cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Profile Journals Not Worth the Trouble

Raff, Johnson, and Walter (“Painful publishing,” Letters, 4 July, p. [36][1]) make some excellent points about how peer reviewers for journals should conduct themselves. There is a fine line between being too demanding by requiring a lot of extra work and making sure a paper with important results gets out to the scientific public in a timely way. In my laboratory, there is no pressure to publish in journals like Science , Nature , or Cell because we simply do not send our manuscripts to them anymore, no matter how important or high-impact we think the work may be. We have found that there is an excellent group of other, first-line journals of cell biology for which we do not need to subject ourselves to the type of competition required for publication in these three journals. When I have served on peer-review panels, I have fought against the common practice of relating grant awards to publication in high-profile journals such as Science , Nature , and Cell . It is the impact and importance of the work that matters (thereby requiring the peer reviewers to read the applicant's papers quite thoroughly), not where the work is published. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.321.5885.36a
Spatial and Temporal Variability of the M2 Internal Tide Generation and Propagation on the Oregon Shelf

AbstractA 1-km-horizontal-resolution model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System is implemented along the Oregon coast to study average characteristics and intermittency of the M2 internal tide during summer upwelling. Wind-driven and tidally driven flows are simulated in combination, using realistic bathymetry, atmospheric forcing, and boundary conditions. The study period is April through August 2002, when mooring velocities are available for comparison. Modeled subtidal and tidal variability on the shelf are in good quantitative agreement with moored velocity time series observations. Depth-integrated baroclinic tidal energy flux (EF), its divergence, and topographic energy conversion (TEC) from the barotropic to baroclinic tide are computed from high-pass-filtered, harmonically analyzed model results in a series of 16-day time windows. Model results reveal several “hot spots” of intensive TEC on the slope. At these locations, TEC is well balanced by EF divergence. Changes in background stratific...
High-Technology Industries and Market Structure

This is a review of various economic phenomenon that are important in high-technology industries, such as personalization of products and pricing, versioning, bundling, switching costs, lock-in, economics of scale, network eects, complements and computer-mediated contracts. Most of these forces tend to point towards higher industry concentration rations for technology-intensive industries.
Gene transfer in human vestibular epithelia and the prospects for inner ear gene therapy.

Transfer of exogenous genetic material into the mammalian inner ear using viral vectors has been characterized over the last decade. A number of different viral vectors have been shown to transfect the varying cell types of the nonprimate mammalian inner ear. Several routes of delivery have been identified for introduction of vectors into the inner ear while minimizing injury to existing structures and at the same time ensuring widespread distribution of the agent throughout the cochlea and the rest of the inner ear. These studies raise the possibility that gene transfer may be developed as a potential strategy for treating inner ear dysfunction in humans. Furthermore, a recent report showing successful transfection of excised human vestibular epithelia offers proof of principle that viralgene transfer is a viable strategy for introduction andexpression of exogenous genetic material to restore function to the inner ear. Human vestibular epithelia were harvested from patients undergoing labyrinthectomy, either for intractable Meniere's disease or vestibular schwannoma resection, and cultured for as long as 5 days. In those experiments, recombinant, multiply-deleted, replication-deficient adenoviral vectors were used to transfect and express a reporter gene as well as the functionally relevant gene, wild-type KCNQ4, a potassium channel gene that when mutated causes the autosomal dominant HL DFNA2. Here, we review the current state of viral-mediated gene transfer in the inner ear and discuss different viral vectors, routes of delivery, and potential applications of gene therapy. Emphasis is placed on experiments demonstrating viral transfection of human inner ear tissue and implications of these findings and for the future of gene therapy in the human inner ear.
A simple fixed-lag algorithm for tracking frequency rate-of-change

A family of simple fixed-lag frequency smoothing algorithms which provide good estimates of both frequency and frequency rate-of-change is reported. The smoothers were developed from a fixed-gain alpha beta tracker by replacing the recursive derivative estimator with a finite-impulse-response (FIR) differentiator. Simulation results are presented which show that the smoothing algorithms provide frequency estimates with a similar variance to those produced by the alpha beta filter but with greatly improved frequency-rate estimates. The smoothing algorithms and the alpha beta filter are also compared on the basis of the bias and delay introduced in the frequency-rate estimates. Although the results presented are for frequency estimation, the smoothing algorithms can be used in any single-input tracking application where some lag in the estimates is allowable. >
Evolution of a Regulated Operon in the Laboratory

