cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Symmetry control in subscale near-vacuum hohlraums

Controlling the symmetry of indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions remains a key challenge. Increasing the ratio of the hohlraum diameter to the capsule diameter (case-to-capsule ratio, or CCR) facilitates symmetry tuning. By varying the balance of energy between the inner and outer cones as well as the incident laser pulse length, we demonstrate the ability to tune from oblate, through round, to prolate at a CCR of 3.2 in near-vacuum hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility, developing empirical playbooks along the way for cone fraction sensitivity of various laser pulse epochs. Radiation-hydrodynamic simulations with enhanced inner beam propagation reproduce most experimental observables, including hot spot shape, for a majority of implosions. Specular reflections are used to diagnose the limits of inner beam propagation as a function of pulse length.
Impact of hospital volume on perioperative outcomes and costs of radical cystectomy: analysis of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database.

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of hospital case volume on perioperative outcomes and costs of radical cystectomy (RC) after controlling for differences in patient case mix. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database was queried for patients who underwent an open RC between 2000 and 2011. Patients were divided into tertiles based on hospital case volume. Groups were compared for differences in length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of total hospital stay, rate of in-hospital deaths and procedure-related costs. RESULTS In total, 1620 patients underwent a RC during the study period. Of these patients, 457 (28.2%) underwent surgery at 37 low volume centers, 465 (28.7%) at six mid volume centers and 698 (43.1%) at a single high volume center. The mean case volume of each group was 1.1, 7.0 and 63.5 RC/center/year, respectively. After controlling for marked differences in patient case mix, having surgery at the single high-volume center was independently associated with a decrease in length of ICU stay (coefficient = -0.41 days, 95% CI -0.78--0.05, p = 0.03), in-hospital mortality (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.04-0.80, p = 0.02) and total medical costs (coefficient = -2.91k USD, 95% CI -4.15--1.67, p < 0.001). Decreased total costs were driven by reductions in charges associated with the operating room, drugs, radiology tests, labs, supplies and physical/occupational therapy (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Undergoing RC at a high volume medical center was associated with improved outcomes and reduced costs. These data support the centralization of RC to high volume centers.
A survey of Qp spaces

The subject of Q p spaces has been developed only over the last three to four years, with the result that many of the basic papers dealing with it are just coming out. Our goal is to publicize some of the basic results in the subject, together with a variety of related ideas. It is not the purpose of this paper to announce previously unknown results, and everything mentioned here either has been published elsewhere, or will be shortly. No proofs are given. The list of references given at the end of the paper has deliberately been kept short, but substantial lists of further references can be found in any of the recent papers listed in the references given here. Thus, the casual reader may get some idea of what the basic ideas are and where they head, while the more serious reader can pursue the subject as completely as desired.
Middle and Anterior Compartment: Issues for the Colorectal Surgeon

Multi-compartment pelvic floor disorders are common and require a multi-disciplinary team approach to evaluation and management. It is imperative for specialists to recognize when consultation with the one another is indicated, as joint management may significantly improve patient outcomes. Pelvic floor surgeons must have a good grasp of pelvic floor anatomy and understand the relationships between pelvic organs and the connective tissue structures that support them. Evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse includes a thorough physical examination including the POP-Q exam, and urodynamics in many cases. There is no role for routine imaging in the evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse, with the exception of the diagnosis of some posterior compartment defects. Pelvic organ prolapse can occur in the anterior, apical, and posterior compartments and can be surgically repaired using either a transvaginal or transabdominal route. Transvaginal surgery includes cystocele repair, extraperitoneal or intraperitoneal colpopexy, and obliterative procedures. These can be performed at the time of transperineal rectal procedures performed by the colorectal surgeon. Transabdominal procedures can be performed via the open approach, but can also be done laparoscopically or robotically. Sacral colpopexy is a common abdominal procedure performed for apical vaginal prolapse, and the procedure can be performed concomitantly with ventral or other forms of rectopexy in patients with rectal prolapse or intussusception. Patients with a rectocele may or may not have associated defecatory dysfunction. The rectocele can be repaired either transvaginally or transanally and different indications exist for each procedure. The transvaginal approach is more common and seems to have better outcomes and is associated with less morbidity.
The Phosphate Minerals of Fairfield, Utah

(1970). The Phosphate Minerals of Fairfield, Utah. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 45, No. 11, pp. 667-674.
Decomposing J-function to Account for the Pore Structure Effect in Tight Gas Sandstones

The J-function predicts the capillary pressure of a formation by accounting for its transport properties such as permeability and porosity. The dependency of this dimensionless function on the pore structure is usually neglected because it is difficult to implement such dependency, and also because most clastic formations contain mainly one type of pore structure. In this paper, we decompose the J-function to account for the presence of two pore structures in tight gas sandstones that are interpreted from capillary pressure measurements. We determine the effective porosity, permeability, and wetting phase saturation of each pore structure for this purpose. The throats, and not the pores, are the most important parameter for this determination. We have tested our approach for three tight gas sandstones formations. Our study reveals that decomposing the J-function allows us to capture drainage data more accurately, so that there is a minimum scatter in the scaled results, unlike the traditional approach. This study can have major implications for understanding the transport properties of a formation in which different pore structures are interconnected.
A Dynamically Reconfigurable Ambipolar Black Phosphorus Memory Device.

