cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COTTON FABRICS FINISHED WITH SILICONE WATER-REPELLENTS

Recently a new method was found by authors in silicone water-repellent finishing of cotton fabric. This procedure consists of treating cotton with methyl hydrogen polysiloxane-cetyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride-zinc acetate emulsion, and gives a high water repellency after repeated launderings by only air-drying at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.In this study the physical properties of cotton fabrics treated with this emulsion (I) were investigated and compared with those of the following fabrics treated in various silicone baths.II. methyl hydrogen polysiloxane emulsion (with no zinc acetate in I. emulsion)III. II. plus dimethylolethylenurea resin (two step process)IV. II. plus melamine-formaldehyde resin (two step process)V. RepelotexVI. V. plus melamine-formaldehyde resin (one step process)VII. V. plus urea-formaldehyde resin (two step process)VIII. V. plus urea-formaldehyde resin (one step process)IX. methyl hydrogen polysiloxane (n-hexane solution)The following results were obtaind:1. Shrinkage values of untreated fabric are 2_??_4% in the case of no heating and 0.8% for heating at 150°C. Shrinkage of I._??_IX. are approximately 0% in the case of air-drying at room temperature after silicone treatment and also heating at 150°C.2. Crease recovery of I, III. and IV. are 150_??_200%, and of II. is nearly 100% in comparison with that of untreated fabric on the occasion of air-drying. As for heating at 150°C that of I, III, IV, VI, VII, VIII. and IX are 120_??_160%, and II. and V. almost 100% as compared with that of the untreated.3. Flex abrasion of I. and II. are 200_??_300% III. about 25% and IV. almost 80% as compared with that of the untreated babric on airdrying. With heating at 150°C II, VI. and IX. are about 400%, I, V. and VIII. approximately 200%, IV. and VII. 115_??_135%, and III, is 50% in comparison with that of the untreated.4. Tear strengths of I. and II. are 110_??_120%, and III. and IV. about 70% in comparison with that of the untreated fabric in the case of air-drying. On heating at 150°C, III. and IV. are 60_??_70%, VI, VII, and VIII, about 80%, and I, II, V and IX. nearly 100% as compared with that of untreated.5. Tensile strengths of I, _??_IV. are 50_??_70% in comparison with that of untreated fabric in the case of air-_??_drying. As for heating at 150°C, I, _??_IV. and VI, _??_IX, were 60_??_80% and V. is approximately 100% as compared with that of the untreated.
NOTE ON NORMATIVE DATA OF TESTS MEASURING FLEXIBILITY IN COGNITIVE PROCESSES

Sumnzary.-Using 149 undergraduates, normative data were gathered on tnro measures of flexibility in the thought process, Guilford's Association IV and Object Naming. The distributions of scores were positively displaced, with differences between means being small and statistically non-significant. Productmoment correlation coefficients were statistically significant (p = .01) for thc total group, for men, and for women. No sex differences were found. Considerable interest has been generated in the description, measurement, and meaning of the strilcnire of intelligence and its relation co creative endeavor. One area of chis srrucnire lies in cognitive processes. A number of factoriallyderived tests have become available for research and commercial use. Few sn~dies have been published reporting normative daca for comparative and predictive purposes, either for given cognitive processes or for specified groups. This study presents such normative data for a group of srudents enrolled in a measurements course, on two tesrs measuring flexibility in cognition. METHOD Sample.-149 ~indergraduates, primarily juniors and seniors enrolled in the Tests and Measurement co-.lrse at So~ithern Illinois University, were majors in the College of Education; thus the normative daca presented herein are more representative of sntdents majoring in education than those of other disciplines. Measi~res.-As part of a study investigating response generalization, measures of flexibility in the thought process were desired. French, Ekstrom, and Price (1963) were consulted and two measures selected. One of these reflects the factor Associational Flsency and includes not only numbers of associations available to S but also his flexibility. The parcicular test chosen for this type of measure was Guilford's (1963a) Association IV. The task requires that S produce a word associated with each of two given words but having a different meaning in relation to each. For example, given "jewelry" and "bell," S might write "ring." The test consists of two parts, with 7 min. allowed for each part. The second factor is labeled Semantic Spontaneous Flexibility. Though fluency is a part of the measure, scoring is based upon changes in set, i.e., changes in kinds of ideas rather than number of ideas per Je. The parcicular test chosen was Guilford's (1963b) Object Naming. S names as many objects as possible that belong to a given class. For example, given the class "foods," S might wrice: "Tomato, beet, corn, peach, beef." Since there is a shift in type from "corn"
Exercise performance after pediatric heart transplantation

Background. Children awaiting heart transplantation have severe limitations in their ability to exercise. The purpose of this study was to assess exercise capacity after pediatric heart transplantation and to identify factors influencing exercise performance. Methods and Results. Progressive cycle ergometry testing was performed in 31 patients at 1.3±0.8 years after transplantation, and in 16 patients, follow-up studies were performed at 3.3±1.3 years after transplantation. Maximum work load (W max ), peak oxygen consumption (Vo 2 ), and maximum heart rate (HR max ) were measured. Exercise capacity was defined as normal if W max was <75% of predicted values and decreased if W max was <75% of predicted values
Time- resolved photoluminescence studies of Al 0.72 Ga 0.28 N films with incommensurate chemical ordering

