cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Successful Treatment of Postoperative Mouth Opening Limitation Following Le Fort III Distraction with Bilateral Coronoidectomies

Introduction Distraction osteogenesis is a powerful tool in craniomaxillofacial surgery, allowing for large advancements of osteotomized segments in the setting of a restrictive soft tissue envelope. Despite its benefits, distraction can have negative functional consequences. We present a case of a patient with Crouzon syndrome who developed reduced mouth opening capability after a Le Fort III midfacial advancement with rigid external distraction.
Disciplining the Discipline: Anthropology and the Pursuit of Quality Education

Disciplinary knowledge in anthropology occupies a unique position in relation to quality education: anthropology in education and the anthropology of education. This essay differentiates between anthropology as a field, as a repository of content and disciplinary knowledge (anthropology in education), and anthropology as a tool, as a theoretical and heuristic device that allows us to study students, schooling, learning, and teaching (the anthropology of education). Drawing on Bakhtin’s formulation of centrifugal and centripetal forces, the author argues that anthropology has both enabled and limited possibilities for quality education. A retrospective look at the construct of culture is emblematic of this process. The author claims that the disciplining of anthropological boundaries has often resulted in disengagement of anthropology as a field from issues of practice. Furthermore, the argument is made that an engaged anthropology must confront the implications of its theories, especially as they are appl...
A Structurally Dynamic N-terminal Helix Is a Key Functional Determinant in Staphylococcal Complement Inhibitor (SCIN) Proteins

Complement is a network of interacting circulatory and cell surface proteins that recognizes, marks, and facilitates clearance of microbial invaders. To evade complement attack, the pathogenic organism Staphylococcus aureus expresses a number of secreted proteins that interfere with activation and regulation of the complement cascade. Staphylococcal complement inhibitors (SCINs) are one important class of these immunomodulators and consist of three active members (SCIN-A/-B/-C). SCINs inhibit a critical enzymatic complex, the alternative pathway C3 convertase, by targeting a functional "hot spot" on the central opsonin of complement, C3b. Although N-terminal truncation mutants of SCINs retain complement inhibitory properties, they are significantly weaker binders of C3b. To provide a structural basis for this observation, we undertook a series of crystallographic and NMR dynamics studies on full-length SCINs. This work reveals that N-terminal SCIN domains are characterized by a conformationally dynamic helical motif. C3b binding and functional experiments further demonstrate that this sequence-divergent N-terminal region of SCINs is both functionally important and context-dependent. Finally, surface plasmon resonance data provide evidence for the formation of inhibitor·enzyme·substrate complexes ((SCIN·C3bBb)·C3). Similar to the (SCIN·C3bBb)(2) pseudodimeric complexes, ((SCIN·C3bBb)·C3) interferes with the interaction of complement receptors and C3b. This activity provides an additional mechanism by which SCIN couples convertase inhibition to direct blocking of phagocytosis. Together, these data suggest that tethering multi-host protein complexes by small modular bacterial inhibitors may be a global strategy of immune evasion used by S. aureus. The work presented here provides detailed structure-activity relationships and improves our understanding of how S. aureus circumvents human innate immunity.
UNCERTAINTY AND IMPRECISION IN ANALYTICAL CONTEXT: FUZZY LIMITS AND FUZZY DERIVATIVES

The main goal of the present paper is to extend such classical constructions as limits and derivatives making them appropriate for management of imprecise, vague, uncertain, and incomplete information. In the second part of the paper, going after introduction, elements of the theory of fuzzy limits are presented. The third part is devoted to the construction of fuzzy derivatives of real functions. Two kinds of fuzzy derivatives are introduced: weak and strong ones. It is necessary to remark that the strong fuzzy derivatives are similar to ordinary derivatives of real functions being their fuzzy extensions. The weak fuzzy derivatives generate a new concept of a weak derivative even in a classical case of exact limits. In the fourth part fuzzy differentiable functions are studied. Different properties of such functions are obtained. Some of them are the same or at least similar to the properties of the differentiable functions while other properties differ in many aspects from those of the standard differentiable functions. Many classical results are obtained as direct corollaries of propositions for fuzzy derivatives, which are proved in this paper. Some of the classical results are extended and completed. The fifth part of the paper contains several interpretations of fuzzy derivatives aiming at application of fuzzy differential calculus to solving practical problems. At the end, some open problems are formulated.
Escherichia coli Sequence Type ST131 as an Emerging Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Uropathogen among Renal Transplant Recipients

Among 40 Escherichia coli urine isolates from renal transplant recipients (Galveston, TX, 2003 to 2005), sequence type ST131 (O25:H4) was highly prevalent (representing 35% of isolates overall and 60% of fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates), virulent appearing, antimicrobial resistant (but extended-spectrum-cephalosporin susceptible), and associated with black race. Pulsotypes were diverse; some were linked to other locales. ST131 emerged significantly during the study period. These findings suggest that E. coli ST131 may constitute an important new multidrug-resistant threat to renal transplant recipients.
Measurement of ceruloplasmin in chick plasma by o-dianisidine oxidation

