cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The domain of the Bacillus subtilis DEAD-box helicase YxiN that is responsible for specific binding of 23S rRNA has an RNA recognition motif fold

The YxiN protein of Bacillus subtilis is a member of the DbpA subfamily of prokaryotic DEAD-box RNA helicases. Like DbpA, it binds with high affinity and specificity to segments of 23S ribosomal RNA as short as 32 nucleotides (nt) that include hairpin 92. Several experiments have shown that the 76-residue carboxy-terminal domain of YxiN is responsible for the high-affinity RNA binding. The domain has been crystallized and its structure has been solved to 1.7 Angstroms resolution. The structure reveals an RNA recognition motif (RRM) fold that is found in many eukaryotic RNA binding proteins; the RRM fold was not apparent from the amino acid sequence. The domain has two solvent exposed aromatic residues at sites that correspond to the aromatic residues of the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) motifs RNP1 and RNP2 that are essential for RNA binding in many RRMs. However, mutagenesis of these residues (Tyr404 and Tyr447) to alanine has little effect on RNA affinity, suggesting that the YxiN domain binds target RNAs in a manner that differs from the binding mode commonly found in many eukaryotic RRMs.
Novel technique for cranial reconstruction following retrosigmoid craniectomy using demineralized bone matrix.

Abstract Objective A versatile neurosurgical approach, the retrosigmoid craniectomy (RS) has traditionally been associated with high rates of post-operative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, headaches, and aesthetic defects. We introduce a simple surgical strategy for bony cranial reconstruction designed to minimize peri-operative complications and improve cosmetic outcomes. Methods In accordance with the Institutional Review Board, the senior author's (G.M.M.) records were queried between 2006 and 2014. We identified 50 consecutive patients who underwent demineralized bone matrix (DBM)-augmented cranioplasty after RS for MVD ( DBM group ) and 92 consecutive patients in whom standard cranial reconstruction was undertaken using autologous bone chips only after RS for MVD ( non-DBM group ). Demographic and clinical information regarding the laterality of each operation, intra-dural drilling for petrous hyperostosis, method of dural closure, length of hospitalization, presence of post-operative headaches, and procedure-related complications were collected and analyzed. Results The DBM and non-DBM cohorts were well matched for age, laterality of procedure, surgical indications, primary versus revision surgery, intra-dural drilling of petrous hyperostosis, and dural closure techniques. Trigeminal neuralgia was the most common surgical indication (98.6%) in each cohort. Post-operatively, 15% of patients in non-DBM group experienced chronic headaches at the last follow-up compared to only 8% of the patients in the DBM group ( p =0.21). The non-DBM patients also suffered more incisional pain in comparison to the DBM patients (7.6% vs. 0%, p =0.045). Conclusion DBM-augmented reconstruction of posterior fossa defects resulted in low rates of post-operative headaches, better cosmetic outcomes, and represents a simple and effective cranioplasty option for skull base surgeons.
Multiperspective projection and collineation

We present theories of multiperspective projection and collineation. Given an arbitrary multiperspective imaging system that captures smoothly varying set of rays, we show how to map the rays onto a 2D ray manifold embedded in a 4D linear vector space. The characteristics of this imaging system, such as its projection, collineation, and image distortions can be analyzed by studying the 2D tangent planes of this ray manifold. These tangent planes correspond to the recently proposed general linear camera (GLC) model. In this paper, we study the imaging process of the GLCs. We show the GLC imaging process can be broken down into two separate stages: the mapping of 3D geometry to rays and the sampling of those rays over an image plane. We derive a closed-form solution to projecting 3D points in a scene to rays in a GLC. A GLC image is created by sampling these rays over an image plane. We develop a notion of GLC collineation analogous to pinhole cameras. GLC collineation describes the transformation between the images of a single GLC due to changes in sampling and image plane selection. We show that general GLC collineations can be characterized by a quartic (4th order) rational function. GLC projection and collineation provides a basis for developing new computer vision algorithms suitable for analyzing a wider range of imaging systems than current methods, based on simple pinhole projection models, permit.
Lack of Sharing of Spam1 (Ph-20) among Mouse Spermatids and Transmission Ratio Distortion

Gametic equality is thought to exist, despite haploid gene action in mammalian spermiogenesis, because of product sharing via the intercellular bridges of conjoined spermatids. However, mice carrying different t-alleles have been known to produce functionally different sperm, leading to transmission ratio distortion (TRD), whose mechanism is unknown. The reduced Spam1 mRNA levels, previously shown to be associated with TRD and reduced fertility in mice carrying the Rb(6.16) or the Rb(6.15) Robertsonian translocation, are reflected in the levels of its encoded membrane protein (Spam1) and its accompanying insoluble hyaluronidase activity. Studies of the temporal expression pattern of Spam1 reveal that it is haploid expressed, with both the RNA and protein first appearing on Day 21.5. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry show both the mRNA and the protein to be compartmentalized. Compartmentalization of the mRNA along with its immediate translation and insertion of the protein in the plasma membrane suggests the nonsharing of Spam1 transcripts among spermatids, resulting in functionally different sperm in males with different Spam1 alleles. Evidence for biochemically different sperm in these heterozygous males was revealed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Our findings support the notion that the Spam1 antigen is not shared, and we may have uncovered a mechanism for TRD.
The Wnt Signaling Pathway as a Potential Target for Therapies to Enhance Bone Repair