An important topic in the understanding of AlGaN alloys for deep ultraviolet emitters is the role of carrier localization on radiative lifetime and emission efficiency. Electron and hole wavefunction overlap, and therefore radiative lifetime and recombination efficiency, can be strongly influenced by the degree and nature of chemical ordering in the AlGaN alloy, with spatially indirect, type II-like transitions predicted to occur between electrons in ordered alloy regions and holes in random alloy regions for Al contents in the 40% to 90% range [1]. In this paper, we study the photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes in AlGaN alloys with incommensurate chemical ordering. AlGaN films were grown by RF plasma-assisted MBE under different kinetic conditions. The compositions in all films were maintained at a constant value of 72 % AlN mole fraction by using the same Al flux, while the kinetics of growth were controlled by varying the Ga flux and thus the III / V flux ratio during deposition of the various films, with some of the films grown under Ga-rich conditions and others under N-rich conditions. The structure of these films was previously investigated by XRD using synchrotron radiation and by SED-TEM [2]. These spectra show that the characteristic (0002) diffraction is identical in all samples, from which the composition of the films was inferred. However, in addition to the (0002) diffractions all samples show additional superlattice peaks indicative of atomic ordering. Specifically, the analysis of the diffraction data indicates that the films grown under N-rich conditions have a superlattice structure consistent with 4 MLs periodicity, while those grown under III /V ~1 or III /V > 1 (Ga-rich conditions) have a superlattice structure with a repeat distance that has no clear relationship with the crystal lattice (incommensurate ordering). This type of chemical ordering was attributed to a change of the growth mode from vapor phase to liquid phase epitaxy as the Ga flux increases [3]. The latter growth mode leads to compositional inhomogeneities and thus potential fluctuations in the band structure of the films.
The BigDawg monitoring framework

BigDAWG is a polystore database system designed to work with heterogenous data that may be stored in disparate database and storage engines. A central component of the BigDAWG polystore system is the ability to submit queries that may be executed in different data engines. This paper presents a monitoring framework for the BigDawg federated database system which maintains performance information on benchmark queries. As environmental conditions change, the monitoring framework updates existing performance information to match current conditions. Using this information, the monitoring system can determine the optimal query execution plan for similar incoming queries. We also describe a series of test queries that were run to assess whether the system correctly determines the optimal plans for such queries.
High-sensitivity radioassay of chromatographic effluents : Automatic fraction collector/concentrator for quantitative autoradiography

Abstract We modified an automatic micro-fraction collector for fractionating the effluent of a high-pressure chromatography column and concentrating the fractions for radioassay by autoradiography. A succession of aliquots of up to 300 μl of effluent is deposited in wells formed in non-wetting fluorocarbon film. After evaporation to near dryness, the remaining droplets are quantitatively transferred to filter paper where they form uniform spots 2–3 mm in diameter. The paper is then exposed to photographic film for a time determined by the radioactivity of the sample. The film is then developed and the density of the radioautograph scanned. Most of the resolution of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was preserved. In HPLC of amino acids with a flow-rate of 1 ml/min, we collected fractions of 125 μl every 7.5 s. The proline peak, which the UV detector measured 21 s wide at half-height, was 23 s wide at half-height on the radioactivity record. After 6 h of radioautography, 1000 dpm of 14 C in a 3-mm diameter spot produced approximately 0.2 absorbance units above film background. Absorbance was proportional to radioactivity from 160 to 2500 dpm. With 1 week of exposure, absorbance was proportional and radioactivity could by quantified in spots containing from 5 to 80 dpm.
Wall ultrastructure of the oldest embryophytic spores: Implications for early land plant evolution

Abstract Cryptospores from the Hanadir Member, Qasim Formation (Darriwilian) examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), show two distinct kinds of walls: homogeneous and lamellated. A recently described tetrad from the Hanadir Member, Cryptotetras erugata Strother, Traverse & Vecoli, and the dyad, Pseudodyadospora sp. cf. P. laevigata Johnson, possess the homogeneous wall type, matching that seen in younger, Silurian species of Tetrahedraletes from Laurentia. The lamellated wall structure of a single Hanadir Member monad is also described. Homogeneous walls are characteristic of extant embryophyte sporoderm, which is actively secreted by a tapetum. This implies that these Ordovician cryptospores developed within a sporangium, although fossilized sporangia of this antiquity are not known. Lamellated walls occur in cryptospore dyads found in Siluro-Devonian cryptophytes (as well as fragments of presumed cryptophytes as old as the Ordovician), but this type of wall is also common in Cambrian cryptospores. Therefore, lamellate spore walls appear to be have evolved in algal (charophytic) lineages well in advance of the first plants that possessed an upright axial sporophyte. Isometric, tetrahedral tetrads, like Cryptotetras and Tetrahedraletes, which dominate the Hanadir Member assemblage, express a geometry that reflects simultaneous cytokinesis during sporogenesis. Thus, the Hanadir Member specimens present what we interpret as the earliest evidence of simultaneous meiosis occurring inside a sporangium that possessed an active tapetum.
Impact of Dose-Adjusted Melphalan in Obese Patients Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation.

