bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Etiology, Frequency, and Clinical Outcomes of Myocardial Infarction After Successful Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation
Authors: Dohi Tomotaka , Maehara Akiko , Witzenbichler Bernhard , Rinaldi Michael J. , Mazzaferri Ernest L. , Duffy Peter L. , Weisz Giora , Neumann Franz-Josef , Henry Timothy D. , Cox David A. , Stuckey Thomas D. , Brodie Bruce R. , Litherland Claire , Brener Sorin J. , Kirtane Ajay J. , Mintz Gary S. , Stone Gregg W.
Published: December 2015

Background—

The frequency, causes, and impact of myocardial infarction (MI) after successful percutaneous coronary intervention have not been well studied.

Methods and Results—

The Assessment of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy With Drug-Eluting Stents (ADAPT-DES) study was a prospective, multicenter registry study of 8582 patients undergoing successful drug-eluting stent implantation at 11 centers in the United States and Germany. After excluding 128 patients with periprocedural MI, we investigated the pathogenesis, frequency, and long-term consequences of non-periprocedural MI in 8454 patients. MI during 2-year follow-up developed in 263 patients (3.3%) at a median (25th and 75th percentiles) time of 318 (129, 503) days. The 263 MIs were subclassified as spontaneous MI (n=78; 29.7%), secondary or indeterminate MI (n=64; 24.3%), stent thrombosis–related MI (n=63; 24.0%), and in-stent restenosis–related MI (n=58; 22.1%). Multivariable predictors of MI included clinical and angiographic factors (acute coronary syndromes presentation, diabetes mellitus, current smoker, multivessel disease, treatment of an in-stent restenotic lesion), laboratory findings (low baseline hemoglobin and reduced creatinine clearance), antiplatelet agent–related factors (higher on-treatment platelet P2Y12 receptor reactivity and premature thienopyridine discontinuation), and not being on a statin at discharge. Patients who experienced an MI during the follow-up period had significantly greater 2-year mortality than those without MI (17.3% [42 deaths] versus 3.4% [265 deaths],
P
<0.001). By multivariable analysis, the adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for subsequent mortality during follow-up was 2.17 (1.06, 4.45) in patients with versus without a non-periprocedural MI (
P
=0.03).

Conclusions—

The occurrence of a non-periprocedural MI within 2 years after successful drug-eluting stent implantation is relatively infrequent, but has numerous etiologies and is significantly associated with subsequent mortality.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00638794.
Relationship of Provider and Practice Volume to Performance Measure Adherence for Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure, and Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Fleming Lisa M. , Jones Philip , Chan Paul S. , Andrei Adin-Christian , Maddox Thomas M. , Farmer Steven A.
Published: December 2015

Background—

There is a reported association between high clinical volume and improved outcomes. Whether this relationship is true for outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD), heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unknown.

Methods and Results—

Using the PINNACLE Registry (2009–2012), average monthly provider and practice volumes were calculated for CAD, HF, and AF. Adherence with 4 American Heart Association CAD, 2 HF, and 1 AF performance measure were assessed at the most recent encounter for each patient. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between provider and practice volume and performance on eligible quality measures. Data incorporated patients from 1094 providers at 71 practices (practice level analyses n=654 535; provider level analyses n=529 938). Median monthly provider volumes were 79 (interquartile range [IQR], 51–117) for CAD, 27 (16–45) for HF, and 37 (24–54) for AF. Median monthly practice volumes were 923 (IQR, 476–1455) for CAD, 311 (145–657) for HF, and 459 (185–720) for AF. Overall, 55% of patients met all CAD measures, 72% met all HF measures, and 58% met the AF measure. There was no definite relationship between practice volume and concordance for CAD, AF, or HF (
P
=0.56, 0.52, and 0.79, respectively). In contrast, higher provider volume was associated with increased concordance for CAD and AF performance measures (
P
<0.001 for both), but not for HF (
P
=0.36).

Conclusions—

In the PINNACLE registry, performance was modest and variable. Higher provider volume was positively associated with quality, whereas practice volume was not.
What is Life—in Everyday Understanding? A Focus Group Study on Lay Perspectives on the Term Life
Authors: Kerbe Wolfgang
Published: December 2015

The philosophical and scientific debate about definitions of life-as-we-know-it and its value is very diverse. How do non-biologists characterize these issues? We held focus groups to shed light on the role of the term life in laypeople's understanding. Results show that features of early childhood cognition dominate the understanding of the term life even in adulthood. Textbook knowledge and definitions derived from specific knowledge systems and beliefs are of minor importance. For an ethical differentiation between life forms the ability to feel and to suffer is seen as the crucial criterion. We conclude that lay perspectives on the concept of life can shape a normative discourse on existing as well as on new life forms in a crucial way. In addition, these perspectives may also strongly influence the expectations towards the life-as-it-could-be that is brought forward by the artificial life community. While some concepts like metabolism exist both in scientific and in everyday reasoning as criteria for life, the normative discussion on life is dominated by such ideas as a hierarchical order of living kinds, which emphasize “easy to think” concepts of a moral differentiation. These can also form a basis for the moral standing of artificial life.
Exploring the Construction of a Category in Warring States Sources
Authors: Meyer Andrew
Published: December 2015

