cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subcellular Ca2+ signaling in the heart: the role of ryanodine receptor sensitivity.

Local Ca2+ signaling in the heart enables the triggering and regulation of the time-dependent changes of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) to be flexibly modulated with a high degree of stability and safety. The elementary physiological and pathophysiological components of subcellular Ca2+ signaling are regulated through a process of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR), not by store overload–induced Ca2+ release (SOICR). The central element of CICR regulation is the sensitivity of the SR Ca2+ release channel, the RYR type 2 (RYR2), to [Ca2+]i. Here, in terms of past discoveries and future work, we discuss how RYR2 sensitivity to [Ca2+]i is influenced by key factors, including SR luminal Ca2+ ([Ca2+]SR), RYR2 phosphorylation, mutations in RYR2 and its interacting proteins, as well as cellular stretch. Finally, we explore the pathophysiological consequences of dysfunctional tuning of these regulatory factors in the context of dystrophic cardiomyopathy.
A distance-dependent atomic knowledge-based potential for improved protein structure selection

A heavy atom distance-dependent knowledge-based pairwise potential has been developed. This statistical potential is first evaluated and optimized with the native structure z-scores from gapless threading. The potential is then used to recognize the native and near-native structures from both published decoy test sets, as well as decoys obtained from our group's protein structure prediction program. In the gapless threading test, there is an average z-score improvement of 4 units in the optimized atomic potential over the residue-based quasichemical potential. Examination of the z-scores for individual pairwise distance shells indicates that the specificity for the native protein structure is greatest at pairwise distances of 3.5-6.5 A, i.e., in the first solvation shell. On applying the current atomic potential to test sets obtained from the web, composed of native protein and decoy structures, the current generation of the potential performs better than residue-based potentials as well as the other published atomic potentials in the task of selecting native and near-native structures. This newly developed potential is also applied to structures of varying quality generated by our group's protein structure prediction program. The current atomic potential tends to pick lower RMSD structures than do residue-based contact potentials. In particular, this atomic pairwise interaction potential has better selectivity especially for near-native structures. As such, it can be used to select near-native folds generated by structure prediction algorithms as well as for protein structure refinement.
Crystal structure of ferric-yersiniabactin, a virulence factor of Yersinia pestis.

Yersiniabactin (Ybt), the siderophore produced by Yersinia pestis, has been crystallized successfully in the ferric complex form and the crystal structure has been determined. The crystals are orthorhombic with a space group of P212121 and four distinct molecules per unit cell with cell dimensions of a = 11.3271(±0.0003) A ˚ , b = 22.3556(±0.0006) A ˚ , and c = 39.8991(±0.0011) A ˚ . The crystal structure of ferric Ybt shows that the ferric ion is coordinated as a 1:1 complex by three nitrogen electron pairs and three negatively charged oxygen atoms with a distorted octahedral coordination. The molecule displays a D absolute configuration with chiral centers at N2, C9, C10, C12, C13, and C19 in R, R, R, R, S, S configurations, respectively. Few of the crystal structures of siderophores have been solved, and those which have been are of simple hydroxamate and catechol types such as ferrioxamine B and agrobactin. To our knowledge this is the first report of the ferric crystal structure of 5-member heterocycle siderophore. � 2006 Published by Elsevier Inc.
An integrative view of obesity

Obesity is the result of the accumulation of excess body fat and not simply excess weight that can be muscle or fat. Adipocytes function in the adaptation to starvation, in exercise energetics, and in the immune defense against pathogens. Sustained positive energy balance results in excessive accumulation of adipocytes, which, in the abdomen, leads to chronic inflammation. Although informative studies have been performed with cultured adipocytes, an integrative approach to the regulation of abdominal adipose tissue involves feedback from autocrine and paracrine effectors secreted by adipocytes, the immune system, and blood flow through adipose tissue. Numerous adipokines, chemokines, and cytokines feed back to other bodily systems to regulate both energy balance and immune function. Studies of the interactions of the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, as well as psychophysiological considerations of reward circuitry in the central nervous system, have shown a general adaptation to starvation that is opposed to those strategies being proposed for the prevention and treatment of obesity, ie, food restriction and increased physical activity. The obesogenic environment of highly palatable foods with hidden fats and sugars can promote metabolic syndrome and obesity, whereas fruit and vegetables with antiinflammatory phytochemicals can counteract metabolic syndrome. Therefore, a plant-based diet and the seamless integration of increased physical activity and social support to alter modern diets and lifestyles hold out the greatest hope for the solution of the obesity epidemic. Both public health and medical nutrition approaches can benefit from this integrative view of obesity.
Tutorial 1: Emerging Technologies for VLSI Design