Abstract Limited guidance exists for dosing melphalan for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the obese patient population, because the current literature reports conflicting clinical outcomes between obese and nonobese patients. In 2014, the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation published conditioning chemotherapy dosing guidelines for obese patients and recommended dosing of melphalan using actual body weight (ABW) in the body surface area calculation. The practice at Barnes-Jewish Hospital has consistently been to dose melphalan using adjusted body weight (AdBW), with a 20% correction when a patient weighs ≥120% of his or her ideal body weight (IBW). The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of melphalan ASCT in patients with multiple myeloma between obese (≥120% IBW) and nonobese (
Investigating Dependencies of Relative Biological Effectiveness for Proton Therapy in Cancer Cells

Abstract Purpose: Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) accounts for the differences in biological effect from different radiation types. The RBE for proton therapy remains uncertain, as it has b...
The MRCGP Clinical Skills Assessment: an international perspective of evidence.

In this edition of the journal, McLoughlin and colleagues report the results of a review of the literature for the MRCGP Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) [1]. Using reasonable inclusion criteria an...
Kognitive Störungen in der neuropsychologischen Rehabilitation

Traditionelle Formen der Rehabilitation behandeln Storungen hoherer zerebralen Funktionen oft nicht angemessen. Die neuropsychologische Rehabilitation basiert auf einer unterstutzenden Aufklarung der Patienten uber die Art ihrer Storungen. In diesem Prozess sollten die Patienten die Moglichkeit erhalten, ihr Verhalten zu beobachten und „problemat ische“ Anteile daran zu erkennen. Ihnen sollte vermittelt werden, in welcher Weise sich die direkten und indirekten Folgen ihrer Hirnschadigung ausern. Der Therapeut hat die Aufgabe, Entscheidungen des Patienten, die seine Anpassung unterstutzen und unnotige Komplikationen vermeiden, zu fordern. Dies ist der Kern des 4. Prinzips.
Analysis and Simulation of Capacitor-Less ReRAM-Based Stochastic Neurons for the in-Memory Spiking Neural Network

The stochastic neuron is a key for event-based probabilistic neural networks. We propose a stochastic neuron using a metal–oxide resistive random-access memory (ReRAM). The ReRAM's conducting filament with built-in stochasticity is used to mimic the neuron's membrane capacitor, which temporally integrates input spikes. A capacitor-less neuron circuit is designed, laid out, and simulated. The output spiking train of the neuron obeys the Poisson distribution. Using the 65-nm CMOS technology node, the area of the neuron is ${\text{14}} \times {\text{5}}\; \mu\text{m}^2$ , which is one ninth the size of a 1-pF capacitor. The average power consumption of the neuron is 1.289 $\mu$ W. We introduce the neural array—A modified one-transistor-one-ReRAM (1T1R) crossbar that integrates the ReRAM neurons with ReRAM synapses to form a compact and energy efficient in-memory spiking neural network. A spiking deep belief network (DBN) with a noisy rectified linear unit (NReLU) is trained and mapped to the spiking DBN using the proposed ReRAM neurons. Simulation results show that the ReRAM neuron-based DBN is able to recognize the handwritten digits with 94.7% accuracy and is robust against the ReRAM process variation effect.
Metabolic reprogramming by the S -nitroso-CoA reductase system protects against kidney injury

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is protective against kidney injury, but the molecular mechanisms of this protection are poorly understood1,2. Nitric oxide-based cellular signalling is generally mediated by protein S-nitrosylation, the oxidative modification of Cys residues to form S-nitrosothiols (SNOs). S-nitrosylation regulates proteins in all functional classes, and is controlled by enzymatic machinery that includes S-nitrosylases and denitrosylases, which add and remove SNO from proteins, respectively3,4. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the classic metabolic intermediate co-enzyme A (CoA) serves as an endogenous source of SNOs through its conjugation with nitric oxide to form S-nitroso-CoA (SNO-CoA), and S-nitrosylation of proteins by SNO-CoA is governed by its cognate denitrosylase, SNO-CoA reductase (SCoR)5. Mammals possess a functional homologue of yeast SCoR, an aldo-keto reductase family member (AKR1A1)5 with an unknown physiological role. Here we report that the SNO-CoA-AKR1A1 system is highly expressed in renal proximal tubules, where it transduces the activity of eNOS in reprogramming intermediary metabolism, thereby protecting kidneys against acute kidney injury. Specifically, deletion of Akr1a1 in mice to reduce SCoR activity increased protein S-nitrosylation, protected against acute kidney injury and improved survival, whereas this protection was lost when Enos (also known as Nos3) was also deleted. Metabolic profiling coupled with unbiased mass spectrometry-based SNO-protein identification revealed that protection by the SNO-CoA-SCoR system is mediated by inhibitory S-nitrosylation of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) through a novel locus of regulation, thereby balancing fuel utilization (through glycolysis) with redox protection (through the pentose phosphate shunt). Targeted deletion of PKM2 from mouse proximal tubules recapitulated precisely the protective and mechanistic effects of S-nitrosylation in Akr1a1-/- mice, whereas Cys-mutant PKM2, which is refractory to S-nitrosylation, negated SNO-CoA bioactivity. Our results identify a physiological function of the SNO-CoA-SCoR system in mammals, describe new regulation of renal metabolism and of PKM2 in differentiated tissues, and offer a novel perspective on kidney injury with therapeutic implications.
Portfolio solutions, bulk sales of bank-owned properties, and the reemergence of racially exploitative land contracts

