cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention on Within- and Between-Patient Daptomycin Resistance Evolution in Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium.

ABSTRACT Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infection, with limited treatment options. Resistance to one of the few remaining drugs, daptomycin, is a growing clinical problem and has previously been described in this hospital. In response to increasing resistance, an antimicrobial stewardship intervention was implemented to reduce hospital-wide use of daptomycin. To assess the impact of the intervention, daptomycin prescribing patterns and clinically reported culture results from vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) bloodstream infections (BSIs) from 2011 through 2017 were retrospectively extracted and the impact of the intervention was estimated using interrupted time series analysis (ITS). We corrected for a change in MIC determination methodology by retesting 262 isolates using Etest and broth microdilution. Hospital-wide and within-patient resistance patterns of corrected daptomycin MICs are reported. Our data show that daptomycin prescriptions decreased from an average of 287 days of therapy/month preintervention to 151 days of therapy/month postintervention. Concurrently, the proportion of patients experiencing an increase in daptomycin MIC during an infection declined from 14.6% (7/48 patients) in 2014 to 1.9% (1/54 patients) in 2017. Hospital-wide resistance to daptomycin also decreased in the postintervention period, but this was not maintained. This study shows that an antimicrobial stewardship-guided intervention reduced daptomycin use and improved individual level outcomes but had only transient impact on the hospital-level trend.
Population pharmacokinetic analysis of AR-67, a lactone stable camptothecin analogue, in cancer patients with solid tumors.

Background AR-67 is a novel camptothecin analogue at early stages of drug development. The phase 1 clinical trial in cancer patients with solid tumors was completed and a population pharmacokinetic model (POP PK) was developed to facilitate further development of this investigational agent. Methods Pharmacokinetic data collected in the phase 1 clinical trial were utilized for the development of a population POP PK by implementing the non-linear mixed effects approach. Patient characteristics at study entry were evaluated as covariates in the model. Subjects (N = 26) were treated at nine dosage levels (1.2–12.4 mg/m2/day) on a daily × 5 schedule. Hematological toxicity data were modeled against exposure metrics. Results A two-compartment POP PK model best described the disposition of AR-67 by fitting a total of 328 PK observations from 25 subjects. Following covariate model selection, age remained as a significant covariate on central volume. The final model provided a good fit for the concentration versus time data and PK parameters were estimated with good precision. Clearance, inter-compartmental clearance, central volume and peripheral volume were estimated to be 32.2 L/h, 28.6 L/h, 6.83 L and 25.0 L, respectively. Finally, exposure-pharmacodynamic analysis using Emax models showed that plasma drug concentration versus time profiles are better predictors of AR-67-related hematologic toxicity were better predictors of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, as compared to total dose. Conclusions A POP PK model was developed to characterize AR-67 pharmacokinetics and identified age as a significant covariate. Exposure PK metrics Cmax and AUC were shown to predict hematological toxicity. Further efforts to identify clinically relevant determinants of AR-67 disposition and effects in a larger patient population are warranted.
Soft Skills: The Difference between Leading and Leaving the Advertising Industry?:

Soft skills, such as communication skills and professionalism, have been shown to be important for entry-level positions in advertising. The skills measured in previous research have varied and lac...
Participant Engagement in and Perspectives on a Web-Based Mindfulness Intervention for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators: Multimethod Study.

Background: Demanding working conditions and secondary exposure to trauma may contribute to a high burden of stress among 9-1-1 telecommunicators, decreasing their ability to work effectively and efficiently. Web-based mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be effective in reducing stress in similar populations. However, low engagement may limit the effectiveness of the intervention. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess participant engagement in a Web-based MBI designed for 9-1-1 telecommunicators. Specifically, we sought to describe the following: (1) participant characteristics associated with intervention engagement, (2) participant perspectives on engaging with the intervention, and (3) perceived challenges and facilitators to engaging. Methods: We used qualitative and quantitative data from participant surveys (n=149) that were collected to assess the efficacy of the intervention. We conducted descriptive and bivariate analyses to identify associations between demographic, psychosocial, and workplace characteristics and engagement. We conducted a thematic analysis of qualitative survey responses to describe participant experiences with the MBI. Results: We found that no individual participant characteristics were associated with the level of engagement (low vs high number of lessons completed). Participant engagement did vary by the call center (P<.001). We identified the following overarching qualitative themes: (1) the participants perceived benefits of mindfulness practice, (2) the participants perceived challenges to engage with mindfulness and the intervention, and (3) intervention components that facilitated engagement. The participants expressed positive beliefs in the perceived benefits of practicing mindfulness, including increased self-efficacy in coping with stressors and increased empathy with callers. The most commonly cited barriers were work-related, particularly not having time to participate in the intervention at work. Facilitators included shorter meditation practices and the availability of multiple formats and types of intervention content. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that efforts to improve intervention engagement should focus on organizational-level factors rather than individual participant characteristics. Future research should explore the effect of mindfulness practice on the efficiency and effectiveness of 9-1-1 telecommunicators at work. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02961621; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02961621
Association Between Plasma Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Overall Survival in Patients With Advanced Cancer: Preliminary Findings.