The development of new technologies to enhance skeletal healing after fracture or surgery is an important goal of musculoskeletal regenerative medicine. Although the bone morphogenetic proteins have shown some efficacy in this area, there is a need for more effective and less expensive therapies for bone repair and regeneration. A recent report demonstrating that Wnt signaling could be used to stimulate bone healing may provide a new direction for designing anabolic therapies for the skeleton. The identification of human phenotypes demonstrating robust bone formation as a result of mutations in Wnt signaling provides a strong basis for pursuing this area of investigation.
Patterns of Genetic Variation Among Populations of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in China and Korea

Central to the study of invasive species is identifying source populations in their native ranges. Source populations of invasive species can provide important information about species life cycles, host use, and species-specific predators and parasites that could be deployed in a biological control program. The Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a serious invasive pest of urban forests in North America and Europe. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies and microsatellite allele frequencies to characterize phylogeographical patterns in potential source populations of A.. glabripennis. The data suggest that although there is evidence of genetic structure within and among populations in China, a substantial amount of genetic admixture has occurred. This admixture is probably due to recent reforestation efforts in China where beetles from previously isolated populations moved into new areas of abundant, susceptible, and stressed resources, leading to outbreak populations.
Outcomes following fibroid expulsion after uterine artery embolization.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate retrospectively the sequelae of fibroid expulsion (FE) after uterine artery embolization (UAE). Materials and Methods From a population of 759 UAE procedures performed from July 1999 to June 2009, 37 patients were found to have a uterine fibroid communicating with the endometrial cavity resulting in "bulk" FE with the passage of large fragments or an entire tumor or "sloughing" FE with shedding or "melting" of the tumor. Medical records and magnetic resonance images were evaluated for clinical information and tumor characteristics, respectively. Results The mean age of patients with FE was 43 years ± 5 (SD), with 12 nulliparous and 25 parous. Expulsion took place a mean of 14.8 weeks ± 17.7 after UAE (range, 1.6–105.9 wk). FE was asymptomatic in 5% of cases (n = 2) and symptomatic in 95% (n = 35). Among symptomatic cases, 89% (n = 31) had bulk expulsion and 11% (n = 4) had sloughing expulsion. Forty-nine percent of patients (n = 18) had tumor expulsion at home or had an office/emergency room transvaginal myomectomy (TVM), 27% (n = 10) underwent operative TVM, and 8% (n = 3) had hysteroscopic resection. Urgent and elective hysterectomies were performed in 11% (n = 4) and 5% of cases (n = 2), respectively. Nulliparous women showed a trend toward undergoing hysterectomy compared with parous women (33% vs 8%; P =.07, Fisher exact test). Conclusions Most women tolerate FE well, with approximately half needing no operative intervention, but some may need to undergo hysteroscopy, operative TVM, or even hysterectomy. Nulliparous women are potentially at greater risk to require hysterectomy.
4D Proton treatment planning strategy for mobile lung tumors

Purpose: To investigate strategies for designing compensator-based 3D proton treatment plans for mobile lung tumors using four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images. Methods and Materials: Four-dimensional CT sets for 10 lung cancer patients were used in this study. The internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) was obtained by combining the tumor volumes at different phases of the respiratory cycle. For each patient, we evaluated four planning strategies based on the following dose calculations: (1) the average (AVE) CT; (2) the free-breathing (FB) CT; (3) the maximum intensity projection (MIP) CT; and (4) the AVE CT in which the CT voxel values inside the IGTV were replaced by a constant density (AVE_RIGTV). For each strategy, the resulting cumulative dose distribution in a respiratory cycle was determined using a deformable image registration method. Results: There were dosimetric differences between the apparent dose distribution, calculated on a single CT dataset, and the motion-corrected 4D dose distribution, calculated by combining dose distributions delivered to each phase of the 4DCT. The AVE_RIGTV plan using a 1-cm smearing parameter had the best overall target coverage and critical structure sparing. The MIP plan approach resulted in an unnecessarily large treatment volume. The AVE and FB plans using 1-cm smearing did not provide adequate 4D target coverage in all patients. By using a larger smearing value, adequate 4D target coverage could be achieved; however, critical organ doses were increased. Conclusion: The AVE_RIGTV approach is an effective strategy for designing proton treatment plans for mobile lung tumors.
Characterizations for functional dependency and Boyce-Codd normal form families☆

