cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Destruction of the Capsid and Genome of GII.4 Human Norovirus Occurs During Exposure to Metal Alloys Containing Copper

Human norovirus (HuNoV) represents a significant public health burden worldwide and can be environmentally transmitted. Copper surfaces have been shown to inactivate the cultivable surrogate murine norovirus, but no such data exist for HuNoV. The purpose of this study was to characterize the destruction of GII.4 HuNoV and virus-like particles (VLPs) during exposure to copper alloy surfaces. Fecal suspensions positive for a GII.4 HuNoV outbreak strain or GII.4 VLPs were exposed to copper alloys or stainless steel for 0 to 240 min and recovered by elution. HuNoV genome integrity was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) (without RNase treatment), and capsid integrity was assessed by RT-qPCR (with RNase treatment), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SDS-PAGE/Western blot analysis, and a histo-blood group antigen (HBGA) binding assay. Exposure of fecal suspensions to pure copper for 60 min reduced the GII.4 HuNoV RNA copy number by ∼3 log10 units when analyzed by RT-qPCR without RNase treatment and by 4 log10 units when a prior RNase treatment was used. The rate of reduction of the HuNoV RNA copy number was approximately proportional to the percentage of copper in each alloy. Exposure of GII.4 HuNoV VLPs to pure-copper surfaces resulted in noticeable aggregation and destruction within 240 min, an 80% reduction in the VP1 major capsid protein band intensity in 15 min, and a near-complete loss of HBGA receptor binding within 8 min. In all experiments, HuNoV remained stable on stainless steel. These results suggest that copper surfaces destroy HuNoV and may be useful in preventing environmental transmission of the virus in at-risk settings.
Evaluating the role of computed tomography: have they gone far enough?

Inaba and colleagues1 performed a prospective evaluation of their algorithmfor themanagementof asymptomatic abdominal stabwounds. Theyhave shown that routine computed tomographic scanning adds nothingtotheevaluationand, in fact, physical examination is more accurate than computed tomography in predicting theneed for a therapeutic laparotomy. Iwould like to commend the authors on objectively evaluating the way they manage patients and coming to the conclusion that their algorithm is not supportedby their findings. There are other aspects of their data that suggest that further change in management may be indicated. For instance, in their algorithm, patients who are intoxicated or otherwise unexaminable go directly to the operating room. This is owing to the inability to perform serial examinations. Itwouldbehelpful if theauthorsprovideddataon the negative laparotomy rate in the patients who had no objective evidence of intraabdominal injury. It is possible that allowing intoxication to resolve or performing computed tomographyor serial examinations in stable patientswould also be a reasonable approach. Theauthorsalsostatedthat theyobservepatientswith thoracoabdominal wounds for the development of peritonitis. If peritonitis does not develop, they routinely perform laparoscopy to rule out diaphragm injuries. However, in this series, all of the results of thoracoscopies performed for this indication were negative for diaphragm injuries. This finding suggests that the algorithm could be modified. The authors’ algorithm also did not include local wound exploration. When local wound exploration conclusively excludes fascial penetration, patients canusually be discharged without an observation period.2 This would further facilitate careful observation of the patients who need it and expedite discharge of those who do not. Finally, the authors did not provide important details concerning how the patients are observed. It is not clear who is examining these patients, how frequently, and in what setting. Many level 1 trauma centers routinely have periods when all manpower is focused on critically injured patients. Also in light of the 80-hour work week and increasing frequency of shift work, it is possible that subtle changes in the physical examination could be missed. It is important to realize that observation of stable stab wound patients may not be feasible in all settings because it is resource intensive. AlthoughtheUniversityofSouthernCaliforniagroup isnot the first to report the success of observing patients with anterior abdominal stabwounds,3 this contribution remains importantbecause it represents anexampleofhowcritically analyzing an established center’s data can change practices. The question remains: have they changed enough?
Field Performance and QPX Disease Progress in Cultured and Wild-Type Strains of Mercenaria mercenaria in New York Waters

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted to compare the performance of different hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) strains in local clamming waters of New York state. Experimental clams included a Mercenaria mercenaria notata seed obtained from a Florida broodstock, and 2 New York seed strains obtained from local hatcheries, including a cultured M. mercenaria notata strain and a first-generation “wild-type” strain. Quahog parasite unknown (QPX) was acquired by the Florida clams in less than 2 mo of a July deployment of grow-out cages. Prior field studies comparing susceptibility of northern and southern hard clam strains observed QPX acquisition after clams had overwintered in the field, raising the question that higher susceptibility observed in southern seed clams could be a result of poor adaptation to winter water temperatures. Our results show that the southern strain acquired QPX after the clams had only been exposed to the warmest period of water temperatures for this field site (22.3°C on average...
A high-performance memory allocator for memory intensive applications

