cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contribution of the 60 Loop To Substrate and Inhibitor Specificity of Thrombin.

Relative to chymotrypsin, the 60-loop of thrombin contains 8–9 insertion residues which are believed to be partly responsible for the restricted substrate and inhibitor specificity of thrombin. Previous deletion of 3–4 residues of this loop (des-PPW and des-YPPW) dramatically impaired the activity of thrombin toward antithrombin, protein C and fibrinogen, implicating a key role for the productive interaction of these residues with the target macromolecules. To further investigate the role of this loop, we expressed a mutant of thrombin in which all 8 insertion residues (Tyr-Pro-Pro-Trp-Asp-Lys-Asn-Phe) of the 60-loop were deleted (des-60-loop). In contrast to the partially deleted loop mutants, we discovered that des-60-loop thrombin cleaved small synthetic substrates, clotted purified fibrinogen, and activated protein C with a near normal catalytic efficiency; however, its activity toward cofactors V and VIII was impaired ~2–4-fold. Further studies revealed that the reactivity of des-60-loop with antithrombin is not impaired, but rather improved ~2-fold. Remarkably, the mutant could also activate prothrombin to thrombin. These results suggest that the 60-loop plays a key role in regulating the specificity of thrombin by shielding the active-site pocket; however, its productive interaction with the target molecules may not be as critical for the catalytic function of thrombin as has been speculated in previous reports.
An algorithm for identifying mothball composition

AbstractIntroduction: Unintentional mothball ingestions may cause serious toxicity in small children. Camphor, naphthalene, and paradichlorobenzene mothballs are difficult to distinguish without packaging. Symptoms and management differ based on the ingested compound. Previous studies have used a variety of antiquated, impractical and potentially dangerous techniques to identify the mothballs. The goal of this study is to discover a simplified identification technique using materials readily available in an emergency department.Methods: Mothballs made of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene along with camphor tablets were tested. Each material was tested both intact and after being fragmented to simulate a partially ingested mothball. Each of these six sample types were then immersed in 40 ml each of 11 fluids: water, 0.45% NaCl, 0.9% NaCl, lactated Ringer’s, 5% dextrose in water, 5% dextrose in 0.9% NaCl, 50% dextrose in water, 8.4% NaHCO3, 3% H2O2, 70% isopropanol, and 91% isopropanol. All tests were con...
Impact of changing health care economics on Michigan hospital libraries: report of a survey.

In an attempt to determine how efforts to contain the soaring cost of U.S. health care in the 1980s have affected the size and stature of Michigan hospital libraries, a survey was sent out in April 1988 to 156 hospitals across the state. Fifteen of the 97 responding institutions did not maintain libraries during the survey period and were subsequently excluded from the study. Total FTEs in the 82 responding libraries decreased by 6.1%. In the 69 libraries reporting budget data, materials budgets increased, but by less than 7% a year. Eighteen of the 82 libraries had positions reclassified, with 12 (14.6%) assigned downgrades. The trend toward reduced size and perceived value of hospital libraries that emerged from the survey points to the need for regular collection of comprehensive hospital library statistics to assist hospital librarians in effective direction of their profession's course.
Use of Single Unit Recording in Correlating Transmitter Turnover with Impulse Flow in Monoamine Neurons

In peripheral tissues there is clear evidence for a relationship between norepinephrine (NE) turnover and impulse activity in adrenergic nerves (Alousi and Weiner, 1966; Gordon et al., 1966; Stjarne et al., 1967; Sedvall et al., 1968). In the case of monoamine neurons in the central nervous system the demonstration of a correlation between impulse flow and turnover is inherently more difficult. Initially, support for this concept came from studies in which the metabolic effects of interrupting or stimulating known central monoamine pathways were determined. The first experiments along these lines were carried out in spinal transected animals by Anden and his coworkers. These studies were based on the fact that the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) and NE nerve terminals of the spinal cord originate from 5-HT and NE-containing perikarya of the lower brain stem (Carlsson et al., 1964; Dahlstrom and Fuxe, 1965; Fuxe, 1965). Depletion caused by inhibition at any step of NE or 5-HT biosynthesis was shown to be highly dependent upon nervous impulse flow since depletion was much more pronounced on the cranial than caudal side of a spinal transection (Anden et al., 1966 a,c, 1967 a). These studies implied that the rate of turnover of 5-HT and NE within these two monoamine pathways in the spinal cord was greater in the presence of a normal flow of impulses.
Endemic, outbreak or epidemic? Geographies of affliction, exposure and homicide immunity in Chicago

Chicago is a historically violent city. After years of homicide reduction and/or relative stability in homicides, the Windy City is experiencing what is being described as a ‘homicide epidemic’ sta...
A Compositional Approach for Verifying Protocols Running on On-Chip Networks

