cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of Chlormadinone Acetate with the Ouabain Binding Site of Na+, K+-ATPase

Chlormadinone acetate, a hydroxyprogesterone derivative, reversibly inhibits both Na+,K+-ATPase activity and [3H]ouabain binding to the enzyme. Chlormadinone acetate substitutes for ouabain in "chasing" the label from the enzyme-[3H]ouabain complex. Chlormadinone acetate is a noncompetitive inhibitor of Na+,K+-ATPase with respect to ATP and is a competitive inhibitor with respect to potassium. The monovalent cation site which regulates ouabain binding to Na+,K+-ATPase (apparent KD for potassium = 1.4 mM) also regulates chlormadinone binding to Na+,K+-ATPase (apparent KD = 0.96 mM). The I50 values for chlormadinone acetate inhibition of Na+,K+-ATPase isolated from sheep kidney, cat heart, and guinea pig heart were 3,6, and 30 µM, respectively. Similar differences in species sensitivity have been found for ouabain and ouabagenin. These data suggest that chlormadinone acetate binds to the ouabain binding site of isolated Na+,K+-ATPase. Concentrations of chlormadinone acetate up to 30 µM can be obtained in unstirred solutions in glass vessels. However, the highest concentrations that could be obtained in muscle baths containing isolated strips of guinea pig left atria, or strips of cat atria and ventricle, aerated with 95% O2-5% CO2 were only 0.5-4 µM, and these concentrations did not prevent ouabain from binding to its receptor in intact muscles. Thus, it appears that chlormadinone acetate is not capable of modifying the pharmacological action of ouabain or of producing an inotropic action independently under these experimental conditions because of its limited solubility.
Current options in prosthetic vascular graft infection

Debate continues over which procedure is the best treatment for prosthetic graft infections. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records at our institution for all vascular graft infections that occurred from 1985 to 1995 to evaluate their occurrence, treatment, and outcome. Twenty-four patients had prosthetic graft infections. The average patient age was 62 years, and 67 per cent of the patients studied were men. The initial operation was for treatment of occlusive disease in 92 per cent of the patients, and aortofemoral bypasses were the most common procedures performed (15 of 24 patients, 63%). The average interval from graft implantation to presentation of infection was 29 months. In lower-extremity bypasses, the site of infection was most commonly in the groin (87%). Gram-positive organisms, including coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (32%) and Staphylococcus aureus (28%), were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Thirty procedures were performed for management of the graft infections. Extra-anatomic bypass was associated with no recurrent graft infections. Graft preservation was successful in two cases of early S. aureus infection (less than 1 year after original procedure), and in situ graft replacement was successful in all four cases of late-appearing coagulase-negative Staphylococcus infection (more than 1 year after original procedure). Both treatments failed in all five cases of Gram-negative infection (P = 0.008 by Fisher's exact test). The overall mortality and amputation rates were 17 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, without significant differences between the treatment modalities. Extra-anatomic bypass remains the best treatment for prosthetic graft infection. In situ replacement and graft preservation treatments should be selective and based on presentation of the infection and the type of pathogenic organism.
Inside the Local Union: Explaining Organisational Growth and Decline

The previous chapter proceeded on the assumption that to understand the union’s decision-making processes one needs first to comprehend the motivations, behaviour and perceptions of its leadership group, the militants. In order to comprehend fully the decision-making processes which help determine local union strategy, however, one must also examine the union’s organisational life. This is the purpose of this chapter: to understand the internal dynamics of local unions, especially how militants work together and determine strategy. Our ultimate goal is to account for the evolution of local unionism by identifying the factors that make for organisational growth and decline.
Soy-Protein-Based Nanofabrics for Highly Efficient and Multifunctional Air Filtration

Proteins are well-known by their numerous active functional groups along the polypeptide chain. The variety of functional groups of proteins provides a great potential for proteins to interact with airborne pollutants with varying surface properties. However, to our knowledge, a successful demonstration of this potential has not been reported before. In this work, soy protein, a type of abundant plant protein, has been employed for the first time to fabricate multifunctional air-filtration materials. To take advantage of the functional groups of soy protein for air filtration, the soy protein was first well denatured to unfold the polypeptide chains and then fabricated into nanofibers with the help of poly(vinyl alcohol). It was found that the resultant nanofabrics showed high filtration efficiency not only for airborne particulates with a broad range of size but also for various toxic gaseous chemicals (e.g., formaldehyde and carbon monoxide), a capability that has not been realized by conventional air-f...
Effects of Using Personal Genotype Data on Student Learning and Attitudes in a Pharmacogenomics Course