Nonvolatile charge-trap memory plays an important role in many modern electronics technologies, from portable electronic systems to large-scale data centers. Conventional charge-trap memory devices typically work with fixed channel carrier polarity and device characteristics. However, many emerging applications in reconfigurable electronics and neuromorphic computing require dynamically tunable properties in their electronic device components that can lead to enhanced circuit versatility and system functionalities. Here, we demonstrate an ambipolar black phosphorus (BP) charge-trap memory device with dynamically reconfigurable and polarity-reversible memory behavior. This BP memory device shows versatile memory properties subject to electrostatic bias. Not only the programmed/erased state current ratio can be continuously tuned by the back-gate bias, but also the polarity of the carriers in the BP channel can be reversibly switched between electron- and hole-dominated conductions, resulting in the erased ...
Measuring text difficulty using parse-tree frequency

Text simplification often relies on dated, unproven readability formulas. As an alternative and motivated by the success of term familiarity, we test a complementary measure: grammar familiarity. Grammar familiarity is measured as the frequency of the 3rd level sentence parse tree and is useful for evaluating individual sentences. We created a database of 140K unique 3rd level parse structures by parsing and binning all 5.4M sentences in English Wikipedia. We then calculated the grammar frequencies across the corpus and created 11 frequency bins. We evaluate the measure with a user study and corpus analysis. For the user study, we selected 20 sentences randomly from each bin, controlling for sentence length and term frequency, and recruited 30 readers per sentence N = 6,600 on Amazon Mechanical Turk. We measured actual difficulty comprehension using a Cloze test, perceived difficulty using a 5-point Likert scale, and time taken. Sentences with more frequent grammatical structures, even with very different surface presentations, were easier to understand, perceived as easier, and took less time to read. Outcomes from readability formulas correlated with perceived but not with actual difficulty. Our corpus analysis shows how the metric can be used to understand grammar regularity in a broad range of corpora.
Thinking politics and fashion in 1960s Cuba: How not to judge a book by its cover

This article presents fashion as a mechanism of domination and political legitimacy, focusing on Soviet-type state socialist regimes. In particular, it documents some dynamics shaping the politics of fashion in the socio-political context of 1960s Cuba arguing that the consolidation of a radically new political order in the country was based, in part, on the production of denotative logistics that associated clothes with political values. The article concludes that denotative logistics are activated as mechanisms of impersonal rule in periods of political transition or regime change, such as after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. In those moments, they articulate processes of social engineering oriented toward producing a new society and a new man.
The Impact of Dose Rate on the Accuracy of Step-and-Shoot Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance Using Varian 2300CD.

Introduction: Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivery using “step-and-shoot” technique on Varian C-Series linear accelerator (linac) is influenced by the communication frequency between the multileaf collimator and linac controllers. Hence, the dose delivery accuracy is affected by the dose rate. Aim: Our aim was to quantify the impact of using two dose rates on plan quality assurance (QA). Materials and Methods: Twenty IMRT patients were selected for this study. The plan QA was measured at two different dose rates. A gamma analysis was performed, and the degree of plan modulation on the QA pass rate was also evaluated in terms of average monitor unit per segment (MU/segment) and the total number of segments. Results: The mean percentage gamma pass rate of 94.9% and 93.5% for 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min dose rate, respectively, was observed. There was a significant (P = 0.001) decrease in percentage gamma pass rate when the dose rate was increased from 300 MU/min to 600 MU/min. There was a weak, but significant association between the percentage pass rate at both dose rate and total number of segments. The total number of MU was significantly correlated to the total number of segments (r = 0.59). We found a positive correlation between the percentage pass rate and mean MU/segment, r = 0.52 and r = 0.57 for 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min, respectively. Conclusion: IMRT delivery using step-and-shoot technique on Varian 2300CD is impacted by the dose rate and the total amount of segments.
Not Just a Mothers’ Problem: The Consequences of Perceived Workplace Flexibility Bias for All Workers:

Flexibility bias and the “ideal worker” norm pose serious disadvantages for working mothers. But, are mothers the only ones harmed by these norms? We argue that these norms can be harmful for all workers, even “ideal” ones—men without caregiving responsibilities who have never used flexible work arrangements. We investigate how working in an environment where workers perceive flexibility bias affects their job attitudes and work-life spillover. Using representative survey data of U.S. workers, we find that perceived flexibility bias reduces job satisfaction and engagement and increases turnover intentions and work-life spillover for all types of workers, even ideal workers. The effects of perceived bias on satisfaction, turnover, and spillover operate beyond experiences with family responsibilities discrimination and having colleagues who are unsupportive of work-life balance. We show that workplace cultures that harbor flexibility bias—and, by extension, that valorize ideal work—may affect the entire wor...
Aiming Professional Ethics Courses Toward Identity Development

The many elements of professional ethics programs can be oriented by the goal of identity development situated within a teleological virtue ethics structure. This structure supports the integration of an individual’s values, acts, and goals and the framework (including ethical codes, laws, common practices, and the social good) of their profession. Professional ethics understood in this way extends beyond the normal focus on propositional and practical knowledge to include other important aspects of professional activity. The kinds of activities that are of particular interest in this analysis are those that fit under Alasdair MacIntyre’s concept of practice that take place within distinct moral spaces. By combining the idea of practice and distinct moral spaces, professional ethics can be expanded to draw awareness to characteristic virtues dominant in different ethical fields, offering critical distance and promoting agent self-awareness. One’s identity arises through answering what Charles Taylor called “qualitative questions,” used to define one’s self, which depends on what one has already done and what one aims to do, guided by what one holds to be significant. Thoughtful answers require mental deliberation and discourse; their articulation and the development of a coherent moral identity that combines personal and professional intentions, actions, and goals are closely correlated with exemplary professional behavior, according to research done by social psychologists. According to this argument, one’s unique identity is expressed in the imaginative composition of words, virtues developed, and practices to which they are applied, over the course of one’s life.
A Compression Algorithm Based on The Polarity of The Speech Signal

In this study, a compression algorithm is presented for speech signals. With this compression algorithm, signals are compressed around the positive and the negative peak values of the speech signal. This algorithm compresses a speech signal by removing reproducible portions of the signal while retaining reference signal portions that are enough to reproduce the original speech signal with a very small loss in quality. Obtained compression results are evaluated visually and using the signal to noise ratio (SNR) values. SNR value is calculated to be over 29dB for a 30% compression rate. Because the method is data-dependent, SNR values can vary at the same compression rate for the different signals. The zero crossings, pitch period, and the peak values of the original speech signals are preserved. Additionally, the proposed algorithm is very efficient and there is reduced processing overhead.
Instabilities in Evaporating Liquid Films

A viscous liquid layer placed on a heated plate can experience a variety of hydrodynamic instabilities due to the effects of local density and surface-tension variations and, for volatile layers, evaporation. If the plate is inclined and the liquid drains down, another family of instabilities can exist (even for isothermal layers) due to the effects of the mean flow. In this study, we consider extremely thin volatile layers, where the instabilities due to the evaporation and the mean flow are particularly important, and study the dynamics of the flow in the presence of these instabilities.
Murine Peyer's patches are capable of generating a cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response to nominal antigens.

The experiments described in this report were designed to determine whether murine Peyer’s patches are capable of generating a cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response to nominal (non-MHC encoded) antigens. To date, Kagnoff (1) is the only researcher who has been able to directly demonstrate CTL activity in Peyer’s patches. He demonstrated that a cytotoxic T cell response could be detected in Peyer’s patches from mice chronically fed tumor cells that were mismatched at the major histocompatibility locus. However, he was unable to demonstrate a similar response in Peyer’s patches when mice were chronically fed tumor cells bearing minor histocompatibility differences. While his study demonstrated that a CTL response could occur in Peyer’s patches, the generation of allospecific CTL’s, whose precursors are present at high frequency among normal T cells (2), may not be representative of the potential of Peyer’s patches to generate CTL activity directed to nominal antigens. We have utilized reovirus serotype 1 (reo 1) as a model nominal antigen to determine whether intraduodenally applied virus induces a detectable CTL response in murine Peyer’s patches.
29-P: FETAL BOVINE SERUM: THE PERFECT DILUENT

