cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of nitrogen dopants on the magnetization of Co 3 N clusters

Using a real-space implementation of pseudopotentials within the density-functional theory, we show that the magnetization of a ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ cluster with a recently discovered atomic structure is significantly affected by nitrogen dopants. In a ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ cluster with the hexagonal $P{6}_{3}/mmc$ structure, N dopants promote spin polarization for the Co-$3d$ electrons and the dopants themselves make additional contributions to net magnetic moment. These two factors enhance the total magnetic moment of a hexagonal ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ cluster, which can be as strong as bulk iron. In contrast, N dopants in a ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ cluster with the rhombohedral $R\overline{3}c$ structure degrade magnetic moment and the dopants are magnetically ``inert,'' which results in lower total magnetic moments in rhombohedral ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ clusters. These changes in magnetic moment originate from differences in the orbital hybridization between the Co-$3d$ and N-$2p$ states. We also examine how the magnetization of a ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}\mathrm{N}$ cluster depends on a N content. We find that the total magnetic moment of a hexagonal ${\mathrm{Co}}_{3}{\mathrm{N}}_{1+x}$ cluster with $\ensuremath{-}0.15\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.15$ is tunable and can be enhanced further by controlling the amount of nitrogen dopants.
Teaching Basic Writing: An Alternative to Basic Skills

At the University of Pittsburgh, we teach Basic Writing to around 1,200 students each year. The instruction is offered through two different courses — Basic Writing (3 hours, 3 credits) and Basic Reading and Writing (6 hours, 6 credits). We also have a Writing Workshop, and basic writers frequently attend, but their attendance is voluntary, and the workshop is not specifically for writers with basic problems.
Mindfulness Meditation and Interprofessional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study.

ABSTRACTProblem: Mindfulness training includes mindfulness meditation, which has been shown to improve both attention and self-awareness. Medical providers in the intensive care unit often deal with difficult situations with strong emotions, life-and-death decisions, and both interpersonal and interprofessional conflicts. The effect of mindfulness meditation training on healthcare providers during acute care tasks such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation remains unknown. Mindfulness meditation has the potential to improve provider well-being and reduce stress in individuals involved in resuscitation teams, which could then translate into better team communication and delivery of care under stress. A better understanding of this process could lead to more effective training approaches, improved team performance, and better patient outcomes. Intervention: All participants were instructed to use a mindfulness meditation device (Muse™ headband) at home for 7 min twice a day or 14 min daily over the 4-week traini...
Bapx1 upregulation is associated with ectopic mandibular cartilage development in amphibians.

The emergence of novel structures during evolution is crucial for creating variation among organisms, but the underlying processes which lead to the emergence of evolutionary novelties are poorly understood. The gnathostome jaw joint is such a novelty, and the incorporation of bapx1 expression into the intermediate first pharyngeal arch may have played a major role in the evolution of this joint. Knockdown experiments revealed that loss of bapx1 function leads to the loss of the jaw joint, because Meckel’s cartilage and the palatoquadrate fuse during development. We used Xenopus laevis and Ambystoma mexicanum to further investigate the function of bapx1 in amphibians. Bapx1 expression levels were upregulated through the use of Ly-294,002 and we investigated the potential consequences of the enhanced bapx1 expression in amphibians to test the hypothesized joint inducing function of bapx1. We show that Ly-294,002 upregulates bapx1 expression in vivo. Additionally, ectopic mandibular arch derived cartilages develop after Ly-294,002 treatment. These ectopic cartilages are dorsoventrally oriented rods situated lateral to the palatoquadrate. The development of these additional cartilages did not change the muscular arrangement of mandibular arch-derived muscles. Development of additional mandibular cartilages is not unusual in larval anurans. Therefore, changes in the bapx1 expression during evolution may have been the reason for the development of several additional cartilages in the larval anuran jaw. Furthermore, our observations imply a joint-promoting function of bapx1, which further substantiates its hypothetical role in the evolution of the gnathostome jaw joint.
Primate Populations, Conservation of

Primates are a prominent and essential component of the fauna of a very large part of the world's tropical forests. Owing to both ongoing threats (such as deforestation and hunting) as well as more generalized environmental changes that may be wrought by human activities in all habitats where primates live, the need for conservation action is now more critical than ever. Fortunately, thanks to several decades of growing environmental awareness and scientific research, supported by both governments and nongovernmental organizations, the necessary manpower and expertise to deal with these challenges is already available. All that is needed are the funds to deploy these resources and individuals appropriately.
Cancer Stem Cells: Biology, Perspectives and Therapeutic Implications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) biology has come of age. The CSC theory is currently central to the field of cancer research, because it is not only a matter of academic interest but also crucial for the cancer therapy and prevention. Most cancers comprise of a heterogenous population of CSCs with marked differences in their proliferative potential as well as the ability to reconstitute the tumor upon transplantation. CSCs share a variety of biological properties with normal somatic stem cells in terms of self-renewal, the expression of specific cell surface markers and the utilization of common signaling pathways. Perhaps the most important and useful characteristic of CSCs is that of self-renewal. Through these properties, striking parallels can be found between CSCs and stem cells: tumors may often originate from the transformation of normal stem cells. This review will have significant ramifications for the biological basis and the therapeutic implications of the stem cell. In addition, dysregulation of CSC self-renewal is a likely requirement for the development of human cancers. Understanding the properties of, and exploring self-renewal, cell surface markers and signaling pathways specific to CSCs of different cancers, will lead to progress in therapy, intervention, and improvement of the prognosis of patients. In the near future, the evaluation of CSCs may be a routine part of practical diagnostic pathology.
Nitrogen ligation to the manganese cluster of Photosystem II in the absence of the extrinsic proteins and as a function of pH.

