cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commercial adaptation of ultrasonography to predict pork carcass composition from live animal and carcass measurements.

Live animal and carcass data were collected from market barrows and gilts (n = 120) slaughtered at a regional commercial slaughter facility to develop and test prediction equations to estimate carcass composition from live animal and carcass ultrasonic measurements. Data from 60 animals were used to develop these equations. Best results were obtained in predicting weight and percentage of boneless cuts (ham, loin, and shoulder) and less accuracy was obtained for predicting weight and ratio of trimmed, bone-in cuts. Independent variables analyzed for the live models were live weight, sex, ultrasonic fat at first rib, last rib, and last lumbar vertebra, and muscle depth at last rib. Independent variables for the carcass models included hot carcass weight, sex of carcass, and carcass ultrasonic measurements for fat at the first rib, last rib, last lumbar vertebra, and muscle depth at last rib. Equations were tested against an independent set of experimental animals (n = 60). Equations for predicting weight of lean cuts, boneless lean cuts, fat-standardized lean, and percentage of fat-standardized lean were most accurate from both live animal and carcass measurements with R2 values between .75 and .88. The results from this study, under commercial conditions, suggest that although live animal or carcass weight and sex were the greatest contributors to variation in carcass composition, ultrasonography can be a noninvasive means of differentiating value, especially for fat-standardized lean and weight of boneless cuts.
Donabedian's Lasting Framework for Health Care Quality.

In a landmark article published 50 years ago, Avedis Donabedian proposed using the triad of structure, process, and outcome to evaluate the quality of health care. That triad, along with his eventual seven pillars of quality, continues to inform efforts to improve care.
Leveraging distribution and heterogeneity in robot systems architecture

Like computer architects, robot designers must address multiple, possibly competing, requirements by balancing trade-offs in terms of processing, memory, communication, and energy to satisfy design objectives. However, robot architects currently lack the design guidelines, organizing principles, rules of thumb, and tools that computer architects rely upon. This thesis takes a step in this direction, by analyzing the roles of heterogeneity and distribution in robot systems architecture. Robots live in the real world, sensing and effecting external physical phenomena. This leads to a key consideration that is sometimes lost in traditional computing system design. Where is the robot computing system located in physical space? This consideration amplifies the role distribution plays in robot system design. The allocation and organization of the sensing, computing, actuation, energy, communication resources throughout physical space is at the core of distributed robot systems architecture. The physical distribution of resources lets us exploit the locality of the particular task in a similar manner as the design of a memory subsystem lets us exploit the locality of a computational problem. This thesis takes a systems architecture approach to the design of robot systems, and in particular, investigates the use of distributed, heterogeneous platforms to exploit locality in robot systems design. We show how multiple, distributed heterogeneous platforms can serve as general purpose robot systems for three distinct domains with different design objectives: increasing availability in a search and rescue mission, increasing flexibility and ease-of-use for a personal educational robot, and decreasing the computation and sensing resources necessary for navigation and foraging tasks.
Determining the Sulfur species in the dispersants Corexit 9500A and 9527A applying S K-edge XANES spectroscopy

The dispersants Corexit 9500A and 9527A were used extensively during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy was used to investigate the dispersants for the sulfur based components. The main sulfur containing component should be dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS). S K-edge XANES analysis shows that indeed the major sulfur species in both kinds of Corexit (9500A and 9527A) is sulfonic acid which is a part of DOSS. In addition some fraction of sulfone was detected.
A second order parameter for 3SAT

The 3-satisfiability problem (3SAT) has had a central role in the study of complexity. It was recently found that 3SAT instances transition sharply from satisfiable to nonsatisfiable as the ratio of clauses to variables increases. Because this phase transition is so sharp, the ratio - an order parameter - can be used to predict satisfiability. This paper describes a second order parameter for 3SAT. Like the classical order parameter, it can be computed in linear time, but it analyzes the structure of the problem instance more deeply. We present an analytical method for using this new order parameter in conjunction with the classical one to enhance satisfiability prediction accuracy. The assumptions of the method are verified by rigorous statistical testing. The method significantly increases the satisfiability prediction accuracy over using the classical order parameter alone. Hardness - i.e. how long it takes to determine satisfiability - results for one complete and one incomplete algorithm from the literature are also presented as a function of the two order parameters. The importance of new order parameters lies in the fact that they refine the locating of satisfiable vs. nonsatisfiable and hard vs. easy formulas in the space of all problem instances by adding a new dimension in the analysis.
Achieving Data Liquidity Across Health Care Requires a Technical Architecture

