cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of the γ subunit and expression system on acetylcholine receptor gating

Abstract We have developed a partial kinetic theory for the gating of murine nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) expressed in Xenopus oocytes and have used this theory to characterize the role of the γ subunit in single-channel behavior. Permeation and gating were found to be largely unaffected in AChRs produced in oocytes when the γ subunit transcript was omitted from microinjections of AChR subunit RNAs. In contrast, marked changes in gating kinetics resulted when even very conservative single amino acid substitutions were introduced into the γ subunit, indicating that the γ subunit can have a large effect on AChR gating. We also found that channel openings were much prolonged when murine AChRs were expressed in oocytes compared with native AChRs expressed in BOW cells.
Stochastic electrodynamics. IV. Transitions in the perturbed harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system

In this fourth paper in a series on stochastic electrodynamics (SED), the harmonic oscillator-zero-point field system in the presence of an arbitrary applied classical radiation field is studied further. The exact closed-form expressions are found for the time-dependent probability that the oscillator is in the nth eigenstate of the unperturbed SED Hamiltonian H 0 , the same H 0 as that of ordinary quantum mechanics. It is shown that an eigenvalue of H 0 is the average energy that the oscillator would have if its wave function could be just the corresponding eigenstate. The level shift for each unperturbed eigenvalue is found and shown to be unobservable for a different reason than in the corresponding QED treatment. Perturbation theory is applied to the SED Schrodinger equation to derive first-order transition rates for spontaneous emission and resonance absorption. The results agree with those of quantum electrodynamics, but the mathematics is strikingly different. It is shown that SED demands discarding the ideas of quantized energies, photons, and completeness of the Schrodinger equation, Finally, an intuitive physical SED model is suggested for the photoeffect and for Clauser's (2) coincidence experiment.
CHANGES IN ANTIBODY PRODUCING CELLS IN THE SPLEEN DURING THE PRIMARY RESPONSE.

Abstract In rabbits given complete Freund's adjuvant or complete adjuvant and diphtheria toxoid there were two types of cells in the spleen which contained antibody and gamma globulin. Non-phagocytic mononuclear cells containing 19S γ 1M antibody and gamma globulin were associated with the appearance and level of circulating 19S γ 1M globulin antibody. Gamma globulin and 7S γ 2 antibody in the cytoplasm of the plasma cells were associated with the appearance and level of circulating 7S γ 2 globulin antibody. Changes in the basophilia and ultrastructure of the cytoplasm of these cells were consistent with increased protein synthesis. The mononuclear cell was present in the red pulp, and the development of the plasma cell occurred primarily in the non-follicular white pulp.
The history and market impact of CRISPR RNA-guided nucleases

The interface between viruses and their hosts’ are hot spots for biological and biotechnological innovation. Bacteria use restriction endonucleases to destroy invading DNA, and industry has exploited these enzymes for molecular cut-and-paste reactions that are central to many recombinant DNA technologies. Today, another class of nucleases central to adaptive immune systems that protect bacteria and archaea from invading viruses and plasmids are blazing a similar path from basic science to profound biomedical and industrial applications.
On correlation of absence time and search effectiveness

Online search evaluation metrics are typically derived based on implicit feedback from the users. For instance, computing the number of page clicks, number of queries, or dwell time on a search result. In a recent paper, Dupret and Lalmas introduced a new metric called absence time, which uses the time interval between successive sessions of users to measure their satisfaction with the system. They evaluated this metric on a version of Yahoo! Answers. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of absence time in evaluating new features in a web search engine, such as new ranking algorithm or a new user interface. We measured the variation of absence time to the effects of 21 experiments performed on a search engine. Our findings show that the outcomes of absence time agreed with the judgement of human experts performing a thorough analysis of a wide range of online and offline metrics in 14 out of these 21 cases. We also investigated the relationship between absence time and a set of commonly-used covariates (features) such as the number of queries and clicks in the session. Our results suggest that users are likely to return to the search engine sooner when their previous session has more queries and more clicks.
Historical comparisons reveal altered competitive interactions in a guild of crustose coralline algae

As the ocean environment changes over time, a paucity of long-term data sets and historical comparisons limits the exploration of community dynamics over time in natural systems. Here, we used a long-term experimental data set to present evidence for a reversal of competitive dominance within a group of crustose coralline algae (CCA) from the 1980s to present time in the northeast Pacific Ocean. CCA are cosmopolitan species distributed globally, and dominant space holders in intertidal and subtidal systems. Competition experiments showed a markedly lower competitive ability of the previous competitively dominant species and a decreased response of competitive dynamics to grazer presence. Competitive networks obtained from survey data showed concordance between the 1980s and 2013, yet also revealed reductions in interaction strengths across the assemblage. We discuss the potential role of environmental change, including ocean acidification, in altered ecological dynamics in this system.
Calibration of an optical condensate measurement technique using indirect static headspace gas chromatography.

Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering seek to obtain a means to measure less than 3 mg of H 2 O that adheres to a metal surface as condensate. The objective is to calibrate optical reflectance measurements of an aluminum surface as a function of the condensate thickness present. Collaboration with the Hazardous Substance Research Center at Michigan State University results in the development of an indirect static headspace gas chromatographic technique capable of measuring H 2 O in low-milligram quantities. The technique utilizes manual headspace sampling, a megabore capillary column, and a flame ionization detector. A correlation of r 2 = 0.999 is obtained for the calibration of the indirect measurement technique. The calibration of the analytical instrument demonstrates adequate precision (< ± 50 pg at a 95% confidence interval) for such a heterogeneous sample. The calibration samples consist of a strip of aluminum metal, H 2 O, and pulverized calcium carbide to convert the H 2 O to acetylene. A scaled calibration technique is used to simplify handling trace water volumes. The surface reflectance measurements are found to correlate well (r 2 = 0.935) with measurements of the condensate mass. This result facilitates the development of an optical mass transfer measurement technique. This study focuses on the analytical method and its relationship with engineering research.
Preoperative quality of life and surgical outcomes in gynecologic oncology patients: A new predictor of operative risk?

Objective Quality of life (QoL) for women with gynecologic malignancies is predictive of chemotherapy related toxicity and overall survival but has not been studied in relation to surgical outcomes and hospital readmissions. Our goal was to evaluate the association between baseline, pre-operative QoL measures and 30-day post-operative morbidity and health resource utilization by gynecologic oncology patients.
Parotid gland malignant melanomas.

Abstract Background.—Malignant melanomas are relatively unusual tumors in the parotid gland. The majority of previously reported cases appear to represent metastatic lesions, often from cutaneous head and neck primaries. Methods.—Retrospective clinicopathologic review of 12 cases of malignant melanoma involving the parotid gland encountered between 1980 and October 1999 at a tertiary referral center. Results.—Patients consisted of 9 men and 3 women ranging in age from 30 to 84 years (median, 66 years). Eleven of 12 patients presented with a neck mass or nodule. In 9 of 12 patients, a cutaneous or conjunctival primary was noted in the head region. In 2 patients, a cutaneous melanoma and the parotid gland melanoma were diagnosed at the same time. In 1 patient, melanoma was initially diagnosed in the parotid gland, and a definite primary was not uncovered. All patients underwent excision of the parotid melanoma, which was accompanied by a lymph node biopsy or dissection in 10 out of 11 patients. Four patient...
Properties of Radio-selected Broad Absorption Line Quasars from the First Bright Quasar Survey

In a spectroscopic follow-up to the VLA FIRST survey, the FIRST Bright Quasar Survey (FBQS) has found 29 radio-selected broad absorption line (BAL) quasars. This sample provides the first opportunity to study the properties of radio-selected BAL quasars. Contrary to most previous studies, we establish that a significant population of radio-loud BAL quasars exists. Radio-selected BAL quasars display compact radio morphologies and possess both steep and flat radio spectra. Quasars with low-ionization BALs have a color distribution redder than that of the FBQS sample as a whole. The frequency of BAL quasars in the FBQS is significantly greater, perhaps by as much as a factor of 2, than that inferred from optically selected samples. The frequency of BAL quasars appears to have a complex dependence on radio loudness. The properties of this sample appear to be inconsistent with simple unified models in which BAL quasars constitute a subset of quasars seen edge-on.
U.S. Tabloid Magazine Coverage of a Celebrity Dating Abuse Incident: Rihanna and Chris Brown

Dating abuse is a prevalent adolescent health problem with substantial public health consequences. As many as 1 in 10 high school students in the United States reports being "hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose" by his or her boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year. The authors used the Rihanna-Chris Brown dating abuse incident of 2009 as a case study to conduct what is, to our knowledge, the first assessment of media framing of dating abuse. The authors reviewed the 20 leading U.S. single-copy sales magazines published from February to April 2009 and identified 48 relevant articles, which were all printed in 7 tabloid magazines. The authors conducted a content analysis of the media frames of the articles using 5 frame categories: (a) abuse is objectionable, (b) victim-blaming, (c) abuse is sexualized/romanticized, (d) myths about abuse perpetration, and (e) abuse is normalized. Abuse is objectionable was the dominant frame of 40% of articles, victim-blaming in 36%. Although the majority of articles reviewed (83%) made at least passing reference to the idea that abuse is wrong, a minority (40%) used a dominant frame that condemned abuse. Instead, the majority of articles communicated mixed messages about dating abuse, and many minimized the seriousness of partner abuse perpetration. Advocacy is needed to improve future tabloid media framing of dating abuse incidents.
The Changing Structure Of The Pharmaceutical Industry