Three extrinsic proteins (PsbO, PsbP and PsbQ), with apparent molecular weights of 33, 23 and 17 kDa, bind to the lumenal side of Photosystem II (PS II) and stabilize the manganese, calcium and chloride cofactors of the oxygen evolving complex (OEC). The effect of these proteins on the structure of the tetramanganese cluster, especially their possible involvement in manganese ligation, is investigated in this study by measuring the reported histidine-manganese coupling [Tang et al. (1994) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91: 704–708] of PS II membranes depleted of none, two or three of these proteins using ESEEM (electron spin echo envelope modulation) spectroscopy. The results show that neither of the three proteins influence the histidine ligation of manganese. From this, the conserved histidine of the 23 kDa protein can be ruled out as a manganese ligand. Whereas the 33 and 17 kDa proteins lack conserved histidines, the existence of a 33 kDa protein-derived carboxylate ligand has been posited; our results show no evidence for a change of the manganese co-ordination upon removal of this protein. Studies of the pH-dependence of the histidine–manganese coupling show that the histidine ligation is present in PS II centers showing the S2 multiline EPR signal in the pH-range 4.2–9.5.
Sparse model identification and learning for ultra-high-dimensional additive partially linear models

Abstract The additive partially linear model (APLM) combines the flexibility of nonparametric regression with the parsimony of regression models, and has been widely used as a popular tool in multivariate nonparametric regression to alleviate the “curse of dimensionality”. A natural question raised in practice is the choice of structure in the nonparametric part, i.e., whether the continuous covariates enter into the model in linear or nonparametric form. In this paper, we present a comprehensive framework for simultaneous sparse model identification and learning for ultra-high-dimensional APLMs where both the linear and nonparametric components are possibly larger than the sample size. We propose a fast and efficient two-stage procedure. In the first stage, we decompose the nonparametric functions into a linear part and a nonlinear part. The nonlinear functions are approximated by constant spline bases, and a triple penalization procedure is proposed to select nonzero components using adaptive group LASSO. In the second stage, we refit data with selected covariates using higher order polynomial splines, and apply spline-backfitted local-linear smoothing to obtain asymptotic normality for the estimators. The procedure is shown to be consistent for model structure identification. It can identify zero, linear, and nonlinear components correctly and efficiently. Inference can be made on both linear coefficients and nonparametric functions. We conduct simulation studies to evaluate the performance of the method and apply the proposed method to a dataset on the Shoot Apical Meristem (SAM) of maize genotypes for illustration.
A Qualitative Pilot Study of Spirituality in Long-term Recovery in Acquired Brain Injury:

Increased spirituality occurring after acquired brain injury is a part of post traumatic growth (PTG). Participants were asked about their spirituality, and their responses were analyzed. Eighty-one percent exhibited a moderate spiritual impact on their recovery. Studies suggest that patients' spiritual needs are not being met, and chaplains are being underutilized. Trust and a sense of presence are essential to encouraging PTG, and, by fully utilizing the skills of our chaplain colleagues, could improve PTG.
Informed consent, participation in research, and the Alzheimer's patient

Patients with Alzheimer's disease may want to participate in research on Alzheimer's disease, but their participation involves exceptional considerations. Plans should be made for determining these patients' cognitive capacity on a regular basis; for example, throughout a study, cognitive capacity may decline, making it necessary for a patient's pre-designated surrogate decision maker to become more involved. Patients with Alzheimer's disease may also choose to designate someone other than their primary caregiver to be their surrogate decision maker. This article discusses these and other core ethical issues.
Atomic simulation of carbon nanomaterials for energy application

Abstract We identify scale mismatch as the specific challenge in atomic modeling of carbon nanomaterials for energy applications. Carbon nanomaterials typically involve structural features in nanoscale customized for the application. Mechanical properties of nanomaterial reside in the comfort zone of classical force field modeling. However, the functional features of them in energy applications require quantum chemical approach to be investigated. Semiempirical (SE) quantum methods are suitable for the quantum chemical investigation of nanoscale materials. We discuss density-functional tight-binding method as a SE method with examples of carbon nanomaterials.
GaAs Digital Integrated Circuits

