cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preoperative continuity of care and its relationship with cost of hepatopancreatic surgery.

Abstract Background Continuity of care may be associated with health care outcomes and costs. The objective of the current study was to characterize the impact of continuity of care on perioperative outcomes, as well as on cost of care, among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing hepatopancreatic resection. Methods Patients with a minimum of 4 outpatient visits in the year before hepatopancreatic surgery were identified in the Medicare claims data. The Bice-Boxerman index was used to calculate continuity of care. The association of continuity of care and expenditures was assessed using a multivariable gamma regression with a log link. Results Among 25,698 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent a hepatopancreatic surgical procedure (hepatectomy: n = 10,679, 41.6%, pancreatectomy: n = 15,019, 58.4%), median patient age was 72 years (interquartile range: 68–77). Overall continuity of care was poor as the median continuity of care was 0.17 (0.10–0.29). Median total surgical costs were higher among patients in the lowest continuity-of-care quartile (continuity of care1st quartile: $25,500 [interquartile range, $18,100–$41,800]) compared with patients in the highest continuity-of-care quartile (continuity of care4th quartile: $22,700 [interquartile range, $17,100–$38,400]). Among patients undergoing hepatic resection, an increase in continuity of care of 0.2 was associated with decreased costs of 5.1% (95% confidence interval: –6.3% to –3.8%) compared with a decrease of 2.5% (95% confidence interval: –3.7% to –1.2%) among pancreatic resection patients. Conclusion Continuity of care in the year before surgery was associated with total cost of surgery—including the cost of the index hospitalization and the total 90-day postdischarge costs. Relative to patients with a continuity of care = 0, indicating complete fragmentation of a patient’s outpatient health care, patients with a continuity of care = 0.60 had 12.1% lower total surgical costs.
New Insights into Cross-Document Event Coreference: Systematic Comparison and a Simplified Approach

Cross-Document Event Coreference (CDEC) is the task of finding coreference relationships between events in separate documents, most commonly assessed using the Event Coreference Bank+ corpus (ECB+). At least two different approaches have been proposed for CDEC on ECB+ that use only event triggers, and at least four have been proposed that use both triggers and entities. Comparing these approaches is complicated by variation in the systems’ use of gold vs. computed labels, as well as variation in the document clustering pre-processing step. We present an approach that matches or slightly beats state-of-the-art performance on CDEC over ECB+ with only event trigger annotations, but with a significantly simpler framework and much smaller feature set relative to prior work. This study allows us to directly compare with prior systems and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of various strategies. Additionally, we provide the first cross-validated evaluation on the ECB+ dataset; the first explicit evaluation of the pairwise event coreference classification step; and the first quantification of the effect of document clustering on system performance. The last in particular reveals that while document clustering is a crucial pre-processing step, improvements can at most provide for a 3 point improvement in CDEC performance, though this might be attributable to ease of document clustering on ECB+.
Clinical Outcomes of May-Thurner Syndrome in Pediatric Patients: A Single Institutional Experience.

Introduction May–Thurner syndrome (MTS) is a vascular anatomic variant resulting in compression of the left common iliac vein by the right common iliac artery, affecting approximately 22% of the population. In adults, following acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the iliofemoral veins, the incidence of postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) and recurrent DVT are high if treated with anticoagulation alone, warranting adjunctive treatment with thrombolysis and stent placement. However, there is paucity of literature documenting the course of treatment and associated outcomes in pediatric patients with MTS. Methods A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients (≤ 18 years of age) with radiologic confirmation of MTS with or without DVT evaluated and/or treated at our institution from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2015 was conducted. Results Seventeen patients (4 male; 13 female) were identified. Median age was 15.4 years (range 8.8–17.1 years) with a median follow-up of 1.2 years (range 0.4–7.5 years). Thirteen (76.5%) patients presented with left lower extremity DVT. Management included catheter-directed thrombolysis (n = 5), systemic thrombolysis (n = 1), and mechanical thrombectomy (n = 1). Fifteen patients were treated with anticoagulation including two patients with endovascular stents without DVT. Median duration of anticoagulation was 6.3 months (range 3.2–18.7 months). Ten patients (59%) underwent stent placements. Complete and partial thrombus resolution was noted in six patients each and no resolution in one patient. Four patients had recurrence/progression of thrombus (n = 3 with stents) at a median time of 29 days (range 12–495 days). No bleeding complications were observed. Clinically documented or self-reported PTS was noted in 8 patients (62%). Conclusion There are no clear guidelines for MTS management in children and adolescents. In our cohort, thrombolysis, anticoagulation, or stent placements were not associated with bleeding risks, with recurrence/progression of DVT and signs and symptoms of PTS noted in 30 and 62%, respectively. Further studies are needed to determine a standardized treatment approach of the pediatric patient with MTS with or without thrombosis.
Disparities in the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic

87Background: New York City was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public concern about exposure and policies to “flatten the curve” led to abrupt curtailment of health care service use, inclu...
Is Acceptance and Commitment Training or Therapy (ACT) a Method that Applied Behavior Analysts Can and Should Use

The present article examines whether it is appropriate for applied behavior analysts to use Acceptance and Commitment Training or Therapy (ACT) as part of their professional practice. We approach this question by briefly examining the behavioral history of ACT and then considering ACT through the lens of the requirements of applied behavior analysis as specified by Baer, Wolf, and Risley in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91–97 (1968). We believe that ACT meets all seven of their criteria and thus conclude that ACT can and should be used as a behavior analytic method. We briefly consider the need for applied behavior analysts to use ACT in a way that is consistent with their field, scope of practice, and their individual scope of competence.
Differences in outcomes after emergency general surgery between Hispanic subgroups in the New Jersey State Inpatient Database (2009-2014): The Hispanic population is not monolithic.

BACKGROUND Our aim was to examine differences in clinical outcomes between Hispanic subgroups who underwent emergency general surgery (EGS). METHODS Retrospective cohort study of the HCUP State Inpatient Database from New Jersey (2009-2014), including Hispanic and non-Hispanic White (NHW) adult patients who underwent EGS. Multivariable analyses were performed on outcomes including 7-day readmission and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS 125,874 patients underwent EGS operations. 22,971 were Hispanic (15,488 with subgroup defined: 7,331 - Central/South American; 4,254 - Puerto Rican; 3,170 - Mexican; 733 - Cuban). On multivariable analysis, patients in the Central/South American subgroup were more likely to be readmitted compared to the Mexican subgroup (OR 2.02; p < 0.001, respectively). Puerto Rican and Central/South American subgroups had significantly shorter LOS than Mexican patients (Puerto Rico -0.58 days; p < 0.001; Central/South American -0.30 days; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in EGS outcomes between Hispanic subgroups. These differences could be missed when data are aggregated at Hispanic ethnicity.
Comparative workflow modeling across sites: Results for nursing home prescribing

Workflows associated with health care delivery vary between settings, and understanding similarities and dissimilarities can inform context-sensitive practice change. Clinical workflows are complex...
Phenylketonuria: The Diet Basics

The goal of nutrition management of phenylketonuria (PKU) is to maintain blood phenylalanine concentrations between 120 and 360 μmol/L. The diet for PKU includes medical foods low in or devoid of phenylalanine and limited quantities of phenylalanine from intact protein sources. Frequent monitoring of blood phenylalanine concentrations is key to successful diet management. Frequent adjustments in the diet are needed to achieve desired blood phenylalanine concentrations as well as to promote normal growth and feeding development. A variety of PKU medical foods and modified low-protein foods are available to accommodate different nutrient needs and taste preferences throughout the life span. Maintaining the diet is challenging for many patients with PKU; alternative therapies are available, but most still require some degree of diet modification.
Adaptive critic-based neural network controller for uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown deadzones

A multilayer neural network (NN) controller in discrete-time is designed to deliver a desired tracking performance for a class of nonlinear systems with input deadzones. This multilayer NN controller has an adaptive critic NN architecture with two NNs for compensating the deadzone nonlinearity and a third NN for approximating the dynamics of the nonlinear system. A reinforcement learning scheme in discrete-time is proposed for the adaptive critic NN deadzone compensator, where the learning is performed based on a certain performance measure, which is supplied from a critic. The adaptive generating NN rejects the errors induced by the deadzone whereas a second NN based critic generates a signal, which is used to tune the weights of the action generating NN so that the deadzone compensation scheme becomes adaptive whereas a third multilayer NN simultaneously approximate the nonlinear dynamics of the system. Using the Lyapunov approach, the uniform ultimately boundedness (UUB) of the closed-loop tracking error and weight estimates of action generating NN, critic NN and the third NN are shown by using a novel weight update.
Space Weather and the Changing Sun

The free energy that drives space weather is created in the convective zone of the Sun with the generation and convective distortion of magnetic fields. The fields rise to the surface where they provide the vigorous suprathermal activity that is the direct parent of space weather. Some aspects of the hydrodynamics and magnetic field generation are understood, while there remains much that is mysterious. An important part of the mystery centers around the complex hydrodynamics of the convective zone and the dominating micro-scale magnetic fibril structure, motion, and interactions at the surface. The next generation Advanced Solar Telescope-the solar microscope- is intended to open up this basic small-scale world to direct observational study. The other major mystery lies in the long- term variations in the general level of solar activity, with the associated variations in space weather and terrestrial climate. Unfortunately long-term variation can be studied only in the long term, although monitoring other solar-type stars has been helpful so far in suggesting the extreme possibilities.
Testing Prepaid Incentives and a Mail Questionnaire to Increase Response in a Multi-Wave Telephone Survey