Aim Studies have revealed that dilution of human sera can release blocking mechanisms for HLA antibodies (Ab) when testing with Single Antigen Beads (SAB). These blocking mechanisms are not clearly defined, but they can inhibit binding of HLA Ab to purified antigen on the beads, giving a false negative result. Normal Human Serum (NHS) is commonly added to patient sera as a diluent. Use of NHS maintains the serum protein level of the diluted serum. However, the NHS can contain HLA Ab that may interfere with HLA Ab analysis. The purpose of this study was to determine if Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) could be substituted for NHS in the SAB assay. FBS was chosen as it’s a common supplement in other HLA assays with no adverse effects. Methods Sera were selected containing a wide range of HLA Ab specificities. 11 sera were tested in SAB HLA Ab assay (10 pos, 1 neg). All sera were pretreated with DTT. The sera were tested: neat, diluted 1:4 in NHS, and diluted 1:4 in FBS. Results The prescreened neg serum also tested negative both neat and diluted 1:4 in FBS. Low levels of HLA Class I (HLA Ab of moderate to high reactivity >5000 MFI), as detected in neat sera, were also detected in sera diluted in FBS or NHS. However, the HLA Ab activity in the diluted sera was not as strong due to dilution effect. The FBS was also tested for blocking properties by adding FBS to SAB and incubating for 30 minutes before adding patient serum to the assay. HLA Ab detected in patient sera were no different when using FBS-pretreated SAB or by routine protocol. Conclusions We have found, in parallel testing, that FBS is a superior diluent over NHS in the SAB HLA Ab assay. FBS maintains an adequate protein level without adding unwanted background, it does not inhibit binding of HLA antibodies to the beads, and allows for easily interpretable test results.
Self Measures and Achievement: Comparing a Traditional Review of Literature with a Meta-Analysis:

The question as to the relationship that exists between measures of self and performance/achievement has long been the focus of research endeavour. This study compares the conclusions drawn from a ...
Breathing into the Self

This allegorical window is the well-known injunction in airline travel to place the oxygen mask over one’s own mouth and nose before tending adjacent passengers, including impaired traveling companions and family members. I invite the reader to view the landscape of self-care as manifest in a teaching encounter in which we experienced a sudden threat to the integrity of our container and I failed to tend myself prior to tending the other, with undesirable consequences.
A Simulation Based Evaluation of Sample Size Methods for Biomarker Studies

Cancer researchers are often interested in identifying biomarkers that are indicative of poor outcomes (prognostic biomarkers) or response to specific therapies (predictive biomarkers). In designing a biomarker study, the first statistical issue encountered is the sample size requirement for adequate detection of a biomarker effect. In biomarker studies, the desired effect size is typically larger than those targeted in therapeutic trials and the biomarker prevalence is rarely near the optimal 50% . In this article, we review sample size formulas that are routinely used in designing therapeutic trials. We then conduct simulation studies to evaluate the performances of these methods when applied to biomarker studies. In particular, we examine the impact that deviations from certain statistical assumptions (i.e., biomarker positive prevalence and effect size) have on statistical power and type I error. Our simulation results indicate that when the true biomarker prevalence is close to 50% , all methods perform well in terms of power regardless of the magnitude of the targeted biomarker effect. However, when the biomarker positive prevalence rate deviates from 50% , the empirical power based on some existing methods may be substantially different from the nominal power, and this discrepancy becomes more profound for large biomarker effects. The type I error is maintained close to the 5% nominal level in all scenarios we investigate, although there is a slight inflation as the targeted effect size increases. Based on these results, we delineate the range of parameters within which the use of some sample size methods may be sufficiently robust.
Vitamin D and biomarkers of sex steroid hormones related to all-cause mortality

Background: In men, hypovitaminosis D as well as high and low testosterone levels have been linked to adverse events, including death. A biological interaction has been previously suggested between...
Evidence for heterogeneity in China's progress against pulmonary tuberculosis: uneven reductions in a major center of ongoing transmission, 2005-2017

China contributed 8.9% of all incident cases of tuberculosis globally in 2017, and understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in major transmission foci in the country is critical to ongoing efforts to improve population health. We estimated annual PTB notification rates and their spatiotemporal distributions in Sichuan province, a major center of ongoing transmission, from 2005 to 2017. Time series decomposition was used to obtain trend components from the monthly incidence rate time series. Spatiotemporal cluster analyses were conducted to detect spatiotemporal clusters of PTB at the county level. From 2005 to 2017, 976,873 cases of active PTB and 388,739 cases of smear-positive PTB were reported in Sichuan Province, China. During this period, the overall reported incidence rate of active PTB decreased steadily at a rate of decrease (3.77 cases per 100,000 per year, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.28–4.31) that was slightly faster than the national average rate of decrease (3.14 cases per 100,000 per year, 95% CI: 2.61–3.67). Although reported PTB incidence decreased significantly in most regions of the province, incidence was observed to be increasing in some counties with high HIV incidence and ethnic minority populations. Active and smear-positive PTB case reports exhibited seasonality, peaking in March and April, with apparent links to social dynamics and climatological factors. While PTB incidence rates decreased strikingly in the study area over the past decade, improvements have not been equally distributed. Additional surveillance and control efforts should be guided by the seasonal-trend and spatiotemporal cluster analyses presented here, focusing on areas with increasing incidence rates, and updated to reflect the latest information from real-time reporting.
Geomorphic Perspectives of Managing, Modifying, and Restoring a River with Prolonged Flooding: Kissimmee River, Florida, USA