This article examines the category of “Master” as it was used in texts produced during the Warring States. Though scholars have generally assumed that common conventions informed the role and figure of the Master across early texts, close analysis of the sources does not support this reading. The present essay focuses upon the figure of Mo Di as it is constructed in the anecdotes anthologized in the “Dialogues” of the Mozi, comparing the social, political, and economic roles the text ascribes to “Master Mozi” with those ascribed to figures such as Confucius and “Master Yan” in other roughly contemporary writings. Such a comparative reading reveals a distinctive and salient model of Mastership advocated by the early Mohists, which in turn demonstrates that basic categories such as “Master” and “disciple” were fluid and contested in the larger discourse of the Warring States. 

Cet article s’intéresse à la catégorie de “Maître” telle qu’elle était en usage dans les textes de l’époque des Royaumes Combattants. Les spécialistes considèrent en général que la personne et le rôle du Maître obéissaient à des conventions communes à tous les textes anciens, or cette lecture n’est pas confirmée par l’examen attentif des sources. Dans le cas présent, l’attention se concentre sur la personne de Mo Di telle que l’élaborent les anecdotes recueillies dans les “dialogues” du Mozi. La comparaison est faite entre les fonctions sociales, politiques et économiques attribuées à “Maître Mozi” dans le texte et celles qu’attribuent d’autres textes à peu près contemporains à des personnalités telles que Confucius ou “Maître Yan”. De la sorte est révélé le modèle distinctif et pertinent du “Maître” promu par les premiers moïstes, et est démontré du même coup que des catégories de bases comme “maître” ou “disciple” dans le discours des Royaumes Combattants étaient à la fois fluides et contestées.
Petroleum Arbitration Agreement in Iraq: A Tortoise and Hare Race
Authors: Al-Bidery Sinan
Published: December 2015

Trustworthy and effective arbitration is a vital guarantee for foreign investors in the petroleum sector, especially those seeking to invest in post-conflict countries such as Iraq. This article is an evaluation of petroleum arbitration agreements in Iraq, which has not yet promulgated a basic arbitration law, let alone for international investment disputes, nor is it is a party to the New York Convention of 1958 or a member of International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. It examines the use of legislation concerning arbitration agreements, and argues that the relevant provisions are satisfactory for everyday domestic arbitration, but are inadequate in dealing with international commercial disputes, such as over petroleum. Therefore, it is critical, if Iraq is to be able properly to manage the exploitation of her petroleum resources, and her investor relations, that the legal framework is improved. The author makes recommendations on what is needed.
Ulisse Aldrovandi’s Color Sensibility: Natural History, Language and the Lay Color Practices of Renaissance Virtuosi
Authors: Pugliano Valentina
Published: December 2015

Famed for his collection of drawings of naturalia and his thoughts on the relationship between painting and natural knowledge, it now appears that the Bolognese naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522–1605) also pondered specifically color and pigments, compiling not only lists and diagrams of color terms but also a full-length unpublished manuscript entitled De coloribus or Trattato dei colori. Introducing these writings for the first time, this article portrays a scholar not so much interested in the materiality of pigment production, as in the cultural history of hues. It argues that these writings constituted an effort to build a language of color, in the sense both of a standard nomenclature of hues and of a lexicon, a dictionary of their denotations and connotations as documented in the literature of ancients and moderns. This language would serve the naturalist in his artistic patronage and his natural historical studies, where color was considered one of the most reliable signs for the correct identification of specimens, and a guarantee of accuracy in their illustration. Far from being an exception, Aldrovandi’s ‘color sensibility’ spoke of that of his university-educated nature-loving peers.
Red, White and Black: Colors of Beauty, Tints of Health and Cosmetic Materials in Early Modern English Art Writing
Authors: Sammern Romana
Published: December 2015

Alongside Richard Haydocke’s translation of Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo’s treatise on painting (1598), the article examines concepts of color concerning cosmetics, painting and complexion as they relate to aesthetics, artistic and medical practice in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Beginning with white and red as ideal colors of beauty in Agnolo Firenzuola’s Discourse on the beauty of women (1541), the essay places color in relation to major issues in art, medicine and empiricism by discussing beauty as a quality of humoral theory and its colors as visual results of physiological processes. Challenging the relation of art and nature, gender and production, Lomazzo’s account of complexion and Haydocke’s additions on cosmetic practices and face-painting provide key passages that shed light on the relation of cosmetics colors, art writing and artistic practices at the convergence of the body, art and medicine in the context of the emerging English virtuosi around 1600.
Fireworks and Color in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
Authors: Werrett Simon
Published: December 2015