Testing Prepaid Incentives and a Mail Questionnaire to Increase Response in a Multi-Wave Telephone Survey
Materials Handling System Design

Material handling systems consist of discrete or continuous resources to move entities from one location to another. They are more common in manufacturing systems compared to service systems. Material movement occurs everywhere in a factory or warehouse—before, during, and after processing. This chapter discusses types of equipment, how to select material handling equipment, an operating model for material handling, and warehousing issues. It ends with a case study that implements some of these issues. Material handling work should be minimized without sacrificing productivity or the level of service required of the operation. Material handling operations should be mechanized and/or automated where feasible to improve operational efficiency, increase responsiveness, improve consistency and predictability, decrease operating costs, and eliminate repetitive or potentially unsafe manual labor. Computerized material handling systems should be considered where appropriate for effective integration of material flow and information management. Keywords: material handling equipment; materials handling system
Relation of lattice ion solution composition to octacalcium phosphate dissolution kinetics

Abstract The kinetics of dissolution of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) has been investigated under conditions of constant relative undersaturation with respect to OCP, σOCP=−0.57, at pH 4.500, and ionic strength (I), 0.15 mol l−1. The molar calcium/phosphate ratio (R) in the solutions was varied from 0.1 to 10. The dissolution rate decreased by 160% as R increased from 0.1 to 10. The ζ-potential of the OCP surfaces was measured in solutions equilibrated with respect to OCP at pH values ranging from 5.0 to 11. Under stoichiometric conditions (R=1.33), OCP was positively charged at pH values from 5.0 to 10. As the solution calcium concentration was increased, ζ became more positive over the entire pH range studied. At R=0.1, two isoelectric points were apparent at pH values of about 6.3 and pH 9.5. This behavior may be related to the solubility product (Ksp) of OCP. The relationship between surface characteristics and dissolution rate are discussed in terms of kink density and the kinetic ionic ratio model developed previously (J. Zhang, G.H. Nancollas, J. Colloid Interf. Sci., 200 (1998) 131.
Smart pallet system improves warehouse productivity

Describes a smart pallet system based on Texas Instruments’ technology and its use in warehousing. Looks at the system’s use at Unilever Italia, and concludes that it is a valuable tool for warehouse managers to speed up just‐in‐time orders.
Toward an Understanding of Cognitive Consensus in a Group Decision-Making Context

This article consolidates and integrates what has been learned about group-level interpretation into a common theoretical language and conceptual foundation on which future research can be based. The term cognitive consensus refers to similarity among group members regarding how key issues are defined and conceptualized. In addition to addressing neglected definitional issues, this article embeds cognitive consensus in an input-process-outcome framework, and propositions are offered concerning the variables that both impact and result from its development. It is argued that the notion of cognitive consensus provides a valuable means for understanding how decision makers collectively make sense of ill-structured issues in a group setting and is conceptually appealing because it integrates group, cognitive, negotiation, and decision-making research.
Compression Neuropathy of the Palmar Cutaneous Branch of the Median Nerve by the Antebrachial Fascia

An isolated compression neuropathy of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve is described in a woman who presented with a small tender mass over the anterior aspect of her distal forearm and complete numbness over the thenar eminence. Surgical exploration revealed thickening of the palmar cutaneous nerve as it passed upwards through the antebrachial fascia on the ulnar aspect of the flexor carpi radialis tendon. Neurolysis of two separate fascicles of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve and excision of a window of antebrachial fascia resulted in complete return of sensation over the thenar eminence.
Percutaneous recanalization of occluded brachiocephalic vein-superior vena cava connection after resection of mediastinal mass.

A 15-year-old male patient underwent removal of chronic mediastinal histoplasmosis with residual superior vena cava (SVC) stenosis and brachiocephalic vein (BCV) obstruction. He developed significant dizziness following surgery that was attributed to an inability to increase pre-load during
Compact tunable bandpass filter on YIG substrate

Compact planar hairpin bandpass filters on yttrium iron garnet (YIG) substrate with a low insertion loss and large tunable range are designed, fabricated and characterised. The magnetic field tunable permeability of the YIG substrate led to a large tunable frequency range of 26% from 3.72 to 2.74 GHz when the magnetic field was varied from 0 to 800 Oe, corresponding to a large magnetically tunable frequency range of 325% of the %3dB bandwidth. In the meantime, the high permeability of the YIG substrate led to a good impedance match and a low insertion loss between 0.01%1.4 dB for the tunable bandpass filter. The operating frequency of the bandpass filter showed a non-monotonic dependence on the bias magnetic fields, which was caused by a non-linear bias field dependence of the permeability spectra. The bandpass filter showed a high insertion loss of up to 7dB within the bias field range of 200%600 Oe, which was due to the negative permeability of the YIG substrate that prohibited wave propagation.
A perspective on Capitol Hill