In modern many-core architectures, advanced on-chip networks provide the means of communication for the cores. This greatly complicates the design and verification of the cache coherence protocols deployed by those cores. A common approach to deal with this complexity is to decompose the whole system into the protocol and the network. This decomposition is, however, not always possible. For example, unexpected deadlocks can emerge when a deadlock-free protocol and a deadlock-free network are combined. This paper proposes a compositional methodology: prove properties over a network, prove properties over a protocol, and infer properties over the system as a whole. Our methodology is based on theorems that show that such decomposition is possible by having sufficiently large local buffers at the cores. We apply this methodology to verify several protocols such as MI, MSI, MESI and MEUSI running on top of advanced interconnects with adaptive routing.
RELATIONSHIP OF BREAST ARTERY CALCIFICATION TO CORONARY ARTERY STENOSIS: IS MAMMOGRAPHY THE NEW SCREENING TEST FOR CORONARY ARTERY STENOSIS IN WOMEN?

There are currently no established recommendations for coronary artery disease (CAD) screening in the general population or for women in particular. However, screening mammography is recommended for women ≥ 40 years. Breast arterial calcifications (BAC) are associated with cardiovascular risk
Visual Negotiation: How Female Athletes Present Intersectional Identities in Photographic Self-Representations

ABSTRACTExtending Krane et al.’s (2010) research, 17 college female athletes created their own photo shoots and were interviewed about their self-representations. The images and interviews were ana...
In-group identification and motivation crowding

Abstract Group identity has been shown to be a powerful force. The crowding-out of intrinsic motivation is also a well-documented phenomenon in psychology and, increasingly, in economics. We conduct a field experiment (in which people do not know that they are in an experiment) to test for the effect of group identity on the crowding out of intrinsic motivation. We offer reimbursement for entry fees to people who bring consoles to video-game tournaments, varying the size of the entry fee. We find that contributions don't depend on the incentive strength. Results show no crowding out (in fact, the contribution rate is lower without any reimbursement incentive). In addition, the subgroup of individuals who identify strongly with the community are 27% more likely to contribute to the public good than the subgroup of individuals who don't identify strongly with the community.
Recognition of Handwritten Characters

In this chapter, we will use a neural network pattern matcher to recognize handwritten characters. We will discuss required preprocessing of input data, present the sample program, show sample program output, and compare the neural network approach to a more conventional software approach to solving this problem.
Differences Between ADHD Inattentive and Combined Types on the CPT

Two samples of school-age boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-Combined and ADHD-Inattentive Types) and a non-ADHD control group were administered an “AX” version of the continuous performance task (CPT) to examine specific sustained attention deficits. Three levels of time-on-task were included to study performance declines, and 3 interstimulus intervals were included to examine vigilance deficits. As predicted by R. A. Barkley's and H. C. Quay's behavior inhibition deficit models (R. A. Barkley, 1997; H. C. Quay, 1997), the performance of the ADHD-Combined Type (ADHD-C) participants deteriorated more quickly than the other samples. No significant evidence of vigilance deficits among the inattentive (ADHD-IA) sample was found. These findings suggest that distinct criteria for the two ADHD subtypes may be warranted when the CPT is used for diagnostic assessment, and sustained attention-related declines in performance may be typical of the ADHD-C Type only.
Femme Fatale: The Lethality of Female Suicide Bombers

Are female suicide bombers deadlier than male suicide bombers? Utilizing newly coded data on the tactical attributes of suicide terrorism worldwide from 1998 to 2015, this study shows that the use ...
Adrb2 controls glucose homeostasis by developmental regulation of pancreatic islet vasculature

A better understanding of processes controlling the development and function of pancreatic islets is critical for diabetes prevention and treatment. Here, we reveal a previously unappreciated function for pancreatic β2-adrenergic receptors (Adrb2) in controlling glucose homeostasis by restricting islet vascular growth during development. Pancreas-specific deletion of Adrb2 results in glucose intolerance and impaired insulin secretion in mice, and unexpectedly, specifically in females. The metabolic phenotypes were recapitulated by Adrb2 deletion from neonatal, but not adult, β-cells. Mechanistically, Adrb2 loss increases production of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) in female neonatal β-cells and results in hyper-vascularized islets during development, which in turn, disrupts insulin production and exocytosis. Neonatal correction of islet hyper-vascularization, via VEGF-A receptor blockade, fully rescues functional deficits in glucose homeostasis in adult mutant mice. These findings uncover a regulatory pathway that functions in a sex-specific manner to control glucose metabolism by restraining excessive vascular growth during islet development.
Annals of Occupational Hygiene performance, 2012.

