cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hydrogel biopolymer created from the self-assembly of a designed protein containing a four-helix bundle forming motif.

A protein hydrogel system based on the assembly of a four-helix bundle motif was proposed and synthesized by genetic engineering methods. This new polypeptide, named GBH1, consists of identical amphipathic helices of 22 residues in length oriented in opposite fashion to one another at each end of a polypeptide with a total length of 227 amino acids. The middle portion of the polypeptide (residues 79–147) is an unstructured random coil. The region between the amphipathic and unstructured segment is an α-helical stretch (23–78 and 148–204) not possessing a sequence compatible with a coiled-coil conformation, but rather possesses regions that have overwinding of the helix. The thermal unfolding of GBH1 shows more than one inflection point (Tm1 = 30.5 °C, Tm2 = 64.6 °C), indicative of a partially unfolded intermediate and, thus, multiple interactions in the folded state. A qualitative assessment of hydrogel formation with varying pH showed that acidic conditions did not support the gel state, indirectly indic...
The Performance of U.S. Wind and Solar Generators

Using data on hourly outputs and spot prices for a sample 25 wind and nine solar generating plants covering all seven U.S. ISOs for 2011 and up to 12 adjacent months, this study examines capacity factors, average output values, and several aspects of intermittency. Most performance measures studied vary substantially within and between ISOs, and some vary substantially over time. Implications for research, market design, and policies to support renewable generation are briefly discussed.
Numerical modeling of gas–liquid–solid interactions: Gas–liquid free surfaces interacting with deformable solids

Abstract A numerical framework to model and simulate gas–liquid–solid three-phase flows is proposed and implemented in this work. The overall algorithm adopts a non-boundary-fitted approach that avoids frequent mesh-updating procedures by defining independent meshes and explicit interfacial points to represent each phase. Here, we couple our existing solvers, the immersed finite element method (IFEM) and the connectivity-free front tracking (CFFT) method that model fluid–solid and gas–liquid interactions, respectively, for the three-phase models. A modified IFEM algorithm is derived for modeling fluid–solid interactions that accounts for the dynamics of the solid, while the CFFT is used here to simulate gas–liquid multi-fluid flows that uses explicit interfacial points to represent the gas–liquid interface and for its easy handling of interface topology changes. Instead of defining different levels simultaneously as used in level sets, an indicator function naturally couples the two methods together to represent and track each of the three phases. Several 2-D and 3-D testing cases are performed to show the robustness and capability of the coupled numerical framework in dealing with complex three-phase problems, in particular free surfaces interacting with deformable solids.
Addition of amine nucleophiles to diphosphorylalkynes. The chemistry of the derived enamines

Abstract Amine nucleophiles bearing at least one hydrogen substituent add across tetraethyl ethynyldiphosphonate to give enamine derivatives, one of which (derived from cyclohexylamine) has been evaluated as an imine anion precursor in alkylation and Wittig-Horner-Emmons types of reactions.
Actionable, Pathogenic Incidental Findings in 1,000 Participants’ Exomes

The incorporation of genomics into medicine is stimulating interest on the return of incidental findings (IFs) from exome and genome sequencing. However, no large-scale study has yet estimated the number of expected actionable findings per individual; therefore, we classified actionable pathogenic single-nucleotide variants in 500 European- and 500 African-descent participants randomly selected from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Exome Sequencing Project. The 1,000 individuals were screened for variants in 114 genes selected by an expert panel for their association with medically actionable genetic conditions possibly undiagnosed in adults. Among the 1,000 participants, 585 instances of 239 unique variants were identified as disease causing in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD). The primary literature supporting the variants' pathogenicity was reviewed. Of the identified IFs, only 16 unique autosomal-dominant variants in 17 individuals were assessed to be pathogenic or likely pathogenic, and one participant had two pathogenic variants for an autosomal-recessive disease. Furthermore, one pathogenic and four likely pathogenic variants not listed as disease causing in HGMD were identified. These data can provide an estimate of the frequency (∼3.4% for European descent and ∼1.2% for African descent) of the high-penetrance actionable pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in adults. The 23 participants with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were disproportionately of European (17) versus African (6) descent. The process of classifying these variants underscores the need for a more comprehensive and diverse centralized resource to provide curated information on pathogenicity for clinical use to minimize health disparities in genomic medicine.
Optical properties of inherently dissymmetric polyamides

A study of the optical rotatory dispersion (ORD), circular dichroism (CD), and ultraviolet spectra (UV) of polyamides derived from optically active biphenyl acid chlorides, and aromatic, and aliphatic diamines, was made. The optically active monomers were (–)-(S)-2,2′-dinitro-6,6′-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4′-dicarbonyl chloride and (–)-(S)-2,2′-dichloro-6,6′-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4′-dicarbonyl chloride. The diamines were o-, m-, and p-phenylenediamine, piperazine, trans-2,5-dimethylpiperazine, and 1,2-pyrazolidine. The ORD spectra of the o-phenylenediaminepolyamide taken in different solvents indicated the existence of some ordered structure in the least polar solvent. All other polyamides existed in a random coil conformation in the solvents employed.
The p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase as a central nervous system drug discovery target

