cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing lambda repressor to the core

Lambda repressor fragment λ6−85* is one of thefastest folding small protein fragments known to date. We hypothesized that removal of three out of five helices of λ6−85* would further reduce this protein to its smallest folding core. Molecular dynamics simulations singled out two energetically stable reduced structures consisting of only helices 1 and 4 connected by a short glycine/serine linker, as well as a less stable control. We investigated these three polypeptides and their fragments experimentally by using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, and temperature jump relaxation spectroscopy to gain insight into their thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Based on the thermal melts, the order of peptide stability was in correspondence with theoretical predictions. The most stable two-helix bundle, λblue1, is a cooperatively folding miniprotein with the same melting temperature and folding rate as the full-length λ6−85* pseudo wild type and a well-defined computed structure.
A Contribution to the Early History of India-Rubber. François Fresneau (1703–1770)

Abstract In the fall of 1936 the Revue Generale du Caoutchouc published a special issue dedicated to the memory of the French scientist La Condamine on the occasion of the bicentenary of the discovery of rubber. Quite recently the same periodical issued another special number on the occasion of the International Exposition in Paris, 1937. The title page reproduces Cochin's well-known portrait of Charles Marie de la Condamine. The first paper by Ch. Jung, entitled “History and Development of the Rubber Industry,” gives all the credit of the discovery of rubber to Condamine, and for the details refers to the publication mentioned above. In the bicentennial number, Henri de la Condamine gives a detailed biography of his ancestor, wherein the name of Fresneau as a correspondent of Condamine is mentioned in a few places. A second paper, by Auguste Chevalier, deals chronologically with the various publications presented by Condamine, and here Fresneau receives as much credit as can be justified from the content...
Accessing Nature’s diversity through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology

In this perspective, we highlight recent examples and trends in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology that demonstrate the synthetic potential of enzyme and pathway engineering for natural product discovery. In doing so, we introduce natural paradigms of secondary metabolism whereby simple carbon substrates are combined into complex molecules through “scaffold diversification”, and subsequent “derivatization” of these scaffolds is used to synthesize distinct complex natural products. We provide examples in which modern pathway engineering efforts including combinatorial biosynthesis and biological retrosynthesis can be coupled to directed enzyme evolution and rational enzyme engineering to allow access to the “privileged” chemical space of natural products in industry-proven microbes. Finally, we forecast the potential to produce natural product-like discovery platforms in biological systems that are amenable to single-step discovery, validation, and synthesis for streamlined discovery and production of biologically active agents.
Majorana approach to the stochastic theory of line shapes

Motivated by recent M\"ossbauer experiments on strongly correlated mixed-valence systems, we revisit the Kubo-Anderson stochastic theory of spectral line shapes. Using a Majorana representation for the nuclear spin we demonstrate how to recast the classic line-shape theory in a field-theoretic and diagrammatic language. We show that the leading contribution to the self-energy can reproduce most of the observed line-shape features including splitting and line-shape narrowing, while the vertex and the self-consistency corrections can be systematically included in the calculation. This approach permits us to predict the line shape produced by an arbitrary bulk charge fluctuation spectrum providing a model-independent way to extract the local charge fluctuation spectrum of the surrounding medium. We also derive an inverse formula to extract the charge fluctuation from the measured line shape.
Integrated Charge Transfer in Organic Ferroelectrics for Flexible Multisensing Materials.

The ultimate or end point of functional materials development is the realization of strong coupling between all energy regimes (optical, electronic, magnetic, and elastic), enabling the same material to be utilized for multifunctionalities. However, the integration of multifunctionalities in soft materials with the existence of various coupling is still in its early stage. Here, the coupling between ferroelectricity and charge transfer by combining bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene-C60 charge-transfer crystals with ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride polymer matrix is reported, which enables external stimuli-controlled polarization, optoelectronic and magnetic field sensing properties. Such flexible composite films also display a superior strain-dependent capacitance and resistance change with a giant piezoresistance coefficient of 7.89 × 10−6 Pa−1. This mutual coupled material with the realization of enhanced couplings across these energy domains opens up the potential for multisensing applications.
Interaction of γ-Rays with Matter

The previous chapters of this book have dealt with the production mechanisms for γ-rays in the nuclear transition region and the expected intensity of γ-rays (particularly of discrete energy) from various astrophysical sources. In order to discuss the experimental side of this field, it is necessary to review the fundamentals of the interaction of γ-rays with matter. This question is treated in this chapter. Appendix A gives data on gamma ray absorption coefficients in various materials.
Conflict and Bias in Heuristic Judgment.