Abstract Context Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) are established diagnostic and prognostic markers in heart failure, but their utility in patients with advanced cancer is unclear. Objectives Our objective was to examine the association between plasma natriuretic peptides and survival in patients with advanced cancer without clinical evidence of heart failure. Methods This exploratory analysis of a multicenter, randomized clinical trial of cancer patients receiving hospice care assessed the association between elevated plasma ANP, BNP, or Pro-BNP (cutoffs of >77, 100, and 900 pg/mL, respectively) and overall survival. Time-to-event analyses, including multivariate Cox regression, were conducted. Results Among 97 patients, the mean age was 67.2 years and the overall survival was 16 days (95% CI, 13–23 days). ANP, BNP, and Pro-BNP were elevated in 29 of 36 (81%), nine of 23 (39%), and 32 of 38 (84%) patients, respectively. Elevated ANP, BNP, or Pro-BNP was associated with worse survival (median 14 vs. 21 days; P = 0.02). BNP or Pro-BNP was inversely associated with overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.27; 95% CI, 1.29–3.97) in univariate Cox regression analysis, and remained significant in multivariate Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio = 3.09; 95% CI, 1.40–6.84) after adjusting for treatment group and known prognostic variables such as performance status, albumin, creatinine, delirium, dyspnea, and anorexia. Elevated ANP alone was not significantly associated with survival (P = 0.17). Conclusion Our preliminary findings suggest that BNP or Pro-BNP may be a novel objective prognostic marker in cancer patients without heart failure. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Optimal timing of radioactive tracer for sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer patients

611 Background: While sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is well established as a minimally invasive means of staging the axilla in breast cancer patients, the optimal timing of injection of technetium 99m...
Head Start availability and supply gap of childcare slots: A New Jersey study

Abstract A childcare supply issue received national attention with the passage of Childcare and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2014. Although Head Start programs may be strategically placed in areas with a potential childcare supply gap, their role in addressing the gap has not been explored in the literature. Using various publicly available aggregate data for New Jersey, this study examined if and to what extent the availability of Head Start programs helped mitigate a supply gap of center-based childcare in the school districts. Our results showed that Head Start availability was related to 84% reduced odds of having a severe childcare supply gap in New Jersey and that it played a significant role in reducing a severe supply gap of center-based childcare. Having a larger population size and a higher per-capita annual income were also important protective factors of a severe childcare supply gap.
Simulation Center Personnel

Simulation centers of all sizes must provide professional resources to support and deliver high-quality, sustainable education that meets the needs of affiliated stakeholders. This chapter will outline the diverse staffing roles and associated breadth of expertise that is required to provide administrative, technical, educational, and managerial services associated with simulation center operations.
MRI and fluorescence studies of Saccharomyces cerevisiae loaded with a bimodal Fe(III) T1 contrast agent

Abstract Labeling of cells with paramagnetic metal complexes produces changes in MRI properties that have applications in cell tracking and identification. Here we show that fungi, specifically the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can be loaded with Fe(III) T1 contrast agents. Two Fe(III) macrocyclic complexes based on 1,4,7-triazacyclononane, with two pendant alcohol groups are prepared and studied as T1 relaxation MRI probes. To better visualize uptake and localization in the yeast cells, Fe(III) complexes have a fluorescent tag, consisting of either carbostyril or fluoromethyl coumarin. The Fe(III) complexes are robust towards dissociation and produce moderate T1 effects, despite lacking inner-sphere water ligands. Fluorescence microscopy and MRI T1 relaxation studies provide evidence of uptake of an Fe(III) complex into Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon electroporation.
Simultaneous Reconstruction of Conductivity and Permittivity in Electrical Impedance Tomography

As a visual detection technology, Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) can reconstruct the distribution of two types of electric property information (conductivity and permittivity) in target region theoretically. This characteristic of EIT can better compensate for the shortcomings of traditional ERT/ECT dual-modal systems. However, as a technology with great development potential, complex-value EIT has not been investigated systematically. This paper introduces how to establish EIT circular field simulation model, and probes into reconstruction methods of dual-modal information preliminarily. By analyzing the experimental results, it is verified that the data processing method that take complex data as a whole can obtain dual-modal information with complementarity. Complex-value EIT technology can improve system resolution and expand system measuring range.
Contested Kinship: Vietnamese Prodigal Sons and Ideas of Rootedness