Summary form only for tutorial. This tutorial discusses emerging technologie. We will focus on three major components.
Relations with Congress

the presidential transition and the initial days of the presidency. Bush and chief political adviser Karl Rove had read history, examining how previous presidents had handled their initial phases in transition and in office; early on, Rove cautioned reporters and analysts to watch not the first 100 days but the first 180 days for an early measure of the president's capacity and success. Bush and Rove recognized that one of the major challenges of any new administration is its relationship with Congressand that the relationship can make or break a new president's reputation and ability to get things done. Given the election controversy and the close margins in both chambers, Bush's challenge was extraordinary. Overall, Bush gets high marks for picking exactly two legislative prioritiestax cuts and education reform-and
The Boundary Questionnaire: Its Preliminary Reliability and Validity:

The Boundary Questionnaire was developed to measure boundaries between various aspects of psychological experience: between primary process and secondary process thinking; between internal and exte...
Hph1 and Hph2 Are Novel Components of the Sec63/Sec62 Posttranslational Translocation Complex That Aid in Vacuolar Proton ATPase Biogenesis

Hph1 and Hph2 are homologous integral endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane proteins required for Saccharomyces cerevisiae survival under environmental stress conditions. To investigate the molecular functions of Hph1 and Hph2, we carried out a split-ubiquitin-membrane-based yeast two-hybrid screen and identified their interactions with Sec71, a subunit of the Sec63/Sec62 complex, which mediates posttranslational translocation of proteins into the ER. Hph1 and Hph2 likely function in posttranslational translocation, as they interact with other Sec63/Sec62 complex subunits, i.e., Sec72, Sec62, and Sec63. hph1Δ hph2Δ cells display reduced vacuole acidification; increased instability of Vph1, a subunit of vacuolar proton ATPase (V-ATPase); and growth defects similar to those of mutants lacking V-ATPase activity. sec71Δ cells exhibit similar phenotypes, indicating that Hph1/Hph2 and the Sec63/Sec62 complex function during V-ATPase biogenesis. Hph1/Hph2 and the Sec63/Sec62 complex may act together in this process, as vacuolar acidification and Vph1 stability are compromised to the same extent in hph1Δ hph2Δ and hph1Δ hph2Δ sec71Δ cells. In contrast, loss of Pkr1, an ER protein that promotes posttranslocation assembly of Vph1 with V-ATPase subunits, further exacerbates hph1Δ hph2Δ phenotypes, suggesting that Hph1 and Hph2 function independently of Pkr1-mediated V-ATPase assembly. We propose that Hph1 and Hph2 aid Sec63/Sec62-mediated translocation of specific proteins, including factors that promote efficient biogenesis of V-ATPase, to support yeast cell survival during environmental stress.
Uncertainty Identification of Damage Growth Parameters using Health Monitoring Data and Nonlinear Regression

When it comes to identifying model parameters such as damage growth parameters in Paris law for example, Bayesian inference is a popular method. However, it involves substantial computational cost, especially with increasing number of parameters. When the prior distribution for the parameters is not narrow, non-linear regression may provide almost all the benefits of Bayesian updating at a small fraction of the computational cost. In this paper we apply this approach to the identification of damage growth parameters. As a first step we simplify the problem to a single parameter in order to compare it with the same problem solved using Bayesian inference. We then discuss the issues related to uncertainty quantification in the case of a highly non-linear problem.
Data-Aided and Non-Data-Aided Maximum Likelihood SNR Estimators for CPM

Data-aided (DA) and non-data-aided (NDA) maximum likelihood (ML) estimators for the SNR of CPM in the presence of phase and frequency offset are derived and analyzed. Cramer-Rao bounds for both are obtained and compared to the simulated performance of these estimators for a full response example, CPSFK and a partial response example, GMSK. Analysis and simulations show that the performance of the DA ML estimator suffers from an unremovable bias caused by uncompensated frequency offset due to frequency offset estimation errors. As a consequence, the estimator error variance of the DA ML estimator is not able to achieve its lower bound. In contrast, the estimator error variance of the NDA ML estimator is capable of achieving its lower bound (although the lower bound for NDA ML estimator is higher than the lower bound for the DA ML estimator). This is because the NDA ML estimator is not burdened with the requirement of relying on estimates of nuisance parameters. The NDA estimator only achieves its lower bound when the observation length or true SNR are sufficiently large.
“There’s a Natural Mystic Flowing through the Air”: Diana Paton's and Maarit Forde's Obeah and Other Powers: The Politics of Caribbean Religion and Healing

Review of Diana Paton's and Maarit Forde's Obeah and Other Powers: The Politics of Caribbean Religion and Healing
Deficiency of 14-3-3ε and 14-3-3ζ by the Wnt1 promoter-driven Cre recombinase results in pigmentation defects

