cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative model of EutB from coenzyme B12‐dependent ethanolamine ammonia‐lyase reveals a β8α8, TIM‐barrel fold and radical catalytic site structural features

The structure of the EutB protein from Salmonella typhimurium, which contains the active site of the coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin)-dependent enzyme, ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, has been predicted by using structural proteomics techniques of comparative modelling. The 453-residue EutB protein displays no significant sequence identity with proteins of known structure. Therefore, secondary structure prediction and fold recognition algorithms were used to identify templates. Multiple three-dimensional template matching (threading) servers identified predominantly β8α8, TIM-barrel proteins, and in particular, the large subunits of diol dehydratase (PDB: 1eex:A, 1dio:A) and glycerol dehydratase (PDB: 1mmf:A), as templates. Consistent with this identification, the dehydratases are, like ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, Class II coenzyme B12-dependent enzymes. Model building was performed by using MODELLER. Models were evaluated by using different programs, including PROCHECK and VERIFY3D. The results identify a β8α8, TIM-barrel fold for EutB. The β8α8, TIM-barrel fold is consistent with a central role of the α/β-barrel structures in radical catalysis conducted by the coenzyme B12- and S-adenosylmethionine-dependent (radical SAM) enzyme superfamilies. The EutB model and multiple sequence alignment among ethanolamine ammonia-lyase, diol dehydratase, and glycerol dehydratase from different species reveal the following protein structural features: (1) a “cap” loop segment that closes the N-terminal region of the barrel, (2) a common cobalamin cofactor binding topography at the C-terminal region of the barrel, and (3) a β-barrel-internal guanidinium group from EutB R160 that overlaps the position of the active-site potassium ion found in the dehydratases. R160 is proposed to have a role in substrate binding and radical catalysis. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
FOXD3 Promotes PAX3 Expression in Melanoma Cells

Several key transcription factors regulate cell growth, survival, and differentiation during neural crest and melanoblast development in the embryo, and these same pathways may be reactivated in tumors arising from the progenitors of these cells. The transcription factors PAX3 and FOXD3 have essential roles in melanoblasts and melanoma. In this study, we define a regulatory pathway where FOXD3 promotes the expression of PAX3. Both factors are expressed in melanoma cells and there is a positive correlation between the transcript levels of PAX3 and FOXD3. The PAX3 gene contains two FOX binding motifs within highly conserved enhancer regulatory elements that are essential for neural crest development. FOXD3 binds to both of these motifs in vitro but only one of these sites is preferentially utilized in melanoma cells. Overexpression of FOXD3 upregulates PAX3 levels while inhibition of FOXD3 function does not alter PAX3 protein levels, supporting that FOXD3 is sufficient but not necessary to drive PAX3 expression in melanoma cells. Here, we identify a molecular pathway where FOXD3 upregulates PAX3 expression and therefore contributes to melanoma progression.
Lotto Sales Stagnation: Product Maturity or Small Jackpots?

New York State lotto data are examined to determine whether the sales slowdown experienced by many state lotteries between 1985 and 1987 was due to a decline in interest by bettors or to a scarcity of large jackpots. Regression analysis shows that lotto sales accelerate as jackpots grow. Rising bettor participation causes fewer rollovers and smaller jackpots; this was the primary cause of the sales slowdown in New York. Increasing the odds against winning generates larger prizes and sales growth.
It’s Not Me, It’s You: How Gift Giving Creates Giver Identity Threat as a Function of Social Closeness

Prior research has established that consumers are motivated to purchase identity-consistent products. We extend consumer identity research into an important consumer context, gift giving, in which individuals may make product choices that run counter to their own identities in order to fulfill the desires of the intended recipient. We find that purchasing an identity-contrary gift for a close (vs. distant) friend who is an integral part of the self can itself cause an identity threat to the giver. Four experiments in a gift registry context show that after making an identity-contrary gift choice for a close (vs. distant) friend, givers subsequently engage in behaviors that reestablish their identity such as indicating greater identity affiliation with the threatened identity and greater likelihood to purchase identity-expressive products. This research highlights the opposing forces that product purchase may exert on consumer identity as both a potential threat and means of self-verification.
Characterization and efficacy of PKH26 as a probe to study the replication history of the human hematopoietic KG1a progenitor cell line