Tracing various historical and literary iterations of the trope of the prodigal son in the early context of Vietnamese travel abroad, this essay puts into question what it means to feel kinship to ...
“Facebook Me”: The Potential of Student Teachers’ Online Communities of Practice in Learning to Teach

This study examined the ways in which early childhood pre-service student teachers (PSTs) used an online community for discussions related to teaching. Using the lenses of communities of practice, our goal was to understand what happens when the PSTs begin to share new learnings about teaching through ongoing practice in online communities. We investigated characteristics of the conversations of PSTs and their professors when using Facebook. This study was based on the postings of seven early childhood PSTs and five university faculty members. PSTs were interviewed at the conclusion of the semester to share their experiences from posting on Facebook. Two categories from the data include PSTs’ views of the viability of Facebook and the kinds of talk that surfaced within the Facebook group conversations. Findings suggested that Facebook has the potential to sustain informal dialogues. However, PSTs require strong faculty support to solve issues related to complexities of practice.
Overexpression of HIF-2α in Protected Regions of Alzheimer’s disease Resilient Cases

ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Resilient individuals are characterized by having a degree of amyloid plaques at level with that of demented individuals, but a reduced amount of abnormal neurofibrillary protein “tangles” (NFTs). NFTs, also known to be upregulated under hypoxic conditions, become clinically relevant when involved in the stratum radiatum. In this paper, we show this region and more to have significant increases of hypoxic adaptive protein, HIF-2α, within AD resilient cases. Pericyte staining was present in the stratum lacunosum and radiatum of all cases affected by AD pathology (n = 4) but in AD resilient cases were increased by 12-fold (n=3) p Significance HIF-2α directly regulates expression of erythropoietin (EPO), a neuroprotective glycoprotein that in brain pericytes is completely dependent upon activation of HIF-2α. To date, only indirect evidence exists that shows that brain pericyte-derived EPO can reach the bloodstream via HIF-2α expression (Urrutia et al, 2016). In this study, we provide novel preliminary findings that directly show HIF-2α expression in pericytes of human brains. Additionally, its localization is specific to the CA1 of the hippocampus, a region critical for hypoxic adaptation and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, we present evidence of neuronal expression of HIF-2α in other critical regions of protection within AD resilient cases.
A Case Study in Comparative Speech-to-Text Libraries for Use in Transcript Generation for Online Education Recordings

With a proliferation of Cloud based Speech-to-Text services it can be difficult to decide where to start and how to make use of these technologies. These include the major Cloud providers as well as several Open Source Speech-to-Text projects available. We desired to investigate a sample of the available libraries and their attributes relating to the recording artifacts that are the by-product of Online Education.The fact that so many resources are available means that the computing and technical barriers for applying speech recognition algorithms have decreased to the point of being a non-factor in the decision to use Speech-to-Text services. New barriers such as price, compute time, and access to the services? source code (software freedom) can be factored into the decision of which platform to use.This case study provides a beginning to developing a test-suite and guide to compare Speech-to-Text libraries and their out-of-the-box accuracy. Our initial test suite employed two models: 1) a Cloud model employing AWS S3 using AWS Transcribe, 2) an on-premises Open Source model that relies on Mozilla's DeepSpeech[1]. We present our findings and recommendations based on the criteria discovered.In order to deliver this test-suite, we also conducted research into the latest web development technologies with emphasis on security. This was done to produce a reliable and secure development process and to provide open access to this proof of concept for further testing and development.
Longitudinal impact of the Second Step Child Protection Unit on teacher knowledge, attitude, and climate

Abstract One aspect of child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention involves training teachers to educate students about recognizing, refusing, and reporting unsafe situations. Most studies focus on student outcomes and have methodological shortcomings such as lack of long-term follow-up data. This study examined the impact of the Second Step Child Protection Unit (CPU) on teacher CSA knowledge, attitudes toward reporting, and school climate from pre-test, post-test1 (after CPU implementation), post-test2 (6-month follow-up), and post-test3 (12-month follow-up) in a randomized controlled trial with 159 participants. It also examined the moderating role of teachers’ previous reports to child protective services and perceived acceptability of the intervention in relation to teacher knowledge gains over time. Multi-process latent growth models revealed that teachers in the intervention condition had increased knowledge of CSA, more positive attitudes about reporting suspected CSA, and increased positive school climate, whereas control group teachers’ attitude toward reporting CSA and perceptions of positive school climate decreased over time. Teachers’ perceived acceptability of the intervention related to increased knowledge, positive attitudes about reporting CSA, and positive perceptions of school climate. Implementing CSA prevention can directly benefit teachers in terms of knowledge, attitude, and overall school climate, lending support for incorporating this in comprehensive school health initiatives.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Firearm-Related Injuries in the USA