Conflict has been hypothesized to play a key role in recruiting deliberative processing in reasoning and judgment tasks. This claim suggests that changing the task so as to add incorrect heuristic responses that conflict with existing heuristic responses can make individuals less likely to respond heuristically and can increase response accuracy. We tested this prediction in experiments involving judgments of argument strength and word frequency, and found that participants are more likely to avoid heuristic bias and respond correctly in settings with 2 incorrect heuristic response options compared with similar settings with only 1 heuristic response option. Our results provide strong evidence for conflict as a mechanism influencing the interaction between heuristic and deliberative thought, and illustrate how accuracy can be increased through simple changes to the response sets offered to participants. (PsycINFO Database Record
Thin Films of (Fe1-xCox)3P and Fe3(P1-xTex) from the Co-Decomposition of Organometallic Precursors by MOCVD

A new method for preparing thin films of ternary transition metal phosphides has been developed. The ferromagnetic compound Fe3P has been doped with cobalt and tellurium by decomposing H2Fe3(CO)9PtBu with either Co3(CO)9PtBu or H2Fe3(CO)9Te via metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) onto a quartz substrate. Solid mixtures of the organometallic clusters were vaporized and decomposed at 400 °C to produce films that were subsequently annealed under vacuum at 650 °C for 24 h to afford crystalline films of (Fe1–xCox)3P (0.09 < x < 0.22) and Fe3(P1–xTex) (0.04 < x < 0.42). The films exhibit phase purity as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which also confirmed the homogeneity of the films. Changes in elemental ratios were tracked by unit cell constants and ICP-OES analysis. Field-dependent magnetization measurements showed magnetic hysteresis with similar magnetic saturation values for each doped material. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to compare the Curi...
Cancer Implications for Patients with Endometriosis

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of viable endometrial glands and stroma outside of the uterus. It is a common disease, occurring in 5 to 15% of all women. Endometriosis is associated with chronic pelvic pain and infertility and often requires surgical intervention for definitive treatment. Although it is a benign gynecologic condition, endometriosis shares pathophysiologic features with cancer. In recent years, both histologic and epidemiologic evidence has accumulated, suggesting that ovarian endometriosis may give rise to malignant ovarian tumors, primarily those that are epithelial in origin, known as endometriosis-associated ovarian carcinoma (EAOC) including ovarian clear cell carcinoma, endometrioid carcinoma, and the least common, seromucinous tumors. Women with endometriosis have a two- to threefold increase in absolute risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer, especially clear cell and endometrioid subtypes. Somatic mutations, such as ARID1A, PIK3CA, and PTEN, may promote the progression of benign endometriosis to carcinoma. Endometriosis has been implicated in the development of other malignancies, including endometrial and breast cancer. In this review, we critically appraise the data regarding the association between endometriosis and ovarian cancer and the potential correlation of endometriosis with other cancers.
The Cadherin Superfamily in Synapse Formation and Function

The cadherin superfamily of adhesion molecules encompasses over 100 members, which can be subdivided into classical cadherins, desmosomal cadherins, and protocadherins. Many classical cadherins and protocadherins are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), where they have been implicated in a wide variety of processes. The ∼20 classical cadherins have 5 characteristic cadherin repeats and an intracellular domain that contains binding sites for members of the catenin family. The classical cadherins are important for a number of processes integral to the synapse, including axon targeting, dendrite and dendritic spine maturation, and synapse function and plasticity. The more than 70 protocadherins (Pcdhs) make up the largest subgroup of the cadherin superfamily, which includes the clustered α-, β-, and γ-Pcdhs, the δ-Pcdhs, the seven-transmembrane (7-TM) Pcdhs, and the giant fat Pcdhs. These diverse molecules, all of which contain a varying number of cadherin repeats, play a multitude of roles in synapse development and function. Of the clustered Pcdhs, the γ-Pcdhs are required for synapse development and interneuron survival in the spinal cord, while the α-Pcdhs influence axon targeting, as do the 7-TM Pcdhs. Several of the δ-Pcdhs and fat Pcdhs have demonstrated and/or suggested functions at the synapse. This chapter reviews the vast extant literature on the cadherin superfamily, summarizing key findings regarding its diverse members and their functions at central synapses. Particular attention is paid to the most recent results, including the fascinating demonstration of cooperation between synaptic classical cadherins and Pcdhs.
Insights into neutrino decoupling gleaned from considerations of the role of electron mass