Rising research and development (R&D) expenditures by pharmaceutical companies are, in part, a consequence of changing industry structure, particularly the rise of the biotechnology sector. The creation of a market for biomedical science and increased vertical competition within the industry are likely to spur innovation and raise productivity, but they also could induce socially wasteful spending and weaken academic science. With innovation increasingly dependent on financially vulnerable firms and complex contractual arrangements, R&D investment might be becoming more sensitive to price controls or other cost containment measures.
Sleep Duration, Activity Levels, and Measures of Obesity in Adults.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep and activity as they relate to obesity measures of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in adults. Findings from recent studies have linked physical inactivity and short sleep with obesity. Design and Sample A total of 337 subjects were collected from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Measures The sample was evaluated to determine if a relationship existed between sleep duration, activity levels, and measures of obesity. Results Pearson r correlation revealed a significant positive relationship between WC and sedentary activity, r(318) = .168, p = .003. Analysis also showed a significant inverse association between sleep duration and WC, r(319) = −.113, p = .043. No statistical significance was found using BMI as the measure of obesity in relation to duration of sleep or activity level. Conclusions In support of recent literature, this study found duration of sleep and sedentary activity in adults may relate to the development of obesity as measured by WC.
ScreenCrayons: annotating anything

ScreenCrayons is a system for collecting annotations on any type of document or visual information from any application. The basis for the system is a screen capture upon which the user can highlight the relevant portions of the image. The user can define any number of topics for organizing notes. Each topic is associated with a highlighting "crayon." In addition the user can supply annotations in digital ink or text. Algorithms are described that summarize captured images based on the highlight strokes so as to provide overviews of many annotations as well as being able to "zoom in" on particular information about a given note and the context of that note.
The changing epidemiology of acquired drug-resistant tuberculosis in San Francisco, USA

Summary Background The increasing incidence of tuberculosis caused by drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis is thought in part to reflect inadequate implementation of standard tuberculosis control measures. However, in San Francisco, USA, which has an effective tuberculosis control programme, we have recently observed an increase in cases of acquired drug-resistance. Methods To explore further this observation, we analysed the secular trend of acquired drug-resistance and conducted a population-based case-control study of all reported tuberculosis cases in the city of San Francisco between 1985 and 1994. Findings We identified 14 patients with tuberculosis caused by fully susceptible M tuberculosis who subsequently developed drug-resistance. Of these acquired drug-resistance cases, two occurred between 1985 and 1989, whereas 12 occurred between 1990 and 1994 (p=0028). In the case-control study, AIDS (odds ratio 20·2, 95% CI 1·12–363·6), non-compliance with therapy (19·7, 1·66–234·4), and gastrointestinal symptoms (115, 1·23–107·0) were independently associated with acquired drug-resistance. Between 1990 and 1994, one in 16 tuberculosis patients with AIDS and either gastrointestinal symptoms or non-compliance developed acquired drug-resistance. Interpretation The substantial increase in acquired drug-resistance in San Francisco seems to be a product of the increasing prevalence of HIV/M tuberculosis coinfection. Our data suggest that the interface of the HIV and tuberculosis epidemics fosters acquired drug-resistance, and that traditional tuberculosis control measures may not be sufficient in communities with high rates of HIV infection.
NEW HETEROAROMATIC π -LIGANDS CONTAINING BORON

The heteroaromatic anions 2-(diisopropylamino)-1,2-thiaborolide(2a), 1-ethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-azaborolide(2b), and 2-(diisopropylamino)-1,2-oxaborolide(2c) have been prepared by a multi-step synthesis using the Grubbs ring-closing metathesis. Reactions of 2a, 2b, and 2c with Cp*ZrCl 3 afforded the corresponding Zr(IV) complexes 3.
Is 'self-to-self' bone graft ideal for bone fusion after craniovertebral stabilization?

C i A r t s t c j o k o r o g i c b q T he craniovertebral junction is the most stable and most mobile region of the spine. Attempts to immobilize the region and provide an opportunity for bone fusion necesarily entails firm fixation by instrumentation and provision of an nvironment most conducive to bone healing and fusion. Sucess of the operation is gauged by the quality of bone fusion. Any ype of metal fixation will be able to hold the region and provide tability for a maximum of a few weeks. Bone fusion that should ccur in the interim will subsequently hold the region and the etal implants. The stability provided by the implant should be so rm to provide for bone graft that is placed locally to get ncorporated into the region and fuse. Bone fusion is the ultimate im of surgery. The aim of the procedure of instrumented fixation s to provide a “zero” movement situation to allow the bone graft o fuse locally. Slightest movement in the region could lead to epeated breakage of the new callous that is in formation and ead to “pseudoarthrosis” formation. Screw fixation has remarkble superiority of avoiding movements compared with wire xation. The screw should be of optimum length and should have longest possible purchase in the bone. The facets of both atlas nd axis constitutes of firm and thick bone that is largely cortical. he facets of atlas and axis are larger in size and superior in uality of firmness of the bone when compared with all other acets of the spine. Bicortical purchase of the screw is superior to nicortical screw fixation.
When Actions Speak Louder than Words: Currency Management in Non-Financial Corporations