The evolution of new metabolic functions is being studied in the laboratory using the EBG system of E. coli as a model system. It is demonstrated that the evolution of lactose utilization by lacZ deletion strains requires a series of structural and regulatory gene mutations. Two structural gene mutations act to increase the activity of ebg enzyme toward lactose, and to permit ebg enzyme to convert lactose into allolactose, an inducer of the lac operon. A regulatory mutation increases the sensitivity of the ebg repressor to lactose, and permits sufficient ebg enzyme activity for growth. The resulting fully evolved ebg operon regulates its own expression, and also regulates the synthesis of the lactose permease.
Single Cell Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells: Transcriptional Heterogeneity and Diversity from Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Background: To improve cancer therapy, it is critical to target metastasizing cells. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells found in the blood of patients with solid tumors and may play a key role in cancer dissemination. Uncovering CTC phenotypes offers a potential avenue to inform treatment. However, CTC transcriptional profiling is limited by leukocyte contamination; an approach to surmount this problem is single cell analysis. Here we demonstrate feasibility of performing high dimensional single CTC profiling, providing early insight into CTC heterogeneity and allowing comparisons to breast cancer cell lines widely used for drug discovery. Methodology/Principal Findings: We purified CTCs using the MagSweeper, an immunomagnetic enrichment device that isolates live tumor cells from unfractionated blood. CTCs that met stringent criteria for further analysis were obtained from 70% (14/20) of primary and 70% (21/30) of metastatic breast cancer patients; none were captured from patients with nonepithelial cancer (n=20) or healthy subjects (n=25). Microfluidic-based single cell transcriptional profiling of 87 cancerassociated and reference genes showed heterogeneity among individual CTCs, separating them into two major subgroups, based on 31 highly expressed genes. In contrast, single cells from seven breast cancer cell lines were tightly clustered together by sample ID and ER status. CTC profiles were distinct from those of cancer cell lines, questioning the suitability of such lines for drug discovery efforts for late stage cancer therapy. Conclusions/Significance: For the first time, we directly measured high dimensional gene expression in individual CTCs without the common practice of pooling such cells. Elevated transcript levels of genes associated with metastasis NPTN, S100A4, S100A9, and with epithelial mesenchymal transition: VIM, TGFs1, ZEB2, FOXC1, CXCR4, were striking compared to cell lines. Our findings demonstrate that profiling CTCs on a cell-by-cell basis is possible and may facilitate the application of ‘liquid biopsies’ to better model drug discovery.
The Diverse Roles of Mast Cells

In this issue, Matsumoto et al. ([1][1]) report that histamine exocytosed from brain mast cells (MCs) after activation by antigenic cross-linking of the high affinity IgE receptor (FceRI) acts via Hl receptors at the hypothalamus to elicit corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). These findings reveal
Photofragmentation as a Probe of Electron Thermalization in Size-Selected Cluster Anions

The localization of electrons in liquids has fascinated chemists for over one hundred years beginning with the early work on the metal ammonia solutions and later with electrons in rare gases and a variety of solvents. These systems represent a class of liquids where an excess electron is not associated with a specific molecular framework, but is physically stabilized by the medium. Early efforts by Ogg1 captured the essence of the localization phenomenon using simple considerations of the trade-off between salvation energy, which tends to localize the excess charge, and the zero point energy of the localized system, which tends to favor delocalization. These ideas were extended and clarified by Jortner2 in the 1960’ s, and more recent calculations have been carried out on the molecular level using quantum path integral methods by several groups.3-8. While it should be noted that the cavity interpretation is not embraced by all workers in this area, the qualitative cavity idea is basically born out by recent theory, and the electron in water has a spatial extent of about 3 A9. Since the excess electron is localized by interaction with the medium, the extent of the medium would appear to influence the degree of localization. It has been of particular interest to establish if the cavity or “internal” states are indeed stable in small particles where surface binding can provide an alternative means of trapping the charge. Landman has recently considered electron binding onto a dielectric sphere, for example, and reported analytical results for the delocalization of a 1 s type orbital as the radius of the sphere is reduced. Landman continued this work to simulate the behavior of “molecular” water clusters, where the delocalization of the charge is evident as the cluster size is decreased down to the dimer, where the electron is barely bound by the combined dipoles of the two water monomers.
Modulation of the Lung Inflammatory Response to Serotype 8 Pneumococcal Infection by a Human Immunoglobulin M Monoclonal Antibody to Serotype 8 Capsular Polysaccharide