As the AGU Congressional Science Fellow for 1980–1981, I had a unique opportunity to witness the federal engine in action—a remarkable piece of machinery. The American Association for the Advancement of Science organized an excellent orientation program, introducing our class of science fellows (about 30) to the kinds of options available for a year's tenure on Capitol Hill. These include affiliation with a congressman's or senator's staff or with one of the hundred or so standing, select, or joint committees and subcommittees. I arranged to join the personal staff of Congressman Jim Santini (D, Nev.), largely because of his demonstrated interest in Department of Interior affairs in general and the minerals industry in particular. The position of fellow provides no guarantee of work in one's areas of expertise or inclination, however, and I found that my staff assignments included topics ranging from wild horses to peanut subsidies. My principal task involved evaluation of the Air Force proposal to deploy the MX missile in Nevada and the consequent impact of that incredible scheme on the physical and economic environments of the state and the nation, including effects on minerals exploration. I had not expected to become conversant with missile technology, but the exercise provided quite an education.
Facing the Music: Creative and Experiential Group Strategies for Working with Addiction Related Grief and Loss.

Abstract This article outlines how group practitioners can harness creative strategies to assist addicted clients in verbalizing and addressing the losses associated with addictive disorders. This ...
Effects of concanavalin a and pokeweed mitogen in vivo on mouse peritoneal macrophages

Abstract Concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were injected intraperitoneally into mice and the effects on peritoneal macrophages were evaluated. When compared with saline injected controls, both mitogens caused at 4 days following injection a two-fold increase in the yield of macrophages, and these macrophages spread more rapidly on glass. Also, a higher percentage of heat-killed Candida albicans ingested by these macrophages stained red with neutral red dye. ConA, in contrast to PWM, produced a rapid, transient fall in macrophage yield within the first 3 h after injection. This effect could not be attributed to a direct agglutinating activity of the mitogen. Furthermore, only ConA resulted in the appearance of macrophages with an increased ability to phagocytize rabbit red blood cells in a serum-free medium.
Lateral-Torsional Buckling of Stepped Beams

Continuous multispan beams with stepped cross sections at the interior supports are common in construction of steel buildings and bridges. Design equations for lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) resistance in the American Institute of Steel Construction LRFD Specifications in 1998 account for only prismatic and web-tapered beams. A study of LTB capacity of stepped beams was performed and simple design equations are proposed. Finite-element method buckling analysis results for stepped beams under uniform moment were used to develop new design equations that account for the change in the cross section of stepped beams. Traditional moment gradient factors for prismatic beams were reviewed and were found to be sufficiently accurate for some stepped beam cases. A new moment gradient factor equation was developed from the finite-element analysis results and is proposed for the determination of the LTB resistance of stepped beams under general loading conditions.
Variations in the Use of Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders in ICUs: Findings From a National Study

Study objectives To describe the variation in frequency of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in 42 US ICUs and to examine the relationship between published guidelines and qualitative observations about terminal care in 9 ICUs. Design Prospective inception cohort. Setting Forty-two ICUs in 40 US hospitals with more than 200 beds: 26 randomly selected and 14 large tertiary-care volunteers. Participants A consecutive sample of 17, 440 ICU admissions during 1988 to 1990. Measurements and results We used age, race, comorbid conditions, disease, functional status, and acute physiology score on ICU day 1 to predict the likelihood of a DNR order for each patient. A cross-validated model was then used to predict variations in the risk of an ICU DNR order from 0 to 45% (area under receiver operating characteristic curve=0.9). The model was then used to compare aggregate observed with predicted frequency of ICU DNR orders. Finally, we compared observations of DNR practices by a team of clinical and organizational researchers at 9 of the 42 ICUs with published guidelines and risk-adjusted DNR frequency: 1, 577 admissions (9%) had DNR orders written in the ICU (range, 1.5 to 22%). The ICU site was a significant (p Conclusions The frequency of ICU DNR orders can be predicted based on individual risk factors for groups of ICU patients. After adjusting for differences in patient characteristics, there is significant variation in the frequency of DNR orders in a national sample of ICUs. These variations may be due to unmeasured differences in patient characteristics such as treatment preferences, religious affiliation, educational level, or physician practices. We found no relationship between risk-adjusted DNR order frequency and adherence to published guidelines.
Passionate pedagogy and emotional labor: students’ responses to learning diversity from diverse instructors

