cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treating a 20 mm Hg gradient alleviates myocardial hypertrophy in experimental aortic coarctation.

Abstract Background Children with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) can have a hyperdynamic and remodeled left ventricle (LV) from increased afterload. Literature from an experimental model suggests the putative 20 mm Hg blood pressure gradient (BPG) treatment guideline frequently implemented in CoA studies may permit irreversible vascular changes. LV remodeling from pressure overload has been studied, but data are limited following correction and using a clinically representative BPG. Materials and methods Rabbits underwent CoA at 10 weeks to induce a 20 mm Hg BPG using permanent or dissolvable suture thereby replicating untreated and corrected CoA, respectively. Cardiac function was evaluated at 32 weeks by magnetic resonance imaging using a spoiled cine GRE sequence (TR/TE/FA 8/2.9/20), 14 × 14-cm FOV, and 3-mm slice thickness. Images (20 frames/cycle) were acquired in 6-8 short axis views from the apex to the mitral valve annulus. LV volume, ejection fraction (EF), and mass were quantified. Results LV mass was elevated for CoA (5.2 ± 0.55 g) versus control (3.6 ± 0.16 g) and corrected (4.0 ± 0.44 g) rabbits, resulting in increased LV mass/volume ratio for CoA rabbits. A trend toward increased EF and stroke volume was observed but did not reach significance. Elevated EF by volumetric analysis in CoA rabbits was supported by concomitant increases in total aortic flow by phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusions The indices quantified trended toward a persistent hyperdynamic LV despite correction, but differences were not statistically significant versus control rabbits. These findings suggest the current putative 20 mm Hg BPG for treatment may be reasonable from the LV's perspective.
Task assignment optimization in geographically distributed data centers

Recent advance in geo-distributed systems has made distributed data processing possible, where tasks are decomposed into subtasks, deployed into multiple data centers and run in parallel. Compared to conventional approaches that process every task in a single datacenter resulting in high latency and large data aggregation, the geo-distributed cloud systems provide a highly available and more economic platform. However, distributed application (task) execution introduces extra cost and latency as data need to be exchanged between data centers. In addition, task dependency and diverse task constraints make it even more challenging to choose an appropriate task assignment strategy. In this paper, we discuss a task assignment problem in geographically distributed cloud systems. In light of growing demand from big data processing and storage, we consider data intensive tasks where a task often requires significant computing resources and its input data typically located in multiple data centers. By taking the distributed input, task dependency, heterogeneous pricing scheme, and resource constraints into account, we aim to optimize the performance when deploying tasks in geo-graphically distributed data centers. A heuristic algorithm is presented to provide an approximate solution to the proposed NP-hard problem. We perform an extensive simulation study to evaluate the performance of our solution under various settings. The simulation results demonstrate that our approach can outperform the state-of-the-art strategies, and achieve significant reduction in cost and latency.
Using heterostructural alloying to tune the structure and properties of the thermoelectric Sn1−xCaxSe

We grow and kinetically stabilize the isotropic rocksalt phase of SnSe thin films by alloying SnSe with CaSe. Thin polycrystalline films of the metastable heterostructural alloy Sn1−xCaxSe are synthesized by pulsed laser deposition on amorphous SiO2 over the entire composition range 0 < x < 1. We observe the theoretically-predicted, composition-driven change from a layered, orthorhombic structure to an isotropic, cubic structure near x = 0.18, in reasonable agreement with the theoretical value of x = 0.13 calculated from first principles. The optical band gap is highly non-linear in x and the trend agrees with theory predictions. Compared to the layered end-member SnSe, the isotropic alloy near the orthorhombic-to-rocksalt transition has a p-type electrical resistivity three orders of magnitude lower, and a thermoelectric power factor at least ten times larger. Thus manipulation of the structure of a functional material like SnSe via alloying may provide a new path to enhanced functionality, in this case, improved thermoelectric performance.
Abstract 20348: Persistent Perinatal Cardiomyocyte Hyperplasia is an Early Response in Severe Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects ~1 in 200 individuals. The majority of HCM results from mutations in either β-myosin heavy chain ( MYH7 ) or cardiac myosin binding protein C ( MYBPC3 ). The pathway(s) by which these mutations lead to HCM are poorly understood, but it is largely accepted that myocyte hypertrophy is responsible for cardiac enlargement. Mice lacking MyBP-C (MyBP-C -/- ) are normal at birth but rapidly develop severe HCM by postnatal day (PND) 9. The mechanism underlying the rapid transition from a morphologically normal heart to enlargement is not known. Methods & Results: Microarray revealed upregulation of cell cycling genes in cMyBP-C -/- vs. wild type (WT) mouse hearts at PND1 validated by qPCR. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased Ki-67, a cell cycling marker, in cMyBP-C -/- hearts at PND1 and 2. By PND9, cell cycling was not different and “hypertrophic cardiomyopathy” became the most differentially regulated pathway between the WT and cMyBP-C -/- hearts. Elevated cell cycling in cMyBP-C -/- hearts was coincident with an increased heart weight (HW) to body weight (BW) ratio at PND2, which preceded cellular hypertrophy. Heterozygotes (cMyBP-C +/- ) showed intermediate transcriptional activation of cell cycling pathways with no evidence of hyperplasia at PND2, and no activation of hypertrophic pathways or hypertrophy at PND9. Conclusions: The elevation in cardiomyocyte proliferation in cMyBP-C -/- vs WT mice, coincident with an increased HW to BW ratio, and occurring prior to the onset of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, suggests that a higher number of cardiomyocytes in cMyBP-C -/- hearts contributes to the hypertrophic phenotype. The graded differential gene expression in cMyBP-C +/- vs cMyBP-C -/- hearts may indicate a role for hyperplasia to impact the severity of HCM presentation. This may correlate with HCM in humans, where more severe manifestations occur in individuals homozygous for a single mutation, or in compound heterozygotes harboring two distinct mutations. In the immature heart, the interplay between hyperplasia and hypertrophy signaling could represent a novel early target for medical intervention.
Managing an Older Adult with Cancer: Considerations for Radiation Oncologists.