The PKH26 dye can, in principle, be used for the study of asymmetric cell divisions (ASDs). A requirement for the identification of ASDs based on fluorescence intensity is that the PKH26 dye is distributed equally between daughter cells at each division, but this has not been demonstrated at a single-cell level. The efficacy of PKH26 as a probe for the study of ASDs was examined using the human hematopoietic KG1a cell. An automated time-lapse fluorescent microscope system was used to determine changes in cell size and fluorescence intensity during culture, and track cell divisions. The images of daughter cells were analyzed using the Isee software to determine the distribution of PKH26 dye between daughter cells. Ratios of cell size, mean fluorescence intensity, and total fluorescence intensity were calculated by dividing the values for one daughter cell by the value of the other daughter cell. The ratios for cell size, mean intensity, and total intensity were 1.13 +/- 0.12, 1.08 +/- 0.07, and 1.15 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- SD), respectively. Thus, PKH26 is not distributed equally to both daughter cells upon cell division. However, the replication history of individual KG1a cells can be reliably deduced for up to three divisions based solely on the mean and total fluorescence intensity of the PKH26 dye, using PKH26 concentrations below the chemical and phototoxic limits (2 microM).
A boundary element analysis of the axisymmetric extrusion processes

Abstract The subject of this paper is a boundary element method (BEM) analysis of the axisymmetric extrusion processes. It is demonstrated that BEM may be used to analyse, efficiently and accurately, this complicated class of metal forming problems involving both geometric and material non-linearities. An updated Lagrangian approach is adopted in this analysis. The frictional conditions at the die-workpiece interface are introduced through a smeared interface element. Numerical results for sample problems of axisymmetric extrusion of Fe-0.05 carbon steel at a temperature of 1173 K, obtained by the BEM, are presented and discussed in this paper. A state variable elastic-viscoplastic model is used for material description. The BEM results are compared against those obtained by FEM for the same sample problems.
Adaptation and Antibiotic Tolerance of Anaerobic Burkholderia pseudomallei

The Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiological agent of melioidosis and is remarkably resistant to most classes of antibacterials. Even after months of treatment with antibacterials that are relatively effective in vitro, there is a high rate of treatment failure, indicating that this pathogen alters its patterns of antibacterial susceptibility in response to cues encountered in the host. The pathology of melioidosis indicates that B. pseudomallei encounters host microenvironments that limit aerobic respiration, including the lack of oxygen found in abscesses and in the presence of nitric oxide produced by macrophages. We investigated whether B. pseudomallei could survive in a nonreplicating, oxygen-deprived state and determined if this physiological state was tolerant of conventional antibacterials. B. pseudomallei survived initial anaerobiosis, especially under moderately acidic conditions similar to those found in abscesses. Microarray expression profiling indicated a major shift in the physiological state of hypoxic B. pseudomallei, including induction of a variety of typical anaerobic-environment-responsive genes and genes that appear specific to anaerobic B. pseudomallei. Interestingly, anaerobic B. pseudomallei was unaffected by antibacterials typically used in therapy. However, it was exquisitely sensitive to drugs used against anaerobic pathogens. After several weeks of anaerobic culture, a significant loss of viability was observed. However, a stable subpopulation that maintained complete viability for at least 1 year was established. Thus, during the course of human infection, if a minor subpopulation of bacteria inhabited an oxygen-restricted environment, it might be indifferent to traditional therapy but susceptible to antibiotics frequently used to treat anaerobic infections.
Arrangement of specific oligonucleotides within poly(A) terminated HnRNA molecules

Abstract A method utilizing chromatography on poly (U) sepharose has been developed for isolating HnRNA molecules terminated in poly(A). The location within these molecules of oligo(U) fragments and of transcripts of repetitive DNA sequences has been determined by studies of the shorter 3′ poly(A) terminated sequences of HnRNA produced by cleavage with alkali. Poly(A) terminated HnRNA molecules longer than 20,000 nucleotides posses 2–3 units of 30 U nucleotides. In the shorter 3′ sequences released by alkaline breakage, there is a decrease of more than 90% in oligo(U) content, even in fragments over 12,000 nucleotides long. More than 90% of the oligo(U) fragments must lie more than 12,000 nucleotides from the 3′ poly(A) terminated end of HnRNA; they therefore cannot be located within or close to the region corresponding to mRNA, which is on average about 3000 nucleotides long. Denaturation and alkaline cleavage of HnRNA increases its rate of hybridization with DNA, implying that the molecule contains double stranded regions maintained by base pairing. Poly(A) terminated fragments of about 3000 or less nucleotides hybridize at about the same rate as messenger RNA. Fragments of up to about 8000 nucleotides in length hybridize some 3—4 times faster. No increase in hybridizing ability is obtained beyond this length. This suggests that some sequences in HnRNA close to the messenger part of the molecule are derived from repeated sequences of DNA; in the remaining 5′ part of the molecule, rapidly and less rapidly hybridizing sequences must alternate.
Energetics of Glycylglycine Transport in Escherichia coli