Abstract An improved method was developed for the measurement of ceruloplasmin in chick plasma by the oxidation of o -dianisidine (ODA). The method yields a linear relationship between ceruloplasmin activity and the copper content of chick plasma. Under the conditions of the assay, the rate of spontaneous oxidation of ODA is very low, unlike that of the traditional reductant, p-phenylenediamine (PPD). Therefore, the sensitivity of the ODA method is superior to that of the PPD method. Because ceruloplasmin activity appears to be relatively low in chick plasma, it is likely that previous use of the relatively insensitive PPD method may have led to underestimates of the actual activity of ceruloplasmin in this tissue.
Multi-Sentence Compression: Finding Shortest Paths in Word Graphs

We consider the task of summarizing a cluster of related sentences with a short sentence which we call multi-sentence compression and present a simple approach based on shortest paths in word graphs. The advantage and the novelty of the proposed method is that it is syntaxlean and requires little more than a tokenizer and a tagger. Despite its simplicity, it is capable of generating grammatical and informative summaries as our experiments with English and Spanish data demonstrate.
Tensor product basis approximations for Volterra filters

The paper studies approximations for a class of nonlinear filters known as Volterra filters. Although the Volterra filter provides a relatively simple and general representation for nonlinear filtering, it is often highly overparameterized. Due to the large number of parameters, the utility of the Volterra filter is limited. The overparameterization problem is addressed in the paper using a tensor product basis approximation (TPBA). In many cases, a Volterra filter may be well approximated using the TPBA with far fewer parameters. Hence, the TPBA offers considerable advantages over the original Volterra filter in terms of both implementation and estimation complexity. Furthermore, the TPBA provides useful insight into the filter response. The paper studies the crucial issue of choosing the approximation basis. Several methods for designing an appropriate approximation basis and error bounds on the resulting mean-square output approximation error are derived. Certain methods are known to be nearly optimal.
Synthesis and luminescence properties of novel ZnO nanostructures: micro and nanospheres, polyhedral cages, tetra-pods, needles, tipped nanorods, nanowires and other “microphone–shaped” structures

Novel ZnO nanostructures such as hollow nanospheres, nano-cages, nanoneedles, tetra-pods, nanowires, aligned nanorods and nanotubes are synthesized via thermal evaporation of ZnO and graphite powder mixtures in reduced oxygen atmosphere in the presence of argon and nitrogen flows. The ZnO nanostructures, especially nanospheres, have a unique shape and are hollow inside with walls densely decorated with aligned nanowires. Photoluminescence of synthesized ZnO structures measured at 300 K exhibits a strong near band edge peak at ∼380 nm and deep level green band centered at ∼550 nm. Fabricated ZnO structures can be studied for various applications in optoelectronics and sensors.
Simulations of Nocturnal Drainage Flows by a q2l Turbulence Closure Model

Abstract Nocturnal drainage flows observed over a nearly two-dimensional ridge called Rattlesnake Hills near Richland, Washington are simulated by using a simplified turbulence closure model in which only turbulence kinetic energy and turbulence length scale equations are solved prognostically. The present model is slightly simpler than a level 2.5 model which has been extensively used in previous simulations of various atmospheric boundary layer phenomena. Wind and temperature profiles computed by the present model are generally in excellent agreement with observations made by towers erected on the slope of Rattlesnake Hills. Strong coupling between the mean and turbulence variables is also demonstrated.
Engaging students inside the classroom to increase learning

From overhead transparencies to interactive documents, teaching and learning engineering has changed dramatically over the years. A flipped or hybrid course is a pedagogical model that reverses typical lecture and homework elements of a course. Class time is used for discussions and group activities with lecture materials being introduced in an on-line format. As research has shown, this model allows students to typically demonstrate higher levels of learning. This paper will detail the associated learning by students through the author's transition from a typical lecture-based sophomore-level engineering class to a hybrid model. The author will address how learning can be increased through the use of active engagement tools, such as iClickers. To address this question and gauge the overall impact on student learning, a post-course survey was used to measure the perceived value for students. In addition, evidence for improved student engagement was gathered qualitatively to compare with previous experiences. Results show that active engagement tools helped students become active learners, increased interaction with peers and instructor, and helped them evaluate whether material was understood to motivate further learning. Moreover, students benefitted from the instructor being able to pinpoint misconceptions earlier due to instant feedback from students in the class.
Universality of vibrational spectra of globular proteins.