It has commonly been assumed that there were no colors in fireworks prior to the early nineteenth century. This essay argues that there were a variety of color recipes in early modern manuals on fireworks, though the nature and value of color in displays differed quite significantly from later periods. Color was used in pyrotechny in production practices, and carried alchemical, medical and other associations. Colored fire was not the principal or exclusive location of color in early modern displays which gave much weight to colorfully painted scenery, decorations and costumes. That modern authors place so much emphasis on colored fire is due to the promotion of color in pyrotechny by writers working in the age of the Chemical Revolution.
Color and Contingency in Robert Boyle’s Works
Authors: Baker Tawrin
Published: December 2015

This essay investigates the relationship between color and contingency in Robert Boyle’s Experiments and Considerations Touching Colours (1664) and his essays on the unsuccessfulness of experiments in Certain Physiological Essays (1661). In these two works Boyle wrestles with a difficult practical and philosophical problem with experiments, which he calls the problem of contingency. In Touching Colours, the problem of contingency is magnified by the much-debated issue of whether color had any deep epistemic importance. His limited theoretical principle guiding him in Touching Colours, that color is but modified light, further exacerbated the problem. Rather than theory, Boyle often relied on craftsmen, whose mastery of color phenomena was, Boyle mentions, brought about by economic forces, to determine when colors were indicators of important ‘inward’ properties of substances, and thus to secure a solid foundation for his experimental history of color.
The Saline Chymistry of Color in Seventeenth-Century English Natural History
Authors: Roos Anna Marie
Published: December 2015

Before Newton’s seminal work on the spectrum, seventeenth-century English natural philosophers such as Robert Boyle, Robert Hooke, Nehemiah Grew and Robert Plot attributed the phenomenon of color in the natural world to salts and saline chymistry. They rejected Aristotelian ideas that color was related to the object’s hot and cold qualities, positing instead that saline principles governed color and color changes in flora, fauna and minerals. In our study, we also characterize to what extent chymistry was a basic analytical tool for seventeenth-century English natural historians.
Calquing, Structural Borrowing and Metatypy in the Dongxiang Language
Authors: Lefort Julie
Published: December 2015

The Dongxiang language, spoken in Southern Gansu province in the People’s Republic of China, is a Mongolic language that has been in contact with Linxianese, a neighboring Chinese dialect. These contacts have induced massive phonological and lexical changes in the Dongxiang language, but only a few syntactic changes due to the influence of Linxianese can be traced. In this paper, I describe and analyze two particular cases of the grammatical function expansion of two suffixes, -ni and -ji, used with ­adjectives in Dongxiang. From those examples, I try to show that there is a difference between two phenomena present in the Dongxiang language, one being closer to a calque and the other closer to grammaticalization, and eventually metatypy. I also describe a hypothetical borrowing process reflecting the grammatical integration of these two suffixes. 

La langue dongxiang, parlée dans le sud du Gansu en République Populaire de Chine, est une langue mongolique qui a été en contact avec le dialecte chinois voisin de Linxia. Celui-ci a influencé la langue dongxiang sur le plan phonologique et lexical de façon importante alors que la syntaxe ne semble pas avoir été autant influencée. Dans cet article, je décris et analyse deux suffixes, -ni et -ji, utilisés avec des adjectifs, dont les fonctions se sont étendues sous l’influence du linxianais. A partir de ces exemples, j’essaye de montrer qu’il existe deux phénomènes distincts, l’un se rapprochant du calque et l’autre de la grammaticalisation, et éventuellement de la métatypie. Je tente également de décrire le processus d’emprunt possible qui reflète l’intégration grammaticale des deux suffixes dans la langue dongxiang.
Typification of two species names of Trigonella sect. Ellipticae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) from Afghanistan
Authors: Aghaahmadi Majid , Negaresh Kazem , Saeidi Hojjatollah , Assadi Mostafa
Published: December 2015

Two species names of Trigonella sect. Ellipticae are here lectotypified: T. gharuensis and T. koeiei. A distribution map of the species is presented.
Book Review: Kris Manjapra, Age of Entanglement: German and Indian Intellectuals across Empire
Authors: Sengoopta Chandak
Published: December 2015

Kris Manjapra, Age of Entanglement: German and Indian Intellectuals across Empire, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2014, pp. 442.
Book Review: Sujit Sivasundaram, Islanded: Britain, Sri Lanka & the Bounds of an Indian Ocean Colony
Authors: Steel Frances
Published: December 2015

Sujit Sivasundaram, Islanded: Britain, Sri Lanka & the Bounds of an Indian Ocean Colony, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 369.
Diffusion of Opinions in a Complex Culture System
Authors: Gao Wenjun , Qiu Lin , Chiu Chi-yue , Yang Yiyin
Published: December 2015