The seven 14-3-3 protein isoforms bind to numerous proteins and are involved in a wide variety of cellular events, including the cell cycle, cell division, apoptosis and cancer. We previously found the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in neuronal migration of pyramidal neurons in the developing cortex. Here, we test the function of 14-3-3 proteins in the development of neural crest cells in vivo using mouse genetic approaches. We found that 14-3-3 proteins are important for the development of neural crest cells, in particular for the pigmentation of the fur on the ventral region of mice. Our data obtained from the 14-3-3e/14-3-3ζ/Wnt1-Cre mice strongly indicate the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in the development of melanocyte lineages.
Fine Particle Suspension-Feeding Capabilities of Isonychia spp. (Ephemeroptera: Siphlonuridae)

Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 72: 353-357 (1979) Stream-inhabiting mayflies belonging to the genus Isonychia possess a well-developed fringe of long setae on their forelegs which is used to filter particulate materials suspended in the water column. In this paper we report on a mechanism, composed of 2 different types of microtrichia, that latches the long filtering setae to adjacent setae. This coupling mechanism results in an effective pore size of 0.1-0.7 fan for portions of the filtration device. Both ultrastructure of the filtering mechanism and foregut particle size analysis indicate that Isonychia are capable of feeding on much smaller particles than previously suspected.
The Institutional Environment: Implications for Race and Gender Inequality in the U.S. Labor Market

L'article presente une analyse des phenomenes inegalitaires. L'A. a recours a des donnees du recensement de 1980 aux Etats-Unis et constate que les inegalites dans le monde du travail entre hommes et femmes, entre noirs et blancs sont plus fortes dans les entreprises situees dans un univers social plutot inegalitariste que dans les industries dont l'assise tend a etre nationale. L'A. juge ambigues les donnees qu'il a recueillies entre hommes et femmes blanches
Noninfectious Inflammatory Conditions

This chapter includes the most common esophageal diseases—more common than all the neoplasms combined, more common than Barrett’s mucosa, which is more of a headline grabber. All of these inflammations are due to something other than infection, similar to what happens in the skin, except that most are uniquely esophageal. Reflux-induced inflammation and ulcer complications are included, as is the “trendy” eosinophilic esophagitis. There are even some recently described conditions such as lymphocytic and sloughing esophagitis, which we see fairly often in our practice. We even include a severe destructive inflammation with no record in the literature; we figured it was about time it had a reference.
Brennpunkte einer Hyperbel

Auf der Hauptachse jeder Hyperbel gibt es zwei Punkte, die zu den Punkten der Kurve in ahnlicher Beziehung stehen, wie die Brennpunkte bei der Ellipse (Abb. 96). Diese Punkte F 1 und F 2 heisen die „Brennpunkte“; sie liegen auf dem Kreise mit dem Radius $$c = \sqrt {{a^2} + {b^2}} .$$ (1)
Diagnostic evaluation of ovarian torsion: An analysis of pediatric patients using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Abstract Background Ultrasonography (US) is the diagnostic modality of choice during work-up for ovarian torsion, although computed tomography (CT) may be used. We examined the utilization of CT in girls with ovarian torsion, and determined which patients are most likely to undergo this study. Methods The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample dataset was searched for patients Results A total of 1279 patients were identified. Seven hundred twelve (56%) were seen at adult hospitals, 154 (12%) at pediatric privileged, and 413 (32%) at pediatric hospitals. Patients cared for in a pediatric or pediatric privileged hospital had more US alone performed to diagnose ovarian torsion (p Conclusions Girls seen at pediatric hospitals are more likely to undergo US for work-up of ovarian torsion.
Comparison of oral antibiotic failure rates in post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients versus controls.

Abstract Background Due to the malabsorptive nature of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), there is a potential for impaired absorption of oral medications. Clinical outcomes of patients who receive oral antibiotics after RYGB have not been adequately described in the literature. Objectives The primary objective was composite therapeutic failure. Secondary objectives included comparing failure rates between antibiotic classes and at various time points since RYGB. Setting University hospital, United States. Methods Patients with a history of RYGB and controls who received an eligible oral antibiotic for urinary tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, or community acquired pneumonia between April 1, 2008, and September 30, 2015, were included via retrospective chart review. Therapeutic failure rates between groups were compared and adjusted for body mass index and infection type. Failure rates among antibiotic classes and various time points since RYGB (0–1 yr, 1–1.9 yr, and≥2 yr) were also compared. Results A total of 58 RYGB and 128 controls met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Composite therapeutic failure occurred in the RYGB and control group in 14 (24.1%) and 20 patients (15.6%), respectively (P = .18; odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval .8–4.4). RYGB patients who received fluoroquinolones or sulfonamides had a significantly increased risk of therapeutic failure. Conclusions RYGB was not associated with a statistically significant increased risk of composite therapeutic failure of oral antibiotics in the treatment of urinary tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, or community acquired pneumonia compared with patients with no history of gastrointestinal resection. Further research is warranted to understand clinical outcomes of RYGB patients who receive oral antibiotics.
On the Value and Need for Revising the Economic Policy Framework in the Union