The human monoclonal antibody to serotype 8 pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide D11 [immunoglobulin M(κ)] protects wild-type and complement component 4 knockout (C4 KO) mice against lethal intratracheal challenge with serotype 8 pneumococcus, but it does not promote polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-mediated pneumococcal killing in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effect of D11 on the blood and lung bacterial burdens and the serum and lung expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines in an intratracheal challenge model with serotype 8 pneumococcus in C4 KO mice. Pneumococcus was not detected in the blood of D11-treated mice, whereas control mice had high-grade bacteremia with >107 CFU. Control mice had a >5-log increase in lung CFU and D11-treated mice manifested a nearly 3-log increase in lung CFU compared to the original inoculum 24 h after infection. Serum and lung levels of soluble macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) and interleulin-6 (IL-6) as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were lower in D11-treated mice than in control mice 24 h after infection. Real-time PCR was performed to examine lung mRNA chemokine and cytokine expression. The results showed that D11-treated mice had significantly less gamma interferon, MIP-2, IL-12, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1/JE, and tumor necrosis factor alpha expression than control mice 24 h after infection. Histopathology and immunohistochemical staining of lung tissues revealed that D11-treated mice had less inflammation, fewer PMNs, and less myeloperoxidase staining than control mice 24 h after infection. These findings suggest that the efficacy of certain serotype-specific antibodies against pneumococcal pneumonia could be associated with modulation of the lung inflammatory response and a reduction in host damage.
When the Perpetrator Gets Killed: Effects of Observing the Death of a Handgun User in a Televised Public Service Announcement

This study evaluates the cognitive effects of an anti–handgun violence public service announcement (PSA) on sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students (N = 294). Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group, which viewed a PSA depicting the death of an aggressive handgun user, or a comparison group, which viewed identical content except that the PSA showed no negative consequence for the handgun user. Logistic regression analysis, adjusting for race and gender, revealed that the treatment group was more likely to report negative expected outcomes for aggressively using a handgun and lower behavioral intentions to aggressively use a handgun compared with the comparison group. These findings suggest that observing handgun violence on television that depicts death as a negative physical consequence for the perpetrator may produce lower handgun-encouraging beliefs compared with observing no consequence for the perpetrator—the norm for most televised violence today.
Make Life Beautiful! The Diabolic in the Work of Isa Genzken (A Tour through Berlin, Paris, and New York)*

Subtle gray gradations—dove, ash, lead, silver, pewter—tinged with brown or blue, marked by wooden molds, speckled and streaked with uneven sediment, pockmarked with air pockets: Isa Genzken’s concrete sculptures of 1986‐90 exploit the irregularities of the material, further exacerbating its grittiness with raw edges and uneven horizontal breaks. Titles like Zimmer, Saal, Halle, Kirche, Hochhaus, Korridor, Welle, and Buhne demonstrate that Genzken’s reference points are clearly architectural, though the roughly model-scaled works seldom mimic the morphology of specific architectural typologies. With the exception of a few early examples, the rectilinear structures in Genzken’s works are never sealed or solid but instead roofless walls that delineate space. Breaks in the outer walls reveal dark corridors and niches partially lit by slanting rays that snag on concrete ridges. The pieces are lifted on their bases to eye level, and the viewer’s wandering gaze navigates those corridors and occasionally encounters corners that cannot be turned. The pleasures of parallax are economically produced, as a walk around the sculpture opens up new lines of sight previously unmappable. Much like the different pourings of cement that make up the structures, or like their compositional compounds, layers of often conflicting references settle and aggregate in these concrete sculptures. The hulking masses conjure derelict and dimly lit housing projects and bombed-out buildings. (Genzken does not shy from explicit content or associative properties.1 She one-ups her Minimalist forebears, whose polished metal cubes and tiles look designed and hermetically sealed
Foresighted Resource Reciprocation Strategies in P2P Networks

We consider peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, where multiple peers are interested in sharing content. While sharing resources, autonomous and self-interested peers need to make decisions on the amount of their resource reciprocation (i.e. representing their actions) such that their individual rewards are maximized. We model the resource reciprocation among the peers as a stochastic game and show how the peers can determine their optimal strategies for the actions using a Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework. The optimal strategies determined based on MDP enable the peers to make foresighted decisions about resource reciprocation, such that they can explicitly consider both their immediate as well as future expected rewards. To successfully formulate the MDP framework, we propose a novel algorithm that efficiently identifies the state transition probabilities using representative resource reciprocation models of peers. Simulation results show that the proposed approach based on the reciprocation models can effectively cope with a dynamically changing environment of P2P networks. Moreover, we show that the foresighted decisions lead to the best performance in terms of the cumulative expected rewards.
Longer term effects of total knee arthroplasty from a national longitudinal study.