Submission and publication. In 2012, we had 234 submissions, an almost 7% decrease from the record in 2011. However, the overall trend in recent years has been a significant increase in submissions, and in response to this, our rejection rate has also increased to ~55%. A high rejection rate is needed to ensure the continued high level of scholarship in the published product, although the journal will continue to consider a possible expansion of the number of issues from the current 9 per year to 10 or possibly 12. In 2012, we published 95 research papers, reviews, and commentaries. Handling time. For papers received between October 2011 and September 2012, the median time to send a first decision to authors, including peer review, was 42 days, and 85% of first decisions were sent within 72 days. The median time from acceptance to publication online is ~6 weeks. Access. The provisional figure for the number of institutions paying for access to the whole journal has decreased by ~3.5% compared with the same figure in 2011. However, 1602 institutions in developing countries have registered for free or deeply discounted access. The number of downloads of full texts of papers downloaded from the online edition is the equivalent of >1300 each working day. This continues to increase as people generally convert to online access. Sources. The leading sources of submissions, by address of first author, were USA (45 papers), UK (22), Germany (21), France (14), Canada (13), Sweden (12), and Italy (11). US submissions were substantially down from 2011, whereas a marked increase was seen from Germany. The regional distributions were Europe 54% (12% up on 2011), North America 25% (8% down from 2011), East Asia and Australasia 12%, and the rest of the world 9%. At 21%, the fraction of papers submitted from outside Europe and North America was slightly down since the mid-2000s, but still showing increased interest in publication from the developing economies. Journal impact. The Thomson Scientific Journal Impact Factor (JIF) has many limitations as a true indicator of impact in the real world, as discussed in a commentary in 2008 (Ogden and Bartley, 2008). It is, however, widely used. Our JIF for 2011 (announced in the middle of 2012) was 1.95, slightly lower than the record level for the previous year. Processing. The Chief Editor and team of 13 Assistant Editors coordinated the collection of ~450 reviews from ~325 reviewers. Corresponding information for 2011 is given by Ogden (2012).
Is Left Ventricular Hypertrophy a Valid Therapeutic Target

The purpose of this review is to answer the question whether left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) could be considered a therapeutic target in patients with hypertension. To fulfill this purpose, we briefly outline different methods of measuring LVH, then discuss the current evidence and unresolved controversies regarding the relationships among LVH, blood pressure (BP), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. The methods and criteria used for defining LVH in clinical studies lack consistency and are inherently different. Electrocardiogram (ECG) has been the most common method, but some studies used echocardiography, and recently, the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was used by some studies as well. Regardless of the method, studies have shown that higher BP is a risk factor for LVH, regression of LVH is possible by successful BP lowering, and LVH is associated with CVD outcomes. Nevertheless, recent trials revealed that although intensive BP lowering (systolic BP target of < 120 mm of Hg) resulted in lower rates of developing new ECG-LVH and higher rates of regression of existing LVH, the benefit of intensive BP lowering on the risk of CV events was not meaningfully influenced by its favorable effect on ECG-LVH. These findings raise several critical questions about the mechanistic links between hypertension treatment, LVH regression, and reduction in CV events. Given these questions and findings, LVH improvement cannot yet be considered a reliable surrogate outcome measure for use in the context of hypertensive heart disease. LVH is a modifiable risk factor related to systolic BP and regression of LVH may reduce subsequent CV events. However, LVH may not be the “holy grail” in regard to therapeutic targets in hypertensive heart disease, but it could be considered one of the markers in the successful management of hypertension.
Diminished ovarian reserve is associated with reduced euploid rates via preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy independently from age: evidence for concomitant reduction in oocyte quality with quantity.

Objective(s) To determine whether women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) (quantitatively) had lower rates of euploid blastocysts, as a proxy for oocyte quality. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting University reproductive health clinic. Patient(s) A total of 1,152 women aged 19–42 years underwent 1,675 IVF cycles yielding 8,073 blastocysts for biopsy from 2010 to 2019. Interventions(s) Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. Main Outcome Measure(s) Euploid rates, defined as the number of euploid blastocysts divided by the number of biopsied blastocysts per cycle. Result(s) A total of 225 women (20%) had DOR as infertility diagnosis per the Bologna criteria. Age was higher among the women with DOR (39.5 y vs. 37.0 y). Euploid rates were lower among women with vs. without DOR (29.0% vs. 44.9%). In generalized linear models controlling for age, women with DOR had 24% reduced odds of a biopsied blastocyst being euploid versus women without DOR. In a secondary analysis assigning DOR status to women producing the lowest quartile of age-adjusted mature oocyte yield, this relationship remained. No differences were identified in live birth rates between women with and without DOR after euploid single-embryo transfer independently from age (n = 944 transfers; 56.8% vs. 54.8%, respectively). Conclusion(s) Blastocysts from women with DOR are less likely to be euploid than those from women without DOR after adjustment for age. Given the concomitant reduction in euploid rates with quantity of oocytes observed in this study, quantitative ovarian reserve assessments (i.e., follicular machinery) may yield insight into relative ovarian aging.
Can a Nonradiating Mode Be Externally Excited? Nonscattering States versus Embedded Eigenstates

