cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanosecond Dynamics of Gαi1 Bound to Nucleotides or Ric-8A, a Gα Chaperone with GEF Activity.

Resistance to Inhibitors of Cholinesterase A (Ric-8A) is a 60-kDa cytosolic protein that has chaperone and guanine nucleotide exchange (GEF) activity toward heterotrimeric G protein α subunits of the i, q, and 12/13 classes, catalyzing the release of GDP from Gα and subsequent binding of GTP. In the absence of GTP or GTP analogs, and subsequent to GDP release, Gα forms a stable nucleotide-free complex with Ric-8A. In this study, time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements were employed to detect local motions of Gαi1 labeled at selected sites with Alexa 488 (C5) fluorescent dye (Ax) in the GDP, GTPγS (collectively, GXP), and Ric-8A-bound states. Sites selected for Alexa 488 (C5) derivatization were in the α-helical domain (residue 106), the α-helical domain-Ras-like domain hinge (residue 63), Switch I (residue 180), Switch II (residue 209), Switch III (residue 238), the α4 helix (residue 305), and at the junction between the purine-binding subsite in the β6-α5 loop and the C-terminal α helix (residue 330). In the GXP-bound states, the Alexa fluorophore reports local motions with correlation times ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 ns. The dynamics at Ax180 is slower in Gαi1•GDP than in Gαi1•GTPγS. The reverse is true at Ax209. The order parameters, S(2), for Alexa probes at switch residues are high (0.78-0.88) in Gαi1•GDP and lower (0.67-0.75) in Gαi1•GTPγS, although in crystal structures, switch segments are more ordered in the latter. Local motions at Ax63, Ax180, Ax209, and Ax330 are all markedly slower (2.3-2.8 ns) in Gαi1:Ric-8A than in Gαi1•GXP, and only modest (± 0.1) differences in S(2) are observed at most sites in Gαi1:Ric-8A relative to Gαi1•GXP. The slow dynamics suggests long-range correlated transitions within an ensemble of states and, particularly in the hinge and switch segments that make direct contact with Ric-8A. Induction of Gαi1 structural heterogeneity by Ric-8A provides a mechanism for nucleotide release.
Therapies for Locally Advanced and Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Despite major advances in molecular characterization of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), the management of locally advanced or metastatic disease remains challenging because of the lack of effective systemic chemotherapy options. Patients with hormonally active ACC have added morbidity associated with hormonal excess syndromes, which further complicates therapy. Surgery is often not feasible in these patients, and systemic therapy is often favored. However, current standard therapy has modest efficacy, and tumor responses are often short-lived. The most commonly used regimen includes the combination of mitotane as an adrenolytic agent with a cocktail of chemotherapy agents including cisplatin and etoposide as the key ingredients. Despite the promising results of newer generations of anticancer drugs that target the tumor vasculature or intracellular signaling pathways in other types of cancer, the effect of these drugs in ACC has been minimal. The coming few years are expected to yield data about the efficacy of immunotherapy or drugs simultaneously targeting multiple pathways in ACC and could break the stalemate in ACC management.
Official Executive Summary of an American Thoracic Society/American College of Chest Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline: Liberation From Mechanical Ventilation in Critically Ill Adults

Background: This clinical practice guideline addresses six questions related to liberation from mechanical ventilation in critically ill adults. It is the result of a collaborative effort between the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.Methods: A multidisciplinary panel posed six clinical questions in a Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes format. A comprehensive literature search and evidence synthesis was performed for each question, which included appraising the certainty in the evidence (i.e., the quality of evidence) using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. The Evidence-to-Decision framework was applied to each question, requiring the panel to evaluate and weigh the importance of the problem, the confidence in the evidence, the certainty about how much the public values the main outcomes, the magnitude and balance of desirable and undesirable outcomes, the resources and costs associated with the interventi...
Multipole moments of water molecules and the aqueous solvation of monovalent ions

Abstract The differences in solvation of ions in water play important roles in biology and chemistry, such as the kosmotropic and chaotropic properties of different ions. However, the differences in certain properties of ions in aqueous solutions have been difficult to capture in atomistic computer simulations. Given the uniqueness of water as a liquid, this may be due to oversimplifications in empirical potential energy functions used to describe water in these simulations. Recently, a single-site multipole (SSMP) non-polarizable model of water, which uses multipoles from a quantum mechanical calculation, has been shown to model the properties of liquid water over a range of temperatures and pressures with remarkable accuracy compared to both nonpolarizable and polarizable multi-site models. Thus, it appears to capture features of the average electrostatic potential that other models lack. Here, the ability of SSMP to model the structure of the hydration shell of monovalent ions is investigated. Although only multipoles up to the octupole are needed for water-water interactions, it is shown to be necessary to include the hexadecapole for interactions with charged species, so that the multipole expansion energies are all truncated at order 1/r5. More importantly, it is shown that solvation of cations in SSMP water leads to agreement of the orientational distribution of water molecules with ab initio molecular dynamics results, unlike typical multi-site models. The additional orientation seen in SSMP water may lead to an understanding of the differences in the kosmotropic and chaotropic properties of sodium and potassium ions.
The adaptive prediction of time series