This qualitative study examines emotion themes reflected in student evaluations from required diversity courses at a predominantly white, US public university. We analyze two years of student evaluations for 29 instructors. Situated by the work of Acker, Jaggar, and Hochschild, we find contradictory themes of perceived instructional bias and the value of diversity lessons. Student evaluations result in systematic disadvantage for minority instructors that may be heightened for female instructors of color. Non-minority instructors (both male and female) gain privileges by avoiding dealing with diversity directly which is reflected in student evaluations through the process of “ducking diversity”. The organizational structure of required diversity courses marginalizes the scholarship and emotion work of minority instructors and inherently reproduces the very inequalities they are designed to combat.
Estrogen-containing oral contraceptives are allowable in young women with factor V Leiden heterozygosity without a history of thrombosis

An 18-year-old woman without significant past medical and surgical history presents to discuss the safety and efficacy of oral contraceptives. She is sexually active and currently relying on condoms alone for birth control. Her cousin had a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) following a pregnancy. As part of the family screening, this patient was identified as a factor V Leiden heterozygote. The risks and benefits of initiating oral contraceptives are discussed.
An approximate solution for the spectral response of Duffing's oscillator with random input

Abstract An approximate method is presented for estimating the power spectral density of the response of Duffing's oscillator when it is driven with Gaussian white noise. The approach involves calculating the expected value of the spectral response of an equivalent linear system where the equivalent natural frequency is assumed to be a random variable. Comparisons of the response power spectral density obtained by the present method with results obtained by numerical simulations show remarkably close agreement, even for large non-linearities. It is found that as the amplitude of the random excitation is increased, the resonant response peak in the response spectrum tends to broaden. This effect results from the non-linear stiffness which causes the effective natural frequency to be non-deterministic when the system is subjected to random excitation.
The association between presentation PSA and race in two sequential time periods in prostate cancer patients seen at a university hospital and its community affiliates

Abstract Purpose We sought to determine whether African American men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) era differed in initial presenting serum PSA levels ( i PSA) compared to white men. Recent retrospective studies have demonstrated higher i PSA within the African American men than in white men at the time of diagnosis, suggestive of more advanced disease in African American men. Both biologic differences and/or sociologic factors have been postulated as explaining the noted differences in i PSA. We reviewed our institution's PSA-era experience to determine any association between race and i PSA. Methods and materials Between January 1990 and September 2001, 4519 patients representing a broad demographic sample were seen in the radiation oncology department of a university hospital or one of its four community affiliates. A total of 2332 eligible patients, with data on race, age, year of diagnosis, Gleason score, T stage, and i PSA, were analyzed. The patients were separated into the two following time periods for analysis, based on the new American Cancer Society screening guidelines: ( 1 ) 1991 to 1996 and ( 2 ) 1997 to 2001. The relationships between race and i PSA, T stage, Gleason score, and age are explored. Results Of the 2332 patients analyzed, there were 1968 white men and 364 African American men. For the time period 1990 through 1996, the expected average (median) i PSA level was 10.5 (10.2) and 14.6 (15.8) for white men and African American men, respectively. For 1997 to 2001, the expected average i PSA level was 9.5 (8.4) and 10.8 (9.8), respectively. T stage distributions improved, independent of race, toward earlier stage at presentation. Gleason score distribution remained unchanged. African American men are 2.5–3.1 years younger than white men at diagnosis. Conclusion An overall decline in i PSA has occurred in both racial groups over time. More importantly, racial differences in i PSA among men diagnosed in the later time period (1997 to 2001) are less pronounced compared to men diagnosed in the earlier time period (1990 to 1996). This racial convergence in i PSA over time suggests improved penetrance of PSA screening in the African American population. Our findings also suggest that studies comparing racial differences in i PSA should consider time period of diagnosis and possible sociologic changes during that period (i.e., access to medical care, socioeconomic status, and educational level). The American Cancer Society guideline to begin screening African Americans at an earlier age is appropriate.
A General Approach for Synthesis of Supervisors for Partially-Observed Discrete-Event Systems

Abstract We revisit the synthesis of supervisors for partially-observed discrete-event systems from a new angle, based on the construction of a new structure called the All Inclusive Controller (or AIC). We consider control problems for safety specifications, where the legal language is a prefix-closed sublanguage of the system language. We define the AIC as a bipartite transition system that embeds all safe supervisors and thus all controllable and observable sublanguages of the legal language. The structure of the AIC is that of a bipartite graph, reminiscent of a game between the supervisor and the system, with (i) control states, where all safe control decisions are enumerated, and (ii) system states, where all feasible observable system events are executed. The states of the AIC are information states, i.e., subsets of system states. We present an algorithm for the construction of the AIC. This algorithm exploits the pre-computation of the so-called extended specification, which makes the safety of a control state a function of the current information state alone, thereby allowing for on-the-fly construction of the AIC, if so desired. We discuss the properties of the AIC. We also describe how the AIC can be used for synthesis of supervisors that possess a desired maximality property.
Computational approach to photonic drilling of silicon carbide