Older adults with cancer present a unique set of management complexities for oncologists and radiation oncologists. Prognosis and resilience to cancer treatments are notably dependent on the presence or risk of “geriatric syndromes,” in addition to cancer stage and histology. Recognition, proper evaluation, and management of these conditions in conjunction with management of the cancer itself are critical and can be accomplished by utilization of various geriatric assessment tools. Here we review principles of the geriatric assessment, common geriatric syndromes, and application of these concepts to multidisciplinary oncologic treatment. Older patients may experience toxicities related to treatments that impact treatment effectiveness, quality of life, treatment-related mortality, and treatment compliance. Treatment-related burdens from radiotherapy are increasingly important considerations and include procedural demands, travel, costs, and temporary or permanent loss of functional independence. An overall approach to delivering radiotherapy to an older cancer patient requires a comprehensive assessment of both physical and nonphysical factors that may impact treatment outcome. Patient and family-centered communication is also an important part of developing a shared understanding of illness and reasonable expectations of treatment.
An atomic-scale evaluation of the fracture toughness of silica glass

Using an atomistic technique consistent with continuum balance laws and drawing on classical fracture mechanics theory, we estimate the resistance to fracture propagation of amorphous silica. We discuss correspondence and deviations from classical linear elastic fracture mechanics theory including size dependence, rigid/floppy modes of deformation, and the effects of surface energy and stress.
A Deeper Look Into the Relationship Between House Advantage and Reel Slot Performance

Results from an international field study conducted on three different casino floors indicated significantly elevated win levels on reel slots with increased house advantages. This work extended th...
A polynomial time solution for protein chain pair simplification under the discrete fréchet distance

The comparison and simplification of polygonal chains is an important and active topic in many areas of research. In the study of protein structure alignment and comparison, a lot of work has been done using RMSD as the distance measure. This method has certain drawbacks, and thus recently, the discrete Frechet distance was applied to the problem of protein (backbone) structure alignment and comparison with promising results. Another important area within protein structure research is visualization, due to the number of nodes along each backbone. Protein chain backbones can have as many as 500~600 α -carbon atoms which constitute the vertices in the comparison. Even with an excellent alignment, the similarity of two polygonal chains can be very difficult to see visually unless the two chains are nearly identical. To address this issue, the chain pair simplification problem (CPS-3F) was proposed in 2008 to simultaneously simplify both chains with respect to each other under the discrete Frechet distance. It is unknown whether CPS-3F is NP -complete, and so heuristic methods have been developed. Here, we first define a version of CPS-3F, denoted CPS-3F+, and prove that it is polynomially solvable by presenting a dynamic programming solution. Then we compare the CPS-3F+ solutions with previous empirical results, and further demonstrate some of the benefits of the simplified comparison. Finally, we discuss future work and implications along with a web-based software implementation, named FPACT (The Frechet-based Protein Alignment & Comparison Tool), allowing users to align, simplify, and compare protein backbone chains using methods based on the discrete Frechet distance.
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Laser-Induced Structure Changes

