cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caught between a rock and a hard mineral encrustation: long-lived aquatic insects accumulate calcium carbonate deposits in a montane desert stream

Aquatic ecosystems overlying regions of limestone bedrock can feature active deposition of calcium carbonate in the form of travertine or tufa. Although most travertine deposits form a cement-like layer on stream substrates, mineral deposits can also form on benthic invertebrates. However, little is known about which taxa may be prone to calcium carbonate encrustation and which life history traits may make taxa more susceptible to becoming encrusted. Here we report the presence of calcium carbonate deposits on live insects collected from a montane stream in the Madrean Sky Islands (Huachuca Mountains) of Arizona between 2011 and 2013. Life history differences are examined between taxa with and without travertine deposits. Thirteen genera of aquatic insects were found with calcium carbonate deposits on the exoskeleton as well as 22 other genera, also encountered in the study stream, that have not previously been found with such deposits. Taxa with calcium carbonate encrustation had significantly longer-lived aquatic stages than those without encrustation. Furthermore, encrustation presence did not differ among aerial dispersal modes. These results suggest that the extent of calcium carbonate deposition on aquatic insects is primarily related to the length of time they are in the stream. Since mineral encrustation may reduce predation pressure and mobility, changes in patterns of travertine formation in these systems may have profound effects on ecological interactions. Los ecosistemas dulceacuicolas ubicados en regiones de roca caliza pueden contener depositos de carbonato de calcio en forma de travertino o tufa. Aunque muchos depositos de travertino se encuentran como una capa o manto de cemento sobre el fondo del arroyo, los depositos tambien pueden formarse sobre los invertebrados bentonicos. Sin embargo, poco se sabe acerca de las especies que son propensas a los depositos de travertino, o acerca de las caracteristicas de estas especies que influyen en tal proceso. En este manuscrito reportamos la presencia de depositos de travertino en insectos vivos y recolectados en un arroyo montanoso en el Archipielago Madrense de Arizona durante 2011–2013 y examinamos las diferencias en las historias de vida entre taxones con o sin depositos de travertino. Encontramos trece generos de insectos acuaticos con travertino sobre el exoesqueleto y vientedos generos sin travertino. Los taxones con travertino tienen una fase acuatica significativamente mas larga que los taxones sin travertino. Ademas, la presencia de travertino no difirio entre especies con distintas maneras de dispersion aerea. Estos resultados sugieren que las diferencias en los depositos de travertino en insectos acuaticos ocurren principalmente a causa de la duracion del periodo de vida acuatica del insecto. Aunque los depositos de travertino pueden reducir la presion por depredacion y movilidad, cambios en los patrones de formacion de travertino en estos sistemas pueden afectar profundamente las interacciones ecologicas.
Women, Leadership, and Organizational Culture in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from South Africa and Ghana

Globalization has played a significant role in redefining the role and identity of higher education institutions across the world and universities in developing are no exception. Education policies in many developing countries have historically favored and funded the development of basic education; however there has been a gradual shift in national policies towards investing in higher education sector. This chapter is based on a qualitative study that examines how the intersection of gender, socio-cultural factors, and organizational culture impact professional experiences of women academics selected public universities in Ghana and South Africa. Given the glaring absence of women in academic positions across many African universities, particularly at senior ranks, this study seeks to provide an understanding of challenges and opportunities that influence the upward mobility of women academics/academic leaders and the strategies these women have employed to persist in academic contexts that are not always supportive.
Application of fast wafer-level reliability PBTI tests for screening of High-k / Metal Gate process splits

This work shows how fast wafer-level reliability (fWLR) inline tests allow to quickly screen the intrinsic reliability of High-k / Metal Gate (HK/MG) process splits in an effective manner. Various Hf based gate stack compositions such as pure HfO 2 , Hf x Zr 1-x O 2 and Hf x Si 1-x O 2 are investigated from a reliability point of view. The main focus lies on PBTI (positive bias temperature instability) which is one of the most critical reliability concerns in current HK/MG stacks. As a key result, PBTI was found to improve when doping the HfO 2 with either silicon or zirconium. Since HK/MG technology also introduces more process parameters to be controlled, it is shown that with fWLR tests implemented in a wafer electrical test environment their influence on reliability can be evaluated much faster than with standard lab approaches.
Approximating Cartesian Closed Categories in NF-Style Set Theories

I criticize, but uphold the conclusion of, an argument by McLarty to the effect that New Foundations style set theories don’t form a suitable foundation for category theory. McLarty’s argument is from the fact that Set and Cat are not Cartesian closed in NF-style set theories. I point out that these categories do still have a property approximating Cartesian closure, making McLarty’s argument not conclusive. After considering and attempting to address other problems with developing category theory in NF-style set theories, I conclude that NF-style set theories are not a good foundation for category theory, because of numerous limitations introduced by their stratification restrictions.
Identification, Quantification, and Classification of Potential Safety Risk for Sustainable Construction in the United States