The lower Kissimmee River in central peninsular Florida, southeastern USA, has been through multiple transformations. Historically, aquatic biota thrived in this lowland floodplain with multiple channels, sloughs, ponds, and inundated prairies that experienced prolonged flooding with overbank conditions for several months annually. The quest to drain land and reduce flooding inspired early modifications including some artificial cutoffs and dredging in the 1880s, and channelization of the lowermost 10.4 km of the river in the 1930s. More flooding resulted in a project, done largely in the 1960s, which altered the 1–4 m deep river into a straighter, 9 m deep canal known as C-38 with a much larger channel capacity and six dam-like control structures with locks that support navigation. While a success at reducing flooding, the project caused an immediate and drastic ecosystem response. Environmental and political efforts led to a restoration, which began in the late 1990s, has been progressing in phases and is due for completion by 2016 or thereabouts; it involves backfill of C-38 with dredge spoil from the original project, sending flow back through channels that had been stagnant for decades, creating new channels across backfilled C-38 known as connectors, recarving channels through spoil-filled portions of the floodplain, and removing two of the six control structures. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a geomorphic perspective of the management of this very distinctive river, manifest by the quest to modify through its different phases and transitions. Historic aerial photography, cross-sectional discharge measurements, and hydrologic data provide a basis for interpreting the flood regime and geomorphology of the system prior to drastic modification, and during channelization. The canal was much wider and deeper than the original main channel and low flows became much more prevalent. Some of the connectors had larger cross sections than the original channels, and field surveys showed that these had the most geomorphic adjustment. Sediment cores show thick accumulations of fines and organic sediments in the bottom of remnant channels that were inactive for decades and clean sand on the bottom of the channels where flow was restored. Geospatial data suggest that sand bars might be larger than historical predecessors. A comprehensive geomorphic overview of the system gives insights into how restored portions of the river are like and unlike the river prior to channelization and some challenges and unanswered questions regarding the hydrology, geomorphology, and sediments of a system in transition.
Stable Occupancy of the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus-Encoded Deubiquitinase Blocks Viral Infection.

ABSTRACT Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) infection can result in a severe hemorrhagic syndrome for which there are no antiviral interventions available to date. Certain RNA viruses, such as CCHFV, encode cysteine proteases of the ovarian tumor (OTU) family that antagonize interferon (IFN) production by deconjugating ubiquitin (Ub). The OTU of CCHFV, a negative-strand RNA virus, is dispensable for replication of the viral genome, despite being part of the large viral RNA polymerase. Here, we show that mutations that prevent binding of the OTU to cellular ubiquitin are required for the generation of recombinant CCHFV containing a mutated catalytic cysteine. Similarly, the high-affinity binding of a synthetic ubiquitin variant (UbV-CC4) to CCHFV OTU strongly inhibits viral growth. UbV-CC4 inhibits CCHFV infection even in the absence of intact IFN signaling, suggesting that its antiviral activity is not due to blocking the OTU’s immunosuppressive function. Instead, the prolonged occupancy of the OTU with UbV-CC4 directly targets viral replication by interfering with CCHFV RNA synthesis. Together, our data provide mechanistic details supporting the development of antivirals targeting viral OTUs. IMPORTANCE Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is an important human pathogen with a wide global distribution for which no therapeutic interventions are available. CCHFV encodes a cysteine protease belonging to the ovarian tumor (OTU) family which is involved in host immune suppression. Here we demonstrate that artificially prolonged binding of the OTU to a substrate inhibits virus infection. This provides novel insights into CCHFV OTU function during the viral replicative cycle and highlights the OTU as a potential antiviral target.
Dynamic Flow Scheduling in a Software-Defined Network Environment

Network traffic conditions and topology change constantly; however most current flow scheduling schemes either assign flows to paths statically, not taking into account dynamic topology or traffic changes, or rely on specific topological or traffic characteristics to work. This paper proposes a practical and generic method of flow scheduling, which works in any types of networks. In our solution, flow scheduling occurs not only when a connection begins, but also when triggered by changes in topology and time. Our flow scheduling algorithm uses a weighted rating system taking hop count, link load, and switch load into account, and can adapt to changes in the network topology. As a proof of concept, we implemented a prototype of our solution and integrated it into the Floodlight controller platform. Preliminary evaluation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our flow scheduling solution.
YWHA (14-3-3) protein isoforms and their interactions with CDC25B phosphatase in mouse oogenesis and oocyte maturation