EDITOR'S SUMMARY While data is recognized as key to individual and wide-scale healthcare improvement, the absence of interoperability among supporting technologies obstructs progress. There is no single technical architecture that links medical information systems, such as electronic health records and medical devices, to enable seamless data flow. The lack of a consistent platform undermines patient outcomes and efficiency and increases cost and complexity. An interoperable technical architecture is the basis for data liquidity and the efficiencies it can deliver. Such a platform must use a standards-based interface and support plug-and-play integration, one-to-many communication and real-time two-way data exchange. The Center for Medical Interoperability advocates for and leads research in developing the architecture for a vendor-neutral platform. Healthcare systems must exert pressure through the procurement process for vendors to develop compatible systems.
Effect of a one-week spiritual retreat on dopamine and serotonin transporter binding: a preliminary study

ABSTRACTSpiritual retreats are a commonly used intensive program of meditation and prayer, along with other elements, designed to provide participants with opportunities for spiritual and psychological growth. While individual elements of such retreats have been studied, there have been no reports in the literature regarding the neurophysiological effects of these retreats. This preliminary study presents the first data we are aware of on the neurophysiological effects, particularly those related to dopamine and serotonin, in a group of participants undergoing an intensive seven-day spiritual retreat. We used DaTscan single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 14 individuals before and closely following participation in a seven-day spiritual retreat. We observed significant decreases in dopamine transporter binding in the basal ganglia and significant decreases in serotonin transporter binding in the midbrain after the retreat program. Participating in the retreat also resulted in significant ch...
The medial temporal memory system in Down syndrome: Translating animal models of hippocampal compromise.

Recent studies have highlighted the dentate gyrus as a region of increased vulnerability in mouse models of Down syndrome (DS). It is unclear to what extent these findings are reflected in the memory profile of people with the condition. We developed a series of novel tasks to probe distinct medial temporal functions in children and young adults with DS, including object, spatial, and temporal order memory. Relative to mental age-matched controls (n = 45), individuals with DS (n = 28) were unimpaired on subtests involving short-term object or configural recall that was divorced from spatial or temporal contexts. By contrast, the DS group had difficulty recalling spatial locations when contextual information was salient and recalling the order in which objects were serially presented. Results are consistent with dysfunction of spatial and temporal contextual pattern separation abilities in individuals with DS, mediated by the hippocampus, including the dentate gyrus. Amidst increasing calls to bridge human and animal work, the memory profile demonstrated here in humans with DS is strikingly similar to that of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. The study highlights the trisynaptic circuit as a potentially fruitful intervention target to mitigate cognitive impairments associated with DS.
Periprosthetic acetabular radiolucency progression in mid-term follow-up of the articular surface replacement hip system

Recent registry studies show that aseptic loosening secondary to osteolysis is the second leading cause of hip implant failure in patients implanted with metal-on-metal (MoM) bearings. The primary aim of our study was to report on the progression of acetabular osteolysis during mid-term follow-up in patients treated with MoM hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) and MoM total hip arthroplasty (THA). The secondary aim was to identify independent predictors of osteolytic lesion progression. A total of 805 patients (805 hips) were included in this study (541 MoM HRA, 264 MoM THA) from a prospective, international clinical registry of the Articular Surface Replacement Hip System. Patients were enrolled a median of 6.6 years from surgery. Osteolytic lesion progression was defined either as any lesion developing de novo, or as an existing lesion progressing from radiolucency to osteolysis during the study period (range 0.5–4.3 years). The number of cases with any osteolysis or radiolucency was 21 (3.9%) for ASR HRA and 29 (11.0%) for ASR XL THA at enrollment and increased to 69 (12.8%) for ASR HRA and 41 (15.5%) for ASR XL THA after follow-up. Osteolytic lesion progression was found in 66 (12.2%) ASR HRA patients and 31 (11.7%) ASR XL THA patients. Multivariate models determined that lower acetabular version angle (OR 0.963, p = 0.011) and elevated whole blood chromium (OR 1.110, p = 0.044) were independent predictors of osteolytic lesion progression in ASR HRA. We suggest that physicians of patients implanted with ASR HRA implants closely monitor patients with higher chromium levels and lower version angles, as they are at increased risk for osteolytic lesion progression, and we recommend annual radiographic follow-up on all patients with ASR implants.
The academic-industrial symbiosis in German chemical research, 1905–1939

It is commonly asserted that the German chemical industry achieved world leadership during the late nineteenth century in large part because it was the first to develop a truly symbiotic relationship with German academic chemists—i.e., a close, mutually profitable cooperation on many levels. Yet many aspects of that cooperation and the origins of industrial research itself remain obscure, their details only beginning to emerge from industrial and academic archives.1 Despite a few useful earlier studies, until recently the development of the academic-industrial symbiosis after 1914 was even more obscure.2 Critical developments in the shaping and reshaping of the symbiosis occurred in four periods: the decade before World War I; the later war years and postwar crisis from 1916 to 1923; the political-economic crisis years from 1929 to 1933; and finally the Nazi years after 1933.
Estimating Occurrence Laws with Maximum Probability, and the Transition to Entropic Estimators