Introduction: Firearms are the second leading cause of death for those under age 19 in the United States Themajority of unintentional gun-related deaths occur in the home while parents/guardians are absent, and over1 in 3 children in America live in a household with a gun Previous research has demonstrated that rearm-related injuries and fatalities are more prevalent for children who live in homes with guns, as well as in stateswith higher rates of gun ownership The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented change in Americansociety, including closures of over 124,000 schools, affecting over 55 million students across all 50 states Wesought to analyze the impact of pandemic-related public health measures implemented since March 2020 -including school shutdowns and “Stay at Home” orders - on pediatric rearm-related injuries and fatalities We also investigated if ndings were modulated by state-level differences in legislation around Safe Storage(SS) of rearms Methods: Firearm-related injury and fatality data for victims aged 0-17 years from January 1,2019 to April 26, 2020 was obtained from the Gun Violence Archive Information about state adoption of SS laws was obtained from the Giffords Law Center Difference-in-differences estimates were calculated in Statausing ordinary least squares with heteroskedasticity robust standard errors Results: Preliminary resultsdemonstrate several changes in pediatric rearm-related injuries and fatalities in the United States sinceMarch 2020 Daily pediatric rearm-related injuries and fatalities appear largely unchanged on weekdays(Monday through Friday) in 2020 relative to 2019 However, daily pediatric rearm-related injuries andfatalities appear to have decreased by 9 27 (p = 0 005) on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) in 2020 comparedto 2019 This decrease in weekend pediatric rearm-related injuries and fatalities appears to be larger instates without Safe Storage laws Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that public health measuresadopted in response to COVID-19 are associated with a decrease in pediatric rearm-related injuries andfatalities on weekends This pattern may be consistent with the likely increased presence of parents/guardiansin the home on weekends when compared with the pre-pandemic era, potentially limiting minors' access torearms Firearm-related violence may be stable during the pandemic on weekdays because youth are undersimilar levels of supervision whether in school prior to the pandemic or at home with a parent/guardianduring the pandemic Further investigation is needed to expand upon these results, delineate potential sub-group differences between various types of rearm-related injuries and fatalities (unintentional injuries,homicides, mass/school shootings, or suicides), and follow these trends while pandemic-related policiesremain in place Our ndings may help inform physician counseling strategies for injury prevention andsuggest future directions for advocacy and research
Are You There

With or without cameras on, my students always feel out of reach to me. There is a screen--and a few boroughs, in some cases even states or countries--between us. I can’t tell how they’re feeling; I can’t watch their faces or their hands as they work on a piece for our writing class. The whole enterprise has started to feel epistolary. I am never sure if my recipient is going to respond, or if they’ve even received what I’ve sent them. I leave comments that may or may not be read. I send emails that sit in student inboxes, stacked between hundreds of others. In Zoom class, every question I ask feels like a million questions, and a gamble: Will you respond aloud, or will I see a response pop up in the chat? Do you need time to think? Is your internet slow? Are you there?
Machine learning methods for autism spectrum disorder classification

Abstract The use of AI-driven predictive models to identify patterns that can act as biomarkers for different neuropathological conditions is becoming highly prevalent. In particular, the recent advances in representation learning techniques provide unprecedented opportunities to understand, diagnose, and eventually treat a gamut of neurological conditions, including epilepsy, stroke, and autism. In this chapter, we consider the challenging problem of autism spectrum disorder classification using resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) measurements. While supervised learning methods provide a convenient way to build predictive functions that can identify specific signatures in rs-fMRI pertinent to different levels of severity, the key challenge is in modeling the complex spatiotemporal data (from brain networks) and leveraging the dependencies among patients in a population. In this context, graphs provide a powerful framework to address both these challenges and enable the design of sophisticated predictive modeling tools. The advances in graph signal analysis and the generalization of machine learning techniques, such as kernel methods and deep neural networks, to graphs, make them suitable for challenging diagnosis problems. In this chapter, we describe how graphs, either at patient level or population level, can be used to build predictive models. We present mathematical formulations, algorithmic solutions, and empirical studies to establish graph-based machine learning as an effective solution for autism diagnosis.
Impairments in odour detection and hedonic ratings of unpleasant smells in asymptomatic university students as SARS-Cov-2 emerged locally.