Protein kinases are critical modulators of a variety of cellular signal transduction pathways, and abnormal phosphorylation events can be a cause or contributor to disease progression in a variety of disorders. This has led to the emergence of protein kinases as an important new class of drug targets for small molecule therapeutics. A serine/threonine protein kinase, p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), is an established therapeutic target for peripheral inflammatory disorders because of its critical role in regulation of proinflammatory cytokine production. There is increasing evidence that p38α MAPK is also an important regulator of proinflammatory cytokine levels in the central nervous system, raising the possibility that the kinase may be a drug discovery target for central nervous system disorders where cytokine overproduction contributes to disease progression. Development of bioavailable, central nervous system-penetrant p38α MAPK inhibitors provides the required foundation for drug discovery campaigns targeting p38α MAPK in neurodegenerative disorders.
Experimental study of the structure of isotropic turbulence with intermediate range of Reynolds number

The energetic isotropic turbulence generated by a waterfall of low head was found to be developed in part through the unstable two‐phase flow of entrained air bubbles. The resulting turbulent field had a turbulent Reynolds number of ≳2×104 and maintained a self‐similar structure throughout the decay period studied. The present study may provide some insight into the structure of turbulence produced by the breaking waves over the ocean.
Foreign Domestics: The Filipino 'Homefront' in World War II Hollywood

AbstractIn Hollywood film and media culture of World War II, the Philippines acted as a 'homefront' or a space of identification through the presence of an 'American way of life'. World War II Hollywood films set in the Philippines — Texas to Bataan (1942), Corregidor (1943), Bataan (1943), They Were Expendable (1945) and Back to Bataan (1945) — establish a dynamic of foreign domesticity by grafting domestic signifiers onto the foreign space of the Philippines and across Filipino bodies; particularly through the trope of US heroism as signified by General MacArthur, references to the Alamo and the genre of the Western, and domestic cultural objects and practices. These films served related purposes: they recruited a public into a foreign war, created a recognizable war zone 'homefront', and consolidated the image and ideology of control over the formerly 'insurgent' colony.
Stability Junction at a Common Mutation Site in the Collagenous Domain of the Mannose Binding Lectin

Missense mutations in the collagen triple-helix that replace one of the required Gly residues in the (Gly-Xaa-Yaa)(n)() repeating sequence have been implicated in various disorders. Although most hereditary collagen disorders are rare, a common occurrence of a Gly replacement mutation is found in the collagenous domain of mannose binding lectin (MBL). A Gly --> Asp mutation at position 54 in MBL is found at a frequency as high as 30% in certain populations and leads to increased susceptibility to infections. The structural and energetic consequences of this mutation are investigated by comparing a triple-helical peptide containing the N-terminal Gly-X-Y units of MBL with the homologous peptide containing the Gly to Asp replacement. The mutation leads to a loss of triple-helix content but only a small decrease in the stability of the triple-helix (DeltaT(m) approximately 2 degrees C) and no change in the calorimetric enthalpy. NMR studies on specifically labeled residues indicate the portion of the peptide C-terminal to residue 54 is in a highly ordered triple-helix in both peptides, while residues N-terminal to the mutation site have a weak triple-helical signal in the parent peptide and are completely disordered in the mutant peptide. These results suggest that the N-terminal triplet residues are contributing little to the stability of this peptide, a hypothesis confirmed by the stability and enthalpy of shorter peptides containing only the region C-terminal to the mutation site. The Gly to Asp replacement at position 54 in MBL occurs at the boundary of a highly stable triple-helix region and a very unstable sequence. The junctional position of this mutation minimizes its destabilizing effect, in contrast with the significant destabilization seen for Gly replacements in peptides modeling collagen diseases.
Surface plasmon resonance evaluation of colloidal silver aerogel filters

We have fabricated aerogels containing gold, silver, and platinum nanoparticles for gas catalysis applications. By applying the concept of an average or effective dielectric constant to the heterogeneous interlayer surrounding each particle, we extend the technique of immersion spectroscopy to porous or heterogeneous media. Specifically, we apply the predominant effective medium theories for the determination of the average fractional composition of each component in this inhomogeneous layer. Hence, the surface area of metal available for catalytic gas reaction is determined. The technique is satisfactory for statistically random metal particle distributions but needs further modification for aggregated or surfactant modified systems. Additionally, the kinetics suggest that collective particle interactions in coagulated clusters are perturbed during silica gelation resulting in a change in the aggregate geometry.
In vivo dysfunction of the term alveolar macrophage after in utero ethanol exposure.

