cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical activity and quality of life in severely obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery or lifestyle intervention

Background: Given that bariatric surgery (BS) and lifestyle intervention (LI) represent two vastly different approaches to treating severe obesity, there is growing interest in whether individuals who seek BS versus LI also differ on weight-related behaviors. In the present study, we compared BS- and LI-seekers on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB), and examined between-group differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), while controlling for PA. Findings: A sample of 34 LI-seekers were matched with 34 BS-seekers on gender, age, BMI, and PA monitor-daily wear time (age: 42.1±10.0 years; BMI: 45.6±6.5 kg/m 2 ). PA and SB were assessed over a 7-day period via the SenseWear Armband (SWA). HRQoL was measured using the SF-36, with scores standardized to a population normal distribution (M=50, SD=10). Participants wore the SWA for 13.7±1.6 h/day. BS-seekers did not differ from LI-seekers on average min/d over the wear period spent in SB (641±117.1 vs. 638.4±133.4, p=0.62) or light (136.4±76.1 vs. 145.5±72.5, p=0.59) and moderate-to-vigorous (>1-min bouts=36.4±26.2 vs. 40.2±31.3, p=0.59; ≥10-min bouts=5.7±8.3 vs. 10.2±17.0, p=0.17) PA. BS-seekers reported significantly lower SF-36 physical functioning (42.4±10.9 vs. 49.0±6.8, p=0.004) and physical component summary (43.9±10.1 vs. 48.9±7.0) scores versus LI-seekers. BS-seeker group status was related to lower physical functioning (β=0.30, p=0.009), independent of gender, age, BMI, and daily PA. Conclusions: Findings suggest that seeking BS versus LI is not related to patterns of PA or SB, and that lower subjective physical functioning is not associated with lower overall PA levels in BS-seekers.
Seasonal patterns in stream periphyton fatty acids and community benthic algal composition in six high-quality headwater streams

Fatty acids are integral components of periphyton and differ among algal taxa. We examined seasonal patterns in periphyton fatty acids in six minimally disturbed headwater streams in Pennsylva- nia's Appalachian Mountains, USA. Environmental data and periphyton were collected across four seasons for fatty acid and algal taxa content. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination suggested signif- icant seasonal differences in fatty acids; an ordination on algal composition revealed similar seasonal pat- terns, but with slightly weaker separation of summer and fall. Summer and fall fatty acid profiles were driven by temperature, overstory cover, and conduc- tivity and winter profiles by measures of stream size. Ordination on algal composition suggested that sum- mer and fall communities were driven by overstory and temperature, whereas winter communities were driven by velocity. The physiologically important fatty acid 18:3x6 was highest in summer and fall. Winter samples had the highest 20:3x3. Six saturated fatty acids differed among the seasons. Periphyton fatty acids profiles appeared to reflect benthic algal species composition. This suggests that periphyton fatty acid composition can be useful in characterizing basal food resources and stream water quality.
AJOB Empirical Bioethics: A Home for Empirical Bioethics Scholarship

Recently, the journal that you once knew as AJOB Primary Research changed its name to AJOB Empirical Bioethics. The renaming was prompted by a desire to announce clearly the scope of the journal an...
Speech based detection of physiological stress using perceptually significant features

Analysis of physiological stress based on features from speech parameters is preferable over other techniques because of its nonintrusive nature. In this work, heart rate (HR) at three different levels (low, medium and high heart rates) is used as a measure of stress and a common speech utterance in each case is employed to correlate stress with HR. Using a database consisting of utterances and their corresponding heart rates and other physiological measurements indicative of stress for the speakers, utterances of the word eye for a speaker at low, medium and high heart rates are isolated. From these short utterances, features based on auditorily significant areas are extracted for analysis. Spectral features that are perceptually significant, i.e., those above global masking threshold in each band, appear to distinguish speech at three different heart rates at a better rate than the commonly used cepstral features or the total energy in each Bark frequency band. Between the two pattern matching techniques used, namely, dynamic time warping and neural network, the latter showed a higher accuracy in classifying the heart rates from all the features employed. Based on the small set of training and test utterances, the neural network based feature classification technique demonstrated the capability of the proposed set of speech features in classifying physiological stress.
Individual differences and relative advantage: the case of GSS

Studies of the effect of individual differences on usage of information systems have yielded mixed results. This study examines the effect of individual differences on the perceived relative advantage (a concept akin to perceived usefulness) of using Group Support Systems (GSS) over traditional face-to-face meetings. Specifically, the current field study investigates the effect of oral and writing communication apprehension, computer anxiety, and personal innovativeness on perceptions of relative advantage of a GSS. Results provide empirical support for the relationships explored and explain about 40% of variance in relative advantage of a GSS meeting vis-a-vis a traditional face-to-face meeting.
Integrated Optical Displacement Detection and Electrostatic Actuation for Directional Optical Microphones With Micromachined Biomimetic Diaphragms