The transport system for glycylglycine in Escherichia coli behaves like a shock-sensitive transport system. The initial rate of transport is reduced 85% by subjecting whole cells to osmotic shock, and glycylglycine is not transported by membrane vesicles. The energetics of transport was studied with strain ML 308-225 and its mutant DL-54, which is deficient in Ca(2+)- and Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine 5'-triphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.3) activity. It is concluded that active transport of glycylglycine, like other shock-sensitive transport systems, has an obligatory requirement for phosphate bond energy, but not for respiration or the energized state of the membrane. The major evidence for this conclusion is as follows. (i) Uptake of glycylglycine is severely inhibited by arsenate. (ii) Oxidizable energy sources such as d-lactate, succinate, and ascorbate, which is mediated by N-methylphenazinium methylsulfate, cannot serve as energy sources for the transport of glycylglycine in DL-54, which lacks oxidative phosphorylation. (iii) When energy is supplied only from adenosine-5'-triphosphate produced by glycolysis (anaerobic transport assays with glucose as the energy source in DL-54), substantial uptake of glycylglycine is observed. (iv) When the Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-adenosine triphosphatase activity is absent but substrate-level phosphorylations and electron transport are operating (glucose as the energy source in DL-54), transport of glycylglycine shows significant resistance to the uncouplers, dinitrophenol and carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone.
Infrastructure, the shipping container, and the globalization of American space

The shipping container is one of the primary agents of globalization. An object that gains importance through its role in infrastructure, the container’s success is due to its ability to work in preexisting national transportation systems, within the identity and space of the nation-state. But in the process those systems are globalized, as the infrastructure that once functioned at the national scale, serving the priorities of the nation-state, is now reoriented to serve international routes of trade and global agendas. The impact of the container on the American trucking and railroad systems is an example. Yet globalization is not merely a top-down phenomenon, and nations and local places have the power to affect global space and to reshape this new worldwide container infrastructure. The study of infrastructure, and more particularly the container, is especially valuable for what it reveals about these ongoing processes. This in turn helps shed light on the dynamics of our global era, and reveals the strengths and weaknesses of some contemporary theories of globalization. The global, national and local are interrelated in a nuanced engagement, in which no one factor is dominant.
Five Insights in PM

The field of project management has exploded in recent years. But with this expansion of project numbers, resources, tools and personnel required to manage ever-more complex projects has come a host of new challenges. Economic conditions have also placed pressure on the project management function.Fortunately, new research and insights have recently emerged from the study of complex organizational projects and their management. An awareness of these five new ideas will confer a competitive edge to those organizations and project managers seeking to add maximum value to projects.
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND ECONOMIC BURDEN OF ADVANCED STAGE HEART FAILURE IN U.S. MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES

Advanced heart failure (HF) is the most resource intensive diagnosis in the US Medicare (Med) population. We sought to determine epidemiologic factors and economic burden of medically managing elderly patients (pts) with advanced HF. We included a random selection of 5% of the 2009-2013 US Med
Implicit and explicit processes in category-based induction: Is induction best when we don’t think?

In category-based induction (CBI), people use category information to predict unknown properties of exemplars. When an item’s classification is uncertain, normative principles and Bayesian models suggest that predictions should integrate information across all possible categories. However, researchers previously have found that people often base their predictions on only a single category. In the present studies, we investigated the possible distinction between implicit and explicit processes in CBI. Predictions of an object’s motion took the form of either a catching task (implicit) or a verbal answer (explicit). When subjects made predictions implicitly (Experiment 1), they used categories as Bayesian models predict. Explicit predictions (Experiment 2) showed clearly nonnormative use of categories. This distinction between implicit and explicit processes was replicated with a within-subjects design (Experiment 3). When subjects learned categories implicitly (categories were never mentioned) in Experiment 4, their explicit predictions did not reflect integration of information across categories but again showed a nonnormative pattern of category use. These results provide support for a distinction between implicit and explicit processes in CBI and furthermore suggest that the same category knowledge may result in normative or nonnormative responding, depending on the response mode.
A Simple and Rapid Method of WST-1 Assay for Evaluation of Antitumor Activity

Objective To establish a rapid and sensitive method to evaluate the antitumor activity of curcumin and indole-3-carbinol. Methods CNE1 cells were used for the detection of antitumor activity. CNE1 cells were incubated with CU (at the dose of 1.7×10-3, 8.5×10-3, 42.5×10-3 g/ml),or I3C (at the dose of 3.0×10-3, 15.0×10-3, 45.0×10-3g/ml) at 37 ℃ for 48 h. After incubation, WST-1 reagent was added to the well and measured the OD at 570nm for the determination of anti-tumor activity. In parallel, the anti-tumor activity was also detected with the method described in GB/T16175-1996, and the OD values were recorded at 588nm. Results The results detected with WST-1 assay were correlated with the results of classic arbitration method stipulated by national criterion. Moreover, WST-1 assay was more simple, rapid, efficient, acute and objective. Conclusion The WST-1 assay might be used as an assay to screen and evaluate antitumor substance.
Comparison of two methods in hantavirus detection of host lung