Background: The effects of in utero alcohol exposure on the immune function of the newborn remain under investigation. Fetal ethanol (ETOH) exposure increases oxidative stress in the developing lung, in part due to decreased availability of the antioxidant glutathione (GSH). We have previously shown that in utero ETOH impairs alveolar macrophage phagocytosis and viability in the premature pup, while maintaining GSH availability with maternal supplementation of S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) during ETOH ingestion improves macrophage function and viability. We hypothesized that dysfunction of the neonatal alveolar macrophage exposed to ETOH in utero would persist at term gestation. Methods: Using a guinea-pig model of fetal ETOH exposure, timed-pregnant guinea-pigs were pair-fed ETOH±the GSH precursor SAM and the diet continued until spontaneous delivery. Term alveolar macrophages were evaluated using fluorescent microscopy for phagocytosis and apoptosis after in vitro incubation with Staphalococcus aureus. Using an in vivo model of intranasal Staph. aureus inoculation, the in vivo function of the term alveolar macrophage was also investigated using confocal fluorescent analysis. Results: In utero ETOH exposure increased oxidant stress in the alveolar macrophage and decreased phagocytosis and viability in vitro and in vivo. Confocal analysis of phagocytosis in vivo demonstrated a marked impairment of internalization of the bacteria by the ETOH-exposed alveolar macrophage. The addition of SAM during maternal ETOH ingestion prevented loss of alveolar macrophage function and viability in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: In utero ETOH exposure impairs alveolar macrophage function and viability in vitro and in vivo even at term gestation. The ETOH-induced changes in macrophage function and viability can be ablated with maternal SAM supplementation. Further investigations are required to identify the mechanisms of ETOH-induced derangement of phagocytosis in the neonatal alveolar macrophage and the clinical ramifications of altered immune function after in utero alcohol exposure for the newborn.
Quantum mechanical effects on double-gate MOSFET scaling

In this paper, an analytical quantum mechanical threshold voltage model is developed and verified to be accurate with 2D DESSIS numerical simulations. Quantisation effects on DG MOSFET scalability in a broader context of parameter variations are then examined.
Convergency and divergency as strategic elements in total synthesis: the total synthesis of (-)-drupacine and the formal total synthesis of (+/-)-cephalotaxine, (-)-cephalotaxine, and (+)-cephalotaxine.

A concise route toward the syntheses of (−)-drupacine and (+)- and (−)-cephalotaxine has been developed. The syntheses rely on Pd(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative heterocyclization chemistry, which was employed to rapidly construct an important spirocyclic amine intermediate. A dynamic β-elimination/conjugate addition process was strategically applied to complete the first asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-drupacine.
Diffraction of ballistic electrons by semiconductor gratings: Rigorous analysis, approximate analyses, and device design

A rigorous coupled-wave analysis is developed to model ballistic electron diffraction by semiconductor gratings with periodic effective mass and for potential energy variations. This analysis includes expressions for diffracted angles, evanescent and propagating orders, the Bragg condition, and diffraction efficiencies. Two approximate diffraction regimes, Bragg and Raman-Nath, are defined in which the rigorous coupled-wave equations (RCWEs) can be solved analytically, and the approximations required, the approximate solutions, and the restrictions placed on the grating parameters for each regime are given. It is shown that both the Bragg regime and the Raman-Nath regime are achievable with physically fabricated semiconductor grating structures. In addition, it is shown that both narrow and broad angular and energy selectivities can be achieved through control of the effective thickness of the grating. These results are used in the design of a two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) switch and a 2-DEG broadcast device. >
Sequence Analysis and Characterization of a Transferable Hybrid Plasmid Encoding Multidrug Resistance and Enabling Zoonotic Potential for Extraintestinal Escherichia coli

ColV plasmids of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) encode a variety of fitness and virulence factors and have long been associated with septicemia and avian colibacillosis. These plasmids are found significantly more often in ExPEC, including ExPEC associated with human neonatal meningitis and avian colibacillosis, than in commensal E. coli. Here we describe pAPEC-O103-ColBM, a hybrid RepFIIA/FIB plasmid harboring components of the ColV pathogenicity island and a multidrug resistance (MDR)-encoding island. This plasmid is mobilizable and confers the ability to cause septicemia in chickens, the ability to cause bacteremia resulting in meningitis in the rat model of human disease, and the ability to resist the killing effects of multiple antimicrobial agents and human serum. The results of a sequence analysis of this and other ColV plasmids supported previous findings which indicated that these plasmid types arose from a RepFIIA/FIB plasmid backbone on multiple occasions. Comparisons of pAPEC-O103-ColBM with other sequenced ColV and ColBM plasmids indicated that there is a core repertoire of virulence genes that might contribute to the ability of some ExPEC strains to cause high-level bacteremia and meningitis in a rat model. Examination of a neonatal meningitis E. coli (NMEC) population revealed that approximately 58% of the isolates examined harbored ColV-type plasmids and that 26% of these plasmids had genetic contents similar to that of pAPEC-O103-ColBM. The linkage of the ability to confer MDR and the ability contribute to multiple forms of human and animal disease on a single plasmid presents further challenges for preventing and treating ExPEC infections.
The generation of specific DNA primers using random amplified polymorphic DNA and its application to Verticillium dahliae