Suppose that events ξn, n = 1,..., N occur, where each ξn is one of a set of possibilities xn, n = 1,..., M. For example, a particular set of {ξn}, the “sample” $${x_8}{x_2}{x_5}{x_9}{x_9}{x_1}{x_8}{x_3}{x_5}{x_9}{x_9}{x_6}{x_1}{x_5}{x_2}{x_3}{x_1}{x_7}{x_4}{x_3}$$ might occur. In the cases we shall consider, this is either a time sequence of events or a space sequence.
Long Range Precipitation Prediction in California: A Look Inside the “Black Box” of a Trained Network

As has been seen in previous chapters, artificial neural networks (ANNs) are powerful and useful tools in the field of hydrology. Presented here is an application of ANNs to long range precipitation prediction in California using large-scale climatological parameters. In addition, a determination will be made about extracting information from the trained network in order to learn how the ANN’s “thinking” produces the prediction.
Abstract 5668: The rational design and evaluation of a peptide inhibitor of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction

Tumor cells exploit immune checkpoints by expressing checkpoint ligands such as PD-L1, effectively masking them from immune destruction. Programmed cell death- 1 (PD-1), plays a major role in tumor immune escape. The interaction of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibits cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) proliferation, induces apoptosis of tumor-specific T cells, and promotes the resistance of tumor cells to CTL attack. Monoclonal antibodies to these proteins have been developed and approved for use in the clinic. Theoretically, peptide mimics, which have the benefit of lower half-life and significantly smaller size, are able to penetrate into solid tumors and tissues better than antibodies, and can function as inhibitors for the PD1/PD-L1 interaction. Here we report for the first time the rational design and validation of a peptide inhibitor to the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint as a viable alternative to current inhibitory antibodies. We demonstrated, by biolayer interferometry and in silico docking simulations, that a PD-L1 peptide mimetic (PL120131) can interfere with the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction by binding to PD-1. We established the binding constant for the interaction and PL120131 reduces association of PD-L1 in a dose dependent manner. We show that PL120131 is capable of inhibiting PD-1 mediated apoptotic signaling pathway and rescuing Jurkat cells and primary lymphocytes from apoptosis. Additionally, we show that PL120131 treatment allows for CTL anti-tumor activity. Furthermore, PL120131 can maintain co-culture survivability and activity of T Cells in a 3D co-culture model. Together, the characterization of this PD-1/PD-L1 inhibiting peptide provides insight regarding the ability to inhibit PD-L1 binding while maintaining CTL viability and activity. Understanding the mechanism(s) of action of this peptide has yielded information on the pathways that are drivers of immune evasion in a tumor microenvironment, which may improve and synergize with other forms of immunotherapy, thus increasing efficacy of cancer treatment. Outcomes from this study have provided a path forward to further development of small molecule inhibitors to the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, and outlines a strategy for the design and development of small molecules to additional cell-surface checkpoint proteins. Citation Format: Rebecca J. Boohaker, Vijaya Sambandam, Mark Suto, Bo Xu. The rational design and evaluation of a peptide inhibitor of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5668.
Google Ranking of Plastic Surgeons Values Social Media Presence Over Academic Pedigree and Experience

BACKGROUND Patients increasingly rely on online resources to make healthcare decisions. Google dominates the search engine market; first-page results receive most of the web traffic and therefore serve as an important indicator of consumer reach. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to analyze the respective importance of physician academic pedigree, experience, and social media presence on plastic surgeon Google first-page search result placement. METHODS A Google.com search was conducted in the top 25 United States metropolitan areas to identify the top 20 websites of board-certified plastic surgeons. Social media presence was quantified by tracking the number of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for every surgeon as well as medical school and year of graduation. The primary outcome was website ranking in the first page of Google search results. To identify the independent predictors of presence on the front page, we performed a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Total number of social medial followers was associated with Google front-page placement (P < 0.001), whereas medical school ranking and years in practice were not (P = 0.17 and 0.39, respectively). A total 19.6% of plastic surgeon practices in our study cohort still had no social media accounts whatsoever. CONCLUSIONS For the past few decades, plastic surgery practices relied on referrals, word of mouth, and the surgeon's reputation and academic pedigree to attract new patients. It is now clear that this practice-building model is being rapidly supplanted by a new paradigm based on social media presence to reach potential patients.
Improving a business: Case study of a front-line organization