Objective: This study used data for 1996-2010 from a U.S. longitudinal sample of elderly individuals from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) merged with Medicare claims data to assess changes in several dimensions of physical functioning and general health up to 68 months following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) receipt. Method: Using propensity score matching, we assessed outcomes at follow-up for Medicare beneficiaries receiving TKA and a comparable group of beneficiaries with the same osteoarthritis diagnoses (controls). Results: Receipt of TKA was most often associated with improvements in physical functioning, especially in physical functioning measures most directly related to the knee. General health of TKA recipients only improved relative to controls on 1 of the 3 study general health measures. Discussion: Improvements in physical functioning of TKA recipients persisted in this longer term analysis of outcome in a nationally representative population study.
Deep sequencing of Porphyromonas gingivalis and comparative transcriptome analysis of a LuxS mutant

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major etiological agent in chronic and aggressive forms of periodontal disease. The organism is an asaccharolytic anaerobe and is a constituent of mixed species biofilms in a variety of microenvironments in the oral cavity. P. gingivalis expresses a range of virulence factors over which it exerts tight control. High-throughput sequencing technologies provide the opportunity to relate functional genomics to basic biology. In this study we report qualitative and quantitative RNA-Seq analysis of the transcriptome of P. gingivalis. We have also applied RNA-Seq to the transcriptome of a ΔluxS mutant of P. gingivalis deficient in AI-2-mediated bacterial communication. The transcriptome analysis confirmed the expression of all predicted ORFs for strain ATCC 33277, including 854 hypothetical proteins, and allowed the identification of hitherto unknown transcriptional units. Twelve non-coding RNAs were identified, including 11 small RNAs and one cobalamin riboswitch. Fifty-seven genes were differentially regulated in the LuxS mutant. Addition of exogenous synthetic 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD, AI-2 precursor) to the ΔluxS mutant culture complemented expression of a subset of genes, indicating that LuxS is involved in both AI-2 signaling and non-signaling dependent systems in P. gingivalis. This work provides an important dataset for future study of P. gingivalis pathophysiology and further defines the LuxS regulon in this oral pathogen.
The pediatric surgeon's road to research independence: utility of mentor-based National Institutes of Health grants.

Abstract Background The current research environment for academic surgeons demands that extramural funding be obtained. Financial support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is historically the gold standard for funding in the biomedical research community, with the R01 funding mechanism viewed as indicator of research independence. The NIH also supports a mentor-based career development mechanism (K-series awards) in order to support early-stage investigators. The goal of this study was to investigate the grants successfully awarded to pediatric surgeon-scientists and then determine the success of the K-series award recipients at achieving research independence. Methods In July 2012, all current members of the American Pediatric Surgery Association (APSA) were queried in the NIH database from 1988–2012 through the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools. The following factors were analyzed: type of grant, institution, amount of funding, and funding institute or center. Results Among current APSA members, there have been 83 independent investigators receiving grants, representing 13% of the current APSA membership, with 171 independent grants funded through various mechanisms. Six percent currently have active NIH funding, with $7.2 million distributed in 2012. There have been 28 K-series grants awarded. Of the recipients of expired K08 awards, 39% recipients were subsequently awarded an R01 grant. A total of 63% of these K-awarded investigators transitioned to an independent NIH award mechanism. Conclusions Pediatric surgeon-scientists successfully compete for NIH funding. Our data suggest that although the K-series funding mechanism is not the only path to research independence, over half of the pediatric surgeons who receive a K-award are successful in the transition to independent investigator.
Parenting stress in US families: implications for paediatric healthcare utilization.

Objective According to family stress models, parental responses to stress disrupt interactions between parent and child and may lead to parental inability to seek timely medical care for their child. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the relationship between high parenting stress and child healthcare utilization. Methods We used the 2003–2004 National Survey of Children's Health to determine the prevalence of parenting stress in US families and associated socio‐demographic variables. We used weighted logistic regression to investigate associations between parenting stress and healthcare utilization, controlling for other parental psychosocial and socio‐demographic variables. The primary independent variables were parenting stress, parental mental health, parental coping and social support. The main dependent variables were emergency care, sick visits to primary care and preventive care in the past 12 months. Results Nationally, 13% of children lived in households with at least one parent experiencing high parenting stress. Socio‐demographic variables associated with the highest odds of parenting stress included Black race, special needs status and non‐English primary language. Parents with high parenting stress had a higher odds (adjusted odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.41) of seeking emergency care for their children compared with parents with low parenting stress, controlling for other parental psychosocial factors and socio‐demographic variables. Conclusions Having a parent who is experiencing high parenting stress is associated with greater utilization of paediatric emergency care. Interventions targeted at parenting stress may provide families with needed support and reduce unnecessary emergency care utilization.
Improved weather-based late blight risk management: Comparing models with a ten year forecast archive

Agroecosystem decision support systems typically rely on some types of weather data. Although many new digital weather and forecast datasets are gridded data, the current authors feel that evaluating previous methods with data of increased archive length is critical in aiding the transition to new datasets that lack extensive archives. To that end, the present paper reviews the improvements made to an artificial neural network for forecasting weather-based potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) risk at 26 locations in the Great Lakes region. Accuracies of predictions made using an early model, developed in 2007, are compared with accuracies of predictions made using a new 10-year hourly optimized model. In nearly every comparison by month, forecast lead time and spatial region, the newly optimized model is more accurate, especially when the weather is conducive to high disease levels.
Multi-ordered posets.