One of the most promising applications of GaAs technology is in ultrafast digital integrated circuits [1–206]. Gate delays as short as 15 ps for logic based on self-aligned GaAs MESFETs [124] at 300 K and of 11.6 ps at 300 K [200, 201] and 5.8 ps at 77 K [73] for logic based on modulation doped AlGaAs-GaAs transistors (also called HEMTs) have been achieved, making GaAs circuits the fastest solid state circuits. Circuits as complicated as 16 x 16 mutipliers [116,117], 1-kb RAMs [122, 123, 143, 172], 4-kb static RAMs [172, 173], 16-kb static RAMs, and gate arrays [126,127] have been built, and GaAs medium-scale integration (MSI) ICs have been fabricated with reasonable yields.
Computational modelling of multi-material energetic materials and systems

In this paper, we present a systematic roadmap for developing a robust and parallel multi-material reactive hydrodynamic solver that integrates historically stable algorithms with new and current m...
Evaluating the Impact of Freespira on Panic Disorder Patients' Health Outcomes and Healthcare Costs within the Allegheny Health Network.

Panic disorder (PD) is a debilitating condition that drives medical spending at least twice as high as medically matched controls. Excessive utilization of healthcare resources comes from emergency department (ED), medications, diagnostic testing, and physician visits. Freespira is an FDA-cleared digital therapeutic that treats PD and panic attacks (PA) by correcting underlying abnormal respiratory physiology. Efficacy of Freespira has been established in prior studies. This paper reports on a quality improvement program that investigated whether treating PD patients with Freespira would reduce medical costs and improve outcomes over 12-months. Panic symptoms were assessed using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS). Pre-and post-treatment insurance claims determined costs. At baseline, mean Clinician Global Impression (CGI-S) was 4.4 (moderately/markedly ill), mean PDSS was 14.4 and mean PA frequency/week was 2 (range 0–5). Immediately post-treatment (week 5) mean CGI-S, PDSS and weekly PA frequency declined to 2.8 (borderline/mildly ill, 4.9 (remission) and 0.2 (range 0–2) respectively, p < 0.001. 82% reported PDSS decrease of ≥ 40% (clinically significant), 86% were PA-free. One-year post treatment mean CGI-S, PDSS and PA remained low at 2.1, 4.4, and 0.3 (range 0–1) respectively. 91% had PDSS decrease of ≥ 40%, 73% were PA-free. The majority of patients were panic attack free and/or reduced their symptoms and avoidance behaviors 1-year post Freespira treatment. Mean overall medical costs were reduced by 35% from $548 to $358 PMPM (per member per month) or an annual reduction of $2280. at 12 months post-treatment. There was a 65% reduction in ED costs from $87 to $30 PMPM. Median pharmacy costs were reduced by 68% from $73 to $23 PMPM.
Discretized Modeling of Planar Pneumatic Continuum Manipulators

Soft Robots, robots that are constructed out of soft materials or using compliant actuation methods, can operate safely in complex environments without fear of damaging their surroundings or themselves. However, the soft materials and structures can be imprecise and difficult to control. We then developed a discretized constant-curvature model to predict the behavior of planar bending actuators, both under tip load and while pressurized internally. We experimentally verified this model under a range of configurations, using the model to perform open-loop inverse kinematics. These techniques represent a meaningful advancement in understanding and improving soft actuators, allowing them to move with speed and precision while resisting external forces.
Roles of dopamine and glutamate co‐release in the nucleus accumbens in mediating the actions of drugs of abuse

Projections of ventral tegmental area dopamine (DA) neurons to the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens have been increasingly implicated as integral to the behavioral and physiological changes involved in the development of substance use disorders (SUDs). Recently, many of these nucleus accumbens-projecting DA neurons were found to also release the neurotransmitter glutamate. This glutamate co-release from DA neurons is critical in mediating the effect of drugs of abuse on addiction-related behaviors. Potential mechanisms underlying the role(s) of dopamine/glutamate co-release in contributing to SUDs are unclear. Nevertheless, an important clue may relate to glutamate's ability to potentiate loading of DA into synaptic vesicles within terminals in the nucleus accumbens in response to drug-induced elevations in neuronal activity, enabling a more robust release of DA after stimulation. Here, we summarize how drugs of abuse, particularly cocaine, opioids, and alcohol, alter DA release in the nucleus accumbens medial shell, examine the potential role of DA/glutamate co-release in mediating these effects, and discuss future directions for further investigating these mechanisms.
Long-term outcomes of late deep brain stimulation in DYT1 dystonia (P4.8-002)