Abstract. This paper is a case-study of a retail business, located in the Washington DC metropolitan area, based on one of the authors work experiences. The authors apply Deming’s organizational theory, as well as Harvey’s, Ivanov’s, and several other theorists’ ideas to evaluate the organizational system and work processes of this corporation at the front-line. Based on this study, the authors develop several general recommendations to management that may apply to all organizations facing similar issues, and also hope this paper continues the theoretical development of systemic organizational principles. Keywords. Organizational systems, W. Edwards Deming, Jerry B. Harvey, Organizational improvement, Management diseases. JEL. A10, A13, A14.
PERCUTANEOUS TRANS-SEPTAL AMPLATZER VASCULAR PLUG CLOSURE OF MITRAL PARAVALVULAR LEAK IN A SEVERELY SYMPTOMATIC PATIENT

Paravalvular leaks (PVL) following mitral prosthetic valve implantations can present with heart failure symptoms or hemolysis. A 59 year old male with a past medical history of redo St. Jude's 24 mm mitral valve replacement (2 years ago) presented to the hospital twice in the past three months for
The Indirect Effect of Holistic Career Values on Work Engagement: A Longitudinal Study Spanning Two Decades.

BACKGROUND In contrast to earlier assumptions that the "ideal worker" should embrace traditional notions of career success, there is growing recognition that possessing holistic career values may be beneficial in the work domain as well. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this argument. We hypothesised that individuals who at the time of their university graduation possessed holistic career values would display stronger personal life satisfaction 20 years later, which in turn would enhance their work engagement (i.e. an individual's perceptions of the extent to which the work environment possesses engaging characteristics). METHODS Data from a longitudinal study of 158 university students who completed two questionnaires, one in 1992 and the other 20 years later, supported our hypotheses. RESULTS We found that individuals who possessed holistic career values displayed stronger personal life satisfaction 20 years later, which in turn enhanced their work engagement. We further found that this indirect effect of holistic career values on work engagement (through personal life satisfaction) is conditionally moderated by work-family interference. CONCLUSIONS Cultivating a holistic career perspective among employees is beneficial for both employee well-being (i.e. personal life satisfaction) and the flourishing of their organisations (i.e. work engagement).
Management of the Open Abdomen Patient

The concept of ‘abbreviated laparotomy’ and the practice of leaving the peritoneal cavity open was first described in trauma patients by Stone in 1983 and became an acceptable surgical strategy after a landmark paper in 1993 (Stone HH et al. Ann Surg. 1983;197(5):532–535; Rotondo MF, et al. J Trauma. 1993;35(3):383). The open abdomen strategy involves carrying out only life-saving procedures at the index operation, leaving the abdominal wall open, and covering the exposed viscera with a temporary abdominal dressing. Abbreviated laparotomy, also known as “staged” or “damage control” laparotomy, allows for immediate management of life-threatening conditions in patients who are too critically ill to otherwise withstand definitive operative repair. Definitive repair is then deferred to a time when physiologic homeostasis had been reestablished. In the last two decades, the indications for damage control laparotomy have expanded to also include emergency general surgery (Nagpal S, et al. J Trauma. 2009;67(5):152; Allardyce DB. Am J Surg. 1987;154(3):295–299; Soop M and Carlson GL. Br J Surg. 2017;104(2):e74; Wertheimer MD and Norris CS. Arch Surg. 1986;121(4):484–487). However, whereas damage control laparotomy is considered standard of care in trauma surgery, its role is more controversial and less well defined in emergency general surgery.
Initial Experience in Adults with Complex Congenital Heart Disease Treated with Sacubitril/Valsartan for Heart Failure

Purpose Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) are an emerging population. Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality for ACHD. Sacubitril/valsartan has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalizations and death from HF in acquired cardiovascular disease but there is little information available on its effect on HF in ACHD. Methods We retrospectively studied patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who were prescribed sacubitril/valsartan to treat HF. Data collected includes New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, laboratory data, vital signs, and imaging by echocardiogram. Results Eight ACHD patients with HF with a median age of 40.6 [IQR 33.3-52.8] years were treated with sacubitril/valsartan for a median duration of 269 [IQR 102-473] days. Five (62.5%) had a systemic right ventricle and 3 (37.5%) had single ventricle anatomy. Five (62.5%) had severe systemic systolic ventricular dysfunction. At time of last follow-up, 3 (37.5%) patients at NYHA III had no change in functional class, 4 (50%) patients at NYHA IV improved to NYHA II. One patient has not yet returned for follow-up to evaluate functional status. No patients were noted to have a substantial change in renal function or potassium levels. Median brain natriuretic peptide values pre and post- sacubitril/valsartan were 2517 pg/mL and 1040 pg/mL, respectively. Median mean arterial pressures pre and post-sacubitril/valsartan were 83 mmHg and 77 mmHg, respectively. One (12.5%) patient required dose reduction due to hypotension. At time of last follow-up, 2 (25%) achieved 97 mg/100 mg dose of sacubitril/valsartan. No patients experienced symptoms related to angioedema. Conclusion In a small cohort of adults with complex CHD and HF, sacubitril/valsartan was well-tolerated, with some patients experiencing improvement in NYHA class. More studies and a registry of outcomes of sacubitril/valsartan use in ACHD are needed.
Genetic diversity within and across gametophytic ploidy levels in a Sphagnum cryptic species complex