Abstract We present calculations showing how electron rest mass influences entropy flow, neutrino decoupling, and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) in the early universe. To elucidate this physics and especially the sensitivity of BBN and related epochs to electron mass, we consider a parameter space of rest mass values larger and smaller than the accepted vacuum value. Electromagnetic equilibrium, coupled with the high entropy of the early universe, guarantees that significant numbers of electron–positron pairs are present, and dominate over the number of ionization electrons to temperatures much lower than the vacuum electron rest mass. Scattering between the electrons–positrons and the neutrinos largely controls the flow of entropy from the plasma into the neutrino seas. Moreover, the number density of electron–positron-pair targets can be exponentially sensitive to the effective in-medium electron mass. This entropy flow influences the phasing of scale factor and temperature, the charged current weak-interaction-determined neutron-to-proton ratio, and the spectral distortions in the relic neutrino energy spectra. Our calculations show the sensitivity of the physics of this epoch to three separate effects: finite electron mass, finite-temperature quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects on the plasma equation of state, and Boltzmann neutrino energy transport. The ratio of neutrino to plasma–component energy scales manifests in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observables, namely the baryon density and the radiation energy density, along with the primordial helium and deuterium abundances. Our results demonstrate how the treatment of in-medium electron mass (i.e., QED effects) could translate into an important source of uncertainty in extracting neutrino and beyond-standard-model physics limits from future high-precision CMB data.
Categorising students' evaluations of evidence and explanations about climate change

Just as scientists evaluate explanations of climate change, students should also engage in critically evaluative practices when studying global warming. The purpose of the present study was to investigate middle school students' evaluations when they examined different explanations for the causes of climate change. We observed four distinct categories of evaluation in student explanations about how evidence texts related to climate change models: a) erroneous evaluation; b) descriptive evaluation; c) relational evaluation and d) critical evaluation. These findings allow us to better understand and recognise types of student thinking, so that we may be able to better implement instruction that promotes critical evaluation about climate change and other complex scientific topics, as is called for by recent science education reform efforts.
Congenital Vascular Malformations: An Historical Account

Mild as well as severe vascular anomalies have been described in ancient documents by authors such as Hippocrates [1], Ambrose Pare [2], Galen [3], and others.
Chronic captopril treatment reveals the role of ANG II in cardiovascular function of embryonic American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).

Angiotensin II (ANG II) is a powerful vasoconstrictor of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that plays an important role in cardiovascular regulation in adult and developing vertebrates. Knowledge of ANG II's contribution to developmental cardiovascular function comes from studies in fetal mammals and embryonic chickens. This is the first study to examine the role of ANG II in cardiovascular control in an embryonic reptile, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Using chronic low (~ 5-mg kg embryo-1), or high doses (~ 450-mg kg embryo-1) of captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, we disrupted the RAS and examined the influence of ANG II in cardiovascular function at 90% of embryonic development. Compared to embryos injected with saline, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was significantly reduced by 41 and 72% under low- and high-dose captopril treatments, respectively, a greater decrease in MAP than observed in other developing vertebrates following ACE inhibition. Acute exogenous ANG II injection produced a stronger hypertensive response in low-dose captopril-treated embryos compared to saline injection embryos. However, ACE inhibition with the low dose of captopril did not change adrenergic tone, and the ANG II response did not include an α-adrenergic component. Despite decreased MAP that caused a left shifted baroreflex curve for low-dose captopril embryos, ANG II did not influence baroreflex sensitivity. This study demonstrates that ANG II contributes to cardiovascular function in a developing reptile, and that the RAS contributes to arterial blood pressure maintenance during development across multiple vertebrate groups.
Cryoballoon antral pulmonary vein isolation vs contact force-sensing radiofrequency catheter ablation for pulmonary vein and posterior left atrial isolation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background The role of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for antral pulmonary vein isolation (APVI) has not been well established in persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF). Isolation of the left atrial posterior wall (BOX) after APVI has been suggested to improve the efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) in PerAF. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare characteristics and clinical outcomes of APVI by CBA vs APVI + BOX by contact force–guided RFA (CF-RFA) in patients with PerAF. Methods APVI was performed in 167 consecutive patients with PerAF (mean age 64 ± 9 years; left atrial diameter 46 ± 6 mm) using CBA (n = 90) or CF-RFA (n = 77). After APVI, a roofline was created in 33 of 90 patients (37%) in the CBA group and BOX was performed in all 77 patients in the CF-RFA group. Results During 21 ± 10 months of follow-up after a single ablation procedure, 37 of 90 patients (41%) in the CBA group (APVI) and 39 of 77 (51%) in the CF-RFA group (APVI + BOX) remained in sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) (P = .22). During repeat ablation, APVI + BOX using CF-RFA was performed in 20 of 90 patients (22%) and in 18 of 77 patients (23%) who initially underwent CBA or CF-RFA, respectively. At 19 ± 10 months after repeat ablation, sinus rhythm was maintained in 55 of 90 patients (61%) and 52 of 77 patients (68%) in the CBA and CF-RFA groups without AADs, respectively (P = .39). Conclusion In PerAF, an initial approach of APVI by CBA or APVI + BOX by CF-RFA has a similar efficacy of 40%–50% without AADs. After repeat ablation for APVI + BOX by CF-RFA in ∼25%, sinus rhythm is maintained in 60%–70% of patients without AADs.
Unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) and secure boot: promise and pitfalls