Adaptive technique determination of optimum operations for pure prediction of discrete time series with respect to mean square error cost function
Ethane-Based Chemical Amplification Measurement Technique for Atmospheric Peroxy Radicals

Peroxy radicals play important roles in the atmospheric oxidation of organic compounds and the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosol. There are few peroxy radical measurement techniques; the most common, chemical amplification using CO and NO, requires the use of toxic reagents, and its calibration factor is very sensitive to relative humidity. We present a new method for quantifying atmospheric peroxy radicals, ECHAMP (Ethane CHemical AMPlifier). Sampled air is mixed with NO and C2H6 (rather than CO), effecting a series of reactions that ultimately produces 25 molecules of NO2 per sampled peroxy radical under dry conditions. This “amplification” factor decreases to 17 at a relative humidity of 50%, yielding a 1σ precision for 90 s average measurements of 0.8–2.5 ppt depending on the atmospheric variability of ozone. We demonstrated the utility of the new technique with measurements in Bloomington, IN, in July 2015.
Assays for precise quantification of total (including short) and elongated HIV-1 transcripts

Despite intensive study, it is unclear which mechanisms are responsible for latent HIV infection in vivo. One potential mechanism is inhibition of HIV transcriptional elongation, which results in short abortive transcripts containing the trans-activation response (TAR) region. Because the relative levels of total (including short) and processive transcripts provide measures of HIV transcriptional initiation and elongation, there is a compelling need for techniques that accurately measure both. Nonetheless, prior assays for total transcripts have been semi-quantitative and have seen limited application to patient samples. This manuscript reports the validation of quantitative reverse transcription (RT) droplet digital PCR assays for measurement of total (TAR) and processive (R-U5/gag) HIV transcripts. Traditional RT priming strategies can efficiently detect the TAR region on long HIV transcripts but detect 10-fold higher than elongated transcripts, implying a substantial block to transcriptional elongation in vivo. This approach may be applied to other difficult-to-prime RNA targets.
Ethnic Quotas as Term-Limits: Caste and Distributive Politics in South India

While ethnic quotas are primarily used to increase minority political representation, they also act like term-limits for majority-group incumbents, who cannot seek reelection after quota implementation. As such, quotas may have the perverse effect of making incumbents less accountable during their last term, particularly to minorities. Although majority-group incumbents may still have social reasons to distribute benefits to their coethnics, they have less reason to do so for minorities, from whom they derive little social reward. Using the systematic rotation of caste quotas in south India, this article shows that village presidents who expect to be ousted by quota spend significantly less on minorities than those who can run again; however, they do not reduce spending on goods that benefit their own communities. These findings suggest that quota policies must be evaluated not just by whom they bring into office but also by whom they force out.
FLAG-IM (Fludarabine, Ara-C, G-CSF, Idarubicin, Mylotarg) Is an Effective Salvage Regimen Producing High Rates of Remission (CR+CRi) in Relapsed/Refractory AML.

Despite advances in post-remission therapy, the outcome of patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory AML remains poor. In particular, pts who relapse with an initial remission duration of 500/mm3) occurred at a median of 28 days (range 21–50). The principal nonhematologic toxicity was grade 3-4 hepatotoxicity which occurred in 13 (32%) pts which was generally transient but fulfilled criteria for VOD in 3 (7%) pts. Of the 16 pts (39%) who underwent subsequent allogeneic transplant post FLAG-IM, median OS was 1089 days vs 94 days for no transplant, p=0.0002, with 1 yr KM estimate of 52.4% (95%CI 26.4–78.2). We conclude that FLAG-IM is an effective salvage regimen for AML with high rates of remission observed in a historically refractory patient population. The high response rates have allowed subsequent allogeneic transplantation in a significant fraction of patients resulting in long term survivors.
2.12 PMC Fatigue – Fundamentals

This chapter is an exposition of the fundamental concepts underlying fatigue in polymer matrix composites. The operative mechanisms under cyclic loading in a unidirectional (UD) composite are reviewed and a framework for interpretation of the fatigue behavior, called fatigue life diagram, is described. Using the framework, the roles of fibers, matrix, and fiber/matrix interface in governing fatigue failure are clarified. Additional fatigue mechanisms operating in multidirectional laminates are addressed and their manifestations of the fatigue life diagram are discussed. Finally, implications of the fatigue life diagram in reducing empiricism in models for fatigue life prediction are described.
Reorganization and Bankruptcy of Banks and Securities Dealers in Switzerland

