cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
System learning approach to assess sustainability and forecast trends in regional dynamics

This paper presents a methodology that combines the power of an Artificial Neural Network and Information Theory to forecast variables describing the condition of a regional system. The novelty and strength of this approach is in the application of Fisher information, a key method in Information Theory, to preserve trends in the historical data and prevent over fitting projections. The methodology was applied to demographic, environmental, food and energy consumption, and agricultural production in the San Luis Basin regional system in Colorado, U.S.A. These variables are important for tracking conditions in human and natural systems. However, available data are often so far out of date that they limit the ability to manage these systems. Results indicate that the approaches developed provide viable tools for forecasting outcomes with the aim of assisting management toward sustainable trends. This methodology is also applicable for modeling different scenarios in other dynamic systems. Novel methodology that combines principles of Artificial Neural Networks and Information Theory.A baseline scenario for the San Luis agricultural region was projected (1969-2025) with a sustainability constraint.Useful approach for sustainable management and decision making about consumption and production in complex human systems.
Exploring Boltzmann-Factor Distributions of Precipitation-Nuclei in the TEM.

For nucleation in the solid-state, modern electron microscopes may allow one to examine pre-critical cluster distributions down to the size-scale of a single misplaced atom. A very specific challenge of this sort arises in the gigascale silicon integrated-circuit device industry, surrounding the important roles that oxygen in Czochralski silicon can play. We indicate here in particular that the number densities and sizes of precritical SiOx clusters in as-grown wafers, as estimated by elementary means, should be possible to quantify with modern techniques, provided that challenges associated with surface noise and thickness estimation can be overcome.
Don't get off the track

A 43-year-old man noted decreased vision after head trauma, with normal neuroimaging acutely. He had a left homonymous hemianopia, confirmed with hemifield visual evoked potentials, from trauma to the right optic tract. Four months after trauma, a magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed atrophy of the right optic tract, and funduscopy revealed optic disk pallor with decreased retinal nerve fiber layer measures consistent with an optic tract syndrome.
Fertility, survival, and conformation of Montbéliarde × Holstein and Viking Red × Holstein crossbred cows compared with pure Holstein cows during first lactation in 8 commercial dairy herds

Montbeliarde (MO) × Holstein (HO) and Viking Red (VR) × HO crossbred cows were compared with pure HO cows in 8 large, high-performance dairy herds in Minnesota. All cows calved for the first time from December 2010 to April 2014. Fertility and survival traits were calculated from records of insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving, and disposal that were recorded via management software. Body condition score and conformation were subjectively scored once during early lactation by trained evaluators. The analysis of survival to 60 d in milk included 536 MO × HO, 560 VR × HO, and 1,033 HO cows during first lactation. Cows analyzed for other fertility, survival, and conformation traits had up to 13% fewer cows available for analysis. The first service conception rate of the crossbred cows (both types combined) increased 7%, as did the conception rate across the first 5 inseminations, compared with the HO cows during first lactation. Furthermore, the combined crossbred cows (2.11 ± 0.05) had fewer times bred than HO cows (2.30 ± 0.05) and 10 fewer d open compared with their HO herdmates. Across the 8 herds, breed groups did not differ for survival to 60 d in milk; however, the superior fertility of the crossbred cows allowed an increased proportion of the combined crossbreds (71 ± 1.5%) to calve a second time within 14 mo compared with the HO cows (63 ± 1.5%). For survival to second calving, the combined crossbred cows had 4% superior survival compared with the HO cows. The MO × HO and VR × HO crossbred cows both had increased body condition score (+0.50 ± 0.02 and +0.25 ± 0.02, respectively) but shorter stature and less body depth than HO cows. The MO × HO cows had less set to the hock and a steeper foot angle than the HO cows, and the VR × HO cows had more set to the hock with a similar foot angle to the HO cows. The combined crossbred cows had less udder clearance from the hock than HO cows, more width between both front and rear teats, and longer teat length than the HO cows; however, the frequency of first-lactation cows culled for udder conformation was uniformly low (<1%) across the breed groups.
Using Technology and Assessment to Personalize Instruction: Preventing Reading Problems.