If I had to pick the three problems that have caused the European Union the greatest problems over the past thirty years, I would pick the constitutional issue, enlargement and the problem of settling on a coherent economic policy framework. Many citizens miss an effective system of economic governance in the Union in its current form, and most would argue that this is of more direct relevance to them than adding extra layers to the governmental structures that they already have. What matters to them is the effectiveness and coherence of their economic policies; a clearer case for market and structural reforms that could be used to enhance those economic policies; and a more effective way of handling enlargement when the new member states are increasingly different from the existing members in their economic and social structures.
Strange Bedfellows: Interest Group Coalitions, Diverse Partners, and Influence in American Social Policy

How do advocates for the poor gain influence in American policymaking? Strange Bedfellows argues that groups representing low-income populations compensate for a lack of resources by collaborating with diverse partners in their lobbying efforts. This study develops a theory of coalition influence that explains the mechanisms and conditions of coalition formation and influence, and provides support for the theory through an analysis of one of the most significant social policy changes in recent history. The analysis shows that in the years preceding the federal welfare reform of 1996, advocates collaborated with diverse partners to influence policymaking, coalitions were used as a tool for pooling different types of resources and communicating information, and groups collaborated selectively across issues. Through rigorous theory and rich qualitative analysis, Strange Bedfellows sheds new light on lobbying and influence in policymaking while offering a theoretical framework for understanding the broader role of coalitions in American politics.
Rare case of massive bilateral chylothorax.

We present a case of a 48-year-old woman who was referred from an outside hospital. There, she had initially underwent hysterectomy and left salpingo-oophorectomy for tubo-ovarian abscess. She later developed a colovaginal fistula and perforation of sigmoid colon and underwent Hartmann’s procedure along with drainage of a left subphrenic abscess. Subsequently, she had to be intubated for acute respiratory failure and was transferred to our hospital. At our hospital, she was found to have massive bilateral pleural effusions. Bilateral small-bore chest tubes were inserted that drained milky fluid. Pleural fluid analysis was consistent with bilateral chylothorax. Thereafter, patient’s respiratory status improved and she was extubated. The mechanism of chylothorax was thought be either secondary to the multiple abdominal procedures or alternatively as a complication of the right subclavian catheter that was placed at the outside hospital. Her chest tubes were removed eventually, and she had a slow but definite recovery.
Christianity, Epistemic Peer Disagreement, and the Abortion Debate

The question of the morality of abortion has long been the subject of intense, sometimes acrimonious debate. Even people within the same religious or philosophical tradition often disagree on the issue. For example, there are Christians who are pro-choice and there are Christians who are pro-life. Both sides marshal biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments in support of their positions. The substance of the abortion debate seems to reduce to one tricky question: when does personhood begin? Christian experts in various fields, such as theology, biblical studies, ethics, and philosophy, have protracted disagreements over this question. In this article we will apply insights from the current literature on epistemic peer disagreement to the abortion issue. We will assume that there is only one correct answer to the abortion question. However, after making a crucial distinction between rationality as understood by internalists versus externalists, we will argue that there is more than one rational answer to the abortion question, since there is more than one rational way to weight evidence. We will conclude that, in a case of disagreement between two Christians who are epistemic peers with regards to the morality of abortion, both parties can be rational in adhering to their respective positions, but that this does not entail or even support ethical relativism.
Modified Repair of Type I and II Truncus Arteriosus Limits Early Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reoperation

Repair of truncus arteriosus often requires early right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reoperation. Using a modified repair, the branch pulmonary arteries are left in situ, which may avoid earlier RVOT reoperation. We hypothesized that our modified repair for type I and II truncus arteriosus would extend the time to RVOT reoperation. Infants with truncus arteriosus were divided into 2 groups: (1) traditional technique where the branch pulmonary arteries are excised from the truncal root, or (2) modified repair where the branch pulmonary arteries are left in situ and septated from the truncal root. Regardless of the approach, a bioprosthetic conduit or homograft was used to establish right ventricular to pulmonary artery continuity. Follow-up pulmonary artery angiograms were used to assess for branch pulmonary artery stenosis. From 54 infants (modified repair: 33, traditional technique: 21), there were no significant differences in age at repair, gender, or type of truncus arteriosus. With 100% follow-up, use of the modified repair resulted in a lower rate of branch pulmonary artery stenosis, and greater freedom from surgical branch pulmonary arterioplasty. Five- and 10-year freedom from RVOT reoperation (5 years: modified—81.5% vs traditional—30.5%, P = 0.004; 10 years: modified—53.3% vs traditional—30.5%, P = 0.01) favored the modified repair. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the modified repair was associated with an independently lower risk for RVOT reoperation (hazard ratio: 0.08, confidence interval: 0.01, 0.75, P = 0.02). Thus, maintaining the branch pulmonary artery architecture resulted in greater freedom from RVOT reoperation.
Discovery of Lipidome Alterations Following Traumatic Brain Injury via High-Resolution Metabolomics.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur across wide segments of the population, presenting in a heterogeneous manner that makes diagnosis inconsistent and management challenging. Biomarkers offer the potential to objectively identify injury status, severity, and phenotype by measuring the relative concentrations of endogenous molecules in readily accessible biofluids. Through a data-driven, discovery approach, novel biomarker candidates for TBI were identified in the serum lipidome of adult male Sprague–Dawley rats in the first week following moderate controlled cortical impact (CCI). Serum samples were analyzed in positive and negative modes by ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS). A predictive panel for the classification of injured and uninjured sera samples, consisting of 26 dysregulated species belonging to a variety of lipid classes, was developed with a cross-validated accuracy of 85.3% using omniClassifier software to optimize feature selection. Polyunsaturated fatty a...
Computer Center Operation