Objective. To evaluate the impact of personal genotyping and a novel educational approach on student attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs regarding pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine. Methods. Two online elective courses (pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine) were offered to student pharmacists at the University of Florida using a flipped-classroom, patient-centered teaching approach. In the pharmacogenomics course, students could be genotyped and apply results to patient cases. Results. Thirty-four and 19 student pharmacists completed the pharmacogenomics and genomic medicine courses, respectively, and 100% of eligible students (n=34) underwent genotyping. Student knowledge improved after the courses. Seventy-four percent (n=25) of students reported better understanding of pharmacogenomics based on having undergone genotyping. Conclusions. Completion of a novel pharmacogenomics elective course sequence that incorporated personal genotyping and genomic medicine was associated with increased student pharmacist knowledge and improved clinical confidence with pharmacogenomics.
Porous photonic crystal external cavity laser biosensor for drug screening

We report a photonic crystal (PC) biosensor that incorporates a porous TiO 2 film to boost sensitivity by enlarged surface area and enhanced interaction with the resonant electromagnetic fields. In the context of sensing small molecule interactions with proteins, the porous PC achieves 3.7x larger resonant wavelength shifts than an equivalent nonporous structure. Utilizing the porous PC as the wavelength selective element in an external cavity laser, the system provides narrow resonant linewidth via stimulated emission, and therefore establishes sub-picometer accuracy, representing a record high figure of merit for label free optical biosensors.
Neuropsychological Aspects of Prevention and Intervention for FASD: International Perspectives

Although governments around the world are increasingly recognizing the negative impact prenatal alcohol exposure can have on a child’s neurodevelopment, the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) remains highly concerning. Pediatric neuropsychologists have an important role in the prevention of and intervention with children with FASD given the neurocognitive, psychiatric, social, behavioral, and academic problems associated with the condition. This Special Issue reviews different countries’ responses to FASD including their prevention and intervention efforts as well as the role that pediatric neuropsychologists have in that country. This introduction discusses the issues that led to the creation of this Special Issue, describes each article, and summarizes common themes raised by contributing countries.
Lisfranc Fracture/Dislocation Treated with Primary Arthrodesis

Primary Lisfranc fracture/dislocation is a midfoot injury that results in disruption of the main plantar-stabilizing ligaments of the arch of the midfoot and may result in posttraumatic arthritis and deformity. It may be treated with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) and/or primary arthrodesis. Primary arthrodesis and ORIF have been shown to have similar clinical outcomes; however a lower reoperation rate may exist with the former. Obtaining an anatomic reduction, regardless of the method of fixation, is crucial to good clinical outcomes.
Protective role of neutrophils in respiratory paramyxovirus infection (VIR5P.1157)

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs or neutrophils) are the most abundant leukocyte in humans and essential for innate immune responses against invading pathogens. The role of these cells in respiratory viral infections still remains largely unknown. Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family and is a leading respiratory pathogen causing severe symptoms such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children, the elderly and immunocompromised patients. In this study, we investigate the role of neutrophils in hMPV infection using an experimental mouse model. Our results demonstrate that neutrophils predominate in the lungs of infected mice (>80%) during the acute phase of infection. In order to define the role of this robust response of neutrophils, we specifically depleted those cells using a monoclonal antibody. Our data indicate that neutrophil-depleted hMPV-infected mice exhibited significantly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, pulmonary inflammation than competent mice. Moreover, depleted mice showed a more severe clinical disease (as indicated by an enhanced body weight loss and clinical illness) than competent animals. Interestingly, the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection was regulated by the expression of the hMPV G (attachment) protein. These novel findings indicate that neutrophils are critically important for the control of hMPV-induced disease and further our knowledge on the role of PMNs in respiratory viral infections.
2.11 – Fundamentals of CT Reconstruction in 2D and 3D

Since its invention in the 1970s, x-ray CT imaging has been used ever increasingly to aid medical diagnosis and for nonmedical applications. In a typical x-ray CT scan, an x-ray source rotates around an object (i.e., a patient) and transmits x-rays through the object. Some of the x-ray photons pass through the object and are recorded by detectors on the other side. The raw measurements recorded by a CT scanner are nearly uninterpretable by humans, so sophisticated algorithms are needed to process those measurements to form cross-sectional or tomographic images suitable for human viewing. This processing is called image reconstruction, and such methods are designed using mathematical and physical models of x-ray CT scanners. This chapter describes the fundamentals of 2D and 3D image reconstruction algorithms. The emphasis is on x-ray CT imaging, though the general principles are also applicable to simplified versions of positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography, as well as some other imaging systems.
The Poster Child of the “Second” Cultural Revolution: Huang Shuai and Shifts in Age Consciousness, 1973–1979:

This article charts fluctuations in age consciousness during the waning years of China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and its immediate aftermath. It argues that between 1973 and 1979, a dramati...
Discordance of Self-report and Laboratory Measures of HIV Viral Load Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Chicago: Implications for Epidemiology, Care, and Prevention