We suppose that a body is solid when its shear viscosity, η, exceeds the somewhat arbitrarily chosen value of 1015 poise, at which the time constant for shear relaxation would be about one day. 1 At temperatures below its thermodynamic crystallization temperature, Tm, a fluid will solidify heterogeneously by growth from seed crystals, or “nuclei”, to a crystalline body. In this process η is increased discontinuously, by many orders of magnitude, with the advance of the crystal-fluid interface. Alternatively, the fluid may, under certain conditions, solidify homogeneously by the continuous increase of η with falling temperature (or increasing pressure) into the solid range. Experience shows that the temperature, Tg, at which this solidification occurs is always less than Tm and that the solid body formed is amorphous in structure. Amorphous solids can sometimes also form discontinuously by condensation of material from fluids onto substrates held at temperatures below Tg.
Multi-Agent Exploration for Faster and Reliable Deep Q-Learning Convergence in Reinforcement Learning

Function approximation based Q-learning, using deep q-learning has had recent extraordinary developments applicable to generalized applications. Many techniques have been introduced to counter the inherent caveats in using a deep neural network in reinforcement learning. We demonstrate the use of multi-agent virtual exploration integrated into existing algorithms to show better convergence property, and show how they can be applied as extensions to provide faster and better converged values.
A Social Network Analysis of Football - Evaluating Player and Team Performance

Audience engagement is key for broadcasting agencies, who purchase rights for huge sums of money for telecasting football. One way to do this, is to improve the overall quality of the pre-match and post-match analysis provided. Furthermore, analysis performed using sophisticated data driven approaches can also provide strategical advantages to teams. This work provides for novel techniques to predict and evaluate the performance of football teams and players based on the passing distribution statistics. The passing distributions data is mainly composed of how players successfully pass the ball around between each other which results in a goal or other events over the course of the game. Furthermore, this is the first work to use similarity analysis across teams to compare and evaluate teams.
Impact of Training and Practice Environment on Academic Productivity of Early Career Academic Neurosurgeons.

Background Factors affecting academic productivity of neurosurgeons are increasingly being studied. In the current investigation, we retrospectively reviewed a cohort of early career neurosurgeons to determine if their medical education, residency training, or academic employer had the most influence on a young academician's productivity. Methods We studied early career neurosurgeons who completed residency in U.S.-based neurosurgical training programs between 2010 and 2014. The ranking of an individual subject's medical school, residency, and current academic employer were analyzed for correlation with his or her current h-index. Results The neurosurgeons with the highest h-indexes are more likely to have attended elite medical schools, have trained in high-ranking residency programs, and work for prestigious university departments (P Conclusions There is a correlation between the early career academic neurosurgeons' h-indexes and the ranking of all the institutions throughout their education, training, and current employment, but the strongest correlation was with the academic productivity of their residency program.
How consumers use mandatory genetic engineering (GE) labels: evidence from Vermont

Food labels legislated by the U.S. government have been designed to provide information to consumers. It has been asserted that the simple disclosures “produced using genetic engineering” on newly legislated U.S. food labels will send a signal that influences individual preferences rather than providing information. Vermont is the only US state to have experienced mandatory labeling of foods produced using genetic engineering (GE) via simple disclosures. Using a representative sample of adults who experienced Vermont’s mandatory GE labeling policy, we examined whether GE labels were seen by consumers and whether the labels provided information or influenced preferences. Nearly one-third of respondents reported seeing a label. Higher income, younger consumers who search for information about GE were more likely to report seeing a label. We also estimated whether labels served as information cues that helped reveal consumer preferences through purchases, or whether labels served as a signal that influenced preferences and purchases. For 50.5% of consumers who saw a label, the label served as an information cue that revealed their preferences. For 13% of those who saw the label, the label influenced preferences and behavior. Overall, for 4% of the total sample, simple GE disclosures influenced preferences. For a slight majority of consumers who used a GE label, simple disclosures were an information signal and not a preference signal. Searching for GE information, classifying as female, older age and opposing GE in food production significantly increased the probability that GE labels served as an information source. Providing such disclosures to consumers may be the least complex and most transparent option for mandatory GE labeling.
First-Generation Immigrant Mothers Report Less Spanking of 1-Year-Old Children Compared with Mothers of Other Immigrant Generations

Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages spanking, especially of infants and young toddlers. This study examines the association between maternal immigrant generation and reported spanking of 1-year-old children, and whether this association is impacted by domestic violence (DV). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional secondary data analysis using 1-year wave data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. We used descriptive statistics to explore demographic differences among first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation or higher (reference group) mothers. We conducted logistic regression to examine the association between immigrant generation and spanking, controlling for covariates. We used stratified logistic regression to evaluate how experiencing DV may impact the association between immigrant generation and spanking. Results The study included 370 first-generation mothers, 165 second-generation mothers, and 1754 reference group mothers. The prevalence of spanking differed across immigrant generations (p = 0.004). First-generation mothers had statistically significant lower odds of spanking compared with the reference group (adjusted OR 0.26; CI 0.11–0.64). Second-generation mothers also had lower odds of spanking compared with the reference group, although this result did not reach statistical significance (adjusted OR 0.60; CI 0.22–1.63). Mothers’ report of experiencing DV appeared to impact the relationship between immigrant generation and spanking. Discussion First-generation immigrant mothers had lower odds of reported spanking compared to reference group mothers, an association which is attenuated for both second-generation immigrant mothers and mothers who have experienced DV. Future work should explore the potential factors that drive variations in spanking between immigrant generations.
Role of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the changes in cerebrovascular reactivity following hemorrhagic hypotension and retransfusion.