Dynamic memory management (DMM) has been a high cost component in many software systems. In particular, the use of object orientation often results in an intensive use of dynamic memory, making the dynamic memory performance problem worse. The paper presents a profile based strategy to improve the performance of DMM. The performance improvement comes from a segregated strategy without splitting and coalescing cost. This modification is made feasible by preallocating the free-list based on the profile data of heap memory usage. In this research, the empirical study shows that the maximum number of live objects of each size is independent of the input; this data provides a profile and estimate for the amount of memory the application will need to run and can be preallocated to give great improvement in performance. Compared to the average performance of well known algorithms, the profile based approach is about 3.9 times to 6.5 times faster.
Selective drugs versus heterogeneous diagnoses towards a new methodology in psychopharmacologic research

In this presentation the history of modern neuropsychophannacology was reviewed with special reference to the impasse in pharmaco-therapeutic progress. It was postulated that a methodology for the delineation of the therapeutic profile of psychotropic drugs and identification of the treatment responsive form(s) of illness is an essential prerequisite for progress in the phannacotherapy of mental illness. It is reasonable to assume that the information generated by the methodology will provide the necessary orientation points for developing therapeutically more effective and clinically more selective psychotropic drugs. It should also open up the possibility to complement the current capability of tailoring drugs to receptor profiles with the capability of tailoring drugs to the different fonns and subforms of mental illness.
Smoking status and psychosocial factors in binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.

Abstract Objective To examine eating-disorder psychopathology and depressive symptoms by smoking status (never, former, or current smoker) in persons with binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Methods Participants were 575 adult volunteers from the community (mean age = 36.0 ± 12 years and BMI = 32.9 ± 9.5 kg/m 2 ; 80% white; 88% female) who were classified with BED (n = 410) or BN (n = 165). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires, including items about current and historical cigarette smoking, the Eating Disorder Examination —Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results Among those with BED, depressive symptoms were significantly higher in current smokers than former or never smokers ( p = .001). There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms by smoking status in participants with BN and no differences in eating-disorder psychopathology by smoking status in either the BED or BN groups. Discussion In this non-clinical group of community volunteers, we found that smoking history or status was not associated with eating disorder psychopathology in participants classified with BED and BN but was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in participants with BED.
Reliability modeling of relay-assisted wireless body area networks

This paper considers correlated, probabilistic competing failures in the reliability analysis of relay-assisted wireless body area networks (WBANs). Particularly failure competitions exist in the time domain between propagated failures of biosensors caused by jamming attacks and local failures (e.g., transmission unit failure) of relay nodes that transit physiological information between biosensors and the sink device. In addition, a biosensor can deliver its sensed information to the sink device through multiple relays and a relay can be shared by multiple biosensors, which creates correlations among WBAN components making the probabilistic competing failure analysis even more challenging. A combinatorial and analytical method is proposed for addressing such a challenging reliability problem for the relay-assisted WBAN. The method is illustrated through detailed analysis of an example WBAN system from healthcare domain.
The universal donor stem cell: removing the immune barrier to transplantation using CRISPR/Cas9 (TRAN1P.946)

Recent advances in stem cell biology have made it possible to contemplate the use of a patient’s own cells as an unlimited source for transplantation. Unfortunately, the generation of iPSCs remains a costly, time consuming and highly variable process, with regards to pluripotency, epigenetic status, capacity for differentiation, and genomic stability. Moreover, changes occurring during reprogramming and prolonged culturing have been found to trigger an adaptive immune response, resulting in immune rejection of even autologous stem cell-derived transplants. To overcome this immune barrier, we propose to create a Universal Donor Stem Cell, a source for any transplantable cell type, which will not be rejected by the recipient’s immune system regardless of his/her genetic make-up. For this purpose we are using state-of-the-art genome editing technologies: We have successfully employed the CRISPR/Cas system to delete critical immune genes in human ES cells and iPSCs, rendering them potentially less prone to immune rejection. In a complementary approach, we are introducing well-established tolerance-inducing molecules, such as HLA-G, and PD-L1 into stem cells that can locally suppress the immune system and improve transplant engraftment, thus bypassing the detrimental systemic side effects caused by immunosuppressive drugs. Experiments assessing the immunogenicity of our modified stem cell lines and their derivatives in vivo in humanized mice are currently ongoing.
Mcl-1 protects prostate cancer cells from cell death mediated by chemotherapy-induced DNA damage

The anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 is highly expressed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), resulting in resistance to apoptosis and association with poor prognosis. Although predominantly localized in the cytoplasm, there is evidence that Mcl-1 exhibits nuclear localization where it is thought to protect against DNA damage-induced cell death. The role of Mcl-1 in mediating resistance to chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in prostate cancer (PCa) is not known. We show in human PCa cell lines and in TRAMP, a transgenic mouse model of PCa, that the combination of the antimitotic agent ENMD-1198 (analog of 2-methoxyestradiol) with betulinic acid (BA, increases proteotoxic stress) targets Mcl-1 by increasing its proteasomal degradation, resulting in increased γH2AX (DNA damage) and apoptotic/necrotic cell death. Knockdown of Mcl-1 in CRPC cells leads to elevated γH2AX, DNA strand breaks, and cell death after treatment with 1198 + BA- or doxorubicin. Additional knockdowns in PC3 cells suggests that cytoplasmic Mcl-1 protects against DNA damage by blocking the mitochondrial release of apoptosis-inducing factor and thereby preventing its nuclear translocation and subsequent interaction with the cyclophilin A endonuclease. Overall, our results suggest that chemotherapeutic agents that target Mcl-1 will promote cell death in response to DNA damage, particularly in CRPC.
Novel Solid Electrolytes for Li-Ion Batteries: A Perspective from Electron Microscopy Studies