Immature mammalian oocytes are held arrested at prophase I of meiosis by an inhibitory phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Release from this meiotic arrest and germinal vesicle breakdown is dependent on dephosphorylation of CDK1 by the protein, cell cycle division 25B (CDC25B). Evidence suggests that phosphorylated CDC25B is bound to YWHA (14-3-3) proteins in the cytoplasm of immature oocytes and is thus maintained in an inactive form. The importance of YWHA in meiosis demands additional studies. Messenger RNA for multiple isoforms of the YWHA protein family was detected in mouse oocytes and eggs. All seven mammalian YWHA isoforms previously reported to be expressed in mouse oocytes, were found to interact with CDC25B as evidenced by in situ proximity ligation assays. Interaction of YWHAH with CDC25B was indicated by Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy. Intracytoplasmic microinjection of oocytes with R18, a known, synthetic, non-isoform-specific, YWHA-blocking peptide promoted germinal vesicle breakdown. This suggests that inhibiting the interactions between YWHA proteins and their binding partners releases the oocyte from meiotic arrest. Microinjection of isoform-specific, translation-blocking morpholino oligonucleotides to knockdown or downregulate YWHA protein synthesis in oocytes suggested a role for a specific YWHA isoform in maintaining the meiotic arrest. More definitively however, and in contrast to the knockdown experiments, oocyte-specific and global deletion of two isoforms of YWHA, YWHAH (14-3-3 eta) or YWHAE (14-3-3 epsilon) indicated that the complete absence of either or both isoforms does not alter oocyte development and release from the meiotic prophase I arrest. Multiple isoforms of the YWHA protein are expressed in mouse oocytes and eggs and interact with the cell cycle protein CDC25B, but YWHAH and YWHAE isoforms are not essential for normal mouse oocyte maturation, fertilization and early embryonic development.
Sex dependent compensatory mechanisms to preserve blood pressure homeostasis in PGI2 receptor deficient mice

Inhibitors of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPges-1) are in the early phase of clinical development. Deletion of mPges-1 confers analgesia, restrains atherogenesis and fails to accelerate thrombogenesis, while suppressing prostaglandin (PG) E2, but increasing biosynthesis of prostacyclin (PGI2). In hyperlipidemic mice, this last effect represents the dominant mechanism by which mPges-1 deletion restrains thrombogenesis, while suppression of PGE2 accounts for its anti-atherogenic effect. However, the impact of mPges-1 depletion on blood pressure (BP) in this setting remains unknown. To address how differential effects on PGE2 and PGI2 might modulate salt-evoked BP responses in the absence of mPges-1, we generated mice lacking the I prostanoid (Ipr) receptor or mPges-1 on a hyperlipidemic background caused by deletion of the low density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr KOs). Here, mPges-1 depletion significantly increased the BP response to salt loading in male Ldlr KO mice, whereas, despite the direct vasodilator properties of PGI2, Ipr deletion suppressed it. Furthermore, combined deletion of the Ipr abrogated the exaggerated BP response in male mPges-1 KO mice. Suppression of PGE2 biosynthesis was enough to explain the exaggerated BP response to salt loading by either mPges-1/Ldlr depletion or by an MPGES-1 inhibitor in mice expressing human mPGES-1. However, the lack of a hypertensive response to salt in Ipr-deficient mice was attributable to reactive activation of the atrial natriuretic peptide pathway. Interestingly, these unexpected BP phenotypes were not observed in female mice fed a high salt diet. This is attributable to the protective effect of estrogen in Ldlr KO mice and in Ipr /Ldlr DKOs. Thus, estrogen compensates for a deficiency in PGI2 to maintain BP homeostasis in response to high salt in hyperlipidemic female mice. In males, by contrast, augmented formation of ANP plays a similar compensatory role, restraining hypertension and oxidant stress in the setting of Ipr depletion. Hyperlipidemic males on a high salt diet might be at risk of a hypertensive response to mPGES-1 inhibitors.
The Telomere Paradox: Stable Genome Preservation with Rapidly Evolving Proteins

Telomeres ensure chromosome length homeostasis and protection from catastrophic end-to-end chromosome fusions. All eukaryotes require this essential, strictly conserved telomere-dependent genome preservation. However, recent evolutionary analyses of mammals, plants, and flies report pervasive rapid evolution of telomere proteins. The causes of this paradoxical observation - that unconserved machinery underlies an essential, conserved function - remain enigmatic. Indeed, these fast-evolving telomere proteins bind, extend, and protect telomeric DNA, which itself evolves slowly in most systems. We hypothesize that the universally fast-evolving subtelomere - the telomere-adjacent, repetitive sequence - is a primary driver of the 'telomere paradox'. Under this model, radical sequence changes in the subtelomere perturb subtelomere-dependent, telomere functions. Compromised telomere function then spurs adaptation of telomere proteins to maintain telomere length homeostasis and protection. We propose an experimental framework that leverages both protein divergence and subtelomeric sequence divergence to test the hypothesis that subtelomere sequence evolution shapes recurrent innovation of telomere machinery.
The Yellow Flag: Quarantine and the British Mediterranean World, 1780–1860

Until the middle of the nineteenth century, quarantine laws in all Western European nations mandated the detention of every inbound trader, traveller, soldier, sailor, merchant, missionary, letter, and trade good arriving from the Ottoman Empire and North Africa. Most of these quarantines occurred in large, ominous fortresses in Mediterranean port cities. Alex Chase-Levenson examines Britain's engagement with this Mediterranean border regime from multiple angles. He explores how quarantine practice laid the foundations for the state provision of public health and constituted an early example of European integration. Situated at the intersection of political, cultural, diplomatic, and medical history, The Yellow Flag captures the texture of quarantine as an experience, its power as an administrative precedent, and its novelty as an example of a continental border built from the ground up by low-level bureaucrats.
Increasing fluoride content deteriorates rat bone mechanical properties.