People take descriptive norms into account when making decisions, even when they do not personally believe in the norms; when the norms do not correspond to the actual preferences of the group; and when the decision is a high stake one. A prevailing challenge in culture and norm research is to identify the sociocultural processes through which ideas spread and become part of the descriptive norms in the society, as well as the processes through which the diffusion of ideas is contained. In the present article, the authors review two emerging communication perspectives on idea diffusion and norm emergence: neo-diffusionism and complexity theory. In addition, the authors illustrate in an agent-based modeling study how complexity theory can shed new light on how opinions spread through interpersonal communication in a complex cultural system. Preliminary results show that as long as most agents in the system prefer talking to others sharing the same opinion, the relative distribution of majority and minority opinions in the system will not change. Interestingly, when egocentric speech is coupled with the preference to communicate with dissimilar others, the level of cognitive homogeneity level (i.e., opinion consensus) in the system increases. In contrast, when audience design is coupled with the preference to communicate with dissimilar others, the level of cognitive diversity level in the system increases. The implications of the results for emergence of descriptive norms are discussed.
Research on the least squares support vector machine displacement observer of a bearingless induction motor
Authors: Bu Wenshao , Li Ziyuan , Lu Chunxiao , Wang Xiaohong , Xiao Juanya
Published: December 2015

To achieve the radial displacement self-sensing detection of a bearingless induction motor, an observation method based on the LS-SVM (least squares support vector machine) is proposed. The state-space model of a magnetic suspension system is derived firstly. Then the LS-SVM is introduced to the radial displacement observer of the bearingless induction motor, the design principle and Lyapunov stability of the LS-SVM displacement observer are analysed in detail, and the construction method of the LS-SVM displacement observer is presented also. Simulation and verification results show that both in the starting suspension stage and in the process of stable suspension operation, the LS-SVM displacement observer can quickly track the radial displacement with high accuracy. Then, a new method is found for the radial displacement self-sensing detection of the bearingless induction motor.
Decision Making for Children with Obstructive Sleep Apnea without Tonsillar Hypertrophy
Authors: Ishman Stacey L. , Tang Alice , Cohen Aliza P. , Elhadi Babiker Haithem , Chini Barbara , Ehsan Zarmina , Fleck Robert J. , Gordon Christopher , McPhail Gary L. , Pan Brian , Saal Howard M. , Shott Sally R. , Amin Raouf S.
Published: December 2015

Objective

Evidence‐based medicine is the gold standard practice model for patient management. Our aim was to determine whether decisions made by pediatric subspecialists regarding management of obstructive sleep apnea in children without tonsillar hypertrophy adhered to this model or were based on clinical experiences.

Study Design

Single‐institution prospective study.

Setting

Multidisciplinary upper airway center in an academic pediatric hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Twelve pediatric subspecialists representing 8 specialties participating in upper airway clinics and management conferences. Real‐time decisions made in treatment conferences and upper airway clinics were collected. Physicians were queried regarding the basis of their decisions, and these decisions were then classified into 10 categories.

Results

Over 13 days (10 case conferences, 3 half‐day clinics), 324 decisions were made for 58 patients (mean age = 8.9 ± 7.4 years, mean body mass index percentile = 75 ± 29); 34% (n = 108) of decisions were evidence based; 59% (n = 193) were nonevidence based; and 7% (n = 23) were based on parental preference. Providers were able to cite specific studies for <20% of these decisions. There was no significant increase in the proportion of evidence‐based decisions made over time.

Conclusions

We deemed 34% of decisions regarding the management of obstructive sleep apnea in children without tonsillar hypertrophy to be evidence based and found that sharing the basis for decisions did not improve the percentage of evidence‐based decisions over time. These findings reflect significant evidence gaps and highlight the need for a systematic literature evaluation to identify best practice in managing this population. We recommend that these evidence gaps be further characterized and incorporated into an agenda for future research.
Machining of curved geometries with constant engagement tool paths
Authors: Desai K A , Rao P V M
Published: December 2015

End milling of the curved surfaces is characterized by significant amount of engagement variation along the tool path which results in deflection-induced surface error on the machined components. Feed rate regulation cannot be used in this case to minimize the surface errors as it necessitates continuous change in feed rate along the tool path which deteriorates surface finish and lowers productivity. Another approach in the form of tool path modification scheme was also proposed in the literature to minimize engagement variation at corners of a pocket. This approach has been effective in reducing fluctuations of engagement at corners and cannot be applied directly in machining of curved geometries where engagement variation is continuous along the entire tool path. Keeping these limitations in focus, a new methodology is proposed in this article to minimize surface error variation that modifies machining strategy for the curved components. The strategy proposes machining of the curved components into two different stages: first, generating the modified semi-finishing geometry using algorithm proposed in this article and then producing the desired geometry using conventional contour parallel tool path. The methodology generates the modified semi-finishing geometry such that the engagement offered is constant when a finishing pass is made. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been verified by performing computational studies and machining experiments on typical curved geometries. It is observed that the proposed methodology is quite effective in minimizing the variation in the surface error on the machined components.
Ethics review as a component of institutional approval for a multicentre continuous quality improvement project: the investigator's perspective
Authors: Ezzat Hanna , Ross Sue , von Dadelszen Peter , Morris Tara , Liston Robert , Magee Laura A ,   the CPN Collaborative Group
Published: December 2015

Background

For ethical approval of a multicentre study in Canada, investigators must apply separately to individual Research Ethics Boards (REBs). In principle, the protection of human research subjects is of utmost importance. However, in practice, the process of multicentre ethics review can be time consuming and costly, requiring duplication of effort for researchers and REBs. We used our experience with ethical review of The Canadian Perinatal Network (CPN), to gain insight into the Canadian system.