A DNA fragment apparently unique to Verticillium dahliae was found by comparing RAPD profiles of V. dahliae to those of other closely related fungi. RAPD analyses were performed on eight V. dahliae , six V. albo-atrum and three V. tricorpus isolates to identify DNA sequences specific to V. dahliae. RAPD primer E20 (AACGGTGACC) yielded a 567 bp band shared only by V. dahliae isolates. This band from isolate V14 was cloned and sequenced. No significant sequence similarity was found between this amplicon and any other nucleic acid sequence in the databases. Based on the sequence information, a pair of PCR primers, VDS1 (5′-CACATTCAGTTCAGGAGACGGA-3′) and VDS2 (5′-CCTTCTACTGGAGTATTTCGG-3′) was designed. PCR tests showed that VDS1 and VDS2 amplified the expected fragment of DNA from 62 V. dahliae isolates from diverse hosts and geographical origins, but not from any other sources of DNA tested, including DNA from the most closely related species, V. albo-atrum. Southern blot analysis showed that the PCR product specifically hybridized to V. dahliae genomic DNA. An internal control was constructed for competitive PCR and used to develop a detection and quantification assay for V. dahliae , for which the detection limit was determined.
End-to-end sequential consistency

Sequential consistency (SC) is arguably the most intuitive behavior for a shared-memory multithreaded program. It is widely accepted that language-level SC could significantly improve programmability of a multiprocessor system. However, efficiently supporting end-to-end SC remains a challenge as it requires that both compiler and hardware optimizations preserve SC semantics. While a recent study has shown that a compiler can preserve SC semantics for a small performance cost, an efficient and complexity-effective SC hardware remains elusive. Past hardware solutions relied on aggressive speculation techniques, which has not yet been realized in a practical implementation. This paper exploits the observation that hardware need not enforce any memory model constraints on accesses to thread-local and shared read-only locations. A processor can easily determine a large fraction of these safe accesses with assistance from static compiler analysis and the hardware memory management unit. We discuss a low-complexity hardware design that exploits this information to reduce the overhead in ensuring SC. Our design employs an additional unordered store buffer for fast-tracking thread-local stores and allowing later memory accesses to proceed without a memory ordering related stall. Our experimental study shows that the cost of guaranteeing end-to-end SC is only 6.2% on average when compared to a system with TSO hardware executing a stock compiler's output.
Proteins induced by high osmotic pressure in Escherichia coli

The protein composition of Escherichia coli grown under conditions of high and low osmotic pressure and following shifts from one condition to the other was examined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Upon shift to high osmotic pressure there is a rapid induction of a group of proteins whose synthesis persists during prolonged growth at elevated osmotic pressure. An osmotic down-shift results in the repression of these proteins. Neither shift induced the heat shock regulon.
Both a nicotinic single nucleotide polymorphism (snp) and a noradrenergic snp modulate working memory performance when attention is manipulated

We investigated the relation between the two systems of visuospatial attention and working memory by examining the effect of normal variation in cholinergic and noradrenergic genes on working memory performance under attentional manipulation. We previously reported that working memory for location was impaired following large location precues, indicating the scale of visuospatial attention has a role in forming the mental representation of the target. In one of the first studies to compare effects of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the same cognitive task, we investigated the neurotransmission systems underlying interactions between attention and memory. Based on our previous report that the CHRNA4 rs#1044396 C/T nicotinic receptor SNP affected visuospatial attention, but not working memory, and the DBH rs#1108580 G/A noradrenergic enzyme SNP affected working memory, but not attention, we predicted that both SNPs would modulate performance when the two systems interacted and working memory was manipulated by attention. We found the scale of visuospatial attention deployed around a target affected memory for location of that target. Memory performance was modulated by the two SNPs. CHRNA4 C/C homozygotes and DBH G allele carriers showed the best memory performance but also the greatest benefit of visuospatial attention on memory. Overall, however, the CHRNA4 SNP exerted a stronger effect than the DBH SNP on memory performance when visuospatial attention was manipulated. This evidence of an integrated cholinergic influence on working memory performance under attentional manipulation is consistent with the view that working memory and visuospatial attention are separate systems which can interact.
The Theoretical Relevance of Political Socialization