Suppressing HIV viral load through daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) substantially reduces the risk of HIV transmission, however, the potential population impact of treatment as prevention (TasP) is mitigated due to challenges with sustained care engagement and ART adherence. For an undetectable viral load (VL) to inform decision making about transmission risk, individuals must be able to accurately classify their VL as detectable or undetectable. Participants were 205 HIV-infected young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and transgender women (TGW) from a large cohort study in the Chicago area. Analyses examined correspondence among self-reported undetectable VL, study-specific VL, and most recent medical record VL. Among HIV-positive YMSM/TGW, 54% had an undetectable VL (< 200 copies/mL) via study-specific laboratory testing. Concordance between self-report and medical record VL values was 80% and between self-report and study-specific laboratory testing was 73%; 34% of participants with a detectable study-specific VL self-reported an undetectable VL at last medical visit, and another 28% reported not knowing their VL status. Periods of lapsed viral suppression between medical visits may represent a particular risk for the TasP strategy among YMSM/TGW. Strategies for frequent viral load monitoring, that are not burdensome to patients, may be necessary to optimize TasP.
Four-octave range and five-star cuisine: Patti LaBelle in the kitchen and the gender politics of music merchandising

Since The French Chef’s debut in 1963, food television has used the kitchen to negotiate the parameters of contemporary female celebrity. For decades, many stand-and-stir hostesses were chefs and c...
Stag hunt contests and alliance formation

We consider a three-party game of conflict with potential alliance formation, introducing the concept of a stag hunt alliance and using the concept as a novel solution to the alliance formation puzzle in contests. In a stag hunt alliance, allied inputs interact as (multiplicative) complements in the contest success function, reflecting the idea that allied efforts are coordinated and targeted against non-allies. Allowing for asymmetry among conflicting parties, we find conditions for stable alliance formation and show that, in some circumstances, the formation of an alliance can improve the expected payoffs of both the allied and unallied parties relative to unallied conflict. At the same time, the expected payoffs of allied parties also can be greater than their payoffs under a three-party exogenous settlement division without conflict. Hence, the ability to form stag hunt alliances may not simply change conflict structures, but may sometimes generate conflict when settlements are possible. Our results depend on how allies divide the contest prize in the event of victory, and we consider both the case of exogenous division according to a pre-specified rule and endogenous division in a second-stage intra-alliance contest. We also show that the threat of the latter can be used to establish an intuitive exogenous rule by simple bargaining. Finally, we specify conditions that determine which parties choose to ally with one another.
Impact of High Performance and Integrity Requirements on Metropolitan Area Network’s Architecture and Technology

Considerable progress has been made on the development, implementation and definition of standards for Metropolitan area networks (MAN’s) service provision. Concepts have changed quite dramatically since inception and a number of unresolved aspects remain. Some of the background will be described, since they have had an influence on the performance characteristics.
Over a decade of practice: Are educators correctly using tertiary interventions?

AbstractThe purpose of the study was to understand current knowledge and implementation of a multitier system of support. The study focuses on tertiary interventions and uses input from teachers in...
What do concurrency developers ask about?: a large-scale study using stack overflow

Background Software developers are increasingly required to write concurrent code. However, most developers find concurrent programming difficult. To better help developers, it is imperative to understand their interest and difficulties in terms of concurrency topics they encounter often when writing concurrent code.Aims In this work, we conduct a large-scale study on the textual content of the entirety of Stack Overflow to understand the interests and difficulties of concurrency developers.Method First, we develop a set of concurrency tags to extract concurrency questions that developers ask. Second, we use latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling and an open card sort to manually determine the topics of these questions. Third, we construct a topic hierarchy by repeated grouping of similar topics into categories and lower level categories into higher level categories. Fourth, we investigate the coincidence of our concurrency topics with findings of previous work. Fifth, we measure the popularity and difficulty of our concurrency topics and analyze their correlation. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings.Results A few findings of our study are the following. (1) Developers ask questions about a broad spectrum of concurrency topics ranging from multithreading to parallel computing, mobile concurrency to web concurrency and memory consistency to run-time speedup. (2) These questions can be grouped into a hierarchy with eight major categories: concurrency models, programming paradigms, correctness, debugging, basic concepts, persistence, performance and GUI. (3) Developers ask more about correctness of their concurrent programs than performance. (4) Concurrency questions about thread safety and database management systems are among the most popular and the most difficult, respectively. (5) Difficulty and popularity of concurrency topics are negatively correlated.Conclusions The results of our study can not only help concurrency developers but also concurrency educators and researchers to better decide where to focus their efforts, by trading off one concurrency topic against another.
Use of Asynchronous Audio Feedback in Discussion Boards With Online RN-BSN Students.

