Methods for Cryo-EM Single Particle Reconstruction of Macromolecules having Continuous Heterogeneity

Macromolecules change their shape (conformation) in the process of carrying out their functions. The imaging by cryo-electron microscopy of rapidly-frozen, individual copies of macromolecules (single particles) is a powerful and general approach to understanding the motions and energy landscapes of macromolecules. Widely-used computational methods already allow the recovery of a few distinct conformations from heterogeneous single-particle samples, but the treatment of complex forms of heterogeneity such as the continuum of possible transitory states and flexible regions remains largely an open problem. In recent years there has been a surge of new approaches for treating the more general problem of continuous heterogeneity. This paper surveys the current state of the art in this area.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure

Ferrimagnetism of dilute Ising antiferromagnets

It is shown that nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interactions of identical Ising spins on imbalanced bipartite lattice and imbalanced bipartite hierarchical fractal result in ferrimagnetic order instead of antiferromagnetic one. On some crystal lattices dilute Ising antiferromagnets may also become ferrimagnets due to the imbalanced nature of the magnetic percolation cluster when it coexists with the percolation cluster of vacancies. As evidenced by the existing experiments on $Fe_pZn_{1-p}F_2$, such ferrimagnetism is inherent property of bcc lattice so thermodynamics of these compounds at low $p$ can be similar to that of antiferromagnet on imbalanced hierarchical fractal.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

The Academics Athletics Trade-off: Universities and Intercollegiate Athletics

This analysis focuses on several key issues in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The intrinsic benefits of athletic programs are discussed in the first section. Trends in graduation rates and academic performance among athletes and how they correlate with the general student body are discussed in the second section. Finally, an overview of the revenues and expenses of athletic department budgets are discussed in an effort to gain a better understanding of the allocation of funds to athletics. In spite of recent growth in revenues and expenses, the athletic department budget comprises on average only 5 percent of the entire university budget at an FBS school, though spending and revenues have increased dramatically in recent years. In the grand scheme of things, American higher education faces several other, arguably more pressing, areas of reform. However, athletics is a significant and growing dimension of higher education that warrants in-depth examination

An investigation into the feasibility of myoglobin-based single-electron transistors

Myoglobin single-electron transistors were investigated using nanometer- gap platinum electrodes fabricated by electromigration at cryogenic temperatures. Apomyoglobin (myoglobin without heme group) was used as a reference. The results suggest single electron transport is mediated by resonant tunneling with the electronic and vibrational levels of the heme group in a single protein. They also represent a proof-of-principle that proteins with redox centers across nanometer-gap electrodes can be utilized to fabricate single-electron transistors. The protein orientation and conformation may significantly affect the conductance of these devices. Future improvements in device reproducibility and yield will require control of these factors

Effectiveness of a brief lifestyle intervention targeting mental health staff: analysis of physical fitness and activity in the Keeping Our Staff in Mind study.

BackgroundPeople with mental illness die on average 15 years less than the general population, primarily to cardiometabolic disease. Lifestyle interventions are effective in reducing cardiometabolic risk but are not routinely provided to mental health consumers. Lifestyle interventions targeting mental health staff may be beneficial in changing culture surrounding physical health and subsequently improving consumer outcomes. This study examines exercise and fitness outcomes of a targeted lifestyle intervention directed at Australian mental health staff.MethodsA pragmatic single-arm intervention study was conducted within an Australian public mental health service. Mental health staff were provided a five-session individualised lifestyle intervention (incorporating exercise and nutritional counselling) over 5 weeks. Two waves of the programme were delivered between 2015 and 2016. This paper examines the exercise and fitness outcomes of the second wave of the study. Participants were assessed at baseline and at a 16-week follow-up. The primary exercise outcome was a measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness. Secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity and a measurement of handgrip strength.ResultsA total of 106 staff participated in this component of the study. Cardiorespiratory fitness increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (pConclusionLifestyle interventions incorporating exercise counselling may improve the physical health of mental health staff. Such strategies may be effective in improving culture surrounding physical health and/or increasing the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions targeting mental health consumers

Reasons, Coherence, and Group Rationality

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, EarlyView

The Effect of Ruby Laser, Xenon-Light Coagulator and Diathermy on Vitreous Proteins

Vitreous haze produced by excessive energy delivered during clinical photocoagulation has been reported. The introduction of the ruby laser and the continued use of diathermy to produce therapeutic lesions lead to a comparison of the three modalities in respect to their possible effect on the proteins of the vitreous for an acceptable clinical retinal lesion