Objective: To determine whether primary dystonia patients with DYT1 mutation benefit from deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery even with 10 or more years between onset of symptoms and surgery. Background: Several factors have been postulated to be associated with response to DBS, including disease duration prior to surgery. Design/Methods: We performed a retrospective review of dystonia patients with GAG deletion in TOR1A, with greater than 10-year disease duration prior to DBS. Preliminary analysis identified nine individuals with information regarding pre and post-operative Burke-Fahn Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) motor score and medication. Six subjects were female. Average age at onset was 9.9 ± 3.0(7–17) years. Average age at DBS surgery was 41.3 ± 14.3(24–59) years; average duration between dystonia onset and surgery was 31.4 ± 14.6(14–52) years. All cases targeted bilateral internal pallidum (GPi-DBS). Results: Average pre-operative BFMMS was 35.9 ± 17.6(8–70.5). Average post-operative BFMMS was 16.1 ± 13.5(1.5–40.5). Average decrease was 19.8 ± 15.4(5–52.5), reflecting an average BFMMS percentage improvement of 59.0 ± 29.9(11.0–87.9). Post-operative BFMMS was performed at an average of 12 months from surgery. While BFMMS was not necessarily performed at date of last follow-up, sustained benefit was documented in eight cases. Mean length of follow-up was 4.1 ± 3(1–10) years. All cases had post-operative medication reduction; two stopped all dystonia medications. None had lead fracture or hardware malfunction; one had superficial infection. Conclusions: Our results in this relatively large cohort of DYT1 cases to undergo surgery in adulthood suggest that late presentation to DBS is still associated with significant improvement in motoric scores and medication reduction. Thus, even for DYT1 patients with late diagnosis or other rationale for DBS delay, DBS may still be an effective treatment modality. Further analysis of longer term outcomes is underway. Comparison with cases that underwent surgery within ten years of disease duration is also underway. Disclosure: Dr. Ooi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Miravite has nothing to disclose. Dr. Raymond has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ortega has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sarva has received research support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Insightec, Biogen, Intec Pharmaceuticals and Cornell. Dr. Panov has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tagliati has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Abbott, Medtronic. Dr. Alterman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kopell has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bressman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Saunders-Pullman has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Denali Therapeutics. Dr. Saunders-Pullman has received research support from Genzyme-Sanofi (Gaucher Generations Program).
A thermodynamically consistent gradient theory for diffusion-reaction-deformation in solids: Application to conversion-type electrodes

Abstract We develop a thermodynamically consistent phase-field finite strain theory for problems in solids mechanics that couple transport of species into a host material, sharp interface reactions of the species with the host, mechanical deformation and stress. The theory distinguishes between diffusion-limited and reaction-limited kinetics, resolving the manner in which a sharp reaction front can be developed in either case. The phase field formulation has the added benefit of enabling the application of wetting (surface energy) boundary conditions which are critical in reproducing experimentally relevant reaction front morphologies. The theory is fully coupled with diffusion and reaction phenomena impacting mechanical deformation and subsequent stress generation, and conversely these phenomena are coupled to mechanical stress. We derive thermodynamically consistent driving forces for diffusion and reaction through a continuum treatment of these phenomena. Importantly, the resulting formulation makes precise the nature of the material properties driving these thermodynamic forces and in turn makes it amenable to being specialized and calibrated for application. While the framework is quite general, we apply it to modeling conversion electrodes for energy storage using a three-dimensional finite element implementation. We demonstrate the manner in which the theory can be specialized and calibrated in straightforward fashion. Simulations are performed of chemical reactions of FeS 2 crystals with lithium and sodium ions, both of which proceed through the formation and propagation of a sharp interface, and are compared to experimental observations of the same system. Our simulations show good qualitative agreement with experimental observations, and elucidate the critical role mechanics plays in determining the morphology of the sharp reaction interface and subsequent stress generation which can lead to mechanical deterioration of these materials. Beyond this application, the theoretical framework should serve useful in a number of engineering problems of relevance in which diffusion and sharp interface reactions occur.
Occurrence of fatal police violence during pregnancy and hazard of preterm birth in California.

Background Exposure to fatal police violence may play a role in population-level inequities in risk for preterm delivery. Objective To evaluate whether exposure to fatal police violence during pregnancy affects the hazard of preterm delivery and whether associations differ by race/ethnicity and fetal sex. Methods We leveraged temporal variation in incidents of fatal police violence within census tracts to assess whether occurrence of fatal police violence in a person's tract during pregnancy was associated with increased hazard of extremely (20-27 weeks), early (28-31 weeks), moderate (32-33 weeks), and late (32-36 weeks) preterm delivery in California from 2007 to 2015. We used both death records and the Fatal Encounters database to identify incidents of fatal police violence. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) using time-varying Cox proportional hazard models stratified by census tract, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, health insurance type, parity, and the year and season of conception. We further stratified by race/ethnicity and infant sex to evaluate whether there were differential effects by these characteristics. Results Exposure to an incident of fatal police violence was associated with a small increase in the hazard of late preterm birth using both the death records (N = 376,029; hazard ratio [HR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00, 1.10) and the Fatal Encounters data (N = 938,814; HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.06). We also observed an association for moderate preterm birth in the Fatal Encounters data (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.98, 1.15). We did not observe associations for early or extremely preterm birth in either data source. Larger relative hazards of moderate (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.93, 1.68) and late preterm delivery (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05, 1.33) were observed among Black birth parents with female births in the Fatal Encounters data. Conclusions Preventing police use of lethal force may reduce preterm delivery in communities where such violence occurs.
Borg, Omega, and Kubernetes: Lessons learned from three container-management systems over a decade