Sudden olfactory loss in the absence of concurrent nasal congestion is now a well-recognized symptom of COVID-19. We examined olfaction using standardized objective tests of odour detection, identification and hedonics collected from asymptomatic university students before and as SARS-CoV-2 emerged locally. Olfactory performance of students who were tested when the virus is known to be endemic (n = 22) was compared to students tested in the month prior to viral circulation (n = 25), a normative sample assessed during the previous 4 years (n = 272) and those tested in prior years during the same time period. Analyses showed significantly reduced odour detection for the virus exposed cohort compared to students tested before (t = 2.60; P = .01; d = 0.77; CI 0.17, 1.36) and to the normative sample (D = 0.38; P = .005). Odour identification scores were similar, but the exposed cohort rated odours as less unpleasant (P < .001, CLES = 0.77). Hyposmia increased 4.4-fold for students tested 2 weeks before school closure (N = 22) and increased 13.6-fold for students tested in the final week (N = 11). While the unavailability of COVID-19 testing is a limitation, this naturalistic study demonstrates week-by-week increase in hyposmia in asymptomatic students as a virus was circulating on campus, consistent with increasing airborne viral loads. The specific hedonic deficit in unpleasantness appraisal suggests a deficit in the TAAR olfactory receptor class, which conveys the social salience of odours. Assessment of odour detection and hedonic ratings may aid in early detection of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic persons.
Surgical management of transvenous lead-induced tricuspid regurgitation in adult and pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of surgical management of lead-induced tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in patients with congenital heart disease. METHODS We analyzed data of 54 consecutive patients who underwent tricuspid valve (TV) surgery from 1998 to 2015 for lead-induced TR. Primary end points, including mortality, TV reinterventions, and longitudinal TR measurements, were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method or with repeated measures proportional odds modeling. RESULTS The median age of patients was 48.2 years (interquartile range, 37.3-59.0 years); 31 (57.4%) were female; 2 (3.7%) were children. Thirty patients (55.6%) underwent TV repair and 24 (44.4%) had replacement, and 52 underwent concomitant cardiac procedures. Thirty-day mortality was 1.9% (repair: 3.3%, replacement: 0.0%). Five-year survival was 80.4% overall and 79.7% and 81.4% for the repair and replacement groups, respectively. In response to surgery, TR improved in both groups (each P < .001) but more with replacement than repair (P < .001); longitudinal analysis showed that TR trends observed early on favoring replacement were sustained across follow-up (P < .001). The model-estimated risk of moderate or severe TR at 5-year follow-up, conditional on having severe preoperative TR, was 74.4% for the repair and 10.7% for the replacement group. Five-year cumulative risk of TV reintervention was comparable for valve repair and replacement. CONCLUSIONS Despite the need for concomitant cardiac procedures in most of the patients, early mortality was low after TV surgery. Survival and rate of TV reintervention were comparable for the repair and replacement groups. However, TV repair was associated with progressive TR during intermediate follow-up, especially in patients with severe preoperative TR.
Euclidean Twistor Unification.

Taking Euclidean signature space-time with its local Spin(4)=SU(2)xSU(2) group of space-time symmetries as fundamental, one can consistently gauge one SU(2) factor to get a chiral spin connection formulation of general relativity, the other to get part of the Standard Model gauge fields. Reconstructing a Lorentz signature theory requires introducing a degree of freedom specifying the imaginary time direction, which will play the role of the Higgs field. To make sense of this one needs to work with twistor geometry, which provides tautological spinor degrees of freedom and a framework for relating by analytic continuation spinors in Minkowski and Euclidean space-time. It also provides internal U(1) and SU(3) symmetries as well as a simple construction of the degrees of freedom of a Standard Model generation of matter fields. In this proposal the theory is naturally defined on projective twistor space rather than the usual space-time, so will require further development of a gauge theory and spinor field quantization formalism in that context.
Fatigue crack growth from narrow-band Gaussian spectrum loading in 6063 aluminum alloy

Constant amplitude and narrow-band Gaussian loadings are applied to extruded 6063 aluminum crack-growth specimens in an effort to characterize the effective stress intensity levels during random loading. Crack-growth rates are determined for constant amplitude loadings at stress ratios (R) of 0.09, 0.3 and 0.5, and for a variable amplitude loading simulated to match a narrow-band Gaussian spectrum. Crack-opening stress levels measured by the compliance method during the constant amplitude loading are found to differ substantially for -T5 and -T6 heat treatments due to a change from intergranular to transgranular crack growth. Crack-opening load ratios correlate well with the maximum applied stress intensity factor, K{sub max}, for the -T5 material. The K{sub max} dependence leads to an effective halving of the crack-growth exponent. Calculated variable amplitude lives are much shorter when this correlation is taken into account (an acceleration effect) and show a greater difference between loading blocks condensed by racetrack filtering at threshold levels of two and four standard deviations, similar to what was observed in the tests. Crack-opening-load measurements in one specimen with the narrow-band Gaussian (variable amplitude) loading failed to detect any closure. A substantial difference in the closure behavior of nominally identical R = .3 tests indicatesmore » that closure may occur irregularly in the extruded aluminum. Calculated crack-growth lives, assuming no closure in the variable amplitude tests, are much shorter than the test results. Including closure in the variable amplitude loadings greatly improves the predictions. 14 refs., 16 figs.« less
Purification, Stability, and Composition of Formyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase from Clostridium thermoaceticum