Solid electrolytes can simultaneously overcome two of the most formidable challenges facing current state-of-art Li-ion batteries: the severe safety issues and insufficient energy densities. On the other hand, two major limitations of solid electrolytes must be overcome before they can be implemented for practical use: the relatively slow ionic conductivity and their limited interfacial stability and conductivity with electrodes. Since ion transport in solids and their interfaces is based on a hopping mechanism from atomic sites to nearby vacancy sites or suitable interstitial sites, a prerequisite to overcome these challenges is a thorough understanding of the material’s behavior at the microscopic and/or the atomic level. Transmission electron microscopy is a powerful tool that provides the spatial resolution required. Here, we review recent electron microscopy investigations towards understanding the ion transport behavior in solid electrolyte materials and their interfaces. Specifically, three aspects of recent microscopy research will be highlighted: the influence of individual grain microstructure on ion conductivity, the contribution of grain boundaries, and the behavior of solid electrolyte/electrode interfaces. Based on these results, the perspectives for future research will be discussed.
Stretch- and volume-activated channels in isolated proximal tubule cells.

Apical and basolateral channels were studied in isolated proximal tubule cells of Necturus kidney. Many of these isolated cells maintained their polarity, with clearly delineated apical and basolateral regions. A 20-pS stretch-activated (SA) cation-selective channel was identified at the apical side of these cells. This channel was permeable to Ca, K, and Na but was not significantly gated by either membrane potential or cytosolic Ca. Negative pipette pressure (15 cmH2O) increased the open probability (Po) of this channel from 0.04 +/- 0.02 to 0.26 +/- 0.08 (n = 6). Two types of Ca-independent, mechanosensitive, K-selective (SAK) channels were identified at the basolateral surface of polarized proximal tubule cells, i.e., a 30-pS long-open time (50 +/- 7 ms) channel (n = 9), and a 46-pS short-open time (1.3 +/- 0.7 ms) channel (n = 10). Pipette suction (-12 cmH2O) increased the Po of the short-open time channels from 0.008 to 0.015 and increased the Po of the long-open time channel from 0.03 to 0.19. The effect of swelling was studied with isolated cells suspended at the tip of patch pipettes. A 50% dilution of the bath doubled cell volume, hyperpolarized the membrane potential by 11 +/- 0.7 mV, and increased the Po of the basolateral SAK channels. This was followed by a spontaneous regulatory volume decrease (RVD), repolarization of the membrane potential, and a decrease in Po. In contrast, isosmotic (bath side) replacement of an impermeant anion (methanesulfonate) with a permeant anion (Cl) doubled cell volume in 5 min but without a subsequent RVD. This sustained swelling hyperpolarized the cell potential by 5.5 +/- 0.7 mV (n = 16) and increased the Po of short-open time channel by a factor of 2.3 from 0.03 +/- 0.01 to 0.07 +/- 0.02 (n = 6). The increase in Po was primarily produced by a reduction in the interburst closed time, which decreased from 142 +/- 43 ms in K methanesulfonate to 36 +/- 11 ms in KCl solutions. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cell swelling activates Ca-independent K channels at the basolateral membrane of renal proximal tubule. Efflux of K through these channels may partially mediate renal cell volume regulation.
A conversation about implicit bias

Explicit bias reflects our perceptions at a conscious level. In contrast, implicit bias is unintentional and operates at a level below our conscious awareness. Implicit stereotypes shaping implicit biases are widely studied in criminal justice, medicine, CEO selection at Fortune 500 companies, etc. However, the problem of unconscious bias remains. E.g., while women constitute an increasing proportion of all STEM undergraduates, they still make up only a small proportion of faculty members at research universities, and they are substantially under-represented in organizational leadership and as recipients of professional awards and prizes. Can we afford to have unintentional perceptions continue to hinder the success and advancement of women and other underrepresented groups? Can we afford to continue to underuse human capital in science? This session at the 2015 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) aimed to illuminate what statisticians need to know and do to break the glass ceiling of implicit bias.
Structural, physical and mechanical properties of Ti3(Al1−xSix)C2 solid solution with x=0–1