UEFI is the replacement for an aging (1976) BIOS. It offers considerable advantages over its predecessor in terms of functionality and, possibly, security. However, it is very unlike BIOS, and computer professionals need to become familiar, if not adept, with UEFI. This technology is still relatively new, and definitely in an unfinished form. As with any new technology, there are implementation pitfalls that will be encountered.
The Role of Phytoliths in Archaeological Reconstruction

This chapter discusses the role of phytoliths in archaeological reconstruction. Research carried out in the Old World, North America, and the New World tropics has shown that phytoliths are capable of providing an independent avenue of data and interpretation for four major areas of archaeobotanical studies: (1) the origins and dispersals of domesticated plants and development of agricultural systems, (2) the availability, economic usage, and noneconomic roles of wild plants, (3) the nature of environments and environmental modification associated with past human occupation of sites, and (4) the relationship between technology, economy, and social organization. The remarkable durability of phytoliths ensures their recovery from a variety of site contexts and artifactual material. Schellenberg recognized their presence in mud brick of prehistoric sites in Turkestan. More recently, Liebowitz and Folk identified a 2–3 cm thick phytolith deposit in association with 1300 B.C. iron smelter factory areas at Tel Yin'am, Israel. They concluded that phytoliths came from straw, probably wheat, used as industrial fuel, confirming Pliny's reference to use of straw in smelting because it gave a very intense heat. The second millennium B.C. iron smeltery is the earliest yet known. An innovative and promising use of phytoliths is found in studies of Bishop, Rands and Bargielski.
Quality Assurance for Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories

Implementation of a new test in a clinical diagnostic laboratory requires running and documentation of appropriate studies prior to clinical use. It is the job of the manufacturer (commercial manufacturer or developing laboratory) to establish the performance characteristics of a test. The performance characteristics that must be established are precision, accuracy, reportable range, reference interval, analytic sensitivity, and analytic specificity, as well as evaluation of any other characteristics required for test performance (e.g., specimen stability, reagent stability, alternate extraction methods, and multiple instruments). The laboratory implementing either a moderate- or high-complexity Food and Drug Administration-approved/FDA-cleared test or a laboratory-developed test created in a different laboratory must conduct verification studies to ensure that the test performs as established by the manufacturer. The performance characteristics that must be verified are precision, accuracy, reportable range, and reference interval. Well-designed validation or verification studies and appropriate data analysis approaches are a large component of new test implementation and will be discussed in this article.
How to Use This Guide

This chapter discusses the diet guide worksheet that is a simple tool to assist in planning and evaluating meals using the diet guide and nutrition information labels. The worksheet provides space to record the nutri-units in the foods eaten during the day. At the end of the day, the columns are totaled, and the differences between the totals and goals for each nutrient are recorded. Goals for calories, sugar, total fats, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium are considered maximum goals. Goals for protein, total carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B 6 , calcium, iron, and zinc are considered minimum goals. The chapter provides information on the kilocalorie, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, sugar, total fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B 6 , calcium, iron, and zinc content of foods. Most foods are listed in the ready-to-eat form. Nutri-unit information is provided to the nearest whole nutri-unit for easy addition. The portion sizes required to provide the nutrients specified are listed. The chapter presents a method of diet evaluation designed to incorporate information from nutrition labels.
High CEO-to-worker pay ratios negatively impact consumer and employee perceptions of companies

Abstract CEO pay is at record levels and may affect more than just company bankrolls. Across five studies, we measured consumer (Studies 1 & 2) and employee (Studies 3a & 4) perceptions about a hypothetical company described as having a high (350:1) or low (25:1) CEO-to-worker pay ratio. People indicated being less likely to purchase products and want a job from high-ratio (vs. low-ratio) companies (Studies 1 & 2). Further, global impressions of high-ratio companies were more negative, and these companies were seen as less employee oriented, though not less innovative by both consumers (Studies 1 & 2) and employees (Study 3a), even when controlling for individual compensation levels (Study 3a). Additional results support the possibility that perceived ratio fairness mediated the link between ratio and these judgments (Studies 2 & 3a). Further, using real-world employee ratings, Study 3b found that CEO-to-worker pay ratios are negatively correlated with employee ratings of work-life balance and compensation—findings that held controlling for company size and profits. Finally, we found that the salience of CEO responsibilities moderated the link between CEO ratio and employee perceptions by improving negative perceptions of high-ratio companies (Study 4). Implications and important future directions are discussed. (197 words).
Integration of Wind Farms Using MTDC Grids: Frequency Support Perspective