The ability of lasers to carry out drilling processes in silicon carbide ceramic was investigated in this study. A JK 701 pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used for drilling through the entire depth of silicon carbide plates of different thicknesses. The laser parameters were varied in different combinations for a well-controlled drilling through the entire thickness of the SiC plates. A drilling model incorporating effects of various physical phenomena such as decomposition, evaporation-induced recoil pressure, and surface tension was developed. Such comprehensive model was capable of advance prediction of the energy and time required for drilling a hole through any desired depth of material.
Atomic structure of the scandium (0001) surface

Abstract The atomic structure of the scandium (0001) surface has been determined through a lowenergy-electron-diffraction analysis. Intensity profiles calculated on the basis of different structural models corresponding to different terminations of the bulk structure were compared to the experimental data. The comparison showed that the surface of scandium terminated in hep stacking and that the outermost layer spacing is 2.59 ± 0.02 A corresponding to a ∼2% contraction with respect to the bulk spacing (2.64 A).
Single-Molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Studies of Hjm/Hel308 DNA Helicase in Mesophilic Archaeon, Methanosarcina acetivorans

One class of superfamily-2 (SF2) helicases, the RecQ family, plays crucial roles in DNA repair and homologous recombination in order to maintain the genome integrity. Archaeal RecQ-like DNA helicases, such as Hjm/Hel308, have been biochemically characterized in hyperthermophilic and thermophilic archaea. The studies suggest that Hjm/Hel308 helicases target stalled replication forks and have specificity for unwinding lagging strands. In this study, we cloned and purified Hjm/Hel308 homologue (MacHjm) from a mesophilic archaeon, Methanosarcina acetivorans. Single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) assay was used to study the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding ability and behavior, the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) unwinding kinetics, and Holliday junction migration activity induced by MacHjm. By this method, we determined that four MacHjm molecules were able to bind to 17-nucleotide ssDNA with each MacHjm occupying three to four nucleotides of the DNA. In addition, we were able to observe the binding and unwinding activity of MacHjm on DNA in real time. The MacHjm was observed to bind to ssDNA and translocate on ssDNA in 3′ to 5′ in ATP dependent manner. Within three seconds MacHjm was able to complete the unwinding of 18 base-pair dsDNA. The results from our smFRET studies on MacHjm provide important insights into DNA unwinding, stalled replication fork processing, and Holliday junction migration mechanisms for SF2 helicase.
Health departments do it better: prenatal care site and prone infant sleep position.

Objectives: Reduction of prone infant sleep position has been the main public health effort to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Methods: Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys a stratified random sample of women after a live birth. In 1998–1999, 1867 women completed the survey (64.0% unweighted response; 73.5% weighted response). Results: Overall, 9.2% of all women “usually” chose prone infant sleep position, while 24.2% chose side and 66.5% chose supine position. Women receiving care from private physicians or HMOs more often chose prone position (10.6%) than women receiving prenatal care from health department clinics (2.5%), hospital clinics (6.1%) or other sites (8.3%). Compared to health department prenatal clinic patients, private prenatal patients were more likely to choose prone infant sleep position, adjusted odds ratio = 4.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64–13.92). Conclusions: Health Department clinics have done a better job than private physicians in educating mothers about putting infants to sleep on their backs. Providers—especially private providers—should continue to stress the importance of supine sleep position for infants.
Plato on Justice

Justice is one of the most ubiquitous topics in Plato’s dialogues, second in importance only to reason. It is discussed to some degree in almost every major dialogue including even the Parmenides (130b7–9, 130e5–131a2, 135c8–d1) and the Timaeus (41c6–8, 42b21–2), but it is only in the Republic that the concept is defined and the definition argued for. Consequently, any account of Plato’s theory of justice must concentrate on that dialogue.
Identification of a region of the Epstein-Barr virus (B95-8) genome required for transformation

In a previous study the identification of a region(s) of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome, which is associated with transformation, was attempted by marker rescue. A transforming EBV was rescued from D98/HR-1 hybrid cells, which contain the non-transforming HR-1 EBV genome, after transfection with specific BamHI and Charon 4A fragments (J. Stoerker and R. Glaser, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 1726-1729, 1983). In this study, characterization of the EBV DNA in four human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL) transformed with rescued virus was performed. It was found that recombination between the transfected fragments, BamHI H,F,X and the Charon 4A fragment (EB-26-36) which is equivalent to the BamHI H,F,X region, and the endogenous HR-1 EBV genome in the D98/HR-1 cells took place. This recombination resulted in the formation of transforming EBV. The EBV DNA in the four LCLs are similar to each other and to HR-1 EBV DNA. However, the EBV DNA in all four LCLs also contain the U2 region plus additional sequences of B95-8 DNA. The U2 region is deleted in HR-1 EBV DNA which is associated with HR-1 cells and the D98/HR-1 hybrid cells. Thus, transforming activity of the HR-1-like viruses rescued from D98/HR-1 cells was concomitant with the recombination of the 0.26-0.36 region of the EBV genome, suggesting that this region is necessary for at least the initiation of transformation.
Hemispheric dominance for language: quantitative aspects.