Children who fail to learn to read proficiently are at serious risk of referral to special education, grade retention, dropping out of high school, and entering the juvenile justice system. Accumulating research suggests that instruction regimes that rely on assessment to inform instruction are effective in improving the implementation of personalized instruction and, in turn, student learning. However, teachers find it difficult to interpret assessment results in a way that optimizes learning opportunities for all of the students in their classrooms. This article focuses on the use of language, decoding, and comprehension assessments to develop personalized plans of literacy instruction for students from kindergarten through third grade, and A2i technology designed to support teachers' use of assessment to guide instruction. Results of seven randomized controlled trials demonstrate that personalized literacy instruction is more effective than traditional instruction, and that sustained implementation of personalized literacy instruction first through third grade may prevent the development of serious reading problems. We found effect sizes from .2 to .4 per school year, which translates into about a 2-month advantage. These effects accumulated from first through third grade with a large effect size (d = .7) equivalent to a full grade-equivalent advantage on standardize tests of literacy. These results demonstrate the efficacy of technology-supported personalized data-driven literacy instruction to prevent serious reading difficulties. Implications for translational prevention research in education and healthcare are discussed.
The Semantics of the Present Perfect

This chapter deals with the German perfect constructions by asking whether they can be given a compositional analysis, and if so, how. As mentioned at the beginning of the introductory chapter, I will focus on the present perfect — the idea behind this strategy is the following: as a by-product of the semantics of the present perfect combined with an account of the past tense and the future tense, the semantics of the past perfect and of the future perfect should fall automatically in place if the semantics of the present perfect has been grasped. Consider the present perfect clause in (1.1), repeated here from the preceding chapter.
Anti-Nuclear Antibodies in Sydenham’s Chorea

The goal of the present study was to determine if a relationship exists between the presence of ANA and ARF with or without Sydenham's chorea. We also addressed whether there is a characteristic ANA specificity present and if ANA-positivity correlates with duration of disease.
Communicating with Patients About Adverse Medical Events: If, When, and How to Say “I’m Sorry”

Adverse medical events can result a variety of factors including practitioner error and systems failure. The process by which such events are communicated to patients by health care providers is called disclosure. Disclosure of medical error is currently considered an ethical and professional obligation of healthcare providers. In many jurisdictions, “apology laws” protect disclosure and apology from being used against the physician in malpractice litigation. This chapter discusses when disclosure is appropriate, the timing of disclosure, what should be disclosed, the process of disclosure, the legal consequences of disclosure, caring for the caregiver, as well as how to handle disclosure for minors, multiple victims of harm, and those lacking capacity. Paradoxically, studies have revealed a reduction in malpractice litigation following institution of disclosure and compensation programs. Hypothetical case scenarios exemplifying a combination of systems and practitioner error resulting in patient harm and a “near miss” causing no harm are analyzed.
Phenological responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation in the Pacific Northwest from 1895 through 2013.

Climate change has caused shifts in the phenology and distributions of many species but comparing responses across species is challenged by inconsistencies in the methodology and taxonomic and temporal scope of individual studies. Natural history collections offer a rich source of data for examining phenological shifts for a large number of species. We paired specimen records from Pacific Northwest insect collections to climate data to analyze the responses of 215 moth species to interannual climate variation over a period of 119 years (1895–2013) during which average annual temperatures have increased in the region. We quantified the effects of late winter/early spring temperatures, averaged annually across the region, on dates of occurrence of adults, taking into account the effects of elevation, latitude, and longitude. We assessed whether species-specific phenological responses varied with adult flight season and larval diet breadth. Collection dates were significantly earlier in warmer years for 36.3% of moth species, and later for 3.7%. Species exhibited an average phenological advance of 1.9 days/°C, but species-specific shifts ranged from an advance of 10.3 days/°C to a delay of 10.6 days/°C. More spring-flying species shifted their phenology than summer- or fall-flying species. These responses did not vary among groups defined by larval diet breadth. The highly variable phenological responses to climate change in Pacific Northwest moths agree with other studies on Lepidoptera and suggest that it will remain difficult to accurately forecast which species and ecological interactions are most likely to be affected by climate change. Our results also underscore the value of natural history collections as windows into long-term ecological trends.
Professional Detachment (and Attachment) in Journalism

In the so-called “post-truth” political world (Roberts 2010)—often supported directly and indirectly by superficial, partisan, or even “fake” news—there seems to be as much need as ever to commit to journalistic objectivity, impartiality or whatever operative title implies that truthful reporting matters. If concerns about news bias and accuracy weren’t clear enough, the 2016 U.S. presidential election certainly sounded the alarms: It’s conceivable that Hillary Clinton’s electability was affected late in the election cycle because of, among other things, false reports about how she and her campaign manager masterminded a pedophilia ring in a Washington D.C. pizzeria (Gillin 2016). Because of the apparent increase in public vulnerability to fake news, in part due to social media’s influence on its unfiltered spread, it would seem imperative that journalists who wish to separate themselves from the journalistic riff raff must commit to a more professional standard to make that distinction clearer. This chapter addresses one aspect of ethical newsgathering relevant to this discussion—professional detachment—particularly whether or when detachment should (or should not) play a role in journalistic professionalism.
Collective Efficacy Theory: Lessons Learned and Directions for Future Inquiry