We deploy Shannon analysis of five ancestrally (ANCE) diagnostic microsatellite loci to explore the patterns of ‘deep’ allelic genetic diversity within the peat moss Sphagnum ×australe Mitt. s.l. cryptic species complex across its Australasian distribution. There is both notable divergence among and considerable allelic overlap within the three allopolyploid lineages of this complex, two gametophytically allodiploid (R1S1 and R2S2) and one gametophytically allotriploid (FR1*S1*). Detailed biogeographic patterns reflect historical differences in genetic isolation and interbreeding. Lineage I (R1S1) occurs in both Australia and New Zealand, while Lineage II (R2S2) and Lineage III (FR1*S1*) are endemic to New Zealand, where Lineage III predominates. Available data suggest that Lineage I arose in Australia, whereas both Lineage II and Lineage III originated in New Zealand. ‘Deep’ allelic diversity provides a pronounced signal of evolutionary radiation within and among the three lineages. We develop a methodology to explore allelic diversity across ploidy levels and elaborate another for scaling additive allele-metric diversity values [0,1], relative to attainable minimal and maximal values, given the sampling frame. We suggest the following taxonomic disposition: gametophytically allodiploid Lineages I and II → S. ×australe; gametophytically allotriploid Lineage III → S. ×antarcticum. Epitypes are designated for both species.
Microscopic Theory of the Effect of Caging and Physical Bonding on Segmental Relaxation in Associating Copolymer Liquids

We construct a microscopic statistical mechanical theory for how strong short-range attractions between sticky groups regularly copolymerized in a chain backbone perturb the segmental dynamics of u...
Abstract 3806: Cigarette smoke extract permits survival of TET2-/- and JAK2V617F hematopoietic cells

Inactivating somatic mutations in the ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) gene is commonly found in clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and contributes to the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies such as myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia. Incidentally, smoking behavior is associated with CH and we hypothesize that TET2 mutant hematopoietic cells are resistant to the deleterious effects of smoke exposure. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) was prepared from mainstream cigarette smoke using a standard protocol and volume/volume percentage (v/v %) dilutions used for in vitro exposures. Lineage negative bone marrow cells isolated from TET2 wildtype (TET2+/+) and TET2 knockout (TET-/-) mice were exposed to CSE and cultured in methylcellulose containing semi-solid medium to assess myeloid colony formation. Cells were also grown in liquid culture under long-term culture conditions to demonstrate the effect of CSE on cell proliferation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from JAK2V617F positive MPN patients were treated with CSE for colony forming assays. TET2+/+ bone marrow cells showed decreased myeloid colony formation in the presence of CSE while TET2-/- cells were not significantly affected by CSE. Similarly in liquid cultures, TET2-/- lineage negative cells expanded significantly compared to their wildtype counterparts indicating resistance to the growth suppressive effects of CSE. The JAK2V617F mutation is the most common somatic mutation found in MPN patients and we observed that the suppressive effect of CSE on myeloid colony formation was more pronounced in normal subjects than JAK2V617F positive MPN subjects. This suggests that CH associated somatic mutations such as in TET2 promote resistance of bone marrow progenitors to environmental stressors like cigarette smoke, possibly via anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Future studies include studying the effects of inhalation exposure of combustible and electronic cigarette smoke on TET2-/- and JAK2V617F hematopoiesis in competitive bone marrow transplanted mice. Citation Format: Gajalakshmi Ramanathan, Brianna Craver, Rebecca J. Arechavala, David Herman, Michael T. Kleinman, Angela G. Fleischman. Cigarette smoke extract permits survival of TET2-/- and JAK2V617F hematopoietic cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3806.
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

There is a paucity of comparative data examining the optimal revascularization strategy in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVD). We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis of clinical outcomes comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus coronary artery bypass (CABG) in patients with LVD (left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≤ 40%), using the random effects model. Effects size is reported as odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, repeat revascularization, and a composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) at 30-day, 3-year, and long-term (6.3 ± 0.9 years) follow-ups. Seventeen studies (16 observational, 1 randomized) and 18,599 patients (CABG 9651; PCI 8948) were included. PCI and CABG had comparable all-cause mortality at 30 days (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.49–1.23) and 3 years (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.91–1.21); however, PCI was associated with increased long-term morality after a mean follow-up of 6.3 ± 0.9 years (31.6% vs. 24.3%, OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.21–1.64). A similar mortality trend was observed in the subgroup of patients with EF ≤ 35%. PCI had a higher rate of repeat revascularization at 3-year and long-term follow-ups. The long-term rates of stroke and MI were comparable. PCI, on the other hand, had lower rates of stroke at 30-day and 3-year follow-ups. CABG was associated with lower rates of long-term mortality and revascularization but higher rate of upfront stroke in patients with LVD. However, the data included consisted predominantly of observational studies, highlighting the paucity and need for randomized trials.
Production of d-Glyceric acid from d-Galacturonate in Escherichia coli