The density of frequencies of the vibrational spectrum of proteins is the focus of much interest, as it is quite readily available experimentally, and a prerequisite for the theoretical computation of several physical properties of the proteins. Here we show that the vibrational spectrum density of globular proteins is universal, that is, it closely follows one universal curve regardless of the fold, size and other details of the protein in question. While previous claims of universality relied on but a few proteins and on normal modes analyses (NMA) restricted to only torsional degrees of freedom and to the low-frequency range of 0 - 300 1/cm, our present study, including 135 proteins analyzed with a full atomic empirical potential (CHARMM22) and using the full complement of all atoms Cartesian degrees of freedom, finds that universality holds for all frequencies (up to 4000 1/cm), where seemingly idiosyncratic peaks and turns in the density of states are faithfully reproduced from one protein to the next. We characterize fluctuations of the spectral density from the average, paving the way to a meaningful discussion of rare, unusual spectra and the structural reasons for the deviations in such “outlier” proteins. The method used for the derivation of the vibrational modes (potential energy formulation and parameterization, set of degrees of freedom employed, etc.) is found to have a dramatic effect on the spectral density, so that universality can provide an exquisite tool for assessing and improving the quality of various theoretical models used for NMA computations. Finally, we show that the input configuration of the proteins affects the density of modes as well, thus emphasizing the importance of simplified potential energy formulations that are minimized at the outset, at the protein's given configuration.
Effect of reserpine on lipoprotein lipase activity of rat heart.

SummaryThe lipoprotein lipase activity released from heart slices of normal ad lib. fed and 20-hour fasted rats was the same. Heparin elevated equally the activity of tissues from both types of rats. Pretreatment with reserpine reduced the amount of activity of lipoprotein lipase released by incubated heart slices. The effect of heparin was negligible when heart tissues were used from rats treated with reserpine once daily for 4 days. The possibility of a relationship between reserpine-induced decrease in activity of lipoprotein lipase and depletion of catecholamines from heart tissue was discussed.
What happens when end user requirements are ignored in system design - a case study

Identifying and understanding end-user requirements is a critical activity throughout system design. To be effective, system design engineers must ask 'Who are we designing for?' but equally important are the questions 'What will they be doing with it?' and 'What level of performance or safety do they need to achieve?'. Only by answering these questions is it possible to design a system that takes account of human capabilities and limitations, ultimately promoting performance and safety. To achieve this, human factors (HF) integration within design can help ensure the suitability of the physical workplace and environment as well as the tasks which staff are required to carry out. Case studies from the oil and gas industry are used to illustrate good practice in HF integration, where involvement of HF from an early lifecycle stage avoided the need for costly rework later. These are contrasted with a case where failure to consider end-user requirements in an offshore control room re-engineering project resulted in remedial work being carried out to address a range of HF problems being experienced by control room personnel. From this it is argued that HF integration is neither costly, time consuming nor a matter of common sense.
It Takes More Than an Imine: The Role of the Central Atom on the Electron-Accepting Ability of Benzotriazole and Benzothiadiazole Oligomers

We report on the comparison of the electronic and photophysical properties of a series of related donor–acceptor–donor oligomers incorporating the previously known 2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole (BTz) moiety as the acceptor and the recently reported BTzTD acceptor, a hybrid of BTz and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BTD). Although often implied in the polymer literature that BTz has good acceptor character, we show that this moiety is best described as a weak acceptor. We present electrochemical, computational, and photophysical evidence supporting our assertion that BTzTD is a strong electron acceptor while maintaining the alkylation ability of the BTz moiety. Our results show that the identity of the central atom (N or S) in the benzo-fused heterocyclic ring plays an important role in both the electron-accepting and the electron-donating ability of acceptor moieties with sulfur imparting a greater electron-accepting ability and nitrogen affording greater electron-donating character. We report on the X-ray crystal s...
Are there prions in plants

Self-perpetuating protein conformers (prions) have been described in animals (including human) and fungi (including yeast), and linked to both diseases and heritable traits (1⇓⇓–4). One would wonder if plants have them too. Indeed, a paper by Chakrabortee et al. (5), from the laboratory of Susan Lindquist, provides a first example of a plant protein behaving as a prion, at least in the heterologous (yeast) system. Chakrabortee et al. checked several domains of Arabidopsis thaliana proteins with potential prion properties, predicted by a computational search, and confirm that one of them, from the protein named Luminidependens (LD), can acquire and propagate a prion state in yeast cells when substituted for the prion domain of yeast prion protein Sup35. Notably, the LD protein is involved in the “vernalization” phenomenon, an example of epigenetic “memory” of previous environmental changes (6). The term “vernalization,” known for about a century (7), refers to triggering the flowering and reproduction process after the exposure to cold weather. Ironically, Soviet agronomist Trofim Lysenko and his followers referred to vernalization in their fight against Mendelian genetics, arguing that this phenomenon confirms heritability of acquired traits (8). Lysenko had started his scientific career by applying the vernalization procedure to increase productivity of Soviet crops (9). Following initial success, Lysenko and his colleagues rejected the chromosome theory of inheritance and postulated that a variety of cellular components may serve as carriers of heritable patterns. This attack, transformed from scientific discussion to the administrative (and sometimes criminal) persecution of opponents, eventually led to complete destruction of research and teaching in Mendelian genetics in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) by the end of 1940s (8). No wonder that after restoration of Mendelian genetics in the USSR in the 1960s, Lysenko’s name had become synonymous with scientific illiteracy … [↵][1]1Email: yury.chernoff{at}biology.gatech.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Posttraumatic Epilepsy Prevention