Methods

The applications forms of 16 different REBs were abstracted for a list of standardized items. The application process across sites was compared. Correspondence between the REB and the investigators was documented in order to construct a timeline to approval, identify the specific issues raised by each board, and describe how they were resolved.

Results

Each REB had a different application form. Most (n = 9) had a two or three step application process. Overall, it took a median of 31 days (range 2-174 days) to receive an initial response from the REB. Approval took a median of 42 days (range 4-443 days). Privacy and consent were the two major issues raised. Several additional minor or administrative issues were raised which delayed approval.

Conclusions

For CPN, the Canadian REB process of ethical review proved challenging. REBs acted independently and without unified application forms or submission procedures. We call for a critical examination of the ethical, privacy and institutional review processes in Canada, to determine the best way to undertake multicentre review.
Randomised primary health center based interventions to improve the diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated fever and dengue in Vietnam
Authors: Phuong Hoang L , Nga Tran TT , Giao Phan T , Hung Le Q , Binh Tran Q , Nam Nguyen V , Nagelkerke Nico , de Vries Peter J
Published: December 2015

Background

Fever is a common reason for attending primary health facilities in Vietnam. Response of health care providers to patients with fever commonly consists of making a presumptive diagnosis and proposing corresponding treatment. In Vietnam, where malaria was brought under control, viral infections, notably dengue, are the main causes of undifferentiated fever but they are often misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated with antibiotics.

This study investigate if educating primary health center (PHC) staff or introducing rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) improve diagnostic resolution and accuracy for acute undifferentiated fever (AUF) and reduce prescription of antibiotics and costs for patients.

Methods

In a PHC randomized intervention study in southern Vietnam, the presumptive diagnoses for AUF patients were recorded and confirmed by serology on paired (acute and convalescence) sera. After one year, PHCs were randomized to four intervention arms: training on infectious diseases (A), the provision of RDTs (B), the combination (AB) and control (C). The intervention lasted from 2002 until 2006.

Results

The frequency of the non-etiologic diagnosis "undifferentiated fever" decreased in group AB, and - with some delay- also in group B. The diagnosis "dengue" increased in group AB, but only temporarily, although dengue was the most common cause of fever. A correct diagnosis for dengue initially increased in groups AB and B but only for AB this was sustained. Antibiotics prescriptions increased in group C. During intervention it initially declined in AB with a tendency to increase afterwards; in B it gradually declined. There was a substantial increase of patients' costs in B.

Conclusions

The introduction of RDTs for infectious diseases such as dengue, through free market principles, does improve the quality of the diagnosis and decreases the prescription of antibiotics at the PHC level. However, the effect is more sustainable in combination with training; without it RDTs lead to an excess of costs.
A generalized birth and death process for modeling the fates of gene duplication
Authors: Zhao Jing , Teufel Ashley I. , Liberles David A. , Liu Liang
Published: December 2015

Background

Accurately estimating the timing and mode of gene duplications along the evolutionary history of species can provide invaluable information about underlying mechanisms by which the genomes of organisms evolved and the genes with novel functions arose. Mechanistic models have previously been introduced that allow for probabilistic inference of the evolutionary mechanism for duplicate gene retention based upon the average rate of loss over time of the duplicate. However, there is currently no probabilistic model embedded in a birth-death modeling framework that can take into account the effects of different evolutionary mechanisms of gene retention when analyzing gene family data.

Results

In this study, we describe a generalized birth-death process for modeling the fates of gene duplication. Use of mechanistic models in a phylogenetic framework requires an age-dependent birth-death process. Starting with a single population corresponding to the lineage of a phylogenetic tree and with an assumption of a clock that starts ticking for each duplicate at its birth, an age-dependent birth-death process is developed by extending the results from the time-dependent birth-death process. The implementation of such models in a full phylogenetic framework is expected to enable large scale probabilistic analysis of duplicates in comparative genomic studies.

Conclusions

We develop an age-dependent birth-death model for understanding the mechanisms of gene retention, which allows a gene loss rate dependent on each duplication event. Simulation results indicate that different mechanisms of gene retentions produce distinct likelihood functions, which can be used with genomic data to quantitatively distinguish those mechanisms.
The emergence of DNA in the RNA world: an in silico simulation study of genetic takeover
Authors: Ma Wentao , Yu Chunwu , Zhang Wentao , Wu Sanmao , Feng Yu
Published: December 2015

Background

It is now popularly accepted that there was an “RNA world” in early evolution of life. This idea has a direct consequence that later on there should have been a takeover of genetic material – RNA by DNA. However, since genetic material carries genetic information, the “source code” of all living activities, it is actually reasonable to question the plausibility of such a “revolutionary” transition. Due to our inability to model relevant “primitive living systems” in reality, it is as yet impossible to explore the plausibility and mechanisms of the “genetic takeover” by experiments.