Using a unique data set with complete firm-level components of currency positions, we examine whether large multinational non-financial firms are speculating or hedging as they manage their currency spot and derivatives positions. We find a notable discord between the stated policies of companies and their actions. We also find that the transactions they undertake are associated with market shock variables. Overall, the evidence strongly suggests that these non-financial firms are speculating instead of hedging when they manage their currency spot and derivatives positions. Moreover, we find that even when they are hedging, they are still attempting to time the market.
The influence of substrate material on ascidian larval settlement

Submerged man-made structures present novel habitat for marine organisms and often host communities that differ from those on natural substrates. Although many factors are known to contribute to these differences, few studies have directly examined the influence of substrate material on organism settlement. We quantified larval substrate preferences of two species of ascidians, Ciona intestinalis (cryptogenic, formerly C. intestinalis type B) and Botrylloides violaceus (non-native), on commonly occurring natural (granite) and man-made (concrete, high-density polyethylene, PVC) marine materials in laboratory trials. Larvae exhibited species-specific settlement preferences, but generally settled more often than expected by chance on concrete and HDPE. Variation in settlement between materials may reflect preferences for rougher substrates, or may result from the influence of leached chemicals on ascidian settlement. These findings indicate that an experimental plate material can influence larval behavior and may help us understand how substrate features may contribute to differences in settlement in the field.
Multi-objective code-smells detection using good and bad design examples

Code-smells are identified, in general, by using a set of detection rules. These rules are manually defined to identify the key symptoms that characterize a code-smell using combinations of mainly quantitative (metrics), structural, and/or lexical information. We propose in this work to consider the problem of code-smell detection as a multi-objective problem where examples of code-smells and well-designed code are used to generate detection rules. To this end, we use multi-objective genetic programming (MOGP) to find the best combination of metrics that maximizes the detection of code-smell examples and minimizes the detection of well-designed code examples. We evaluated our proposal on seven large open-source systems and found that, on average, most of the different five code-smell types were detected with an average of 87 % of precision and 92 % of recall. Statistical analysis of our experiments over 51 runs shows that MOGP performed significantly better than state-of-the-art code-smell detectors.
Mapping of QTLs for Rice Lysine Content Using Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines

A total of 95 chromosome segment substitution lines(CSSLs) derived from 9311 and Nipponbare was used to detect quantitative trait loci(QTLs) controlling the lysine content of rice.The result showed that the lysine content of seven CSSLs differed from that of 9311.Totally four QTLs for the lysine content of rice were preliminary mapped on the chromosomes 8,9 and 12 by substitution mapping.Among these QTLs,qHLY8 and qHLY9.2 were both contributed by the indica variety 9311 with high lysine content with the positive effect percentage being 9.6% and 8.5%,respectively;while qHLY9.1and qHLY12 were derived from the japonica variety Nipponbare with low lysine content with the negative effect percentage of-16.0% and-21.3%,respectively.
Investigation And Analysis On Mental Health Status Of Middle School Students In Grade Seven In Bengbu City

Objective To understand the mental health status of middle school students in Bengbu,and provide evidence for developing the intervention measures of mental health education.Methods The symptom check list 90(SCL-90) were used to measure the students′ mental quality in grade seven of Bengbu municipal 31st middle school which the students′ mental quality was close to the city's average.There were 306 effective samples.Results The results of SCL-90 showed that the average score of students was 158.87±45.21.The total average score was 1.76±0.51,and the score of positive items was 39.20±1.73.Compared with national normal group,somatization,enforced,anxiety,depression,paranoia,interpersonal sensitivity,terror and psychotic 8 factor scores among the total score and nine factors score of SCL-90 were all higher in 306 students than in national normal group,and there were significant differences(P0.01).Hostile scores were also higher than norm,but the difference was not significant(P0.05).Conclusion Mental health status of middle school students in Bengbu city must be paid great importance,and we should take some appropriate intervention measures on mental health education for middle school students in Bengbu city,under the guidance of health promotion.
Monitoring and Analysis on HIV,HCV and Syphilis Infection among Drug Abusers in Methadone Maintenance Treatment Clinic of Ba'nan District in Chongqing City