In this Letter, we discuss the general problem of exciting radiationless field distributions in open cavities, with the goal of clarifying recent findings on this topic. We point out that the radia...
Unexpected finding of amphetamine and methamphetamine in a patient on monoamine oxidase inhibitor

Abstract A 36-year-old patient was treated in a drug rehabilitation program for prior cannabis use and for major depressive disorder (depression). Her urine drug screen tests had been negative until recently when she was found to be positive for amphetamines by an immunoassay. Urine amphetamine confirmation was performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) because her treating physician suspected false-positive amphetamine results. The LC–MS/MS amphetamine assay confirmed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine at >2000 ng/mL concentrations for both drugs. Review of the patient’s medical history revealed that her previous antidepressant medication was recently replaced with selegiline ( l -deprenyl), the propargyl derivative of l -methamphetamine. Literature search for publications on selegiline metabolism revealed that two major metabolites of selegiline are l -amphetamine and l -methamphetamine, explaining the unexpected positive results for amphetamine in the patient’s urine. Summary of selegiline metabolism and the appropriate plan of confirmation testing are also discussed.
Optimization of “I” Type Shielding for Low Air-Gap Magnetic and Electric Fields Inductive Wireless Power Transfer

In an inductive wireless power transfer (IWPT) system, an “I” type magnetic shielding structure was proposed to simultaneously reduce the air-gap center region magnetic and electric fields without degrading the coil-to-coil efficiency. However, the proposed structure is difficult to implement due to the requirement of enormous ferrite materials. In this paper, the “I” type magnetic shielding design is optimized for the reduction of ferrite usage, cost, weight, and easy implementation, while maintaining nearly the same field distributions and power transfer efficiency. The optimized designs can reduce the ferrite usage by nearly 70% with nearly the same performance. The proposed methods are evaluated with a 2 kW, 30 cm transfer distance design example using finite element analysis (FEA).
90/180 GHz millimeter wave radiometer for future airborne measurements

A 90/180 GHz multichannel radiometer was developed using a common lens antenna and dual corrugated feedhorns. The radiometer was designed to mount in a modified window port on NASA's Convair 990 (CV-990) aircraft. The operating bandwidths of the instrument's three IF channels coincide with the proposed AMSU sensor scheduled for future space borne measurements.
TERMINAL POTENTIALS, SYNAPTIC DELAY AND PRESYNAPTIC INHIBITION IN THE SPINAL MONOSYNAPTIC REFLEX PATHWAY

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the terminal potentials, synaptic delay, and presynaptic inhibition in the spinal monosynaptic reflex pathway. The spinal monosynaptic reflex pathway and the associated afferent and efferent neuronal pathways have provided the basis of much for what is known about normal and abnormal mammalian cellular neurophysiology. Four types of electrical potentials evoked by single group Ia or group II fibers were recorded in the spinal cord using the spike-triggered signal averaging technique. The chapter also illustrates these potentials. Single fiber axonal potentials are negative or triphasic positive-negative-positive potentials recorded in extracellular space in spinal grey matter outside pools of target cells. Single fiber terminal potentials are recorded in regions of synaptic contact between the afferent and its target cells. These field potentials may be readily recorded with the microelectrode tip in the extracellular space in the target neuronal pool or inside a muscle nerve.
Subgrouping Rare Disease Patients Leveraging the Human Phenotype Ontology Embeddings

In the USA, rare diseases are defined as those affecting fewer than 200,000 patients at any given time. It usually takes substantial time and long journey for rare disease patients to seek care before receiving a correct diagnosis. Making the right phenotypic characterization is the initial step to speed up such differential diagnosis at early time and the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) is a comprehensive knowledgebase supporting this goal. Previously, we have constructed various node embeddings for the HPO incorporating heterogeneous biomedical knowledge repositories. In this study, we applied unsupervised learning strategies over different HPO embeddings, aiming to further subgroup rare disease patients based on phenotypic characterizations.
RECO-DryGASCON: Re-configurable Lightweight DryGASCON Engine

IoT or Internet of Things is a modern term describing the ever growing system of widely interrelated devices which communicate automatically. Almost all devices we consider to be mobile work through an IoT network and participate in this sharing of information. As of late, there has been a rising need to secure communications across smaller, more embedded devices that are increasing in number within IoT networks. These embedded devices may include sensors sending sampled data to a processing unit, or processors themselves that are the brain of a specific embedded device. Securing these systems can be done through cryptography, but standard cryptography is not fully compatible with these small devices. The new constraints presented by securing communications on these devices include minimizing power consumption and resource utilization, while allowing for a viable throughput [Gubbi, Jayavardhana, et al., 2013]. In this paper, a lightweight cryptography algorithm, which attempts to optimize the previously mentioned constraints, is implemented in a system. This implementation was designed using a mix of HDLs (Hardware Description Languages) and designed to be dynamic to be able to accommodate systems with a variety of security requirements. The implementation is applied to a system of sonars that send each other encrypted distance data relative to each other, and use the decrypted data to detect whether they need to adjust their positioning. The aim of using this test system is to emulate use cases in industries where devices must process relative positioning data and communicate securely, while relying on a limited power supply. Examples of these systems include UAVs, drones used for surveillance and recon, etc.
How to ask: Surveying nursing directors of nursing homes.