Publisher Summary This chapter presents various approaches to the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE). The first approach is based on the concept of excitotoxicity and the experimental phenomenon of kindling, which proposes that putative subthreshold electrical discharges in the injured brain can lead to establishment of epileptic foci and eventual development of PTE. The second approach to PTE prevention remains experimental, and is based on evidence suggesting that the phenomenon of iron-catalyzed lipid peroxidation may partly mediate the development of PTE. It is found that in addition to penetrating head injury with dural penetration, the presence of hematoma and/or retained ferric metallic fragments are among the more important clinical risk factors for PTE. It is observed that oxygen free radicals may also result in brain injury through their effects on the microvasculature, on proteins, and on other regulatory molecules such as nitric oxide. The hypothesized gradual evolution of the posttraumatic epileptic focus over a period of months to years postinjury, and its putative relation to the process of lipid peroxidation suggest that long-term treatment with a free radical scavenger may provide protection against this form of epilepsy. The potential value of vitamin E in epilepsy is also elaborated.
The Role of Genetic Testing in the Selection of Therapy for Breast Cancer: A Review

Importance The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) genomic testing for somatic mutations in breast oncology has been slower than anticipated due to issues with clinical applicability and natural heterogeneity of breast cancer. This review summarizes the state of the field and considers approaches for more effective implementation. Observations While there is an emerging role for germline genetic testing potentially predicting sensitivity to platinum salts and PARP inhibitors, the data regarding somatic mutation for prediction of drug sensitivity remains controversial. Currently, there are no guidelines or regulatory approvals for genomic somatic tumor mutation testing to direct therapy. However, some small populations show promise, such as those with ERBB2/HER2 mutation who may represent the first population to have a positive drug somatic mutation match. Similarly, those with ESR1 mutation may be the first to emerge for a negative association with the efficacy of aromatase-inhibitor treatment. One of the barriers to progress is the necessary focus on metastatic disease, which is often challenging, expensive, and risky to biopsy. In addition, because of the clonal heterogeneity of advanced disease, a single sample may not contain all the genomic information necessary for treatment. Thus, circulating tumor DNA analysis is perhaps one of the most practical and promising approaches. Conclusions and Relevance Circulating tumor DNA analysis, once sensitive and broad enough, will accelerate progress in the quest to make NGS technologies relevant to breast cancer treatment. A broad and coordinated coalition to systematically connect somatic mutations to clinical and pharmacologic data will be critical for progress. We recommend instituting an open source encyclopedia, which would serve as a reference for NGS sequencing report interpretation and would be available to all clinicians to help direct therapy.
Reverse engineering: The outline as document restructuring tool

It is proposed that outlining be used to increase the efficiency of restructuring a longer document or developing a composite test from several sources. A five-step procedure to effect such a `reverse engineering' of documents is detailed.
Mehrdimensionale Massenspektrometrie von synthetischen Polymeren und modernen Materialien

Mehrdimensionale Massenspektrometrie koppelt eine geeignete Ionisationsmethode und Massenanalyse (MS) mit der Fragmentierung mittels Tandem-Massenspektrometrie (MS/MS) und einem Online-Verfahren der orthogonalen Trennung. Fur die Trennung kommen Flussigkeitschromatographie (LC) und Ionenmobilitatsspektrometrie (IMS) in Frage, wobei die Trennung vor der Ionisation in der Losung bzw. nach der Ionisation in der Gasphase erfolgt. Die MS liefert Daten zur Elementzusammensetzung, wahrend die MS/MS Unterschiede der Bindungsstabilitaten eines Polymers nutzt, wodurch Daten zur Konnektivitat und Sequenz erhalten werden. Die Bedingungen der LC konnen so gewahlt werden, dass eine Trennung nach Polaritat, Endgruppenfunktionalitat oder hydrodynamischem Volumen moglich wird, wahrend die IMS zusatzliche Selektivitat bezuglich der Makromolekulform und -architektur liefert. In diesem Kurzaufsatz wird erortert, wie ausgewahlte Kombinationen der MS-, MS/MS-, LC- und IMS-Dimensionen in Verbindung mit der entsprechenden Ionisationsmethode eingesetzt werden konnen, um die Bestandteile, Endgruppen, Sequenzen und Strukturen eines breiten Spektrums an Homopolymer- und Copolymermaterialien zu ermitteln, das Mehrkomponentenmischungen, supramolekulare Aggregate, neuartige Hybridmaterialien und grose, vernetzte oder nichtionisierbare Polymere umfasst.
Persistent cascades: Measuring fundamental communication structure in social networks