Abstract Since the onset of the foreclosure crisis, scholars have examined large-scale investor acquisition of mortgage-reverted properties in numerous U.S. housing markets. This work is generally framed by an interest in the massive shift from homeownership to rentership and the implications of this transition for low- and moderate-income households and neighborhoods subject to the lingering effects of the crisis. This article extends this literature by examining the national geography of contract-for-deed sales initiated by large-scale investors acquiring properties from federal foreclosure inventories. Contract-for-deed sales are historically associated with exploitative high-cost transactions targeting credit-starved communities of color, but researchers have noted their return in places hit hard by foreclosures. Drawing on a national dataset of real estate transaction records, we track the size and location of these contract-for-deed dealers' inventories. We then restrict our analysis to properties sold by Fannie Mae to known contract sellers to address the question of whether these sales were disproportionately concentrated in cities and neighborhoods with large numbers of Black inhabitants. We find race is a significant predictor of metropolitan level foreclosure sales to contract sellers and that predominantly Black neighborhoods saw a disproportionate number of foreclosures sold to contract sellers.
Beyond Hope: Some Other Notable Diamonds at the Smithsonian Institution—Part 2

Figure 1. The Victoria-Transvaal Diamond Necklace. Figure 2. Close-up of the Victoria-Transvaal Diamond. Photos by Chip Clark, courtesy Smithsonian Institution The National Gem Collection, housed i...
Professional Learning as Breaking Away: Discourses of Teacher Development Within Literacy Coaching Interactions

ABSTRACTA techno-rational perspective of teaching and learning is common as teachers are increasingly inundated with messages of measurement, standardization, and accountability. Within this perspective, teacher development is seen as mastery of skills, teachers’ learning is conceptualized as linear with a predetermined and predictable trajectory, and the role of literacy coach is limited to supporting the implementation of best practices. In this article, the author employs a microethnographic approach to discourse analysis to explore how literacy coaches and teachers negotiate discourses of teacher development during coaching interactions. Findings highlight how dominant discourses of teacher development may constrain professional learning interactions. The author argues that a flexible view of teacher development as breaking away may foster more meaningful professional learning, support coaching relationships, and spur instructional innovation.
Native boron levels and the effect of boron treatment on Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae), Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae), and Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt (Isoptera : Mastotermitidae)

Although boron is a ubiquitous element found in rocks, soil and water, little has been determined about its physiological role in plants and animals. Comparing the effect of sublethal boron exposure on 3 species yields a broader view of the toxicity of boron compounds in termites. Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) were collected from colonies maintained in at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus in Honolulu, HI (United States); C. acinaciformis (Froggart) from Darwin, North Territory (Australia); and Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggart (Isoptera: Mastotermitidae) from Darwin, North Territory (Australia). Termites were exposed to untreated composite board or board containing zinc borate and anhydrous boric acid (ZB/BO in a 60/40 ratio, 0.75% BAE) in a no-choice test for 5 d, either in Honolulu (C. formosanus) or Australia (C. acinaciformis and M. darwiniensis); survival rates, wet weight, and boron content of the termites were determined. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) was used to determine boron content in field-caught and experimental termites. There was a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in survival of the boron-treated Coptotermes in comparison with the untreated termites, although no mortality was observed in M. darwiniensis. All 3 species showed a significant (P < 0.01) increase in boron content in boron-treated individuals, and there were no significant differences observed between the field-caught and untreated termites.
Incidence of Breakthrough Invasive Fungal Infections While on Micafungin for Antifungal Prophylaxis in Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Patients