Background and aims Nursing home research may involve eliciting information from managers, yet response rates for Directors of Nursing have not been recently studied. As a part of a more extensive study, we surveyed all nursing homes in three states in 2018 and 2019, updating how to survey these leaders effectively. We focus on response rates as a measure of non-response error and comparison of nursing home's characteristics to their population values as a measure of representation error. Methods We surveyed Directors of Nursing or their designees in nursing homes serving adult residents with at least 30 beds in California, Massachusetts, and Ohio (N = 2389). We collected contact information for respondents and then emailed survey invitations and links, followed by three email reminders and a paper version. Nursing home associations in two of the states contacted their members on our behalf. We compared the response rates across waves and states. We also compared the characteristics of nursing homes based on whether the response was via email or paper. In a multivariable logit regression, we used characteristics of the survey and the nursing homes to predict whether their DON responded to the survey using adjustments for multiple comparisons. Results The response rate was higher for the first wave than for the second (30% vs 20.5%). The highest response rate was in Massachusetts (31.8%), followed by Ohio (25.8%) and California (19.5%). Nursing home characteristics did not vary by response mode. Additionally, we did not find any statistically significant predictors of whether a nursing home responded. Conclusion A single-mode survey may provide a reasonably representative sample at the cost of sample size. With that said, however, switching modes can increase sample size without potentially biasing the sample.
Penetrating captive-bolt euthanasia of goats:

Anatomical placement of a penetrating captive bolt device (PCB) when euthanizing animals is critical to ensure vital structures are damaged, thereby rendering animals immediately unconscious and death occurring without a return to sensibility. Although PCB are an approved method for euthanizing small ruminants, the current peer-reviewed literature contains discrepancies regarding the appropriate anatomic site to be used for euthanasia procedures. Currently, 2 important documents, American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2013 Euthanasia Guidelines (AVMA) and World Organization for Animal Health’s Terrestrial Code (OIE), are in disagreement over the recommended site for captive bolt placement in small ruminants. The AVMA 2013 guideline recommends use of a frontal site high on the forehead aiming towards the foramen magnum as an alternative site in horned goats. The OIE recommends the frontal site be used for gunshot only. Exact positioning of a PCB at the poll is poorly described in the literature. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal anatomical site for PCB placement in horned and polled goats to ensure brainstem disruption consistently occurs.
Carbon Fiducial Markers for Tumor Localization in Stereotactic Irradiation of Uveal Melanoma.

Purpose The aim of this study was to demonstrate the role of carbon fiducial markers (fiducials) for guiding radiotherapy in the management of uveal melanoma (UM). Methods This is a retrospective interventional case series at a single-center ocular oncology practice. The medical records were reviewed retrospectively for all patients with UM treated with stereotactic radiosurgery using episcleral fiducials. We report our short-term experience with surgical placement of fiducials, UM localization, treatment outcomes, and optimization approaches. Results We evaluated 11 cases of UM (mean age: 65 years; 64% female). The placed fiducials were numbered from 2 to 4, each secured to the sclera with a surgical microscope or surgical loupes and either 5-0 or 8-0 nylon sutures at 50% scleral depth and 3 mm beyond the tumor margin. Over a median follow-up of 11 months (range: 4.2-43.2 months), no recurrences of intraocular UM were observed. One case of enucleation after stereotactic radiosurgery developed because of radiation-related surface irritation, ocular dryness, and secondary keratopathy. Two patients (18%) with 5-0 nylon sutures required fiducial removal because of suture exposure, successfully accomplished in an outpatient setting. Conclusions Fiducials represent a viable alternative to tantalum rings for guiding stereotactic radiotherapy to manage UM and provide additional definition of the tumor border with linear orientation that helps optimize targeted radiation delivery. Fiducial placement with a 3-mm margin from the visible tumor border should not result in clinically important radiation dose attenuation at the tumor margins. Anteriorly placed fiducials may cause discomfort, yet they are easily removed in the outpatient setting.
Growth of Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 Te 1– y Se y Single Crystals for Room-Temperature Gamma Ray Detection