We define a new structural property of large-scale communication networks consisting of the persistent patterns of communication among users. We term these patterns “persistent cascades,” and claim they represent a strong estimate of actual information spread. Using metrics of inexact tree matching, we group these cascades into classes which we then argue represent the communication structure of a local network. This differs from existing work in that (1) we are focused on recurring patterns among specific users, not abstract motifs (e.g. the prevalence of triangles or other structures in the graph, regardless of user), and (2) we allow for inexact matching (not necessarily isomorphic graphs) to better account for the noisiness of human communication patterns. We find that analysis of these classes of cascades reveals new insights about information spread and the influence of certain users, based on three large mobile phone record datasets. For example, we find distinct groups of weekend vs. workweek spreaders not evident in the standard aggregated network. Finally, we create the communication network induced by these persistent structures, and we show the effect this has on measurements of centrality.
McArdle disease: a "pediatric" disorder presenting in an adult with acute kidney injury.

Rhabdomyolysis is characterized by the acute breakdown of skeletal muscle, resulting in the release of muscle cell contents, subsequent myoglobinuria, and in severe cases, acute renal failure. A number of etiologies have been identified in acute rhabdomyolysis, in which drugs and trauma account for the majority of cases. One etiological category that is commonly overlooked in the adult population is an underlying genetic defect. This may be challenging to diagnose due to its rarity in the adult demographic and the marked heterogeneity, often requiring a high level of clinical suspicion before investigation is pursued. Once diagnosed, however, appropriate steps can be taken to reduce future episodes of rhabdomyolysis, further renal injury, and other systemic complications. Here, we report a case of an adult patient presenting with acute rhabdomyolysis secondary to McArdle disease, a genetic disease causing defective glycogenolysis. The case highlights the importance of recognizing the potential of undiagnosed “pediatric” disorders in adulthood and particularly for underlying genetic causes of rhabdomyolysis.
Advanced glycation end products dietary restriction effects on bacterial gut microbiota in peritoneal dialysis patients; a randomized open label controlled trial.

The modern Western diet is rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs). We have previously shown an association between dietary AGEs and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in a population of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). In the current pilot study we explored the effects of dietary AGEs on the gut bacterial microbiota composition in similar patients. AGEs play an important role in the development and progression of cardiovascular (CVD) disease. Plasma concentrations of different bacterial products have been shown to predict the risk of incident major adverse CVD events independently of traditional CVD risk factors, and experimental animal models indicates a possible role AGEs might have on the gut microbiota population. In this pilot randomized open label controlled trial, twenty PD patients habitually consuming a high AGE diet were recruited and randomized into either continuing the same diet (HAGE, n = 10) or a one-month dietary AGE restriction (LAGE, n = 10). Blood and stool samples were collected at baseline and after intervention. Variable regions V3-V4 of 16s rDNA were sequenced and taxa was identified on the phyla, genus, and species levels. Dietary AGE restriction resulted in a significant decrease in serum Ne-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML) and methylglyoxal-derivatives (MG). At baseline, our total cohort exhibited a lower relative abundance of Bacteroides and Alistipes genus and a higher abundance of Prevotella genus when compared to the published data of healthy population. Dietary AGE restriction altered the bacterial gut microbiota with a significant reduction in Prevotella copri and Bifidobacterium animalis relative abundance and increased Alistipes indistinctus, Clostridium citroniae, Clostridium hathewayi, and Ruminococcus gauvreauii relative abundance. We show in this pilot study significant microbiota differences in peritoneal dialysis patients' population, as well as the effects of dietary AGEs on gut microbiota, which might play a role in the increased cardiovascular events in this population and warrants further studies.
An Overview of Localization of Function, and Neurological Diagnosis

In considering the patient with neurological disease, accurate diagnosis is required for a determination of appropriate therapy and for the establishment of prognosis. Diagnosis in neurology seeks to answer two essential questions.
Prejudices in Cultural Contexts: Shared Stereotypes (Gender, Age) Versus Variable Stereotypes (Race, Ethnicity, Religion):

Some prejudices share cross-cultural patterns, but others are more variable and culture specific. Those sharing cross-cultural patterns (sexism, ageism) each combine societal status differences and intimate interdependence. For example, in stereotypes of sex and age, lower status groups-women and elders-gain stereotypic warmth (from their cooperative interdependence) but lose stereotypic competence (from their lower status); men and middle-aged adults show the opposite trade-off, stereotypically more competent than warm. Meta-analyses support these widespread ambivalent (mixed) stereotypes for gender and age across cultures. Social class stereotypes often share some similarities (cold but competent rich vs. warm but incompetent poor). These compensatory warmth versus competence stereotypes may function to manage common human dilemmas of interacting across societal and personal positions. However, other stereotypes are more variable and culture specific (ethnicity, race, religion). Case studies of specific race/ethnicities and religions reveal much more cultural variation in their stereotype content, supporting their being responses to particular cultural contexts, apparent accidents of history. To change stereotypes requires understanding their commonalities and differences, their origins and patterns across cultures.
Ionic liquid treated carbon nanotube sponge as high areal capacity cathode for lithium sulfur batteries

Ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) treated carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges were tested as a conductive matrix and polysulfide reservoir for the cathode of lithium–sulfur batteries. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed that this treatment doped fluorine and oxygen on the surface of the CNT, and experimental results showed that this treatment had significantly improved adsorption of polysulfides in the CNT sponge. As a result, this sponge cathode accommodated a remarkably high sulfur areal loading of 8 mg cm−2, showing a high areal capacity of 7.1 mAh cm−2 at the 100th cycle at an areal current density of 1.28 mA cm−2 with an average capacity fading of 0.048% per cycle. The adsorbing energy of Li2S6 on the F/O-doped carbon structure was calculated using the density functional theory, confirming that the doping made the polysulfide adsorption stable particularly due to fluorine. This study provides a useful approach of simultaneously introducing both fluorine and oxygen to carbon in order to significantly improve the polysulfide adsorption on the carbon cathode and thereby obtain high areal discharge capacity, which is much more important than specific discharge capacity for actual battery operation.
Harmonic Oscillator Models

It is as difficult to overestimate the role of harmonic oscillator models in physics in general and in quantum mechanics in particular as the influence of Beatles and Led Zeppelin on modern popular music. Harmonic oscillators are ubiquitous and appear every time when one is dealing with a system that has a state of equilibrium in the vicinity of which it can oscillate, i.e., in a vast majority of physical systems—atoms, molecules, solids, electromagnetic field, etc. It also does not hurt their popularity that the harmonic oscillator is one of the very few models which can be solved exactly.
Stewardship as a Vocation

How do your environmental values fit into your life? This chapter explores the idea of environmental stewardship as a vocation, a way to give meaning to our choice of career and lifestyle. It also explains how one’s workplace or school can affect one’s moral development and how one might influence the moral ecologies of these institutions so that they support ethical environmental actions. It concludes by considering how the political arena can be a place to practice stewardship by working to create a society that supports your environmental values.
FORMATION OF POROSITY DURING SOLIDIFICATION OF CAST METALS

Porosity forms in castings by shrinkage resulting from density differences between liquid and solid, and by evolution of dissolved gases. These effects can manifest themselves independently, or they can develop porosity synergistically.
Clotting of bovine fibrinogen by liver transamidase.

It was found that pure liver transamidase (transglutaminase) clotted bovine fibrinogen without prior release of cofibrin (fibrinopeptide) by cross-bonding fibrinogen molecules.
Long-term Trends in Head and Neck Surgery Outcomes.

ObjectiveThe aim of the present study is to address the paucity of data on long-term trends in postoperative complication rates in head and neck surgery. Specifically, this study assesses trends in...
Survey Sidekick: Structuring Scientifically Sound Surveys

Online surveys are becoming more popular as a means of information gathering in both academia and industry because of their relatively low cost and delivery. However, there are increasing debates on data quality in online surveys. We present a novel survey prototyping tool that integrates embedded learning resources to facilitate the survey prototyping process and encourage creating scientifically sound surveys. Results from a controlled pilot study confirmed that survey structure follows three guided principles: simple-first, structure-coherent and gradual-difficulty-increase, revealing positive effects on survey structures under learning resources influences.
Bovine pepsinogens and pepsins. The sequence around a reactive aspartyl residue

The specific inhibitor, N-diazoacetylnorleucine methyl ester reacts stoicheiometrically with bovine pepsin resulting in a simultaneous loss of all enzymic activity. A peptide containing a modified aspartyl group was isolated from bovine pepsin labelled with (14)C-labelled inhibitor. The aspartic acid residue is presumed to be part of the active centre and is in the same heptapeptide sequence as in porcine pepsin: Ile-Val-Asp-Thr-Gly-Thr-Ser.
Obesity Screening Recommendations and Emerging Policies

Screening for obesity is recommended by several expert committees and organizations, such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, NIH, and the Canadian Task Force. Numerous national and regional health policies have been developed to prevent obesity and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in adults and children. Health system-sponsored programs, community gardens, and public posting of the caloric and fat content of foods in restaurants are a sample of current efforts to stem the current epidemic of obesity.
Differences in elbow extensor muscle characteristics between resistance-trained men and women

