Orbital magnetization in periodic insulators

Working in the Wannier representation, we derive an expression for the orbital magnetization of a periodic insulator. The magnetization is shown to be comprised of two contributions, an obvious one associated with the internal circulation of bulk-like Wannier functions in the interior, and an unexpected one arising from net currents carried by Wannier functions near the surface. Each contribution can be expressed as a bulk property in terms of Bloch functions in a gauge-invariant way. Our expression is verified by comparing numerical tight-binding calculations for finite and periodic samples.Comment: submitted to PRL; signs corrected in Eqs. (11), (12), (19), and (20

A comparative evaluation of time-delay, deep learning and echo state neural networks when used as simulated transhumeral prosthesis controllers

ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are grateful to ten anonymous, able-bodied, human participants who participated in the recording of all of the datasets used to train and test the above neural networks.Postprin

An investigation of the Beatitudes of Matthew : between oral tradition and Greek text

An investigation of the Beatitudes of Matthew: Between oral tradition and Greek text investigates the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew. It starts with the Greek text as it is known today and works backwards to uncover the different stages of tradition. Each beatitude is reconstructed in both Hebrew and Aramaic in order to ascertain the oral tradition which gave rise to the Greek text and, ultimately, to suggest a theoretical rendering of the original words of Jesus. The results indicate that the original Beatitudes were given in Aramaic. They were subsequently translated into Hebrew and it is this Hebrew version which is the antecedent for the Greek text (which itself underwent successive modifications) known today. The value of the results of this investigation is a more accurate understanding of the words of Jesus, having obvious implications for Bible translations and commentaries. The results further give a glimpse into how the Beatitudes were understood at the different stages of tradition and assess their modern interpretation in the light of their history.Thesis (DLitt (Ancient Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2006.Ancient Languagesunrestricte

Modifications to the University of Michigan 83‐Inch Cyclotron to Improve Beam Quality

Recent studies of the internal and extracted beams at the higher energies (up to 40‐MeV deuterons and 80‐MeV α‐particles) led us to convert the dee system of the 83‐inch cyclotron from two 150° dees to one 180° dee. The primary purpose was to remove from the deflector channel the rf dee voltage, which because of its phase opposes the dc deflector voltage and in addition introduces an energy spread in the extracted beam. The one‐dee system offers further advantages. The equivalent first harmonic due to a gap‐crossing driving force which is a function of the dee geometry and dee voltage balance in the two‐dee system, is essentially eliminated, and control of the central orbits, in particular the selection of phase width, is facilitated. The measured values of the beam quality and energy spread are in good agreement with calculations. These results, together with the diagnostic instrumentation used in obtaining them, are described.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87291/2/366_1.pd

Structure of the master regulator Rns reveals an inhibitor of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli virulence regulons

Enteric infections caused by the gram-negative bacteria enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri, and Salmonella enterica are among the most common and affect billions of people each year. These bacteria control expression of virulence factors using a network of transcriptional regulators, some of which are modulated by small molecules as has been shown for ToxT, an AraC family member from V. cholerae. In ETEC the expression of many types of adhesive pili is dependent upon the AraC family member Rns. We present here the 3 Å crystal structure of Rns and show it closely resembles ToxT. Rns crystallized as a dimer via an interface similar to that observed in other dimeric AraC’s. Furthermore, the structure of Rns revealed the presence of a ligand, decanoic acid, that inhibits its activity in a manner similar to the fatty acid mediated inhibition observed for ToxT and the S. enterica homologue HilD. Together, these results support our hypothesis that fatty acids regulate virulence controlling AraC family members in a common manner across a number of enteric pathogens. Furthermore, for the first time this work identifies a small molecule capable of inhibiting the ETEC Rns regulon, providing a basis for development of therapeutics against this deadly human pathogen

Are orthopaedic providers willing to work overtime to address COVID-19-related patient backlogs and financial deficits?