Provision of frequency support through multiterminal DC (MTDC) grids from one asynchronous AC area to the other is presented. Weak AC areas with low inertia need such frequency support following contingencies like loss of generation. Principle of operator-prescribed ratio-based frequency support contribution is discussed, which can quantify the extent of such contribution. In addition, the concept of ratio-based selective participation from different areas based on existing contractual obligations is highlighted as a mechanism for future ancillary service markets. Extraction of inertial and primary frequency support from both onshore and offshore wind farms is discussed in the context of VSC MTDC and hybrid MTDC grids, where the latter consist of both VSC and LCC converters.
Impurity Drift and Variations in High-Purity Gas Delivery Systems

Moisture in process and inert gases, even in parts-per-billion (ppb) levels, can affect many semiconductor manufacturing processes and fabrication plants (fabs). Additionally, slight variations in moisture level can drastically offset the calibration of various process and result in loss of performance. Therefore, it is critical to minimize moisture level and at the same time provide a stable purity in the gas delivery systems. In this study, a process model is developed to characterize different mechanisms that affect the moisture level at the Point-of-Use (POU) for high purity gases. In particular, the dynamics and the relative contributions of the two major sources of drift in the Ultra-High Purity (UHP) gas-delivery systems are analyzed: a) the moisture build-up and drift in the concentration delivered from cryogenic sources, and b) the moisture adsorption and desorption on the surfaces of the pipes and other components of the gas delivery systems. A method, based on experimental data and comprehensive process modeling, is developed and used to investigate the effects of system physical properties (size, configuration, and surface properties) and operating conditions (initial gas purity, flow rate, pressure, temperature, and the changes in these properties with time) on moisture variations at the manufacturing POU.
Guest Editors’ Introduction: Embedded Intelligence in the Internet-of-Things

This special issue focuses on the need for, and ways of achieving, embedded intelligence in the Internet-of-Things. After explaining why edge device and in-network intelligence are necessary, this editorial gives examples of relevant advances in efficient machine learning, wireless communication technology, and circuits. The survey is followed by four articles describing new results in this area.
Tumor-specific EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase inhibits anti-tumor immunity by recruiting suppressive myeloid populations in NSCLC

Given the success of both targeted and immunotherapies against cancer, there is increasing utility for identifying targeted agents that also promote anti-tumor immunity. EphA2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase that contributes to tumor growth and metastasis and has been identified as a viable target for many solid cancers. Investigating EphA29s impact on the host immune system may advance our understanding of tumor immune evasion and the consequences of targeting EphA2 on the tumor microenvironment. Here, we examine how tumor-specific EphA2 affects the activation and infiltration of immune cell populations and the cytokine and chemokine milieu in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Effects of EphA2 overexpression in murine NSCLC cells were evaluated in both in vitro cell viability assays and in vivo tumor models. Tumor immune infiltrate was assessed by flow cytometry. Cytokine and chemokine expression was evaluated using NanoString technology and qRT-PCR. Although EphA2 overexpression in NSCLC cells did not display proliferative advantage in vitro, it conferred a growth advantage in vivo. Analysis of lung tumor infiltrate revealed decreased natural killer and T cells in the EphA2-overexpressing tumors, as well as increased myeloid populations, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). T cell activation, particularly in CD8 T cells, was decreased, while PD-1 expression was increased. These changes were accompanied by increased monocyte-attracting chemokines, specifically CCL2, CCL7, CCL8, and CCL12, and immunosuppressive proteins TGF-β and arginase 1. Our studies suggest EphA2 on tumor cells recruits monocytes and promotes their differentiation into TAMs that likely inhibit activation and infiltration of cytotoxic lymphocytes, promoting tumor immune escape. Further studies are needed to determine the molecular mechanisms by which EphA2 affects the recruitment of these cell types and to test the function of these myeloid cells.
Segesterone Acetate and Ethinyl Estradiol Vaginal Ring (Annovera) for Contraception.

Annovera is an effective combined progestin/estrogen contraceptive device that can be used for one year.
Poor Functional Status Prior to Bridge-to-transplant Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy is not Associated with Reduced Survival in Heart Transplant Recipients: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Registry