This chapter begins with a brief review of intellectual legacy of social-mechanistic theory and the basic ideas that animate collective efficacy theory. The concept of collective efficacy unites social cohesion, the "collectivity" part of the concept, with shared expectations for control, the social action or efficacy part of the concept. The chapter conceptualizes a social mechanism as a theoretically plausible contextual process that accounts for or explains the crime rates. Although social disorganization theory has enjoyed considerable support in the literature, there are reasons to problematize both its conceptual definition and the role of social networks—especially dense personal ties—in generating low crime rates. Ralph Taylor has correctly pointed out the strong empirical overlap among many indicators of social disorganization, informal social control, and collective efficacy. The chapter provides information on the correlates of crime at the level of community social composition.
Probing cellulose structures with vibrational spectroscopy

This paper reviews principles, data interpretations, and applications of vibrational spectroscopic methods used for analysis of cellulose in the isolated state and in plant cell walls or lignocellulose biomass. The paper begins with reviewing the crystalline structures of crystalline cellulose polymorphs and the principles of three different vibrational spectroscopy methods—infrared (IR), Raman, and sum frequency generation (SFG)—complemented with density functional theory calculations. Then, it discusses the vibrational modes of crystalline celluloses, how the chain orientation in crystalline domain is analyzed in each method, and how the concentration and spatial distribution of crystalline cellulose domains interspersed in amorphous matrices are manifested or analyzed differently in these three methods. Lastly, the paper discusses examples of analyzing crystalline cellulose in plant cell walls or lignocellulose biomass with IR, Raman, and SFG including spectroscopic imaging. One review cannot cover all vibrational spectroscopy literatures on cellulose; this review aims at providing tutorial information, using selected literatures and experimental data, needed to interpret nano-, meso-, and micro-scale structures of cellulose in plant cell walls and lignocellulose biomass.
Mitigating gender bias in student evaluations of teaching

Student evaluations of teaching are widely believed to contain gender bias. In this study, we conduct a randomized experiment with the student evaluations of teaching in four classes with large enrollments, two taught by male instructors and two taught by female instructors. In each of the courses, students were randomly assigned to either receive the standard evaluation instrument or the same instrument with language intended to reduce gender bias. Students in the anti-bias language condition had significantly higher rankings of female instructors than students in the standard treatment. There were no differences between treatment groups for male instructors. These results indicate that a relatively simple intervention in language can potentially mitigate gender bias in student evaluation of teaching.
Medicaid Long-term Care Policies and Rates of Nursing Home Successful Discharge to Community

Abstract Objectives Successful discharge of nursing home (NH) residents to community has been reported in Nursing Home Compare (NHCompare) as a quality indicator, yet it is likely influenced by the availability of home- and community-based services (HCBS). Medicaid NH reimbursement rates and bed-hold policies have been shown to be related to quality of care, which may also affect successful discharge. This study explores the relationship of state Medicaid long-term care policies and successful discharge. Design Longitudinal study of Medicaid policies and NHCompare successful discharge rates over 3 time periods, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017, using generalized estimating equation models. Setting and participants 11,694 unique NHs. Measures Risk-adjusted rates of successful discharge were downloaded from NHCompare. Truven's “Medicaid Expenditures for Long-term Services and Supports” reports provided states' expenditures on HCBS and NHs. Details of bed-hold policies in 2014 were obtained from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission. Data on NH and market characteristics were extracted from LTCFocUs.org and Area Health Resources File. Results The national average-adjusted successful discharge rates were 49.7%, 56.8%, and 56.2% in 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017, respectively. In 2015, states spent between 30.6% (Mississippi) and 82.2% (Oregon) on HCBS, with an overall average of 53.1%. States reimbursed NHs, on average, $185.7 per resident day. Five percent increase in Medicaid spending for HCBS was statistically significantly associated with 0.47% higher successful discharge rates. Compared to NHs in states with reimbursement rates in the first quartile (≤$152), NHs in the second ($153-$178), third ($179-$212), and fourth (≥$213) quartiles were associated with 2.33%, 1.86%, and 1.15% higher successful discharge rates (all P Conclusions/Implications This study provides promising evidence to state governments that shifting expenditures from institutions to communities as well as more generous reimbursements to NHs may improve quality of care in NHs.
Using a Formal Concept Analysis to Examine Water Disclosure in Corporate Social Responsibility Reports

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) water disclosures vary in content, leading to concern about the quality and extent of such disclosures. This paper employs formal concept analysis (FCA) to examine water reporting of selected companies in the US food and beverage industry that have followed the water guidelines set forth by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and in the disclosure guidelines of the CEO Water Mandate. Assessments of water consumption and water withdrawal were cited more often in our sample firms' CSR reports. The FCA results also identify the major focus of our sample firms as setting sustainable water management goals and water quality strategy. Other important issues included leadership, partnership, and employee involvement. While the FCA text mining tool is demonstrated using water-related behaviors here, it can be used to identify continuous improvement opportunities and examine many other issues of interest to corporate stakeholders in other industries and communities worldwide.
An Updated Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to Unmanned Aircraft Wing Structural Optimization