Abstract Formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase has been purified to near homogeneity from the thermophile, Clostridium thermoaceticum, as judged from sedimentation velocity, amino-terminal analysis, and electrophoresis. The enzyme is exceptionally stable at high temperatures, especially at pH 7.0. Ammonium or potassium ions enhance its stability between pH 6 to 9. These ions are not required for activity, however. There is little or no carbohydrate or lipid present in the enzyme. The partial specific volume calculated from the amino acid composition is 0.747 cc per g. The thermostable formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase isolated from C. thermoaceticum is somewhat more hydrophobic than the similar enzyme isolated from two mesophilic Clostridia. Although the difference in hydrophobicity is small, it may explain the higher thermal stability of the enzyme from C. thermoaceticum.
Binary Stars in the Era of Space age Astronomy

I discuss advances made in the study of binary stars during the last two decades with the advent of new technologies, orbiting observatories, and multi-frequency coordinated programs. The study of binaries and, in particular, interacting binaries provides insights into nearly all realms of astrophysics — including stellar interiors and atmospheres, stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, plasma physics, accretion processes, magnetic dynamos, and relativistic physics, to name a partial list. Moreover, the study of extragalactic, interacting binaries now makes it possible to explore stellar structure and evolution in galaxies with evolutionary and chemical histories vastly different from our own galaxy. Extragalactic binaries are beginning to play an important role in cosmology as primary distance indicators.
Activation of Succinate Dehydrogenase by FMNH2 and by Photoreduction

Abstract Reports in the literature have indicated that the fumarate reductase activity of succinate dehydrogenase, as measured by the fumarate-FMNH2 assay, is not influenced by the state of activation of the enzyme. This conclusion was based on the observation that the activity in the fumarate reductase assay, measured at 15°, where significant activation by succinate or malonate is not observed, was the same whether the enzyme was fully activated or essentially in the deactivated state. It is shown in the present paper that under the conditions of the fumarate-FMNH2 assay full activation of succinate dehydrogenase occurs even at 15°. The activating agent responsible is the reduced flavin, which acts as electron donor in this assay. Flavin mononucleotide, reduced by light-EDTA, causes full activation, but the energy of activation for the process is 17 Cal per mole, a value much lower than that characterizing activation by substrates, competitive inhibitors, or reduced coenzyme Q10. Light irradiation of the purified soluble enzyme in the presence of EDTA but without added flavin also causes complete activation.
3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl (Npys) group. A novel selective protecting group which can be activated for peptide bond formation.

The novel 3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl (Npys) group, which is useful for the protection and the activation of amino and hydroxyl groups for peptide synthesis, is reported. The Npys group is readily introduced by treatment of amino acids with 3-nitro-2-pyridinesulfenyl chloride. The Npys group is easily removed by treatment with very dilute HCl, e.g. 0.1-0.2 N HCl in dioxane, but is is resistant to trifluoroacetic acid and 88% formic acid. Npys is also selectively removed under neutral conditions using triphenylphosphine or 2-pyridinethiol 1-oxide without affecting benzyloxycarbonyl (Z), tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc), 2-(4-biphenylyl)propyl(2)oxycarbonyl (Bpoc), 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc), benzyl (Bzl) or tert-butyl (tBu) protecting groups. The N-Npys and O-Npys groups when activated in the presence of RCOOH by the addition of tertiary phosphine form peptide or ester bonds via oxidation-reduction condensation. The important features of the Npys group are demonstrated through the synthesis of peptides in solution and by solid phase methodology without a formal deprotection procedure. In solid phase synthesis, 4-(Npys-oxymethyl) phenylacetic acid is used as the key intermediate for the introduction of the trifluoroacetic acid resistant 4-(oxymethyl) phenylacetamido linking group to the resin.
Prognostic value of cardiac troponin T after noncardiac surgery: 6-month follow-up data.

Objectives. We sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of cardiac troponin T (TnT) serum levels after noncardiac surgery. Background. Cardiac TnT has been found to be a marker for myocardial injury, but elevations of TnT are common in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery without clinical evidence of severe ischemia. Methods. We studied 772 patients who underwent major noncardiac procedures and did not have major cardiovascular complications during their inpatient course. Total serum creatine kinase (CK) and cardiac TnT were measured according to a protocol that included sampling in the recovery room and during the next 2 days. A 6-month follow-up interview was performed for 722 (94%) of the patients. Results. Elevated cardiac TnT and CK-MB results were detected for 92 (12%) and 211 (27%) patients, respectively. During the follow-up period, there were 19 (2.5%) major cardiac complications, including 14 cardiac deaths, 3 nonfatal myocardial infarctions and 2 admissions for unstable angina. Compared with patients with cardiac TnT values 0.1 ng/ml was an independent correlate of cardiac events (adjusted odds ratio 4.6, p < 0.05). This correlation was a function of the relation of elevated TnT levels with postoperative in-hospital congestive heart failure and new sustained arrhythmias, suggesting that elevated postoperative TnT levels detected myocardial ischemia during these clinical events. Conclusions. We conclude that an abnormal TnT level in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery may be a useful marker of ischemic disease and a predictor of 6-month prognosis. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1241–5)
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