[Objective]To monitor and analyze HIV,HCV and syphilis infection among drug abusers in Ba'nan district in Chongqing city,provide the basis foe making intervention measures.[Methods]The antibodies of HIV,HCV and syphilis were tested by ELISA.[Results]Among 207 drug abusers who were given methadone maintenance treatment,there were 9 HIV positive cases,185 HCV positive cases and 11 cases of syphilis infection.Among 9 HIV positive cases,there were 7 male patients and 2 female patients,6 cases were people aged 20~40 years and 3 cases were over 40 years old,8 cases were intravenous drug users and 1 case was oral users,4 cases had shared the same syringes and 5 cases had not shared the syringes.Among 185 HCV positive cases,there were 153 male patients and 32 female patients,149 cases were people aged 20~40 years and 40 cases were over 40 years old,184 cases were intravenous drug users and 1 case was oral users,52 cases had shared the same syringes and 133 cases had not shared the syringes.Among 11 cases of syphilis infection,there were 9 male patients and 2 female patients,6 cases were people aged 20~40 years and 5 cases were over 40 years old,6 cases were intravenous drug users and 5 cases was oral users,9 cases had shared the same syringes and 2 cases had not shared the syringes.[Conclusion]Among 207 drug abusers who were given methadone maintenance treatment,the male patients with HIV,HCV and syphilis infection were more the female patients.The positive rate of people aged 20~40 years was higher than that of people over 40 years old.The positive rate of intravenous drug users was higher than that of oral users.The positive rate of drug abusers who had shared the same syringes was higher than that of drug abusers who had not shared the syringes.
Pulse shape discrimination in helium-4 scintillation detectors

Abstract Three algorithms were investigated for discriminating between neutrons and gamma rays in a pressurized 4 He gas fast neutron detector: charge comparison, weighted integration, and neutron-gamma model analysis (NGMA). For each algorithm, a comprehensive pulse shape discrimination study was conducted using time-of-flight measurements, receiver operator characteristic curves, figure of merit performance measures, and a comparison of performance between 252 Cf and PuBe mixed neutron/gamma sources. The NGMA method was found to have the best overall performance by both the figure of merit and the receiver operator characteristic curve. The results also illustrated the high gamma rejection efficiency of these detectors, which is desirable in a variety of neutron monitoring applications.
A Theoretical Framework For Evaluating Mental Workload Resources in Human Systems Design for Manufacturing Operations

Abstract As the nature of manufacturing work is changing, requiring more cognitive demands, there is a need to develop system models for measuring and predicting human performance in repetitive task operations. This paper presents a theoretical framework, which provides a systematic approach for measuring mental workload using a combination of analytical and empirical techniques: human performance modeling with a computer simulation and mathematical modeling, along with physiological, subjective and performance measures. For this study, the Air Force MATB, which is a re-development of the NASA simulation tool, was used to model multitasking in a controlled environment to validate the theoretical framework. The independent variable of task complexity was measured, in the modeling of resource demands for a cleaning-inspection process and a final inspection process, using three dependent variables (subjective, physiological and performance measures) with a total of four responses (NASA-TLX, Workload Profile, fixation duration and human error probability). The results indicate no significant difference among the response variables for each task complexity level, indicating the model accurately represents the operator's workload. Additional analysis shows accurate predication from the model in analyzing workload peaks. Relevance to industry This theoretical framework is designed to evaluate operator mental workload utilization in the manufacturing domain. This is important because manufacturing work is changing by requiring more multitasking roles, which increases cognitive demand. Therefore, the industry needs models that can predict operator performance and mental workload for improved productivity.
Pharmacy and primary care perspectives on e-prescribing in a rural community: A focused ethnography.

Abstract Background Electronic prescribing (ERx) is the ability for prescriber to send a digital prescription directly to a pharmacist through a dedicated secure network. A number of federally funded incentives such as the health information technology for economic and clinical health (HITECH) and Meaningful Use standards have led to ERx implementation. ERx is an integral part of primary care practice and today most community pharmacies are enabled to accept e-prescriptions. Little is known about the experience of rural pharmacists, primary care providers and patients regarding e-prescribing. This paper reports on the results of ERx from their perspectives. The findings are a portion of a larger qualitative descriptive study focused on the meaning of Meaningful Use in remote rural communities. One remote rural community in the Pacific Northwest was used for this research endeavor. Objectives Explore understandings of e-prescribing from both pharmacist and primary care provider perspective. Explore patients' understandings and experiences of e-prescribing. Methods The conceptual model for this research was the Ecological Transactional Model. This model informed the research design, interview questions and analysis. A qualitative descriptive methodology – focused ethnography was used for this study. Six key informant interviews, 14 patient interviews and 15 hours of participant observation provided the data. Data analysis occurred collectively between a social pharmacy researcher, a primary care nurse practitioner–researcher and pharmacy graduate students. The research qualitatively identified contextual understandings and dimensions of ERx in this setting. Results Based on a focused ethnographic methodology, contextual understandings of rurality and role identity, both pharmacist and primary care provider, were explored. Perspectives on ERx of patients, clinic manager and RN staff were also elicited. Three dimensions of ERx were identified – technological, structural and communication. Discussion The structural, technological and communication dimensions are essential in understanding e-prescribing across settings and addressing digital divides in our health care system. Implications for interprofessional pharmacy education were addressed. Understanding the rural context and the need for role adaptability has implications for health care policy. Additional research is needed on the role of the rural pharmacist and how best to interact with primary care providers and patients.
Anticoagulation manager: Development of a clinical decision support mobile application for management of anticoagulants