Though widespread interest in software containers is a relatively recent phenomenon, at Google we have been managing Linux containers at scale for more than ten years and built three different container-management systems in that time. Each system was heavily influenced by its predecessors, even though they were developed for different reasons. This article describes the lessons we’ve learned from developing and operating them.
Reading Rorty in Tehran; or, What Happened When I Road-Tested Rorty’s Philosophy of Life Inside an Iranian Prison

In this essay I reflect on how Rorty’s ideas shaped my life experiences and choices over the last two decades. I am a social scientist by training not a philosopher. Yet Rorty’s writings had a profound impact on my ideas about meaning, freedom, and community. I explain how his ideas influenced my decision to leave academia to enter the world of politics in Iran. Imprisoned by the government for promoting human rights that Rorty supported, his philosophy of life failed me. I had to turn to other intellectual guardrails, in particular existential theology, to guide me out of the pit. But Rorty remains an interlocutor with whom I wrangle continuously about the meaning of private perfection and social justice in that vexed conversation in my head and heart.
Using Literature to Make Expansive Genders Visible for Pre-adolescent Readers

This article examines reader development as a key factor in understanding the pathways through which readers connect to gender expansive books, and relates those concepts to the corpus of books available for elementary level readers. The article provides evidence for the importance of attending to both book quantity and quality, as well as thoughtfully scaffolding the use of gender inclusive texts in rich classroom contexts, bringing new lenses of connections and disconnections, queering, and other ways of reading against the grain to reconsider mainstream titles. A qualitative study of gender expansive elementary school students engaging in a book group discussion using literature with gender expansive characters is presented. The study was aimed at understanding how children interact with books inclusive of gender diversity and how the visibility of gender creative and transgender characters is essential for reader empowerment, self-development, and acceptance of others.
Abstract P065: Odds Of Heart Disease And Arrhythmia Associated With Exposure Dose To Homelessness

Background: Adults experiencing homelessness are at 40-50% greater mortality risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than the general population, however little is understood about how the duration ...
The 1950s: The Quota System

Many barriers thwarted women’s acceptance into the medical profession in the 1950s and before; this chapter focuses on the empiric evidence for a quota system that was widespread but rarely acknowledged. It also seeks to understand why schools established to train men as physicians continued to admit small numbers of women each year, who these women were who did get admitted, and what the effect of legacy and financial influence might have been on their acceptance. The alternatives pursued by women keen to be trained as physicians are also examined. The chapter highlights the career trajectories, family lives, and the outstanding contributions made by a few of the women physicians during this decade.
Comparison of skeletal muscle ultrastructural changes between normal and blood flow-restricted resistance exercise: A case report.

NEW FINDINGS What is the main observation in this case? The main observation of this case report is that blood flow-restricted exercise can cause myofibrils to have an aberrant wave-like appearance that is accompanied by irregular pockets of sarcoplasm in the intermyofibrillar space, while traditional forms of damage to the Z-discs and contractile elements are not as apparent. What insights does it reveal? Our findings indicate that blood flow restriction-mediated fluid pooling might cause alterations in skeletal muscle ultrastructure after exercise that might be directly related to myofibre swelling. ABSTRACT The acute effects of blood flow-restricted (BFR) exercise training on skeletal muscle ultrastructure are poorly understood owing to inconsistent findings and the use of largely imprecise systemic markers for indications of muscle damage. The purpose of this study was to compare myofibrillar ultrastructure before and 30 min after normal and BFR resistance exercise using transmission electron microscopy in a single individual to evaluate the feasibility of this more nuanced approach. One apparently healthy male with 13 years of resistance exercise completed six sets of both BFR [30% of one-repetition maximum (1-RM)] and normal non-occluded (70% of 1-RM) unilateral angled leg press on the contralateral leg, as a control, after assessment of 1-RM 72 h before. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were collected before and 30 min after each exercise session. The lengths and widths of 250 sarcomeres and the sarcoplasmic area were assessed via 20 individual transmission electron photomicrographs. Analysis revealed that BFR training (1.769 ± 0.12 μm) increased sarcomere length when compared with normal exercise (1.64 ± 0.17 μm; P < 0.001), without differences in sarcomere width between conditions (BFR, 0.90 ± 0.26 μm; normal, 0.93 ± 0.27 μm; P = 0.172). Furthermore, there were no significant interaction (P = 0.168) or condition effects between BFR (25.98 ± 4.17%) and normal (27.3 ± 6.49%) resistance exercise for sarcoplasmic area (P = 0.229). Exercise also increased sarcoplasmic area within the myofibril (pre-exercise, 24.42 ± 5.13%; postexercise, 28.95 ± 5.92%) for both conditions (P = 0.001). This case study demonstrates a unique BFR training-induced alteration in myofibril ultrastructure that appeared wave like and was accompanied by intracellular abnormalities that appeared to be fluid pockets of sarcoplasm disrupting the surrounding myofibrils.
Identifying Student Misunderstandings About Singly Linked Lists in the C Programming Language