Results

Here we investigated this issue by computer simulation using a Monte-Carlo method. It shows that an RNA-by-DNA genetic takeover may be triggered by the emergence of a nucleotide reductase ribozyme with a moderate activity in a pure RNA system. The transition is unstable and limited in scale (i.e., cannot spread in the population), but can get strengthened and globalized if certain parameters are changed against RNA (i.e., in favor of DNA). In relation to the subsequent evolution, an advanced system with a larger genome, which uses DNA as genetic material and RNA as functional material, is modeled – the system cannot sustain if the nucleotide reductase ribozyme is “turned off” (thus, DNA cannot be synthesized). Moreover, the advanced system cannot sustain if only DNA’s stability, template suitability or replication fidelity (any of the three) is turned down to the level of RNA’s.

Conclusions

Genetic takeover should be plausible. In the RNA world, such a takeover may have been triggered by the emergence of some ribozyme favoring the formation of deoxynucleotides. The transition may initially have been “weak”, but could have been reinforced by environmental changes unfavorable to RNA (such as temperature or pH rise), and would have ultimately become irreversible accompanying the genome’s enlargement. Several virtues of DNA (versus RNA) – higher stability against hydrolysis, greater suitability as template and higher fidelity in replication, should have, each in its own way, all been significant for the genetic takeover in evolution. This study enhances our understandings of the relationship between information and material in the living world.
Connecting complex conductivity spectra to mercury porosimetry of sedimentary rocks
Authors: Niu Qifei , Revil André
Published: December 2015

The measured spectral-induced polarization (SIP) response of highly porous granular materials can be modeled by upscaling the Nernst-Planck equation for a single grain and performing a convolution product with the particle size distribution. The distribution of relaxation times associated with the polarization of consolidated porous media seems, intuitively, to be controlled by the pore size distribution because of the radius of curvature of the interface between the solid and the pore water. We have explored a mechanistic model connecting the SIP response of consolidated media to mercury injection capillary porosimetry (MICP) data. First, we developed a mechanistic electric double layer (EDL) polarization model for porous media, which considered the polarization of the Stern layer, which was possibly enhanced by the polarization of the diffuse layer and the effect of the pore size distribution. The new model revealed that the relaxation time of porous media such as sandstones could be overestimated if the enhancement of the overall polarization by the diffuse layer was not considered. Second, we have developed an empirical method to obtain the pore size distribution from MICP data by assuming a linear relation between the pore size and the pore throat size using a pore aspect ratio. Then, we compared the measured quadrature conductivities of nine samples with the theoretical quadrature conductivity obtained by convoluting the pore size distribution with the Warburg model. The Warburg model is considered to represent the quadrature conductivity response of a consolidated porous material characterized by an infinitively narrow unimodal pore size distribution coated by an EDL. The position of the peak of the phase was well-reproduced from the MICP data. In addition, the calculated broadness of the phase spectra was usually well-reproduced by convolving the Warburg function with the pore size distribution.
On Linking Machinery and Show
Authors: Ophir Adi
Published: December 2015

In “Althusser’s Dramaturgy and the Critique of Ideology,” Étienne Balibar reconstructs Althusser’s quest for “a critical concept of ideology” and offers one of his own. Both moves are based on close attention to the relation between theater and politics. Power is always theatrical because it always operates by “combining [. . .] a machinery and a show.” This essay highlights this figure and presents it as both a metaphor for and proper description of the functioning of ideology itself. Literalizing the metaphor, this essay shows how it helps us resolve two enigmas in Althusser’s concept of ideology with which Balibar, following Althusser, is preoccupied: the possibility of revolution and the persistence of “bad subjects.”
Feed-forward motor control of ultrafast, ballistic movements
Authors: Kagaya K. , Patek S. N.
Published: December 2015

To circumvent the limits of muscle, ultrafast movements achieve high power through the use of springs and latches. The timescale of these movements is too short for control through typical neuromuscular mechanisms, thus ultrafast movements are either invariant or are controlled prior to movement. We tested whether mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda: Neogonodactylus bredini) vary their ultrafast smashing strikes and, if so, how this control is achieved prior to movement. We collected high speed images of strike mechanics and electromyograms of the extensor and flexor muscles that control spring compression and latch release. During spring compression, lateral extensor and flexor units were co-activated. The strike initiated several milliseconds after the flexor units ceased, suggesting that flexor activity prevents spring release and determines the timing of strike initiation. We used linear mixed models and Akaike Information Criterion to serially evaluate multiple hypotheses for control mechanisms. We found that variation in spring compression and strike angular velocity were statistically explained by spike activity of the extensor muscle. The results show that mantis shrimp can generate kinematically variable strikes and that their kinematics can be changed through adjustments to motor activity prior to the movement, thus supporting an upstream, central nervous system-based control of ultrafast movement. Based on these and other findings, we present a shishiodoshi model that illustrates alternative models of control in biological ballistic systems. The discovery of feed-forward control in mantis shrimp sets the stage for the assessment of targets, strategic variation in kinematics and the role of learning in ultrafast animals.
The CRISPR-associated Csx1 protein of Pyrococcus furiosus is an adenosine-specific endoribonuclease
Authors: Sheppard Nolan F. , Glover Claiborne V.C. , Terns Rebecca M. , Terns Michael P.
Published: December 2015