Data extracted from 29 reported series of cases were analyzed for the purpose of assessing the contribution of each hemisphere to the handling of language in left-handers (including ambidexters), impure right-handers (right-handers with personal or familial traits of left-handedness) and pure right-handers (right-handers without such traits). It was concluded that the representation of language in the two hemispheres varies over a continuous spectrum, from strict left-brainedness, through various degrees of ambilaterality (favoring one or the other hemisphere), to strict right-brainedness. Calculations based on the data led to estimates of (a) the percentage of subjects that will become aphasic following lesions of the left, the right or either hemisphere, and (b) the percentage of subjects that will be able to compensate, partially or completely, with the remaining hemisphere. All numerical results obtained were accounted for by a simple anatomical model based on estimates of (a) the frequency distribution of the subjects with regard to the percentage of a language area occupying each hemisphere, according to handedness, and (b) the percentage of a language area that must be destroyed so that aphasia will appear, and the percentage that must be spared so that partial improvement or total recovery will ensue.
The health value and cost of care for major depression.

Background: Trade-offs between costs and outcomes are a reality of health-care decisions. Cost-effectiveness analyses can guide choices toward interventions with the most health benefit for the least cost but are limited because generic measures of health value are infrequently available in the literature and are expensive to collect. Objective: We report on the application of a new approach to estimate the health value of alternative treatment patterns. We apply this approach to common treatment patterns for major depression, and we generate estimates of the change in health value that is attributable to a particular treatment. We also obtain estimates of treatment costs and report cost/ health value ratios. We used a modified expert panel approach to estimate the change in health value attributable to different patterns of treatment. We used claims and pharmacy data to define usual care treatment patterns and estimate costs. Results: The lowest cost and most frequent treatment, 1 to 3 psychotherapy visits, produces minimal improvement. Treatments that include an antidepressant medication provide more health benefit per unit cost than all other treatments and adding a medication follow-up visit provides a lot of benefit for minimal cost. Conclusions: We demonstrate the application of a new approach to estimate the health value of common depression treatment practices in the United States. Our results suggest cost-effective targets for quality improvement efforts by identifying ways in which treatment for depression could cost less to get to a given outcome. Because our approach uses a generic health outcome measure, it can be applied to other conditions, permitting comparisons of benefit across diseases.
Interactive exploration of acquired 3D data

The goal of our image-based rendering group is to accurately render scenes acquired from the real world. To achieve this goal, we capture scene data by taking 3D panoramic photographs from multiple locations and merge the acquired data into a single model from which real-time 3D rendering can be performed. In this paper, we describe our acquisition hardware and rendering system that seeks to achieve this goal, with particular emphasis on the techniques used to support interactive exploration.
Creating Effective Core Organizational Values: A Spiritual Leadership Approach

Abstract Core values have been viewed as one important way that both private and public sector institutions can improve organizational effectiveness and enhance employee attitudes and behaviors. Despite the strong case for the importance of values, many organizations have not gained their full benefits. In fact, core values poorly articulated and implemented can have a significant negative impact on both employees and organizations. This paper seeks to review the business literature to define core organizational values, discuss their impact on employees and organizations, and present the key reasons why most institutions have not developed effective values. Next, it is suggested that a spiritual leadership philosophy is needed for organizational executives to articulate, communicate, and implement truly meaningful and authentic core values. A number of applications of these core industry values to the public sector are provided as well as directions for future research.
A protocol for efficient transformation and regeneration of Carica papaya L.

A reproducible and effective biolistic method for transforming papaya (Carica papaya L.) was developed with a transformation-regeneration system that targeted a thin layer of embryogenic tissue. The key factors in this protocol included: 1) spreading of young somatic embryo tissue that arose directly from excised immature zygotic embryos, followed by another spreading of the actively growing embryogenic tissue 3 d before biolistic transformation; 2) removal of kanamycin selection from all subsequent steps after kanamycin-resistant clusters were first isolated from induction media containing kanamycin; 3) transfer of embryos with finger-like extensions to maturation medium; and 4) transferring explants from germination to the root development medium only after the explants had elongating root initials, had at least two green true leaves, and were about 0.5 to 1.0 cm tall. A total of 83 transgenic papaya lines expressing the nontranslatable coat protein gene of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) were obtained from somatic embryo clusters that originated from 63 immature zygotic embryos. The transformation efficiency was very high: 100% of the bombarded plates produced transgenic plants. This also represents an average of 55 transgenic lines per gram fresh weight, or 1.3 transgenic lines per embryo cluster that was spread. We validated this procedure in our laboratory by visiting researchers who did four independent projects to transform seven papaya cultivars with coat protein gene constructs of PRSV strains from four different countries. The method is described in detail and should be useful for the routine transformation and regeneration of papaya.
Constant light induces alterations in melatonin levels, food intake, feed efficiency, visceral adiposity, and circadian rhythms in rats