Objective:To improve the lab methods in detecting the hantavirus in mouse lung,comparing the method difference of direct immunofluorescence(DIF)and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Methods: To detect hantavirus antigen and nucleotide of the 195 host lung using DIF and RT-PCR simultaneously and subtype the positive ones,and recordthe mice types and number.Results: 2.05%(4/195)samples were positive detecting by DIF and 14.87%(29/195) by RT-PCR,and all these hantaviruses belonged to hantaan virus.Conclusion: Two methods had significant difference and that seemed that RT-PCR could represent the real status of host carrying hantavirus and the test results were coincided with the incidence rate of HFRS in Hu county.
Turning Innovation into Value

This paper describes the fundamental dynamics through which technological innovations create economic and social value. These dynamics exist at three interrelated levels: The organization, the market, and the institutional context. Selected works in the management of technology, system dynamics, entrepreneurship, and social factors literature are reviewed. The principal dynamics are identified and expressed through a conceptual model. By design, the conceptual model is simple and generic. It is intended to apply to a broad range of products and services – assembled and process-based, complex and simple, physical and digital, business and consumer, early-stage and mature, nineteenth-century and twenty-first-century. That range expresses what is meant by the fundamental dynamics of value creation. In many variations and combinations these dynamics can explain the evolution of most innovations. The availability of role models and mentors, the consequences of failure, the status and quality of venture leaders, and reinforcing network effects are all critical success factors for organizations attempting to turn innovation into value. It is significant that the literature review has highlighted human and intellectual capital as a top priority. Financing, while important particularly for start-ups, appears to be secondary to human and intellectual resources. Obstacles to obtaining critical resources, the development of new capabilities, market entry or exit, the start-up of new companies, the formation of alliances, mergers and acquisitions, the establishment of standards, or the adoption of new technology weaken virtuous dynamics and reduce the likelihood of success.
Troubling Discourse: Basic Writing and Computer-Mediated Technologies.

Through an examination of literature in the fields of Basic Writing and developmental education, this essay provides some historical perspective and examines the prevalent discourses on the use of computer-mediated technologies in the basic writing classroom. The author uses Bertram Bruce’s (1997) framework of various “stances” on literacy technologies to both contextualize discussion of technology in the field of Basic Writing and to consider implications for further discussion and research. By emphasizing the interrelatedness of technology and literacy, a “transactional” stance on computer-mediated technologies relies on the idea of literacy as a social practice, and would therefore align better with the overall values of the field of Basic Writing.
Efficient receiver tuning using differential evolution strategies

Differential evolution (DE) is a powerful and computationally inexpensive optimization strategy that can be used to search an entire parameter space or to converge quickly on a solution. The Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project (KAPPa) is a heterodyne receiver system delivering 5 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth in the tuning range of 645-695 GHz. The fully automated KAPPa receiver test system finds optimal receiver tuning using performance feedback and DE. We present an adaptation of DE for use in rapid receiver characterization. The KAPPa DE algorithm is written in Python 2.7 and is fully integrated with the KAPPa instrument control, data processing, and visualization code. KAPPa develops the technologies needed to realize heterodyne focal plane arrays containing ~1000 pixels. Finding optimal receiver tuning by investigating large parameter spaces is one of many challenges facing the characterization phase of KAPPa. This is a difficult task via by-hand techniques. Characterizing or tuning in an automated fashion without need for human intervention is desirable for future large scale arrays. While many optimization strategies exist, DE is ideal for time and performance constraints because it can be set to converge to a solution rapidly with minimal computational overhead. We discuss how DE is utilized in the KAPPa system and discuss its performance and look toward the future of ~1000 pixel array receivers and consider how the KAPPa DE system might be applied.
It Is All Labeling

The spirit of these papers is that the topics should be presented in an historical context with emphasis on unsolved problems/conjectures. My personal background is a mixture of mathematics and computer science, with a year as a National Research Council/National Bureau of Standards postdoctoral fellow working in the Operations Research Division of NBS headed by Alan Goldman. To put this in context, the mathematician asks if a graph is graceful, the computer scientist asks how efficiently one can find a graceful labeling, and the operations researcher asks if it is not graceful, then how close to graceful is it? I believe the latter outlook actually provides a great source of interesting mathematics/computer science questions.
Deterministic and Stochastic Behavioral Modeling of RF Front Ends