In this paper, integration and packaging of directional biomimetic microphones using a diffraction-based optical displacement detection method is described. The optical detection method senses the displacement of the microphone diaphragm by monitoring the change in the intensity of a diffracted laser beam. A detailed optical model of the integrated optical detection scheme is developed and used to guide the package design. Measurement results with microphone packages suitable for hearing aid and acoustic measurement systems show that the noise and sensitivity performances of these small-sized microphones are comparable with commercial miniature directional microphones. These microphones incorporate integrated electrostatic actuators which can be used for active feedback control. This capability is also demonstrated to improve the frequency response of the microphone without degrading its noise performance.
A new pulmonary valve cusp plasty technique markedly decreases transannular patch rate and improves midterm outcomes of tetralogy of Fallot repair.

Objectives: To assess the operative and mid-term outcome of a very aggressive pulmonary annulus preservation strategy and pulmonary valve leaflet plasty technique which achieved 95% freedom of transannular patch (TAP) in complete tetralogy repair. Methods: From August 2006 through May 2010, 139 consecutive patients underwent repair of tetralogy of Fallot at a median age of 6.5 months, with median weight 7.2 kg. None of the patients had a prior shunt. A total of 132 patients (95%) had pulmonary valve annulus-sparing procedures, predominantly through a transatrial and transpulmonary approach (n = 120%, 86.3%). Special techniques included generous pulmonary supra-valve patch, bicuspid pulmonary leaflets plasty, or augmentation to maximally preserve pulmonary annulus. All the patients who survived were followed up closely. Results: Only seven (5.0%) patients had a TAP. Among them, five (71.4%) had doubly committed subarterial defect. None of the tricuspid pulmonary valves need TAP. Preoperative size of pulmonary annulus < —6 is associated with TAP ( p < 0.001). A total of 12 (13.7%) patients needed repump to do either a ventriculotomy and patch the incision or a TAP to relieve residual stenosis. One patient needed a third pump run to do a TAP. The operative mortality was 0.7%, and there was one late death due to hemoptysis. The pulmonary regurgitation of non-TAP patients was less than mild in 105 (79.5%) and mild to moderate in 27 (20.5%) patients. Three patients had peak gradient greater than 50 mmHg across the right ventricle and pulmonary artery at 1-month follow-up, but the gradient dropped to less than 50 mmHg in two patients at 6-month follow-up. One patient had a persistent 50—55 mmHg gradient across pulmonary valve and he is under close follow-up. Conclusions: Excellent outcome can be achieved even with 95% freedom of TAP in complete repair of tetralogy. The function of most patients’ pulmonary valve was well preserved. # 2011 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Intraoperative endoleak during EVAR: frequency, nature, and significance.

Objective: Endoleaks are critical complications of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study sought to determine the frequency and nature of intraoperative endoleaks and thei...
Correlates of leukocyte counts in men.

Abstract Because of previously reported associations between a high leukocyte count and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD), we examined the relation of leukocyte counts to various characteristics among 3591 white and 506 black 31- to 45-year-old men. The mean leukocyte count was approximately 1000 cells/μL higher among whites than among blacks, and approximately 1900 cells/μL higher among current smokers than among nonsmokers. The leukocyte count was also higher among men who had recently stopped smoking and among men who reported their general health as poor or fair. Independent of these relations, the leukocyte count was associated positively with the platelet count (r = 0.29), triglyceride level (r = 0.21), heart rate (r = 0.15), and use of corticosteroids and beta-blockers; and inversely with alcohol consumption and prothrombin time (r = −0.10). The examined characteristics could together account for 37% of the variability in leukocyte counts. These relatively strong associations indicate that it may be difficult to disentangle the relation of the leukocyte count to IHD from that of other risk factors.
A Novel Plasma Based Biomarker of Alzheimer’s Disease

Specific biomarkers in a readily accessible biological fluid, such as blood, could aid in the identification, characterization, validation, and routine monitoring of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. In the current study, levels of the previously described novel cerebrospinal fluid aberrant protein complex composed of prostaglandin-D-synthase (PDS) and transthyretin (TTR) were quantified in plasma by a custom two-probe sandwich ELISA and compared to amyloid-β (Aβ)(1-42) as a standard plasma biomarker of AD. Plasma was analyzed from 140 probable AD subjects, 135 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 74 normal control subjects (NC) prior to MCI transition, 23 diseased control (DC) subjects with either frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies, and 182 normal control (NC) subjects who did not progress to MCI or dementia. Levels of Aβ(1-42) were significantly elevated in NC subjects prior to MCI conversion but significantly reduced in probable AD subjects compared to NC subjects. Similarly, levels of the PDS-TTR complex were significantly reduced in both MCI and probable AD subjects compared to NC subjects. Furthermore, levels of Aβ(1-42) and the PDS-TTR complex were not significantly different in DC subjects compared to NC subjects. MMSE scores were weakly but significantly correlated with plasma levels of the PDS-TTR complex and Aβ(1-42). Trail B scores were weakly but significantly correlated with plasma levels of Aβ(1-42). Comparison of receiver operating curves shows the PDS-TTR complex is comparable to Aβ(1-42) in both MCI and probable AD subjects.
Lower body mass index is associated with greater Alzheimer pathology in asymptomatic individuals