Abstract A series of high-purity Ti 3 (Al 1−x Si x )C 2 solid solutions with 0 1 The a-lattice parameter of all sintered solid solutions remains constant at approximately 0.307 nm, while the c-lattice parameter decreases from 1.858 nm to 1.763 nm with increasing amount of Si. The specific heat capacity of Ti 3 Al 0. 6Si 0.4 C 2 was found to be comparable to that of end-member MAX phases, namely Ti 3 AlC 2 and Ti 3 SiC 2, while its coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was lower than that of the end members. Both Young's and shear moduli increase with increasing amount of Si. Vickers hardness ( H v ) measurements demonstrate significant hardening effect in Ti 3 (Al 1−x Si x )C 2 solid solutions regardless of the grain size, i.e. it changes from 4.1±0.14 GPa of Ti 3 AlC 2 and 4.2±0.37 GPa of Ti 3 SiC 2 , up to 5.6±0.2 GPa for Ti 3 (Al 0.4 Si 0.6 )C 2 . At room temperature, the strengthening effect was found to be marginal in the fine grained structure (grain size approximately 7 x 3 μm), as the compressive strength of Ti 3 Al 0.6 Si 0.4 C 2 and Ti 3 Al 0.4 Si 0.6 C 2 is higher for only 7.6% when compared to that of the end members. However, significant strengthening effect was observed in coarse grained structures (grain size approximately 25 x 8 μm) as the room temperature compressive strength of solid solutions exceed those of two end-members for more than 30%. Nevertheless, above brittle-to-plastic transition temperature, the solid solution strengthening effect diminishes and the strength of Ti 3 SiC 2 is significantly higher than that of Ti 3 AlC 2 and solid solutions. Finally, it was found that Ti 3 Al 0.6 Si 0.4 C 2 forms protective alumina oxide layer at 1200 °C, rather than silica that is commonly found on oxidized surfaces of Ti 3 SiC 2 .
Reconsidering Conventional Field Acceleration Models

The theory developed in the previous chapters can be useful for understanding the role of charge species in dielectric breakdown. However, a more attractive feature of the model developed in Chap. 7 rests on its ability to make predictions on dielectric breakdown at low fields from data collected at high fields without needing to use empirical field acceleration formulas. In this chapter, we discuss estimates from the model and compare these with predictions from conventional field acceleration fits. The objective is to establish which empirical expression replicates this complex phenomenon the best. In essence, fundamental concepts ought to drive the predictions, not the other way around.
The Antibody Response to Epstein-Barr Virus in Multiple Sclerosis Is Increased Only to Selected Antigens (P5.344)

Objective: The objective of this work was to identify Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) proteins that are the targets of an increased antibody response in multiple sclerosis (MS). Background: EBV is associated with MS. One of the most consistent findings has been that antibodies to the EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) are increased in MS. Only a limited number of other EBV proteins have been investigated. Our previous work using Western blots demonstrated that most people have antibodies to many different EBV proteins, and suggested that antibodies were increased to some, but not all, EBV antigens in MS patients. Methods: We immunoprecipitated EBV proteins using either MS or control IgG, and identified the bound proteins using iTRAQ quantitative mass spectrometry. We compared the amounts bound by MS or control IgG. We then selected and produced single EBV proteins, and used quantitative immunoassays to compare the antibody response in 80 MS patients and 80 matched controls. Results: Mass spectrometry identified 28 EBV proteins that were immunoprecipitated by MS or control IgG. Fifteen of these proteins were more concentrated in the MS immunoprecipitate. We selected 8 individual EBV proteins for further study. The antibody response to EBNA-1 was significantly increased in MS (p<0.001), as was the antibody response to the small capsid protein BFRF3 (p=0.007) and the tegument protein BRRF2 (p=0.006). The antibody response to the other 5 antigens was not increased in MS. Conclusions: The anti-EBV antibody response is increased only to selected EBV antigens in MS patients. This finding may be relevant to the pathogenesis of MS. Disclosure: Dr. Lindsey has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc. and Genentech as a speaker and/or an advisory board member. Dr. Dooley has nothing to disclose.
Desire nothing: Nirvana is nowhere

The present world is afflicted with the idea of getting somewhere—a nicer place, a university degree, a better job, a bigger house, a promotion, better sex, the top of Mt. Everest, and so on. Some think they will get to heaven by progress in prayer and sacrifice. Others, by meditating assiduously, want to achieve Nirvana in order to have eternal bliss. The Buddhist tradition provides golden keys for solving the desire of wanting to get somewhere in the physical or in the abstract imaginary sense. It can also teach us to appreciate the precious present moment, and to live in the Eternal. The Three turnings of the Wheel of the law, the Theravāda, Mahayānā, and Vajrayāna, all contain jewels of wisdom. But this essay will concentrate on two Mahayānā Sutras: The Diamond Sutra, (The Vajracheddika), and the Lankāvatāra Sutra. This essay will show the essential value of both for practicing Buddha Dharma.
A phase II study of eribulin mesylate in combination with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in patients (pts) with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