Abstract A functional dependency (fd) family was recently defined [20] as the set of all instances satisfying some set of functional dependencies. A Boyce-Codd normal form, abbreviated BCNF, family is defined here as an fd-family specified by some BCNF set of functional dependencies. The purpose of this paper is to present set-theoretic/algebraic characterizations relating to both types of families. Two characterizations of F ( I ), the smallest fd-family containing the family I of instances, are established. The first involves the notion of agreement, a concept related to that of a closed set of attributes. The second describes F ( I ) as the smallest family of instances containing I and closed under four specific operations on instances. Companion results are also given for BCNF- families. The remaining results concern characterizations involving the well-known operations of projection, join and union. Two characterizations for when the projection of an fd-family is again an fd-family are given. Several corollaries are obtained, including the effective decidability of whether a projection of an fd-family is an fd-family. The problem for BCNF-families disappears since it is shown that the projection of a BCNF-family is always a BCNF-family. Analogous to results for fd-families presented in [20], characterizations of when the join and union of BCNF-families are BCNF-families are given. Finally, the collections of all fd-families and all BCNF-families are characterized in terms of inverse projection operations and intersection.
Convergence of filters with applications to the Kalman-Bucy case

For each N, and each fixed time T, a signal X/sup N/ and a 'noisy' observation Y/sup N/ are defined by a pair of stochastic difference equations. Under certain conditions (X/sup N/, Y/sup N/) converges in distribution to (X, Y, where dX(t)=f(t, X(t))dt+dV(t), dY(t)=g(t, X(t))dt+dW(t). Conditions are found under which convergence in distribution of the conditional expectations E(F(X/sup N/) mod Y/sup N/) to E(F(X) mod Y) follows, for every bounded continuous function F. The case in which the conditional expectations still converge but the limit is not E(F(X) mod Y) is also studied. In the situation where f and g are linear functions of X, an examination of this limit leads to a Kalman-Bucy-type estimate of X/sup N/ which is asymptotically optimal and is an improvement on the usual Kalman-Bucy estimate. >
The teapot effect: sheet-forming flows with deflection, wetting and hysteresis

The flow of a two-dimensional viscous film falling from the edge of an inclined plane exhibits a distinctive set of phenomena which, in various combinations, have been referred to as the teapot effect. This paper makes plain that three basic mechanisms are at the root of these phenomena: deflection of the liquid sheet by hydrodynamic forces, contact-angle hysteresis, and multiple steady states that give rise to a purely hydrodynamic hysteresis. The evidence is drawn from Galerkin/finite-element analysis of the Navier-Stokes system, matched to a one-dimensional asymptotic approximation of the sheet flow downstream, and is corroborated experimentally by flow visualization and measurements of free-surface profiles and contact line position. The results indicate that the Gibbs inequality condition quantifies the inhibiting effect of sharp edges on spreading of static contact lines, even in the presence of flow nearby. The branchings, turning points, and isolas of families of solutions in parameter space explain abrupt flow transitions observed experimentally, and illuminate the stability of predicted flow states.
Computer‐vision analysis of seedling responses to light and gravity

Measuring the effects of mutation, natural variation or treatment on the development of plant form is often complicated by the shapes, dynamics or small size of the organismal structures under study. This limits accuracy and throughput of measurement and thereby limits progress toward understanding the underlying gene networks and signaling systems. A computer-vision platform based on electronic image capture and shape-analysis algorithms was developed as an alternative to the mostly manual methods of measuring seedling development currently in use. The spatial and temporal resolution of the method is in the range of microns and minutes, respectively. The algorithm simultaneously quantifies apical hook opening and inhibition of hypocotyl elongation during photomorphogenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. It can determine when and where gravitropic curvature develops along the root axis in A. thaliana and Medicago truncatula seedlings. Novel features of gravitropic curvature development were discovered as a result of the high resolution. The computer-vision algorithms developed and demonstrated here could be used to study mutant phenotypes in detail, to form the basis of a high-throughput screening platform, or to quantify natural variation in a population of plants.
Simplicity and Insightfulness: A Promise and its Results: JACC at 1 Year.

