cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential impact of climatic warming on Arctic vegetation

Summary Plants from high latitudes possess a number of positive adaptations to short growing seasons and low temperatures which are so precisely adapted to microhabitat in terms of morphology, metabolism, and phenology that any significant change in climate is likely to alter the relative efficiency of species in capturing resources and consequently in surviving from one season to the next. It is probable that changes in potential productivity will not take place equally in all species and therefore the competitive relationships in arctic communities are likely to alter as a consequence of climatic warming. Examination of areas where climatic warming has been evident for over 70 years, as in Spitsbergen, is already providing evidence that a rise in winter temperatures is causing changes in ecotype frequencies within species. The impact of temperature on species distribution has therefore to be considered, not just in terms of migration, but through an understanding of population processes and how they will be affected by temperature-induced physiological changes. In view of the polymorphic nature of most plant species, this aspect of response to change is fundamental to understanding how vegetation will alter as a result of climatic warming. This paper reviews some particular characteristics of Arctic plants that may become maladaptive should there be a significant increase in arctic temperatures and suggests some probable consequences for their future ecology.
Getting oriented with antibodies

Neisseria meningitidis is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of causing deadly invasive disease. Two recently developed vaccines against N. meningitidis serogroup B include recombinant factor H binding protein (fHbp), a surface protein that meningococci use to evade the host immune system. Many anti-fHbp monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) produced against fHbp fail to trigger complement-mediated bacteriolysis when used alone in vitro , but are highly synergistic and bactericidal when used in combination. This opened the door to defining the structural basis by which mAbs activate complement synergistically when binding to different epitopes on the same antigen, a story that is told by Malito et al. in a recent issue of the Biochemical Journal. Using two separate crystal structures of fHbp bound to Fabs from synergistic mAbs, they were able to model the structure of both full length antibodies bound simultaneously to fHbp. This revealed that the bound antibodies orient their Fc domains 115–130 A apart, a distance that is compatible with multivalent C1q binding. The need for a precise orientation of Fc domains in order to efficiently activate effector functions is an emerging theme across multiple fields, and its implications could have broad impacts on vaccinology and immunotherapy.
The Child Witness in the Courtroom

Beginning in the 1980s, children have increasingly served as witnesses in the criminal, civil, and family courts; currently, >100 000 children appear in court each year. This statement updates the 1992 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement “The Child as a Witness” and the subsequent 1999 “The Child in Court: A Subject Review.” It also builds on existing AAP policy on adverse life events affecting children and resources developed to understand and address childhood trauma. The purpose of this policy statement is to provide background information on some of the legal issues involving children testifying in court, including the accuracy and psychological impact of child testimony; to provide suggestions for how pediatricians can support patients who will testify in court; and to make recommendations for policy improvements to minimize the adverse psychological consequences for child witnesses. These recommendations are, for the most part, based on studies on the psychological and physiologic consequences of children witnessing and experiencing violence, as well as appearing in court, that have emerged since the previous AAP publications on the subject. The goal is to reduce the secondary traumatization of and long-term consequences for children providing testimony about violence they have experienced or witnessed. This statement primarily addresses children appearing in court as victims of physical or sexual abuse or as witnesses of violent acts; most of the scientific literature addresses these specific situations. It may apply, in certain situations, to children required to provide testimony in custody disputes, child welfare proceedings, or immigration court. It does not address children appearing in court as offenders or as part of juvenile justice proceedings.
Thermal conductivity of self-ion irradiated nanocrystalline zirconium thin films

Abstract Thermomechanical stability and high thermal conductivity are important for nuclear cladding material performance and reliability, which degrade over time under irradiation. The literature suggests nanocrystalline materials as radiation tolerant, but little or no evidence is present from thermal transport perspective. In this study, we irradiated 10 nm grain size zirconium thin films with 800 keV Zr + beam from a 6 MV HVE Tandem accelerator to achieve various doses of 3 × 10 10 to 3.26 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 , corresponding to displacement per atom (dpa) of 2.1 × 10 − 4 to 2.28. Transmission electron microscopy showed significant grain growth, texture evolution and oxidation in addition to the creation of displacement defects due to the irradiation. The specimens were co-fabricated with micro-heaters to establish thermal gradients that were mapped using infrared thermometry. An energy balance approach was used to estimate the thermal conductivity of the specimens, as function of irradiation dosage. Up to 32% reduction of thermal conductivity was measured for the sample exposed to a dose of 2.1 dpa (3 × 10 14 ions/cm 2 ).
MECHANISMS OF DNA-MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION IN ANIMAL CELLS

ABSTRACT Certain cultured cell lines can readily be transformed by exogenous DNA when given as a calcium phosphate coprecipitate. Although stable transformants, detected by biochemical selection, can arise from exposure of 10 6 cells to as little as 10 pg of a purified gene such efficient gene transfer requires the use of vast excesses of carrier DNA. Cells which incorporate a selectable marker, such as thymidine kinase, are also likely to be cotransformed with significant amounts of carrier DNA. By adding well defined DNA sequences to the carrier it is possible to construct cell lines containing virtually any defined DNA sequence. Genetic and biochemical data indicate that selectable markers and carrier DNA become covalently linked in the transformed cell.
Extracting a time-varying climate-driven growth index from otoliths for use in stock assessment models