Quaternary Cd0.9Zn0.1Te1– y Se y (CZTS) single crystals, a novel room-temperature nuclear radiation detector semiconductor material, have been grown using a modified vertical Bridgman method (VBM) and a traveling heater method (THM). The percentage concentration of selenium in the VBM-grown crystal was 3% and that in the THM-grown crystal was 2%. While the THM Frisch collar detector ( $4.4\times 4.4\times10.7$ mm $^{3}$ ) produced a highly resolved pulse height spectra (PHS) with a resolution of ~1.06% for 662-keV gamma rays without any correction, the VBM-grown detector ( $10\times 10\times 2$ mm $^{3}$ ) offered a high-energy resolution of ~2% after the application of a digital bi-parametric correction. The high-resolution performance of these detectors has been attributed to the addition of Se in the Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) matrix. Ab-initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) also confirmed that the addition of Se in the CZT matrix helps to reduce the formation of TeCd and the TeZn antisites. The VBM-grown crystals were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). While the XRD results revealed sharp diffraction peaks confirming the crystalline nature of the grown crystal, the EDS results confirmed the targeted stoichiometry of the elemental composition. The bulk resistivity of the grown crystal was calculated to be $\sim 3\times 10^{10}\,\,\Omega$ -cm from the current–voltage characteristics recorded at room temperature in a planar configuration, ensuring that the grown CZTS crystals have low dark current as required for detector-grade crystals.
KRAS-G12C covalent inhibitors: A game changer in the scene of cancer therapies

Abstract RAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer. Scientists attempted for decades to target this protein or its pathways, however, all the attempts failed and RAS was labeled as “undruggable”. With KRAS-G12C covalent inhibitors entering clinical trials, the myth of this “undruggable” RAS is fading away. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of Sotorasib (Lumakras) for the treatment of adult patients with KRAS-G12C mutated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC, following at least one prior systemic therapy. However, and as every other drug, KRAS-G12C inhibitors are facing intrinsic and acquired resistances. In order to overcome these resistances, researchers are now working on combination strategies. Furthermore, studies are currently ongoing to better elucidate the status of KRAS-G12C as a predictive and prognostic tool and to strengthen its role in the field of personalized medicine.
Muntiacus muntjak (Indian or red muntjac)

The sex chromosome situation in this species is similar to that in Potorous (Folio 1), Carollia (Folio 105), Artebius jamaicensis (Folio 55), etc., in that an acrocentric autosome was translocated onto the original X chromosome but its homolog remained free, thereby giving rise to two Y chromosomes. Actually the longer Y (Y1) is an autosome.
Inclusion complexes of purine nucleosides with cyclodextrins. I, Complexation and stabilization of a dideoxypurine nucleoside with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin

Abstract 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) markedly inhibits the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA), a compound under development for the treatment of HIV infections. The kinetic data conform to a model which assumes 1:1 complex formation between HP-β-CD and both the neutral and protonated forms of DDA. UV difference spectra were generated as a function of both HP-β-CD concentration and temperature to obtain independent estimates of formation constants and enthalpies and entropies for the binding of the neutral species of DDA to HP-β-CD. The acid lability of DDA at the low pH necessary to form the protonated species precluded the use of difference spectra to obtain complexation data for the protonated species. Binding constants for the protonated species were therefore obtained by combining apparent p K a values as a function of HP-β-CD concentration and temperature with the spectral data. Binding constants for the neutral species ranged from 28 M −1 at 50° C to 56 M −1 at 4° C and were at least 3-times larger than those of the protonated species over this temperature range. A negligible difference in the enthalpy of complexation was observed between the protonated and neutral forms of DDA, while the entropy of formation appeared to favor the neutral complex. Although hydrolysis is 100% suppressed in both the protonated and neutral complexes, due to the small binding constants, the maximum stabilization attainable in a 0.1 M solution of HP-gb-CD at 25° C was approx. 5-fold at pH 5 and 2-fold at pH 2. Possible inclusion geometries are considered in an attempt to account for the kinetic data.
Optimal Mappings of m Dimensional FFT Communication to k Dimensional Mesh for Arbitrary m and k

The FFT communication patterns are important to not only FFT algorithms, but also many other algorithms over one or higher dimensional. The mapping of m dimensional FFT communication to k dimensional mesh has previously been considered only for the following special cases (a) m=1 or 2, k=1 or 2, (b) m=1 or 2, k=log(n) where n is the size of the machine. In this paper, we present the optimal mappings of m dimensional FFT communication onto k dimensional mesh for arbitrary m and k. The mappings are optimal since the communication distances in the logarithmic steps sum to exactly the diameter of the mesh regardless of the dimension cr the shape of the mesh. An m-k shuffle permutation, which subsumes perfect shuffle, is introduced and used to derive some of the optimal mappings. As a by-product, an optimal broadcast algorithm over any dimensional mesh, including binary hypercube as a special case, is presented.
Twist-4 in the QCD analysis of leptoproduction

A systematic method of calculating twist-4 corrections, based on the operator product expansion in QCD, is described and applied to the lowest moment of the transverse structure function in electroproduction. The scheme combines perturbative QCD (for the coefficient functions and anomalous dimensions) with the bag model (for the matrix elements). A special operator basis is introduced in which a parton interpretation of twist-4 effects emerges naturally. In a “parton approximation”, the twist-4 corrections to the lowest moment are negligible.
Public Support for Gender Equality in Athletics Programs