Introduction Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients are at significant risk for invasive fungal infections (IFIs). IFIs are life threatening for HCT patients. Due to its tolerability and lack of drug interactions, micafungin is utilized as primary antifungal prophylaxis (PAP) in the peri-transplant period. In 2012, we created a micafungin dosing protocol for pediatric patients based on the most current literature at that time. Objectives Our primary endpoint was to determine the prevalence of breakthrough IFIs in pediatric HCT patients after initiating PAP according to this institutional micafungin dosing protocol. The secondary endpoint was to evaluate the incidence of adverse effects (AEs). Methods Retrospective analyses of our institution's electronic records were performed to quantify the incidence of breakthrough IFIs in pediatric HCT patients who received micafungin for PAP according to institutional protocol between July 2012 and Dec 2017. Micafungin Pediatric Dosing Guidelines. PAP for HCT Results A total of 300 pediatric HCT patients were included in the analysis. All patients were neutrophil engrafted by Day +30. All patients started micafungin PAP prior to conditioning and continued through Day +100. Of the 300 patients, 50% converted to voriconazole, 30% remained on micafungin, 20% converted to fluconazole and 10% received amphotericin B. Per the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) IFI Criteria Classification, 10 patients (3.1%) developed an IFI. Eight cases (2.6%) were classified as proven and 2 cases (0.7%) were probable. Pathogens identified were Candida parapsilosis (5/8 cases), Rhizopus (1 case), Candida krusei (1 case) and one case had both Mucormycosis and Rhizopus. The infection source was blood in 6/8 cases, wound (1 case) and sinuses/brain (1 case). Seven of eight patients with ‘proven' IFI died. Two deaths were directly associated with IFI (C. parapsilosis and mucormycosis); other deaths were attributed to bacterial infection (3), pulmonary hemorrhage or underlying disease. For the entire study group, approximately 8%, 5.7% and 1.7% had Grade 2, 3 and 4 hepatotoxicity, respectively (CTCAE grading criteria). Most patients with Grade 3 or 4 were noted to have moderate to severe Veno-Occlusive Disease or other primary disease processes so the events were likely not related to micafungin. Conclusions The micafungin dosing protocol for pediatric HCT patients has shown to be efficacious with very few documented breakthrough IFI over a five year study period. Additionally, micafungin was well tolerated at these doses with few treatment-related and/or low grade AEs.
Craving is impermanent and it matters: Investigating craving and cannabis use among young adults with problematic use interested in reducing use.

Abstract Rates of problematic cannabis use have nearly doubled over the last decade, and peak onset for cannabis use disorders occurs during young adulthood. Craving for cannabis is hypothesized to be an important factor that maintains cannabis use among people who desire to stop or reduce their use, including many young adults. Previous studies that used single timepoint assessment methods to demonstrate a link between craving and cannabis use have found mixed predictive utility of measurements. The impermanent, or time-varying nature of craving may be responsible for mixed findings, leading to inaccuracies in retrospective recall and greater difficulty measuring craving and detecting its association with cannabis use. The current study compared intensive longitudinal assessments and single timepoint assessments predicting cannabis use among young adults with problematic cannabis use who reported a desire to reduce their use. Participants (N = 80) completed a baseline craving questionnaire and intensive longitudinal assessments of momentary craving and cannabis use up to four times per day for 14 days. Results suggested that averaged momentary craving predicted cannabis use above-and-beyond craving measured at baseline. An increase of one SD above the sample-mean for averaged momentary craving increased the probability of cannabis use by 367 %, while a one SD increase in baseline craving was only associated with a 49 % increase. Findings suggest that asking young adults who want to cut back on their cannabis use about their craving at a single timepoint may not be as clinically useful as tracking cravings repeatedly in near real-time and in ecologically valid contexts.
CHAPTER 2 – Programs and Computable Functions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses programs and computable functions. Computability theory is based on a specific programming language. Certain letters are used as variables whose values are numbers. In particular, the letter X1, X2, X3 are called the input variables of a programming language, Y is called the output variable, and Z1, Z2, Z3, etc. are called local variables. Thus from the outset, programming language must be regarded as a purely theoretical entity. The execution of the program has the effect of increasing the value of X by 2. In addition to variables, one will also need labels. GOTO L is not an instruction in programming language but as it is frequently used for an instruction, one can use it as an abbreviation for the program segment. Such an abbreviating pseudo instruction is called a macro and the program or program segment that it abbreviates is called its macro expansion. The use of these terms is obviously motivated by similarities with the notion of a macro instruction occurring in many programming languages.
The Financial Cost of Medical Assistant Turnover in an Academic Family Medicine Center.

Introduction: Primary care clinics increasingly hire medical assistants (MAs) to perform a variety of clinical and administrative tasks. Anecdotal reports suggest that MA turnover is high, but no studies to date have calculated the rate or cost of MA turnover. The purpose of this study was to calculate the rate of MA turnover and associated costs in a single, large academic Family Medicine clinic. Methods: Retrospective data were collected from clinic administrators regarding MA turnover, overtime worked, salaries and benefits as well as administrator salaries and benefits and the amount of administrator time spent in MA hiring, training, and termination in 2017. Results: During 2017, MA turnover rate was 59%. The total estimated cost of MA turnover was $213,000. The per-MA cost of turnover was $14,200, or approximately 40% of the average annual salary of MAs. Conclusion: Turnover rate in this practice was similar to other estimates of primary care clinic staff and allied health professionals. The estimated cost of MA turnover relative to annual salary was significantly greater than that in other fields, likely reflecting the costs of training MAs. Establishing a method for calculating the turnover rate and costs can allow other healthcare systems to better describe turnover and evaluate retention strategies.
TLR4 signaling and macrophage inflammatory responses are dampened by GIV/Girdin