Prokaryotes are frequently exposed to potentially harmful invasive nucleic acids from phages, plasmids, and transposons. One method of defense is the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune system. Diverse CRISPR-Cas systems form distinct ribonucleoprotein effector complexes that target and cleave invasive nucleic acids to provide immunity. The Type III-B Cmr effector complex has been found to target the RNA and DNA of the invader in the various bacterial and archaeal organisms where it has been characterized. Interestingly, the gene encoding the Csx1 protein is frequently located in close proximity to the Cmr1-6 genes in many genomes, implicating a role for Csx1 in Cmr function. However, evidence suggests that Csx1 is not a stably associated component of the Cmr effector complex, but is necessary for DNA silencing by the Cmr system in Sulfolobus islandicus. To investigate the function of the Csx1 protein, we characterized the activity of recombinant Pyrococcus furiosus Csx1 against various nucleic acid substrates. We show that Csx1 is a metal-independent, endoribonuclease that acts selectively on single-stranded RNA and cleaves specifically after adenosines. The RNA cleavage activity of Csx1 is dependent upon a conserved HEPN motif located within the C-terminal domain of the protein. This motif is also key for activity in other known ribonucleases. Collectively, the findings indicate that invader silencing by Type III-B CRISPR-Cas systems relies both on RNA and DNA nuclease activities from the Cmr effector complex as well as on the affiliated, trans-acting Csx1 endoribonuclease.
Sequencing of lariat termini in S. cerevisiae reveals 5′ splice sites, branch points, and novel splicing events
Authors: Qin Daoming , Huang Lei , Wlodaver Alissa , Andrade Jorge , Staley Jonathan P.
Published: December 2015

Pre-mRNA splicing is a central step in the shaping of the eukaryotic transcriptome and in the regulation of gene expression. Yet, due to a focus on fully processed mRNA, common approaches for defining pre-mRNA splicing genome-wide are suboptimal—especially with respect to defining the branch point sequence, a key cis-element that initiates the chemistry of splicing. Here, we report a complementary intron-centered approach designed to more efficiently, simply, and directly define splicing events genome-wide. Specifically, we developed a method distinguished by deep sequencing of lariat intron termini (LIT-seq). In a test of LIT-seq using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we not only successfully captured the majority of annotated, expressed splicing events but also uncovered 45 novel splicing events, establishing the sensitivity of LIT-seq. Moreover, our libraries were highly enriched with reads that reported on splice sites; by a simple and direct inspection of sequencing reads, we empirically defined both 5′ splice sites and branch sites, as well as their consensus sequences, with nucleotide resolution. Additionally, our study revealed that the 3′ termini of lariat introns are subject to nontemplated addition of adenosines, characteristic of signals sensed by 3′ to 5′ RNA turnover machinery. Collectively, this work defines a novel, genome-wide approach for analyzing splicing with unprecedented depth, specificity, and resolution.
Reproducible features of small RNAs in C. elegans reveal NU RNAs and provide insights into 22G RNAs and 26G RNAs
Authors: Blumenfeld Andrew L. , Jose Antony M.
Published: December 2015

Small RNAs regulate gene expression and most genes in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans are subject to their regulation. Here, we analyze small RNA data sets and use reproducible features of RNAs present in multiple data sets to discover a new class of small RNAs and to reveal insights into two known classes of small RNAs—22G RNAs and 26G RNAs. We found that reproducibly detected 22-nt RNAs, although are predominantly RNAs with a G at the 5′ end, also include RNAs with A, C, or U at the 5′ end. These RNAs are synthesized downstream from characteristic sequence motifs on mRNA and have U-tailed derivatives. Analysis of 26G RNAs revealed that they are processed from a blunt end of double-stranded RNAs and that production of one 26G RNA generates a hotspot immediately downstream for production of another. To our surprise, analysis of RNAs shorter than 18 nt revealed a new class of RNAs, which we call NU RNAs (pronounced “new RNAs”) because they have a NU bias at the 5′ end, where N is any nucleotide. NU RNAs are antisense to genes and originate downstream from U bases on mRNA. Although many genes have complementary NU RNAs, their genome-wide distribution is distinct from that of previously known classes of small RNAs. Our results suggest that current approaches underestimate reproducibly detected RNAs that are shorter than 18 nt, and theoretical considerations suggest that such shorter RNAs could be used for sequence-specific gene regulation in organisms like C. elegans that have small genomes.
To the Source of Profession. Part Two: Periodization of the History of Human Resource Management
Authors: Титов  , Titov Vladimir , Суханова  , Sukhanova Gulshat
Published: December 2015