1034Background: As a single agent, eribulin is an active agent among MBC pts. In the first-line setting, pertuzumab improves progression free and overall survival when added to trastuzumab and chemotherapy (CT); however there are limited data in the second line or beyond. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of eribulin in combination with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in pts with HER2+ MBC whose cancers are refractory to trastuzumab containing regimens. Safety and toxicity were examined and correlative studies are also planned. Methods: Single center, single-arm, phase II, 2 cohorts study planned to enroll up to 81 pts. The studied combination would be of clinical interest if the true overall response rate (ORR) was 40% among those without prior pertuzumab exposure (Cohort A) and 30% among those with prior pertuzumab exposure (Cohort B). The trial was stopped prematurely due to low accrual. Prior to the start of the phase II study, a run-in established dose of eribulin with standard do...
Selective Sensitization of murine tumors to chemotherapy by a novel class of non-toxic small molecule inhibitors of MRP1

594 Intrinsic or acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the major causes of treatment failure in human malignancies. Such drug resistance can be conferred by overexpression of members of the ABC superfamily of transporters. Included in this superfamily are P-glycoprotein and the multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP) family. Of all the MRP family members, MRP1 has been the most closely linked to the development of clinical MDR for several types of cancer, most notably neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumor of infancy. MRP1 overexpression in this disease is strongly associated with poor survival making MRP1 a plausible target for therapeutic intervention. While first generation P-glycoprotein inhibitors failed clinically due to nonspecific toxicities, second and third generation inhibitors are showing greater selectivity and less toxicity. However, most have little or no effect on MRP1 and currently available MRP1 inhibitors have yet to make it to clinical trials. Thus, novel inhibitors are greatly needed. Screening of a focused small molecule chemical library using a cell-based readout system has led to the discovery of several potent inhibitors of MRP1-mediated drug transport that do not appear to be related to other known MRP1 inhibitors. Treatment of MRP1 overexpressing cells with these molecules greatly sensitized these cells to conventional chemotherapeutic agents that are known MRP1 substrates (vincristine and VP-16) in vitro. CBLC-4H10, the best compound among the “hits”, was found to be as good or better than known MRP1 inhibitors. More importantly, this compound increased the in vivo efficacy of both vincristine and VP-16 in a systemic murine neuroblastoma model as well as a human neuroblastoma xenograft model. This increased efficacy occurred in the absence of increased toxicity either from CBLC4H10 itself or from increased sensitivity to vincristine at the doses used for the efficacy studies. As demonstrated by 3H-vincristine biodistribution experiments, this lack of non-specific toxicity may be the result of increased uptake/retention of 3H-vincristine in tumor compared to normal tissues. This phenomenon has not been observed with 3H-vincristine alone or in combination with the MRP1 inhibitor difloxacin. Therefore, we have identified a new class of non-toxic MRP1 inhibitors, which may be clinically useful for the treatment of neuroblastoma by increasing the sensitivity of these drug refractory tumors to conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
The New Safety Net

Following the costly banking and thrift crises of the 1980's and early '90s, the United States dramatically reformed the federal government safety net for depository institutions, which many blamed for the outbreak and high cost of the crises. The reforms, highlighted by the 1991 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act, curtailed the public's liability for bank losses by increasing the portion that banks have to pay and the ability of the federal government to"bail out" uninsured depositors of large or politically well-connected banks and decreased abuse of Fedwire and Federal Reserve discount window lending. However, other reforms are still needed to improve the system further.
Application of Classical, Bayesian and Maximum Entropy Spectrum Analysis to Nonstationary Time Series Data

This paper contains some preliminary results from an analysis of the sensitivity of Classical, Bayesian and Maximum Entropy Spectrum analysis to detrending procedures. The findings suggest that their performance in discovering periodicities in nonstationary series is affected by the assumption made about the trend. A combination of the three methods when trends are not simple functions of time is desirable and necessary to obtain precise information about the periodic behavior of the data analysed.
Gold fibre brushes

A new type of electrical brush has been developed to accommodate the otherwise unmet demands of future high technology. It consists of metal fibres finer than a human hair protruding from a solid matrix very much like the fibres of a camel hair brush. Laboratory tests as well as theory indicate that the new brushes can by far outperform the best currently available brushes especially if the fibres are made of gold or gold alloys. Even better performances are expected to be reached with a second generation brush of similar type embodying yet thinner fibres.
Soil Microbial Communities Reflect both Inherent Soil Properties and Management Practices in Wisconsin Potato Fields

Microbial communities in soils provide numerous functions vital to agricultural productivity, and there is growing interest in understanding and manipulating these communities to achieve more sustainable production systems. We investigated microbial communities in potato fields in Wisconsin to determine the extent to which microbial communities were structured by inherent soil properties versus factors under grower control. We found that soil properties, including texture and chemistry, shaped microbial communities at broad levels, determining the diversity and abundance of phyla. Organic versus conventional management, however, correlated with finer scale differences in microbial communities, while crop variety was not associated with microbial community composition in this study. These results suggest that grower practices have the potential to alter microbial communities, but these effects will take place within an existing soil context. Future research is necessary to determine how these patterns in microbial community structure relate to functional outcomes for plant health.
The Role of Spiritual Development in the Cross-Cultural Reentry Adjustment of Missionaries:

This study investigated the relationship between spiritual development and cultural reentry adjustment in a group of missionaries. One hundred and two missionaries completed a questionnaire that co...
Electron Transfer from Semiconductor Nanocrystals to Redox Enzymes

This review summarizes progress in understanding electron transfer from photoexcited nanocrystals to redox enzymes. The combination of the light-harvesting properties of nanocrystals and the catalytic properties of redox enzymes has emerged as a versatile platform to drive a variety of enzyme-catalyzed reactions with light. Transfer of a photoexcited charge from a nanocrystal to an enzyme is a critical first step for these reactions. This process has been studied in depth in systems that combine Cd-chalcogenide nanocrystals with hydrogenases. The two components can be assembled in close proximity to enable direct interfacial electron transfer or integrated with redox mediators to transport charges. Time-resolved spectroscopy and kinetic modeling have been used to measure the rates and efficiencies of the electron transfer. Electron transfer has been described within the framework of Marcus theory, providing insights into the factors that can be used to control the photochemical activity of these biohybrid systems. The range of potential applications and reactions that can be achieved using nanocrystal-enzyme systems is expanding, and numerous fundamental and practical questions remain to be addressed.
Structural evolution, electrochemical kinetic properties, and stability of A-site doped perovskite Sr1−xYbxCoO3−δ

Mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite SrCoO3−δ is a widely studied (electro)catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and possesses different crystal structures at different temperatures. These temperature dependent phase transitions significantly impact the ordering of oxygen vacancies and electrochemical kinetic properties as well as the reliability of the related devices. Some of the crystal structures formed, e.g. hexagonal phases, turn out to be almost impermeable to oxygen gas. Therefore, it is important to stabilize the crystal structure of SrCoO3−δ that favors the ORR over a wide temperature range. Herein, the partial substitution of the A-site Sr with Yb is systematically studied, including synthesis, characterization and analysis of structural evolution, electrochemical kinetic properties, thermal stability, and stability in a CO2-containing atmosphere. The results indicate that Sr0.90Yb0.10CoO3−δ is able to stabilize the tetragonal crystal structure with less ordered oxygen vacancies, leading to polarization resistances of 0.051, 0.115 and 0.272 Ω cm2 at 750, 700 and 650 °C, respectively, on symmetrical cells. Sr0.90Yb0.10CoO3−δ demonstrates a very stable surface oxygen vacancy distribution and electronic structure near oxygen vacancies but dissociation of adsorbed oxygen molecules into atomic oxygen is affected by surface Sr segregation, and polarization resistance degradation is mainly induced by surface Sr segregation. Furthermore, Sr0.90Yb0.10CoO3−δ exhibits excellent thermal stability as well as excellent recovery stability and improved polarization performance after a few pure air/CO2-containing air treatment cycles at 700 °C. However, a hysteresis behavior of polarization performance is observed at 650 °C during gas cycling treatment, which may cause long-term degradation of the Sr0.90Yb0.10CoO3−δ electrode. The different polarization behaviors during gas cycling treatment are induced by different sensitivities of the formed surface strontium carbonate and chemisorbed surface oxo-carbonaceous species to different operating temperatures.
Concussion: Mechanisms of Injury and Trends from 1997 to 2019.

BACKGROUND There is limited long-term epidemiological data focused on concussions in the United States. METHODS The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried from 1997 to 2019 for concussion diagnoses. National incidence rates, stratified by age and sex, were estimated. Injury mechanisms were ranked. RESULTS From 1997 to 2019, there was a 3-fold increase in the diagnosis of concussion from 82,103 (95% CI 77,650-86,555) in 1997 to 261,722 (95% CI 212,156-311,288) in 2019 (p 65 year old) patients. Sports-related injuries were most common in those age 5-24 years old. CONCLUSIONS It remains unclear if the observed two-decade rise in reported concussions represents a true increase in incidence or is indicative of improvements in early detection, diagnosis, and treatment during this time period. Common injury mechanisms described highlight the need for improved age-specific safety recommendations.
The Hippocratic Oath, Medical Power, and Physician Virtue

In this paper, I supplement T. A. Cavanaugh’s arguments against physician-assisted suicide in his book, Hippocrates’ Oath and Asclepius’ Snake, by focusing more specifically on the dangers of the misuse of physician power and on the virtues essential to restrain such power. Since Cavanaugh’s starting point is similar to Edmund Pellegrino’s views on the fundamental ends of medicine, I start with the question of the proper ends of medicine. Cavanaugh’s interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath as the limitation of physician power to heal and to kill raises the issue of the proper use of physician power over the patient. In order to support and strengthen Cavanaugh’s case, I use Richard Zaner’s discussion of physician power over the patient and the attendant duty to use such power in a responsible way. Finally, I supplement Cavanaugh’s discussion with a fuller account of physician virtues as they relate to physician-assisted suicide. I first discuss the ends of medicine, medical power, and physician-assisted suicide. Second, I discuss the relationship between virtue and physician-assisted suicide. Third, I draw some final conclusions.
High-dose per Fraction Radiotherapy Induces Both Antitumor Immunity and Immunosuppressive Responses in Prostate Tumors.