Pathophysiology (SNAP), a normal or an unclassified group (Table 1). Longitudinal progression to CDR>0 was modeled using survival analyses. Results: Controlling for appropriate covariates, correlations between CSF Ab 42 and the mean cortical PIB binding potential (MCBP) were significant (r1⁄4-.39, p<.0001), while the relationships between adjusted hippocampal volume and CSF (r1⁄4.04, p1⁄4.52) and ptau (r1⁄4.03, p1⁄4.62) were not (Figures 1 & 2). Individuals classified as Stage 2 and 3 were at an elevated risk of later dementia relative to those in Stage 0. (Figures 3-5). Conclusions:The NIA-AA preclinical stages successfully stratify dementia risk using both CSF and neuroimaging biomarkers. Measures of amyloid were highly congruent, while measures of neurodegeneration were often incongruent. This suggests that such markers cannot be used interchangeably to represent the same pathology.
14 – Death from Alcohol Poisoning

This chapter outlines the major causes of death from alcohol poisoning and concentrates on the pathophysiological effects on the organs of the body, and the subsequent contributions of these effects to death. Causes of death as a result of alcohol poisoning are not well documented in the literature. This can be attributed to many of the autopsy diagnoses stating death occurring from acute alcohol poisoning, but an exact cause of death was not elucidated. Acute alcohol poisoning has deleterious effects on the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal system, the hepato-pancreatico-biliary system, the kidneys, and the respiratory system. It also has significant effects on the immunological and homeostatic mechanisms of the human body. The clinical manifestations of acute alcohol poisoning can be attributed to alterations and subsequent dysfunction of the central nervous system. From studies analysed, the lethal blood alcohol concentration is on average between 0.192 and 0.36 g per 100 ml of blood. Alcohol is an important cause and contributor in the mechanism of death in all populations and age groups throughout the western world.
The Liberal Forces Driving the Supreme Court's Divestment and Debasement of Tribal Sovereignty

This paper examines the Supreme Court’s substantial abandonment of a territorially based conception of Indian tribal sovereignty in favor of a consent-based conception and its recent characterization of tribal sovereignty as a special right, which may be claimed only by weak and dependent tribes. It ultimately attributes these trends, in significant part, to the Supreme Court’s increasing preoccupation with liberal goals in the decades following the Civil Rights Movement. The Supreme Court’s use of liberalism to erode well-established Indian law doctrines suggests that the continued application of liberal ideas poses serious problems for multicultural societies like the United States. These problems include the abolition of Indian tribes’ special status under the law and, more broadly, a threat to all subordinated groups of involuntary assimilation into the majority white culture. In part II, the author analyzes in chronological order several Supreme Court cases, decided within the last two decades that have made significant encroachments upon tribal sovereignty. Part III focuses more narrowly on two of the suspect methods the Supreme Court has used in recent cases to shrink and degrade tribal sovereignty: 1) ignoring or diminishing the force of the canons of construction in Indian law in order to reach a result unfavorable to Indian tribes, and 2) construing the legislative intent of acts of Congress without reference to subsequent legislative history, such as amendment or outright repudiation, in order to reach a result which disfavors Indian tribes and substantially erodes their sovereignty. In part IV, the author discusses the Supreme Court’s use of social contract theory as an implicit basis of its decisions, especially those that evince a consent-based view of tribal sovereignty.In part V, the author argues that the Supreme Court is motivated to dismantle Indian sovereignty because of its increasingly liberal view that such sovereignty is a special, race-based right, which, through its very focus on race, violates liberal equality theory. The author concludes that liberalism must be drastically modified or abandoned in order to preserve the uniqueness of subordinated cultures in general and the sovereignty of Indian tribes in particular.
When Churches Divide: On Neutrality, Deference, and Unpredictability

Historically, churches severed their connections with their denominations for a variety of reasons. This article addresses the criteria to be used to determine who owns contested property in such disputes. Regrettably, there is a surprising degree of disparity both among and sometimes within states with respect to the conditions under which a national organization will own local church property, which makes it difficult for both local and national religious organizations to plan for and achieve desired ends.
Overview: Getting Involved in Research as a Busy Practicing Surgeon