A microbial production platform has been developed in Escherichia coli to synthesize d-glyceric acid from d-galacturonate. The expression of uronate dehydrogenase (udh) from Pseudomonas syringae and galactarolactone isomerase (gli) from Agrobacterium fabrum, along with the inactivation of garK, encoding for glycerate kinase, enables d-glyceric acid accumulation by utilizing the endogenous expression of galactarate dehydratase (garD), 5-keto-4-deoxy-D-glucarate aldolase (garL), and 2-hydroxy-3-oxopropionate reductase (garR). Optimization of carbon flux through the elimination of competing metabolic pathways led to the development of a ΔgarKΔhyiΔglxKΔuxaC mutant strain that produced 4.8 g/l of d-glyceric acid from d-galacturonate, with an 83% molar yield. Cultivation in a minimal medium produced similar yields and demonstrated that galactose or glycerol serve as possible carbon co-feeds for industrial production. This novel platform represents an alternative for the production of d-glyceric acid, an industrially relevant chemical, that addresses current challenges in using acetic acid bacteria for its synthesis: increasing yield, enantio-purity and biological stability.
VANET applications: Past, present, and future

Abstract Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are an emerging technology that has much potential development ahead of it. VANETs seek to connect devices contained within vehicles together to create services that are particularly relevant to a vehicular environment. They attempt to do so without relying on infrastructure devices to assist in the process of network topology management. This particular nature of VANETs leads them to provide both unique challenges and opportunities to investigate. This paper will seek to address the key features that define a VANET environment, while discussing what can be done with a VANET system. This paper will then investigate many different perspectives on VANETs, including historical perspectives and ideas for uses as well as more modern perspectives, and discuss how they have changed over time. Finally, this paper will investigate the current state of VANET technologies and discuss the current progress towards the successful deployment of these technologies in the real world.
Boom and bust hypothesis in the colonial Chesapeake economy. Empirical evidence for the period 1676-1713

Abstract This paper provides empirical evidence on fluctuations in the price of Chesapeake tobacco and on the economic variables that help predict tobacco prices. In addition, the paper provides evidence on the high responsiveness to price of tobacco production relative to tobacco demand. Both findings provide strong empirical support for the central role of tobacco prices in economic fluctuations and growth in the Chesapeake economy as suggested by the boom and bust hypothesis.
Relationship of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Gene Expression to Movement Within the Plant

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is the type member of the tobamovirus group that is characterized by 18 × 300 nm virions made up of about 2000 units of a single structural protein and one molecule of plus-sense RNA of approximately 6400 nucleotides. TMV has a wide host range and occurs throughout the world causing substantial crop losses. The virus replicates in almost every cell of the plant and accumulates to unusually high titers. Disease generally is caused by abnormal chloroplast development in infected plants resulting in leaves that are deficient in photosynthetic capacity and exhibit typical “mosaic” symptoms of light and dark green leaves.
Transcending Work–Life Tensions: A Transnational Feminist Analysis of Work and Gender in the Middle East, North Africa, and India

Extant research has considered how professional women negotiate the contradictory demands of work and gender. However, these contradictions may be exacerbated for women from and living in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and India, as globalization has circulated Western discourses of gender equality that appear to conflict with non-Western discourses of gender difference. To better understand this potential conflict, we conducted a transnational feminist analysis that explored how discourses about work and gender created tensions for young women as they articulated their professional ideals. Three tensions surfaced in our analysis of interviews with women from the MENA region and India: (a) equality–difference, (b) modernity–tradition, and (c) individual–collective. To transcend these tensions, participants emphasized gender complementarity, professional and familial success, and their cultural pride. Taken together, these transcendence strategies indicate how gendered performances in the public sph...
Sequential Association Rule Mining with Time Lags