Introduction Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are commonly used as a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) therapy for patients with advanced heart failure. Poor functional status (FS) is known to negatively affect post-transplant outcomes after heart transplant (HTX). In this study, we sought to evaluate the impact of poor FS prior to BTT-LVAD implantation on post-HTX outcomes. Methods Data from the UNOS database from 2008-2017 were obtained for HTX recipients that underwent continuous-flow LVAD implantation after being listed for HTX with complete Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score both at listing (Pre-LVAD) and time of HTX. Poor FS was defined by KPS ≤ 40 (require total assistance) and good FS was defined by KPS > 40 (require some or no assistance). Improvement of FS was defined as a change from pre-LVAD poor FS to good FS at HTX. Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for baseline/pre-HTX characteristics was performed to assess the association of pre-LVAD FS and post-HTX survival and predictors of FS improvement. Results We included 2,812 patients (mean age 52 years, 80% male, 41% on inotrope) listed for HTX before LVAD implantation. Median time from listing to LVAD surgery was 21 (IQR 4-114) days. A total of 48% had poor FS at listing before LVAD. Patients with poor FS were younger, had lower body mass index (BMI), more likely to be on inotrope at listing and had worse hemodynamics. Time to LVAD implantation was shorter in poor FS group but no difference in LVAD support duration. There was no significant difference between poor FS and good FS group in 30-day (96.5% vs. 96.1%, p=0.59) and 1-year post-HTX survival (90.2% vs. 88.7%, p=0.23). Poor FS did not significantly affect 30-day (adjusted OR = 0.9, p=0.64) or 1-year post-HTX survival (adjust OR = 0.9, p=0.54). Of 1,342 patients with pre-LVAD poor FS, 715 (53%) had improvement in FS at HTX. Predictors of FS improvement were longer LVAD support duration and lower BMI. Among pre-LVAD poor FS group, patients with improved FS had significantly higher 1-year post-HTX survival (92.1% vs. 88.0%, p=0.015) but no significant difference in 30-day post-HTX survival (97.0 % vs. 95.8%, p=0.223). Improved FS in patients with pre-LVAD poor FS was significantly associated with higher 1-year survival (adjusted OR = 1.6, p= 0.03). Conclusions Poor functional status was observed in up to 50% of BTT-LVAD candidates; however, it doesn't negatively affect post-HTX survival. After BTT-LVAD support, half of patients with pre-LVAD poor FS have improved FS which is significantly associated with higher post-HTX survival. Urgent BTT-LVAD in selected patients with poor FS is a reasonable option prior to HTX.
The Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect from Quasar Feedback

The observed relationship between X-ray luminosity and temperature of the diffuse intercluster medium clearly shows the effect of nongravitational heating on the formation of galaxy clusters. Quasar feedback into the intergalactic medium can potentially be an important source of heating, and can have significant impact on structure formation. This feedback process is a source of thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich distortions of the cosmic microwave background. Using a simple one-dimensional Sedov-Taylor model of energy outflow, we calculate the angular power spectrum of the temperature distortion, which has an amplitude on the order of one micro-Kelvin. This signal will be at the noise limit of upcoming arcminute-scale microwave background experiments, including the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the South Pole Telescope, but will be directly detectable with deep exposures by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array or by stacking many microwave images.
Longitudinal examination of weight-for-length and developmental screening results in infancy and toddlerhood

The current study examined whether high infant weight-for-recumbent-length (WFL) percentile (i.e., ≥ 85th percentile) at 6 months of age longitudinally related to motor skills, problem solving, and...
Controlling facets and defects of InP nanostructures in confined epitaxial lateral overgrowth

The selective area growth technique, confined epitaxial lateral overgrowth (CELO), enables the growth of lateral III-V heterojunctions integrated on mismatched substrates. In CELO, effective control of facet shapes, as well as defect-free growths are essential to fabricating high-quality nanostructures with custom geometries. Here, the effects of growth temperature, V/III ratio, template alignments, and substrate orientations on the observed facets and defect densities in CELO grown InP and related materials on InP substrates are investigated. The nanostructure facets and defects are determined using a combination of plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. For homoepitaxial CELO growth on InP (100) substrates, growth temperatures below $575{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$, and high V/III ratios of 450 aid in increasing the surface areas of the {111}B facets, while reducing defect densities. Further, by changing template alignments, the effective areas of overgrowth can be tuned, and defects can be lowered, with templates aligned along $[0\overline{1}0]$ yielding the largest defect-free areas. By aligning templates in the $[\overline{1}10]$ orientation on a (110) InP substrate, near defect-free overgrowth with perfectly flat perpendicular single ($1\overline{1}$ 0) facets can be achieved. This is an essential feature to enable the growth of lateral III-V heterojunctions, as is demonstrated by growing InP/InGaAs CELO heterojunctions with {110} facets.
RNA editing controls meiotic drive by a Neurospora Spore killer

ABSTRACT Neurospora Sk-2 is a complex meiotic drive element that is transmitted to offspring through sexual reproduction in a biased manner. Sk-2’s biased transmission mechanism involves spore killing, and recent evidence has demonstrated that spore killing is triggered by a gene called rfk-1. However, a second gene, rsk, is also critically important for meiotic drive by spore killing because it allows offspring with an Sk-2 genotype to survive the toxic effects of rfk-1. Here, we present evidence demonstrating that rfk-1 encodes two protein variants: a 102 amino acid RFK-1A and a 130 amino acid RFK-1B, but only RFK-1B is toxic. We also show that expression of RFK-1B requires an early stop codon in rfk-1 mRNA to undergo adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) mRNA editing. Finally, we demonstrate that RFK-1B is toxic when expressed within vegetative tissue of Spore killer sensitive (SkS) strains, and that this vegetative toxicity can be overcome by co-expressing Sk-2’s version of RSK. Overall, our results demonstrate that Sk-2 uses RNA editing to control when its spore killer is produced, and that the primary killing and resistance functions of Sk-2 can be conferred upon an SkS strain by the transfer of only two genes.
Use of Project ECHO to promote evidence based care for justice involved adults with opioid use disorder.