Richard Stanley first introduced the idea of an r-di! erential poset in 1988. There are two well known types of di! erential posets: The first is the 1-di! erential poset of partitions called Young’s lattice and its generalization to the k-di! erential k-ribbon poset, and the second is the 1-di! erential Fibonacci lattice Z(1) and its generalization to the r-di! erential Fibonacci lattice Z(r). In this paper we define a new type of poset, called a doubly-ordered poset, for which the binary operation is a combination of two binary relations on a set. This result can be extended to a set with multiple relations, called a multi-ordered poset. This paper introduces the idea of an r-di! erential multi-ordered poset and provides an example of such a poset that is the analogue of Young’s lattice. This analogue satisfies virtually all of the properties of Stanley’s r-di! erential poset.
Occupational Sleep Medicine

Sleep and circadian rhythms significantly impact almost all aspects of human behavior and are therefore relevant to occupational sleep medicine, which is focused predominantly around workplace productivity, safety, and health. In this article, 5 main factors that influence occupational functioning are reviewed: (1) sleep deprivation, (2) disordered sleep, (3) circadian rhythms, (4) common medical illnesses that affect sleep and sleepiness, and (5) medications that affect sleep and sleepiness. Consequences of disturbed sleep and sleepiness are also reviewed, including cognitive, emotional, and psychomotor functioning and drowsy driving.
Different effects of gradual vs. acute adenine nucleotide depletion on ATP cost of muscle contraction.

ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) levels were chronically reduced in rat fast-twitch muscle by 40 and 87%, respectively, after rats were fed a diet containing 1% beta-guanidinopropionate (beta-GPA) for 9 wk. Myosin heavy chain distribution of superficial gastrocnemius muscle changed from 22:78% type IIA/type IIB in control to 39:61% in GPA-treated muscles. ATP cost of contractions was estimated from the PCr changes measured by gated 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance after brief (< 6 s) bursts of contractions. There was no significant change in the ATP cost of either twitch (0.3 mumol.g-1.twitch-1) or tetanic (2.5 mumol.g-1.100 ms tetanus-1) contractions in gastrocnemius muscle after chronic phosphagen depletion due to beta-GPA feeding. In two other groups of rats, ATP of gastrocnemius muscles was acutely depleted to inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP) by tetanic stimulation. IMP reanimation was inhibited during a subsequent 75-min recovery period in one group by hadacidin treatment (100 mg/kg), resulting in 46% ATP depletion compared with the similarly stimulated and recovered control group. In contrast to gradual ATP depletion due to beta-GPA feeding, this acute ATP depletion treatment was associated with a 39% decrease in ATP cost of twitch contractions.
No F****** Pink Ribbons: A Blog about One Asian American's Anger with Her Breast Cancer

This contribution to the special issue collects first-person blog entries that describe Jennifer Ho's experiences responding to her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. The personal accounts offer an accurate portrait of one Asian American woman grappling with the dis-ease of her disease. In her writings, Ho elaborates on how her personal experiences have impacted her understanding of theoretical practice and the politics of race, gender, and sexuality.
Photothermal inactivation of heat-resistant bacteria on nanoporous gold disk arrays

A rapid photothermal bacterial inactivation technique has been developed by irradiating near-infrared (NIR) light onto bacterial cells (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Exiguobacterium sp. AT1B) deposited on surfaces coated with a dense, random array of nanoporous gold disks (NPGDs). With the use of cell viability tests and SEM imaging results, the complete inactivation of the pathogenic and heat-resistant bacterial model strains is confirmed within ~25 s of irradiation of the NPGD substrate. In addition to irradiation control experiments to prove the efficacy of the bacterial inactivation, thermographic imaging showed an immediate averaged temperature rise above 200 °C within the irradiation spot of the NPGD substrate. The light-gated photothermal effects on the NPGD substrate offers potential applications for antimicrobial and nanotherapeutic devices due to strong light absorption in the tissue optical window, i.e., the NIR wavelengths, and robust morphological structure that can withstand high instantaneous thermal shocks.
An Approach To Self-Sealing Space Suit Design