Abstract We studied the involvement of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the changes in cerebrovascular reactivity following hemorrhagic hypotension and retransfusion. Feline middle cerebral arteries were prepared from control animals killed under anesthesia and from anesthetised animals subjected to hemorrhagic hypotension (stepwise bleeding to 90, 70, and 50 mmHg, maintained for 20 min at each level) followed by retransfusion (20 min). Two-mm-long vessel segments were suspended in organ chambers containing Krebs-Henseleit solution (37 degrees C, gassed with 95% O2-5% CO2) for isometric force measurements. Contractions to noradrenaline (norepinephrine), relaxations to acetylcholine, ATP, adenosine, and SIN-1, a nitric oxide donor compound, were compared in the vessels of the control and hemorrhage-subjected animals. Contractile responses to noradrenaline were significantly enhanced after hemorrhage, whereas relaxations to acetylcholine, ATP, and adenosine were significantly reduced. Relaxations to SIN-1, however, remained unchanged. L-Arginine did not cause relaxations in control vessels but relaxed the arteries after hemorrhage and retransfusion. To clarify the involvement of the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in these alterations, we studied the effect of exogenous application of L-arginine, the precursor of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and NG-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA), a competitive antagonist of the EDRF-producing enzyme on the vascular responses in vitro. Similar to the effect of hypotension and retransfusion, NOLA enhanced the noradrenaline-induced contractions and inhibited the acetylcholine-induced and purinoceptor-mediated relaxations in the control arteries. In the control vessels in vitro, L-arginine treatment did not modify any contractile or relaxant response. At the same time, in vitro L-arginine treatment inhibited the hemorrhagic hypotension-induced enhancement of the contractions to noradrenaline and restored the diminished relaxations to acetylcholine (but not to ATP or adenosine). In the vessels after hemorrhage, NOLA neither further enhanced the already markedly enhanced noradrenaline-induced contractions nor further inhibited the relaxations caused by ATP and adenosine. In the case of acetylcholine, however, NOLA caused a further inhibition of the relaxations. The effect of in vivo L-Arg infusion (30 mg/kg initial bolus and 10 mg/kg/min infusion) during hemorrhagic hypotension and retransfusion on the in vitro vascular reactivity was similar to that of the in vitro L-arginine treatment. The present study demonstrates that even short-lasting hemorrhagic hypotension combined with retransfusion markedly inhibits nitric oxide-mediated, agonist-induced endothelium-dependent cerebrovascular responses. In vivo or in vitro L-arginine treatment is able to restore normal responses to some agents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Judging Power Plays in the American States

Around the country, officials in “purple” states are waging high-stakes battles in which they alter government institutions for partisan advantage. Lame-duck legislatures have divested newly elected executive-branch officials of their power, and governors have unilaterally claimed new authority over appointments or elections. In other instances, state officials have boldly leveraged existing powers: one governor line-item vetoed the state legislature’s entire operating budget, and another state legislature impeached its entire supreme court. If federal officials are playing “hardball,” state governments are playing hand grenades. Commentators to date have largely viewed these developments in political terms, as evidence of eroding democracy. This Essay, prepared for a symposium on “Reclaiming—and Restoring—Constitutional Norms,” urges another lens: the recent power plays raise significant, justiciable questions of state constitutional law. Indeed, state courts have begun to decide these cases, despite apparent misgivings and dissenting opinions regarding the conflicts’ political nature. The Essay describes this growing body of case law and identifies its common features. Zooming out from the outcomes of the lawsuits, the Essay highlights a set of more systemic implications: power play litigation is dialogue-forcing in a state realm that needs dialogue. In addition to providing healthy friction against power plays, state litigation spurs media coverage, social movement mobilization, and public conversation about constitutions that are otherwise low salience and about power plays that transpired quickly. This litigation-fostered dialogue also serves the separation-of-powers value of bringing multiple different perspectives and modes of argument to bear on state decision-making. In flagging this benefit, the Essay does not attempt a full normative analysis or attempt to weigh these benefits against inevitable costs. It simply suggests that, as the full picture takes shape, we should be watching to see whether adjudicating power plays can help to foreground the role of state constitutions in state governance.
Bioethicists to the Barricades

In this article I begin with an anecdote as a way of exploring just exactly what activism entails. Are we talking about the kind of activism every citizen ought to engage in? Should we confine our topic to activism in health care settings? Just what is activism anyway, and how much and what kind ought bioethicists to engage in? Finally, I consider the possibility that it's perfectly permissible for bioethicists not to be activists of any kind.
Would You Be Surprised if This Patient Died in the Next 12 Months? Using the Surprise Question to Increase Palliative Care Consults From the Emergency Department.