Abstract Considerable public resistance remains to gender equality in domains that are physically demanding and carry substantial risk of bodily harm -a description that fits competitive athletics. Analysis of data from national opinion surveys indicates, however, that since the mid-1970s most Americans have favored not only gender-equal access to participation in interscholastic and intercollegiate sports, but also gender-equal funding of athletics programs (a far more radical approach than policymakers or activists have seriously considered). Unlike studies of the determinants of support for other aspects of gender equality, levels of education registered no significant impact on these attitudes; what did matter were gender and age, with women and younger people being more supportive.
Difference equation implementation of time-variant digital filters

Certain researchers derive the time-variant transfer function of a digital filter by assuming its behavior at certain sampling points. Based upon the derived coefficients, the transfer function is implemented via a time-variant difference equation by assuming a "frozen-time" relationship between the transfer function and its difference equation. This paper derives the generalized transfer function for a class of time-variant difference equation and illustrates the difference between the frozen-time and the generalized transfer functions.
INTERMITTENCY NEAR A CODIMENSION THREE STEADY-STATE BIFURCATION

We study the existence and stability of heteroclinic connections near "hopping" cellular flame patterns. These are dynamic patterns in which individual cells make sequential, and abrupt, changes in their angular positions while they rotate nonuniformly about the center of a circular domain. Normal form analysis and experimental works have shown that these patterns are associated with a homoclinic cycle connecting group related equilibria. In fact, they emerge through a codimension three steady-state bifurcation of three modes with wave numbers in a 2:3:4 ratio. While cycles are known to exist in the mode-2 and mode-4 interactions, here we show that mode-3 destabilizes the connection so that only remnants, i.e. intermittent flame patterns of the cycles can be observed.
Critical point theorems with relaxed boundary condition and applications

This paper is a sequel to a recent paper by the author in this journal. We prove some -variants of the min-max type critical point theorems with relaxed boundary condition and then apply the abstract results to a semilinear elliptic boundary value problem.
Contrast-enhancing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: radiological and pathological correlations: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE : Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a demyelinating disease caused by the JC papovavirus, is an opportunistic infection afflicting patients with impaired cellular immunity. Although initially described in patients with hematological malignancies, PML has become associated with several other immunocompromised states, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. There are numerous central nervous system manifestations in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A major characteristic that distinguishes PML from other more common lesions, such as toxoplasmosis or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is the lack of contrast enhancement. We describe a case of PML that exhibits contrast enhancement, and we conclude that the diagnosis of PML must be considered in patients with HIV who have contrast-enhancing lesions. CLINICAL PRESENTATION : A 40-year-old woman presented with progressive hemiparesis, blurred vision, and ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing lesion involving the left middle cerebellar peduncle, causing mild compression of the fourth ventricle. INTERVENTION : The patient underwent a stereotactic serial biopsy with the presumptive diagnosis of moderate- to high-grade glioma. Histological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed early PML. Subsequently, a test for HIV was obtained and the results were positive. CONCLUSION : We have reported another atypical radiographic characteristic of PML associated with HIV. We conclude that PML lesions can enhance after the administration of gadolinium. Therefore, the diagnosis of PML must be entertained in patients whose test results were positive for HIV with contrast-enhancing lesions and that a stereotactic serial biopsy may be necessary to provide a definitive diagnosis.
Analysis of nitropyrenamines and methylated nitropyrenamines via gas chromatography‐negative ion atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry

Dans cet article, la methode employee est tres utile pour l'analyse de metabolites biologiques. La resolution entre les isomeres est augmentee et le temps d'analyse est diminue en programmant la temperature du four avec un intervalle minimal et en utilisant le n-tetradecane comme solvant
Inbreeding in a lek-mating ant species, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis

In this paper we have two goals. First, we examine the effects of sample size on the statistical power to detect a given amount of inbreeding in social insect populations. The statistical power to detect a given level of inbreeding is largely a function of the number of colonies sampled. We explore two sampling schemes, one in which a single individual per colony is sampled for different sample sizes and a second sampling scheme in which constant sampling effort is maintained (the product of the number of colonies and the number of workers per colony is constant). We find that adding additional workers to a sample from a colony makes it easier to detect inbreeding in samples from given number of colonies; however, adding more colonies rather than more workers per colony always gives greater power to detect inbreeding. Because even relatively large amounts of sib-mating generate relatively small inbreeding coefficients, detection of even substantial deviations from random mating will require very large samples. Second, we look at the amount of inbreeding in a large population of the western harvest ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis. We find deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equivalent to approximately 27% sib-mating in our population ( f = 0.09). Review of past studies on the population structure of other Pogonomyrmex species suggests that inbreeding may be a regular feature of the mating system of these ants. Although P. occidentalisis a swarm-mating species, there are a number of features of its population biology which suggest that the effective population size may be small. These include topographical variation that potentially breaks the population into demes, variation in the reproductive output of colonies, and variation in the size of reproductives produced by colonies.
Intertwining operators and the representations of SL(2, R)