This paper describes the results of an effort to determine appropriate math models for use in the design and optimization of self-sealing space suit components. Currently, NASA space suit pressure bladders are not self-sealing. Preliminary experiments demonstrated that a space suit component can self-seal after puncture if the pressure bladder incorporates appropriate layers of viscoelastic material. However, analytical models and optimization techniques have not yet been developed to enable further design work. Potentially applicable theories exist in the fields of polymer chemistry, elasticity, viscoelasticity, and finite element analysis. This paper discusses the applicability of each theory to the modeling of a punctured suit. The paper also describes the results of preliminary viscoelastic and finite element models to predict sealing performance. These models are quite simplistic. It is the authors’ aim to establish these models for computationally efficient function evaluations in an optimal design approach. Future efforts to increase model fidelity and optimize a design approach will also be described. The ultimate objective is to provide aerospace engineers with a functional design tool to optimize self-sealing suit components. This design strategy does not currently exist. If successfully developed, it could enhance the safety of human space operations.
Characterization of Maximin 3 Structure and Membrane Leakage

Maximin 3 is a 27 amino acid cationic antimicrobial peptide that is derived from the skin secretions of the toad Bombina maxima. Maximin 3 has strong activity against a variety of bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative), fungi, and viruses and is thought to cause toxicity by interaction with the plasma membrane. We previously quantified the binding affinity of Maximin 3 for lipid vesicles that mimic both bacterial and mammalian membranes and found that the peptide interacts more strongly with bacterial than mammalian models, in part due to the negative charge of these membranes.In our current work we used Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and fluorescence leakage assays to further characterize this interaction. Specifically, we found that the end-to-end distance of the peptide as determined by FRET is consistent with an extended α-helical conformation, both in solution and when bound to bacterial and mammalian model membranes. Under the same experimental conditions, we found that Maximin 3 is capable of inducing leakage of rhodamine from vesicles that mimic bacterial membranes. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the mechanism of Maximin 3 toxicity towards bacteria is due to a direct interaction between Maximin 3 and the outer or inner bacterial membrane. We further suggest that Maximin 3 adopts an extended α-helical conformation in the leakage-inducing state, though it is not yet clear if the peptide is monomeric or oligomeric under these conditions.
Intracellular evolution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the tragedy of the cytoplasmic commons

Mitochondria exist in large numbers per cell. Therefore, the strength of natural selection on individual mtDNAs for their contribution to cellular fitness is weak whereas the strength of selection in favor of mtDNAs that increase their own replication without regard for cellular functions is strong. This problem has been solved for most mitochondrial genes by their transfer to the nucleus but a few critical genes remain encoded by mtDNA. Organisms manage the evolution of mtDNA to prevent mutational decay of essential services mitochondria provide to their hosts. Bottlenecks of mitochondrial numbers in female germlines increase the homogeneity of mtDNAs within cells and allow intraorganismal selection to eliminate cells with low quality mitochondria. Mechanisms of intracellular "quality control" allow direct selection on the competence of individual mtDNAs. These processes maintain the integrity of mtDNAs within the germline but are inadequate to indefinitely maintain mitochondrial function in somatic cells.
Polarization dynamics in the mixed ferroelectric KTa 1 − x Nb x O 3 s

Mixed ferroelectrics exhibit unusual precursor effects. In ${\mathrm{KTa}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ , polar nanoregions have been shown to condense approximately 20 K above the transition for all Nb concentrations, 1.2%50%, as a result of medium-range collective interactions between Nb off-center ions. These interactions are also responsible for the observation of hysteresis loops in the polarization and dielectric nonlinearities far above the transition. In the present study we have identified three distinct polarization regimes: (1) dynamic and (2) quasistatic, both above the transition, and (3) static, below the transition. The first two regimes can be distinguished by the shape of the hysteresis loops, changing from oval to s shape, and by their frequency dependence. We have analyzed the harmonic content of the polarization response and show that the condensation of polar nanoregions coincide with the appearance of odd harmonics which are indicative of a nonlinear response. This is further supported by the observation of a nonlinear dielectric response that becomes progressively stronger with decreasing temperature below the condensation. We also show that there exists a direct relationship between dielectric and polarization response and that one can be calculated from the other. Finally, the low-frequency dynamics exhibited in the quasistatic range can be qualitatively explained by the strong interaction between neighboring off-center Nb ions within polar nanoregions and random interactions between these regions.
Post-biopsy intrarenal arteriovenous fistula.

AbstractWe present 5 cases of intrarenal arteriovenous fistulas after renal biopsy. Of these cases 3 followed percutaneous needle biopsy and 2 occurred after open renal biopsy. A nephrectomy was necessary in 1 patient to control the severe hypertension secondary to a hydronephrotic kidney and 1 patient required a partial nephrectomy to control marked hematuria.
Growth and Structure of (Tl,Bi,Pb)Sr2CaCu2OX Single Crystal

Crystal growth and structural analysis of (Tl,Bi,Pb)Sr2CaCu2Ox single crystals were performed. A single crystal with superconducting onset transition temperature of 85K was grown in a sealed gold tube by the slow-cooling method. The crystal structure was determined to be tetragonai(P4/mmm) with lattice constants of a=3.80A and c=12.09A. The refinement of the crystal structure was carried out based on the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data.
STRUCTURAL AND TAXONOMIC CORRELATES OF HABITAT SELECTION BY A PUERTO RICAN LAND SNAIL