BACKGROUND Learning management systems are offering more complex technological tools to educators than ever before. One of these tools gaining interest is embedding audio files in discussion boards so the student can hear verbal feedback from the instructor. This study explored the effect of embedding audio feedback in discussion boards with RN-BSN students. PURPOSE The purpose of this research was to examine the instructional methodology of text-only versus audio-only feedback in discussion boards and the subsequent impact on teaching presence and sense of community in the course room. METHODS A quasi-experimental posttest design with a comparison group was used to examine the impact of using audio-only compared with text-only feedback in discussion boards. RESULTS Multiple regression statistics consistently indicated that text-only feedback was preferred by online RN-BSN students in discussion boards over audio-only feedback. CONCLUSION Use of text-only feedback in online course discussion boards increases the perception of teaching presence and sense of community.
Communicative Competence, Classroom Interaction and Educational Equity: The Selected Works of Courtney B. Cazden

Communicative Competence, Classroom Interaction and Educational Equity is a collection of writings by educational ethno-linguist Courtney B. Cazden. The works are self-selected and are sometimes wi...
Rapid, label-free genetic detection of enteropathogens in stool without genetic isolation or amplification.

Abstract Current genetic detection methods require gene isolation, gene amplification and detection with a fluorescent-tagged probe. They typically require sophisticated equipment and expensive fluorescent probes, rendering them not widely available for rapid acute infection diagnoses at the point of care to ensure timely treatment of the diseases. Here we report a rapid genetic detection method that can detect the bacterial gene directly from patient stools using a piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) in conjunction with a continuous flow system with two temperature zones. With stools spiked with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in situ bacteria lysing and DNA denaturation occurred in the high-temperature zone whereas in situ specific detection of the denatured DNA by the PEPS occurred in the lower-temperature zone. The outcome was a rapid genetic detection method that directly detected bacterial genes from stool in
Does Two Venous Anastomoses Lead to Better Outcomes in Free Flap Reconstruction of the Head and Neck

Complex three-dimensional head and neck defects often require free tissue transfer for appropriate reconstruction after resection or trauma. Head and neck reconstruction requires key decision-making including appropriately selecting target vessels on the ipsilateral or contralateral side and the number of anastomoses to perform. Vascular thrombosis is a major complication of free flap surgery, with the largest problem being venous thrombosis. Literature support for multiple venous anastomoses is mixed. Some suggest that additional venous anastomoses lowers velocity through each vein increasing thrombosis risks, while others suggest that an additional anastomosis is protective and provides outflow when there is a thrombosis in single vein. Review of current published data including the meta-analyses and the physiologic studies suggests that performing two venous anastomoses may reduce the risk of flap failure and thrombotic complications compared to performing only a single venous anastomosis. While it is often sufficient to perform a single venous anastomosis, based on the included studies one should perform two venous anastomoses when technically feasible. However, this will have to be evaluated on a case by cases basis, as it is not always possible or prudent to perform two venous anastomoses. As a single venous anastomosis is sufficient the senior author routinely performs a single venous anastomosis unless the anatomy is favorable and a second anastomosis can be added in an expedient fashion.
Uniform arrays with low sidelobe two-way antenna patterns

The peak sidelobe level of a two-way array factor resulting from a uniform transmit and uniform receive apertures can be lowered by making the two apertures different sizes. The concept is demonstrated using uniform linear and uniform receive arrays with different number of elements and one array has a null in the direction of the first sidelobe of the other.
Microgrid Protection and Control Schemes for Seamless Transition to Island and Grid Synchronization

Microgrid transitions to islanded mode and grid synchronization can be designed either as seamless transitions or as a black-start. Secure and reliable seamless transition represents one of the most challenging engineering tasks during the microgrid design phase. Existing literature has several shortcomings - proposed microgrids are either ungrounded or not effectively grounded; DER transformer configurations are not properly implemented; communications within the microgrid do not reflect realistic time delays and there is very little discussion of the impact of relay protection settings on the proposed microgrid protection. This paper presents a new microgrid protection and control scheme that enables seamless islanding and grid synchronization using the point of common coupling (PCC) breaker relays, battery energy storage system (BESS) inverter controller and remote input/output mirror bits based communications approach (85RIO). All schemes have been implemented in the field within the electric utility’s microgrid installed on the 12.47kV distribution feeder. The results presented in this paper are based on approximately 9,000 islanding and grid synchronization transitions.
History of childhood sexual abuse and risk of prenatal and postpartum depression or depressive symptoms: an epidemiologic review

