form 1,3- difunctionalized, ring-opened products. A mixture of experiment and theory sheds light on how cooperation between the redox-active ligand and the nickel catalyst enables the C–C bond activation step, suggesting how this approach could be applied in other systems.
Comparison of serum versus EDTA plasma in canine major crossmatch reactions

BACKGROUND Protocols for crossmatch reactions vary in veterinary medicine, particularly regarding the use of recipient serum vs plasma. Sources suggest that major crossmatch results might differ when recipient plasma is used instead of serum, but there are conflicting reports as to the exact effects on the results. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and degree of discrepancy, if any, between canine major crossmatch reactions using serum versus EDTA plasma, performed via a standard tube method. METHODS One hundred duplicate canine major crossmatch reactions were performed with both serum and EDTA plasma from 100 different "recipient" dogs against erythrocytes from a single, healthy "donor." Decreasing concentrations of a rabbit anti-dog erythrocyte antibody were added to generate strong positive, weak positive, and negative results for each crossmatch reaction. Crossmatch results were followed through the following phases: immediate spin, cold, warm, albumin, and Coombs. Semi-quantitative results were compared between reactions using serum vs EDTA plasma. RESULTS Weak positive, major crossmatch reactions were significantly more likely to demonstrate stronger agglutination in EDTA plasma compared with serum in the immediate spin phase, cold phase, warm phase, and albumin phase (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between serum and EDTA plasma results in the Coombs' phase (P = 0.313). CONCLUSIONS In this experimental setting, EDTA plasma and serum were both deemed acceptable for use in canine major crossmatch reactions. EDTA plasma might be preferable to detect weak agglutination with more sensitivity and reduce recipient blood volumes needed to complete the crossmatch reaction.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of Seychellois children sixty-six months after in utero exposure to methylmercury from a maternal fish diet: pilot study

The Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) is testing the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to low concentrations ofmethylmercury from a maternal diet high in fish is related to the child's developmental outcome. In this report, 217 children from a pilot cohort were reevaluated at 66 months of age. The evaluation included the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, the Preschool Language Scale, and age-appropriate sub-tests from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests ofAchievement. Maternal hair total mercury, measured by cold vapor atomic absorption in a maternal hair segment corresponding to pregnancy, revealed a median exposure of 7.1 ppm. The association between maternal hair mercury levels and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 66 months of age was examined by multiple linear regression analysis with adjustment for important confounding variables. The results indicated that mercury exposure was negatively associated with four endpoints (the McCarthy General Cognitive Index and Perceptual Performance subscale and The Preschool Language Scale Total Language and Auditory Comprehension subscale). After normalizing the data by removal of a small number of outliers or highly influential scores, the mercury effects were no longer significant except for auditory comprehension. These results should be viewed as preliminary and interpreted with caution, since the SCDS main study 66-month evaluations, which are better controlled with more detailed endpoints are being analyzed. This study highlights the difficulties in interpreting epidemiologic studies of this type and the degree to which overall results in multivariate analyses can be influenced by a very small number of cases.
COX-2 Inhibition: What We Learned—A Controversial Update on Safety Data

Importance Cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2)-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (c2sNSAIDs) have been scrutinized relative to the less costly nonselective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs). The conclusions reached were not always consistent with the data, and best treatment choices for patients were not always recommended. Objective The data that were used to criticize the c2sNSAIDs are reexamined in a controversial light, demonstrating that the presence of reverse bias was often, but not always, present. Evidence Review A review of both Pubmed and news media articles relating to nsNSAIDs and c2sNSAIDs was conducted. References were selected on the basis of relevance to the controversies. Findings The initial claims for the c2sNSAIDs of reduced gastrointestinal (GI) injury and preservation of platelet function were soon dwarfed by concerns regarding increased cardiovascular (CV) risk with publication of the Vioxx Gastrointestinal Outcomes Research trial for rofecoxib. Initial prothrombotic theories had a poor basis for explaining these concerns and have since largely been replaced with more credible explanations, including blood pressure elevations known to occur with all NSAIDs. Between data suggesting increased CV risk and under political pressure and public outcry, rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market in 2004. Soon, all c2sNSAIDs were under scrutiny. The Food and Drug Administration has since grouped all NSAIDs, whether c2sNSAID or nsNSAID, into one class with similar warnings regarding skin, CV, renal, and GI side effects. Conclusions and Relevance The entire “COX-2 debacle” is reminiscent of past events with NSAIDs. Amid this public, media, and political hysteria, it is not clear if we will see any more NSAIDs (selective or otherwise) approved in the near future.
The reliability, validity and feasibility of tools used to screen for caregiver burden: a systematic review.

Objective The overall objective of this review is to quantitatively measure the psychometric properties and the feasibility of caregiver burden screening tools. The more specific objectives were to determine the reliability, validity as well as feasibility of tools that are used to screen for caregiver burden and strain. Inclusion criteria This review considered international quantitative research papers that addressed the psychometric properties and feasibility of caregiver burden screening tools. Search strategy The search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies from 1980-2007 published only in the English language. An initial limited search of MEDLINE and CINAHL was undertaken followed by analysis of the text words contained in the title and abstract and the index terms used to describe the article. A second search identified keywords and index terms across major databases. Third, the reference list of identified reports and articles was searched for additional studies. Methodological quality Each paper was assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological quality prior to inclusion in the review using an appropriate critical appraisal instrument from the Joanna Briggs Institutes’ System for the Unified Management, Assessment and Review (SUMARI) package. Limitations Because burden is a multidimensional construct defined internationally with a multitude of other terms, only those studies whose title, abstract or keywords contained the search terminology developed for this review were identified for retrieval. Results The construct of caregiver burden is not standardized, and many terms are used to describe burden. A caregiver is also identified as a carer. Instruments exist in multiple languages and have been tested in multiple populations. A total of 112 papers, experimental and non-experimental in nature, were included in the review. The majority of papers were non-experimental studies that tested or used a caregiver burden screening tool. Because of the nature of these papers, a meta-analysis of the results was not possible. Instead a table is used to depict the 74 caregiver burden screening tools that meet the psychometric and feasibility standards of this review. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), in particular the 22-item version, has been examined the most throughout the literature. In addition to its sound psychometric properties, the ZBI has been widely used across languages and cultures.