This paper explores main steps of the Swiss Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law for banks and securities dealers. It provides analysis of competences of the Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority FINMA according to current Swiss law on insolvency for banks and securities dealers. FINMA orders and supervises restructuring and insolvency of banks. As Swiss bankruptcy proceedings for banks applies to all assets of the insolvent and bankrupt bank, regardless whether they are located in Switzerland or in another jurisdiction, FINMA is involved in recognition of the foreign insolvency proceedings and satisfaction in foreign proceedings, transfer of the remainder to the foreign bankruptcy administrator, foreign compositions with creditors. The analysis of competences of FINMA during the restructuring, bankruptcy and liquidation of insolvent banks is the main focus of the current article.
Unveiling a Drift Resistant Cryptotope within Marburgvirus Nucleoprotein Recognized by Llama Single-Domain Antibodies

Marburg virus (MARV) is a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever virus that is increasingly re-emerging in Africa, has been imported to both Europe and the US, and is also a Tier 1 bioterror threat. As a negative sense RNA virus, MARV has error prone replication which can yield progeny capable of evading countermeasures. To evaluate this vulnerability we sought to determine the epitopes of 4 llama single domain antibodies (sdAb or VHH) specific for nucleoprotein (NP), each capable of forming MARV monoclonal affinity reagent sandwich assays. Here, we show that all sdAb bound the C-terminal region of NP, which was produced recombinantly to derive X-ray crystal structures of the 3 best performing antibody-antigen complexes. The common epitope is a trio of alpha-helices that form a novel asymmetric basin-like depression that accommodates each sdAb paratope via substantial complementarity-determining region (CDR) restructuring. Shared core contacts were complemented by unique accessory contacts on the sides and overlooks of the basin yielding very different approach routes for each sdAb to bind the antigen. The C-terminal region of MARV NP was unable to be crystallized alone and required engagement with sdAb to form crystals suggesting the antibodies acted as crystallization chaperones. While gross structural homology is apparent between the two most conserved helices of MARV and Ebolavirus, the positions and morphologies of the resulting basins were markedly different. Naturally-occurring amino-acid variations occurring in bat and human Marburgvirus strains all mapped to surfaces distant from the predicted sdAb contacts suggesting a vital role for the NP interface in virus replication. As an essential internal structural component potentially interfacing with a partner protein it is likely the C-terminal epitope remains hidden or “cryptic” until virion disruption occurs. Conservation of this epitope over 50 years of Marburgvirus evolution should make these sdAb useful foundations for diagnostics and therapeutics resistant to drift.
Validity and reliability of the Balance Tracking System during feet together stance

Abstract Laboratory and clinical measures of postural control are commonly used in the diagnosis of concussion. A novel instrument, the Balance Tracking System (BTrackS), has similar instrumentation to a force platform (FP), with greater portability and reduced cost. The purpose was to evaluate the concurrent validity of derived center of pressure (CoP) excursion and mean velocity for the raw CoP coordinates produced by the BTrackS and FP during feet together quiet upright stance. Participants stood on the BTrackS and FP at two time points. The BTrackS excursion values were significantly lower than the FP values at both time points but the devices CoP excursion values were strongly related at both time points and in all conditions. For mean velocity data, there were no significant differences between the devices at any time point. The BTrackS had excellent test–retest reliability over time in all conditions for both the excursion and mean velocity data.
Paying for Quality Improvement: Compliance with Tobacco Cessation Guidelines

Article-at-a-Glance Background Identification and treatment of routine tobacco use in medical practice is an effective intervention but is not used consistently. A study was conducted at HealthPartners, a large network-model health plan in Minnesota, to determine the effect of an outcomes recognition strategy that involved bonus funds and the rates at which network physicians document that tobacco users are identified and advised to quit. Methods Audits of 14,489 ambulatory patient records from 19–20 medical groups were conducted to determine the proportion of charts from each medical group that demonstrated identification of smoking status and counseling to encourage quitting at the most recent office visit in each year. Results Overall mean tobacco use identification increased from 49% ± 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]) in 1996 to 73% ± 7% in 1999 (p 80% of visits and >80% of tobacco users advised to quit increased from 0 in 1996 to 8 in 1999. Discussion Data feedback combined with a financial incentive appear to be an effective way for a health plan to improve physician compliance with the tobacco treatment guideline. Other health plans might consider similar reporting and incentive approaches to effectively engage medical group leadership and to improve the health of their members who use tobacco.
Dealing with the Journal

The most widely accepted criterion for journal quality is its Impact Factor (IF); the higher the value the better the rating. Nowadays all journals require that the manuscripts be uploaded online following the menu-driven instructions. All journals follow the “blind” peer-review procedure for getting an objective assessment of the scientific quality of the paper. Points on which the authors disagree with the reviewers and the reasons for that should be brought to the editor’s attention. Once the manuscript is accepted for publication, the author will have a chance to do the final scrutiny of the pre-publication proof. If an article is not accepted by a journal but has not been detected to have any “fatal” flaws such as faulty experimental procedures, the authors may pursue the option for publishing it in another journal.
Stability of the Arctic Ocean Ice-Cover and Pleistocene Warming Events: Outlining the Problem