Background: People with opioid use disorders (OUDs) are at heightened risk for involvement with the criminal justice system. Growing evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of providing empi...
Gradual Incorporation of Information: Pharmaceutical Stocks and the Evolution of Clinton's Health Care Reform

Information moves stock prices. A vast literature has arisen to exploit and explain that fact. Applied researchers in a variety of fields have used stock market reactions to assess public policy changes. Most of that research has assumed that the information is released on a small set of observable dates. But for many public policy changes, information is often revealed not in one announcement but rather through a process of gradual public revelation, which may not be completely observable by a researcher. We examine the effect of the evolution of the Clinton healthcare reform proposal on pharmaceutical stock prices. Applying a new technique, isotonic regression, over January 1992 to October 1993, we find that the major portion of the decline in stock prices occurred gradually, and did not correspond to identified news events. Strikingly, 85% of the total effect of the healthcare reform on stock prices was incorporated by February, 1993, nearly seven months before the Clinton plan was formally unveiled to Congress.
Lipid Profile of Male Firefighters in a Northwest Austin Area Fire Department

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of on-duty mortality for firefighters since 1977. The primary objective of this project is to examine the distribution of lipids (total...
Can E-journals save us? - A scholar’s view

Problemes, solutions , couts et interet economique de la revue electronique Bryn Mawr Classical Review, revue bibliographique sur des livres dans le domaine des sciences humaines
An Examination of Change in Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Science Education Based on the Duration of Inservice Activities.

Researchers investigated the optimum length of teacher inservice activities where increasing teacher efficacy was the goal. Participants were elementary science teachers from seven teacher enhancement projects conducted from 1992-99. The length breakdown of each program was: 1992--6 weeks; 1994--6 weeks; 1995--4 weeks; 1996--4 weeks; 1997--4 weeks; 1998--3 weeks; and 1999--2 weeks. In each of the projects, teachers completed the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI) on the first and last days of the inservice workshops. The STEBI examined personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) and science teaching outcome expectancy. Data analysis indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the mean PSTE gain scores on the three contrast variables among the four groups of teachers whose PSTE pretest scores were greater than or equal to 50. This may be due to the fact that teachers already scored high on the PSTE scale. Among teachers whose pretest PSTE scores were less than 50, there were significant gains when comparing the mean gain scores from teachers in the land 3-week sessions and teachers in the 4and 6-week sessions. It was found that inservice intervention programs had the greatest impact on the efficacy of those teachers who began the program with the lowest efficacy. Given the consistent relationships demonstrated between teacher efficacy and positive student outcomes, inservices impacting teachers' low efficacy are worth close examination. (Contains 32 references and 8 tables.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
The binding of isocolchicine to tubulin. Mechanisms of ligand association with tubulin.

Abstract Isocolchicine is a structurally related isomer of colchicine altered in the methoxytropone C ring. In spite of virtual structural homology of colchicine and isocolchicine, isocolchicine is commonly believed to be inactive in binding to tubulin and inhibiting microtubule assembly. We have found that isocolchicine does indeed bind to the colchicine site on tubulin, as demonstrated by its ability to competitively inhibit [3H]colchicine binding to tubulin with a KI approximately 400 microM. Isocolchicine inhibits tubulin assembly into microtubules with an I50 of about 1 mM, but the affinity of isocolchicine for the colchicine receptor site, 5.5 +/- 0.9 x 10(3) M-1 at 23 degrees C, is much less (approximately 500-fold) than that of colchicine. Unlike colchicine, isocolchicine binds rapidly, and the absorption and fluorescence properties of the complex are only modestly altered compared to free ligand. It is proposed that the binding of isocolchicine to tubulin may be rationalized either in terms of conformational states of colchicinoids when liganded to tubulin or by the structural requirements for C-10 substituents for high affinity binding to the colchicine receptor.
Creating a Constant-Quality Index for Small Multifamily Rental Housing

Researchers since the early 1960s have constructed constant-quality price indices (CQIs) for single-family dwellings. This paper, however, applies the methodology to construct CQIs for a different ...
Sub-band precoded OFDM for enhanced physical layer resiliency in wireless communication systems