Current multi-objective genetic algorithms usually can only attain part of the whole pareto front,at the same time,because of the worse local searching ability,the convergence speed is slow.In order to overcome these disadvantages,an updated multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed in this paper.The updated algorithm not only integrates the merits of the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm(NSGA) and the Vector Evaluated Genetic Algorithm(VEGA),but also has a local searching operator which constructs the searching direction by using the previous population's information,so it can effectively expand the scope of non-inferior solutions and improve the convergence speed.Using the updated algorithm,this paper succeeds in optimizing a large unmanned aircraft wing structure.The result indicates that the new algorithm can rapidly acquire uniform non-inferior solutions and prove the superiority of the algorithm.
Indiana Public High School Parents’ Perceptions of Interscholastic Competitive Balance

As part of the educational mission of interscholastic athletics, ensuring competitive balance is a priority of state athletic associations nationwide. Specifically, teams playing within a postseason championship tournament should have a fair and equitable chance to win. Private high schools, in particular, have been the focus of competitive balance scrutiny from public high school stakeholders due to disproportionately high success in many states. Despite much anecdotal scrutiny from public stakeholders, it is not clear how much they know about interscholastic policy or private school characteristics. Therefore, this study set to explore Indiana public high school parents’ perceptions of interscholastic competitive balance through qualitative interview data. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged from the data influential to competitive balance (location, policy, sport culture, financial resources, and education). Each of these themes was influenced by an omnipresent private school impact, which reinforced a need for additional education of policy and private school characteristics.
Developing a Critical Discourse About Teaching and Learning: The Case of a Secondary Science Video Club

Video is used widely to support teachers’ learning and enactment of responsive instruction. Informed by principles of video club design, we designed a video club to support secondary science teache...
A Preorganized Electric Field Leads to Minimal Geometrical Reorientation in the Catalytic Reaction of Ketosteroid Isomerase

Electrostatic interactions play a pivotal role in enzymatic catalysis and are increasingly modeled explicitly in computational enzyme design; nevertheless, they are challenging to measure experimen...
“Support People the Way in Which They Want to Be Supported”: Best Practices for Incorporating Client-Centeredness in Representative Payee Programs

Nearly 1 million Social Security beneficiaries have representative payees to manage their funds. Although coercion and paternalism are historically associated with payee services, a recent study showed high satisfaction in a payee program incorporating client-centered practices. Separately we reported ways organizations align payee services with their missions to empower clients and improve outcomes. Here we share results from nine provider qualitative interviews describing client-centered best practices and exploring beliefs regarding their value. We identified four best practices: Shared Decision-Making on Bills and Spending, Non-Paternalistic Substance Use Policies, Client Advocacy, and Additional Service Policies, (changing fee structures, termination policies, incorporating opting in or out, and “graduation”). Results indicate prioritizing clients’ goals and agency may improve the quality of life of beneficiaries and reduce the paternalism and coercion historically associated with payee. Creating a client-centered payee toolkit and a payee collaborative may empower organizations to refine their services and provide opportunities for shared learning and support.
Fluid-structure interaction modeling of lactating breast: Newtonian vs. non-Newtonian milk.

Abstract Breastfeeding is a highly dynamic and complex mechanism. The suckling process by the infant involves compression and intra-oral vacuum pressure, leading to milk expression from breast. The accumulated milk from the nipple varies depending on the milk properties and transient flow rate during the suckling cycle. Rheological studies on raw human milk indicate that milk has a non-Newtonian shear-thinning flow behavior. This study aims to investigate the effect of non-Newtonian milk on flow behavior through the breast ductal system using fluid–structure interaction (FSI) simulation. The results of the non-Newtonian effects on flow velocity and the volumetric flow rate of expressed milk are presented. The results show that non-Newtonian Carreau model is promising for the simulation of human milk flow through the breast ductal systems. Also, the results show that the non-Newtonian effects on the milk flow behavior appear for 30–35% of the suckling cycle. Therefore, the Newtonian model is acceptable for the purpose of numerical simulation.
Monitoring nociception and awareness during palliative sedation: A systematic review:

Background:Providing unawareness and pain relief are core elements of palliative sedation. In addition to clinical scales, nociception and electroencephalogram-based depth of sedation monitoring ar...
Del Movimiento San Isidro a “Patria y Vida”