The objective of this review is to summarize the literature (and to the extent possible, report the magnitude and direction of the association) concerning history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and depression or depressive symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women. Publications were identified through literature searches of seven databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PyscINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, BIOSIS, and Science Direct) using keywords including “child abuse,” “depression,” “pregnancy,” “prenatal,” “pregnancy,” and “postpartum.” The literature search yielded seven eligible studies on the prenatal period and another seven studies on the postpartum period. All but one prenatal study observed statistically significant positive associations of CSA with depression or depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Findings on the association of CSA with postpartum depression or depressive symptoms were inconsistent; pooled unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were 1.82 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.92, 3.60) and 1.20 (95 % CI 0.81, 1.76). In sum, findings suggest a positive association of history of CSA with depression and depressive symptoms in the prenatal period. Findings on the postpartum period were inconsistent. Clinical and public health implications of evidence from the available literature are discussed, as are desirable study design characteristics of future research.
Cognitive outcomes after unruptured intracranial aneurysm treatment with endovascular coiling.

Background We aimed to determine the effects of endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) on cognition to inform treatment decisions. We present the first study using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to determine neurocognitive changes after endovascular coiling. Methods We prospectively collected data on all patients with UIAs undergoing endovascular coiling, primary or assisted. Patients completed the MoCA prior to intervention and 1 month and 6 months9 post-procedure. A repeated measures linear mixed effects model was used to compare pre-procedure and post-procedure cognition. Results Thirty-three patients with 33 aneurysms who underwent coiling from April 2017 to May 2020 were included (mean age 55.5, 81.8% female). All procedures used general anesthesia. There was no difference between baseline and post-procedure MoCA scores at any time interval (P>0.05). Mean MoCA scores at baseline, 1 month post-procedure, and 6 months9 post-procedure were 25.4, 26.8, and 26.3 respectively. There was also no difference between pre- and post-procedure scores on any individual MoCA domain (visuospatial, naming, memory, attention, language, abstraction, delayed recall, and orientation) at any time interval (P>0.05). Seventeen patients had follow-up MRI or CT imaging, of which 11.8% showed radiographic changes or ischemia. 77.8% of patients with 6-month angiographic follow-up achieved class I, and 22.2% achieved class II Raymond–Roy Occlusion. Thirty-two out of 33 patients had follow-up mRS ≤2. Conclusion Our study suggests that endovascular coiling does not diminish neurocognitive function. Patients with UIAs in our cohort also had baseline MoCA scores below the cut-off for mild cognitive impairment despite pre-procedure mRS and NIHSS of 0.
A meta-analytic test of multiplicative and additive models of job demands, resources, and stress.

Multiplicative and additive theoretical models have been proposed to explain how job demands and job resources (e.g., job control, social support) relate to strain. However, there has been mixed support for the multiplicative model, and there are questions about the generalizability of both models to strains varying in severity and type, and to different types of demands. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of regression coefficients testing the multiplicative and additive models from 77 unique samples and over 141,505 participants, using raw data or correlation matrices supplied by study authors. Overall, we found weak support for the multiplicative model and some support for the additive model. We found that job demands and job control/social support were all weakly to moderately related to employee strain. However, neither the job demands-control nor job demands-social support interactions were meaningfully related to strain in almost all cases. The components of the additive model were more strongly related to primary and tertiary strain indicators than secondary indicators and were more strongly related to psychological strain than to physical or behavioral strain. Both the additive and multiplicative models were more strongly related to strain when demands are conceptualized as hindrances rather than challenges. Meta-analyses of the simple slopes showed that job control and social support generally buffered the effects of job demands on strain, but the effects were weak and not significantly different across different levels of control and support. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Delayed and Severe Reactions to Baked Egg and Baked Milk Challenges.

Background Although many egg- and milk-allergic children tolerate baked egg (BE) and baked milk (BM), reactions elicited by these oral food challenges (OFCs) can be severe. Previous studies comparing BE and BM reactions to other OFC reactions are limited. Objective To compare the clinical features of reactions to BE and BM with other OFCs to promote challenge safety. Methods A retrospective review of OFCs eliciting objective reactions to BE, BM, lightly cooked egg (CE), fresh cow's milk (CM), peanut (PN), and tree nuts (TN) which were performed at a tertiary referral center from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2019. Results We identified 174 OFCs conducted in 158 subjects, age 6 to 187 months (34 BE, 19 BM, 14 CE, 25 CM, 52 PN, and 30 TN). TN reactors were older than BE (P = .049) and PN (P Conclusions BE and BM challenge reactions differed phenotypically from other OFC reactions, including significantly increased frequencies of new symptoms beginning 60 minutes or later after challenge termination. Consider amended dose-escalation and prolonged observation after BE and BM OFCs.
The Reciprocal Role of Trust in Customer Value Co-Creation