The sequence of events leading to the development of the modern Arctic Ocean ice-cover is imperfectly understood. Glacial-marine sediment was deposited during the early Pliocene and perhaps by the end of the late Miocene and this sediment type has continued to accumulate throughout the late Cenozoic to the present. The time of formation of the ocean’s ice-cover, whether ice has been continually present, and the relationship of the ocean’s sediment to the ice-cover have been debated. How geologically stable is the ice-cover? Is there evidence for significant change in the ice-cover during the late Cenozoic?
Mechanism of hydrogen peroxide-induced Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase-centered radical formation as explored by immuno-spin trapping: the role of copper- and carbonate radical anion-mediated oxidations.

Abstract We have reinvestigated the biochemistry of H2O2-induced Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1)-centered radicals, detecting them by immuno-spin trapping. These radicals are involved in H2O2-induced structural and functional damage to SOD1, and their mechanism of generation depends on copper and/or (bi)carbonate (i.e., CO2, CO3−2, or HCO3−). First, in the absence of DTPA and (bi)carbonate, Cu(II) was partially released and rebound at His, Cys, and Tyr residues in SOD1 with the generation of protein–copper-bound oxidants outside the SOD1 active site by reaction with excess H2O2. These species produced immuno-spin trapping-detectable SOD1-centered radicals associated with H2O2-induced active site (∼5 and ∼10 kDa fragments) and non-active site (smearing between 3 and 16 kDa) copper-dependent backbone oxidations and subsequent fragmentation of SOD1. Second, in the presence of DTPA, which inhibits H2O2-induced SOD1 non-active site fragmentation, (bi)carbonate scavenged the enzyme-bound oxidant at the SOD1 active site to produce the carbonate radical anion, CO3 −, thus protecting against active site SOD1 fragmentation. CO3 − diffuses and produces side chain oxidations forming DMPO-trappable radical sites outside the enzyme active site. Both mechanisms for generating immuno-spin trapping-detectable SOD1-centered radicals were susceptible to inhibition by cyanide and enhanced at high pH values. In addition, (bi)carbonate enhanced H2O2-induced SOD1 turnover as demonstrated by an enhancement in oxygen evolution and SOD1 inactivation. These results help clarify the free radical chemistry involved in the functional and structural oxidative damage to SOD1 by H2O2 with the intermediacy of copper- and CO3 −-mediated oxidations.
Load sequence effects and variable amplitude fatigue of superelastic NiTi

Abstract Fatigue behavior of superelastic NiTi alloys under variable amplitude loading is experimentally studied and two energy-based fatigue models were used to analyze the fatigue behavior. Cyclic tests were conducted in strain-controlled condition. Load sequence effects are studied by performing fatigue testing under load paths consisting of two steps of constant amplitude loading. Both low-high (LH) and high-low (HL) load paths were considered in experimentations. Variable amplitude load paths were also generated at a constant strain rate using random values, which resulted in reversals of different strain amplitudes and mean strains. Analysis of the fatigue results was carried out using two energy-based fatigue models that have been shown to appropriately account for the effects of mean strain and stress. The energy-based total-fatigue-toughness parameter, ∑Wt, together with the Rainflow cycle counting method provided satisfactory fatigue life predictions for this alloy. Based on this combination of the fatigue parameter and cycle counting technique, the predicted fatigue lives fall within prediction bands of 2.5 for all the different variable amplitude loading paths.
The impact of treatment package time on survival in surgically managed head and neck cancer in the United States.

Abstract Objectives Delays in the initiation of postoperative radiation have been associated with worse outcomes; however, the effect of the overall treatment package time (interval from surgery through the completion of radiation) remains undefined. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of package time on survival and to evaluate this effect among different subgroups of head and neck cancer patients. Patients and methods In this observational cohort study, the National Cancer Database was used to identify 35,167 patients with resected nonmetastatic head and neck cancer who underwent adjuvant radiation from 2004 to 2014. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of treatment package time on overall survival. Results Median package time was 96 days (interquartile range, 85–112 days). After adjusting for covariates, package times of 11 weeks or less were associated with improved survival (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.97) compared to an interval of 12–13 weeks, whereas package times of more than 14 weeks were associated with worse survival (aHR, 1.14, 1.14, and 1.22 for 14–15, 15–17, and >17 weeks, respectively). A significant interaction was identified between package time and disease site, nodal status, and stage. Specifically, patients with oropharyngeal tumors, advanced stage (III or IV) disease, or nodal involvement experienced more pronounced increases in mortality risk with delays in treatment time. Conclusions Treatment package time independently impacts survival. This effect may be strongest for patients with oropharyngeal tumors or advanced stage disease.
The Importance of a Great Finish: You have to finish strong, every time.