To succeed in academic surgery in the current era, it is important that a surgeon brings a unique attribute that enhances the mission of the institution beyond the scope of surgical mastery and relative value units (RVUs). Given the increasing pressure on a surgeon to produce RVUs, how can a prospective surgical scientist successfully develop and maintain a research program? The establishment of a successful research program requires planning that begins in surgical residency and careful decision making along the way with clear focus of goals. This article will provide insight into the steps to consider along the way as you work to establish your successful research program.
Mating Frequency of Female Pink Bollworms Collected from Light Traps1

Studies of the feasibility of using a sterile-male release method for controlling populations of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Ouye et al. 1964), created interest in the frequency of mating of females of this species in nature. The question of seasonal variations in mating frequency was of particular interest. Squire (1937) reported that the moths mate only once; however, studies by Lukefahr and Griffin (1957) and Ouye et al. (1964) under laboratory conditions indicated that a significant number of females mated more than once. The study of Ouye et al. included a portion of the data reported herein.
Launch Vehicle Design Features for Minimum Cost

NASA has cost and safety goals of $220/kg to low-earth-orbit and one chance of crew loss in one million manned launch attempts. Published studies favor complex, infant, reusable, air-breathing technologies, assuming that reduced vehicle size results in reduced cost. Rough order of magnitude analysis and historical review do not support this assumption. Low purchase, launch and processing costs and high flight rate are either independent of propulsion mode or better satisfied by rocket propulsion.
Operations to support temporal coverage aggregates over moving regions

A temporal coverage operation computes the duration that a moving object covers a spatial area. We extend this notion into temporal coverage aggregates, in which the spatial area covered for a maximum or minimum amount of time by a moving region, or set of moving regions, is discovered. We define the max temporal aggregate coverage operation and the min temporal aggregate coverage operation. We provide an algorithm to compute these operations, and show that it is correct. Finally, the algorithm is implemented in the open source, Pyspatiotemporalgeom library to verify the algorithm under a variety of test cases.
Evaluation of Drug Treatment of Hypertension from the Point of View of Economics

Evaluating drug treatment of hypertension from the point of view of economics has important practical significance.It is important to make best use of our restricted health resources,whilst preventing harm to patients from hypertension.Pharmacoeconomic analysis seeks to take into account both the cost and the effect of drug treatment,because the cost of drug treatment involves not only drug prices,but also the risk level to patients,the effect of lowering blood pressure,the impact of clinical end points and the compliance with treatment and safety of treatment.Pharmacoeconomics places an emphasis on overall costs and cost-effectiveness.Drug treatment is not very cost-effective for low-risk patients,unless drug prices are low.However,for high-risk patients,the lower the cost-effective ratio is the more economic rather than the cheaper drug.
Melanoma’s Radioresistant Reputation Challenged

Conventional wisdom would have one believe that melanoma is a highly radioresistant tumor, perhaps even “radiation proof.” This reputation developed as a result of a combination of factors. First, early in vitro studies of melanoma radio-biology suggested that melanoma cells displayed enhanced postradiation survival vs comparison cells.[1] Second, clinical use of radiation therapy for melanoma did not seem to work very well.[2] This combination, a clinical observation supported by laboratory work, seems to have led radiation therapy to be avoided for melanoma treatment.
Cost of computerized drug interaction screening system

The cost of operating a computerized drug interaction screening program at a 635-bed private community hospital was studied. Cost data were collected during the development of the Pharmacy Automated Drug Interaction Screening system in 1975 and during a one-year study period, June 1978 to June 1979. The total cost of the interaction screening system was analyzed according to (1) patient days, (2) unit dose drugs administered, (3) potentially significant drug interactions detected and monitored, and (4) clinically significant drug interactions prevented. Total estimated annual cost of the program was +5,603.02. Salaries accounted for 63% of the total, computer time costs for 17%, annual leasing of the data base for 16%, and paper for 4%. The cost per number of drug interactions detected and monitored was +0.51. The cost per patient day was +0.42, while the cost per unit dose drug dispensed was only +0.004. Since 341 the study period, this represents a cost of +16.43 each. This system is an inexpensive means of detecting and preventing drug interactions.
Maintenance of Telomeres in Cancer

Tumorigenesis is a complex process that involves several genetic alterations and many attempts before the “correct” set of mutations occurs to create a cancer cell of origin. Fortunately, this event is made infrequent by the evolution of mechanisms able to preserve genomic stability and to limit the proliferation potential of somatic cells. A crucial role in both of these processes is played by the nucleoproteins that localize to the tips of our chromosomes: the telomeres. Proper telomere function is required to maintain genomic stability and in somatic cells progressive telomere shortening serves as a cellular clock that limits proliferation potential. In this chapter I will review the mechanisms that allow the proper function of telomeres in normal cells as well as the mechanisms employed by cancer cells to bypass their normal regulation.
Modal Analysis of A small H-Darrieus Wind Turbine Based on 3D CAD, FEA