Although terrestrial molluscs make important contributions to the taxonomic and functional diversity of tropical systems, little is known about their ecology. Caracolus caracolla is a large terrestrial snail, common in a wide variety of habitats on Puerto Rico, including the tabonuco rain forest. To determine if this snail exhibits habitat selection, we surveyed 19 taxonomic and structural attributes of the understory, as well as snail abundance, in 60 sites within the tabonuco rain forest during the dry season. Caracolus caracolla had a clumped spatial distribution, and was associated more often than expected by chance with the shrub, Piper glabrescens, and less often than expected on three other common understory plants. Although much of the variation in snail density (73.4%) appeared unrelated to habitat descriptors, patches of forest with abundant ground cover at 0.15 m or high plant apparency (foliar development) at 1.98 m harbored high snail densities. The spatial distribution of C. caracolla was linked to microhabitat conditions that reduce the likelihood of desiccation. We hypothesize that smaller snails occupy areas of the understory where the likelihood of desiccation is reduced, whereas larger individuals, less encumbered by physiological constraints related to desiccation, expand their niche to include upper reaches of the understory where they take advantage of additional resources and enhance the likelihood of mate encounter.
Surgery and the management of peripheral lung tumors adherent to the parietal pleura.

Among 37 patients with peripheral T3 lung lesions, preoperative clinical and imaging evidence was suggestive of T3 disease in 28 and of T2 disease in nine. Intraoperatively, the T2 designation was changed to T3 on the basis of adherence of the tumor to the parietal pleura. All had mediastinoscopy followed by resection and complete lymph node dissection. There were 17 lobectomies and 20 pneumonectomies. The chest wall was resected in continuity with the lung in 21 patients, and in 16 only an extrapleural resection was done. Follow-up was completed in all patients (range 2 to 14 years, median 7 years). The 5-year actuarial survival rate for all patients was 30 %. As expected, the presence of lymph node metastasis affected the 5-year actuarial survival rate: N0 = 41%; N1 = 29%, and N2 = 0%. Histologic examination of the resected specimen confirmed a T3 lesion in 30 patients. The tumor was removed completely in 100% of patients whose chest wall was resected in continuity with the lung but in only 31 % in whom an extrapleural resection was done. In the absence of lymph node metastasis, the 5-year survival rate of patients after en bloc resection of the chest wall was 50% compared with 33% for those with extrapleural resection (p horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;103:8—13)
Don't Forget Your Electricity Bills!: An Empirical Study of Characterizing Energy Consumption of 3D Printers

3D printing is an emerging technique in product manufacturing. Its applications have been expanding vastly in home-based production. Compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, such as Computerized Numeric Control (CNC) machine tools, it is believed that 3D printing is more cost-effective in fabricating personalized products. The product cost estimation in 3D printing mainly takes material expenditure into account, and extensive studies have been performed for reducing filament expense or development of recyclable filaments. However, electricity expenditure is another inevitable cost in the 3D printing process yet an omitted factor in the cost estimation. To this end, this paper introduces the first in-depth study to understand the energy consumption in 3D printing. Specifically, our study comprises of two parts. The first part quantifies both material and electricity use in the 3D printing, and find that the electricity takes upto 32% of the total cost. The second part characterizes the energy consumption and identifies the sensitivity of various parameters. We also share insights and potential solutions to optimize the power consumption of 3D printers.
Sequential anaerobic-aerobic biodegradation of emerging insensitive munitions compound 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO)

Insensitive munitions, such as 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO), are being considered by the U.S. Army as replacements for conventional explosives. Environmental emissions of NTO are expected to increase as its use becomes widespread; but only a few studies have considered the remediation of NTO-contaminated sites. In this study, sequential anaerobic-aerobic biodegradation of NTO was investigated in bioreactors using soil as inoculum. Batch bioassays confirmed microbial reduction of NTO under anaerobic conditions to 3-amino-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (ATO) using pyruvate as electron-donating cosubstrate. However, ATO biodegradation was only observed after the redox condition was switched to aerobic. This study also demonstrated that the high-rate removal of NTO in contaminated water can be attained in a continuous-flow aerated bioreactor. The reactor was first fed ATO as sole energy and nitrogen source prior to NTO addition. After few days, ATO was removed in a sustained fashion by 100%. When NTO was introduced together with electron-donor (pyruvate), NTO degradation increased progressively, reaching a removal efficiency of 93.5%. Mineralization of NTO was evidenced by the partial release of inorganic nitrogen species in the effluent, and lack of ATO accumulation. A plausible hypothesis for these findings is that NTO reduction occurred in anaerobic zones of the biofilm whereas ATO was mineralized in the bulk aerobic zones of the reactor.
Optimal Flight Planning for a Jet Aircraft