AbstractSustainability is a balanced approach that puts equal focus on the environment, economy, and society. Research suggests that worker health and safety is an integral dimension of social sust...
A linguistic grounding for a polysemy theory of ‘knows’

In his book Knowledge and Practical Interests Jason Stanley offers an argument for the conclusion that it is quite unlikely that an ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ can be “linguistically grounded”. His argument rests on two important assumptions: (1) that linguistic grounding of ambiguity requires evidence of the purported different senses of a word being represented by different words in other languages (i.e. represented by more than one word within other languages) and (2) that such evidence is lacking in the case of ‘knows’. In this paper, I challenge the conclusion that there isn’t a linguistic grounding for an ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ by making cases against both of Stanley’s major assumptions. I will do this by making a case for a prime facie linguistic grounding for a polysemy theory of ‘knows’ without appealing to word use in other languages. Given that a polysemy theory of ‘knows’ is a type of ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ (as will be explained shortly), if I succeed in linguistically grounding a polysemy theory of ‘knows’, then I have shown that at least one type of ambiguity theory of ‘knows’ can be linguistically grounded.
O encontro entre desiguais como dispositivo narrativo em Guimarães Rosa: “Corpo Fechado”

Resumo: Este artigo busca discutir dois aspectos importantes que permitem uma comparacao significativa entre William Faulkner, Guimaraes Rosa e Juan Rulfo. Estes sao a preocupacao constante dos tres autores de representar areas rurais, marginais dentro de um quadro da modernidade, e a exploracao pelos tres da estetica modernista. Palavras-chave: Faulkner; Guimaraes Rosa; Rulfo; Localismo; Modernismo; Literatura Inter-Americana. Abstract : This article seeks to discuss two important aspects that allow for a meaningful comparison between William Faulkner, Joao Guimaraes Rosa and Juan Rulfo. These are the constant preoccupation of the three authors with representing rural, marginal areas within a framework of modernity, and the exploration by the three of modernist aesthetics. Keywords: Faulkner; Guimaraes Rosa; Rulfo; Localism; Modernism; Inter-American Literature.
SSERVI: Merging Science and Human Exploration

The NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is a virtual institute focused on research and the intersection of science and exploration, training the next generation of lunar scientists, and community development. As part of the SSERVI mission, we act as a hub for the opportunities that engage the larger scientific and exploration communities in order to form a new interdisciplinary, research-focused collaborations.
Bacterial Haemoprotein Sensors of NO: H-NOX and NosP

Low concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) modulate varied behaviours in bacteria including biofilm dispersal and quorum sensing-dependent light production. H-NOX (haem-nitric oxide/oxygen binding) is a haem-bound protein domain that has been shown to be involved in mediating these bacterial responses to NO in several organisms. However, many bacteria that respond to nanomolar concentrations of NO do not contain an annotated H-NOX domain. Nitric oxide sensing protein (NosP), a newly discovered bacterial NO-sensing haemoprotein, may fill this role. The focus of this review is to discuss structure, ligand binding, and activation of H-NOX proteins, as well as to discuss the early evidence for NO sensing and regulation by NosP domains. Further, these findings are connected to the regulation of bacterial biofilm phenotypes and symbiotic relationships.
65 Use of prescription drug monitoring program data to evaluate and reduce veterans risk of opioid overdose

Purpose Veterans using Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare have twice the risk of fatal prescription drug overdose (PDO) than non-Veterans. This elevated risk may be related to Veteran receipt of opioid prescriptions from both inside and outside the VA system. State prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) can help reduce PDO by providing data on patients prescriptions across healthcare systems; however, to date, little research has leveraged PDMP data to understand Veterans PDO risk. Methods We conducted two analyses using VA and PDMP data. First, VA data for 23,052 VA users in a single state were probabilistically linked to PDMP data to examine incidence and patterns of dual VA/non-VA use of opioid prescribers. Second, using VA data from a four-state region, we examined prevalence and correlates of VA prescribers documentation of PDMP queries for 25,809 Veterans receiving long-term opioid therapy from 2015–2016. Results Results of the first analysis showed that, from 2011–2016, 53% of Veterans with VA opioid prescriptions also received non-VA opioid prescriptions in the same year; age, race, marital status, and health diagnoses such as depression and substance use disorder (SUD) were associated with dual use. Results of the second analysis showed that, among Veterans on opioid therapy, 64% had a documented PDMP query. Veterans were more likely to have a PDMP query if prescribed higher morphine-equivalent doses or if diagnosed with a substance use disorder. Conclusion While the prevalence of dual VA/non-VA use of opioid prescribers in a single state was high, more than 1/3 of Veterans receiving opioids in the VA did not have a documented PDMP query. Significance PDO is a leading cause of fatal injury and is especially important among Veterans who use VA healthcare. Increased use of PDMP data for research and healthcare may help ameliorate PDO in this population.
War by other means: the delegitimisation campaign against Israel