Behavioral models developed using discrete-tone characterization can be used to capture the response of an RF front end to stochastic signals. It is important that the model architecture capture all nonlinear effects and that the proper translation of the derived envelope model be transformed into an instantaneous model. Here the requirements for the transformation are presented, a multi-slice model architecture that can capture complex behavior from narrow-band measurements is presented together with an extraction procedure.
PLIN2 is a Key Regulator of the Unfolded Protein Response and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Resolution in Pancreatic β Cells

Progressive pancreatic β cell failure underlies the transition of impaired glucose tolerance to overt diabetes; endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress expedites β cell failure in this situation. ER stress can be elicited by lipotoxicity and an increased demand for insulin in diabetes. We previously reported that the lipid droplet protein perilipin 2 (PLIN2) modulates lipid homeostasis in the liver. Here, we show that PLIN2 modulates the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER stress in pancreatic β cells. PLIN2 expression goes up when β cells are exposed to a lipid load or to chemical ER stress inducers. Downregulation of PLIN2 ameliorates the effects of fatty acid- and chemical-induced ER stress, whereas PLIN2 overexpression exacerbates them. Diabetic Akita mice, which carry a heterozygous C96Y Ins2 mutation, exhibit elevated PLIN2 expression and ER stress in their β cells. Genetic ablation of Plin2 in Akita mice leads to mitigation of ER stress, forestalling β cell apoptosis, partially restoring β cell mass, and ameliorating diabetes. Mechanistic experiments showed that PLIN2 downregulation is associated with enhanced autophagic flux and accelerated ER stress resolution. In sum, we have identified a crucial role for PLIN2 in modulating autophagy, ER stress resolution, and β cell apoptosis and survival.
Dynamic process model and economic analysis of microalgae cultivation in open raceway ponds

Abstract Microalgae are a promising biomass feedstock for production of value-added chemicals and bioproducts. A first principle based bioreaction kinetics and bioprocess model of microalgae production was developed for an outdoor open raceway pond that takes into account year-round geospatial characteristics and variability. The primary factors that affect microalgae growth, such as solar irradiance, temperature, biological growth parameters, nutrients and carbon dioxide uptake rates, were considered in the bioreactor process model. Microalgae productivity varied between 2000 and 7200 t km− 2 year− 1 for the different geographical regions studied. For each location, techno-economic analysis was conducted to assess microalgae production price. The capital and operating expenses for microalgae cultivation systems were quantified based on the mass and energy balances of the process. Given the geospatial locations, cost of microalgae production varied between 1074 $ t− 1 to 502 $ t− 1. Results showed that cost of microalgae production depends heavily on the average areal productivity, price of nutrients, as well as design specifications of microalgae growth ponds.
Facile Thermal and Optical Ignition of Silicon Nanoparticles and Micron Particles

Silicon (Si) particles are widely utilized as high-capacity electrodes for Li-ion batteries, elements for thermoelectric devices, agents for bioimaging and therapy, and many other applications. However, Si particles can ignite and burn in air at elevated temperatures or under intense illumination. This poses potential safety hazards when handling, storing, and utilizing these particles for those applications. In order to avoid the problem of accidental ignition, it is critical to quantify the ignition properties of Si particles such as their sizes and porosities. To do so, we first used differential scanning calorimetry to experimentally determine the reaction onset temperature of Si particles under slow heating rates (∼0.33 K/s). We found that the reaction onset temperature of Si particles increased with the particle diameter from 805 °C at 20–30 nm to 935 °C at 1–5 μm. Then, we used a xenon (Xe) flash lamp to ignite Si particles under fast heating rates (∼103 to 106 K/s) and measured the minimum ignitio...
Use of Reconstitued Yolk Systems To Study the Gelation Mechanism of Frozen–Thawed Hen Egg Yolk

Yolk gelation upon 5 week freezing–thawing was studied in four recombined yolk systems containing different plasma and granule proportions. Fractionation for mass distribution, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) for protein distribution, and rheological properties were explored. Results indicate that both plasma and granule components, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and α-livetin proteins, contributed to gelation. Protein aggregation was reflected through a large mass increase in the granule fraction and appearance of a floating LDL layer upon fractionation of gelated yolk systems. A significant increase in gel strength (elastic modulus, G′) was observed with the increase of the granule content. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of yolk gelation mechanism that may consequently lead to the design of innovative methods for preventing gelation. A schematic presentation of the yolk gelation mechanism is also proposed.
Chapter 15 – Quality Control

We introduce control charts, which are used to determine when a process that produces items has gone out of control. This is done both where the measurable value of an item is a continuous variable and where it is a discrete variable. In this latter case, each item has two possible values, with the value indicating whether the item is acceptable or not.
Lone Rangers no more: archival cooperation in transition