Background:There is a growing movement to increase palliative care consults from the emergency department (ED) to reduce healthcare costs and improve quality of life. The surprise question is a scr...
Transesophageal echocardiography guidance for atrial-caval thrombus removal with the AngioVac system

Thromboembolectomy is often guided with fluoroscopy. For intracardiac and great vessel thromboemboli, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) can assess these thrombi, guide precise suction catheter placement, prevent intracardiac injury, and serve as a hemodynamic monitor. TEE can also be used to assess blood flow and thrombotic material reduction following embolectomy. TEE is a low-risk, high-value, real-time imaging modality that facilitates thromboembolectomy and increases patient safety.
Ratiometric fluorescent probes based on through-bond energy transfer of cyanine donors to near-infrared hemicyanine acceptors for mitochondrial pH detection and monitoring of mitophagy

Two ratiometric near-infrared fluorescent probes have been developed to selectively detect mitochondrial pH changes based on highly efficient through-bond energy transfer (TBET) from cyanine donors to near-infrared hemicyanine acceptors. The probes consist of identical cyanine donors connected to different hemicyanine acceptors with a spirolactam ring structure linked via a biphenyl linkage. At neutral or basic pH, the probes display only fluorescence of the cyanine donors when they are excited at 520 nm. However, acidic pH conditions trigger spirolactam ring opening, leading to increased π-conjugation of the hemicyanine acceptors, resulting in new near-infrared fluorescence peaks at 740 nm and 780 nm for probes A and B, respectively. This results in ratiometric fluorescence responses of the probes to pH changes indicated by decreases of the donor fluorescence and increases of the acceptor fluorescence under donor excitation at 520 nm due to a highly efficient TBET from the donors to the acceptors. The probes only show cyanine donor fluorescence in alkaline-pH mitochondria. However, the probes show moderate fluorescence decreases of the cyanine donor and considerable fluorescence increases of hemicyanine acceptors during the mitophagy process induced by nutrient starvation or under drug treatment. The probes display rapid, selective, and sensitive responses to pH changes over metal ions, good membrane penetration, good photostability, large pseudo-Stokes shifts, low cytotoxicity, mitochondria-targeting, and mitophagy-tracking capabilities.
Angiotensin II blockade had no effect on range of motion after total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective review.

Stiffness and pain from arthrofibrosis following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a challenging problem, and investigating methods to prevent or reduce the incidence of postoperative arthrofibrosis is critical. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are efficacious at preventing fibrotic disorders in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and eyes. Our aim was to determine if ACEI or ARB use postoperatively reduces the incidence of arthrofibrosis in TKA patients. In a retrospective review, we analyzed 141 consecutive TKAs performed at a single institution by a single surgeon from December 2010 to December 2014. Range of motion (ROM) in patients already taking ACEI, ARB, or neither medication was compared. Independent variables recorded were gender, age, BMI, presence of diabetes or preoperative opioid or statin use, preoperative ROM, and use of ACEIs or ARBs. Dependent variables recorded were postoperative knee flexion, extension, and total arc of motion. The primary outcome variable was success or failure of achieving 118o total arc of motion postoperatively, based on a study that found significant compromise of function in TKA patients who failed to obtain this goal. Secondary endpoints were postoperative knee flexion, extension, and total arc of motion. The use of neither ACEIs nor ARBs showed a significant difference in attaining greater than 118° of motion postoperatively compared to controls at 6 months. Significant predictors of obtaining > 118° motion were BMI (p < 0.05), preoperative flexion (p < 0.001), and preoperative total arc of motion (p < 0.002). Significant predictors of secondary ROM outcomes were preoperative ROM and BMI. Our study demonstrated that the principle predictor of postoperative ROM is BMI and preoperative ROM. The use of ACEIs or ARBs did not result in a greater likelihood of obtaining satisfactory ROM postoperatively.
Bichemical genetics of bacterial sporulation