AbstractEfforts to isolate and delegitimise nations pose a growing danger to state security. The components used in such efforts are, however, not fully understood. This article expands upon existing research by proposing that there are seven areas in which states can face isolation efforts: political, economic, military, sociocultural, media, lawfare, and religious. Moreover, it proposes the idea of ‘destruction-oriented’ isolation, which aims to destroy a state, not merely create change. The ongoing campaign against Israel serves as the case study. Gaining a better understanding of these different tools will allow states to better prepare themselves to withstand these threats.
A clinically relevant IMRT QA workflow: Design and validation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine clinically relevant pass/question/fail criteria for gamma analysis of intensity-modulated radiation therapy quality assurance (IMRT QA) plans, identify which plans should be further analyzed with dose-volume histogram (DVH) metrics, and create a workflow for performing that DVH-based analysis. Methods A total of 11 plans, 5 prostate and 6 head/neck, were selected to represent known good plans based on their high-passing rate using conventional IMRT QA criteria. These were modified by moving the programmed MLC positions to underdose the target or overdose important structures by varying amounts. Commercially available hardware/software was used to measure and analyze all plans (76 total) using 4%/3 mm, 3%/3 mm, 3%/2 mm, and 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. Two receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves per criterion were created to assess effective passing rates. One ROC curve was to find a higher threshold that determined a clear pass and the second to find a lower threshold to determine a clear failure. Plans between these two thresholds need DVH-based analysis to assess the clinical consequence of the dose difference. The modified plans were analyzed in the planning system and reconstructed in commercially available DVH-based analysis software to access the accuracy and usefulness of the software. Results Analysis of the ROC curves showed optimal pass and fail thresholds for plan error detection per criterion to achieve clinically relevant sensitivity and specificity. Based on measurement uncertainty and pass/fail ranges, 3%/2 mm gamma criteria with a pass threshold of 95% and a fail threshold of 90% were most optimal. DVH analysis showed good agreement with all reconstructed plans except where the changes to the MLC patterns caused the periphery of the target to be underdosed. For questionable plans, comparing the organ-specific DVHs to the physician-provided planning constraints proved to be an efficient and effective workflow since plans for which the target dose was slightly high or where organs at risk were underdosed could be released for the treatment without consulting the physician for a clinical decision. Conclusion This work indicates the potential for appreciable improvement in error detection for IMRT QA. Using effective pass/fail thresholds to determine plans that need DVH-based analysis minimizes the need for excessive, time-consuming, analysis, and making use of the dosimetric constraints of the plan minimizes the burden on physicians. Overall, DVH-based analysis is a powerful tool that can provide substantial insight over the traditional approach that does not provide structure-specific data.
Intensity of activity involvement and psychosocial well-being among students:

The transition to university, while a time of growth, can also be difficult for many students, with declines in psychosocial well-being common. Specific stressors can include both those related to ...
Radiation-Curable Coatings with Emphasis on the Graphic Arts

Coatings (including paints, lacquers, varnishes, and similar products) have two general purposes. Regardless of end use or end market, these products are designed for aesthetic enhancement and functional performance. By definition, coatings are nothing more than liquid materials which, after application, solidify to a dry film providing certain desired properties.
Airway management: considerations in the trauma patient.

Airway management for the acutely injured patient has the first priority in resuscitation of the trauma patient. Endotracheal intubation will be required for trauma patients who cannot maintain a patent airway, are in hemorrhagic shock, or are comatose from a head injury. Oral endotracheal intubation is usually the route of choice for the acute trauma patient. Nasotracheal intubation and emergency cricothyroidotomy are indicated in select situations. Other techniques, such as the pharyngotracheal lumen airway, may be used in the field and require special handling by the receiving physician.
Sex-Role Stereotyping, Gender Biases, and Job Selection: The Use of Ordinal Logit in Analyzing Likert Scale Data

Sex-role stereotyping and gender biases are examined in a study of 246 individuals. Results show that previous gender biases in job selection have all but disappeared; however, biases still seem prevalent in the assessment of individuals' long term success on the job. Specifically, the findings showed that while gender biases are found only slightly in the hiring decisions of male and females evaluators, the perception of the applicant's future job performance was generally less favorable toward the female applicant as compared to males. An important contribution of this study is in the methodology. It introduces the use of an ordinal logit framework which improves upon previous research by exploiting the simultaneous and ordered nature of a Likert scale.
Evaluating apoenzyme–coenzyme–substrate interactions of methane monooxygenase with an engineered active site for electron harvesting: a computational study