Rotary machines have many rotating structures necessity design-optimization. Their structure motions are controlled at low-frequency by rigidity, at high-frequency by inertia and at-resonance level by damping. Using modal model, dynamic design of the structure developed can be predicted, analyzed and improved. Recently, H-Darrieus wind turbine has (HDWT) received considerable attention due to its inherent structural characteristics. This machine intends a promising design of renewable energy conversion system in urban areas and isolates sites. Though, the system suffers of several dynamic problems caused by geometry, centrifugal and aerodynamic cyclic loadings. Present paper investigated dynamic design-optimization of a three-bladed (HDWT) based on its natural structural parameters using 3D CAD, FEA using SolidWorks modeling and simulation. From simulation result obtained, the first five natural frequencies of the system, corresponding mass participate, damping factor, and mode shapes are predicted and analyzed. The static and dynamic stability and reliability of the system are shown since security factor and all quality indicators tested, amplification factors, and resonant amplitude ratios are consistent according to the recommendations of structure dynamics standards. Furthermore, critical operating conditions of wind turbine under forcing excitations of the wind speeds at various regimes are also treated and assessed.
The Prehistory of Orexin/Hypocretin and Melanin-Concentrating Hormone Neurons of the Lateral Hypothalamus

Although orexins (or hypocretins were discovered only in 1998, the neurons that contain them had been the subject of study for almost 70 years by that time. It had been determined by the 1970’s that these neurons project to both the cerebral cortex and the spinal cord, and by the 1930’s that they were involved in both autonomic and behavioral arousal. As early as the 1920’s it was known that damage to neurons in this area produced narcolepsy. Nevertheless, until the description of the orexins in the 1990’s and melanin-concentrating hormone in the 1980’s, it was not possible to connect these pieces of information into a coherent understanding of the orexin/hypocretin neurons and their role in health and disease.
Primary Hyperparathyroidism and Osteoporosis

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has been associated with bone loss most notable in the cortical bones, with osteoporosis being prevalent in up to 60 % of patients. PHPT should be evaluated as a secondary cause of osteoporosis. In addition, bone mineral density should be assessed in patients with PHPT, as the presence of osteoporosis may alter management. The diagnosis of PHPT should be based on solid biochemical evidence, and imaging studies should be reserved for patients in whom surgery is being strongly considered. Patients with PHPT who also have bone mineral density in the osteopenia/osteoporosis range should adhere to the Institute of Medicine recommendations to ensure adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D (i.e., there is no need for calcium restriction).
The utility of thyroglobulin washout studies in predicting cervical lymph node metastases: One academic medical center's experience.

Background Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is useful for evaluating cervical lymph nodes for metastases from thyroid carcinomas. Reports have illustrated that with application of standardized technique and appropriate cutoffs, thyroglobulin (TG) washout studies increase the sensitivity and specificity of FNAC in identifying lymph node metastases. This project describes our experience at an academic medical center utilizing needle wash thyroglobulin analyses as an ancillary to FNAC. Materials and Methods We reviewed cases at our institution where thyroglobulin analysis was performed in conjunction with FNA of lymph nodes in patients with thyroid carcinoma. Thyroglobulin levels were measured on needle rinses from each FNA biopsy that appeared negative or equivocal at the time of immediate assessment. These results were compared with surgical pathology results from neck dissections, when performed. Results 168 FNA biopsies were performed on suspicious lymph nodes from 97 patients with known or suspected thyroid malignancy between April 2013 and present. Using a cutoff of 1.0 ng TG/ml, thyroglobulin studies performed at our institution were found to have sensitivity and specificity results of 0.95. Surgical pathology results were used as the gold standard. When surgical pathology results are not available, FNAC is used as the mode of comparison. False positive Tg results occurred in two prethyroidectomy patients suggesting that sample contamination with blood may influence this method's specificity. A false-negative Tg result occurred in a lymph node with <1 mm focus of metastatic PTC, indicating that Tg results may not be sensitive in cases with few tumor cells. Conclusions Our results suggest that thyroglobulin washout studies improve the quality of our biopsy diagnoses when used in conjunction with FNA in the assessment of metastatic disease in the context of established thyroid malignancy in post-thyroidectomy patients. Thyroglobulin values close to the cutoff of 1.0 ng/ml should be interpreted with caution, as these may represent a minute focus of metastatic tumor. Tg values in prethyroidectomy patients should also be interpreted with caution, as contamination with blood may cause its elevation. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:964–968. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Phenotypic and immunologic characteristics of Salmonella lacking RNA modification enzymes