How can you make sure that you are recognized as a valuable member of your team, whose work is seen as critical to the team’s success? You have to finish strong, every time. Here is how to keep your momentum up and make the right moves to be a visible contributor to the final success of every project.
Health Benefits from Upgrading Public Buses for Cleaner Air: A Case Study of Clark County, Nevada and the United States.

Public transit buses, which move more than 5 billion passengers annually in the United States (U.S.), can contribute substantially to the environmental health burden through emitted air pollutants. As a leader in transforming to cleaner bus fleets, the Regional Transport Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has been transitioning from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses since 1999. By 2017, ~75% of RTC’s buses operating in Clark County, Nevada were CNG-powered. This study assesses the health benefits of the venture using the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Co-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) model, considering the emission and exposure changes from the 2017 baseline for two hypothetical scenarios: (1) no transition (CC_D) and (2) complete transition (CC_N). The CC_D scenario shows realized health benefits, mostly due to avoided mortality, of $0.79–8.21 million per year for 2017 alone, while CC_N suggests an additional $0.88–2.24 million annually that could be achieved by completing the transition. The wide range of estimates partly reflects uncertainties in determining diesel bus emissions under business-as-usual. These health benefits were not limited locally, with ~70% going to other counties. Two national-scale scenarios, US_D and US_N, were also constructed to explore the health impact of transitioning from diesel to CNG buses across the U.S. As of 2017, with CNG powering only ~20% of transit bus mileages nationwide, there could be massive unrealized health benefits of $0.98–2.48 billion per year including 114–258 avoided premature deaths and >5000 avoided respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Taking into account the health benefits, economic costs, and the inter-state nature of air pollution, expanding federal assistances to accelerate a nationwide transition to cleaner bus fleets is highly recommended.
Nitration reactions of conjugated compounds employing lithium nitrate and trifluoroacetic anhydride

Tandem nitration and Ritter reaction of three conjugated dienes using trifluoroacetyl nitrate in acetonitrile led predominantly to 1,4-addition products and concomitant N-nitration. The major produ...
Long-Term Drug Therapy and Drug Discontinuations and Holidays for Osteoporosis Fracture Prevention: A Systematic Review.

Background Optimal long-term osteoporosis drug treatment (ODT) is uncertain. Purpose To summarize the effects of long-term ODT and ODT discontinuation and holidays. Data sources Electronic bibliographic databases (January 1995 to October 2018) and systematic review bibliographies. Study selection 48 studies that enrolled men or postmenopausal women aged 50 years or older who were being investigated or treated for fracture prevention, compared long-term ODT (>3 years) versus control or ODT continuation versus discontinuation, reported incident fractures (for trials) or harms (for trials and observational studies), and had low or medium risk of bias (ROB). Data extraction Two reviewers independently rated ROB and strength of evidence (SOE). One extracted data; another verified accuracy. Data synthesis Thirty-five trials (9 unique studies) and 13 observational studies (11 unique studies) had low or medium ROB. In women with osteoporosis, 4 years of alendronate reduced clinical fractures (hazard ratio [HR], 0.64 [95% CI, 0.50 to 0.82]) and radiographic vertebral fractures (both moderate SOE), whereas 4 years of raloxifene reduced vertebral but not nonvertebral fractures. In women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, 6 years of zoledronic acid reduced clinical fractures (HR, 0.73 [CI, 0.60 to 0.90]), including nonvertebral fractures (high SOE) and clinical vertebral fractures (moderate SOE). Long-term bisphosphonates increased risk for 2 rare harms: atypical femoral fractures (low SOE) and osteonecrosis of the jaw (mostly low SOE). In women with unspecified osteoporosis status, 5 to 7 years of hormone therapy reduced clinical fractures (high SOE), including hip fractures (moderate SOE), but increased serious harms. After 3 to 5 years of treatment, bisphosphonate continuation versus discontinuation reduced radiographic vertebral fractures (zoledronic acid; low SOE) and clinical vertebral fractures (alendronate; moderate SOE) but not nonvertebral fractures (low SOE). Limitation No trials studied men, clinical fracture data were sparse, methods for estimating harms were heterogeneous, and no trials compared sequential treatments or different durations of drug holidays. Conclusion Long-term alendronate and zoledronic acid therapies reduce fracture risk in women with osteoporosis. Long-term bisphosphonate treatment may increase risk for rare adverse events, and continuing treatment beyond 3 to 5 years may reduce risk for vertebral fractures. Long-term hormone therapy reduces hip fracture risks but has serious harms. Primary funding source National Institutes of Health and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (PROSPERO: CRD42018087006).
Taxonomic and geographic gaps in understanding the functional effects of imperilled fishes on freshwater ecosystems