In computer science, learning abstract fundamental concepts requiring students to understand memory management can be very difficult and lead to misunderstandings that carryon into advanced topics. This is especially true in data structures with abstract data types. Understanding how novice students think and reason about data structures is important for improving teaching and learning in computer science. Most studies focus on student misunderstanding of advanced algorithms and data structures related to topics such as heaps, binary search trees, hash tables, dynamic programming, and recursion. Whereas, fewer studies focus on more elementary data structures, such as arrays and linked lists. Since linked lists serve as a bridge to understanding more advanced data structures, we believe that it is critical to identify students' conceptual and procedural misunderstandings earlier rather later. Therefore, directly after learning about linked lists using the C language, we conduct semi-structured, think-aloud interviews with 11 students to uncover their reasoning and misunderstandings about singly linked lists in C. Using rubrics to code responses to interview questions, we reveal students' confusion around the node containing a node pointer, failure to define a node structure, lack of knowledge regarding typecasting malloc, and lack of attention to the importance of NULL.
Transcriptome analysis of collagen VI-related muscular dystrophy muscle biopsies

Objective To define the transcriptomic changes responsible for the histologic alterations in skeletal muscle and their progression in collagen VI-related muscular dystrophy (COL6-RD). Methods COL6-RD patient muscle biopsies were stratified into three groups based on the overall level of pathologic severity considering degrees of fibrosis, muscle fiber atrophy, and fatty replacement of muscle tissue. Using microarray and RNA-Seq, we then performed global gene expression profiling on the same muscle biopsies and compared their transcriptome with age- and sex-matched controls. Results COL6-RD muscle biopsy transcriptomes as a group revealed prominent upregulation of muscle extracellular matrix component genes and the downregulation of skeletal muscle and mitochondrion-specific genes. Upregulation of the TGFβ pathway was the most conspicuous change across all biopsies and was fully evident even in the mildest/earliest histological group. There was no difference in the overall transcriptional signature between the different histologic groups but polyserial analysis identified relative changes along with COL6-RD histological severity. Interpretation Overall, our study establishes the prominent dysregulation of extracellular matrix genes, TGFβ signaling, and its downstream cellular pathways at the transcriptomic level in COL6-RD muscle.
Binding of steroids to P.testosteroniΔ5-3-ketosteroid isomerase: Measurement of the number of binding sites by equilibrium dialysis

Abstract The binding of progesterone, 17 β -estradiol and 19-nortestosterone acetate to the Δ 5 -3-ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas testosteroni has been investigated by the technique of equilibrium dialysis. Under the conditions used, all three steroids formed 2:1 complexes with each molecule of enzyme dimer (M.W. = 26,788). No evidence of any cooperative binding phenomena was obtained. The dissociation constants of the enzyme steroid complexes at 25°C were: progesterone, 2.2 μ M ; estradiol, 2.5 μ M ; 19-nortestosterone acetate, 9.2 μ M .
An empirical comparison of meta-analysis and mega-analysis of individual participant data for identifying gene-environment interactions

For analysis of the main effects of SNPs, meta-analysis of summary results from individual studies has been shown to provide comparable results as "mega-analysis" that jointly analyzes the pooled participant data from the available studies. This fact revolutionized the genetic analysis of complex traits through large GWAS consortia. Investigations of gene-environment (G×E) interactions are on the rise since they can potentially explain a part of the missing heritability and identify individuals at high risk for disease. However, for analysis of gene-environment interactions, it is not known whether these methods yield comparable results. In this empirical study, we report that the results from both methods were largely consistent for all four tests; the standard 1 degree of freedom (df) test of main effect only, the 1 df test of the main effect (in the presence of interaction effect), the 1 df test of the interaction effect, and the joint 2 df test of main and interaction effects. They provided similar effect size and standard error estimates, leading to comparable P-values. The genomic inflation factors and the number of SNPs with various thresholds were also comparable between the two approaches. Mega-analysis is not always feasible especially in very large and diverse consortia since pooling of raw data may be limited by the terms of the informed consent. Our study illustrates that meta-analysis can be an effective approach also for identifying interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first report investigating meta-versus mega-analyses for interactions.
Temperature Dependence of Ultrasonic Attenuation in the Mixed State of Pure Niobium