This paper presents MOWCATL, an efficient method for mining frequent association rules from multiple sequential data sets. Our goal is to find patterns in one or more sequences that precede the occurrence of patterns in other sequences. Recent work has highlighted the importance of using constraints to focus the mining process on the association rules relevant to the user. To refine the data mining process, this approach introduces the use of separate antecedent and consequent inclusion constraints, in addition to the traditional frequency and support constraints in sequential data mining. Moreover, separate antecedent and consequent maximum window widths are used to specify the antecedent and consequent patterns that are separated by either a maximal width time lag or a fixed width time lag. Multiple time series drought risk management data are used to show that our approach can be effectively employed in real-life problems. This approach is compared to existing methods to show how they complement each other to discover associations in the drought risk management domain. The experimental results validate the superior performance of our method for efficiently finding relationships between global climatic episodes and local drought conditions. Both the maximal and fixed width time lags are shown to be useful when finding interesting associations.
Complexity measures for assembly sequences

We examine various complexity measures for two-handed assembly sequences. For many products there exists an exponentially large set of valid sequences, and a natural goal is to use automated systems to select wisely from the choices. Since assembly sequencing is a preprocessing phase for a long and expensive manufacturing process, any work towards finding a "better" assembly sequence is of great value when it comes time to assemble the physical product in mass quantities. We take a step in this direction by introducing a formal framework for studying the optimization of several complexity measures. This framework focuses on the combinatorial aspect of the family of valid assembly sequences, while temporarily separating out the specific geometric assumptions inherent to the problem. With an exponential number of possibilities, finding the true optimal cost solution is non-trivial. In the most general case, our results show that even finding an approximate solution is hard. Furthermore, we can show several hardness results, even in simple geometric settings. Future work is directed towards using this model to study how the original geometric assumptions can be reintroduced to prove stronger approximation results.
Faith and Cognition

Cognition is one avenue through which faith has the potential to bring about thriving. We begin this chapter by considering the cognitive nature of faith beliefs. Then, we consider how faith can influence the general nature of a person’s thinking. Specifically, we review empirical research on the role of faith in the grand task of developing a sense of meaning in life. Next, we examine the implications of specific faith-based cognitive appraisals, including the role of faith in sanctifying aspects of life, coping with stressors, and forming appraisals of other people. Finally, we examine the outcomes of cognitive faith practices, including prayer and meditation. We end by considering the implications of this body of research to the field of psychology and the practice of psychotherapy and offer suggestions for future research.
The Food Security Act of 1985: Land use planning implications for the United States

Abstract The US Congress enacted an ambitious new effort for soil conservation in the Food Security Act of 1985. Among the conservation provisions in the Act, there is the requirement that landowners have a farm-level conservation plan on highly erodible land. These plans must be approved by local conservation districts, be adopted by 1990, and be fully implemented by 1995. Landowners who do not adopt such plans will lose federal agricultural programme benefits. Most US farmers participate in federal programmes and many rely on federal subsidies. Farm conservation plans have been used on a voluntary basis since the 1930s. The evolution of farm conservation plans is analysed and the conservation provisions of the Food Security Act are described. A prognosis about the potential for the conservation provisions to address soil erosion and sedimentation problems successfully is offered.
Wave Packet Dynamics of Resonances in Unimolecular Dissociation

This paper discusses wave packet propagation and some recent three-dimensional applications to unimolecular dissociation. Emphasis is placed on direct generation of solutions to the time-dependent Schroedinger equation (ħ = 1), $$\frac{{\partial l\psi \left( t \right) > }}{{\partial t}} = - iHl\psi \left( t \right) >$$ (1) , and on extracting information out of such wave packets.
Detection methods and strategies for improving medication compliance.

The reliability of compliance detection methods and practical strategies for improving patient compliance with drug therapy are reviewed. Detection of noncompliance is a necessary prerequisite for adequate treatment. Noncompliance can be detected by indirect methods (e.g., self-report, interview, therapeutic outcome, pill count, computerized compliance monitors) or direct methods (e.g., biologic markers, tracer compounds, biologic assay of body fluids). In general, the direct methods of detection have a higher sensitivity and specificity than the indirect methods. Computerized compliance monitors are the most recent and reliable of the indirect-detection methods. Strategies for improving compliance involve identification of risk factors for non-compliance; development, with the patient's participation, of an individualized treatment plan that simplifies the regimen as much as possible; education of the patient, including information about his or her illness, instructions on how to take the prescribed medication correctly, and an explanation of the benefits and possible adverse effects of the therapy; and, if necessary, use of compliance aids such as medication calendars, special containers, caps, and dispensing systems, or compliance packaging. The patient should be taught to monitor his or her own treatment regimen. Follow-up monitoring by health-care professionals, including pharmacists, will also help ensure that the patient is complying with the treatment regimen. Health-care practitioners need to understand factors that contribute to noncompliance and to use effective methods for assessing and monitoring compliance in conjunction with strategies aimed at increasing compliant behavior.
Complexity of a small non-protein coding sequence in chromosomal region 22q11.2: presence of specialized DNA secondary structures and RNA exon/intron motifs