Abstract Elevation of bone fluoride levels due to drinking beverages with high fluoride content or other means such as inhalation can result in skeletal fluorosis and lead to increased joint pain, skeletal deformities, and fracture. Because skeletal fluorosis alters bone's mineral composition, it is likely to affect bone's tissue-level mechanical properties with consequent effects on whole bone mechanical behavior. To investigate this, we determined whether incubation with in vitro sodium fluoride (NaF) altered bone's mechanical behavior at both the tissue- and whole bone-levels using cyclic reference point indentation (cRPI) and traditional 3-point bending, respectively. Forty-two ulnas from female adult rats (5–6 months) were randomly divided into 5 groups (vehicle, 0.05 M NaF, 0.25 M NaF, 0.75 M NaF, and 1.5 M NaF). Bones were washed in a detergent solution to remove organic barriers to ion exchange and incubated in respective treatment solutions (12 h, 23 °C). Cortical tissue mineral density (TMD) and geometry at the mid-diaphysis were determined by microCT. cRPI was performed on the distal diaphysis (9 N, 2 Hz, 10 cycles), and then bones were tested in 3-point bending to assess whole bone mechanical properties. The incubations in vehicle (0 M) up to 1.5 M in vitro NaF concentrations achieved bone fluoride levels ranging from approximately 0.70 to 15.8 ppm. NaF-incubated bones had significantly greater indentation distances, higher displacement-to-maximum force, and lower estimated elastic modulus, ultimate stress, and bending rigidity with increasing NaF concentration compared to vehicle-incubated bones. cRPI variables were moderately correlated to whole bone mechanical properties such that higher indentation distances were associated with lower estimated elastic modulus, ultimate stress, and bending rigidity. In conclusion, in vitro NaF incubation mostly has a deleterious effect on bone mechanical behavior with increasing NaF levels that is independent of bone turnover and reflected, in part, by less resistance of the tissue to cRPI-based indentation.
Subprime Refinancing: Equity Extraction and Mortgage Termination

This article examines the choice of borrowers to extract wealth from housing in the high-cost (subprime) segment of the mortgage market and assesses the prepayment and default performance of these cash-out refinance loans relative to the rate of refinance loans. Consistent with survey evidence, the propensity to extract equity is sensitive to the relative interest rates of other forms of consumer debt. After the loan is originated, our results indicate that cash-out refinances perform differently from non–cash-out refinances. For example, cash-outs are less likely to default or prepay, and the termination of cash-outs is more sensitive to changing interest rates and house prices.
Isolation of Histone from Sorghum Leaf Tissue for Top Down Mass Spectrometry Profiling of Potential Epigenetic Markers

Histones belong to a family of highly conserved proteins in eukaryotes. They pack DNA into nucleosomes as functional units of chromatin. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones, which are highly dynamic and can be added or removed by enzymes, play critical roles in regulating gene expression. In plants, epigenetic factors, including histone PTMs, are related to their adaptive responses to the environment. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic control can bring unprecedented opportunities for innovative bioengineering solutions. Herein, we describe a protocol to isolate the nuclei and purify histones from sorghum leaf tissue. The extracted histones can be analyzed in their intact forms by top-down mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with online reversed-phase (RP) liquid chromatography (LC). Combinations and stoichiometry of multiple PTMs on the same histone proteoform can be readily identified. In addition, histone tail clipping can be detected using the top-down LC-MS workflow, thus, yielding the global PTM profile of core histones (H4, H2A, H2B, H3). We have applied this protocol previously to profile histone PTMs from sorghum leaf tissue collected from a large-scale field study, aimed at identifying epigenetic markers of drought resistance. The protocol could potentially be adapted and optimized for chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq), or for studying histone PTMs in similar plants.
Developing an internship program to support nursing student transition to clinical setting.