![Figure][1] One year ago, I outlined my vision for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology ( JACC ) when I assumed the editorship [(1)][2], which was born out of multiple and ongoing discussions with young cardiologists. As I wrote, “On a daily basis, when I speak with the
Experimental evidence that habitat-specific chemical cues influence fish preference patterns

11 Vegetated habitats provide numerous benefits to nekton, including structural refuge from 12 predators and food sources. However, the sensory mechanisms by which fishes locate these 13 habitats remain unclear for many species, especially when environmental conditions (such as 14 increased turbidity) are unfavorable for visual identification of habitats. Here, a series of 15 laboratory experiments test whether three species of adult fish (golden topminnow Fundulus 16 chrysotus Gunther 1866, sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna Lesueur 1821, and western 17 mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Baird and Girard 1853) use plant chemical cues to orient to one 18 of two habitats (hydrilla Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle or water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes 19 (Mart.) Solms). First, experiments in aquaria were conducted offering fish a choice of the two 20 habitats to determine preference patterns. Next, a two-channel flume, with each side containing 21 flow originating in one of the two habitats, was used to determine if preferences were still 22 exhibited when fish could only detect habitats through olfactory means. While patterns among 23 the three fish species tested here were variable, results did indicate consistent habitat preferences 24 despite the lack of cues other than olfactory, suggesting that these organisms are capable of 25 discriminating habitats via chemical exudates from plants. As such, olfactory mechanisms likely 26 provide vital information about the surrounding environment and future work should be directed 27 at determining how anthropogenic inputs such as eutrophication and sediment runoff affect the 28 physiology of these sensory capabilities. 29 30
Trichogramma Oviposition into Artificial Substrates

Trichogramma californicum Nagaraja and Nagarkatti deposited eggs into various solutions encapsulated in paraffin droplets. Oviposition occurred in physiological saline, Neisenheimer's saline solution, and some mixtures of amino acids but not into distilled water. The first paraffin droplet oviposited into by T. californicum received all the eggs. As many as 500 parasite eggs were deposited into one artificial egg.
Infrared spectroscopy of ion-induced cross-linked sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)

Abstract The dehydration of SPEEK-[H] (protonated sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)) converts 3-fold symmetric (C 3V ) hydrated sulfonate sites to sulfonic acid sites with no local symmetry (C 1 ). Like Nafion-[H], SPEEK-[H] C 3V and C 1 environments afford IR group modes (C 3V,HF (1087 cm −1 ); C 3V,LF (1026 cm −1 ) and C 1,HF (1362 cm −1 ); C 1,LF (904 cm −1 )) due to the mechanical coupling of vibrational internal coordinates of an ether link with those of the sulfonate or sulfonic acid exchange site. C 3V and C 1 bands are inversely correlated during membrane hydration/dehydration. Hydrated SPEEK-[M] (M: Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , Sr 2+ or Ba 2+ ) exhibits SPEEK-[H] C 3V bands because cation waters of hydration preclude binding to the hydrated exchange site. When cation hydration spheres are thermally stripped at high vacuum, SPEEK-[M] C 3V bands supplant SPEEK-[H] C 3V bands, inducing SPEEK cross-linking. Incomplete cross-linking is evidenced by low intensities of SPEEK-[M] C 1,HF bands. The 1362 cm −1 band intensities are inversely correlated with cation hydration enthalpies.
Effect of Coriolis and Centrifugal Forces on Turbulence and Heat Transfer at High Rotation and Buoyancy Numbers in a Rib-Roughened Internal Cooling Channel

Prediction of three-dimensional flow field and heat transfer in a two pass rib-roughened square internal cooling channel of turbine blades with rounded staggered ribs rotating at high rotation and density ratios is the main focus of this study. Rotation, buoyancy, ribs, and geometry affect the flow within these channels. The full two-pass channel with bend and with rounded staggered ribs with fillets (e/Dh = 0.1 and P/e = 10) as tested by Wagner et. al [1992] is investigated. RSM is used in this study and enhanced wall treatment approach to resolve the near wall viscosity-affected region. RSM model was validated against available experimental data (which are primarily at low rotation and buoyancy numbers). The model was then used for cases with high rotational numbers (0.24, 0.475, 0.74 and 1) and high-density ratios (0.13, 0.23, and 0.3). Particular attention is given to how secondary flow, Reynolds stresses, turbulence intensity, and heat transfer are affected by coriolis and buoyancy/centrifugal forces caused by high levels of rotation and density ratios. A linear correlation for 4-side-average Nusselt number as a function of rotation number is derived.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Experimental and numerical investigations on 2.8 μm Q-switched pulse amplification

An Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber amplifier for Q-switched pulses at 2.79 μm is reported. Over 24 μJ pulse energy at an average output power of 1.0 W was achieved at a pump power of 9.4 W.
Impact of anxiety on prefrontal cortex encoding of cognitive flexibility

Anxiety often is studied as a stand-alone construct in laboratory models. But in the context of coping with real-life anxiety, its negative impacts extend beyond aversive feelings and involve disruptions in ongoing goal-directed behaviors and cognitive functioning. Critical examples of cognitive constructs affected by anxiety are cognitive flexibility and decision making. In particular, anxiety impedes the ability to shift flexibly between strategies in response to changes in task demands, as well as the ability to maintain a strategy in the presence of distractors. The brain region most critically involved in behavioral flexibility is the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but little is known about how anxiety impacts PFC encoding of internal and external events that are critical for flexible behavior. Here we review animal and human neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies implicating PFC neural processing in anxiety-induced deficits in cognitive flexibility. We then suggest experimental and analytical approaches for future studies to gain a better mechanistic understanding of impaired cognitive inflexibility in anxiety and related disorders.
Evolution in thermodynamics