Today in Cuba there is a struggle over the meaning, scope, and direction of the digital revolution? Who will control it? Who will benefit from it? To what ends will it be applied? This article analyzes the various, sometimes contradictory ways that Cubans are using new media technologies to transform society from within. Through an analysis of the role of digital media in protests like the San Isidro Movement (MSI), the events of November 27, 2020 (27N) and January 27, 2021 (27E), and the phenomenon of the viral music video “Patria y Vida” at the end of February 2021, I postulate that it is these internal changes and the use of technology by local actors that are driving the impact of digital technology on Cuban society much more than the policies of foreign states. Additionally, the article places Cuba within five larger global debates about the relationship between digital technology and politics.
Microstructural origin of the anisotropic flow stress of laser powder bed fused AlSi10Mg

Abstract The microstructural origin of anisotropy in the yield stress and ultimate tensile strength of AlSi10Mg tensile specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is revealed using a combination of micropillar compression tests and microstructure-based numerical simulations. Uniaxial tensile tests demonstrate that specimens with tensile axis parallel to the build direction (vertical specimen) exhibit a higher yield stress and ultimate tensile strength than those perpendicular to the build direction (horizontal specimen). Micropillar compression experiments and a microstructure-based crystal plasticity model together confirm that the anisotropy has its origin in an elongated Al-Si cellular network (nominally 0.7 µm × 1.4 µm with long axis aligned with the build direction) within individual grains. A multiscale microstructure-based model predicts the mechanical properties of LPBF AlSi10Mg tensile specimens by accounting for the hierarchical microstructural features across length scales, which include the Al-Si network, the crystallographic grain structure, and the differences in microstructure between melt pool interiors and melt pool boundaries. The multiscale model over-estimates the yield stress, but correctly predicts the ultimate tensile strength and the anisotropy in the flow strength of tensile specimens. The model is used to computationally predict new microstructures driven by composition and processing parameters for LPBF AlSi10Mg alloys with improved mechanical properties.
Exploratory Practice in the FL Teaching Methods Course: A Case Study of Three Graduate Student Instructors' Experiences.

The foreign language (FL) teaching “methods” course—which serves an increasingly diverse population of graduate students with varied teaching and learning experiences, professional goals, and developmental trajectories (Allen & Negueruela-Azarola, 2010)— is often the only dedicated space for graduate student instructors (GSIs) to develop integrated theoretical and practical knowledge about collegiate language learning and teaching (Bourns & Melin, 2014). This article describes how the reflective teaching framework of exploratory practice (EP) (Allwright 2003, 2005) was used in a combined German/Spanish FL teaching methods course at a large state university in the U.S. in order to foster ongoing reflective teaching practice and provide learning opportunities for GSIs with different experiences and training. Through qualitative analysis of three learning teachers’ written reflections, the study shows how graduate students worked with EP to understand their own classrooms and teaching programs in personally-meaningful and developmentally-appropriate ways. Analysis of the GSIs’ reported learning outcomes and their ability to follow EP’s seven guiding principles in their journals reveals key differences between the novice and more experienced GSIs, suggesting it may take time for those new to teaching to understand and fully integrate the principles into their reflective practice. Implications for methods coursework are discussed.
Modeling Protein Folding Pathways

Proteins fold through a series of intermediate states called a pathway. Protein folding pathways have been modeled using either simulations or a heirarchy of statistical models. Here we present a series of related statistical models that attempt to predict early, middle and late intermediates along the folding pathway. Isites motifs are discrete models for folding initiation sites. HMMSTR is a model for local structure patterns composed of I-sites motifs. HMMSTR-CM is an approach toward assembling motifs and groups of motifs in a contact map representation, using heuristic rules to predict contact maps either with or without the use of templates. We also discuss the I-sites/ROSETTA server, which is a folding simulation algorithm that uses a fragment library as input. The results of blind structure prediction experiments are discussed. Pathway-based predictions sometimes lead to an unambiguous prediction of the fold topology, even without using templates.
Product Dispossession: A Conceptual Approach

Long neglected, the field of product disposal is gaining recognition. The need for conceptual clarification is immediate if the area is to merit further inclusion in the literature on consumer behavior. The concepts of dispossession and its velocity are developed within the context of overall consumption activity. Exploratory research provides empirical evidence of the ideas presented.
Continuous Measurement of Regional Cerebral Saturation During Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest in Adult Patients

Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (BrSO2), a quantitative measure of oxyhemoglobin, utilizes a modification of infrared technology that is similar to pulse oximetry. Near infrared light (650– 1 100 nm) penetrates the scalp and is reflected by cerebral tissue. The BrSO2 is calculated using a modification of the Beer-Lambert law, which mainly reflects the venous compartment of the sampled brain field. Previous studies in adults have shown a good correlation between saturations obtained by spectroscopy and jugular bulb samples.
Hfq-dependent, co-ordinate control of cyclic diguanylate synthesis and catabolism in the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis, the cause of the disease plague, forms biofilms to enhance flea-to-mammal transmission. Biofilm formation is dependent on exopolysaccharide synthesis and is controlled by the intracellular levels of the second messenger molecule cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP), but the mechanisms by which Y. pestis regulates c-di-GMP synthesis and turnover are not fully understood. Here we show that the small RNA chaperone Hfq contributes to the regulation of c-di-GMP levels and biofilm formation by modulating the abundance of both the c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase HmsP and the diguanylate cyclase HmsT. To do so, Hfq co-ordinately promotes hmsP mRNA accumulation while simultaneously decreasing the stability of the hmsT transcript. Hfq-dependent regulation of HmsP occurs at the transcriptional level while the regulation of HmsT is post-transcriptional and is localized to the 5' untranslated region/proximal coding sequence of the hmsT transcript. Decoupling HmsP from Hfq-based regulation is sufficient to overcome the effects of Δhfq on c-di-GMP and biofilm formation. We propose that Y. pestis utilizes Hfq to link c-di-GMP levels to environmental conditions and that the disregulation of c-di-GMP turnover in the absence of Hfq may contribute to the severe attenuation of Y. pestis lacking this RNA chaperone in animal models of plague.
Abstract 12754: The Association Between Surgical Indications, Operative Risk and Outcome in Infective Endocarditis

Introduction: The use of surgery in IE relative to indications and operative risk has not been well defined. Objectives: 1) To evaluate the use of surgery in IE as related to indications and operative risk; 2) to analyze the association between surgical indications, operative risk, and 6-month survival. Methods: The International Collaboration on Endocarditis-PLUS is a prospective registry involving 29 centers in 16 countries with 1296 patients with definite left-sided IE. Factors related to surgical decision making and Society of Thoracic Surgery (STS-IE) risk score were evaluated for relationship to surgical treatment and 6-month mortality. Results: Patients had a median age of 62 years (25th, 75th %tile: 47, 72) and a substantial rate of medical comorbidities. A surgical indication was present in 74% of all patients; surgery was performed in 57% of the cohort and 76% of patients with an indication. The most common reason for lack of surgery among patients with a surgical indication was having a poor pr...
The Relationship Between Learning Style and Achievement in a One-way Video, Two-way Audio Preservice Teacher Education Computer Literacy Course

The relationship between learning style and achievement in a one-way video, two-way audio preservice teacher education computer literacy course was investigated. The learning styles were determined by the Group Embedded Figures Test measuring field dependence-independence, and the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. The results indicated that there was no relationship between learning style and achievement, as measured by final course grade. However, a relationship was found between learning style (field independence) and final exam performance. Field independent learners scored significantly higher on the course final exam. The findings are congruent with research on field dependence-independence in higher education and support the position that varied support mechanisms in a distance learning environment help to accommodate diverse learning styles.
Disproportionate Filings of the Fair Labor Standards Act in Florida: A New PIP in the Making?

This article aspires to highlight the susceptibility of employers against many FLSA filings. Particularly, this article aims to focus on the vast expansion of FLSA filings within the past decade, the possible reasons for such vast filings, and the vulnerability of employers against meritless claims. The article will also focus on the state of Florida. Predominantly delving into why so many FLSA filings occur within the state of Florida. The attempt is to highlight the need for employer protection against meritless claims, while recognizing the difficulty of maintaining viable meritorious claims available to low-wage workers.The fine line of offering help to one group, while recognizing the threat of exploitation of the other, has been encountered and addressed recently in the Florida Legislature with respect to Personal Injury Protection ("PIP") Claims under Florida’s No Fault Act. This article takes the position that the FLSA is becoming a new form of PIP litigation and action needs to be taken to help protect employers from meritless claims. To clarify, what the previous statement means is that upon hearing FLSA, what comes to mind is not the benefits of the law, but rather, much like the Florida Insurance Commissioner stated with regards to PIP, it is the "billboard advertisements… [and] the catchy television and radio jingles" of which few are taken seriously.
Evolution of E. coli tRNA(Trp).