Melatonin levels, metabolic parameters, circadian rhythm activity patterns, and behavior were observed in rats subjected to a 12-h/12-h light/dark cycle (LD) compared to animals exposed to continuous dark (DD) or continuous light (LL). LD and DD animals were similar in melatonin levels, food intake, relative food intake, feed efficiency, water intake, circadian activity levels, and behavior. LL animals had lower melatonin levels in the subjective dark compared to LD and DD animals. Food intake, relative food intake, and water intake values were lower and feed efficiency was more positive in LL animals compared to LD and DD animals. In addition, LL animals exhibited greater visceral adiposity than the other two groups. The circadian rhythmicity of activity became free-running in LL animals and there was a decrease in overall activity. Notable behavioral changes in LL animals were an increase in irritability and excitability. Results indicate that a decrease in melatonin levels and concomitant changes in metabolism, circadian rhythms, and behavior are consequences of exposure to constant light.
Recent developments on nanostructured polymer-based membranes

Advances in nanotechnology in recent years enhance the R&D in nanostructured membranes. This paper reviews the recent developments of the nanostructured polymer-based membranes, formed by incorporating nanomaterials and/or porous membranes with nanoscale pores, for gas separations, reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and other potential applications. Significant progress has been made on the development of nanostructured membranes for gas separations, particularly for CO2 separations from H2, N2 and CH4. Continued improvements on the nanostructured reverse osmosis polyamide membranes via interfacial polymerization have been made along with the efforts on developing novel nanostructured membranes for desalination. The modification of both the surface and bulk properties of the ultrafiltration membranes by nanomaterials can improve the membrane performance and open up the possibility of new applications in addition to those for the current ultrafiltration membrane processes.
Representative regional models of post-disturbance forest carbon accumulation: Integrating inventory data and a growth and yield model

Disturbance is a key driver of carbon (C) dynamics in forests. Insect epidemics, wildfires, and timber harvest have greatly affected North American C budgets in the last century. Research is needed to understand how forest C dynamics (source duration and recovery time) following disturbance vary as a function of disturbance type, severity, forest type, and initial C stocks. We used the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to simulate total C stocks (excluding soil) for 100 years following three types of disturbance (fire, harvest, and insects) with four levels of severity. We initiated the model using empirical data from a large representative sample of forest conditions on the national forest ownership in the Rocky Mountain region (Forest Inventory and Analysis data). Unlike analyses based on stand age, an ambiguous quantity with respect to disturbance history, our approach enables explicit consideration of disturbance type and severity, as well as pre-disturbance forest C. On average, stands became a C sink after fire in 5, 6, 14, and 23 years for low to high-severity fire. Pre-fire C stocks were reached 25–55 years later. Following bark beetle epidemics, on average stands continued to be a C source for 10 years longer than fire and up to 40 years longer in some cases, but pre-disturbance C stocks were reached in a similar amount of time. C stocks following harvest showed the largest initial decline, but on average stands became a sink sooner at 1, 5, 15, and 12 years post-harvest for low to high-severity harvests. Differences in C dynamics based on disturbance type and severity, initial conditions, and forest type demonstrate the importance of considering this variability when modeling forest C dynamics. The regionally averaged models of C response quantified in this study can be combined with remotely sensed data on disturbance type and severity and used with C accounting approaches that rely on growth and yield or state and transition models.
Making complex adult congenital heart disease a little simpler.

Advances in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology have enabled most patients born with severe congenital cardiovascular malformations to survive into adulthood. Physicians are, therefore, increasingly likely to encounter adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 1 D-transposition of the great arteries (DTGA), 2 and single functional ventricle states 3 (eg, hypoplastic left heart syndrome) are three of the most prevalent of the complex cyanotic congenital defects, occurring in 17, 4, and 3 of 100,000 adults, respectively. 4 Most, but not all, patients with complex ACHD underwent palliative or reparative surgery early in life. As they survive into adulthood, they may require intervention to alter the expected course of disease progression, to treat complications of repair, or to address residual abnormalities. ACHD patients are also at increased risk of acquired heart disease. 5 Imaging plays a role in both diagnosis of symptomatic exacerbations and longterm maintenance. Imagers should become familiar with the underlying anatomy and pathophysiology of the common forms of ACHD, prior and current surgical repairs and their associated complications, as well as postoperative imaging guidelines. This article focuses on 3 ACHD complexes: TOF, DTGA, and single functional ventricle.