This review covers two aspects of “evolution” in thermodynamics. First, with the constructal law, thermodynamics is becoming the domain of physics that accounts for the phenomenon of evolution in nature, in general. Second, thermodynamics (and science generally) is the evolving add-on that empowers humans to predict the future and move more easily on earth, farther and longer in time. The part of nature that thermodynamics represents is this: nothing moves by itself unless it is driven by power, which is then destroyed (dissipated) during movement. Nothing evolves unless it flows and has the freedom to change its architecture such that it provides greater and easier access to the available space. Thermodynamics is the modern science of heat and work and their usefulness, which comes from converting the work (power) into movement (life) in flow architectures that evolve over time to facilitate movement. I also review the rich history of the science, and I clarify misconceptions regarding the second law, en...
Functional Roles of Highly Conserved Amino Acid Sequence Motifs A and C in Solute Transporters of the Major Facilitator Superfamily

The biological membrane covers all living cells and provides an effective barrier against the passage of biologically important water-soluble solutes. This natural passage barrier is essentially overcome with the use of integral membrane proteins known as solute transporters. These transport systems translocate solutes across the membrane such as in the case of bacterial drug and multidrug resistance efflux pumps. One of the largest groups of transporters is referred to as the major facilitator superfamily. This group contains secondary active transporters such as symporters and antiporters and passive transporters such as uniporters. The transporters within the major facilitator superfamily share conserved structures and primary amino acid sequences. In particular, several highly conserved amino acid sequence motifs have been discovered and studied extensively, providing substantial evidence for their critical functional roles in the transport of solutes across the membrane.
Asthma and Nutrition

As we become more aware of the role of nutrition in chronic diseases, there are increasing questions on how nutrition affects asthma, one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Many parents of asthmatic children who are concerned about side effects of chronic medications are motivated to modify their children’s basic food choices, and/or use nutritional supplements if it is safe and has the potential to reduce medications. Food is something parents provide daily to their children and can give without prescription. It can give them a sense of involvement and is part of fostering self-care. Modern medicine has given us effective drugs to control asthma symptoms and while these are essential to the care of patients with asthma, we also need to explore the potential power of foods and its nutritional components. It is especially important to see if there are specific common nutrient deficiencies that can affect asthma, either inherent to the disease or acquired through chronic use of drugs.
Clocking self-regulation: why time of day matters for health psychology

Various lines of research have identified a number of factors that can impair a person's ability and motivation to exercise self-control, here self-regulation, in the face of a tempting object (e.g., food, sex, alcohol/drugs, smoking). Each of these in situ factors - the availability of the tempting object, one's desire for it, and impaired affective and cognitive functioning (most notably from sleep-related fatigue, daily 'wear and tear', and intoxication) - makes self-regulation more difficult, and even more so when they co-occur. This integrative paper highlights how time of day modulates the salience of these impairing factors and argues that they are likely to be especially influential on self-regulation at night, or later in one's waking day. As each factor is likely to vary considerably across the 24 hours of a day, so too will one's self-regulatory ability and motivation - although person-level characteristics such as chronotype may shift these time-based considerations. The paper thus emphasises the importance of clocking self-regulation within health psychology research and intervention design. Consideration of when a self-regulation attempt is being made and of how time of day (or night) may be altering both the person and the situation towards risk, will facilitate a more temporally contextualised account of self-regulation.
Prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy after cesarean is associated with reduced risk of surgical site infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective The objective of the study was to assess the effect of prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy on surgical site infections and other wound complications in women after cesarean delivery. Data Sources We searched Ovid Medline, Embase, SCOPUS, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ClinicalTrials.gov . Study Eligibility Criteria We included randomized controlled trials and observational studies comparing prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy with standard wound dressing for cesarean delivery. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods The primary outcome was surgical site infection after cesarean delivery. Secondary outcomes were composite wound complications, wound dehiscence, wound seroma, endometritis, and hospital readmission. Heterogeneity was assessed using Higgin’s I 2 . Relative risks with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using random-effects models. Results Six randomized controlled trials and 3 cohort studies in high-risk mostly obese women met inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Six were full-text articles, 2 published abstracts, and 1 report of trial results in ClinicalTrials.gov . Studies were also heterogeneous in the patients included and type of negative-pressure wound therapy device. The risk of surgical site infection was significantly lower with the use of prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy compared with standard wound dressing (7 studies: pooled risk ratio, 0.45; 95% confidence interval, 0.31–0.66; adjusted risk ratio, –6.0%, 95% confidence interval, –10.0% to –3.0%; number needed to treat, 17, 95% confidence interval, 10–34). There was no evidence of significant statistical heterogeneity (I 2 = 9.9%) or publication bias (Egger P = .532). Of the secondary outcomes, only composite wound complications were significantly reduced in patients receiving prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy compared with standard dressing (9 studies: pooled risk ratio, 0.68, 95% confidence interval, 0.49–0.94). Conclusion Studies on the effectiveness of prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy at cesarean delivery are heterogeneous but suggest a reduction in surgical site infection and overall wound complications. Larger definitive trials are needed to clarify the clinical utility of prophylactic negative-pressure wound therapy after cesarean delivery.
An Examination of Heavy Coupon Use, Opinion Leadership, and Self-Confidence: An Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to profile the heavy coupon user based on both social influence (i.e., opinion leadership) and individual difference (i.e., consumer self-confidence) variables. If heavy coupon users also influence the coupon use of other consumers, their importance may be magnified for marketers seeking to increase participation in their coupon promotional efforts. Meanwhile, if heavy coupon users also influence other consumers in a more general sense, their importance is magnified further. “Americans generally are twice as likely to cite word of mouth as the best source of ideas and information as they are to cite advertising” (Keller & Berry, 2003, p. 5).
Dog Model Holds Promise for Early Mechanical Unloading in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction.