With the installation of an information system, the computer center now becomes the hub of the hospital environment and all the problems and essential data are handled through this central core. The laboratory communication system is no exception. This role of coordination and communication is the dominant theme of the computer center and must not be minimized or overlooked.
The sleep gene insomniac ubiquitinates targets at postsynaptic densities and is required for retrograde homeostatic signaling

The nervous system confronts challenges during development and experience that can destabilize information processing. To adapt to these perturbations, synapses homeostatically adjust synaptic strength, a process referred to as homeostatic synaptic plasticity. At the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, inhibition of postsynaptic glutamate receptors activates retrograde signaling that precisely increases presynaptic neurotransmitter release to restore baseline synaptic strength. However, the nature of the underlying postsynaptic induction process remains enigmatic. Here, we designed a forward genetic screen to identify factors necessary in the postsynaptic compartment to generate retrograde homeostatic signaling. This approach identified insomniac (inc), a gene that encodes a putative adaptor for the Cullin-3 ubiquitin ligase complex and is essential for normal sleep regulation. Intriguingly, we find that Inc rapidly traffics to postsynaptic densities and is required for increased ubiquitination following acute receptor inhibition. Our study suggests that Inc-dependent ubiquitination, compartmentalized at postsynaptic densities, gates retrograde signaling and provides an intriguing molecular link between the control of sleep behavior and homeostatic plasticity at synapses.
The Role of Radiation Therapy in the Treatment of Metastatic Brain Disease.

Abstract Brain metastasis is the most frequent central nervous system malignancy. Although surgery and chemotherapy have roles to play in the treatment of brain metastasis, radiation therapy remains a mainstay of therapy. We will review the role of fractionated radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent brain metastasis. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-06.asp].
Provision of Orientation and Mobility Services in 1990.

"Provision of Orientation and Mobility Services in 1990," by Mark Uslan, published in the May 1983 issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, Volume 77, Number 5, pp. 213-215. Mark Uslan, the author of the article highlighted in this essay, was my instructor in the Peripatology Program at Boston College in 1978-79. Reading his article for the first time, I was stuck by the changing demographics of and the projected increase in the population of people with blindness and visual impairment that I, as a new orientation and mobility (O&M) specialist, was beginning to teach. My education at Boston College and my first-hand experience as an O&M specialist during the time that this article was written gave me insight into the population that was the focus of Mr. Uslan's article. The personnel preparation program at Boston College prepared me to teach O&M to people with low vision and multiple handicaps. As a student teacher at the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Massachusetts, and later as an intern at the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB), I gained considerable practical knowledge on how to work with young blind adults with diabetes and children with visual impairments. For example, when I was assigned at OSSB to teach a young lady who was deaf-blind and fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), it was difficult to work with her effectively since I did not know ASL and did not have an interpreter. OSSB provided me with a wonderful mentor, and I learned how to communicate with the student. These experiences led to my teaching O&M for the Columbus Public School system in Ohio, and then at the Vision Center of Central Ohio, an adult rehabilitation center for people with visual impairments. In addition to providing information on the population with whom I was working, the descriptions in Mr. Uslan's article on the growing numbers of older adults with visual impairments and their need for rehabilitation services, including O&M training, were instrumental in establishing a focus for my doctoral studies. My dissertation was entitled, "The Effects of Rehabilitation Training of Visually Impaired Older Adults on Self-efficacy, Depression, Activities of Daily Living, Attitudes about Blindness, and Social Support Networks." Upon completing my doctorate, I was hired as a regional consultant in aging for the southeastern United States by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the organization for whom Mr. Uslan worked at the time the article was published and still works for today. This article highlighted the economic times of the mid-1980s, the shortage of O&M specialists, and the increasing numbers of legally blind people, including young children under age 5 and people over age 65. Mr. Uslan discussed the need for an adequate number of O&M specialists to be trained to teach these legally blind individuals, and he charged agencies and schools for the blind with the responsibility of meeting their students' needs in the area of O&M. Twenty-five years after this article was written, these issues are still a concern of the field of visual impairment and blindness. …
Acute effects of immersive virtual reality exercise on young adults’ situational motivation