Abstract Sensing of pathogens by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) induces an inflammatory response; controlled responses confer immunity but uncontrolled responses cause harm. Here we define how a multi-modular scaffold, GIV (a.k.a Girdin) titrates such inflammatory response in macrophages. Upon challenge with either live microbes or microbe-derived lipopolysaccharides (LPS, a ligand for TLR4), macrophages with GIV mount a more tolerant (hypo-reactive) transcriptional response and suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines and signaling pathways (i.e., NFkB and CREB) downstream of TLR4 compared to their GIV-depleted counterparts. Myeloid-specific gene depletion studies confirmed that the presence of GIV ameliorates DSS-induced colitis and sepsis-induced death. The anti-inflammatory actions of GIV are mediated via its C-terminally located TIR-like BB-loop (TILL)-motif which binds the cytoplasmic TIR-modules of TLR4 in a manner that precludes receptor dimerization; the latter is a pre-requisite for pro-inflammatory signaling. Binding of GIV’s TILL motif to other TIR modules inhibits pro-inflammatory signaling via other TLRs, suggesting a convergent paradigm for fine-tuning macrophage inflammatory responses. Significance To ensure immunity, and yet limit pathology, inflammatory responses must be confined within the proverbial ‘Goldilocks zone’. TLR4 is the prototypical sensor that orchestrates inflammatory responses through a series of well characterized downstream cascades. How TLR4 signals are confined remain incompletely understood. Using trans-scale approaches ranging from disease modeling in live animals, through cell-based interventional studies, to structure-guided biochemical studies that offer an atomic-level resolution, this study unravels the existence of a ‘brake’ within the TLR4 signaling cascade, i.e., GIV; the latter is a prototypical member of an emerging class of scaffold proteins. By showing that GIV uses conserved mechanisms to impact multi-TLR signaling, this work unravels a multi-scale point of convergence of immune signaling of broader impact beyond TLR4.
Dikos Nitsaa’igii-19 (The Big Cough): Coal, COVID, and the Navajo Nation

This essay makes the following arguments. First, the US federal government knows how to electrify remote rural areas, and has in fact electrified rural areas as remote and inaccessible as the Appalachian Mountains. Yet, the US government has failed to electrify Navajo. Second, Navajo Nation is surrounded by power plants which send electricity to Phoenix, Los Angeles, and parts distant, yet transmission lines and infrastructure have not been properly extended from those power plants to inside of Navajo Nation. Third, the health risks of residential coal burning are well known, and given the health risks of COVID-19 and the fact that underlying respiratory conditions make the Navajo quite susceptible to this disease, the need to address this infrastructure gap is urgent.
Extrinsic and intrinsic charge trapping at the graphene/ferroelectric interface

The interface between graphene and the ferroelectric superlattice PbTiO3/SrTiO3 (PTO/STO) is studied. Tuning the transition temperature through the PTO/STO volume fraction minimizes the adorbates at the graphene/ferroelectric interface, allowing robust ferroelectric hysteresis to be demonstrated. "Intrinsic" charge traps from the ferroelectric surface defects can adversely affect the graphene channel hysteresis and can be controlled by careful sample processing, enabling systematic study of the charge trapping mechanism.
Asymptotic Distributions of Impulse Response Functions in Short Panel Vector Autoregressions

This paper establishes the limiting distributions of orthogonalized and nonorthogonalized impulse response functions in panel vector autoregressions with a fixed time dimension. The autoregressive parameters are estimated using the GMM estimators based on the first differenced equations and the error variance is estimated using an extended analysis-of-variance type estimator. We find that the GMM estimator of the autoregressive coefficients depends on the estimator of error variance, even in large samples with a large cross sectional dimension. The asymptotic dependence leads to additional terms in the asymptotic variance of the orthogonalized impulse response function that are not present in the time series literature. Simulation results show that the asymptotic distribution of the orthogonalized impulse response function that takes the dependence into account is more accurate than the one that does not.
Spanish quepo: the untold story

The pres. ind. paradigm of Sp. caber ‘to fit’ exhibits a synchronically irregular form in the 1st pers. sg., i.e., quepo, instead of a synchronically regular form derived from the infinitive, i.e., caber → *cabo. However, quepo is not considered at all historically irregular. Since the first historical grammar of Spanish, quepo has been understood to be a direct continuation of Lat. capiō, which apparently evolved through regular phonetic development, like pres. subj. capiam > quepa, sapiam > sepa. Nonetheless, one may question why quepo has not been replaced by *cabo in Modern Spanish given its extremely low frequency of occurrence, as forms of a language that occur infrequently are often regularized. A historical look at quepo reveals the following surprising facts: (1) Although pres. subj. quepa is attested from the earliest Old Spanish texts onward, quepo is absent from the written record throughout the Old and Medieval Spanish periods and does not appear until the end of the sixteenth century; (2) Regularized cabo served as the first person singular of the present indicative until then. The present study attempts to explain through well-established processes of historical morphology the late appearance of quepo and its continued existence in Modern Spanish.
Nuclear graphite strength degradation under varying oxidizing conditions