With mortgage foreclosure rates at an all time high and more than one-million Americans expected to file bankruptcy in 2008, it is safe to conclude that many Americans have overextended themselves with debt. This study tests the hypothesis that many Americans do not have the knowledge, skills or habits essential for effective management of personal finances. This investigation seeks to determine the reasons for financial misconduct and to discover measures that will assist college students in improving financial management practices. JEL: D14
Traceability in the meat, poultry and seafood industries.

Abstract: Traceability is important in maintenance of food safety and quality at each stage of the food supply chain, particularly in identification of contamination sources and routes in meat, poultry and seafood. There are a variety of identification techniques for individual animals, batches of similar sources and for types of products. Each species has unique harvesting, processing, storage and distribution characteristics which influence identification methods and subsequent systems for tracking information to end users and tracing information back to source. Record keeping and data management are key components of a successful traceability system. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is often used for pallet, case and individual package identification and tracing, but bar coding and quick response technologies are being integrated into some production and marketing schemes for inventory control and the conveying of desired information to processors and consumers. Systems using multiple flexible reading and recording technologies and centralized internet data access allow the many different components in the meat, poultry and seafood industries to be linked together.
Self‐Directed Teacher Learning in Collaborative Contexts

Two related case studies of secondary mathematics teachers examine the roles and conditions helpful in initiating, directing, and/or supporting teachers' own professional development. Using multiple data sources from school-based and professional settings, we applied analytic induction to identify patterns of similarities and differences in teachers' experiences and developmental trajectories. Findings revealed how the teachers served as brokers in their own development process and how attitude, attention, and awareness played important roles in teacher learning. As the teachers initiated learning processes, they demonstrated awareness of broader educational contexts that support learning by identifying external policies and priorities that aligned with teachers' attitudes. They then used these external priorities as boundary objects to broker for teachers' learning, including other teachers' learning. They attended to learning needs in directing a plan for learning activities, rather than using externally mandated goals for changing practice (e.g., an external focus on improving students' tests scores). These cases suggest that in structuring professional learning, opportunities to self-identify learning needs should be part of the process, and external supports can become more powerful when teachers play a brokering role in relating these supports to their immediate contexts. Further implications for professional development processes are explored.
Simultaneous Techniques Including Analysis of Gaseous Products

The concept of concurrently using two or more techniques of thermal analysis on a single substance has been promoted by advances in microprocessor control. This has made it possible to program and collect the data and process the information in many ways. Strictly speaking, the nomenclature “simultaneous” applied in such circumstance is not always correct. The mass change in thermogravimetry (TG) is generally the first signal received. The signal from the differential thermal analysis (DTA) probe will be received a little later as the heat has to diffuse through the sample and the crucible before reaching the sensing thermocouple. The sample is defined as the material (usually a solid) under investigation. Likewise, in evolved gas analysis (EGA), the gases are sampled but it then takes a finite time for the gas to be analyzed. In the mass spectrometer, there is an interface to allow the gas to be analyzed. In gas chromatography (GC), the signal of gas analysis takes considerable time to process, and consequently the gas analysis signal is intermittent and not received in “real time.” In common with all other thermal analysis techniques, the following parameters must be considered: the sample characteristics, its mass, the sample holder, the temperature range for study, the rate of heating, and the atmosphere. It must be remembered that a single thermal analysis method may not give the investigator sufficient information. Thus DTA will indicate if a transformation is exothermic or endothermic. It needs thermogravimetric analysis to indicate if there is mass change as well as gas analysis to identify any gaseous products involved. Although “simultaneous techniques” is the approved term used by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the recommended nomenclature for such simultaneous techniques is to use a hyphen to separate the two techniques, e.g., TG-DSC. This has led to such techniques being called “hyphenated” techniques. Keywords: thermal gravimetry; differential thermal analysis; principles; practical aspects; simultaneous techniques; commercial equipment; gas analysis; gas chromatography; infrared spectrometry; method automation; disadvantages
Parallel FETI-DP for efficient EM analysis of general objects and antenna arrays