Experimental studies of the ultrasonic attenuation in the mixed state of intrinsic type II superconductors of moderate purity (Γ≃103) 1–3 showed that (∆α/α) 2 cc H c2 — H or T c — T, somewhat as predicted.4 Here ∆α/α = (αn - α)/αn is the normalized change in attenuation from the normal state. More recently Cerdiera,5 Houghton,5,6 and Maki6 (hereafter CHM) have published a greatly revised theory taking into account the change in the electronic distribution near the transition. In this development there is thought to be a “BCS” regime, as has been reported,1–3 where the distribution function is essentially BCS-like and the attenuation can be described by α s /αn = 2/(1 + e ∆/kT ) ∝ ∆(∆/kT ≪ 1), where ∆ = 1/2 represents the space-averaged gap parameter. In addition to the BCS regime, a region closer to the transition is considered where the electronic distribution function no longer vanishes, but is greatly reduced at the Fermi surface. This gives rise to the description of this domain as “gapless” superconductivity. In this case the interaction depends on the density of electrons at the Fermi level and becomes similar to that in a dirty type II superconductor where the probability of electron-phonon scattering during the passage of an electron through a filament of normal-state metal is thought to be much greater than the corresponding probability during passage through a superconducting zone. Hence, we can expect ∆α ∝ area normal state ∝ magnetization ∝ ∆2 very close to the superconducting transition. The theory of CHM finds the transport coefficients determining the attenuation to have a simple dependence on the parameter µ = 2π 1/2 (∆/k c v F ) 2 k c 1 at low temperatures. Here ∆ is the order parameter, v F the Fermi velocity, l the electronic mean free path, and \(K_{c}^{2}\) = 2πB/O 0 is the reciprocal lattice vector of the flux line lattice. For our sample normal-state data7 show l −1 \(\simeq \) \(l_{0}^{-1}\) + BT 3 , where 1 0 = 40 x 10-3 cm and B = 1.2 cm−1 °K −3. In the BCS regime (∆α/α)2 ∝ ∆2, while in the gapless regime ∆α/α ∝ µ ∝ ∆2. For temperature drifts through the transition we can expand for small excursions ∆2 ∝ T c — T
Stimulated emission of exciton polaritons in a semiconductor microcavity

We carried out experiments to prove the existence of large occupation numbers for microcavity polaritons. Two pump beams (from a coherent Ti:sapphire ring laser) at opposite and large angles (51") inject exciton populations at opposite in-plane momenta. Exciton-exciton collisions result in the creation of lower (LP) and upper (UP) cavity polaritons. Final state stimulation is induced by injecting LP by a probe beam (an external cavity semiconductor laser) at normal incidence. The emission from the sample is measured in the normal direction and is separated from the incident probe beam via a nonpolarizing beam splitter (55% transmission).
The Future of the LD Field Screening and Diagnosis

Respondents to the future survey expressed the view that improvements in screening and differential diagnosis are essential if the field is to make meaningful progress. Specific concern was cited about problems of definition and about the degree to which current assessment procedures and criteria produce false positives. For this article on the field's future, we asked Bob Algozzine and Jim Ysseldyke to review the history and current status of such practices and to share their views about subsequent directions. After reviewing the state of the art, they conclude that because LD screening and diagnostic activity are so flawed and limited, it is time to redirect resources toward corrective and preventive educational interventions. That is, they see no reason to believe current trends in screening and diagnosis will improve programs for individuals experiencing learning problems, and thus they recommend the resources used for screening, diagnosis, and classification be diverted to efforts to make all educati...
Malabsorption and defective utilization of iron in three siblings

Three siblings had iron deficiency anemia without evidence of reduced iron intake or gastrointestinal blood loss. They failed to respond to oral iron therapy, and malabsorption of oral medicinal iron was demonstrated in two of the children. All three had a partial but incomplete hematologic response to intramuscular iron dextran treatment. There was no evidence for other well-defined causes of hypochromic microcytic anemia or for a generalized disorder of intestinal absorption. These three patients appear to have a familial disorder characterized by impaired iron absorption and utilization, similar to that observed in the mk/mk mouse.
Usefulness of dobutamine stress echocardiography in detecting coronary artery disease in end-stage renal disease.

The cardiovascular evaluation of patients with endstage renal disease (ESRD) has been hampered by the suboptimal sensitivity and specificity of currently employed diagnostic tests. Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is a recently developed technique which is accurate for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in general populations. The purpose of this study was to assess its diagnostic accuracy and prognostic implications in patients with ESRD. Patients with ESRD (n = 97) underwent DSE as part of a preoperative evaluation before being listed for renal transplantation. Patients ware followed for 12±6 months (range 1 to 24) after the study. Rest and dobutamine stress echocardiograms were analyzed for regional and global function. Coronary angiography was performed in 30 patients, and 25 underwent renal transplantation in the follow-up period. DSE had a sensitivity of 95% (92% for 1-vessel, 100% for ≥2-vessel disease), specificity of 86%, and accuracy of 90% for the detection of CAD. During the follow-up period, 6 patients died; DSE revealed inducible ischemia in 4, and catheterization before death revealed multivessel CAD in 2. Conversely, a normal DSE identified a very low risk population, with a 97% probability of being free of cardiac complications or death during the follow-up period. We conclude that DSE accurately identifies CAD in patients with ESRD and identifies a cohort of patients at low risk for cardiac complications.
Group Psychotherapy for the Overtly Psychotic Inpatient