Archival cooperation has changed over the last few decades. Building on the author’s experience of over 27 years in the archive sector, and on his study and lecturing experiences overseas, the paper focuses on collaboration between archival institutions and sister professions and information management entities in a number of different countries. It explains how archives of small underfunded countries, whose collections nevertheless hold international treasures, can empower their resources through international collaboration. Networks built around specialised themes such as a photographic archives, audio-visual material and the protection of the collective memories of diasporic communities living far from their homeland, are highlighted. Examples of successful new models of collaboration emphasize how archival networking across international borders turns the archivist from a “Lone Ranger” to a member of a large international community, steered by the ICA, guided by ethical and professional principles, an...
Designer DNA Architectures for Nanobiotechnology

Naturally existing biological systems, from the simplest unicellular diatom to the most sophisticated organ such as human brain, are functional self-assembled architectures. Scientists have long been dreaming about building artificial nanostructures that can mimic such elegance in nature. Structural DNA nanotechnology, which uses DNA as blueprint and building material to organize matter with nanometer precision, represents an appealing solution to this challenge. Based on the knowledge of helical DNA structure and Watson-Crick base pairing rules, we are now able to construct DNA nanoarchitectures with a large variety of geometries, topologies and periodicities with considerably high yields. Modified by functional groups, those DNA nanostructures can serve as scaffolds to control the positioning of other molecular species, which opens opportunities to study inter-molecular synergies, such as protein-protein interactions, as well as to build artificial multi-component nano-machines. In this talk, I will introduce the principle of DNA self-assembly, describe our recent progress in designing and implementing designer DNA architectures for directed self-assembly, biosensing and molecular robotics and discuss some potential applications of structural DNA nanotechnology.
Reliability and Validity of the Patient-Specific Functional Scale in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Clinical measurement of physical function that is both specific to the individual and generates comparable outcome data is a fundamental need in physical therapy examination. The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of physical function in patients with musculoskeletal disorders and may have applications for other patient populations. However, the reliability and the validity of the PSFS have not been evaluated in older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and the validity of the PSFS in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS Thirty-one community-dwelling older adults (11 males, 20 females), mean age = 81.1 (8.3) years, were included. Participants completed the PSFS, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Berg Balance Scale, and the Timed Up and Go on 2 separate days, 48 hours apart. Assessment scores were compared between testing days and reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and minimal detectable change (MDC). Validity of the PSFS was assessed by comparing initial scores with the other measures using the Pearson correlation coefficient, scatter plots, and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS The ICC and the MDC for the PSFS were 0.82 (95% confidence interval = 0.67-0.91) and 2.8, respectively. Significant correlations (P < .05) were found when the PSFS was compared with the ABC (r = 0.68), LEFS (r = 0.81), and SPPB (r = 0.37). Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) using z scores indicated considerable agreement between the PSFS versus the ABC (LOA =-1.6 to 1.6), LEFS (LOA =-1.2 to 1.2), and SPPB (LOA =-2.1 to 2.1). CONCLUSION The PSFS is a reliable and valid measure of physical function in community-dwelling older adults. A change of 2.8 or greater on the PSFS suggests a true change in physical function in this population.
A Market-Funded College’s Approach to Student Learning and Job Placement: An Insider’s View

I am the Vice President Academic Affairs for Rasmussen College. The focus of my article is on curriculum standardization, which is a part of the way we operate at Rasmussen. To be able to explain what we do, it is necessary for me to first describe Rasmussen on some basic level. Curriculum standardization helps us to further our program of student learning assessment, which in turn helps us to continually improve both curriculum and instruction using the data we generate. But in order to understand how we operate within a standardized curriculum model, and the results it helps us to achieve with our students, it would seem to make sense for me to provide some basic information about both Rasmussen and the sector of higher education in which Rasmussen operates, which is the for-profit sector.
Gated Optical Recording for Nonvolatile Holography in Photorefractive Materials

Hologram recording in photorefractive media is classically performed in the blue-green spectral range and suffers from optical erasure under continuous readout, unless a thermal fixing technique is applied. Gated optical holographic recording allows us to obtain high-diffraction efficiencies in the near InfraRed (IR) jointly with long-term storage. In particular, the roles of stoichiometry and dopant reduction state in LiNbO3 in the optimization of sensitivity is analyzed, in order to perform digital information storage in such materials via the two-photon technique.
Using Cross-Section Uncertainty Data to Estimate Biases