Pleitropic interactions among genes controlling the formation of bacterial spores and of sporulation-associated products are studied. In order to obtain sporulation mutants, spores have been germinated in the presence of chloramphenicol and then treated with nitrosoguanidine. In the most favorable conditions 25% of sporulation mutants have been found among the 40% surviving bacteria. This number is at least four times higher than the number of auxotrophic mutants, therefore a rough estimate of the number of genes involved in sporulation is 800. Rapid plate-tests have been developed for the oxidation of terrazolium salts, the formation of various proteolytic enzymes and the production of antibiotics. Although the exact biochemical nature of the products is not yet known, the results suggest that distinct factors, probably various enzymes (including several proteases) are detected by these tests. All of them are associated with spore formation and absent from a large number of sporulation mutants. Using these tests, the phenotypes of 500 randomly selected sporulation mutants were determined. No important differences were found between asporogenous and oligosporogenous mutants. The number of mutants deficient for several sporulation-associated characters is large, pleiotropic interactions following a defined pattern are observed. Statistical analysis indicates the existence of a unidirectional pleiotropic system. All the results agree with the hypothesis of sequential gene activation. Consequently, the sporulation-associated characters can be ordered into a linear sequence, presumably reflecting the consecutive steps in spore formation. The order obtained is the following: gelatinase, proteases acting on casein and on denatured albumin, oxidation of tetrazolium No 7, digestion of protamine, production of antibiotics (against a Staphylococcus and a Bacillus), hydrolysis of hemoglobin, oxidation of tetrazolium No 2, digestion of native albumin, synthesis of elastase. Another category of mutants, blocked in a late step of sporulation and apparently derepressed for the formation of elastase, is also described. In conclusion, arguments are put forward in favor of sequential gene activation. Sporulation genes, related by unidirectional pleiotropic interactions, form a sporulon. Generalization of this concept to other differentiating systems (a differon), its predictions and possible experimental confirmation are considered.
A Link to the Past: Race, Lynchings, and the Passage of Stand-Your-Ground Laws

What social and political factors explain the presence of Stand-Your-Ground (SYG) laws in US. states? This paper assesses the influence of crime and violence prevalence, minority threat theory, and...
Adolescent Religious Motivation: A Self-Determination Theory Approach

The purpose of the present set of studies was to develop a short and valid measure of religious motivation based on self-determination theory and demonstrate the role of religious motivation on you...
High-content screening of coronavirus genes for innate immune suppression revealsenhanced potency of SARS-CoV-2 proteins

Suppression of the host intracellular innate immune system is an essential aspect of viral replication. Here, we developed a suite of medium-throughput high-content cell-based assays to reveal the effect of individual coronavirus proteins on antiviral innate immune pathways. Using these assays, we screened the 196 protein products of seven coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1 and MERS). This includes a previously unidentified gene in SARS-CoV-2 encoded within the Spike gene. We observe immune-suppressing activity in both known host-suppressing genes (e.g., NSP1, Orf6, NSP3, and NSP5) as well as other coronavirus genes, including the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 protein. Moreover, the genes encoded by SARS-CoV-2 are generally more potent immune suppressors than their homologues from the other coronaviruses. This suite of pathway-based and mechanism-agnostic assays could serve as the basis for rapid in vitro prediction of the pathogenicity of novel viruses based on provision of sequence information alone.
Density Matrices: Connection Between Theory and Experiment

The basic concept of density matrices is introduced. It is demonstrated how reduced density matrices relate theoretical scattering amplitudes to experimental observables. A computer program is presented to calculate various observables from bilinear products of scattering amplitudes for impact excitation of (quasi) one-electron atoms.
Beziehungen zwischen den Funktionen des nämlichen Winkels

Bevor wir zu Anwendungen unserer bisherigen Kenntnisse der Trigonometrie ubergehen, wollen wir noch einige wichtige Beziehungen zwischen den Funktionen des namlichen Winkels ableiten. Wir gehen dazu am bequemsten von den Linien des Einheitskreises aus.
Selling You and Your Clicks: Examining the Audience Commodification of Google

Using a political economy perspective, this paper argues that Google’s surplus value from advertising results from its extensive and transformative commodification of users. The unique features of Google as an advertising venue intensify the commodification of its users as compared to traditional media in several ways. First, the simplified valorization process of Google’s advertising methods enables Google to earn significantly more surplus value than those of traditional media. Also, Google’s personalized advertising strategies, its precise measurement of advertising costs based on users’ behaviors represented as “the number of clicks,” and the unclear distinction between advertisements and serviced content commodify its users’ online activities. Lastly, this essay asserts that Google commodifies the aggregated consciousnesses of its users because it sells keywords for advertisers to attach advertisements to search-data output, which are priced in accordance with their popularity. This “click-through” form of behavioral commodification has significant implications for the future of media.
Stress and burnout in residents: impact of mindfulness-based resilience training.