De la pertinence de l'etude de la socialisation politiqueLa socialisation politique consiste en des processus de developpement par lesquels on acquiert des orientations et des styles de comportement politiques. La recherche pour elaborer une theorie, desormais necessaire, de la socialisation politique manifeste quatre voies d'acces: (1) un interet non theorique, purement empirique, du processus de socialisation politique; (2) une theorie de l'allocation des valeurs; (3) une analyse de la stabilite ( « system-maintenance ») du systeme; (4) une theorie de la persistance (« system persistence ») du systeme.Les deux premiers points de vue ne presentent pas de justification theorique a l'etude de la socialisation politique. Il ne s'agirait que d'explorer les sources du comportement et des attitudes de l'adulte ainsi que d'evaluer l'influence de cet apprentissage pour le futur adulte. L'un et l'autre de ces points de vue ont tendance a ignorer que la socialisation peut avoir autant de signification pour le changement politique qu'elle en a pour le comportement usuel.Le principal inconvenient de la troisieme perspective ( « system-maintenance ») est qu'une recherche, d'abord preoccupee par le phenomene de stabilite, neglige toute une serie de consequences que la socialisation comporte pour la diversite, les conflits et le changement politiques.Une science visant a l'explication n'a pas a s'interesser a l'a propos du comportement. Elle ne cherche qu'a retracer les consequences pour le systeme des effets, quels qu'ils soient, que produit le processus de socialisation sur les membres de ce systeme. Le besoin se fait sentir d'une conception de la socialisation ou le changement ne serait pas interprete comme une incapacite pour le systeme de se perpetuer, mais bien plutot comme un facteur positif. Le changement, tout autant que la stabilite, doit s'integrer a cette conceptualisation.Le quatrieme point de vue montre la signification de l'influence des processus de socialisation sur le systeme, ce qui permettra d'elaborer une theorie politique de la socialisation politique. Cette perspective nous libere de toute preconception sur les effets que la socialisation politique devrait avoir ou sur les fonctions qu'elle devrait remplir.
Compromised mutant EFEMP1 secretion associated with macular dystrophy remedied by proteostasis network alteration

An Arg345Trp (R345W) mutation in epidermal growth factor–containing, fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1) causes its inefficient secretion and the macular dystrophy malattia leventinese/Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy (ML/DHRD). To understand the influence of the protein homeostasis (or proteostasis) network in rescuing mutant EFEMP1 misfolding and inefficient secretion linked to ML/DHRD, we developed a convenient and sensitive cell-based luminescence assay to monitor secretion versus intracellular accumulation. Fusing EFEMP1 to Gaussia luciferase faithfully recapitulates mutant EFEMP1 secretion defects observed previously using more cumbersome methodology. To understand what governs mutant intracellular retention, we generated a series of R345 mutants. These mutants revealed that aromatic residue substitutions (i.e., Trp, Tyr, and Phe) at position 345 cause significant EFEMP1 secretion deficiencies. These secretion defects appear to be caused, in part, by reduced native disulfide bonding in domain 6 harboring the 345 position. Finally, we demonstrate that mutant EFEMP1 secretion and proper disulfide formation are enhanced by adaptation of the cellular environment by a reduced growth temperature and/or translational attenuation. This study highlights the mechanisms underlying the inefficient secretion of R345W EFEMP1 and demonstrates that alteration of the proteostasis network may provide a strategy to alleviate or delay the onset of this macular dystrophy.
“I Would Want to Give My Child, Like, Everything in the World”: How Issues of Motherhood Influence Women Who Have Abortions

The majority of U.S. women who have abortions (61%) have children. This exploratory study analyzes qualitative information from 38 women obtaining abortions to examine how issues of motherhood influenced their decisions to terminate their pregnancies. Women in the sample had abortions because of the material responsibilities of motherhood, such as the care for their existing children, as well as the more abstract expectations of parenting, such as the desire to provide children with a good home. The women believed that children were entitled to a stable and loving family, financial security, and a high level of care and attention. One fourth of the women had considered adoption but regarded it as being emotionally distressing. The findings demonstrate reasons why women have abortions throughout their reproductive life spans and that their decisions to terminate pregnancies are often influenced by the desire to be a good parent.
The Wildcat Corpus of Native- and Foreign-Accented English: Communicative Efficiency across Conversational Dyads with Varying Language Alignment Profiles

This paper describes the development of the Wildcat Corpus of native- and foreign-accented English,a corpus containing scripted and spontaneous speech recordings from 24 native speakers of American English and 52 non-native speakers of English.The core element of this corpus is a set of spontaneous speech recordings, for which a new method of eliciting dialogue-based, laboratory-quality speech recordings was developed (the Diapix task). Dialogues between two native speakers of English, between two non-native speakers of English (with either shared or different LIs), and between one native and one non-native speaker of English are included and analyzed in terms of general measures of communicative efficiency.The overall finding was that pairs of native talkers were most efficient, followed by mixed native/non-native pairs and non-native pairs with shared LI. Non-native pairs with different LIs were least efficient.These results support the hypothesis that successful speech communication depends both on the alignment of talkers to the target language and on the alignment of talkers to one another in terms of native language background.
Resistance and resilience of a grassland ecosystem to climate extremes