See Article by Saku et al Myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic heart disease are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Globally, 110 million people live with ischemic heart disease,1 and >8 million per year die secondary to ischemic heart disease.2 As for MI, the 2018 Heart and Disease Stroke Statistics update of the American Heart Association reported a prevalence of 7.9 million adults in the United States alone. In 2015, >110 000 patients died because of MI, with 30-day in-hospital mortality of 15%.3 Both of these conditions combine as the most common cause of heart failure (HF), either from chronic ischemia or from resultant injury after MI. Up to 40% of individuals with MI develop left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.4 The infarct size with resultant adverse ventricular remodeling is directly associated with the development of HF after MI.4 Cardiogenic shock, the worst expression of HF, in the setting of acute myocardial dysfunction is preceded by myocardial contractile dysfunction, which leads to inadequate tissue perfusion and, in turn, can result in multiorgan failure. Although the prevalence of cardiogenic shock among patients with MI is relatively low (5%–10%),5 cardiogenic shock has historically had an early mortality rate as high as 80%, whereas recent studies have suggested a decline in mortality to ≈40%,6 which is nevertheless still too high. Traditionally, coronary artery reperfusion using percutaneous intervention has been the cornerstone therapy to reduce myocardial damage and subsequent HF. Moreover, early percutaneous coronary intervention, using the latest generation of drug-eluted stents and novel antithrombotics and pharmacological therapies, has significantly reduced mortality in MI-related cardiogenic …
Sequence-based sparse optimization methods for long-term loop closure detection in visual SLAM

Loop closure detection is one of the most important module in Simultaneously Localization and Mapping (SLAM) because it enables to find the global topology among different places. A loop closure is detected when the current place is recognized to match the previous visited places. When the SLAM is executed throughout a long-term period, there will be additional challenges for the loop closure detection. The illumination, weather, and vegetation conditions can often change significantly during the life-long SLAM, resulting in the critical strong perceptual aliasing and appearance variation problems in loop closure detection. In order to address this problem, we propose a new Robust Multimodal Sequence-based (ROMS) method for robust loop closure detection in long-term visual SLAM. A sequence of images is used as the representation of places in our ROMS method, where each image in the sequence is encoded by multiple feature modalites so that different places can be recognized discriminatively. We formulate the robust place recognition problem as a convex optimization problem with structured sparsity regularization due to the fact that only a small set of template places can match the query place. In addition, we also develop a new algorithm to solve the formulated optimization problem efficiently, which guarantees to converge to the global optima theoretically. Our ROMS method is evaluated through extensive experiments on three large-scale benchmark datasets, which record scenes ranging from different times of the day, months, and seasons. Experimental results demonstrate that our ROMS method outperforms the existing loop closure detection methods in long-term SLAM, and achieves the state-of-the-art performance.
The impact of exploring computer science in Wisconsin: where disadvantage is an advantage

Assessing the impact of regional or statewide interventions in primary and secondary school (K-12) computer science (CS) education is difficult for a variety of reasons. Qualitative survey data provide only a limited view of impacts, but quantitative data can be notoriously difficult to acquire at scale from large numbers of classrooms, schools, or local educational authorities. In this paper, we use several publicly available data sources to glean insights into public high school CS enrollments across an entire U.S. state. Course enrollments with NCES course codes and local descriptors, school-level demographic data, and school geographic attendance boundaries can be combined to highlight where CS offerings persist and thrive, how CS enrollments change over time, and the ultimate quantitative impact of a statewide intervention. We propose a more appropriate level of data aggregation for these types of quantitative studies than has been undertaken in previous work while demonstrating the importance of a contextual aggregation process. The results of our disparate impact analysis for the first time quantify the impact of a statewide Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program rollout on economic groups across the region. Our blueprint for this analysis can serve as a template to guide and assess large-scale K-12 CS interventions wherever detailed project evaluation methods cannot scale to encompass the entire study area, especially in cases where attribute heterogeneity is a significant issue.
Reduction of anxiety in genetically timid dogs. Drug-induced schizokinesis and autokinesis.