DiGeorge Syndrome is a genetic abnormality involving ~3 Mb deletion in human chromosome 22, termed 22q.11.2. To better understand the non-coding regions of 22q.11.2, a small 10,000 bp non-protein-coding sequence close to the DiGeorge Critical Region 6 gene (DGCR6) was chosen for analysis and functional entities as the homologous sequence in the chimpanzee genome could be aligned and used for comparisons. The GenBank database provided genomic sequences. In silico computer programs were used to find homologous DNA sequences in human and chimpanzee genomes, generate random sequences, determine DNA sequence alignments, sequence comparisons and nucleotide repeat copies, and to predicted DNA secondary structures. At its 5′ half, the 10,000 bp sequence has three distinct sections that represent phylogenetically variable sequences. These Variable Regions contain biased mutations with a very high A + T content, multiple copies of the motif TATAATATA and sequences that fold into long A:T-base-paired stem loops. The 3′ half of the 10,000 bp unit, highly conserved between human and chimpanzee, has sequences representing exons of lncRNA genes and segments of introns of protein genes. Central to the 10,000 bp unit are the multiple copies of a sequence that originates from the flanking 5′ end of the translocation breakpoint Type A sequence. This breakpoint flanking sequence carries the exon and intron motifs. The breakpoint Type A sequence seems to be a major player in the proliferation of these RNA motifs, as well as the proliferation of Variable Regions in the 10,000 bp segment and other regions within 22q.11.2. The data indicate that a non-coding region of the chromosome may be reserved for highly biased mutations that lead to formation of specialized sequences and DNA secondary structures. On the other hand, the highly conserved nucleotide sequence of the non-coding region may form storage sites for RNA motifs.
Effects of Vehicle Front-End Stiffness on Rear Seat Dummies in NCAP and FMVSS208 Tests

Objective: This study is devoted to quantifying changes in mass and stiffness of vehicles tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the past 3 decades (model years 1982 to 2010) and understanding the effect of those changes on protection of rear seat occupants. Methods: A total of 1179 tests were used, and the changes in their mass and stiffness versus their model year was quantified. Additionally, data from 439 dummies tested in rear seats of NHTSA's full frontal crashes were analyzed. Dummies were divided into 3 groups based on their reference injury criteria. Multiple regressions were performed with speed, stiffness, and mass as predicting variables for head, neck, and chest injury criteria. Results: A significant increase in mass and stiffness over model year of vehicles was observed, for passenger cars as well as large platform vehicles. The result showed a significant correlation (P-value < .05) between the increase in stiffness of the vehicles and increase in head an...
Analysis of a rate-dependent cohesive model for dynamic crack propagation

Abstract The effect of including rate-dependence in the cohesive zone modeling of steady-state and transient dynamic crack propagation is analyzed. Spontaneous crack propagation simulations are performed using a spectral form of the elastodynamic boundary integral equations, while the solution to the steady-state problem is obtained by solving the governing Cauchy singular equation on the crack plane. The steady-state analysis shows that the existing techniques for solving the Cauchy singular integral equation are not suitable. A solution technique for the underlying Riemann–Hilbert problem for the chosen rate and damage-dependent cohesive law is presented. Under spontaneous propagation conditions, quasi-steady-state speeds slower than the theoretically predicted shear wave speed are possible. Results also show that, due to the dissipation of energy inside the cohesive zone, the energy required for crack propagation increases with the crack speed.
Anisotropic waves in elastoplastic soils

Abstract The Prandtl-Reuss theory extended to consider a medium which is compressible in the plastic region is utilized to study waves in elastoplastic soils. The von Mises yield condition is applied with the yield stress a function of the pressure, which is typical of soils. An arbitrary pressure-density relationship with noncoincident loading and unloading paths is also allowed. The full nonlinear three-dimensional unsteady partial differential equations are analyzed by determining their characteristic or discontinuity surfaces. The characteristic analysis results in equations for the wave speed of infinitesimal disturbances in the medium as a function of the orientation of the wave normal vector, the stress, the shear modulus, the bulk modulus and the density. These equations have been coded for digital computer solution and automatic plotting of the three-dimensional normal wave speed diagrams and their corresponding wave surfaces or fronts. Results in the form of normal wave speed diagrams and wave surfaces reveal the nature of the anisotropic waves which are found in soils in the nonlinear elastic and plastic regimes. The variation of the waves with variation in the parameters is also found. Most of the phenomena of cusped wave surfaces and intersecting normal wave speed diagrams found in anisotropic elastic waves, magnetofluid dynamics and crystal optics are also observed in the present results. In addition, it is found that certain waves do not propagate (their wave speeds become imaginary) in directions normal to the axis of the principal deviatoric stress whose absolute value is maximum.