Climate change forecasts of more frequent climate extremes suggest that such events will become increasingly important drivers of future ecosystem dynamics and function. Because the rarity and unpredictability of naturally occurring climate extremes limits assessment of their ecological impacts, we experimentally imposed extreme drought and a mid-summer heat wave over two years in a central U.S. grassland. While the ecosystem was resistant to heat waves, it was not resistant to extreme drought, which reduced aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) below the lowest level measured in this grassland in almost 30 years. This extreme reduction in ecosystem function was a consequence of reduced productivity of both C4 grasses and C3 forbs. However, the dominant forb was negatively impacted by the drought more than the dominant grass, and this led to a reordering of species abundances within the plant community. Although this change in community composition persisted post-drought, ANPP recovered completely t...
Sensitivity of the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life instrument to refractive surgery outcomes

Purpose To evaluate scores from the National Eye Institute Refractive Error Quality of Life instrument (NEI-RQL) relative to refractive surgery outcomes in myopic patients. Setting Large institutional ophthalmic practices. Methods Patients seeking refractive surgery (n = 59) self-administered the NEI-RQL before and 6 months after surgery; the comparison group of myopes and emmetropes (n = 72) not seeking refractive surgery also completed the NEI-RQL. Myopic patients seeking refractive surgery had bilateral, same-day laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) treatment. Regression analyses were conducted to compare survey scores in the LASIK treatment group before surgery with those in the myopic sample who were not seeking refractive surgery and to compare the survey scores in the post-LASIK treatment group (surgical emmetropes) to those in the naturally emmetropic group. Logistic regression was used to determine NEI-RQL subscales that were related to myopic patients seeking refractive surgery and myopic patients not seeking refractive surgery. Results Myopes seeking LASIK reported greater expectations for vision improvement (P Conclusion The NEI-RQL demonstrated vision-related quality-of-life differences when comparing patient samples associated with refractive surgery.
Non-Foster element, bandwidth enhanced, metamaterial-inspired electrically small antennas

Broad bandwidth metamaterial-inspired antennas have been designed and characterized numerically. Rather than introducing an external matching network that requires both resistance and reactance matching, our systems rely on internal non-Foster elements that are designed to vary the performance of their near-field resonant parasitic (NFRP) elements. Hence, by augmenting their narrow bandwidth counter-parts with internal non-Foster elements, the resulting electrically small antennas remain nearly completely matched to a 50 Ω source without any matching network and exhibit high radiation efficiencies over their FBW 10dB bandwidths. These instantaneous bandwidths are nearly two orders of magnitude larger than those provided by their passive counterparts.
Effects of Various Factors on Reproductive Efficiency

Abstract Records of 370 Holsteins and 223 Jerseys from four university herds were used to study the effects of various factors on the number of services per conception, days from first breeding to conception, and calving interval. Relationships between each of these measures of breeding efficiency and milk production were also estimated. There were differences among herds in breeding efficiency which for the Holstein data ranged from 1.66 to 2.54 services per conception, from 18.5 to 43.5 days from first breeding to conception, and from a 388 to a 419 day calving interval. Similar for the Jersey data were 1.71 to 2.24 services, 18.5 to 39.3 days, and 382 to 405 days. There were differences among years for all measures of breeding efficiency for the Jersey data only. Lactation number had an effect on days from first breeding to conception and on calving interval for the Holstein data. The herd-by-year interaction was significant for all measures of breeding efficiency for the Jersey data. Seasonal effects on breeding efficiency were not evident. There was some indication of a small antagonistic relationship between production and breeding efficiency.
The nursing home problem in Florida

The nursing home problem in Florida was characterized as a debate over quality of care and the rapid increase of lawsuits against nursing homes that led to a decline in the availability of affordable liability insurance. The staff for Florida's Task Force on Availability and Affordability of Long-Term Care analyzed lawsuit and quality-of-care data from one county in Florida and quality-of-care data statewide to understand the relationship between the two sides of the argument. Analyses showed support for both positions and a middle-ground policy position was achieved. The subsequent nursing home reform legislation and implications for the future of long-term care in Florida are discussed.
Thoracic endometriosis: a case report and literature review.

scans. Compared with pulmonary actinomycosis, the bacteriologic diagnosis is easily obtained by means of thoracocentesis in case of pleural involvement. However, diagnosis might be obscured by previous antibiotic therapy and a lack of anaerobic conditions for culture. At direct microbiologic examination, actinomycosis has to be suspected if gram-positive filamentous germs are discovered. An anaerobic enriched environment is needed for appropriate culture. Penicillin G still remains the drug of choice, and the mainstay of treatment is the administration of high-dose intravenous penicillin. Eighteen to 24 millions units of penicillin per day are given for 2 to 6 weeks, followed by oral penicillin V administration for another 6 to 12 months. The evolution should be monitored by use of plain radiographs or CT. In stage I empyema, indication for surgical intervention is uncommon, but the efficacy of antibiotic therapy depends on the onset of diagnosis. If the treatment is delayed, stage II and III empyemas can develop, and decortication is required. Chest-wall fistulization has to be resected during the intervention. A VATS approach is usually unrewarding because of the chronicity of empyema at the time of the operation. After the operation, penicillin administration is recommended.
Lightweight secure PUFs