Abstract The oxidized residual strength for two nuclear graphite grades, fine-grained IG-110 and medium-grained NBG-18, were determined over a mass loss range of 0% to 10% for three different oxidation temperatures. This study addresses the critical licensing issue of determining oxidized strength of graphite core components within the design rules of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler Pressure and Vessel Code over a range of oxidation temperatures from 550 °C to 750 °C. Results generally demonstrate low-temperature oxidation to have a 30% greater strength reduction than similar mass losses at higher oxidation temperatures. These differences are attributed to whether the graphite oxidizes primarily within the kinetic-controlled regime or the diffusion-controlled regime which dictate the level of oxidation penetration depth into the interior microstructure. Finally, this study presents a new test method for determining mechanical compression strength from previously oxidized graphite material. This test procedure is based upon two approved American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, ASTM D7542 and C695, and combines the requirements for both standards. It is hoped that this new test method can assist ASME BPVC users in determining oxidized residual strength since there are currently no approved standard for conducting such tests.
Gender Gaps in Salary and Representation in Academic Internal Medicine Specialties in the US

This cross-sectional analysis examines survey data on academic physician salaries from the 2018 to 2019 using the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Salary Report to evaluate demographics and salaries of academic internal medicine physician specialists.
Serial passage in ducks of a low-pathogenic avian influenza virus isolated from a chicken reveals a high mutation rate in the hemagglutinin that is likely due to selection in the host

A comparative study of the ability of three low-pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) isolates to be transmitted from duck to duck was performed. Pekin ducks were inoculated with two LPAIV isolates from chickens (A/Ck/PA/13609/93 [H5N2], H5N2-Ck; A/Ck/TX/167280-4/02 [H5N3], H5N3-Ck) and one isolate from a wild bird (A/Mute Swan/ MI/451072/06 [H5N1], H5N1-WB). During the establishment of the passage model, only two viruses (H5N1, H5N2) were able to be transmitted from duck to duck. Transmission of these isolates was dependent on the inoculation dose and route of infection. Analysis of swab samples taken from ducks revealed that the wild-bird isolate, H5N1-WB, was primarily shed via the cloacal route. The chicken isolate, H5N2-Ck, was isolated from cloacal as well as oro-pharyngeal swabs. Analysis of the amino acid sequences of the viral surface glycoproteins showed that the hemagglutinin (HA) of the H5N2-Ck isolate was under a stronger evolutionary pressure than the HA of the H5N1-WB isolate, as indicated by the presence of a larger number of amino acid changes observed during passage. The neuraminidase (NA) of both viruses showed either no (in the case of H5N1-WB) or very few amino acid changes.
Chapter 7 Rapid Stimulation-Associated Changes in Exocrine Na+,K+-ATPase Subcellular Distribution

Publisher Summary Many of the fluid-transporting epithelia sustain abrupt changes in Na + entry rates during their normal daily patterns of activity. In the small intestine and in the gallbladder the rate of pumping by the basolateral membrane localized Na + ,K'-ATPase increases to match increases in the rate of Na + entry. As steady state cytosolic Na + activities remain essentially unchanged, the cell must in some way be capable of sensing changes in the Na + influx rate and adjusting the Na + K + -ATPase pump parameters appropriately. The mechanisms underlying this phenomenon of homocellular regulation remain largely matters of conjecture. Current concepts about the mechanism of NaCl secretion in exocrine gland acini suggest key roles for coupled Na + -CI - entry and for Na + ,K + - ATPase-driven Na + extrusion. As transepithelial flux rates and Na + influx rates can change rapidly in response to increased levels of hormonal or neural stimulation, it seems likely that exocrine acinar cells also possess efficient homocellular mechanisms for regulating their cytosolic Na + activities. The thesis of this chapter is that the recruitment of Na + , K + -ATPase pump units mobilized from preformed cytoplasmic pools is an important aspect of this process. The chapter begins by reviewing the roles of coupled Na + -C1 - influx mechanisms and of Na + ,K + '-ATPase in exocrine secretion and by summarizing published evidence that a variety of cell types contain substantial cytoplasmic pools of Na + ,K + -ATPase.
Characterization of the Interaction Between Polymerized Human Albumin and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen

The interaction of polymerized human albumin with hepatitis B surface antigen was characterized utilizing a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. The interaction was specific as shown by quantitative inhibition of binding by soluble polymerized human albumin. The interaction was species restricted in that hepatitis B surface antigen did not bind nonhuman polymerized albumins. The albumin polymer size was critical to the binding reaction as was the concentration of hepatitis B surface antigen; the interaction was also temperature, ionic strength, and pH dependent. Hepatitis B e antigen positive sera possessed greater polyalbumin binding reactivity than hepatitis B e antigen negative sera. This interaction was shown to be inhibited by normal human serum which suggested that the polyalbumin receptor on hepatitis B surface antigen may be a host rather than viral component. In view of our previous observation that polymerized human albumin binds human C1q, the interactions between polymerized human albumin, hepatitis B surface antigen, and human C1q may be relevant to hepatitis B virus-host receptor mechanisms.
Differentiating zones at periodontal ligament-bone and periodontal ligament-cementum entheses.