Low-temperature methane oxidation is one of the greatest challenges in energy research. Although methane monooxygenase (MMO) does this catalysis naturally, how to use this biocatalyst in a fuel cell environment where the electrons generated during the oxidation process is harvested and used for energy generation has not yet been investigated. A key requirement to use this enzyme in a fuel cell is wiring of the active site of the enzyme directly to the supporting electrode. In soluble MMO (sMMO), two cofactors, i.e., nicotinamide adenine di-nucleotide (NAD+) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) provide opportunities for direct attachment of the enzyme system to a supporting electrode. However, once modified to be compatible with a supporting metal electrode via FeS functionalization, how the two cofactors respond to complex binding phenomena is not yet understood. Using docking and molecular dynamic simulations, modified cofactors interactions with sMMO-reductase (sMMOR) were studied. Studies revealed that FAD modification with FeS did not interfere with binding phenomena. In fact, FeS introduction significantly improved the binding affinity of FAD and NAD+ on sMMOR. The simulations revealed a clear thermodynamically more favorable electron transport path for the enzyme system. This system can be used as a fuel cell and we can use FeS-modified-FAD as the anchoring molecule as opposed to using NAD+. The overall analysis suggests the strong possibility of building a fuel cell that could catalyze methane oxidation using sMMO as the anode biocatalyst.
Distinct and Overlapping Dimensions of Reading Motivation in Commonly Used Measures in Schools

The current investigation addresses critiques about motivation terminology and instrumentation by examining together three commonly used reading motivation assessments in schools. This study explor...
Proteolytic regulation of mitochondrial dynamics.

Abstract Spatiotemporal changes in the abundance, shape, and cellular localization of the mitochondrial network, also known as mitochondrial dynamics, are now widely recognized to play a key role in mitochondrial and cellular physiology as well as disease states. This process involves coordinated remodeling of the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes by conserved dynamin-like guanosine triphosphatases and their partner molecules in response to various physiological and stress stimuli. Although the core machineries that mediate fusion and partitioning of the mitochondrial network have been extensively characterized, many aspects of their function and regulation are incompletely understood and only beginning to emerge. In the present review we briefly summarize current knowledge about how the key mitochondrial dynamics-mediating factors are regulated via selective proteolysis by mitochondrial and cellular proteolytic machineries.
Low temperature fabrication of high performance ZnO thin film transistors with high-k dielectrics

Abstract We report on the study of the low-temperature fabrication of ZnO thin film transistors on high-k gate dielectrics: Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 and ZrO 2 . All gate dielectrics were grown by atomic layer deposition at 150 °C and the ZnO semiconductors were grown by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature. The electrical characteristics and device performance have been investigated systematically, along with the thin film structural properties by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Highly (0 0 0 2)-oriented ZnO thin films were observed and their surface morphology revealed similar microstructures regardless of the bottom gate oxides. The fabricated thin film transistors showed high on/off ratio larger than 10 5 and low subthreshold voltage swing. The discrepancy of the device performance in these combinations indicated a significant gate dielectrics and interface dependence.
Complete Genome Sequence of Serratia marcescens Podophage Parlo.

Multidrug-resistant Serratia marcescens strains cause serious nosocomial infections in humans. Here, we present the annotated genome sequence of S. marcescens podophage Pila. Similar to its closest relative, Enterobacteria phage T7, Pila has a 38,678-bp genome, predicted to encode 51 protein-coding genes, and contains 148-bp direct terminal repeats.
Surgical Management of Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Fracture-Dislocations: A Review of Outcomes:

Background: Treatment of proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) fracture-dislocations is difficult given the potential long-term complications of the involved finger and entire hand. Several surgical methods have been utilized for management of these injuries, none of which have shown consistently favorable results. The purpose of this systematic review of the literature is to report the post-operative outcomes of multiple treatment modalities for PIPJ fracture-dislocations in various studies. Methods: A literature review of PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed for all articles on PIPJ fracture-dislocations. Outcomes of interest included PIPJ range of motion, grip strength (% of contralateral hand), and quick disabilities of arm, shoulder, hand (QuickDASH). Articles were distributed into 5 groups by surgical method: open reduction, percutaneous fixation, dynamic external fixation, extension-block pinning, and hemi-hamate arthroplasty. Results: Forty-eight of 1679 total screened articles were included. The weighted means of post-operative range of motion (ROM; degrees) at final follow-up were open reduction 84.7 (n = 146), percutaneous fixation 86.5 (n = 32), dynamic external fixation 81.7 (n = 389), extension-block pinning 83.6 (n = 85), and hemi-hamate arthroplasty 79.3 (n = 52). Dorsal fracture-dislocations, regardless of surgical method, had an average ROM of 83.2 (n = 321), grip strength 91% (n = 132), and QuickDASH of 6.6 (n = 59) while pilon injuries had an average ROM of 80.2 (n = 48), grip strength 100% (n = 13), and QuickDASH of 11.4 (n = 13). Conclusion: Percutaneous fixation yielded the highest post-operative ROM at final follow-up while extension-block pinning resulted in the greatest grip strength. While dorsal fracture-dislocations produced higher average ROM and lower QuickDASH score, pilon fractures produced a higher grip strength. No treatment method or fracture type yielded consistently better outcomes than another.
Quantifying Methane and Methanol Metabolism of "Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense" 5GB1C under Substrate Limitation.