Patients with certain clotting disorders or conditions have a greater risk of developing arterial or venous clots and downstream embolisms, strokes, and arterial insufficiency. These patients need prescription anticoagulant drugs to reduce the possibility of clot formation. However, historically, the clinical decision making workflow in determining the correct type and dosage of anticoagulant(s) is part science and part art. To address this problem, we developed Anticoagulation Manager, an intelligent clinical decision workflow management system on iOS-based mobile devices to help clinicians effectively choose the most appropriate and helpful follow-up clotting tests for patients with a common clotting profile. The app can provide physicians guidance to prescribe the most appropriate medication for patients in need of anticoagulant drugs. This intelligent app was jointly designed and developed by medical professionals in CDC and engineers at Georgia Tech, and will be evaluated by physicians for ease-of-use, robustness, flexibility, and scalability. Eventually, it will be deployed and shared in both physician community and developer community.
FBG inscription in multimode microfiber via point-by-point radiation with femtosecond laser

Fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in the center of multimode microfibers (MM-MF) with 10μm diameter were successfully inscribed with point-by-point method and their reflection spectra show peaks over 10dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and less than 0.5nm bandwidth. FBGs on regular size multimode fiber (~60μm core size) shows nearly continuous reflection spectrum. However, when the diameter of the multimode fiber is reduced to ~10μm, its modal volume significantly decreases so that the remaining optical modes are separated by larger propagation constant difference, resulting distinguishable sharp peaks on FBG reflection spectrum. Therefore, MM-MF based FBGs could be practical sensors for simultaneous multi-parameters with outstanding sensitivity and accuracy.
Abstract 310: Deoxycorticosterone Acetate (doca)-salt Exacerbates Hypertension and Vascular Dysfunction in Mice Expressing Dominant Negative Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma (pparg) in Smooth Muscle

PPARG, a ligand-activated transcription factor plays a critical role in the regulation of blood pressure and vascular function. We hypothesized that smooth muscle cell (SMC) PPARG protects against hypertension (HT) and resistance vessel dysfunction. Transgenic mice expressing dominant negative PPARG (S-P467L) in SMC or non-transgenic controls (NT) were implanted with DOCA pellet and allowed ad libitum access to 0.15 M NaCl for 21 days in addition to regular chow and water. Blood pressure was monitored by telemetry and mesenteric arterial (MA) function was assessed by pressurized myograph. At baseline, 24-hour mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar between NT and S-P467L mice, while the transgenic mice were tachycardic. DOCA-salt increased MAP to a much greater degree in S-P467L mice (Δ MAP; S-P467L: +34.2±6.0, NT: +13.3±5.7, p<0.05 vs NT). Heart rate was similarly decreased in both groups after DOCA-salt. Vasoconstriction to KCl, phenylephrine and endothelin-1 did not differ in MA from DOCA-salt treated NT and S-P467L, while the response to vasopressin was significantly reduced in S-P467L after DOCA-salt (% constriction at 10-8 M, S-P467L: 31.6±5.6, NT: 46.7±3.8, p<0.05 vs NT). Urinary copeptin, a surrogate marker for arginine vasopressin was similar in both groups regardless of treatment. Vasorelaxation to acetylcholine was slightly impaired in S-P467L MA compared to NT at baseline whereas this effect was further exaggerated after DOCA-salt (% relaxation at 10-5 M, S-P467L: 56.1±8.3, NT: 79.4±5.6, p<0.05 vs NT). Vascular morphology at luminal pressure of 75 mmHg showed a significant increase in wall thickness (S-P467L: 18.7±0.8, NT: 16.0±0.4, p<0.05 vs NT) and % media/lumen (S-P467L: 8.4±0.3, NT: 7.1±0.2, p<0.05 vs NT) in S-P467L MA after DOCA-salt. Expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-4 and regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS)-5 transcript were 2- and 3.5-fold increased, respectively, in MA of NT with DOCA-salt compared to NT baseline. However, this induction was markedly blunted in S-P467L MA. We conclude that interference with PPARG function in SMC leads to altered gene expression crucial for normal vascular homeostasis, thereby sensitizing the mice to the effects of DOCA-salt induced HT and vascular dysfunction.
A Study on Satisfaction of Performance Appraisal of Employee With Reference to Microfit Industries Pvt Ltd

Performance Appraisal (PA) has increasingly become part of a more strategic approach to integrating HR activities and business policies and may now be seen as a standard term covering a variety of activities through which organizations seek to assess employees and develop their competence, improve performance and share out rewards. The success of an organization depends on the performance of the employees and it is the human tendency to judge everything and everyone around them. If there are no fixed standards of judging they will start judging based on informal standards that can create lack of enthusiasm and impact the performance of the employee and in turn, the organization. This paper is satisfaction of performance appraisal of employee with reference to MICROFIT INDUSTRIES PVT LTD.
Critical Reflective Teaching Practice for Novice Nurse Educators

Abstract The transition from clinical practice to a role of a novice academic nurse educator can be a challenge and potentially traumatic. A paucity of research can be found that supports the use of critical reflection to support this transition. This article presents a protocol based on Kim's Model of Critical Reflective Practice (Kim, 1999), as a means to support this role transition.
Causes and evolutionary consequences of primordial germ-cell specification mode in metazoans.