Muscular strength is suggested to be dependent upon muscle characteristics. Yet, sex-specific relationships of muscle characteristics to strength in the resistance-trained require investigation. Therefore, the purpose was to evaluate sex differences in muscle characteristics and isometric strength in the elbow extensors, as well as their respective associations. Resistance-trained men (n = 15, mean ± SD 22 ± 4 years, 87.5 ± 12.8 kg, 16.9 ± 2.9% body fat) and women (n = 15, mean ± SD 25 ± 5 years, 59.3 ± 7.3 kg, 22.4 ± 4.2% body fat) were tested. B-mode ultrasound images assessed muscle thickness, pennation angle, and echo intensity. Muscle volume and fascicle length were estimated from previously validated equations. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction measured elbow extensors isometric strength. Independent samples t-tests and Fisher’s r-to-z test examined differences between sexes. Sex differences existed in all muscle characteristics (p < 0.05). Men’s absolute strength (27.86 ± 3.55 kg) was significantly greater than women (16.15 ± 3.15 kg), but no differences were noted when controlling for muscle volume (men 0.069 ± 0.017, women 0.077 ± 0.022 kg/cm3). Sex differences did not exist in the relationships of muscle characteristics to strength with muscle size having the largest correlations. However, the relationship between echo intensity and body fat was different in men (r = − 0.311) and women (r = 0.541, p = 0.0143). Sex differences in isometric elbow extensor strength are eliminated when expressed relative to muscle volume. Relationships of echo intensity and body fat were different between men and women and may be indicative of greater adipose infiltration in women.
The Data Exploration Game

Most users do not know the structure and content of databases or concepts such as schema or formal query languages sufficiently well to express their information needs precisely in form of queries. They may convey their intents via usable but inherently ambiguous query interfaces, such as keyword or natural language queries, which are open to numerous interpretations. Thus, it is very challenging for a database management system (DBMS) to understand and satisfy the intents behind these queries. A useful source of information to decode the intent behind a query is the user feedback on the returned results, which may come in various ways, such as click-through information. To use this information, DBMS has to establish a trade-off between showing strongly reinforced answers, i.e., exploitation, and exploring never-before-shown or rarely shown answers to solicit user feedback on them, i.e. exploration. A DBMS that returns only positively reinforced results may always return a small subset of all relevant answers to a query. On the other hand, if a DBMS shows too many unseen answers to the user, it may discourage and disengage users as many such answers may not be relevant to the query. Moreover, users may learn more about the structure and content of the database and how to express intents as they submit queries and observe the returned results. Thus, they may modify the way they express intents over the course of their interactions with the DBMS.
Silver Chlorobromide Nanocubes: A Class of Reactive Templates for Synthesizing Nanoplates and Nanocages of Silver Thiolates

Uniform silver chlorobromide nanocubes have been used to regulate the availability of an extremely low concentration of Ag+ that react with different thiol molecules to form silver thiolate nanoplates with high controllability. The sacrificial silver chlorobromide nanocubes also serve as templates to provide surface nucleation sites for forming the silver thiolate nanoplates, which grow against the surfaces of the nanocubes to organize into nanocages upon the consumption of the entire nanocubes. The precise regulation of the extremely low concentration of Ag+ prevents the uncontrolled fast reaction with thiol molecules and the formation of irregular silver thiolate particles. This method represents a versatile strategy to control the reaction rate of fast reactions involving in the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles, thus enabling the synthesis of uniform nanoparticles with desirable parameters.
Scale-up synthesis of a polymer designed for protein therapy

Abstract Here we report optimization and scale-up of a biodegradable polycation, poly(ethylene argininylaspartate diglyceride) (PEAD) for the purpose of clinical translation. This polycation complexes heparin to form a coacervate. The resultant complex coacervate acts as a vehicle for controlled delivery of therapeutic proteins and through the bioactivity of heparin, greatly increases the half lives of many therapeutic proteins. In an effort to translate this drug delivery platform commercially and clinically, it is necessary to consider the scale of the synthesis, the environmental impact and the cost of the production. Therefore, we substituted the more expensive and hazardous solvents in the reactions, optimized the reaction parameters for a higher yield, scaled up the synthesis capacity up to hundreds of grams per batch and reduced the polymer cost by nearly 90%. The resultant PEAD bears more positive charges than the counterpart made using our previous method, and thus less polymer is needed to complex heparin for coacervation. The material demonstrated good cytocompatibility with human umbilical vein endothelial cells at concentrations up to 5 mg/ml, nearly 500-times more cytocompatible than the commercially resourced polyethyleneimine. Basic fibroblast growth factor was loaded in the coacervate with loading efficiency above 99%. The cargo steadily released approximately 1% over 37 days in vitro without an initial burst, indicating a highly stable coacervate for sustained release. This study paves the way for the translation of this delivery platform and may inform the scale-up of similar polymers.
Comparing methods for measuring thickness, refractive index, and porosity of mesoporous thin films