Ideally, computational method validation is performed by modeling critical experiments that are very similar, neutronically, to the model used in the safety analysis. Similar, in this context, means that the neutron multiplication factors (k{sub eff}) of the safety analysis model and critical experiment model are affected in the same way to the same degree by variations (or errors) in the same nuclear data. Where similarity is demonstrated, the computational bias calculated using the critical experiment model results is 'applicable' to the safety analysis model. Unfortunately, criticality safety analysts occasionally find that the safety analysis models include some feature or material for which adequately similar well-defined critical experiments do not exist to support validation. For example, the analyst may want to take credit for the presence of fission products in spent nuclear fuel. In such cases, analysts sometimes rely on 'expert judgment' to assign an additional administrative margin to compensate for the validation weakness or to conclude that the impact on the calculated bias and bias uncertainty is negligible. Due to advances in computer programs and the evolution of cross-section uncertainty data, analysts can use the sensitivity and uncertainty analyses tools implemented in the SCALE TSUNAMI codes to estimate the potentialmore » impact on the application-specific bias and bias uncertainty resulting from nuclides that are under-represented or not present in the critical experiments. This paper discusses the method, computer codes, and data used to estimate the potential contribution toward the computational bias of individual nuclides. The results from application of the method to fission products in a burnup credit model are presented.« less
Turning the Tables: The Digital Mediation of Poker

This talk considers three different forms of poker: 'live poker,' in which people play against each other; online poker, in which people play against each other via a highly mediated, software intensive interface; and video poker, in which there is no other person in the equation-just a machine. The main focus is on the case of online poker, which offers an opportunity to explore the nexus of social interaction and digital media. How do data-tracking, algorithmic strategy recommendations based on rapidfire computation of odds, and automated response features reconfigure the social experience of poker? How do players themselves reflect on the possibilities and limitations of a digital interface for the game? The talk will conclude with reflections on the broader trend toward the digitzation of traditional forms of gambling-not only online but within bricks-and-mortar settings (as in the turn from green-felt card games to screen-based "e-tables"). What are the economic and social stakes of this trend, both within the United States and in gambling markets abroad?
Randomized methods to characterize large-scale vortical flow networks.

We demonstrate the effective use of randomized methods for linear algebra to perform network-based analysis of complex vortical flows. Network theoretic approaches can reveal the connectivity structures among a set of vortical elements and analyze their collective dynamics. These approaches have recently been generalized to analyze high-dimensional turbulent flows, for which network computations can become prohibitively expensive. In this work, we propose efficient methods to approximate network quantities, such as the leading eigendecomposition of the adjacency matrix, using randomized methods. Specifically, we use the Nystrom method to approximate the leading eigenvalues and eigenvectors, achieving significant computational savings and reduced memory requirements. The effectiveness of the proposed technique is demonstrated on two high-dimensional flow fields: two-dimensional flow past an airfoil and two-dimensional turbulence. We find that quasi-uniform column sampling outperforms uniform column sampling, while both feature the same computational complexity.
Model Optimization for the Prediction of Red Wine Phenolic Compounds Using Ultraviolet-Visible Spectra

The primary objective of this work was to optimize red wine phenolic prediction with models built from wine ultraviolet-visible absorbance spectra. Three major obstacles were addressed to achieve this, namely algorithm selection, spectral multicollinearity, and phenolic evolution over time. For algorithm selection, support vector regression, kernel ridge regression, and kernel partial least squares regression were compared. For multicollinearity, the spectrum of malvidin chloride was used as an external standard for spectral adjustment. For phenolic evolution, spectral data were collected during fermentation as well as once a week for four weeks after fermentation had ended. Support vector regression gave the most accurate predictions among the three algorithms tested. Additionally, malvidin chloride proved a useful standard for phenolic spectral transformation and isolation. As for phenolic evolution, models needed to be calibrated and validated throughout the aging process to ensure predictive accuracy. In short, red wine phenolic prediction by the models built in this work can be realistically achieved, although periodic model re-calibration and expansion from data obtained using known phenolic assays is recommended to maintain model accuracy.
Improving Hospital Readmission Prediction using Individualized Utility Analysis