AIMS: COVID-19-related patient care delays have resulted in an unprecedented patient care backlog in the field of orthopaedics. The objective of this study is to examine orthopaedic provider preferences regarding the patient care backlog and financial recovery initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An orthopaedic research consortium at a multi-hospital tertiary care academic medical system developed a three-part survey examining provider perspectives on strategies to expand orthopaedic patient care and financial recovery. Section 1 asked for preferences regarding extending clinic hours, section 2 assessed surgeon opinions on expanding surgical opportunities, and section 3 questioned preferred strategies for departmental financial recovery. The survey was sent to the institution\u27s surgical and nonoperative orthopaedic providers. RESULTS: In all, 73 of 75 operative (n = 55) and nonoperative (n = 18) providers responded to the survey. A total of 92% of orthopaedic providers (n = 67) were willing to extend clinic hours. Most providers preferred extending clinic schedule until 6pm on weekdays. When asked about extending surgical block hours, 96% of the surgeons (n = 53) were willing to extend operating room (OR) block times. Most surgeons preferred block times to be extended until 7pm (63.6%, n = 35). A majority of surgeons (53%, n = 29) believe that over 50% of their surgical cases could be performed at an ambulatory surgery centre (ASC). Of the strategies to address departmental financial deficits, 85% of providers (n = 72) were willing to work extra hours without a pay cut. CONCLUSION: Most orthopaedic providers are willing to help with patient care backlogs and revenue recovery by working extended hours instead of having their pay reduced. These findings provide insights that can be incorporated into COVID-19 recovery strategies. Level of Evidence: II

Upper-Extremity Injuries are the 2nd Most Common Workplace Injuries from 1992 to 2018

Musculoskeletal injuries occur frequently in the workplace, yet it is unclear whether upper-extremity, lower-extremity, or trunk injuries are the most prevalent. We hypothesize that: (1) trunk injuries are the most common in the overall workplace, and (2) upper-extremity injuries are more common in labor-based industries than non-labor industries. Workplace related injury data from 1992 to 2018 was collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics “Workplace Injuries & Illnesses” database. Occurrence of trunk, upper-extremity, and lower-extremity injuries in major industries (agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and healthcare) were aggregated during this time period and compared. Overall workplace related injury occurrence in major industries from 1992 to 2018 for the following body regions were tabulated as follows: upper-extremity (4,471,340 cases), lower-extremity (3,296,547 cases), and trunk (5,889,940 cases) (p\u3c.05). Upper-extremity injury incidence was observed to be significantly higher than lower-extremity injury incidence in the manufacturing industry (p\u3c.001) and significantly lower than trunk injury incidence in the healthcare industry (p\u3c.001). However, differences between upper-extremity injury incidence and both lower-extremity and trunk injury incidence were not significant for the other industries. When comparing the occurrence of upper-extremity injuries across industries from 1992 to 2018, significant differences were determined between all industries except for healthcare (p\u3c.001). When identifying changes in injury occurrence in each respective industry across this time span, manufacturing was shown to have the largest decrease (x=-5,432, r=-.91) followed by construction (x=-966, r=-.87) and then agriculture (x=-270, r=-.79). Weak correlation was observed for healthcare (x=118, r=.15)

Dendritic Cells Reveal a Broad Range of MHC Class I Epitopes for HIV-1 in Persons with Suppressed Viral Load on Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: HIV-1 remains sequestered during antiretroviral therapy (ART) and can resume high-level replication upon cessation of ART or development of drug resistance. Reactivity of memory CD8+ T lymphocytes to HIV-1 could potentially inhibit this residual viral replication, but is largely muted by ART in relation to suppression of viral antigen burden. Dendritic cells (DC) are important for MHC class I processing and presentation of peptide epitopes to memory CD8+ T cells, and could potentially be targeted to activate memory CD8+ T cells to a broad array of HIV-1 epitopes during ART. Principal Findings: We show for the first time that HIV-1 peptide-loaded, CD40L-matured DC from HIV-1 infected persons on ART induce IFN gamma production by CD8+ T cells specific for a much broader range and magnitude of Gag and Nef epitopes than do peptides without DC. The DC also reveal novel, MHC class I restricted, Gag and Nef epitopes that are able to induce polyfunctional T cells producing various combinations of IFN gamma, interleukin 2, tumor necrosis factor alpha, macrophage inhibitory protein 1 beta and the cytotoxic de-granulation molecule CD107a. Significance: There is an underlying, broad antigenic spectrum of anti-HIV-1, memory CD8+ T cell reactivity in persons on ART that is revealed by DC. This supports the use of DC-based immunotherapy for HIV-1 infection. © 2010 Huang et al