The main purpose of this research was to investigate the reciprocal nature of trust in a service provider, established through consumer involvement in value co-creation. Grounded in service-dominan...
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Time to Decannulation Among Children With Tracheostomies

ObjectiveTo determine if time to tracheostomy decannulation differs among children by socioeconomic status.Study DesignCase series with chart reviewSettingTertiary pediatric medical center.MethodsP...
Coupled Line Unit Cell for Independent Control of Even and Odd Mode Phase Delays

Coupled lines are essential to numerous microwave components such as directional couplers, filters, and phase shifters. In this paper, we propose a topology for a tunable coupled line unit cell. In the design, the even and odd mode phase delays can be tuned independently of one another while maintaining an impedance match for both modes. An analytical description of the coupled line unit cell is presented in addition to experimental results for a fabricated structure designed to operate in the X-band. Such a unit cell could be used to simultaneously control the coupling coefficient and transmission phase of a directional coupler in real time.
High-accuracy room temperature planar absolute radiometer based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

We have developed a planar absolute radiometer for room temperature (PARRoT) that will replace the legacy C-series calorimeter as the free-space continuous-wave laser power detector standard at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This instrument will lower the combined relative expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) from 0.84 % to 0.13 %. PARRoT’s performance was validated by comparing its response against a transfer standard silicon trap detector traceable to NIST’s primary standard laser optimized cryogenic radiometer (LOCR) and against the C-series calorimeter. On average, these comparisons agreed to better than 0.008 % and 0.05 %, respectively.
Evaluating Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Amongst Practicing Urologists: Analysis of the 2018 American Urological Association Census.

ABSTRACT Objective To describe factors associated with Quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) participation using 2018 American Urological Association Census data. QIPS have become increasingly important in medicine. However, studies about QIPS in urology suggest low levels of participation, with little known about factors predicting non-participation. Methods Results from 2339 census respondents were weighted to estimate 12,660 practicing urologists in the United States. Our primary outcome was participation in QIPS. Predictor variables included demographics, practice setting, rurality, fellowship training, QIPS domains in practice, years in practice, and non-clinical/clinical workload. Results QIPS participants and non-participants significantly differed in distributions of age (P = .0299), gender (P = .0013), practice setting (P Conclusion QIPS was associated with academic settings. Interventions to increase rates of quality and safety participation should target individual and system-level factors, respectively. Future work should discern barriers to QIPS engagement and its clinical benefits.
Tracking chromatin state changes using µMap photo-proximity labeling

Abstract Interactions between biomolecules, particularly proteins, underlie all cellular processes, and ultimately control cell fate. Perturbation of native interactions through mutation, changes in expression levels, or external stimuli leads to altered cellular physiology and can result in either disease or therapeutic effects.1,2 Mapping these interactions and determining how they respond to stimulus is the genesis of many drug development efforts, leading to new therapeutic targets and improvements in human health.1 However, in the complex environment of the nucleus it is challenging to determine protein-protein interactions due to low abundance, transient or multi-valent binding, and a lack of technologies that are able to interrogate these interactions without disrupting the protein binding surface under study.3 Chromatin remodelers, modifying enzymes, interactors, and transcription factors can all be redirected by subtle changes to the microenvironment, causing global changes in protein expression levels and subsequent physiology. Here, we describe the Chroma-μMap method for the traceless incorporation of Ir-photosensitizers into the nuclear microenvironment using engineered split inteins. These Ir-catalysts can activate diazirine warheads to form reactive carbenes within a ~10 nm radius, cross-linking with proteins within the immediate microenvironment for analysis via quantitative chemoproteomics.4 We demonstrate this concept on nine different nuclear proteins with varied function and in each case, elucidating their microenvironments. Additionally, we show that this short-range proximity labeling method can reveal the critical changes in interactomes in the presence of cancer-associated mutations, as well as treatment with small-molecule inhibitors. Chroma-μMap improves our fundamental understanding of nuclear protein-protein interactions, as well as the effects that small molecule therapeutics have on the local chromatin environment, and in doing so is expected to have a significant impact on the field of epigenetic drug discovery in both academia and industry.
Aliens and Englishness in Elizabethan Drama