Structured Abstract Importance Machine learning (ML) models for allocating readmission-mitigating interventions are typically selected according to their discriminative ability, which may not necessarily translate into utility in allocation of resources. Objective To determine whether ML models for allocating readmission-mitigating interventions are ranked differently based on their overall utility and their discriminative ability. Design A retrospective analysis of ML models using claims data acquired from the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart. Setting Health plan claims from all 50 states for commercially-insured individuals. Participants 513,495 patients who were admitted as inpatients over the period January 2016 through January 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Maximum utility achieved by three machine learning models for allocating readmission-mitigating interventions, determined using cost accrued in the 90 days post-discharge of an index admission and estimated counterfactual cost. Data were analyzed between April 2019 and March 2020. Results The study sample consisted of 513,495 patients (mean [SD] age 69 [19] years; 294,895 [57%] Female) mean 90 day cost of $11,552 for the study period. Allocating readmission-mitigating interventions based on a LightGBM model trained to predict readmissions achieved a maximum utility of $-12,645 per patient, and an AUC of 0.74 (95% CI 0.74, 0.75); allocating interventions based on a model trained to predict cost as a proxy achieved a higher maximum utility of $-12,472 per patient, and an AUC of 0.63 (95% CI 0.62, 0.63). A hybrid model combining both intervention strategies achieved a maximum utility of $-12,472, and an AUC of 0.71 (95% CI 0.71, 0.71), comparable with the best models on either metric. Conclusion and Relevance We demonstrate that machine learning models may be ranked differently based on overall utility and discriminative ability. Machine learning models for allocation of limited health resources should consider directly optimizing for utility. Key points Question Do machine learning models for allocating readmission-mitigating interventions rank differently based on overall utility and discriminative performance? Finding A machine learning model predicting a patient’s future cost of care was able to achieve higher utility than a readmission risk prediction model, even though it had a lower discriminative performance in predicting readmissions. Meaning Our study suggests that machine learning models guiding allocation of limited health resources may consider evaluating and optimizing on utility.
Factors Predicting Willingness to Share COVID-19 Misinformation

We conducted a preregistered exploratory survey to assess whether patterns of individual differences in political orientation, social dominance orientation (SDO), traditionalism, conspiracy ideation, or attitudes about science predict willingness to share different kinds of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic online. Analyses revealed two orthogonal models of individual differences predicting the willingness to share misinformation over social media platforms. Both models suggest a sizable role of different aspects of political belief, particularly SDO, in predicting tendencies to share different kinds of misinformation, predominantly conspiracy theories. Although exploratory, results from this study can contribute to the formulation of a socio-cognitive profile of individuals who act as vectors for the spread of scientific misinformation online, and can be useful for computationally modeling misinformation diffusion.
The awkward truth about CEO pay

This paper is the first of its kind using the variation in state corporate tax rates to investigate if they have any explanatory power in predicting variations in CEO pay. Specifically, this paper ...
Stage-Specific Co-expression Network Analysis for Cancer Biomarker Discovery

Identification of conserved gene network modules in different stages of cancer may lead to uncovering mechanisms behind cancer initiation and progression. This work is based on two hypotheses. Hypothesis-l: the network modules conserved in all cancer stages are potential biomarkers related to the trajectory of cancer development or progression of cancer from initiation to stage-to-stage to metastasis. Hypothesis-2: The network modules from a stage, which are not conserved in other stages, can be considered as the stage-specific biomarkers for diagnosis.To test the hypotheses, gene expression and clinical data of Breast Invasive Carcinoma (BRCA) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used for analysis. Gene expression data was divided into five groups- stage I to stage IV and normal tissue samples. First, the co-expression networks for each of the four stages and normal samples were generated. Second, the modules from each of the stage-specific networks were discovered using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Third, survival analysis was performed to identify the prognostically significant modules. Fourth, module preservation analysis was performed to determine whether a module from one stage is preserved in other cancer stages as well as in normal stage. Finally, gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses were performed for the prognostically significant and conserved modules.The present study discovered several gene-network modules for breast cancer preserved in all cancer stages and are significant in overall survival; hence, they can be considered potential biomarkers for cancers, related to the trajectory of cancer development. The modules that were found not to be conserved in different stages can be considered as stage-specific biomarkers.
Development of a novel brief quantitative sensory testing protocol that integrates static and dynamic pain assessments: Test-retest performance in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE Quantitative sensory testing is an expanding pain research domain with numerous clinical and research applications. There is a recognized need for brief reliable quantitative sensory testing protocols that enhance assessment feasibility. This study aimed to integrate static (pain threshold, tolerance, suprathreshold) and dynamic (conditioned pain modulation, offset analgesia, temporal summation) pain reactivity measures into a brief 20-minute protocol that uses a single portable device. The test-retest performance of this optimized protocol was evaluated. DESIGN Using a test-retest design, the brief quantitative sensory testing assessment was administered to participants on two occasions separated by exactly 7 days. SETTING A clinical psychology research laboratory at Syracuse University. SUBJECTS Participants were 33 healthy adults recruited from Syracuse University's online research participation pool. METHODS A portable computerized quantitative sensory testing device delivered contact-heat pain to assess static and dynamic pain measures in participants. Dynamic responses were continuously recorded using a computerized visual analog scale. RESULTS Pain threshold, tolerance, and suprathreshold exhibited excellent reliability (intraclass correlations ranged from 0.80 to 0.83). Conditioned pain modulation, offset analgesia, temporal summation yielded reliability in the good to excellent range (intraclass correlations ranged from 0.66 to 0.71). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggested that this brief integrated QST protocol may reliably monitor human pain reactivity over brief periods. This protocol may enhance quantitative sensory testing feasibility in clinical and research settings.