To ensure security and robustness of the next generation of Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs), we have developed a new methodology for PUF design. Our approach employs integration of three key principles: (i) inclusion of multiple delay lines for creation of each response bit; (ii) transformations and combination of the challenge bits; and (iii) combination of the outputs from multiple delay lines; to create modular, easy to parameterize, secure and reliable PUF structures. Statistical analysis of the new structure and its comparison with existing PUFs indicates a significantly lower predictability, and higher resilience against circuit faults, reverse engineering and other security attacks.
Abstract 2436: Understanding the molecular mechanism of targeted kinase inhibitor resistance mediated by the FGFR1 gatekeeper mutation

Proceedings: AACR 106th Annual Meeting 2015; April 18-22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA Human fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) can serve as drivers of oncogenesis and are a target of several inhibitors in clinical trials. Unfortunately, resistance severely hampers the long-term success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), with mutations at the gatekeeper residue often serving as an early means of resistance to cancer therapy, resulting in tumor progression. Here we show the first crystal structures of the FGFR1 gatekeeper mutation, V561M FGFR1, and use kinetic and structural methods to explore the mechanisms of the catalytic activation we observe for this mutation. We show that while the FGFR1 gatekeeper mutation confers resistance to two inhibitors currently in clinical trials, the extent of change in efficacy differ, indicating two unique resistance profiles. We show that some affinity for one inhibitor is maintained by the V561M mutation due to a flexible linker that allows multiple binding conformations. This is the first example showing the same inhibitor binding in unique ways to the WT and gatekeeper mutant forms of FGFR, highlighting some regions of drug design flexibility both within the binding pocket and in the linker of the inhibitor. Identifying this flexibility in the context of the structural features of an active conformation of V561M FGFR1, the form most kinase inhibitors target, will provide critical insights for designing future inhibitors effective against the FGFR gatekeeper mutations. Citation Format: Christal D. Sohl, Molly Ryan, BeiBei Luo, Kathleen Frey, Karen S. Anderson. Understanding the molecular mechanism of targeted kinase inhibitor resistance mediated by the FGFR1 gatekeeper mutation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2436. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2436
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A Web-based Platform to Support Conceptual Teaching and Learning

Abstract The need for reform in nursing education has been clearly defined. The difficulty has been in finding ways to facilitate the process. This article describes an innovative web-based virtual community, The Neighborhood, used to promote conceptual learning across a new curriculum at the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. The Neighborhood features 30 fictional characters that represent various cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and demonstrate a range of health and psychosocial problems. These characters interact with various community agencies in numerous health care settings. The Neighborhood has strong links to three well-founded teaching strategies: storytelling, case-based learning, and interpretive pedagogy. Because the cases unfold over time, in much the same way problems develop in real life, ongoing exposure to a concept is permitted, facilitating deep understanding.
Hosting hackathons a tool in retaining students with beneficial side effects

Research into factors related to retaining students in computing and technology programs has shown that the students sense of community and their personal sense of identity to be factors that matter. To proactively address these issues students and faculty of a Midwestern university came up with the idea of hosting their own hackathon in 2010. In general a hackathon event involves the collaborative development of software projects in a concentrated time period. Having hosted five hackathons we have developed a body of knowledge through experience, which we hope will encourage other schools to hold their own hackathons. This paper describes the issues related to retention in computing and technology programs, some of the factors and decisions that have to be made in hosting a hackathon, and some of the side benefits that hackathons produce.
Aided Electrophysiology Using Direct Audio Input: Effects of Amplification and Absolute Signal Level.

Purpose This study investigated (a) the effect of amplification on cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) at different signal levels when signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) were equated between unaided and aided conditions, and (b) the effect of absolute signal level on aided CAEPs when SNR was held constant. Method CAEPs were recorded from 13 young adults with normal hearing. A 1000-Hz pure tone was presented in unaided and aided conditions with a linear analog hearing aid. Direct audio input was used, allowing recorded hearing aid noise floor to be added to unaided conditions to equate SNRs between conditions. An additional stimulus was created through scaling the noise floor to study the effect of signal level. Results Amplification resulted in delayed N1 and P2 peak latencies relative to the unaided condition. An effect of absolute signal level (when SNR was constant) was present for aided CAEP area measures, such that larger area measures were found at higher levels. Conclusion Results of this study ...
Prepurchase Behavior of Buyers of Small Electrical Appliances

American consumers purchase over $400 billion of goods and services each year; and numerous investigations of their purchasing behavior have concentrated on patterns of store visitations.This artic...
Domain Decomposition in POD-Galerkin Projection for Flows with Moving Boundary