In the previous study the authors examined the key problems of periodization of the history of management in general. They were identified and analyzed problems related to the subject, criteria and benchmarks of different periodizations, as well as the problems associated with the choice of the trajectory and flexibility of approaches to periodization. The periodization of the history of HRM (human resource management) is a separate area of research and involves additional challenges. In this article, the study’s authors try to compare and critically analyze various approaches to periodization of the history of human resource management and the evolution of «personnel manager» profession. The article contains classic models and views of modern researchers in the field of evolutionary theory of human resource management.
Valuation of Personnel Management Services (Lecture 9).
Authors: Митрофанова  , Mitrofanova Elena
Published: December 2015

This article continues the abstract of lectures on the subject «Economics Personnel Management» program bachelor.

The article reveals the essence and purpose of the evaluation of the Human Resources Department. The main indicators to assess the effectiveness of personnel

management are presented. The article describes the methods to assess the effectiveness of personnel management, including expert assessment, HRbenchmarking,

analysis of human resources, personnel audit, key performance indicators, management by objectives, methodology ROI.
Probabilistic Warnings in National Security Crises: Pearl Harbor Revisited
Authors: Blum David M. , Paté-Cornell M. Elisabeth
Published: December 2015

Imagine a situation where a group of adversaries is preparing an attack on the United States or U.S. interests. An intelligence analyst has observed some signals, but the situation is rapidly changing. The analyst faces the decision to alert a principal decision maker that an attack is imminent, or to wait until more is known about the situation. This warning decision is based on the analyst’s observation and evaluation of signals, independent or correlated, and on her updating of the prior probabilities of possible scenarios and their outcomes. The warning decision also depends on the analyst’s assessment of the crisis’ dynamics and perception of the preferences of the principal decision maker, as well as the lead time needed for an appropriate response. This article presents a model to support this analyst’s dynamic warning decision. As with most problems involving warning, the key is to manage the tradeoffs between false positives and false negatives given the probabilities and the consequences of intelligence failures of both types. The model is illustrated by revisiting the case of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. It shows that the radio silence of the Japanese fleet carried considerable information (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “dog in the night” problem), which was misinterpreted at the time. Even though the probabilities of different attacks were relatively low, their consequences were such that the Bayesian dynamic reasoning described here may have provided valuable information to key decision makers.
A Criterion Space Search Algorithm for Biobjective Integer Programming: The Balanced Box Method
Authors: Boland Natashia , Charkhgard Hadi , Savelsbergh Martin
Published: December 2015

We present a new criterion space search algorithm, the balanced box method, for finding all nondominated points of a biobjective integer program. The method extends the box algorithm, is easy to implement, and converges quickly to the complete set of nondominated points. Because the method maintains, at any point in time, a diverse set of nondominated points, it is ideally suited for fast approximation of the efficient frontier. In addition, we present several enhancements of the well-known ε-constraint, augmented weighted Tchebycheff, and perpendicular search methods. An extensive computational study, using instances from different classes of combinatorial optimization problems, demonstrates the efficacy of the balanced box method.
ECG of the month
Authors: Regan Martin
Published: December 2015

Martin Regan presents two ECGs for you to analyse
Is cardiac rehabilitation effective in improving quality of life post cardiac event?
Authors: Southern Emma , McLeod Anne
Published: December 2015

Cardiac rehabilitation following a cardiac event is a key aspect of patient management and ongoing quality of life. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in the UK, killing over 110 000 people ( Department of Health (DH), 2005 ). In addition to this, nearly 275 000 people experienced a myocardial infarction with a further 1.4 million people suffering from angina ( DH, 2005 ). The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease outlines the government's intention to improve the care of patients with CHD over a 10-year period ( DH, 2000 ). Standards and NICE guidelines have been developed for the improved prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with coronary heart disease. One element is cardiac rehabilitation. The purpose of this article is to appraise current evidence (undertaken within the last 10 years) with regards to the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation on improving quality of life post-cardiac event such as myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery/intervention. To achieve this, relevant databases such as CINAHL plus, MedLine and PsycINFO were used to identify appropriate recent research studies: this identified eight studies. The findings within these studies suggests that programmes of shorter duration have a positive impact on quality of life but over time, this impact is not maintained. This could suggest that adherence to cardiac rehabilitation reduces over time. The findings also suggest that cardiac rehabilitation, in people who have undergone bypass grafts or angioplasty, has more of a positive impact on quality of life than in patients who have had a myocardial infarction. There continues to be a key role for cardiac rehabilitation in contemporary health care, and the health-promotion strategies within cardiac rehabilitation may need to focus more on enabling those who have had a cardiac event to take ownership of the interventions embedded within cardiac rehabilitation.