Abstract Background The largest statewide hospital system collaborated with local nursing schools to provide a patient care internship program for nursing students. The goal was to create a pipeline of future nurses by equipping students for work in the clinical setting and promoting nurse retention. Purpose The purpose of this project was to determine the correlation between the student nurse internship program on the interns' NLCEX-RN pass rates, retention rates for the local hospitals, cost-savings, students' confidence, and program satisfaction. Method Nursing students (n = 25) were recruited from local nursing schools for unlicensed assistant personnel positions at the system hospitals. The program included a six-week intensive to educate nursing students as non-licensed staff members of hospital units, which continues as a mentored experience during the senior year of their baccalaureate program. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed. Results The program had a pass rate of 96% for NCLEX-RN on first attempt. Additionally, 82% of participants were retained at the hospitals. Hospitals saved $216,993. Students reported increased role satisfaction with the program. Conclusions Program results suggest benefits of supportive NCLEX-RN pass rates, nurse retention, and cost benefit. Findings can be used to support future program expansion and improve the experience of nursing students as they transition into professional practice.
A Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials Evaluating the Impact of Bivalirudin-based Anticoagulation for Primary Percutaneous Coronary on Long-Term Mortality.

ABSTRACT Bivalirudin and heparin are the principal anticoagulants used during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarctions. Based on previous meta-analyses, bivalirudin improves 30-day mortality rates compared with heparin, especially when vascular access is predominantly femoral. However, no meta-analysis has yet reported whether this mortality benefit with bivalirudin persists beyond 30 days. Scientific databases and websites were searched to find randomized controlled trials, and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated using random effect models. Data from 4 trials were analyzed. Compared with heparin ± glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, bivalirudin decreased all-cause mortality [RR, 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.69-0.94; P = 0.008], cardiac mortality (RR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.60-0.88; P = 0.001), and net adverse clinical events (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.97; P = 0.016) at 1 year. In conclusion, a bivalirudin-based anticoagulation strategy during primary percutaneous coronary intervention significantly decreases the 1-year risks for all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and net adverse clinical events compared with heparin ± glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor.
A Critical Examination of Cases Closed After Application for VR Services

In the Texas Combined (Blind and General) Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division, 15% of cases were closed after an application was taken, but before eligibility was determined during the September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019 time frame. This study was conducted to identify the primary reasons for these closures. Case services data and vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselor case notes were analyzed to determine if any substantive trends related to case closure after application were present and identify potential factors indicating a higher risk of case closure for those in application status. Further, the investigation found (a) errors in reporting codes by VR counselors, (b) individuals with intellectual and psychological disabilities being closed prematurely at higher rates than those with physical or other disabilities, and (c) a notable absence of communication from VR counselors informing applicants that their case was being closed. The findings from this study support the need for further assessment of why cases are closed after an application for VR services and indicate the need for VR staff training to clarify agency processes and participant engagement strategies to address and prevent premature closure of cases.
Student in the Seats, Teacher in the Streets: Evaluating the Impacts of Law Students Becoming “Street Law” Teachers

The need for public legal education is at an all-time high. From constitutional law issues raised by the recent presidential election to increased media coverage of police brutality, there are numerous examples of why it is crucial to teach practical law to non-lawyers. Street Law programs, administered by law students to teenagers, are a prominent type of public legal education. Despite the urgent importance of Street Law programs, there is limited research on their pedagogical effectiveness, or how they affect those who administer them. This project helps to close that gap through its multimethod research on the course instructors. In addition to completing this program evaluation, the project also (1) develops a theoretical framework that will enable law school administrators and scholars from a variety of disciplines to understand how law students are impacted by Street Law programs, and (2) lays the foundation for future assessments of Street Law and other public law education programs. The importance of understanding the impacts of these programs, which the results of this study show to be overwhelmingly positive, cannot be overstated because they have broad potential to affect law students’ transition to practice and society at large.
The hemodynamic effects of Roniacol

Abstract In recent literature, there have been few isolated reports on the vasodilator action of Roniacol. 1, 2 It has been suggested that the pharmacologic properties of this drug might produce an increase in the blood flow to the kidneys, heart, and extremities. The present study was undertaken in order to investigate the hemodynamic changes produced by this drug in human subjects, particularly in the pregnant woman. In previous papers 3–6 it was shown that the normal pregnant woman offers an excellent opportunity for studying autonomic blocking and vasodilating agents, due to her increased neurogenic vasoconstrictor tone. Roniacol is converted in the organism to nicotinic acid, but its vasodilating action is not well understood. Chemically it is B-pyridyl-carbinol which is the alcohol corresponding to nicotinic acid.
Orbit determination of low-altitude earth satellites using GPS RF Doppler

This paper investigates the use of one type of GPS-signal derived measurement, the doubly differenced GPS RF Doppler, in the orbit determination of low-altitude earth satellites. This measurement is simple to make, is insensitive to clock errors and provides a continuous determination of the user satellite orbit. Analysis shows that, with a constellation of 18 GPS satellites and 13 ground stations, the 1300 km altitude of a user satellite (TOPEX) can be determined to 5 cm in 2 hours of tracking. Examination is made of the effects of employing fewer ground stations, of different solution strategies, and of introducing fictitious thrust parameters to alleviate the geopotential modeling error which is one of the major error sources.