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is the preferred modulation scheme for current and future broadband wireless systems, and has been incorporated in many standards. In spite of its many benefits, which include robust performance in noise, fading channels and uncorrelated interference, OFDM systems have poor performance in the presence of jamming. In this paper we study the use of sub-band precoding to protect OFDM systems against jamming attacks and enhance their physical layer security.
Developing a Database System for Time-Critical Applications

Transactions in real-time database systems should be scheduled considering both data consistency and timing constraints. Since a database system must operate in the context of available operating system services, an environment for database systems development must provide facilities to support operating system functions and integrate them with database systems for experimentation. With these considerations in mind, we chose the ARTS real-time operating system kernel. In this paper we present our experience in integrating a relational database manager with a real-time operating system kernel and our attempts at providing flexible control for concurrent transaction management.
Width-adaptive data word architectures

We discuss number representations for width-adaptive data word architectures. The number representations are self-delimiting, permitting asynchronous implementations with dynamic width adaptivity and reduced energy-complexity. We describe how these architectures can be realized with asynchronous VLSI techniques, and show that they exhibit better energy and throughput characteristics than traditional asynchronous implementations. We study some of the tradeoffs in the design of this class of architectures.
Ultrahigh energy neutrino-nucleon cross section and radiative corrections

Several proposals exist to detect cosmic neutrinos of energy from tens of GeV up to the highest energies observed for cosmic rays, {approximately}10{sup 20}eV, or possibly even beyond. Detection efficiencies depend crucially on the neutrino-nucleon cross section at these energies at which radiative corrections beyond the lowest order approximation could become non-negligible. The differential cross sections can be modified by more than 50{percent} in some regions of phase space. Estimates of corrections to the quantities most relevant for neutrino detection at these energies give, however, less dramatic effects: The average inelasticity in the outgoing lepton is increased from {approx_equal}0.19 to {approx_equal}0.24. The inclusive cross section is reduced by roughly half a percent. The dominant uncertainty of the standard model ultrahigh energy neutrino-nucleon cross section therefore still comes from uncertainties of the parton distributions in the nucleon at very low momentum fractions. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Anatomy of the transarcuate approach to the petrous apex

Objective: Determine the dimensions of the approach to the petrous apex through the crura of the superior semicircular canal (SSC).Study Design: Measurements obtained from high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images.Subjects and Methods: One hundred ninety-two HRCTs were screened and 58 temporal bones with pneumatized posterior petrous apex cell tracts in 39 patients were identified and reviewed. Measurements were obtained with the assistance of the standard PACS (picture archiving and communication system) software.Results: The mean anterior-posterior (AP) dimension of the intercrural space of the SSC was 4.88 ± 0.49 mm. The mean superior-inferior (SI) dimension of this space was 4.90 ± 0.62 mm. When air cells were present in the intercrural space, the dimensions of the approach increased to 5.27 ± 0.50 mm for the AP dimension (P = 0.014) and 5.27 ± 0.70 mm for the SI dimension (P = 0.056).Conclusion: The subarcuate approach is a potential route for the drainage of petrous apex cholesterol granulom...
Network flow optimization in flexible manufacturing systems

The problem of choosing an optimal mix of operating strategies in a flexible manufacturing system is solved by a network flow optimization approach. Mathematical methods which exploit the structure of the problem to generate manufacturing strategies are outlined. Numerical results show that the method produces results which agree with intuition for a two-workstation system.
SQUASHING VERSUS NUDGING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS WITH ARTIFICIAL BRIGHT LIGHT: SOLUTIONS FOR SHIFT WORK?

Humans, like other animals, are ruled by stubborn, autonomous body clocks. These internal oscillators produce circadian rhythms in almost all variables that have been measured, such as body temperature, hormones, neurotransmitters, DNA synthesis, sleepiness, performance, and so on [I]. Although the daily cycle of sleep and waking may be the most conspicuous circadian rhythm, it is not responsible for producing the circadian rhythms in the other variables. Experiments in which subjects are deprived of sleep for several days demonstrate the persistence of circadian rhythms [2]. The typical student experiences the power of these circadian oscillations when staying up all night studying for an exam. When body temperature reaches its minimum (about 4—6 a.m.), it may seem almost impossible to fight off sleep. Later in the morning, as body temperature rises, she or he will become more alert and start to feel better, despite the further accumulation of sleep deprivation. Our modern technologically oriented society encourages us to ignore the clock within. Jet travelers arrive in a new time zone with body clocks still set to home time. Insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and gastrointestinal problems persist until the stubborn internal oscillators slowly and gradually shift (by 1-1 1A hours/day) to match the new time zone [3]. Similar symptoms are common in shift workers whose schedules include nights. The internal circadian rhythms rarely shift completely to match the work and sleep schedule of the night shift [4]. Thus, the workers are asked to sleep, work, and eat at the "wrong" phases of their circadian