Abstract In animals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to the germ lines, the cell lineages that produce sperm and eggs. PGCs form in embryogenesis, typically by one of two modes: a likely ancestral mode wherein germ cells are induced during embryogenesis by cell–cell signaling (induction) or a derived mechanism whereby germ cells are specified by using germ plasm—that is, maternally specified germ-line determinants (inheritance). The causes of the shift to germ plasm for PGC specification in some animal clades remain largely unknown, but its repeated convergent evolution raises the question of whether it may result from or confer an innate selective advantage. It has been hypothesized that the acquisition of germ plasm confers enhanced evolvability, resulting from the release of selective constraint on somatic gene networks in embryogenesis, thus leading to acceleration of an organism’s protein-sequence evolution, particularly for genes expressed at early developmental stages, and resulting in high speciation rates in germ plasm-containing lineages (denoted herein as the “PGC-specification hypothesis”). Although that hypothesis, if supported, could have major implications for animal evolution, our recent large-scale coding-sequence analyses from vertebrates and invertebrates provided important examples of genera that do not support the hypothesis of liberated constraint under germ plasm. Here, we consider reasons why germ plasm might be neither a direct target of selection nor causally linked to accelerated animal evolution. We explore alternate scenarios that could explain the repeated evolution of germ plasm and propose potential consequences of the inheritance and induction modes to animal evolutionary biology.
Natalizumab-Associated Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma.

Objective Natalizumab, a selective adhesion molecule inhibitor binding to an α-4 subunit of integrin, has emerged to be an effective immunomodulator, especially in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and Crohn disease. Recent reports documenting the development of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) as a result of its administration have been concerning, and they trigger a debate about a possible causal association. In our report, we provide a comprehensive review of the literature on lymphoma development after natalizumab use, and we report an additional case of PCNSL development in a young woman who received natalizumab for her Crohn disease. Methods A systematic (qualitative) review of literature on lymphoma development after natalizumab therapy was performed by use of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data on patient characteristics, indication for drug therapy, dosages, radiologic findings, potential risk factors for PCNSL, and tumor markers were synthesized. Additionally, we present the findings from the case of a young woman who received natalizumab therapy (4 doses, 300 mg each) for Crohn disease and in whom PCNSL developed. Results Overall, 8 reports including our index case document lymphoma development after natalizumab use. Our case finding revisits the debate suggesting a remote possibility of association that warrants further evaluation and validation. Conclusions Evidence documenting a causal association of natalizumab and PCNSL is weak. Considering the potential benefits of using natalizumab for current indications, we recommend vigilant monitoring of patients receiving the drug for PCNSL outlook.
Shrinking Smart: U.S. Population Decline and Footloose Human Capital

This chapter posits that a telling sign of urban vitality is the extent to which cities possess human capital and suggests that this indicator could be particularly illuminating within the context of evaluating the shrinking city phenomenon in the United States. In the U.S. and elsewhere, a primary marker of city dynamism has tended to be overall population growth. However, population change statistics mask underlying shifts in population composition that may, in many ways, be more important to a city’s wellbeing than total numerical increases. Borrowing the concept of “smart shrinkage” from the planning literature, this chapter argues that one potential indicator of “smart” decline could be the renewed or persistent attraction of these locations for the college educated. Thus, this chapter explores the extent to which declining cities in the United States—those experiencing shrinking populations—are also associated with a decline in stocks of human capital. Two main questions are addressed. First, are there exceptions to the expected association between decline and net decrease of the college educated and, if so, are there generalizations that can be made about these sorts of locations? Second, and alternatively, what can be said about growing places that are losing these individuals?
Working With Transgender Individuals in Case Management Practice.