Background and objective Stress and burnout impact resident physicians. This prospective study tests the hypothesis that a mindfulness-based resilience intervention would decrease stress and burnout in residents.
Research and case study findings in the area of workplace accommodations including provisions for assistive technology: A literature review

People with disabilities work in a variety of environments and accommodations in these environments enable them to enter and remain in the workplace. A literature review was conducted looking at workplace accommodations including provisions for assistive technology and the following themes in accommodation were identified: 1) types of accommodations recommended, 2) people receiving provisions for accommodation, and 3) methods of reporting accommodation in the literature. Computer technologies for people with musculoskeletal limitations were the most prevalent provisions reported. Multi subject studies tend to focus on general themes of workplace accommodations, however the specific barriers and solutions found in case studies is important to clinicians and developers of new technologies. A need exists to identify themes of specific barriers to job placement along with the associated facilitators that contribute to successful employment for individuals with disabilities so workplace accommodations priorities for future projects addressing job outcomes for people with disabilities can be determined.
Effects of a gastric implant on body weight and gastrointestinal hormones in cafeteria diet obese rats

Abstract In order to evaluate the effectiveness of a gastric implant in an animal model of dietary obesity, silicone implants (2.5 ml) were inserted into the stomachs of male rats maintained on a chow or “cafeteria” diet. At the time of implantation, the cafeteria fed rats weighed 14% more than chow fed controls. Overweight cafeteria fed animals lost weight in response to the gastric implant, whereas control chow fed animals did not. Both implant groups had significant increases in stomach weights in contrast to sham implant groups, but the increase was much less in the cafeteria diet group. The fasting plasma levels of the gastrointestinal hormones, gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide, and oxytocin (a marker of vagal afferent function) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Cafeteria fed sham or implanted animals had significantly higher fasting levels of plasma oxytocin and gastrin, and significantly lower plasma levels of pancreatic polypeptide than the chow fed groups. These studies demonstrate that the gastric implant has more effect on weight in overweight animals on a palatable mixed diet, perhaps related to both mechanical and neural factors.
Tests and Medical Conditions Associated with Dementia Diagnosis.

Diagnosis of dementia in adults with intellectual disabilities requires documentation of clinically significant declines in memory and other cognitive skills, as well as changes in everyday and emotional functioning. To improve diagnostic accuracy in adults with Down syndrome, the authors examined conditions often associated with dementia, as well as tests useful for documentation of decline. Specific aims were to identify psychiatric disorders or medical conditions that increased the odds of a dementia diagnosis; to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of widely used dementia scales; and to determine which tests, used singly or in combination, most accurately supported the presence of dementia. Participants were 78 adults with Down syndrome. Two methods based on a large test battery and one method based on clinical judgment were used to diagnose dementia. It was found that combinations of tests lead to increased levels of diagnostic sensitivity compared with single tests. When taken in combination with other investigations, our results suggest that assessment for psychiatric disorders, delayed memory decline, adaptive behavior decline, and the presence of seizures would be useful for the diagnosis of dementia and that dementia scales would provide additional useful information. The authors conclude that combinations of tests and scales will be most useful for diagnosing dementia in adults with intellectual disabilities. The authors suggest that further research is needed to promote rapid progress, with studies that focus on common diagnostic methodology, identification of screening instruments, and amounts of decline indicative of dementia.
Diffusion of small solutes in polymer-containing solutions

Diffusion processes involving polymers are common in scientific and engineering separations and are a major component of biological functions. Analyses of these systems are usually based on versions of the Stokes-Einstein equation, although order of magnitude deviations have been observed. Presented here is a theoretical correction to the Stokes-Einstein equation containing a "local viscosity" function that combines diffusional hydrodynamics with Maxwell's treatment of electrical resistance in inhomogeneous regions. The resulting equation accurately predicts experimental diffusion data within tight bounds for polymer concentrations from 0 to 9 percent. It requires knowledge only of thermodynamics and of pure solvent and solution viscosities.
Properties of the CdSe(0001), (0001̄), and (112̄0) Single Crystal Surfaces: Relaxation, Reconstruction, and Adatom and Admolecule Adsorption