The development of innovative technology, such as virtual reality (VR), has provided opportunities for promoting physical activity (PA) in a fun and engaging manner. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in young adults’ situational motivation (SM) among immersive VR, non-immersive VR, and traditional stationary cycling sessions. In all, 49 healthy college students (35 females; Mage = 23.6 years, SD = 3.4; M%BF = 24.0%, SD = 7.5) completed three separate 20 min cycling sessions: (1) immersive VR cycling; (2) non-immersive VR cycling; and (3) traditional cycling. Participants’ SM was assessed via the situational motivation scale, which included four subconstructs: intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, external regulation, and amotivation. Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated significant differences for situational motivation between cycling sessions (F (2, 96) = 4.74–53.04, p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.090–0.525). Specifically, participants elicited the highest level of intrinsic motivation in immersive VR cycling compared to the other two sessions. Moreover, participants in both immersive VR and traditional cycling showed greater identified regulation than the non-immersive VR session. Furthermore, participants showed greater external regulation compared to the immersive VR session. In addition, greater amotivation was observed in non-immersive VR compared to the immersive VR session. Findings suggested that immersive VR exercise has the potential to be an attractive exercise alternative, possibly promoting greater PA participation and adherence among young adults.
Organization of the human IMPG2 gene and its evaluation as a candidate gene in age-related macular degeneration and other retinal degenerative disorders

PURPOSE. To characterize the genomic organization of human IMPG2, the gene encoding the retinal interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) proteoglycan IPM 200, to evaluate its relationship to IPM 150, and to evaluate its involvement in inherited retinopathies, such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber congenital amaurosis. METHODS. After isolation of human genomic clones, the structure of IMPG2 was determined by sequence analysis. Mutational analyses were conducted on genomic DNA isolated from 316 probands using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. RESULTS. The IMPG2 gene is organized into 19 exons, and the structure of the gene is highly similar to that of the IMPG1 gene, which encodes another retinal proteoglycan, IPM 150. Mutational analyses indicate that the observed sequence changes are present at approximately equal rates in donors with and without retinal disease. Additional data derived from RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis show that IMPG2 is processed in the human retina into multiple alternatively sized transcripts that may represent splicing isoforms. CONCLUSIONS. Analysis of the overall relationship of human IMPG2 (located on chromosome 3q12.2-12.3) to human IMPG1 (located on chromosome 6q14) suggests that these genes have evolved from a common ancestral gene. Although this is an excellent candidate gene for hereditary retinopathies, single-strand conformation polymorphism analyses provided no evidence that variations in IMPG2 coding region are responsible for the inherited retinopathies examined. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42:3123‐3129)
Radiation tolerance of the PNI RM3100 magnetometer for a Europa lander mission

Abstract. The results of two radiation test campaigns on a low-cost commercial off-the-shelf magnetometer are presented. The test setup and the total ionization dose (TID) levels studied were designed to meet the requirements of a mission to land on Europa. Based on the Europa Lander Science Definition Team report, instruments inside an aluminum vault at the surface of Europa would need to withstand TID of up to 300 krad(SI). In order to evaluate the performance of the PNI RM3100 magnetometer, nine separate sensors were irradiated at two different facilities during two separate campaigns and under different configurations, including passive and active tests. Of the nine sensors, seven survived the TID of 300 krad(SI) while the other two sensors started presenting failures after reaching 150 krad(SI). Post-irradiation tests showed that eight of the nine sensors continued to work without appreciable degradation after stopping exposure, while one sensor stopped working altogether.
Using Simulation With Deliberate Practice to Improve Pediatric ICU Nurses' Knowledge, Clinical Teamwork, and Confidence.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an educational intervention involving High-Fidelity Simulation (HFS) with deliberate practice for low-frequency, high-impact events in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), with the goal of improving nurses' crisis management skills. Design and methods Four interprofessional simulation education sessions with scenarios were created for this project. A list of knowledge and skills points was used to guide debriefings. All scenarios were based on low-frequency, high-impact events that required the use of Pediatric Advanced Life Support algorithms. Participants included 24 PICU nurses with less than two years of nursing experience. Knowledge and confidence were measured at three timepoints: pre-simulation, one-week post-simulation, and one-month post-simulation series. Clinical teamwork performance was measured twice, during the first and second scenario of each simulation session. Results Scores for knowledge, confidence, and clinical teamwork performance improved from pre- to post-simulation, with confidence scores showing the largest increase. Conclusions Regular simulation training with deliberate practice can improve PICU nurses' knowledge, clinical teamwork skills, and confidence when managing low-frequency, high-impact events. Practice implications Regular in-situ simulation training with deliberate practice can improve nursing comfort with managing high-impact, low-frequency events in the PICU. This could lead to improved management of actual events, especially for novice nurses with less than one year of PICU experience.
The NAEP Geography Assessment: Will It Come Back?.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) program periodically conducts national-level assessments of student achievement in geography. In July 2019, the National Assessment Governing ...
To Zoom or Not to Zoom: The Impact of Rural Broadband on Online Learning