Covering a wide variety of plays from 1550–1600, including Shakespeare's second tetralogy, this book explores moral, historical, and comic plays as contributions to Elizabethan debates on Anglo-foreign relations in England. The economic, social, religious, and political issues that arose from inter-British contact and Continental immigration into England are reinvented and rehearsed on the public stage. Kermode uncovers two broad 'alien stages' in the drama: distinctive but overlapping processes by which the alien was used to posit ideas and ideals of Englishness. Many studies of English national identity pit Englishness against the alien 'other' so that the native self and the alien settle into antithetical positions. In contrast, Aliens and Englishness reads a body of plays that represent Englishness as a state of ideological, invented superiority - paradoxically stable in its constant changeability, and brought into being by incorporating and eventually accepting, and even celebrating, rather than rejecting the alien.
Metabolism of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide in Human and Bovine Strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A marked difference was found to exist between the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) glycohydrolase activity of human strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as compared with bovine strains. Human strains had from 6- to 20-fold higher NAD glycohydrolase activity than bovine strains. This finding explains the accumulation of free nicotinic acid in the culture medium by human strains and not by bovine strains. The biosynthetic intermediates nicotinic acid mononucleotide and deamido-NAD were not degraded by either human or bovine strains of M. tuberculosis; hence these nucleotides do not represent a source of the nicotinic acid accumulated by the human strains.
Safety And Efficacy Of Fondaparinux For Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis After Acute Ischemic Stroke (P1.110)

OBJECTIVE:We hypothesized that fondaparinux is safe and efficacious for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis after acute ischemic stroke. BACKGROUND: Expert consensus guidelines recommend low dose unfractionated heparin, low molecular weight heparin or fondaparinux (Grade1B) for VTE prophylaxis in acutely ill medical patients. Fondaparinux is not recommended for VTE prophylaxis in acute ischemic stroke because of insufficient safety and efficacy data. DESIGN/METHODS: We reviewed a consecutive series of 716 patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving fondaparinux for VTE prophylaxis for 蠅48 hours during hospitalization (March 2009-October 2012). The primary outcomes were new observed symptomatic VTE events and hemorrhagic complications. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS:The mean age of the cohort was 68.7±14.2 years, median NIHSS score was 6 (IQR 2-13), mean duration of fondaparinux exposure was 5.6±4.3 days, 63.1% received intermittent pneumatic compression, 98.9% received antiplatelets, and 21.6% received anticoagulants. New symptomatic VTE events occurred in 9 (1.3%) patients; 6 (0.8%) had symptomatic deep venous thrombosis and 3 (0.4%) had pulmonary embolism of which one was fatal. New hemorrhagic complications occurred in 12 (1.7%) patients; 2 (0.3%) had intracranial hemorrhage, 7 (1.0%) had major extracranial hemorrhage and 3 (0.4%) had minor extracranial hemorrhage. Increased admission NIHSS score (p =0.004) was associated with VTE while duration of fondaparinux administration (p <0.001), previous history of atrial fibrillation (p =0.01) and prior stroke or TIA (p =0.04) were associated with hemorrhagic complications based on multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: VTE prophylaxis with fondaparinux for acute ischemic stroke was associated with low rates of major hemorrhagic complications and symptomatic VTE events during hospital admission. Fondaparinux may be considered safe and efficacious for VTE prophylaxis after acute ischemic stroke but requires prospective validation. Study Supported by:N/A Disclosure: Dr. Ramanathan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Malhotra has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hackett has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Quigley has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wright has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wong has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tayal has nothing to disclose.
Monolithic Integration of Nonlinear BA1‐xSRxTIO3 Thin Films with Affordable Silicon Substrates for Frequency Agile Microwave Device Applications

This study demonstrates that large area affordable silicon substrates can be utilized in phase shifter devices if a "microwave friendly passive buffer layer is sandwiched between the silicon substrate and the low loss active Ba 1-x Sr x TiO 3 (BST) based thin film. In this heterostructure configuration there will be negligible attenuation of the microwave energy by the substrate. In our approach, metalorganic solution deposition (MOSD) fabricated Ta 2 O 5 was employed as a buffer layer film to promote the integration of BST with affordable large area silicon substrates. In addition, the buffer layer material was designed to promote a tensile stress in the active thin film, such that the tunability of the BST-based coplanar device was enhanced to levels comparable to that of a varactor device design. The optimized Ta 2 O 5 based thin film possessed excellent material properties, namely, an enhanced dielectric constant (e r =45.6), low dielectric loss (tan δ=0.006), high film resistivity (p=10 12 Ω-cm at E=1 MV/cm), excellent temperature stability (TCK of 52 ppm/°C), and excellent bias stability of capacitance (-1.41% at 1 MV/cm). The integration of the BST/Ta 2 O 5 bilayer heterostructure on silicon substrates was demonstrated via a dual anneal process protocol. The defect free, structurally abrupt BST/Ta 2 O 5 and Ta 2 O 5 -silicon substrate interfaces; combined with the smooth, uniform and defect free surface morphology of the dual anneal fabricated heterostructure suggests this process protocol to be an excellent method for achieving successful monolithic integration of BST with affordable silicon substrates in a coplanar device design.
A Branch-and-Cut Strategy for the Manickam-Miklos-Singhi Conjecture

The Manickam-Miklos-Singhi Conjecture states that when n is at least 4k, every multiset of n real numbers with nonnegative total sum has at least (n-1 choose k-1) k-subsets with nonnegative sum. We develop a branch-and-cut strategy using a linear programming formulation to show that verifying the conjecture for fixed values of k is a finite problem. To improve our search, we develop a zero-error randomized propagation algorithm. Using implementations of these algorithms, we verify a stronger form of the conjecture for all k at most seven.
Purification and properties of cobamide-dependent ribonucleotide reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii.