The effects that fishes have on rates of one or more ecosystem processes (hereafter referred to as functional effects) are often invoked as an important reason for imperilled species conservation. However, the degree to which we understand these effects is rarely evaluated for most groups of fishes. We assessed how well the functional effects of freshwater and diadromous fishes, one of the most imperilled groups of animals, are quantified to date. We found that 88% of studies considering the functional effects of imperilled North American fishes were conducted on one family, Salmonidae. Studies of the functional effects of fishes were also concentrated in Pacific drainages of North America, with few studies in hotspots of imperilled fish diversity such as the Southeastern United States, the arid Southwest and central Mexico. Our results demonstrate the vast taxonomic and geographic gaps in our functional understanding of imperilled fishes and highlight the need to broaden this work to justify the argument that they are functionally important in the ecosystems they inhabit.
Towards a novel backdating strategy for creating built-up land time series data using contemporary spatial constraints

Abstract For retrospective land cover change analysis extending back in time earlier than approximately the year 2000, multispectral remote sensing data such as the Landsat archive are often the only available and systematically archived data source. However, the spatial resolution of such observations often impedes the change analysis of geographic phenomena that may occur at sub-pixel level, such as changes in built-up land. In such cases, the integration of these data products with increasingly available contemporary high resolution settlement data employed as spatial constraints can potentially mitigate this drawback. Little research has been done regarding the quantitative potential of such integrative approaches, often due to the lack of multi-temporal reference data about changes in built-up area at sufficient spatio-temporal granularity and extent. In this contribution, we present and evaluate a time-series based approach for built-up area change analysis using Landsat time series data, spatially constrained by contemporary building footprint data. We evaluate the potential of our approach using a highly accurate multi-temporal reference database of built-up areas created through integrating publicly available building footprint and cadastral data in selected regions of the United States of America.
Hypervalent iodine reactions utilized in carbon–carbon bond formations

Advances in hypervalent iodine chemistry have put the field on the precipice of a second golden age; the first being pioneered in the 1990s. During that period, C–C bond forming reactions would be published but rarely with the intended goal of developing a C–C bond forming methodology. More recently, the development of hypervalent iodine-guided electrophilic substitution, arylations using hypervalent iodine, and photoredox reactions with hypervalent iodine have shown great progress in the area of C–C bond formation.
Dangers of Digitizing Due Process

Technology has become the “fourth party” in dispute resolution through the growing field of online dispute resolution (ODR), which includes use of technology and computer-mediated-communication (CMC) in negotiation, mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution processes. At the same time, courts are now moving processes online and using technologies such as predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) for setting bail and other judicial tasks. Furthermore, such e-court and other judicial uses of technology are flourishing due to their proclivity for furthering austerity goals while expanding access to remedies. Nonetheless, there is danger that the rush to digitization will ignore due process and transparency in the name of efficiency. Accordingly, this paper will provide brief background on the growth of e-courts and raise concerns for policymakers to consider for the preservation of fairness in public dispute resolution.
Discovery of n-Type Zintl Phases RbAlSb4, RbGaSb4, CsAlSb4, and CsGaSb4

Zintl phases are excellent candidates for high-efficiency thermoelectrics (TEs) due to their extremely low lattice thermal conductivity. The manufacturing of an all-Zintl module is particularly att...
Patterns and Trends in Advance Care Planning Among Older Adults Who Received Intensive Care at the End of Life.

This study uses Medicare claims data to identify and assess disparities in the use of advance care planning among adults 65 years or older who died between 2000 and 2015 and received intensive care during the last 30 days of life.
Direct ink writing of surface-modified flax elastomer composites

Abstract Compared with synthetic fibers, natural fibers exhibit high specific mechanical strength, excellent thermal and acoustic insulation, and super biodegradability. These characteristics made them potential materials for green, sustainable, and inexpensive manufacturing of the next-generation composite components. This work focuses on addressing the material extrusion challenge in 3D printing natural fibers using direct ink writing technique. Flax fiber, a common natural fiber, is studied. Influence of the layered structure of the flax fiber on the printability in direct ink writing process is investigated. Techniques. It is found that the outer layer of the fiber can be controllably removed by the sonication process and the processed fiber can be dispersed uniformly in the elastomer to form a homogeneous ink, which overcomes the tip clogging issue in extrusion-based 3D printing techniques. To understand and quantify the influence, rheological properties are characterized. Additionally, the printability is investigated. Furthermore, mechanical behaviors of the 3D printed flax-fiber elastomer composites are analyzed. It was found that with an addition of only 0.2 wt% surface-modified flax fibers, the tensile properties could be increased over 100%, which is comparable to or even higher than other synthetic fiber-based composites with much higher fiber loading fractions. The findings in this study indicate a novel and sustainable method to engineer composites using direct ink writing technique. The high degree of property tunability and material biocompatibility indicate great promise of applications of the 3D printed fiber-elastomer composites in many fields, such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, and flexible wearable electronics.
Non-operative management of acute appendicitis in a pediatric patient with concomitant COVID-19 infection