In the midst of the 2020 global health crisis, universities have been forced to alter teaching modalities. Much of this alteration involves increased use of the internet as a teaching tool in a variety of capacities. The evolving higher education landscape has resulted in many university faculty members reevaluating basic teaching concepts such as content delivery formats. These include delivering content either synchronously or asynchronously. Although existing literature examines the effectiveness of both synchronous and asynchronous delivery, very little exists pertaining to the role of internet access in higher education, even as rural America falls behind in broadband access. This accessibility increases in importance as more courses are taught online, with the digital divide introducing barriers for many rural students. As faculty work to maintain their own personal teaching styles while being cognizant of student needs, it is important to evaluate content delivery as a function of rural broadband availability.
Who Needs a World View

When students enter a graduate program in geography, they are likely to take a course on geographic history and philosophy, also known as geographic thought. Textbooks on the matter typically trace...
Science self-efficacy in the relationship between gender & science identity

Historically women have been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Some scholars have suggested that science self-concept perceptions have contr...
DMT1: A mammalian transporter for multiple metals

DMT1 has four names, transports as many as eight metals, may have four or more isoforms and carries out its transport for multiple purposes. This review is a start at sorting out these multiplicities. A G185R mutation results in diminished gastrointestinal iron uptake and decreased endosomal iron exit in microcytic mice and Belgrade rats. Comparison of mutant to normal rodents is one analytical tool. Ectopic expression is another. Antibodies that distinguish the isoforms are also useful. Two mRNA isoforms differ in the 3' UTR: +IRE DMT1 has an IRE (Iron Responsive Element) but -IRE DMT1 lacks this feature. The +/-IRE proteins differ in the distal 18 or 25 amino acid residues after shared identity for the proximal 543 residues. A major function is serving as the apical iron transporter in the lumen of the gut. The +IRE isoform appears to have that role. Another role is endosomal exit of iron. Some evidence indicts the -IRE isoform for this function. In our ectopic expression assay for metal uptake, four metals--Fe2+, Mn2+, Ni2+ and Co2+--respond to the normal DMT1 cDNA but not the G185R mutant. Two metals did not--Cd2+ and Zn2+--and two--Cu2+ and Pb2+--remain to be tested. In competition experiments in the same assay, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+ inhibit Mn2+ uptake but Zn2+ did not. In rodent mutants, Fe and Mn appear more dependent on DMT1 than Cu and Zn. Experiments based on ectopic expression, specific antibodies that inhibit metal uptake and labeling data indicate that Fe3+ uptake depends on a different pathway in multiple cells. Two isoforms localize differently in a number of cell types. Unexpectedly, the -IRE isoform is in the nuclei of cells with neuronal properties. While the function of -IRE DMT1 in the nucleus is speculative, one may safely infer that this localization identifies new role(s) for this multifunctional transporter. Management of toxic challenges is another function related to metal homeostasis. Airways represent a gateway tissue for metal entry. Preliminary evidence using specific PCR primers and antibodies specific to the two isoforms indicates that -IRE mRNA and protein increase in response to exposure to metal in lungs and in a cell culture model; the +IRE form is unresponsive. Thus the -IRE form could be part of a detoxification system in which +IRE DMT1 does not participate. How does iron status affect other metals' toxicity? In the case of Mn, iron deficiency may enhance cellular responses.
in vitro biosynthesis of radioactive estradiol-17β, 17-glucosiduronate by rhesus monkey liver

Abstract A method for the preparation of radioactive estradiol-17β,17-glucosiduronate by incubating 3H-estradiol with rhesus monkey liver microsomal preparation in the presence of uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid is described. Small but significant amounts of the conjugate were also obtained from the 150,000 pellet and cytosol fractions. The addition of NADPH to the incubation media increased the yield of radioactive-estradiol-17β,17-glucosiduronate perhaps by preserving the integrity of the C-17-hydroxyl group. As expected, the effect of the reduced nucleotide was more pronounced in the fractions other than the microsome. The biosynthesized conjugate was isolated and purified by multiple column chromatography and the structure was confirmed by derivative formation, enzyme hydrolysis and crystallization of the aglycone.
Weak Exhaustivity and 'Whether': A Pragmatic Approach