An efficient parallelization of the dual-primal finite-element tearing and interconnecting algorithm (FETI-DP) is presented for large-scale electromagnetic simulations. To reduce global reductions, iterative solvers with an iterating classical Gram-Schmidt (ICGS) scheme and a communication-avoiding (CA) approach are respectively implemented for the interface problem and the coarse corner problem. Based on the sparse pattern of the coarse system, a sparse preconditioner is developed to improve the convergence rate of the iterative solution. Two numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the scalability and capability of the method for modeling of general objects and antenna arrays.
Silver-perovskite composite SOFC cathodes processed via mechanofusion

Abstract Atomized silver spheres (≈20–50 μm diameter) were coated with 1 μm thick layers of (La 0.6 Sr 0.4 ) 0.98 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3 or Sm 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3 via a mechanofusion dry processing method. The materials were subsequently assessed as solid oxide fuel cell cathodes on anode-supported YSZ electrolytes at 650–750 °C. The materials were subject to significant electrochemical conditioning during initial cell operation, and factors, such as temperature and operating voltage, affecting the conditioning rate are discussed. Post-conditioned power densities (at 0.7 V) were typically 550–650, 400–450 and 300–350 mW cm −2 at 750, 700 and 650 °C, respectively. Though power degradation rates of ≈7.5 and 4.5% (per 1000 h) were observed at 750 and 700 °C, respectively, no degradation was detected over almost 2000 h of testing at 650 °C.
Keratinocytes suppress transforming growth factor-β1 expression by fibroblasts in cultured skin substitutes

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 is a multipotent growth factor with an important role in tissue homeostasis. This growth factor regulates cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and differentiation, as well as extracellular matrix deposition. The temporal secretion and activation of latent TGF-beta1 is thus of major importance to physiological and pathological processes and in wound healing and tumour formation. Cultured skin substitutes, as used to treat extensive acute or chronic skin wounds, offer an attractive model to investigate cellular interactions in cytokine and growth factor expression and response in vitro. In the present investigation, expression of TGF-beta1 was analysed in keratinocyte, fibroblast and melanocyte monolayer cultures, as well as in the dermal vs. epidermal components of reconstituted human skin. Immunohistology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Northern blotting were used to demonstrate expression at the RNA and protein level. In the monolayer cultures, levels of TGF-beta1 synthesized by melanocytes were observed to be considerably elevated when compared with keratinocytes. Most TGF-beta1, however, was secreted by fibroblasts. The relative contribution of the epidermal and dermal components of the skin substitutes to overall TGF-beta1 levels was determined by comparing results obtained for either component in the presence and absence of fibroblasts and keratinocytes. From results obtained by ELISA it was apparent that TGF-beta1 levels generated predominantly by fibroblasts within the skin substitutes were greatly reduced over time in the presence of keratinocytes. Suppression of fibroblast TGF-beta1 expression in the presence of keratinocytes was also demonstrable at the RNA level by Northern blotting. Results obtained by immunohistochemistry suggest that most, if not all, of the growth factor was present in the latent form. It is therefore most likely that the observed effect results from a factor secreted by keratinocytes, which is capable of suppressing TGF-beta1 synthesis by fibroblasts. These results suggest that expression of TGF-beta1 by fibroblasts is downregulated by paracrine actions of keratinocytes in healing skin.
The opercular apparatus of salamanders

The primitive structure of the salamander otic capsule (exemplified by Hynobius) includes both operculum and columella in the fenestra vestibuli and connection of operculum with suprascapsular cartilage by an “opercularis” muscle formed by levator scapulae. Larvae of Hynobiidae, Ambystomatidae, and Salamandridae have early development of columella and stilus, which are used in sound transmission via the suspensorium until the development of the operculum and its muscular connection with the shoulder girdle at metamorphosis. Hynobiids and ambystomatids show parallel trends toward reduction or fusion of the operculum and widening of the attachment area of the levator scapulae on the suprascapular cartilage, and some members of both families have lost the operculum. The Salamandridae have lost columella and stilus as adult structures, but extend the attachment of levator scapulae ventrally by a division resulting in attachment to the scapulocoracoid, probably as an adaptation for better reception and transmission of sound vibrations in terrestrial environments. The Plethodontidae differ strikingly in otic structure from the other families in having an operculum present in the larval stage and fused to columella, and in utilization of part of the cucullaris major as an “opercularis” muscle. These changes are probably the result of changes in orientation of the fenestra vestibuli. In plethodontids with aquatic larval stages the columella is retained as a sound-transmitting element, but in many specialized forms it is reduced or absent. Close correlation of otic structures with ecology limits their use as evolutionary indicators in salamanders. However, the general pattern of otic structures in salamanders, and the magnitude of differences in this region seen in plethodontids, indicates that the latter are probably not derived from the salamandrids, but from a primitive salamander stock.