Overtly psychotic patients can be managed in a flexible psychotherapy group. Specific guidelines for admission to the group coupled with special consideration and techniques by the group therapists contributed to the success of one such group. The patients were part of an unusually accommodating and tolerant group experience, which became an opportunity for active therapeutic endeavors to help the patients overcome psychotic mechanisms.
Effect of exhaust plume/afterbody interaction on installed scramjet performance

Newly emerging aerospace technology points to the feasibility of sustained hypersonic flight. Designing a propulsion system capable of generating the necessary thrust is now the major obstacle. First-generation vehicles will be driven by air-breathing scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) engines. Because of engine size limitations, the exhaust gas leaving the nozzle will be highly underexpanded. Consequently, a significant amount of thrust and lift can be extracted by allowing the exhaust gases to expand along the underbody of the vehicle. Predicting how these forces influence overall vehicle thrust, lift, and moment is essential to a successful design. This work represents an important first step toward that objective. The UWIN code, an upwind, implicit Navier-Stokes computer program, has been applied to hypersonic exhaust plume/afterbody flow fields. The capability to solve entire vehicle geometries at hypersonic speeds, including an interacting exhaust plume, has been demonstrated for the first time. Comparison of the numerical results with available experimental data shows good agreement in all cases investigated. For moderately underexpanded jets, afterbody forces were found to vary linearly with the nozzle exit pressure, and increasing the exit pressure produced additional nose-down pitching moment. Coupling a species continuity equation to the UWIN code enabled calculations indicating that exhaust gases with low isentropic exponents (gamma) contribute larger afterbody forces than high-gamma exhaust gases. Moderately underexpanded jets, which remain attached to unswept afterbodies, underwent streamwise separation on upswept afterbodies. Highly underexpanded jets produced altogether different flow patterns, however. The highly underexpanded jet creates a strong plume shock, and the interaction of this shock with the afterbody was found to produce complicated patterns of crossflow separation. Finally, the effect of thrust vectoring on vehicle balance has been shown to alter dramatically the vehicle pitching moment.
Frictional heating in a unidirectional fibre-reinforced ceramic composite

Ceramic Composites Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, The University of Michigan, 2250 G. G. Brown Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125, USA Holmes and Shuler [1] recently found that significant internal heating occurs during the cyclic loading of fibre-reinforced ceramics. In their investigation, conducted with cross-ply carbon fibre/SiC matrix composites (hereafter referred to as Cf/SiC), it was observed that the extent of internal heating was strongly influenced by the peak fatigue stress and loading frequency. For example, during ambient- temperature fatigue between fixed stress limits of 250 and 10 MPa, the temperature rise measured at the specimen surface ranged from approximately 0.5 K at a sinusoidal loading frequency of 1 Hz to over 30 K at 85 Hz. For a fixed loading frequency of 75 Hz and minimum stress of 10 MPa, the tem- perature rise ranged from 0.8 K at a peak stress of 50 MPa to 28 K at a peak stress of 250 MPa. It was proposed that the temperature rise observed during cyclic loading was caused by the frictional sliding of fibres within the matrix [1]. Because of the signifi- cant mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients that exists between the fibres and matrix, C~/SiC compo- sites contain extensive processing-related matrix cracking [2]. Fatigue loading of these initially micro- cracked specimens would promote interfacial de- bonding; once debonding occurs, internal heating would occur by the repeated frictional sliding of fibres along the fibre-matrix interface. For a composite that is initially free of matrix cracking, and assuming a mechanism of internal heating involving the frictional slip of fibres within debonded zones, internal heating should begin when a stress level that is sufficient to initiate matrix cracking is reached (at lower stress levels internal heating should be absent). To provide experimental evidence for this mechanism of internal heating, the present investigation utilized a simpler unidirec- tional fibre-reinforced ceramic that was initially free of matrix cracking. As discussed below, a simple experiment which involved monitoring the specimen temperature, while sequentially increasing the peak fatigue stress until matrix cracking initiated, was used to investigate the relationship between matrix cracking and internal heating. A 16-ply unidirectional Nicalon fibre/calcium alu- minosilicate matrix composite (hereafter referred to as Nicalon/CAS-II) was chosen for this investigation (material processed by Corning Glass Works, Corn- ing, New York, USA). The composite, formed by hot-pressing, had a nominal fibre content of 35 vol %. Edge-loaded tensile specimens (see Fig. 1) with a 33 mm gauge length were machined from the 0261-8028/92 $03.00 + .12
Potential Problems with Peer Ratings

A study of the reactions of workers to evaluations by their peers found that negative peer rating feedback produced significantly lower perceived performance, cohesiveness, satisfaction, and peer r...