In behavior studies of genetically timid and normal dogs it was possible to focus on nervous non-performing animals in a search for agents which might attenuate the overriding anxiety which causes these animals to become rigid, aversive-avoiding or bizarre in the presence of humans. Of the drugs tested, chlordiazepoxide (Librium, Roche), 75 to 200 mg per dog per day, was most effective in alleviating the anxious condition. Sometimes the drug had the effect of getting the animal over a “threshold” so that he continued to perform (bar-pressing) indefinitely after once started through the aid of chlordiazepoxide. This is considered an example of both schizokinesis and autokinesis which Gantt first described and associated with drug action utilizing conditional response techniques.
End-stage kidney disease in infancy: an educational review

An increasing number of infants with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are surviving and receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT). Unique clinical issues specific to this age group of patients influence their short- and long-term outcomes. This review summarizes current epidemiology, clinical characteristics, ethical dilemmas, management concerns, and outcomes of infants requiring chronic dialysis therapy. Optimal care during infancy requires a multidisciplinary team working closely with the patient’s family. Nutritional management, infection prevention, and attention to cardiovascular status are important treatment targets. Although mortality rates remain higher among infants on dialysis compared to older pediatric dialysis patients, outcomes have improved over time. Most importantly, infants who subsequently receive a kidney transplant are now experiencing graft survival rates that are comparable to older pediatric patients.
CSR in Practice: Agility Logistics and the Development of Global CSR and M&A Programs

This chapter provides evidence from an empirical case analysis of how an Arabian Gulf emerging-market logistics firm, Agility, became a bellwether in global expansion through both mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically, the chapter addresses how the CSR program supports multiple pillars in social responsibility and sustainability, as facilitated and strengthened through M&As. An intensive acquisition program helped the firm to obtain technology, personnel, and innovation resources and establish a CSR program that has become internationally renowned. The focal firm has consistently shown robust stock price performance—clearly fulfilling its responsibility to enhance shareholder value—while connecting into communities worldwide at a social responsibility and sustainability level, demonstrating awareness of globally far-reaching and consequential stakeholder obligations.
Advances in surgical approaches to supratentorial deep-seated lesions

Abstract Deep-seated lesions are lesions that can range from subcortical regions such as the insula to deeper targets such as the basal ganglia and thalamus. There are a multitude of options for treating these lesions depending on the pathology and surgical goals. Stereotactic needle biopsy is a useful technique if the goal is to obtain tissue for diagnosis. When the goal is for more aggressive debulking or resection of the lesion, there are multiple approaches including transsylvian, transcortical, or interhemispheric transcallosal routes. The focus of this chapter will include advances in approaches to deep-seated lesions including trans-sulcal approaches using tubular retractors and magnetic resonance–guided laser interstitial thermal therapy. Along with this, there will be a discussion of adjunct imaging techniques and intraoperative techniques, which assist in maximizing safety and extent of resection.
Drift happens: Molecular genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of jewelweed (Impatiens capensis Meerb.) reflect fragmentation of floodplain forests.

Landscape features often shape patterns of gene flow and genetic differentiation in plant species. Populations that are small and isolated enough also become subject to genetic drift. We examined patterns of gene flow and differentiation among 12 floodplain populations of the selfing annual jewelweed (Impatiens capensis Meerb.) nested within four river systems and two major watersheds in Wisconsin, USA. Floodplain forests and marshes provide a model system for assessing the effects of habitat fragmentation within agricultural/urban landscapes and for testing whether rivers act to genetically connect dispersed populations. We generated a panel of 12,856 single nucleotide polymorphisms and assessed genetic diversity, differentiation, gene flow, and drift. Clustering methods revealed strong population genetic structure with limited admixture and highly differentiated populations (mean multilocus FST = 0.32, FST ' = 0.33). No signals of isolation by geographic distance or environment emerged, but alleles may flow along rivers given that genetic differentiation increased with river distance. Differentiation also increased in populations with fewer private alleles (R2 = 0.51) and higher local inbreeding (R2 = 0.22). Populations varied greatly in levels of local inbreeding (FIS = 0.2-0.9) and FIS increased in more isolated populations. These results suggest that genetic drift dominates other forces in structuring these Impatiens populations. In rapidly changing environments, species must migrate or genetically adapt. Habitat fragmentation limits both processes, potentially compromising the ability of species to persist in fragmented landscapes.
To catch a killer: electronic sepsis alert tools reaching a fever pitch?