Purpose: The use of high-dose per fraction radiotherapy delivered as stereotactic body radiotherapy is a standard of care for prostate cancer. It is hypothesized that high-dose radiotherapy may enhance or suppress tumor-reactive immunity. The objective of this study was to assess both antitumor and immunosuppressive effects induced by high-dose radiotherapy in prostate cancer coclinical models, and ultimately, to test whether a combination of radiotherapy with targeted immunotherapy can enhance antitumor immunity. Experimental Design: We studied the effects of high-dose per fraction radiotherapy with and without anti-Gr-1 using syngeneic murine allograft prostate cancer models. The dynamic change of immune populations, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), T regulatory cells (Treg), and myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSC), was evaluated using flow cytometry and IHC. Results: Coclinical prostate cancer models demonstrated that high-dose per fraction radiotherapy induced a rapid increase of tumor-infiltrating MDSCs and a subsequent rise of CD8 TILs and circulating CD8 T effector memory cells. These radiation-induced CD8 TILs were more functionally potent than those from nonirradiated controls. While systemic depletion of MDSCs by anti-Gr-1 effectively prevented MDSC tumor infiltration, it did not enhance radiotherapy-induced antitumor immunity due to a compensatory expansion of Treg-mediated immune suppression. Conclusions: In allograft prostate cancer models, high-dose radiotherapy induced an early rise of MDSCs, followed by a transient increase of functionally active CD8 TILs. However, systemic depletion of MDSC did not augment the antitumor efficacy of high-dose radiotherapy due to a compensatory Treg response, indicating blocking both MDSCs and Tregs might be necessary to enhance radiotherapy-induced antitumor immunity.
A By-Product of Summer Programs: Student Marketers and Career-Readiness

Universities are exploring many models for delivering a fuller term in the summer. The structures and strategies of these differing models are invariably aimed at the same thing: increasing institutional awareness, student enrollment, and ultimately university revenue. Yet there is also room for involving students themselves in this endeavor so that the institutions benefit from their insight and labor, and so that the students benefit from on-the-job training that develops the skills prized by their future employers. This paper provides a brief narrative of one university’s shift from the fairly industry-wide, relatively casual approach to summer term of yesterday to something much more substantive today. This story itself is neither important here nor surprising. In fact, many other universities will recognize elements of it. Rather, it provides an introductory context for a surprising by-product: the professional development of student marketers involved in the strategy. We lay out employer definitions of career-readiness and, through structured interviews, demonstrate how supervised involvement in peer-to-peer marketing, much like an internship, enabled students to recognize how they had improved their career-readiness. We argue that the evidence here is generalizable and has implications for practice (and principle) across the academy.
State and Local Taxes and Employment Wage Level

Economists have devoted much attention to understanding the effects of state-local fiscal polices, particularly taxes, on the growth of state-level employment. However, no one has investigated whether the effects differ by wage level. Using a state-level panel data set, we investigate the link between state-local taxes and the growth of employment for three wage-level categories. We find weak evidence supporting the proposition that the response of employment growth to changes in taxes differ by wage level.
Space Debris Mitigation and Remediation: Historical Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Economically Preserving and Utilizing Common Areas

Space debris is an increasing problem. Unlike terrestrial debris, there are no natural systems, other than exponentially diminishing atmospheric drag, to self-correct. This creates a self-perpetuat...
Association of cardiovascular health with mortality among COPD patients: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

BACKGROUND All-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality are higher among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined the association between American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics and all-cause as well as CVD mortality in patients with COPD. METHODS We examined 1513 US adults with COPD aged ≥ 40, without prior CVD, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. COPD was defined as FEV1/FVC<0.7 in absence of asthma. Adjusted Cox regression was used to assess the relation of LS7 metrics with all-cause and CVD mortality. RESULTS Overall, only 74 participants (4.9%) had ideal 5-7 LS7 metrics. Over a mean follow-up of 14.2±7.9 years, 1162 individuals died, of which 315 were due to CVD. Age, sex, and ethnicity-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for all-cause mortality were 0.53 (0.41-0.68), 0.45 (0.34-0.59), 0.66 (0.49-0.87) and 0.75 (0.56-1.00) among those with ideal vs poor control of smoking, diet, physical activity and fasting blood glucose, respectively. However, the ideal and intermediate LS7 metrics were not significantly associated with lower risk of CVD mortality, except for a BMI between 25-29.9 kg/m2. Those with 5-7 vs 0-1 ideal metrics had adjusted HRs 0.50 (0.40-0.87) for all-cause and 0.53 (0.21-1.36) for CVD mortality. CONCLUSION Ideal levels of multiple behavioral and health factors are associated with substantially lower risks for all-cause mortality, with a trend for lower CVD mortality among US adults with COPD.
ED EMS Time – A COVID Friendly Alternative to Ambulance Ride Alongs