ABSTRACT Methanotrophic bacteria are a group of prokaryotes capable of using methane as their sole carbon and energy source. Although efforts have been made to simulate and elucidate their metabolism via computational approaches or 13C tracer analysis, major gaps still exist in our understanding of methanotrophic metabolism at the systems level. Particularly, direct measurements of system-wide fluxes are required to understand metabolic network function. Here, we quantified the central metabolic fluxes of a type I methanotroph, “Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense” 5GB1C, formerly Methylomicrobium buryatense 5GB1C, via 13C isotopically nonstationary metabolic flux analysis (INST-MFA). We performed labeling experiments on chemostat cultures by switching substrates from 12C to 13C input. Following the switch, we measured dynamic changes of labeling patterns and intracellular pool sizes of several intermediates, which were later used for data fitting and flux calculations. Through computational optimizations, we quantified methane and methanol metabolism at two growth rates (0.1 h−1 and 0.05 h−1). The resulting flux maps reveal a core consensus central metabolic flux phenotype across different growth conditions: a strong ribulose monophosphate cycle, a preference for the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway as the primary glycolytic pathway, and a tricarboxylic acid cycle showing small yet significant fluxes. This central metabolic consistency is further supported by a good linear correlation between fluxes at the two growth rates. Specific differences between methane and methanol growth observed previously are maintained under substrate limitation, albeit with smaller changes. The substrate oxidation and glycolysis pathways together contribute over 80% of total energy production, while other pathways play less important roles. IMPORTANCE Methanotrophic metabolism has been under investigation for decades using biochemical and genetic approaches. Recently, a further step has been taken toward understanding methanotrophic metabolism in a quantitative manner by means of flux balance analysis (FBA), a mathematical approach that predicts fluxes constrained by mass balance and a few experimental measurements. However, no study has previously been undertaken to experimentally quantitate the complete methanotrophic central metabolism. The significance of this study is to fill such a gap by performing 13C INST-MFA on a fast-growing methanotroph. Our quantitative insights into the methanotrophic carbon and energy metabolism will pave the way for future FBA studies and set the stage for rational design of methanotrophic strains for industrial applications. Further, the experimental strategies can be applied to other methane or methanol utilizers, and the results will offer a unique and quantitative perspective of diverse methylotrophic metabolism.
Diminished enteric neuromuscular transmission in the distal colon following experimental spinal cord injury.

Abstract Neurogenic bowel following spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to decreased colonic motility, remodeling of the neuromuscular compartment and results in chronic evacuation difficulties. The distal colon of the rat serves a dual role for fluid absorption and storage that is homologous to the descending colon of humans. Dysmotility of the descending colon is one component of neurogenic bowel. We investigated the integrity of the enteric neuromuscular transmission responsible for the generation of excitatory and inhibitory junction potentials (EJPs and IJPs, respectively) in the distal colon of rats. We previously demonstrated a chronic reduction in colonic enteric neurons from rats with acute and chronic high-thoracic (T3) SCI and hypothesized that neurogenic bowel following T3-SCI results from diminished enteric neuromuscular transmission. Immunohistochemical labeling for myenteric neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) neurons demonstrated a significant loss of presumptive nitric oxide (NO) and acetylcholine (ACh) immunoreactive neurons in both 3-day and 3-week injured animals. Colonic neuromuscular transmission in response to transmural electrical stimulation of the colon was significantly reduced 3-days and 3-weeks following SCI in male rats. Specifically, cholinergic-mediated excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) and nitrergic-mediated slow inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) were significantly reduced while ATP-mediated fast IJPs remained unaffected. We conclude that a reduction in excitatory and inhibitory enteric neuromuscular transmission contributes to neurogenic bowel observed following SCI, and that these loss-of-function changes involve enteric-mediated cholinergic and nitrergic pathways.
Printed transistors for ocean sensing

Low-cost, compact sensor systems for in-situ monitoring of marine conditions will provide critical information to understand how pollution and oxygen levels correlate to fish kills and aquaculture issues. The compatibility of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) with aqueous environments makes them promising sensor components in an ocean-sensing platform. This presentation will discuss the development of dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors, which has a detection limit to 3 ppm as required in marine studies. The challenges in balancing the oxygen reduction reaction with the doping/dedeoping process in OECTs will be shown and mitigated by using multiple voltage rails. The DO sensor will be used in conjunction with pH ion-selective transistors, to provide multi-modal measurements that assess how these parameters correlate to water quality. We will show the device sensitivity and stability under simulated marine environment.
Reference Pricing Reduces Total Knee Implant Costs.