Abstract A procedure has been described for the purification of ribonucleotide reductase from Lactobacillus leichmannii, a rich source of enzyme. The enzyme is monodisperse in the ultracentrifuge and on cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Only trace impurities appear on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, but this procedure, performed at pH 9.5, yields two major bands. This may reflect alteration of the enzyme by the conditions of electrophoresis. The sedimentation coefficient is 5.8 S, and the molecular weight calculated from sedimentation equilibrium analysis is approximately 110,000. The preferred substrates are ribonucleoside triphosphates. Purified enzyme requires 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolylcobamide coenzyme and dihydrolipoate or the thioredoxinthioredoxin reductase system from Escherichia coli B. The requirements for divalent cations and adenosine triphosphate vary, depending upon the presence of one another and the identity of the substrate. For example, in the absence of Mg++, the ATP requirement for cytidine triphosphate reduction is decreased, and, in the absence of ATP, Mg++ inhibits CTP, uridine triphosphate, and guanosine triphosphate reduction. It is concluded that divalent cations function in regulating the rates at which different substrates are reduced. Studies of the role of ATP in CTP reduction show that dATP can replace ATP. ATP and dATP both participate catalytically and decrease the apparent Km for CTP. Evidence is presented which suggests that ATP may be converted to dATP, which then serves as an allosteric effector for CTP reduction.
An Estimation of the Impact of GEAR and NEPAD on South Africa's Disaggregated Import Demand Function with Nigeria

This paper estimates South Africa’s disaggregated import demand function with Nigeria from 1992 to 2010 utilizing the bounds testing approach to co-integration and the unrestricted error-correction model. We further estimate South Africa’s short-run and long-run import elasticities. Our results indicate a long run co-integrated relationship among the variables. However, not all the long-run elasticities display theoretically expected signs; neither are they all significant. While consumption and exports affect imports positively, investment affects it negatively. Real foreign reserves and volatility yield expected signs, but contrary to theoretical expectations, relative price is positive and highly elastic. In the short run almost all the expected elasticity coefficient signs are met and they are all statistically significant. Our study further discloses that South Africa’s commitment to increasing intra-African trade through its GEAR and NEPAD policies applies negatively to Nigeria, contrary to our hypothesis. We argue that appropriate public policy at the regional level is necessary to effectively increase trade with Nigeria, given South Africa’s reliance on oil imports for which Nigeria is its largest supplier.
Ozonides and oxides of C60 and C70: A review

Abstract This paper presents a literature review of studies of ozonides and oxides of C60 and C70.
Energy straggling and radiation reaction for magnetic bremsstrahlung.

Using the method of quantum electrodynamics, the energy distribution of particles and emitted photons is calculated for the case when increases in the average energy of the photon emitted by synchrotron radiation to values appreciable compared to the energy of the particle give rise to particle energy straggling and radiation spectrum broadening. The classical radiative reaction effects which may be tested in this type of experiment are outlined, and a detailed quantum mechanical calculation is presented. The significance of energy straggling in astrophysics is discussed briefly.
Toward a unifying theory for aircraft handling qualities

A structural model of the human pilot that has been used to study a variety of problems in manual control tasks is applied to the study of aircraft handling qualities. A physical theory for handling qualities is reviewed and interpreted in terms of the model. The theory postulates that, in manual control tasks, rate-control activity on the part of the human is the sole determining factor in the generation of pilot opinion ratings. Using the structural model, rate-control activity is related to the power in a proprioceptive feedback signal proportional to vehicle output-rate due to control input. By appealing to single-axis tracking tasks, the model and theory are shown capable of demonstrating the manner in which three major determinants of aircraft handling qualities can effect pilot opinion ratings. A brief comparison with a handling qualities metric derived from the optimal control model is made.
Survey Response in the Long Run: The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

This article reviews the history and design of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), which has successfully followed a sample of more than 10,000 members of Wisconsin’s class of 1957 from high school graduation to the retirement years. It describes methods that have been used to locate the graduates in the 1964, 1975, 1992–1993, and 2003–2005 follow-up surveys and differentials in survey participation. Although typical response differentials by gender and education appear in the WLS, these are explainedby differentials in response by adolescent academic ability, academic performance, and social participation.