This chapter formulates a flight optimization problem to characterize the optimal flight of a jet aircraft subject to mission constraints and constraints that arise from the basic physics of flight of the aircraft. A hierarchical optimization approach is suggested: a flight plan is first developed, specified by way points and segments of helical paths between these waypoints, that meet the mission constraints; then an optimal steady flight problem is formulated and solved for each of the helical flight path segments. The required background in flight physics is summarized and optimal flight conditions for several categories of steady flight are described. Finally, a specific fuel optimal flight optimization problem for an example of a jet aircraft is introduced as a case study. The hierarchical optimization approach is followed and a fuel optimal flight plan is obtained and its flight performance is analyzed.
The Status of US Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Education in 2015–2016

Numerous graduate nursing programs have been established across the United States in the last 30 years or more to prepare nurses for the expanded role of the neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP). These programs were initially hospital-based certificate programs open to nurses with diplomas or associate’s degrees as well as those with bachelor’s degrees, and they ranged from 6 to 9 months in length, including didactic and clinical components. In the 1980s, these NNP programs moved into schools of nursing and became part of the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program with a prerequisite baccalaureate nursing degree and lasting 1 to 2 additional years. In the past decade, many colleges of nursing have taken the position that the knowledge required and the responsibilities assumed by NNPs (and all other advanced practice nurses) are more consistent with doctoral level preparation—specifically the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree—typically requiring 3 or more additional years of study after the baccalaureate. DNP programs for NNP preparation have now been established in several locations, sometimes replacing existing MSN programs. Due to concerns over closure of NNP programs and the changes related to DNP preparation, we surveyed the surviving NNP education programs that include both MSN and DNP degrees. We describe the status of these programs in 2015, along with challenges and barriers identified. We offer some strategies and responses to sustain the future of this important specialty nursing practice.
Synthetic Cannabinoids: A Summary of Selected Phenomena With Respect to Behavioral Pharmacology and Abuse Liability

Abstract Synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) are a large family of molecules that are functionally similar to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal psychoactive constituent found in cannabis. Each new SCB evolves with successive structural modifications while retaining cannabis-like psychoactive effects. As a result, new generations of SCBs have become an established part of the worldwide recreational drug landscape. The existing body of literature on the topic of SCBs as drugs of abuse is growing at an exponential rate, and a comprehensive review of all the literature would be beyond the scope of this chapter. Therefore, what follows is a summary of selected phenomena that have emerged in the cannabinoid literature with respect to the behavioral pharmacology, and abuse liability of SCBs. These phenomena include: (1) cannabinoid receptor subtype 1 (CB1) receptor-mediated characteristic tetrad effects (suppressed locomotion, antinociception, hypothermia, and catalepsy) in laboratory animals; (2) discriminative stimulus effects of SCBs relative to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol; and (3) tolerance and cross-tolerance to the effects of SCBs.
Rotavirus vaccine will have an impact in Asia

Carl Kirkwood and Duncan Steele discuss the evidence supporting rotavirus vaccine deployment in Asian countries.
Reducing medical-surgical inpatient falls and injuries with videos, icons and alarms

Inpatient falls and subsequent injuries are among the most common hospital-acquired conditions with few effective prevention methods.To evaluate the effectiveness of patient education videos and fall prevention visual signalling icons when added to bed exit alarms in improving acutely hospitalised medical-surgical inpatient fall and injury rates.Performance improvement study with historic control.Four medical-surgical units in one US public acute care hospital.Adult medical-surgical inpatients units.A 4 min video was shown to patients by trained volunteers. Icons of individual patient risk factors and interventions were placed at patients' bedsides. Beds with integrated three-mode sensitivity exit alarms were activated for confused patients at risk of falling.The main outcome measure is the incident rate per 1000 patient days (PDs) for patient falls, falls with any injury and falls with serious injury. The incident rate ratio (IRR) for each measure compared January 2009-September 2010 (baseline) with the follow-up period of January 2015-December 2015 (intervention).Falls decreased 20% from 4.78 to 3.80 per 1000 PDs (IRR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.96); falls with any injury decreased 40% from 1.01 to 0.61 per 1000 PDs (IRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.94); and falls with serious injury 85% from 0.159 to 0.023 per 1000 PDs (IRR 0.15, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.85). Icons were not fully implemented.The first known significant reduction of falls, falls with injury and falls with serious injury among medical-surgical inpatients was achieved. Patient education and continued use of bed exit alarms were associated with large decreases in injury. Icons require further testing. Multicentre randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of icons and video interventions and exit alarms.