Abstract Background Reference pricing establishes a set price a hospital is willing to pay for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) components regardless of vendor. The hospital contracts with vendors that sell implants to the hospital at the hospital-dictated prices. Orthopedic surgeons are free to utilize any implant system that has met the reference price using their best clinical judgment. Our hypothesis is that vendors will meet the set price and selection of different vendors and technologies will not change. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the 12 months prior (May 2017-2018) and the most recent 12 months after (March 2019-2020) implementing reference pricing at our institution. We investigated differences in average prices for total implant and component costs. We evaluated cost of implants with respect to surgeon volume, assessed the rate of cementless TKAs used, and number of companies purchased from before and after reference pricing. Results In total, 7148 TKAs were included in the study with 3790 arthroplasties before and 3358 after implementation of reference pricing. Overall implant costs decreased by 16.7% (P Conclusion The strategy of reference pricing significantly reduced costs for TKA implants at our institution. The reduction in implant costs was regardless of surgeon volume. Newer technologies were utilized more often after reference pricing. This strategy represents a significant cost-savings approach for other hospitals.
Stefano Fenoaltea (1943-2020)

Obituary of Stefano Fenoaltea (1943-2020), economic historian and longtime collaborator of this journal. The author recalls her personal encounter with Stefano Fenoaltea and shortly but vividly summarizes his character and their friendship over the decades. JEL codes : B32, N13, N14
Electropolymerization of polyaniline as high-performance binder free electrodes for flexible supercapacitor

Abstract Polyaniline (PANI), as one of the most promising electrode materials for flexible supercapacitors, faces the problems of limited capacitive behavior and poor cycling stability. Herein, we demonstrated that dopants have a great effect on the electrochemical performance of PANI. Selecting a suitable dopant can be used as an effective way for enhancing the electrochemical performance of PANI electrodes. All PANI electrodes were synthesized by electropolymerization method using hydrochloric acid (HCl), perchloric acid (HClO4), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA), phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and phytic acid (PA) as dopants, respectively. The influence of dopants on morphology, doping level, redox sites accessibility and electrochemical performance of PANI electrodes were studied systematically. The results show that, PANI/HClO4 has the best capacitive behavior with a maximum specific capacity of 1341 C g−1 at 5 mV s−1 along with a 57% capacity retention after 2000 cycles. Moreover, PANI/p-TSA shows the best cycling stability with 70% of capacity retention after 2000 cycles accompanied with a relatively high specific capacity (722 C g−1 at 5 mV s−1). Furthermore, PANI/HClO4 and PANI/p-TSA were used as electrodes for the fabrication of flexible all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors. Results indicate that PANI/HClO4 device has higher energy density (12.57 Wh kg−1 at 283 W kg−1) than that of PANI/p-TSA (8.86 Wh kg−1 at 199 W kg−1). In contrast, PANI/p-TSA device with a capacity retention over 80% after 3000 cycles has better stability than PANI/HClO4 device which maintains 73% capacity after 3000 cycles. This fundamental study provides a much easier route in achieving high performance flexible PANI-based electrodes and opens new opportunities for facilitating PANI-based electrodes as promising candidates for wearable electronics.
Analysis of Design Trade-Offs in Ultra-Low-Power FSK Receivers for Phase-Based Ranging

This paper focuses on the analysis of trade-offs in FSK receiver design for ultra-low-power ranging applications. A methodology is presented for the design of receivers for high accuracy phase-based ranging applications, which is well-suited for energy-restricted Internet of Things wireless sensor nodes with minimal hardware implementation overhead. We discuss the effect of receiver non idealities-including phase noise, noise figure, and IQ imbalance-on ranging performance and bridge the gap between the receiver’s specifications and the ranging performance requirement. Additionally, the trade-off between ranging accuracy, data-rate, and bandwidth is studied in depth, demonstrating a design approach capable of carrying out maximal energy-efficiency while maintaining a desired ranging accuracy.
Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with RET fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

Aim: To describe outcomes of patients with rearraned during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who received immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatments in the US. Patients & methods: Using de-identified Flatiron Health-Foundation Medicine NSCLC Clinico-Genomic and Guardant Health databases, treatment patterns and outcomes of 69 patients with advanced/metastatic RET fusion-positive NSCLC who received ICI-based treatment were described. Results: Median real-world progression-free survival and overall survival months were 4.2 (95% CI: 1.4-8.4) and 19.1 (6.9-not reached), respectively, among patients in Clinico-Genomic database (n = 17) receiving first-line ICI-based therapy. In the Guardant Health database, progression-free survival was unavailable, and the median overall survival was not reached (n = 29). Conclusion: Outcomes associated with ICI-based treatments in the first-line setting among patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC are consistent with unselected populations reported in literature.
Przesłuchanie małoletniego pokrzywdzonego w postępowaniu karnym – wybrane zagadnienia