D of tRNA modification enzymes gidA and mnmE significantly attenuated Salmonella virulence. Transcriptome and proteome analyses indicated that expression of several virulence factors was significantly altered. Mice immunized with the gidA mutant were protected against a lethal dose of wild-type (WT). The mechanistic basis of protection afforded by immunization of mice with the gidA mutant was investigated using flow cytometry and several immunological techniques. Data from this study indicated that both humoral and cellular immunity played a role with the humoral immune response potentially being the main mechanism of protection. GidA together with MnmE thought to catalyze modification of tRNA which is required for correct translation during gene expression. Examination of relative contribution of GidA and MnmE in modulation of Salmonella virulence indicated various degree of attenuation and that GidA and MnmE bind together and alters Salmonella tRNA modification. GidB, a methyltransferase enzyme, was identified as being responsible for methylation of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Deletion of Salmonella gidB gene indicated a compromised overall bacterial fitness, significantly reduced motility and showed a filamentous morphology under the stress of nalidixic acid. Most importantly, deletion of gidB conferred high-level resistance to the aminoglycoside antibiotics streptomycin and neomycin. This study determined the methylation site for the WT Salmonella. Taken together, these data indicated that GidA, GidB and MnmE enzymes play a significant role in modulation of biological and virulence characteristics and alteration of antibiotic susceptibility in Salmonella under stress conditions. Amin A. Fadl, J Bacteriol Parasitol 2013, 4:4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9597.S1.002
A geometric control algebra for cooperative manipulation

A geometric control algebra, represented using hybrid twist and wrench screw theory, is provided and described for cooperating manipulators to model dual-arm robotic operations. In addition to the system model of the manipulators, cooperative dual-arm robotic operations are incorporated using hybrid twist and wrench screw theory into the geometric control algebra. Single-object and two-object operations are based on hybrid twist and wrench screw theory thereby providing the fundamental relationships for freedom of motion and constraint for the dual-arm robotic operations
AP-STDP: A novel self-organizing mechanism for efficient reservoir computing

The Liquid State Machine (LSM) exploits the computation capability of recurrent spiking neural networks by incorporating a randomly generated reservoir, which is often fixed. This standard choice relaxes the challenging need for training the complex recurrent reservoir. The fixed reservoir is used as a generic kernel to map the temporal input signals to the internal network dynamics, and a readout layer is trained to extract the information embedded in the network dynamics to facilitate pattern classification. However, the question of how to effectively tune the reservoir for given computational tasks remains to be answered. In this paper, we propose a novel Activity-based Probabilistic Spiking-Timing Dependent Plastic (AP-STDP) mechanism for self-organizing reservoirs. Compared to conventional STDP mechanisms, the proposed rule improves tuning efficiency, prevents the saturation of synaptic memory, and boosts performance. We assess the internal representation ability of the proposed self-organizing mechanism via principal component analysis (PCA) and show that the proposed method is advantageous over other STDP algorithms. Using the spoken English letters adopted from the TI46 speech corpus for performance benchmarking, we demonstrate that AP-STDP consistently outperforms other STDP mechanisms regardless of reservoir size, and is able to boost the performance of the isolated spoken English letter recognition by 2.7% with a small reservoir size.
Virtual Patient Technology: Engaging Primary Care in Quality Improvement Innovations

Background: Engaging health care staff in new quality improvement programs is challenging. Objective: We developed 2 virtual patient (VP) avatars in the context of a clinic-level quality improvement program. We sought to determine differences in preferences for VPs and the perceived influence of interacting with the VP on clinical staff engagement with the quality improvement program. Methods: Using a participatory design approach, we developed an older male smoker VP and a younger female smoker VP. The older male smoker was described as a patient with cardiovascular disease and was ethnically ambiguous. The female patient was younger and was worried about the impact of smoking on her pregnancy. Clinical staff were allowed to choose the VP they preferred, and the more they engaged with the VP, the more likely the VP was to quit smoking and become healthier. We deployed the VP within the context of a quality improvement program designed to encourage clinical staff to refer their patients who smoke to a patient-centered Web-assisted tobacco intervention. To evaluate the VPs, we used quantitative analyses using multivariate models of provider and practice characteristics and VP characteristic preference and analyses of a brief survey of positive deviants (clinical staff in practices with high rates of encouraging patients to use the quit smoking innovation). Results: A total of 146 clinical staff from 76 primary care practices interacted with the VPs. Clinic staff included medical providers (35/146, 24.0%), nurse professionals (19/146, 13.0%), primary care technicians (5/146, 3.4%), managerial staff (67/146, 45.9%), and receptionists (20/146, 13.7%). Medical staff were mostly male, and other roles were mostly female. Medical providers (OR 0.031; CI 0.003-0.281; P=.002) and younger staff (OR 0.411; CI 0.177-0.952; P=.038) were less likely to choose the younger, female VP when controlling for all other characteristics. VP preference did not influence online patient referrals by staff. In high-performing practices that referred 20 or more smokers to the ePortal (13/76), the majority of clinic staff were motivated by or liked the virtual patient (20/26, 77%). Conclusions: Medical providers are more likely motivated by VPs that are similar to their patient population, while nurses and other staff may prefer avatars that are more similar to them. [JMIR Med Educ 2017;3(1):e3]
Using reflection and dialogue to prepare social work students for practice with LGBT populations: An emerging pedagogical model