Abstract Introduction In late December 2019, reports emerged from Wuhan, China of a novel corovonavirus SARS-CoV-2, which caused severe acute respiratory distress syndrome referred to as COVID-19. As the virus spread, reports of severe perioperative complications, including fatalities, began to emerge in the literature. We present a case of a previously healthy patient who developed classic symptoms of appendicitis. The patient was also found to be positive for COVID-19. Given the risks to both the patient and surgical team, we elected to pursue a non-operative management strategy for this patient with appendicitis. Materials and methods A 13 year old female with COVID-19 presented with a day of right lower quadrant abdominal pain. A computerized tomography (CT) scan diagnosed uncomplicated appendicitis. The patient was successfully treated non-operatively with antibiotics and discharged home. Conclusion To our knowledge, this case illustrates the first report of a pediatric patient with concomitant appendicitis and COVID-19 infection. We have been able to utilize a non-operative management strategy to effectively treat the patient's acute appendicitis, while protecting her from the risks of undergoing a general anesthetic as well as the operative team. We hope this report can provide others with a potential management strategy for similar patients.
Reconfiguring Plant Metabolism for Biodegradable Plastic Production

For decades, plants have been the subject of genetic engineering to synthesize novel, value-added compounds. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a large class of biodegradable biopolymers naturally synthesized in eubacteria, are among the novel products that have been introduced to make use of plant acetyl-CoA metabolic pathways. It was hoped that renewable PHA production would help address environmental issues associated with the accumulation of nondegradable plastic wastes. However, after three decades of effort synthesizing PHAs, and in particular the simplest form polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), and seeking to improve their production in plants, it has proven very difficult to reach a commercially profitable rate in a normally growing plant. This seems to be due to the growth defects associated with PHA production and accumulation in plant cells. Here, we review major breakthroughs that have been made in plant-based PHA synthesis using traditional genetic engineering approaches and discuss challenges that have been encountered. Then, from the point of view of plant synthetic biology, we provide perspectives on reprograming plant acetyl-CoA pathways for PHA production, with the goal of maximizing PHA yield while minimizing growth inhibition. Specifically, we suggest genetic elements that can be considered in genetic circuit design, approaches for nuclear genome and plastome modification, and the use of multiomics and mathematical modeling in understanding and restructuring plant metabolic pathways.
Treatment of Post-Ablation Bronchopleural Fistula Using Percutaneous Synthetic Hydrogel Surgical Sealant: Initial Experience of Safety and Efficacy

Purpose Bronchopleural fistula is a rare but serious complication of lung ablation, as it is difficult to treat and is associated with a high mortality rate. Standard therapy often relies on surgical pleurodesis, which can be particularly problematic in patients with poor baseline lung function. A minimally invasive treatment option for bronchopleural fistula may offer an alternative to surgery for appropriate patients. This case series describes the technique, safety and efficacy of percutaneously administered synthetic hydrogel surgical sealant in the treatment of post-ablation bronchopleural fistula in five patients. Materials and methods Retrospective chart review was carried out in five consecutive patients identified to have had BPF after lung ablation between 2009 and 2017 who were treated with percutaneous administration of synthetic hydrogel surgical sealant using CT guidance. Results The procedure was successfully carried out in all patients without immediate complications, and complete resolution of air leak was achieved in four of five patients (80%). Up to the most recent follow-up, no evidence of delayed complications or recurrent air leak was present (follow-up range 1 week-8 years). Conclusion The authors' initial experience shows that targeted surgical sealant is a potentially safe and effective alternative treatment of post-ablation persistent air leak.
Abstract 14970: Normative Echocardiographic Data for Premature Infants Between 23 to 26- and 6/7-weeks Gestational Age

Background: Echocardiography is utilized to assess cardiac structure and function. In infants, children, and adolescents, a normative data set can be utilized to evaluate cardiac size relative to p...
Colorado 2050: The Race to the Top!

We perform 360 review on the state of Colorado to analyze the strengths and weaknesses, and provides recommendations to aid policy makers to enhance the economic growth and development. Across all U.S. states, the overall ranking of Colorado is top 10 and in the economy matrix is top one. Yet, Colorado is lagging in other key matrices, such as Opportunity; Fiscal Stability; Crime & Corrections and Natural Environment. These weaknesses hurt minorities and disadvantage groups, thus we created a new index named as “Minorities ‘I can’t breathe’ index”, that measures how friendly is the state toward minorities and find Colorado to be above average at top 12. Colorado is bottom three (bottom 11) in the nation in education (income) gap by race. The study includes cross-sectional analyses across sectors and cities. Between 2010 and 2019, we find that the construction sector is the fastest growing sector (6.2%), while manufacturing is the slowest (1.8%); Fort Collin is the fastest earnings (3.4%), followed by Denver (3.2%), then Boulder (2.7%) and Colorado Springs (2.5%). Based on the socioeconomic of Colorado, our key recommendations to reach the top are to further investing in education to meet the rapid growth of minorities (the fraction of the Latino communities expected to reach 35% in 2050); our principal is that human capital is the medical to growth. In addition, we recommend a massive infrastructure investment (quadruple the current investment) and zero corporate income tax (recall, Taxes is our main competitor). Should these recommendations implemented, we project with high probabilities that Colorado will reach the top by 2050.
Cochlear Implantation in Vestibular Schwannoma: A Systematic Literature Review.