The article analyses a special procedure for interrogating minor injured party in criminal proceedings. The author has focused its attention, especially on the newest amendments to the Polish Code of the Criminal Procedure, which didn’t affect the interrogation procedure itself but has limited some rights and privileges of the accused. Certain objections have already aroused by the current shape of these regulations and they should be also verified in the context of the whole interrogation procedure of the minor victim in the criminal process.
Physiological, Morphological, Biochemical, and Genetic Responses of Alfalfa to Salinity

Alfalfa is an important forage crop known for its perennial nature, high biomass yield, high nutritive value, and high water demand. Global reduction in the availability of clean water in arid and semiarid regions is forcing farmers to irrigate with low-quality degraded/recycled waters, which are generally higher in salts than freshwater. High salt concentrations in soils not only affect soil properties but also result in reduced plant growth and tissue ion toxicities. Plants employ a wide variety of morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms to cope with salinity stress. The self-incompatibility and polyploidy of alfalfa makes the genetic dissection of these complex mechanisms challenging. Understanding these mechanisms is critical to effectively manipulate underlying genetic determinants needed to develop salt-tolerant alfalfa genotypes. This chapter focuses on the effects of salinity on alfalfa growth and development, mechanisms of salinity tolerance in plants, and the current status of the knowledge related to salinity tolerance in alfalfa. Recent studies on the effects of salinity on growth, biomass yield, photosynthesis, water and ion relationships, nutritive value, and antioxidant capacity provide a clear picture of different component traits involved in the salinity response of alfalfa. Based on these studies and the molecular information generated on model plants, tremendous progress has been made to fill the major knowledge gaps in different pathways regulating salt stress responses in alfalfa. This knowledge will facilitate the manipulation of genetic components that would allow alfalfa to thrive when irrigated with recycled/highly saline waters and expand alfalfa cultivation to marginal lands.
Health Beliefs and Preventive Behaviors Among Adults During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: a Latent Class Analysis.

The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize patterns of preventive behaviors 3 months after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency in the USA and (2) identify how health beliefs (e.g., perceived risk of infection, perceived risk of death upon infection, and perceived effectiveness of CDC-recommended preventive behaviors) and sociodemographic characteristics are associated with preventive behaviors. Data were obtained from two waves of the Understanding America Study (UAS) conducted in March (wave 1) and May to June of 2020 (wave 2) (n = 4445); UAS is a nationally representative panel of US adults. We conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) using wave 2 data to identify our outcome, patterns of 10 COVID-preventive behaviors (e.g., wearing a facemask, handwashing, social distancing), and then used a three-step regression (R3STEP) to test associations between the likelihood of class membership with (1) health beliefs and sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment) in bivariate models and (2) health beliefs adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics in multivariate models. The LCA identified a three-class model of preventive behaviors characterized by high likelihood of engagement in the set of preventive behaviors (“high”), low likelihood of the preventive behaviors (“low”), or engagement in some behaviors (“mixed”). Respondents of older age (i.e., age 50 or older) and those with higher levels of educational attainment (i.e., a 4-year college degree or higher) were less likely to be in the low engagement versus the mixed engagement class compared to those who are younger (18–29) and have lower levels of educational attainment (i.e., high school), respectively. Women (compared to men) and respondents who were Black and/or Hispanic/Latinx (compared to White) were more likely to be in the high (vs. mixed) engagement class. In separate models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, respondents with a high perceived risk of infection, high perceived risk of death, and high perceived effectiveness of COVID-preventive behaviors were statistically significantly less likely to be in the low engagement relative to the mixed engagement class. Engagement in COVID-preventive behaviors varies by sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, race/ethnicity and educational attainment) and health beliefs (i.e., perceived risk of infection, perceived risk of death, and perceived effectiveness of CDC-recommended behaviors). Our findings highlight the potential utility of using health beliefs to inform targeted prevention efforts to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Fyn: Fyn protein-tyrosine kinase (vertebrates) (p59fyn)

The Src family PTK Fyn was originally identified in fibroblasts, in endothelial cells, and subsequently, in lymphocytes. Two isoforms of the protein have been defined, with the expression of one of these, FynT, confined to the lymphoid lineage. FynT associates with components of the T-cell antigen receptor complex and has been demonstrated to be implicitly involved in T-cell receptor signaling. The second isoform of the protein, FynB, is one of an emerging group of kinases implicated in the processes of long-term potentiation and spatial learning. Substrates for both isoforms of the protein remain to be elucidated. Both isoforms of Fyn contain four conventionally defined domains. Ten amino acids located at the N-terminus of the protein mediate a low stoichiometry association with the ζ chain of the T cell receptor and with other potential signaling molecules. The N-terminus may also be myristoylated and palmityoylated, potentiating an interaction with the cytoplasmic membrane and with glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked membrane proteins. The SH2 and SH3 domains facilitate interactions with other proteins; however, the identity of these remains enigmatic. The kinase domain contains a tyrosine autophosphorylation site (Y417) and a negative regulatory tyrosine residue located at the C-terminus (Y528).
The Role of Lipid in the Induction of Hapten-Specific Delayed Hypersensitivity and Contact Sensitivity