Recent studies on interrogatives indicate that some question embedding predicates (QEPs) cannot support strongly exhaustive inferences, contra Groenendijk and Stokhof (1982) (c.f. Berman 1991, Heim 1994, Sharvit 2002). Some verbs that support strongly exhaustive inferences are know, find out, and wonder. Among the predicates that can only support weakly exhaustive inferences we find verbs like surprise, disappoint, realize, and predict n% correctly. Previous views on this problem encode the above distinction either in different lexical semantic properties (see Beck and Rullmann 1999 and Sharvit 2002) or in different selectional restrictions of different QEPs (see Guerzoni 2003), but provide no independent motivation for either. This paper proposes a pragmatic account that improves on the existing proposals in two respects. On the one hand, it provides the independent motivation for the classification of different QEPs, which was missing from earlier approaches. On the other hand, it offers an understanding of a seemingly unrelated long lasting puzzle; that is the impossibility for predicates like surprise, disappoint, realize, anticipate etc. to embed whether-complements (c.f. Karttunen 1977, Lahiri 1991, Guerzoni 2003, Guerzoni & Sharvit 2006). The remainder of this section briefly introduces the notions of weak and strong exhaustivity.
In-situ reduction of Ag nanoparticles on oxygenated mesoporous carbon fabric: Exceptional catalyst for nitroaromatics reduction

Abstract A chemical-free method is developed to convert cotton fabric into reactive mesoporous carbon via optimized carbonization and oxidation processes. The processed carbon serves as both catalyst support and reactant which controls the nucleation/growth of Ag nanoparticles. The particle size is successfully controlled below 5 nm with mono-dispersion on carbon support. Various characterization techniques including scanning/transmission electron microscopies, N2 adsorption–desorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrum are used to study the evolution of carbon support microstructure and surface composition during thermal oxidation as well as the in-situ reaction between carbon support and Ag precursor during hybridization. These Ag/carbon catalysts, with well-controlled Ag nanoparticle size and excellent dispersion, out-perform other existing catalysts reported from literature in terms of activity and stability. The unique property of these catalysts promises potential applications in other chemical reactions besides the demonstrated capability in nitroaromatics reduction. Moreover, this green technology of processing biomass into effective catalyst support provides a great platform to design metal/carbon hybrid catalysts from wider biomass resources and target to broader catalytic reactions.
Lung function decline in adult asthmatics. A 10-year follow-up

Conflicting results exist regarding the rate of lung function decline in asthmatics. We evaluated the longitudinal changes in FEV1 in asthmatic outpatients during a 10-year follow-up comparing the 1st period (years 1-5) with the 2nd period (years 6-10) also identifying factors affecting changes in functional decline. We studied 105 asthmatics (45 M, aged 18-76 years) with clinical and functional asthma diagnosis. Spirometry was performed every 3 months. FEV1 variability at the 1st year was computed. Short term treatments with oral steroids (OS) were used as needed. The best FEV1 measures at 1st, 5th and 10th year were evaluated and normalized for the subject's height at third power (FEV1/Ht3). The slopes FEV1/Ht3 vs time during the 1st and 2nd periods were evaluated. We evaluated the effect of body mass index, baseline FEV1, age at enrolment, age of disease onset, disease duration, allergic sensitization, number of OS courses, and FEV1 variability on FEV1 decay slopes. Median FEV1/Ht3 slope values were -.013 and -.006 (l/m3/year) for the 1st and 2nd period, respectively (p<0.0001). No correlation was found between the slopes of the two periods. 1st period slopes were correlated to FEV1 variability (p<0.0001), but such correlation was not found for 2nd period slopes. Negative relationship between 1st period slopes and long term reversibility was found (p=0.006). Subjects with disease duration≤5 years had steeper 1st period slopes (p=0.04). A relationship was found between 1st period slopes and the number of OS courses (p=0.002). In conclusion, FEV1 decay in treated adult asthmatics is not constant. In particular, it slows down over time, and is influenced by some subjects' clinical and functional characteristics.
Simultaneous confidence intervals in the analysis of orthogonal saturated designs

Abstract We present the first known method of constructing exact simultaneous confidence intervals for the analysis of orthogonal, saturated factorial designs. Given m independent, normally distributed, unbiased estimators of treatment contrasts, if there is an independent chi-squared estimator of error variance, then simultaneous confidence intervals based on the Studentized maximum modulus distribution are exact under all parameter configurations. In this paper, an analogous method is developed for the case of an orthogonal saturated design, for which the treatment contrasts are independently estimable but there is no independent estimator of error variance. Lacking an independent estimator of the error variance, the smallest sums of squares of effect estimators are pooled. The simultaneous confidence intervals are based on a probability inequality, for which the simultaneous confidence coefficient is achieved in the null case.
A dynamic putty-semi-putty model of aggregate energy demand

Energy conservation dominated the adjustments of the energy decade. The present study develops further the aggregate analysis to revisit the question of energy flexibility within the context of a multi-factor dynamic model. The resulting model preserves various adding-up constraints, cross-equation parameter restrictions, and consistent indexes within an ad hoc stock adjustment dynamic process. Applications to data for the USA and Japan confirm the estimates of large long-run elasticities under the assumption of a slow adjustment process.