Sepsis is a global health priority of staggering impact, resulting in at least 6 million deaths worldwide each year and contributing to as many one half of all hospital deaths in the USA.1–4 Sepsis is also tremendously costly, as reflected in total healthcare expenditures,5 6 short-term and long-term morbidity and mortality7–9 and the heavy burden placed on caregivers and society.10 11 Large-scale efforts, including those of the WHO and the Global Sepsis Alliance, have helped to elevate sepsis to a highly prominent concern visible to ‘the public, political leaders and leaders of healthcare systems’.1 12 Emerging public awareness campaigns—for example, the Sepsis Alliance’s ‘It’s About TIME’ motto emphasises Temperature, Infection, Mental decline and Extreme illness as concerning patient symptoms13—further drive home the need for timely and aggressive patient screening, identification and treatment. Together, these clarion calls highlight the need to leverage all available tools and modalities to enhance the earlier identification and treatment of patients to combat sepsis. Not surprisingly, over the last decade, we have witnessed a rapid expansion in the number of electronic sepsis alert tools in development or use, particularly in locales that have also seen widespread deployment of modern electronic health record (EHR) systems.14 In some cases, simpler rule-based sepsis screening or prognostication tools, built around the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) criteria,15–18 have been electronically implemented as sepsis ‘sniffers’ that offload the burden of sepsis detection in patients who already meet relevant clinical criteria.14 In other cases, the role of these simpler ‘predictive’ models has been questioned alongside …
Barrier to interspecific crossing of Fagopyrum esculentum with Fagopyrum tataricum. I : Site of pollen-tube arrest. II : Organogenesis from immature embryos of F. Tataricum

Following bud pollination of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) with pollens from common buckwheat (F. esculentum), cv. ‘Mancan’, 31% of the ovaries began to grow but all turned brown and withered after 6 to 14 days. Fluorescence microscopy of the growing ovaries showed the pollen-tube entering the embryo-sac. The ovules from the growing ovaries failed to produce any embryo in the culture medium in which the immature embryos from the self-pollinated (compatible) tartary flowers were able to mature and germinate. No embryo development was observed after cross-pollination. The interspecific incompatibility is attributed to the failure of gametes to fuse.
Developmental Idealism, the International Population Movement, and the Transformation of Population Ideology in Kenya

The spread of developmental idealism9s beliefs about how “modern” family practices help achieve a modern prosperous society did not happen spontaneously, especially in societies whose family systems bore little initial resemblance to the “modern” ideal. We examine how Kenya in the 1960s became the first sub-Saharan country to adopt a fertility reduction policy, even though Kenya9s leaders and their Western advisers initially had very different population ideologies. The advisers were neo-Malthusians who viewed continued high fertility in the face of rapid mortality decline as a grave threat to Third World development, whereas most Kenyans were traditional mercantilists who viewed a larger family and a larger population as signs of wealth and prosperity. Kenyans9 conversion to neo-Malthusianism is often presented as the simple result of education and reason: Kenyans came to be convinced that progress requires slower population growth and lower fertility, achieved through modern methods of fertility control. Our account differs. It recognizes that neo-Malthusianism was a Western export that faced substantial opposition and that its adoption was the result of a coordinated movement by neo-Malthusians that applied pressure on Kenyan elites to change the intimate behavior of their people. We conclude that developmental idealism has spread from its Western origins to ordinary people around the world, but that the process was not simple, inevitable, or uniform.
PROVENANCE OF AEOLIAN SEDIMENT: THE UPPER COACHELLA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

Rapid urbanization around Palm Springs, California has encroached upon the sand habitats of the endangered Coachella Valley fringetoed lizard (Uma inornata). The Nature Conservancy and the Coachella Valley Preserve System are concerned about maintaining an adequate sediment supply to the dune environments that urban growth might interrupt. Determining the source of the existing aeolian sediments is a critical first step toward ensuring a perpetual sediment supply. Geochemical links between the aeolian sediment sources and the Coachella Valley Preserve dunes were discovered by mapping the aeolian sand distribution and analyzing trace elements using multivariate statistical techniques.
Pre-equilibrium stopping and charge capture in proton-irradiated aluminum sheets

We present a first-principles study of pre-equilibrium stopping power and projectile charge capture in thin aluminum sheets irradiated by 6--60 keV protons. Our time-dependent density functional theory calculations reveal enhanced stopping power compared to bulk aluminum, particularly near the entrance layers. We propose the additional excitation channel of surface plasma oscillations as the most plausible explanation for this behavior. We also introduce a technique to compute the orbital-resolved charge state of a proton projectile after transmission through the sheet. Our results provide insight into the dynamics of orbital occupations after the projectile exits the aluminum sheet and have important implications for advancing radiation hardness and focused-ion beam techniques, especially for few-layer materials.