Details of the chemical mechanism underlying the growth of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals remain poorly understood. To provide insight into the subject, we have preformed a comprehensive study of the polar (0001) and (0001) and nonpolar (1120) wurtzite CdSe surfaces that are exposed during crystal growth using first-principles density functional theory (DFT-GGA) calculations. Stabilization of these surfaces by relaxation and reconstruction was considered. Two particular reconstructions of the polar surfaces were examined: vacancy formation on a 2 x 2 unit cell and addition of Se and Cd atoms on the (0001) and (0001) surfaces, respectively. Calculation results indicate that the (1120) is the most stable surface when compared to the two polar surfaces. Furthermore, reconstructions of the (0001) surface are energetically favored when compared to reconstructions of the (0001) facet. Adsorption of Cd and Se atoms and the CdSe molecule on the three relaxed surfaces and two reconstructed (0001) surfaces were also investigated. Several binding sites were considered to determine the most stable binding geometries and energetics. Atomic species preferentially bind in either 2-fold or 3-fold sites, while the CdSe molecule binds parallel to the surface on all of the considered surfaces. Vibrational frequencies of the adspecies were calculated for the most stable binding configurations and were included in the zero point energy correction. Diffusion barriers for the atomic and molecular species were estimated where possible to be between 0.2 and 0.4 eV on the three relaxed surfaces. Thermochemistry of the CdSe molecule binding and dissociation was also investigated. On all considered surfaces, dissociation is preferred to desorption with dissociation only exothermic on the (0001) surface. Comparison of the three relaxed and two reconstructed surfaces indicates that CdSe molecule binding and dissociation is thermodynamically favored on the (0001) surface. This implies that under a reaction-controlled regime, the rate of homoepitaxy would be faster on the (0001) Se terminated surface than on the (0001) and (1120) surfaces, making the (0001) surface of a nanocrystal the primary direction of growth.
Theory of the Firm with Joint Price and Output Risk and a Forward Market

Expected utility maximizing farmers facing just price risk or both price risk and quantity risk behave similarly in the absence of a forward market. If forward contracting is possible, that is not true because variation in the commodity price affects a farmer's wealth through the value of his futures position, the value of his output and through the covariance between price and output. This covariance affects a farmer's optimal scale of production, his optimal forward position and the interrelationship between the scale of production and forward trading.
A different perspective on operating leverage: Comments

A recent article in this journal by Dran (1991) suggests that the usual treatment of degree of operating leverage (DOL) is misleading because it improperly attributes the DOL to the ratio of fixed to total costs rather than the closeness of the firm’s output to breakeven. Managerial economics texts are clear in identification of DOL as an elasticity concept which varies with the nearness to break-even. Examples associating DOL with the relative level of fixed cost arise from association of higher fixed costs with higher breakeven points, and this appears to be the normal economic relationship.
Einstein equations and Lagrangians on symmetry-restricted phase spaces

When Lagrangians are restricted to subspaces of the phase space satisfying certain symmetry conditions, they do not always yield the correct Einstein equations. An example was found by Hawking in the Lagrangian for spatially homogeneous universes. First we show that this problem is not limited to general relativity. Then we “visualize” certain terms which do not appear in Lagrangians on symmetry-restricted phase spaces but which nevertheless contribute to the Euler-Lagrange derivatives. We apply our general formula to the Schwarzschild metric, the Friedmann universes, and spatially homogeneous universes.
Sensitivity of normal theory methods to model misspecification in the calculation of upper confidence limits on the risk function for continuous responses

Normal theory procedures for calculating upper confidence limits (UCL) on the risk function for continuous responses work well when the data come from a normal distribution. However, if the data come from an alternative distribution, the application of the normal theory procedures may lead serious over- or under-coverage depending upon the alternative distribution. In this paper we conduct simulation studies to investigate the sensitivity of three normal theory UCL procedures to departures from normality. Data from several gamma, reciprocal gamma, and lognormal distributions are considered. The normal theory procedures are applied to both the raw data and the log-transformed data.
The paleoenvironment of anaerobic sediments in the Late Mesozoic South Atlantic Ocean

Laminated dark calcareous oozes/chalks/limestones as well as clayey and marly mudstones/claystones with high organic carbon contents were deposited during Jurassic, Early and Late Cretaceous times in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. In the South Atlantic, this sedimentary facies has been encountered only in drill sites close to the American and African continental margins. The reconstructed paleogeography of the South Atlantic, the paleodepth of deposition, and the fossil content of these sediments make clear that the Late Cretaceous anaerobic paleoenvironment developed under the influence of an oceanic mid-water oxygen minimum at moderate water depths (500–2500 m), because oxygenated sediments have been observed in the deep basin elsewhere. Whether the Early Cretaceous and Jurassic anaerobic sediments were deposited in an euxinic basin or under an oceanic mid-water oxygen minimum remains an open question because the few drill sites have not sampled the deepest part of the Early Cretaceous and (?) Jurassic South Atlantic basins.
Theory on the Market: Panic, Incorporating

This essay offers a feminist inquiry into the social and political economy of panic disorder. My guiding question: how to rework the dominant construction of panic disorder as a medical problem towards a critical understanding of panic as a social problem within the postmodern? I investigate panic as a material effect of new, disembodying technologies of commodity and gender production emerging out of increasingly liquid flows of transnational corporate capital. Refracted through a partial reading of Karl Marx, Ronald Reagan, Luce Irigaray, and Upjohn Co. corporate annual reports, this collage text attempts to perform the complex relationship between an individual woman's experience of panic and the social structuring practices that constitute and effect that experience. Such a project invites the difficult articulation of analysis and emotion, of theory and the body, which informs much of the work of contemporary feminist social critique.