Background and Objective The structural and functional integrity of bone–periodontal ligament (PDL)–cementum complex stems from the load-bearing attachment sites (entheses) between soft (PDL) and hard (bone, cementum) tissues. These attachment sites are responsible for the maintenance of a bone–PDL–cementum complex biomechanical function. The objective was to investigate changes in spatiotemporal expression of key biomolecules in developing and functionally active entheses. Material and Methods Multilabeling technique was performed on hemimandibles of 3 wk and 3 mo-old scleraxis–GFP transgenic mice for CD146, CD31, NG2, osterix and bone sialoprotein. Regions of dominant stretch within the PDL were evaluated by identifying directionality of collagen fibrils, PDL fibroblasts and PDL cell cytoskeleton. Results CD146+ cells adjacent to CD31+ vasculature were identified at PDL–bone enthesis. NG2+ cells were located at coronal bone–PDL and apical cementum–PDL entheses in the 3-wk-old group, but at 3 mo, NG2 was positive at the entheses of the apical region and alveolar crest. NG2 and osterix were colocalized at the osteoid and cementoid regions of the PDL–bone and PDL–cementum entheses. Bone sialoprotein was prominent at the apical region of 3-wk-old mice. The directionality of collagen fibers, fibroblasts and their cytoskeleton overlapped, except in the apical region of 3 wk. Conclusion Colocalization of biomolecules at zones of the PDL adjacent to attachment sites may be essential for the formation of precementum and osteoid interfaces at a load-bearing bone–PDL–tooth fibrous joint. Biophysical cues resulting from development and function can regulate recruitment and differentiation of stem cells potentially from a vascular origin toward osteo- and cemento-blastic lineages at the PDL–bone and PDL–cementum entheses. Investigating the coupled effect of biophysical and biochemical stimuli leading to cell differentiation at the functional attachment sites is critical for developing regeneration strategies to enable functional reconstruction of the periodontal complex.
Q&A: Evolutionary capacitance

What is an evolutionary capacitor? Many mutations are conditionally neutral: important under some conditions, invisible at other times. Capacitors are on/off switches affecting the visibility of a particular set of conditionally neutral variants. While in the neutral state, ‘cryptic’ genetic variants can drift to high frequency; extending the electrical analogy, accumulated cryptic variants can be seen as a kind of genetic ‘charge’ [1].
The Role of Apology in International Law and Diplomacy

There has recently been a striking and widespread use of governmental apologies as a way of rectifying or atoning for past historical injustices, such as past wartime atrocities, racial or religious discrimination, or the abuses of colonialism. This apology phenomenon has elicited extensive comment. Less scholarly attention has been paid, however, to the use of governmental apologies to resolve the more current international incidents and disputes with which foreign office diplomats and international lawyers are typically concerned. This article addresses the role of apology in the more usual conduct of international diplomacy and resolution of international differences, as well as its broader role in the international law of state responsibility. Among the questions discussed in the article are: (1) What do we mean by an apology? (2) How prevalent is the use of apology in the conduct of diplomatic practice and what are some recent examples of such apologies? (3) What role does apology play as a formal remedy in the international law of state responsibility? (4) Can apologies influence the development of international law or otherwise have normative consequences? (5) Is the role of apology in international relations the same as in interpersonal or other contexts? (6) Why do governments apologize - or not apologize? (7) Does the recent proliferation of governmental apologies for historical injustices suggest that apologies are now likely to play an important part in how governments deal with current kinds of diplomatic problems and international differences as well? 8) Does apology deserve a more important part in our toolbox of international dispute resolution techniques? and (9) More broadly, what is the likely future role of apology in resolving international incidents, grievances and disputes?
Heterotrophic Bacteria as Indicators of Water Quality

Definition Cultivation Origins of the Heterotrophic Bacterial Flora Health Concerns with Amplification in Water Supply Colonization in Water Supply Heterotrophic Bacteria: An Operational Indicator of Microbial Quality Public Water Supplies: Treatment, Distribution, and Storage Rural Water Supplies Heterotrophic Bacteria in Alternative Water Supplies Keywords: antibiotic resistant bacteria; bottled water; emergency water supplies; heterotrophic bacteria as indicators; indicators of water quality; membrane filter procedure for heterotrophic bacteria; point-of-use treatment devices; rural water supplies
SEU error rates in advanced digital CMOS

Single-event error rate analysis of radiation-hardened CMOS memory parts is presented. The statistical distribution on device processing parameters is shown to explain the non-ideal error cross-section data observed in contemporary six-transistor SRAMs designed for space-based operation. A procedure for evaluating the expected error rate for these parts is presented and applied to a typical data set. The method, which arises from a development of the upset rate convolution integral, can be applied in a generic fashion using conventional ground-based test data to provide a realistic upset-rate estimate for space flight conditions. >
Advances in the clinical management of inhibitors in hemophilia A and B

Inhibitors to factor (F)VIII or FIX are the most serious and challenging complication of hemophilia treatment, increasing morbidity and mortality because bleeds no longer respond to standard clotting factor replacement therapy. For patients with high-titer inhibitors, immune tolerance induction achieved through regular factor exposure is the only proven therapy capable of Inhibitor eradication and is almost always indicated for inhibitors of recent onset. Bypassing therapy is used to treat and prevent bleeding, but neither of the two currently available bypassing agents has the predictable hemostatic efficacy of factor replacement in hemophilia patients without inhibitors. Major research efforts are focused on the development of new, more potent therapies for the management of patients with inhibitors.