Purpose and objectives To understand key concepts, effective communication strategies, and a broad range of health and human services for transgender persons in order to enhance the effectiveness of case management services. Primary practice settings Individuals who identify as transgender or gender variant. Findings/conclusions Transgender persons have faced historic challenges in accessing health care services that are respectful, sensitive, and affirming. Case managers have the opportunity to serve as an advocate for these individuals by understanding effective communication strategies as well as medical, behavioral, and social services to support transgender persons through the transition process. Implications for case management practice To be effective with transgender persons, case managers need to know key terms and communications strategies, medical treatment options, behavioral health issues that need to be evaluated and addressed, and social services available to transgender persons.
Abstract P124: Role of Add3 Dysfunction in Renal Epithelial Cells in the Development of Renal Injury in Fhh Rats

The Fawn Hooded Hypertensive Rat (FHH) is a genetic model of hypertension, in which Add3 has been identified as a candidate gene for renal injury but the mechanism is unknown. The present study examined the effects of knockdown of Add3 on rat renal epithelial (NRK) cells which are the model system for podocytes and proximal tubular cells. Knockdown of the expression of Add3 using a 27-mer Dicer-substrate RNAi (DsiRNA) decreased cell viability using an MTS assay by 50% in comparison to cells treated with vehicle or scrambled DSiRNA (Add3DsiRNA, OD 0.5±0.1; untreated cells 0.9±0.1; NC-1 0.9±0.1; n=8, P
A Narrative Approach to Healing Chronic Illness

Many clinicians may feel poorly prepared to manage patient suffering resulting from the travails of chronic illness. This essay explores the thesis that chronically and terminally ill patients can be holistically healed by transcending the suffering occasioned by the degradations of their illnesses. Suffering is conveyed as a story and clinicians can encourage healing by co-constructing patients' illness stories. By addressing the inevitable existential conflicts uncovered in patients' narratives and helping them edit their stories to promote acceptance and meaning, suffering can be transcended. This requires that clinicians be skilled in narrative medicine and open to engaging the patient's existential concerns. By helping patients transcend their suffering, clinicians claim their heritage as healers.
Notes on female and worker survivorship in the archaic ant genus myrmecia

Female and worker survivorship records are presented for several species of the archaic ant genusMyrmecia and are compared with some unpublished data of the authors for three genera of Ponerines and with values in the literature for certain higher ants. The evidence seems good that, even at the primitive grade of social development ofMyrmecia, survivorship capacities of fertilized brood females are comparable with those of many higher ants. The Ponerine, Formicine, and Myrmicine species with which comparisons are made are all, with the exceptions ofMonomorium pharaonis andMyrmica sabuleti, primarily monogynous and with possible minor exceptions found their colonies haplometrically. This is also true of the species ofMyrmecia considered, but colony-founding females ofMyrmecia and of the Ponerine species addressed typically establish their colonies partially rather than entirely claustrally. These survivorship patterns are in strong contrast to those recorded in the literature for both queens and workers of the highly opportunistic advanced Myrmicine speciesMonomorium pharaonis. The very short life-spans for queens and workers of this species, apparently adaptive to its peculiar and highly evolved life style, indicated, interestingly, a queen/worker survivorship ratio generally similar to that ofMyrmecia. Evidently the relatively long survivorship ofMyrmecia is consonant with that in many more advanced ants, but contrasts sharply with the very limited life-length characteristic ofMonomorium females and workers. It would be interesting to investigate this situation in other ants of life-style generally similar to that ofM. pharaonis.
An Investigation of the Impact Publicly Available Accounting Data, Other Publicly Available Information and Management Guidance on Analysts’ Forecasts

There have been a number of studies that indicate that analysts recommendations are superior to other forecasts, such as those by time-series models, and add economic benefit, adjusted for transaction costs, to clients who first receive and then use analysts’ forecasts. There is also academic literature documenting the use of accounting information in valuing firms by analysts and others, the use of financial information from other sources than the firm itself by analysts, the impact of management guidance on decisions made by analysts, and the concept of herd behavior among analysts. The majority of studies about analysts have used sell-side analyst data to reach their findings. However, there has been little research involving buy-side analysts, analysts who are employed by institutional investors to provide stock purchase recommendations to their employers for internal investment decision making purposes. The research there has studied investments by institutional investors, many of which employ buy-side analysts. The purpose of this study is to add to the literature by investigating what information buy-side analysts use in arriving at their stock investment recommendations. This study also investigates whether or not buy-side analysts are predominantly influenced by the information they receive from publicly available accounting data, other available public information, other analysts or management guidance. The data for this investigation is being obtained from a survey of buy-side analysts. A list of 130 analysts was prepared and asked to take the survey. The use of a survey to gather the data was consistent with the use in prior studies. The PLS approach to structural equation analysis was used to assess the measurement model because it can be used for theory confirmation and suggest possible relationships, and because it is more suitable for prediction since it assumes that all measured variance can be explained in a study. The SEM-based method has been described as a coupling of two traditions: an econometric perspective focusing on prediction and a psychometric emphasis that models concepts as latent (unobserved)variables that are indirectly inferred from multiple observed measures (alternately termed as indicators or manifest variables). This method allows for the performance of path analytic modeling and has been referred to as a second generation of multivariate analysis. The results of this study further the academic literature concerning analysts by investigating what information buy-side analysts use to arrive at their overall stock investment recommendations and by the use of the PLS approach.