Abstract The irreducible unitary representations of SL(2, R) were originally determined by Bargmann. The infinitesimal methods of Bargmann were later applied by Pukanszky to determine all the irreducible unitary representations of the universal covering group of SL(2, R). In the present note, it is shown that a study of the intertwining operators relating two unitarily equivalent members of the principal series of irreducible unitary representations of the covering group leads naturally to global realizations of all the irreducible unitary representations of SL(2, R), in particular the discrete series. The irreducibility and square integrability of the discrete series, realized in this form, are easily proved, and the characters of the discrete series are computed by using the generating function for Jacobi polynomials. All the irreducible, finite dimensional representations of SL(2, R) also appear naturally in the above context. The present construction gives an interesting geometric explanation of the classical picture in which pairs of members of the discrete series occur at so-called integral points.
Gathering information before signing a contract with a privately informed principal

Abstract We show that precontractual gathering of information by the uninformed party in a transaction benefits the favorable types of the informed party by allowing them to separate from the unfavorable types. Complete separation of types can only occur if the informed party is able to revise her initial contract offer when the uninformed party detects an unfavorable type. Paradoxically, the uninformed party would benefit if the informed party was constrained to make a take-it-or-leave-it offer.
A NASA heliospheric program

Direct exploration of the heliosphere out to distances of about 40 AU has been carried out with Pioneer 10, 11 and Voyager 1, 2 while making use of supplementary observations by various spacecraft near 1 AU. In the past, these heliospheric observations have involved at least three divisions in the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications: Solar System Exploration, Astrophysics and Earth Observations. Consideration is now being given to combining the various missions into a single coordinated heliospheric program. A committee has been formed, the Heliospheric Science Working Group, consisting of the project scientists of the ongoing as well as future missions. The HSWG has drawn on appropriate members of the scientific community to assist in the development of a plan and in documenting it in a report. The highlights of the plan, with emphasis on both short range and long range scientific objectives, are described.
Functional architecture of the retina: Development and disease

Structure and function are highly correlated in the vertebrate retina, a sensory tissue that is organized into cell layers with microcircuits working in parallel and together to encode visual information. All vertebrate retinas share a fundamental plan, comprising five major neuronal cell classes with cell body distributions and connectivity arranged in stereotypic patterns. Conserved features in retinal design have enabled detailed analysis and comparisons of structure, connectivity and function across species. Each species, however, can adopt structural and/or functional retinal specializations, implementing variations to the basic design in order to satisfy unique requirements in visual function. Recent advances in molecular tools, imaging and electrophysiological approaches have greatly facilitated identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that establish the fundamental organization of the retina and the specializations of its microcircuits during development. Here, we review advances in our understanding of how these mechanisms act to shape structure and function at the single cell level, to coordinate the assembly of cell populations, and to define their specific circuitry. We also highlight how structure is rearranged and function is disrupted in disease, and discuss current approaches to re-establish the intricate functional architecture of the retina.
Recurrent urinary tract infection in women

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) are common among young healthy women even though they generally have anatomically and physiologically normal urinary tracts. Women with recurrent UTI have an increased susceptibility to vaginal colonization with uropathogens, which is due to a greater propensity for uropathogenic coliforms to adhere to uroepithelial cells. Risk factors for recurrent UTI include sexual intercourse, use of spermicidal products, having a first UTI at an early age, and having a maternal history of UTIs. Inherited factors may be important in some women with recurrent UTI. Many factors thought to predispose to recurrent UTI in women, such as pre- and post-coital voiding patterns, frequency of urination, wiping patterns, and douching have not been proven to be risk factors for UTI. In contrast to the predominantly behavioral risk factors for young women, mechanical and/or physiological factors that affect bladder emptying are most strongly associated with recurrent UTI in healthy postmenopausal women. The management of recurrent UTI is the same as that for sporadic UTI except that the likelihood of infection with an antibiotic resistant uropathogen is higher in women who have received recent antimicrobials. Strategies to prevent recurrent UTI in young women should include education about the association of recurrent UTI with frequency of sexual intercourse and the usage of spermicide-containing products. Continuous or post-coital prophylaxis with low-dose antimicrobials or intermittent self-treatment with antimicrobials have all been demonstrated to be effective in managing recurrent uncomplicated UTIs in women. Estrogen use is very effective in preventing recurrent UTI in post-menopausal women. Exciting new approaches to prevent recurrent UTI include the use of probiotics and vaccines. Further understanding of the pathogenesis of UTI will lead to more effective and safer methods to prevent these frequent infections.