ABSTRACTUsing analysis of student focus groups, this article describes the learning experiences of graduate social work students in a semester-long course on social work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families. Deconstructing their beliefs about sexuality, gender, religion, and family was for many students both an uncomfortable and rewarding learning process. Drawing from students' voices and using the concept “creative tension” (Palmer, 1998), this article describes students' growth processes and how providing forums for personal reflection and dialogue supported students in this deconstruction process. An emerging pedagogical model that expands and deepens what it means to create a “safe” classroom environment for learning about LGBT issues is offered.
The kicking process in tae kwon do: a biomechanical analysis; running title: biomechanical analysis of taekwondo

Objectives: There is a dearth of studies examining the kicks used in Tae Kwon Do (TKD). This study sought to compare the biomechanics of various TKD kicking techniques. Methods: A motion analysis video-camera based system was used to study the biomechanics of three different types of kicks performed by five Black Belt level athletes. The velocity of the kicking foot, the velocity of the pelvis, and the lower body linear momentum were estimated to compare the kicking techniques. Results: Similar patterns of ankle, knee, and hip movement were found for different kicks. The greatest peak foot velocity was observed for the front kick. The peak linear momentum of the lower body was highest for the side kick. Subjects who were able to simultaneously reach peak pelvis velocity and peak lower body linear momentum displayed the best performance. Techniques performed with a step forward after the kicks delivered a more powerful blow than techniques performed by returning to the initial position. Conclusion: This study shows that the fastest kick is the front kick and the most powerful kick is the side kick. The effectiveness of the technique is associated with the coordination of movement of the pelvis and lower body.
Stress from crystallization of salt in pores

Publisher Summary The chapter reviews the thermodynamics of crystallization pressure. Crystallization pressure results when a growing crystal encounters a pore wall. The maximum stress that a crystal of salt can exert is related to the supersaturation of the pore liquid, but the lower limits are set by the interfacial energies of the crystal and the wall, the pore size, and the pressure in the liquid. In nonequilibrium thermodynamics of crystallization pressure, evaporation drives the liquid/vapor meniscus into the gap between a crystal and the pore wall. If a large pore is nearly filled with salt, then the gap between the crystal and the wall effectively constitutes a small pore, and large stresses can develop in that region. Therefore, even stone that has no small pores can experience high crystallization pressure, when the pores are filled with salt. The chapter discusses the equations for disjoining pressure, supersaturation, and crystallization pressure.
Building the Burn Physician Workforce for the 21st Century: Report From February 2014 Burns Workforce Conference

American Burn Association Past President Palmer Q. Bessey, MD, orchestrated a Burn Workforce Conference in Washington, DC in February, 2014, with the goal of evaluating the workforce needs for doctors, nurses, and occupational/physical therapists. This report summarizes the issues related to the need for training future surgeons to manage burn patients. General surgery and plastic surgery residents currently have minimal requirements for burn experience during their training. The respective Boards, however, do require knowledge in the management of burn care. The number of surgeons entering burn fellowships is limited to approximately 10 per year and there are only a handful of burn fellowship programs to train future burn surgeons. A survey sent to burn surgeons revealed that the current workforce is aging and needs to a constant supply of new physicians. It is clear that there is a need to formalize burn fellowships and it was felt that the American Burn Association should be responsible for accreditation of those fellowships.
Field evaluation of onsite near real-time monitors for surface contamination by 5-fluorouracil.

ObjectivesIn order to produce near real-time onsite results to detect surface contamination by antineoplastic drugs, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed monitors for...
Revitalizing a Struggling MIS Program on a Shrinking Budget.

With rising unemployment figures and the current economic crisis, the job outlook for graduating students is dismal. However, when economic forces stabilize and companies start rebuilding their workforce, technically skilled employees should be in demand. Few, if any, jobs are untouched by either the direct or indirect impact of some form of informationbased technology. News reports have emphasized the increase in U.S. outsourcing to overseas employers, yet examination of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and economic “think tank” white papers indicate that outsourcing is not the problem that we are led to believe. When the job/applicant demand begins to grow and student interest fails to peak, what, can we as educators, do to attract and retain the current generation of students in technology-oriented majors? This paper addresses some of the steps taken at one regional institution to sustain their MIS program while increasing student interest in the field.
Effect of glutamine and arginine on growth of Hibiscus moscheutos “in vitro”

Nitrogen is the most essential element for plant growth and development. Amino acids, serving as the main organic nitrogen source in tissue culture media, provide for shoot and root elongation. Glutamine has been widely used in tissue culture for dedifferentiation and re-differentiation processes. Experiments were conducted to assess the effects of glutamine in comparison to some commonly used plant growth regulators (PGRs) on the growth of Hibiscus moscheutos propagated via tissue culture. An initial study suggested that 10 mg L-1 glutamine in MS basal medium was optimal for shoot elongation. At this optimal rate, glutamine showed superiority over other PGRs. No difference was found between glutamine treatments and the control in a later study. When comparing glutamine with arginine, shoots cultured on media with arginine displayed slightly greater growth. With arginine containing two extra nitrogen groups in its molecular structure, the higher percentage of nitrogen may have resulted in improved growth.
Immune function and drug treatment in anti-retrovirus negative intravenous drug users.