Earlier studies (1) have shown there are direct correlations between the hydrophobicity ranking of most amino acids and their anticodonic nucleotides. However, four anticodonic assignments, i.e. those for Trp, Tyr, Ile and the XGA anticodons for Ser, did not correlate. It was our proposal that this failure to correlate was due to the fact that these assignments were made late, relative to the bulk of the assignments, in evolution through the mutation of existing tRNAs. We have shown (2) thatE. coli tRNAIle 1 and tRNAIle 2 were likely derived from tRNAVal 1 and tRNALys respectively andE. coli tRNATyr was possibly derived fromE. coli 5s rRNA or a common precursor with 5s rRNA (3). The fact that quite high homologies were observed in these comparisons is consistent with the late evolution of the tRNAs in question. We now examine the evolution ofE. coli tRNATrp by comparing its homology with otherE. coli tRNAs. The data suggest a possible evolutionary relationship withE. coli tRNAGly or tRNAArg. The data support the idea of the late assignment of anticodons to Trp.
Ferrylmyoglobin: formation and chemical reactivity toward electron-donating compounds.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses several chemical and biological aspects of ferrylmyoglobin, such as its formation and absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral properties, the reactivity of the oxoferryl moiety toward different compounds with emphasis on antioxidants, and its identification and significance in complex biological systems. The oxidation of metmyoglobin by H2O2 is associated with visible absorption spectral changes consisting of an increase in absorbance in the 520-600 nm region, with main peaks at 548 and 582 nm, and a decrease at 630nm, with an isosbestic point at 618 nm. This spectral profile is ascribed to ferrylmyoglobin. The chapter provides evidence of amino acid radical in ferrylmyoglobin. Phenylalanine and tyrosine residues have been considered the primary loci of the protein free radical density. Three tyrosine residues (Tyr-103, Tyr-146, and Tyr-151) are present in sperm whale myoglobin, two residues (Tyr-103 and Tyr-146) in horse heart myoglobin, and one (Tyr-146) in kangaroo myoglobin. The amino acid radical in ferrylmyoglobin is evidenced by direct stopped-flow electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.
Mammary Myofibrosarcoma: Case Report and Literature Review

A case of myofibrosarcoma of breast is reported. A female patient aged 81 years presented with a mammary mass lesion. Histologically, the tumor consisted of neoplastic spindle cells arranged in fascicles and with variably cellularity and hyalinization. Immunohistochemical studies showed expression of vimentin, smooth-muscle actin, and Bcl-2, but not desmin, S-100, C-kit, or CD34. Proliferative index identified by Ki67 was approximately 30%. Electron microscopy revealed variable amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum, myofilaments, fibronexus junctions, and fibronectin fibrils. The histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of this tumor were consistent with myofibrosarcoma. This case will be one of the very few cases of ultrastructurally confirmed mammary myofibrosarcoma reported in the literature and contributes to the recognition of this rare mammary malignant neoplasm. The literature on mammary myofibrosarcoma and its differential diagnosis is also reviewed.
Nonspecific and Candida‐Specific Immune Responses in Mice Suppressed by Chronic Administration of Anti‐μ

CBA/J mice were immunosuppressed by repeated administration of goat antibody specific for mu chain of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and tested for nonspecific and Candida albicans-specific immune responses. Immunosuppression was demonstrated by a dramatic reduction in the number of antibody-forming cells in the spleens of anti-mu-treated mice when immunized with sheep erythrocytes, by greatly reduced in vitro responsiveness of both spleen and lymph node lymphocytes from anti-mu-treated mice to lipopolysaccharide, and by a large reduction in the number of splenic IgM-positive cells. T cell function, on the other hand, appeared to be relatively unaltered in anti-mu-treated animals, in the cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity against an allogeneic target was similar in splenocyte cultures from anti-mu- and mock-treated animals, and splenic and lymph node lymphocytes proliferated in response to concanavalin A in a lymphocyte stimulation assay. Moreover, Candida-specific delayed hypersensitivity to two different Candida antigens, one cell wall-derived (GP) and the other cell membrane-derived (BEX), was of comparable intensity in immunosuppressed and normal animals. When anti-mu- and mock-treated mice were immunized by the cutaneous inoculation of viable C. albicans blastospores and then challenged intravenously to assess the development of protective immunity, only mock-treated animals, male and female, had significant (p less than or equal to 0.05) protective responses demonstrable by reduction in the number of colony-forming units cultured from their kidneys 28 days after intravenous challenge. If consideration was given to the number of animals which had cleared Candida completely from the kidney, however, there appeared to be protective responses operative in the female anti-mu-treated animals as well. Neither anti-mu-treated males nor females, when immunized and challenged with C. albicans, produced Candida-specific antibody detectable by counterimmunoelectrophoresis, whereas all immunized and challenged mock-treated animals produced antibody. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that anti-mu treatment has little effect on multiple cellular immune functions, including those specific for C. albicans, and the combination of antibody, cell-mediated immunity and innate defenses are responsible for solid systemic defense against the fungus.
Spine surgery and malpractice liability in the United States.