Objective Ipsilateral cochlear implantation (CI) in vestibular schwannoma (VS) has been an emerging trend over the last two decades. We conducted the first systematic review of hearing outcomes comparing neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) and sporadic VS undergoing CI. A comparison of the two populations and predictor of outcome was assessed. This is an update to a previously presented study. Data Sources Systemic data searches were performed in PubMed NCBI and Scopus by an academic librarian. No restrictions based on the year of publication were used. Study Selection Studies were selected if patients had a diagnosis of NF2 and a CI placed in the affected side with reports of hearing outcome. Two independent reviewers screened each abstract and full-text article. Data Extraction Studies were extracted at the patient level, and the assessment of quality and bias was evaluated according to the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool. Main Outcome Measures Outcome predictors were determined by using the chi-square test and Student's t-test. Results Overall, most CI recipients functioned in the high-to-intermediate performer category for both sporadic and NF2-related VS. Median AzBio (Arizona Biomedical Institute Sentence Test) was 72% (interquartile range [IQR]: 50) in NF2 patients and 70% (IQR: 7.25) in sporadic patients. Larger tumor size predicted a poorer final audiometric outcome. Conclusions Categorization of hearing outcome into superior performance and inferior performance based on sentence recognition revealed a generally good hearing outcome regardless of treatment or patient population. Select patients with sporadic and NF2 VS may benefit from CI.
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE AGING PROCESS

SUMMARY Aging carries with it certain anatomic changes to organ systems, in turn affecting body physiology and homeostasis. This article serves to introduce the concept of age- related changes. Other authors in this issue also address these changes and, more importantly, they discuss these changes as they specifically impact patient care. By understanding the aging process, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon will be best prepared to provide surgical care for elders.
Network Border Patrol

The end-to-end nature of Internet congestion control is an important factor in its scalability and robustness. However, end-to-end congestion control algorithms alone are incapable of preventing the congestion collapse and unfair bandwidth allocations created by applications which are unresponsive to network congestion. In this paper, we propose and investigate a new congestion avoidance mechanism called Network Border Patrol (NBP). NBP relies on the exchange of feedback between routers at the borders of a network in order to detect and restrict unresponsive traffic flows before they enter the network. The NBP mechanism is compliant with the Internet philosophy of pushing complexity toward the edges of the network whenever possible. Simulation results show that NBP effectively eliminates congestion collapse, and that, when combined with fair queueing, NBP achieves approximately max-min fair bandwidth allocations for competing network flows.
Spin Flight Research Summary

An extensive general aviation stall/spin research program is underway at the NASA Langley Research Center. Flight tests have examined the effects of tail design, wing leading edge design, mass distribution, and minor airframe modifications on spin and recovery characteristics. Results and observations on test techniques are presented for the first airplane in the program. Configuration changes produced spins varying from easily recoverable slow, steep spins to unrecoverable, fast flat spins.
A lightweight scripting engine for the Slocum Glider

Underwater Vehicle (AUV) capable of deployments lasting several weeks or months. The layered control architecture used by the vehicle is difficult to program and restrictive. As part of previous work we have developed a more flexible programming framework capable of performing dynamic feature tracking. However, the gliders new and more computationally capable Linux Single Board Computer (SBC) results in additional energy demands.
Use and impact of online travel reviews

Consumer-generated content (CGC) is growing in importance. Especially online travel reviews written by consumers are ever more available and used to inform travel-related decisions. A Web-based survey of users of the most prominent travel review site, TripAdvisor, was conducted to investigate how other travellers’ reviews inform the trip planning process. Since current CGC statistics show generational and gender differences, the study also aimed at examining whether those carry over into the realm of travel review use. The results show that reviews are used mostly to inform accommodation decisions and are currently not used much for en route travel planning. Gender differences were found for perceived impacts of reviews, with females reaping greater benefits from using reviews, especially in terms of enjoyment and idea generation. Age differences occurred across a variety of perceptions and use behaviours. Implications for travel marketing and travel information systems design are provided.
CMOS-only rf and baseband circuits for a monolithic 900 MHz wireless transceiver

Recently developed 1-/spl mu/m CMOS circuits for a 900 MHz spread-spectrum wireless transceiver show that by combining a MOS style of circuits design with flexibility in system architecture, it is possible to integrate the entire transceiver on a single-chip, and to obtain a level of performance previously only possible by combining advanced silicon bipolar technologies with specialized passive components.