Guinea pigs immunized with bovine serum albumin conjugated with dinitrophenol (BSA-DNP), in Freund's complete adjuvant, produce antibody to the DNP and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to the BSA. We report that immunization with BSA-DNP doubly conjugated with medium chain fatty acids (L-BSA-DNP) stimulates the production of DTH specific for the hapten DNP with minimal antibody to DNP and no detectable immune response to the carrier BSA. The production of hapten-specific DTH reactions was assessed by two methods. First, animals immunized with L-BSA-DNP produced typical contact sensitivity reactions to epidermal challenge with dinitrofluorobenzene. Second, they produced grossly and microscopically typical delayed hypersensitivity reactions to the intradermal injection of DNP conjugated either to BSA or to a non-cross-reacting carrier, hen egg albumin. In further experiments, DNP-specific DTH was produced by animals immunized with BSA-DNP to which lipid groups had been attached by electrostatic rather than covalent bonds. Evidence is discussed which indicates that the production of DTH to haptens and proteins is largely a function of the lipophilic nature of the entire immunogen and is not dependent upon properties of individual antigenic determinants. Autoradiographic studies with 125I-labeled material demonstrated that the lipid-rich antigens are localized in the paracortical area of lymph nodes, in close proximity to the thymus-derived cells which are stimulated in the induction of DTH.
'Benchmark Beating' as Evidence of Earnings Management: Review of the Literature

Abstract: This paper synthesises a new strand of earnings management research that uses distribution of reported earnings to detect earnings management instead of using discretionary accruals (DACCR), the conventional proxy for earnings management. The theoretical foundation for benchmark beating approach is derived from the 'prospect theory' developed by Kahneman and Tversky (1979) which shows that losses are more displeasing than the equivalent gain when evaluated from a particular reference point. Three such reference points are identified in the 'benchmark beating' literature, namely (i) avoiding losses; (ii) reporting small increase in earnings; and (iii) meeting or just beating analyst forecasts. Review of the empirical literature shows that there is an unusual discontinuity around zero for earnings level, earnings change and analyst forecasts than expected. Managers use available flexibilities under GAPP like deferred tax expense, tax expense, stock repurchase, restructuring charge reversals etc. to manage earnings for the purpose of achieving earnings thresholds. Research shows that stock-based compensation packages offered to managers is an important motivation for managers to engage in meeting or beating earnings thresholds. However, corporate governance mechanism like shareholder protection constrains managerial ability to meet or beat benchmark. Limitations of 'benchmark beating' literature for standard-setters are identified and some future research directions are provided.
Robust Output-Feedback Stabilization: Deterministic and Stochastic Perspectives

Three parallel gaps in feedback control theory are examined: sufficiency versus necessity, deterministic versus stochastic modelling, and guaranteed robustness versus performance. Two static output-feedback control problems are considered. The Deterministic Robust Stabilization Problem involves bounded but unknown measurable time-varying parameter variations, while the Stochastic Optimal Control Problem features state- and control-dependent white noise. A general sufficiency condition for the deterministic problem is obtained using Lyapunov's direct method, and necessary conditions for the stochastic problem are derived as a consequence of minimizing a quadratic cost criterion. The sufficiency test is then applied to the necessary condition to determine when solutions of the stochastic problem also solve the deterministic problem. As an additional application of the deterministic result, the modified Riccati equation of Petersen and Hollot is generalized.
Political Uncertainty and Financial Market Quality

We examine the effects of political uncertainty surrounding the outcome of U.S. presidential elections on financial market quality. We postulate those effects to depend on a positive relation between political uncertainty and information asymmetry among investors, ambiguity about the quality of their information, or dispersion of their beliefs. We find that market quality deteriorates (trading volume and various measures of liquidity decrease) in the months leading up to those elections (when political uncertainty is likely highest), but it improves (trading volume and liquidity increase) in the months afterwards. These effects are more pronounced for more uncertain elections and more speculative, difficult-to-value stocks (small, high book-to-market, low beta, traded on NASDAQ, or in less politically sensitive industries), but not for direct proxies of the market-wide extent of information asymmetry and heterogeneity among market participants (accruals, analysts' forecast dispersion, and forecast error). These findings provide the strongest support for the predictions of the ambiguity hypothesis.
The sHunt for better breathing in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Otherlesionsmaybesynergisticratherthan additive, such as when a patient with mitral stenosis goesinto atrial fibrillation (AF). Loss of left atrial (LA) contractioncompromises LV filling and cardiac output, and, because thetransvalvulargradientvarieswiththesquareofthefillingperiod,attendantincreasesinheartratecausemarkedLAhypertension.