Abstract Background context The correlation of negative outcomes with aggressiveness of malpractice liability has been questioned in the literature. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the association of malpractice liability with unfavorable outcomes and hospitalization charges in spine surgery. Study design/setting This was a retrospective cohort study. Patient sample The sample included a total of 709,951 patients undergoing spine surgery who were registered in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2005 to 2010. Outcome measures The outcome measures were state-level mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization charges after spinal surgery. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients who underwent spine surgery from 2005 to 2010 and were registered in NIS. We used data from the National Practitioner Data Bank from 2005 to 2010 to create measures of volume and size of malpractice claim payments. Their association of the latter with the outcome measures was investigated. Results During the study period, there were 707,951 patients (mean age, 54.4 years, with 49.7% females) who underwent spine surgery and were registered in NIS. In a multivariable regression model, higher number of claims per 100 physicians in a state was associated with increased hospitalization charges (β=0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13–0.14) and LOS (β=0.041; 95% CI, 0.036–0.047). On the contrary, there was no association with mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.99; 95% CI, 0.87–1.12). Larger magnitude of awarded claims was associated with increased hospitalization charges (β=0.08; 95% CI, 0.075–0.09) and LOS (β=0.02; 95% CI, 0.016–0.031). On the contrary, there was no association with mortality (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.82–1.11). Conclusions In the present national study, aggressive malpractice environment was not correlated with mortality but was associated with higher hospitalization charges after spine surgery. Further research is needed to identify ways to regulate the malpractice system to address these disparities.
A decision function method for boundary detection

Abstract Extracting edge information is the essential process in most pictorial pattern recognition problems, since subsequent shape and size measurements can then be taken. The existing techniques for extracting the edge information include thresholding methods, contour following methods, and combinations of both. The shortcomings of the existing boundary detection techniques are that they are either unreliable for detecting boundaries in a noisy background or too specific to cover a broad class of problems. In this paper, a computer algorithm for boundary detection will be presented. First, a criterion function is set based on the specific applications at hand to evaluate the performance or cost of detecting the boundary at the local and global levels. Then the set of boundary points is selected as the ones which minimize this criterion function. This algorithm has been tested to locate the heart boundary on PA chest x-ray pictures. It is found that this algorithm will successfully extract the heart boundary even in very noisy backgrounds.
Absence of a genetic relationship between salt tolerance during seed germination and vegetative growth in tomato

Two approaches were used to determine the relationship between salt tolerance during seed germination and vegetative growth in tomato. First, F 4 progeny families of a cross between a breeding line, 'UCT5' (salt sensitive at all developmental stages), and a primitive cultivar, 'PI174263' (salt tolerant during germination and vegetative growth), were evaluated in separate experiments for salt tolerance during germination and vegetative growth. There were significant differences among the F4 families in both the rate of seed germination and the plant growth (dry matter production) under salt stress. There was, however, no significant correlation between the ability of seeds to germinate rapidly and the ability of plants to grow under salt stress. In the second approach, selection was made for rapid germination under salt stress in an F2 population of the same cross and the selected progeny was evaluated for salt tolerance during both germination and vegetative growth. The results indicated that selection for salt tolerance during germination significantly improved germination performance under salt stress; a realized heritability estimate of 0.73 was obtained. Selection for salt tolerance during germination, however, did not affect plant salt tolerance during vegetative growth; there was no significant difference between the selected and unselected progeny based on either absolute or relative growth under salt stress. Obviously, in these genetic materials, salt tolerance during germination and vegetative growth are controlled by different mechanisms. Thus, to develop tomato cultivars with improved salt tolerance, selection protocols that include all critical developmental stages would be desirable.
Is the relationship between self-esteem and physical aggression necessarily U-shaped? ☆

Abstract Recent research by Perez, Vohs, and Joiner [Perez, M., Vohs, K. D., & Joiner, T. E., Jr. (2005). Discrepancies between self- and other-esteem as correlates of aggression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 24, 607–620] has supported a U-shaped curvilinear relationship between self-esteem and physical aggression in a sample of 140 undergraduates. The present study attempted to replicate this effect with a sample size more than 12 times larger. Thus, 1781 undergraduates completed items from Rosenberg’s [Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and adolescent self-image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University] Self-Esteem Scale and from the Physical Aggression subscale of Buss and Perry’s [Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452–459] Aggression Questionnaire. The results did not support a U-shaped relationship between self-esteem and physical aggression; if anything, they supported an inverted U-shaped one, such that the simple relationship between self-esteem and physical aggression became more negative and as self-esteem increased. Controlling for gender strengthened these effects, consistent with a pattern of mutual suppression between gender and self-esteem.
The carboxyl methylation of aspartyl residues in eledoisin and tetragastrin by rabbit erythrocyte aspartyl β-carboxyl methyltransferase

Rabbit erythrocytes contain a soluble aspartyl β-carboxyl methyltransferase capable of specifically carboxyl methylating the β-carboxyl group of an internal aspartyl residue in the synthetic polypeptide eledoisin, a hypotensively active peptide from the cephalopodsEledone moschata andE. aldrovandi, and tetragastrin, the biologically active C-terminal tetrapeptide of human gastrin. However, the aspartyl residue in delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) could not be carboxyl methylated, nor could glutamyl residues in any polypeptide tested.