Abstract This study compares systematically contact profilometry, interferometry, ellipsometry, ellipsometric porosimetry, and nitrogen porosimetry for measuring thickness, effective refractive index, and/or porosity of mesoporous thin films. Indeed, such measurements are crucial in elucidating the structure-property relationships of mesoporous materials. Here, sol-gel and nanoparticle-based mesoporous silica and silica-titania thin films were synthesized and characterized using the aforementioned methods. The films were made by evaporation-induced self-assembly process using (i) tetraethyl orthosilicate and titanium isopropoxide as the silica and titania precursors or (ii) silica nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 9 nm as building blocks of the silica framework along with either Pluronic F127 or P123 block copolymers as structure directing agents. The synthesis recipe and deposition conditions were varied to achieve a wide range of compositions (silica:titania molar ratio from 100:0 to 70:30), thickness (80 nm ≤ L ≤ 630 nm), effective refractive index (1.11 ≤ n e f f , λ ≤ 1.75), porosity (0 % ≤ ϕ ≤ 70 % ), and peak pore diameter (2.5 nm ≤ d p ≤ 20 nm). Overall, the thickness, effective refractive index, and/or porosity obtained from contact profilometry, interferometry, ellipsometry, and ellipsometric porosimetry agreed very well. However, porosity and pore size distribution obtained from nitrogen porosimetry on powder samples differed significantly from those of the equivalent thin films.
Ionic Conductance through Graphene: Assessing Its Applicability as a Proton Selective Membrane

Inspired by recent reports on possible proton conductance through graphene, we have investigated the behavior of pristine graphene and defect engineered graphene membranes for ionic conductance and selectivity with the goal of evaluating a possibility of its application as a proton selective membrane. The averaged conductance for pristine chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene at pH1 is ∼4 mS/cm2 but varies strongly due to contributions from the unavoidable defects in our CVD graphene. From the variations in the conductance with electrolyte strength and pH, we can conclude that pristine graphene is fairly selective and the conductance is mainly due to protons. Engineering of the defects with ion beam (He+, Ga+) irradiation and plasma (N2 and H2) treatment showed improved areal conductance with high proton selectivity mostly for He-ion beam and H2 plasma treatments, which agrees with primarily vacancy-free type of defects produced in these cases confirmed by Raman analysis.
Targeting P-Selectin Adhesion Molecule in Molecular Imaging: P-Selectin Expression as a Valuable Imaging Biomarker of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease

P-selectin is an adhesion molecule translocated to the surface of endothelial cells and platelets under inflammatory stimuli, and its potential as a biomarker in inflammatory conditions has driven preclinical studies to investigate its application for molecular imaging of inflammation. Clinical imaging of P-selectin expression for disease characterization could have an important role in stratifying patients and determining treatment strategies. The objective of this review is to outline the role of P-selectin in cardiovascular inflammatory conditions and its translation as an early inflammatory biomarker for several molecular imaging modalities for diagnostic purposes and therapeutic planning.
The proteasome 19S cap and its ubiquitin receptors provide a versatile recognition platform for substrates

Proteins are targeted to the proteasome by the attachment of ubiquitin chains, which are markedly varied in structure. Three proteasome subunits-Rpn10, Rpn13, and Rpn1-can recognize ubiquitin chains. Here we report that proteins with single chains of K48-linked ubiquitin are targeted for degradation almost exclusively through binding to Rpn10. Rpn1 can act as a co-receptor with Rpn10 for K63 chains and for certain other chain types. Differences in targeting do not correlate with chain affinity to receptors. Surprisingly, in steady-state assays Rpn13 retarded degradation of various single-chain substrates. Substrates with multiple short ubiquitin chains can be presented for degradation by any of the known receptors, whereas those targeted to the proteasome through a ubiquitin-like domain are degraded most efficiently when bound by Rpn13 or Rpn1. Thus, the proteasome provides an unexpectedly versatile binding platform that can recognize substrates targeted for degradation by ubiquitin chains differing greatly in length and topology.
What’s New in Vaccine Science

Today vaccines can provide immunity against and treatment of a growing number of diseases including noninfectious conditions. Vaccine science continues to evolve newer and safer ways to deliver prevention and treatment of infectious and noninfectious diseases. This includes new adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity; delivery systems to reduce pain and improve acceptability; a wider range of uses including preventing emerging infectious diseases, such as Zika virus and Ebola, treatment of chronic diseases, such as cancer, and autoimmune disorders; and repurposing of existing vaccines, such as bacillus Calmette-Guerin for novel therapies.
Applying the Structure Versus Agency Discourse to the Challenges of Black Men Who Have Sex with Men

Studies on the experiences of Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) often focus on HIV-related topics rather than other dimensions of their lives such as how they endeavor to be agentic as they navigate systemic forces. The Structure versus Agency discourse is used here as a theoretical backdrop to examine the challenges and reflections of BMSM. Based on a mixed-methodological analyses and 168 BMSM who reside in the South of the United States, the study considers whether and how they identify and respond to problems and tensions. Results show that BMSM emphasize personal challenges linked to economics, bullying, stereotypes, and intra-group tensions, often under the specter of racism, that result in greater salience of their racial and/or sexual identities. Moreover, despite references to structural impediments, BMSM are more apt to offer agency-based strategies for redress. Findings inform existing literature to better understand both the nuanced lives and varied needs of this population.