In this paper, we extended the application of POD-Galerkin projection for model order reduction from usual fixed-domain problems to more general fluid-solid systems when moving boundary/interface is involved. The idea is similar to numerical simulation approaches using embedded force terms to represent boundary motion and domain change. The embedded boundary allows a globally defined fixed domain including both fluid and solid, where POD-Galerkin projection can be directly applied. However, such a modified approach will not get away with the unsteadiness of boundary terms which appear as time-dependent coefficients in the new Galerkin model. These coefficients need to be precomputed for prescribed periodic motion, or worse, to be computed at each time step for non-prescribed (e.g. with fluid-structure interaction) or non-periodic situation. Though the time cost of computing these unsteady coefficients is smaller, as the associated integration is only in the close neighborhood of moving boundaries, it is still much higher than typical Galerkin model with constant coefficients. The extra computational cost gets expensive in some cases and eventually undermines the value of using reduced-order models. The further study shows, however, that the most expensive integration resulted from the unsteady motion has almost negligible impact on the overall dynamics. Dropping these expensive terms reduces the computation cost by at least one order while no obvious effect on model accuracy is noticed. A more aggressive approach is to decompose the moving boundary/domain to orthogonal modes and derive another low-order model with fixed coefficients for boundary motion. With domain decomposition, we have two coupled low-order models both with fixed coefficients and therefore the combined model is fast. Though the model with domain decomposition is less accurate at the boundary, it seems a fair trade-off for its benefit on computational cost saving.
PHEROMONE-BASED AGGREGATION IN ORTHOTOMICUS CAELATUS (EICHHOFF) (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE)

Les rondins infestes artificiellement par des mâles de O. c. attirent les mâles et les femelles, alors que les rondins non infestes ou infestes par des femelles n'attirent pas O. c. L'ajout de femelles a des rondins portant deja des mâles ne diminue pas l'attractivite, la femelle ne produit donc pas de pheromone masquante. Le systeme pheromonal est identique a celui d'autres Ipini pour lesquels le mâle initie le forage de la galerie, produit un attractif qui attire les femelles et les mâles opportunistes
Alternating absorption features during attosecond-pulse propagation in a laser-controlled gaseous medium

Recording the transmitted spectrum of a weak attosecond pulse through a medium, while a strong femtosecond pulse copropagates at variable delay, probes the strong-field dynamics of atoms, molecules, and solids. Usually, the interpretation of these measurements is based on the assumption of a thin medium. Here, the propagation through a macroscopic medium of helium atoms in the region of fully allowed resonances is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The propagation has dramatic effects on the transient spectrum even at relatively low pressures (50 mbar) and short propagation lengths (1 mm). The absorption does not evolve monotonically with the product of propagation distance and pressure, but regions with characteristics of Lorentz line shapes and characteristics of Fano line shapes alternate. Criteria are deduced to estimate whether macroscopic effects can be neglected or not in a transient absorption experiment. Furthermore, the theory in the limit of single-atom response yields a general equation for Lorentz- and Fano-type line shapes at variable pulse delay.
Application of polymer composite material for radiation protection of infusion pumps

Certain cancer patients benefit from chemoradiotherapy that simultaneously applies radiation therapy and chemotherapy to targeted tissue. Infusion pumps administer the chemical agents for chemotherapy. Inadvertently during the treatment, radiation penetrating into the infusion pumps may damage the internal solid state, integrated circuit chips. Such defects may result in inaccurate dosing. Although the manuals for infusion pumps from the manufacturers warn against device use in radiological environments, the devices continue to be used during chemoradiotherapy. Proper shielding of the devices during exposure to radiation could minimize risk of device malfunction. Lead shielding has disadvantages of toxicity, weight, and bulkiness. In this study we have researched and tested potential non-lead composites for shielding. Micro particles of Bismuth (III) oxide (BO) were impregnated into two materials at various percent weights: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Polyurethane Elastomer (PU). PDMS/BO samples attenuated X-rays of 52 kVp at 4 mm thickness. PU/BO attenuated X-rays of 52kVp at 3 mm thickness. The addition of BO to industry plastics shows promise toward use as shield to reduce risk of X-ray induced defects for infusion pumps within diagnostic ranges of radiation (1-150kVp). More development and testing are necessary to explore the effectiveness of the material at therapeutic levels (>150kVp) and to expand the potential clinical applications.
Genetic determinism and the overprotection of human subjects

Advances in genetic research have raised questions about the protection of human subjects. The usual concern is whether existing protections are sufficient1, 2, but an escalation of protections can also create problems, as illustrated in the following example.
Significance of MRI Perivascular Spaces in MS

The role of perivascular Virchow-Robin spaces was investigated in 45 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 30 healthy controls, in a study at Charite-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, and Goethe University, Frankfurt.