A recent cross-sectional study by Klimas, et al., (1) showed that a clinically significant degree of immune impairment exists in methadone treated intravenous drug users (IVDUs) in the absence of human T cell lymphotropic virus, subtypes I or II (HTLV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection or use of street drugs. The methadone-treated group exhibited significant differences in lymphocyte phenotype with elevations in the numbers of CD4+CD29 + (T helper), CD8 + (T suppressor/cytotoxic), CD8+I2+ cells (activated T suppressor/cytotoxic), and CD2+CD29+ (activated total T) lymphocytes. Despite these increases in lymphocyte numbers, lymphocyte function was suppressed in the methadone group, with poor response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in culture, except for the subset of subjects who were HTLV positive. Moreover, natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity was significantly reduced in the methadone group. These findings could not be ascribed to psychoimmunologic interactions, to concomitant use of street drug or alcohol (2). Other investigators have reported, in studies of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients on methadone, a significant impairment of the ability to generate Superoxide anion (3). Morphine, and to a lesser extent, methadone reduced phagocytosis, intracellular killing and Superoxide production in polymorphonuclear leukocytes and in monocytes (4). In heroin addicts, both before and after methadone treatment, skin test anergy to seven recall antigens was common (3). Other types of immunomodulation by methadone have been reported. Kreek (5) noted persistence of lymphocytosis in patients maintained on methadone for three or more years.
Valuing walkability: new evidence from computer vision methods

Abstract Walkability describes the efficiency and pleasure of walking in an area and is an aspect of urban design that has received much attention. Frequently used measures of walkability largely ignore the quality of nearby pedestrian pathing, such as sidewalks, in quantifying walkability. This paper expands upon the literature's understanding of walkability by supplementing current measures of walkability with data gathered from street-level images using computer vision techniques. Using hedonic methods and a sample of almost 60,000 house transactions in Ohio, I find that nearby establishments are an amenity capitalized into home prices only when there also exists access to adequate pedestrian pathing, and that walkability measures derived from computer vision methods contain information not found in other commonly used measures of walkability. With cities increasingly pushing towards creating more walkable neighborhoods, this paper provides evidence that walkable space is indeed valued by residents.
Alexander and the astrolabe in Persianate India: Imagining empire in the Delhi Sultanate:

This article is about the historical memory of Alexander the Great in the Delhi Sultanate and how his figure was emblematic of a trans-regional Persianate culture. Amir Khusrau’s largely overlooked...
Chapter 36 – A note on Halley's method

Publisher Summary The chapter states that scrutiny of Pickover's representation of Halley's method applied to solving the polynomial equation z**7 = 1 elicits several remarkable features. The nodules are seen to be bilinear conformal mappings of the whole plane, which explains the coloration, by targets. There are distinguished director nodules that direct the forward orbits out of the chaotic separators to their target basins. There are points of essential complexity where all targets are represented. At sufficiently high root density, separators will web over to form more complex separators. The striking feature is that the nodule is constructed of circular arcs, and it contains two seven-fold equiangular hubs, like the pattern at origin of the complex plane.
Does well-being associate with stress physiology? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective The current meta-analysis tested whether trait indicators of well-being associate with stressor-evoked physiological reactivity and recovery in healthy adults. Method Medline, PsycINFO, and PubMed were used to identify relevant articles. Articles were included if they (a) measured cardiovascular or neuroendocrine (but not immune) physiology during or after an acute laboratory stress paradigm (b) measured indicators of hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, or optimism, and (c) included healthy adult participants. Laboratory stress tasks included frustrating cognitive tasks, emotional recall tasks, and tasks involving social evaluation. Physiological variables were aggregated across cardiac (heart rate and cardiac output), hemodynamic (mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure), HPA (cortisol), and autonomic (high frequency heart rate variability, skin conductance, and catecholamines) markers. Twenty-seven studies were included (n = 3,390; 54.6% women). Effect sizes and confidence intervals were estimated using a random-effects model with pooled variance. Results Contrary to expectations, optimism was associated with greater cardiac reactivity to cognitive stressors but did not associate with stress recovery. By contrast, hedonic well-being was associated with enhanced hemodynamic recovery following laboratory stressors but was not associated with stress reactivity. Conclusions Hedonic well-being, but not optimism, could potentially buffer against the effects of psychological stressors on physiological responding by relating to more complete recovery. Identifying the mechanisms contributing to these patterns of association may provide insights into psychological interventions for well-being and stress-related disease risk. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).