Abstract Background Ambulance ride alongs are frequently a critical element of educational programs for learners of prehospital emergency care. We describe a novel alternative to the EMS ride along experience more conducive to COVID-19 restrictions. Methods ?ED EMS Time? was developed as an alternative training method to provide a field-type experience within the emergency department (ED) setting. Over the course of a four hour shift, medical students observe and complete standardized reflections on Online Medical Control radio consultations and EMS to ED patient handoffs. Medical students also interview EMS clinicians to gain insight into prehospital care and the challenges that occur in the field. Experiences are debriefed with an EMS attending. Results Medical students expressed increased knowledge around the challenges and treatment capabilities of EMS through the ED EMS Time experience. They were able to explain what information obtained from the scene was helpful to EMS clinicians. Medical students were able to realize the objectives of ambulance ride time through an emergency department experience designed around EMS. Conclusions ED EMS Time represents a novel approach to teaching medical students the intricacies of prehospital medicine from the confines of the emergency department while avoiding direct patient contact, preserving PPE and limiting COVID-19 exposure.
Structure and Function of Membrane Systems of Skeletal Muscle Cells

The sections in this article are: 1 Structural Components of Skeletal Muscle Fibers 1.1 Sarcomeres, Striations, and Fibrils 1.2 Membranes 2 Physiological Correlates 2.1 Local Activation Experiments 2.2 Comparison of Slow-Acting and Fast-Acting Muscle Fibers 2.3 Relation of Total Surface Area to Fiber Capacitance 2.4 Glycerol-Shock Experiments 3 Microscopic Methods in Study of Cellular Membrane Structure 3.1 Scanning Electron Microscopy 3.2 High-Voltage Electron Microscopy of Thick Sections 3.3 Freeze-Fracture Electron Microscopy 4 T System 4.1 Definition, Development, and Function 4.2 T-Tubule Networks 4.3 T-Tubule Shapes 5 Sarcoplasmic Reticulum 5.1 Definition, Development, and Function 5.2 Structural Relationship to Myofibrils and Striations 5.3 Form of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum 5.4 Content of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum 5.5 Calcium Movements 6 Intrinsic Membrane Proteins 6.1 Sarcoplasmic Reticulum 6.2 T Tubules 7 Comparative Structure of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum and T System 7.1 Fibers With One Small Dimension and No T System 7.2 Fibers With Low Speed and Small Quantity of Membranes 7.3 Fibers With High Speed and Large Quantity of Membranes 7.4 Variation in Speed and Quantity of Membranes in Mammalian Fibers 7.5 Invertebrate Fibers 8 T-System-Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Couplings 8.1 Basic Form 8.2 Structural Details 8.3 Role of T-Tubular Calcium Current in Excitation- Contraction Coupling 8.4 Functional Mechanism of Coupling Between T Tubules and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum 9 Special Geometry of T System 9.1 Longitudinal T Tubules 9.2 Helicoids 9.3 Structural and Functional Implications
Optimization of antigen presentation to T cell hybridomas by purified Ia molecules in planar membranes. Ia molecule polymorphism determines the antigenic fine specificity of the response to cytochrome c peptides.

Abstract Ia molecule (Eβk,b : Eαk or Aβk : Aαk)-containing planar membranes were constructed with cholesterol and a 9 : 1 molar ratio of the phospholipids dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and dilinoleoyl phosphatidylcholine. This lipid composition was found to be optimal for the stimulation of T cell hybridomas of different specificities. Use of this system allowed the detection of weak responses not measurable when other artificial membranes were used. Activation of the cytochrome c Eαk,b : Eαk-reactive hybridoma 2B4.11 using such membranes resulted in responses comparable to those found using antigen-presenting cells (APC); that is, similar amounts of IL-2 were produced at the same concentrations of antigenic peptides. Presentation of moth and pigeon cytochrome c peptides by Eβb : Eαk - or Eβk : Eβb-reconstituted membranes resulted in 2B4.11 response patterns similar to those previously described using B10.A or B10.A(5R) APC. These data conclusively demonsrates that differential stimulation by moth and pigeon cytochrome c peptides depends solely on structural differences in the Eβ : Eα molecules used for antigen presentation.
Combinational-logic-based traction inverter fault diagnosis

This paper presents a combinational-logic-based approach for identifying faults that could occur in power electronic components of an electric vehicle inverter. A real-time simulation model of an electric vehicle is used to study the behavior of available sensor signals and control commands, with specific measured quantities, during vehicle operation. Those quantities could be, but are not limited to, mean values of the phase currents, DC bus current, and traction motor speed (if available), in addition to control command quantities. Those quantities carry information of offsets and disturbances that could occur under faulty operating conditions compared to nominal operation. They are thus observed and studied under nominal conditions and then when a fault is injected. Finally a methodology is developed using these observations based on simple combinational logic to diagnose a fault occurring at any time during a vehicle drive cycle. The proposed method is presented and validated by real-time simulations to capture four different power electronics faults injected at different drive cycle times. Results show that the proposed method is able to diagnose different faults irrespective of when would they occur. The method can be extended to diagnose electric machine, sensor, and transmission faults.