Abstract Understanding the characteristics of individual growth is a critical component of population assessment. Most fisheries stock assessments assume constant values for each life history parameter, despite growing evidence that growth is variable at individual, temporal, and spatial scales. Otoliths contain important information pertaining to age and growth, among other things, and otolith increment data correlate with climate indices on a decadal scale. We expand on this concept to include individual- and year-level variation, and develop a nonlinear mixed-effects model to analyze otolith increment data. We then fit the model to otolith increment data for splitnose rockfish, and simulation-test the ability to precisely estimate year effects without bias. Generally, given a sample size of at least 50 otoliths, the model performs well at estimating year effects. With this method, species-specific indices of growth can be extracted from otolith increment data, and potentially be used in stock assessments to detect the effects of climate change on fish growth.
CT in the Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Imaging has accelerated mechanistic understanding and its translation to therapy more in the management of heart rhythm disorders arguably than in any other field. State-of-the-art imaging modalities provide hitherto unavailable patient-specific information on geometrical structure, tissue properties, and function of both atria and ventricles. By enabling direct and subject-specific visualization of structure and function before and after clinical and experimental interventions, imaging has made cardiac anatomy a central pillar of modern electrophysiology.
Nano-Pulse Stimulation for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer and the Changes in Immune Profile

A Pancreatic cancer is a notorious malignant neoplasm with an extremely poor prognosis. Current standard of care is rarely effective against late-stage pancreatic cancer. In this study, we assessed nanopulse stimulation (NPS) as a local treatment for pancreatic cancer in a syngeneic mouse Pan02 pancreatic cancer model and characterized corresponding changes in the immune profile. A single NPS treatment either achieved complete tumor regression or prolonged overall survival in animals with partial tumor regression. While this is very encouraging, we also explored if this local ablation effect could also result in immune stimulation, as was observed when NPS led to the induction of immune-mediated protection from a second tumor challenge in orthotopic mouse breast and rat liver cancer models. In the Pan02 model, there were insufficient abscopal effects (1/10) and vaccine-like protective effects (1/15) suggesting that NPS-induced immune mechanisms in this model were limited. To evaluate this further, the immune landscape was analyzed. The numbers of both T regulatory cells (Tregs) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in blood were significantly reduced, but memory (CD44+) T-cells were absent. Furthermore, the numbers of Tregs and MDSCs did not reduce in spleens compared to tumor-bearing mice. Very few T-cells, but large numbers of MDSCs were present in the NPS treated tumor microenvironment (TME). The number of dendritic cells in the TME was increased and multiple activation markers were upregulated following NPS treatment. Overall, NPS treatments used here are effective for pancreatic tumor ablation, but require further optimization for induction of immunity or the need to include effective combinational NPS therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.
Variables in the correct subclassification of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

e17561 Background: Targeting specific cancer growth pathways has become standard in treating NSCLC. Distinguishing subclasses of NSCLC is therefore increasingly important. However, 20–30% of cases ...
Women’s Forums on the Dark Web

With the recent advent of Web 2.0, more and more women participate in and exchange opinions through community-based social media on the Internet. Questions concerning gender differences in the context of online communication have been raised. In this study, we develop a feature-based text classification framework to examine the online gender differences between female and male posters on web forums by analyzing writing styles and topics of interests. We examine the performance of different feature sets in an experiment involving political opinions. The results of our experimental study on this Islamic women’s political forum show that the feature sets containing both content-free and content-specific features perform significantly better than those consisting of only content-free features. In addition, feature subset selection can improve the classification results significantly. Female and male participants were found to have significantly different topics of interest in our study.
Threshold Analysis of AIDS Outreach and Intervention

One of the most important public health policy issues is how best to prevent the further spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The federal government spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on prevention programs and more than $1.5 billion on medical care and on research. In 1993 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spent $358.6 million on extramural HIV prevention activities and an additional $139.5 million on intramural HIV prevention activities.1 In addition, state and local governments also fund prevention programs.
Enhancing vowel discrimination using constructed spelling.

In a computerized task, an adult with intellectual disabilities learned to construct consonant-vowelconsonant words in the presence of corresponding spoken words. During the initial assessment, the participant demonstrated high accuracy on one word group (containing the vowel-consonant units it and un) but low accuracy on the other group (containing the units ag and ed). Errors occurred almost exclusively in the vowel position. Training the group with low accuracy increased accuracy on the trained word group but decreased the accuracy on the untrained, but initially accurate, group. High accuracy on both groups together occurred only after added training in which all five vowels (a, e, i, u, and o) were taught together in words that differed only in the vowel. These findings indicate the importance of carefully arranging examples and nonexamples to sharpen stimulus control. The findings also illustrate a promising step in the development of effective instructional programming for remediation of medial-vowel errors, which can be a source of difficulty in early reading instruction.
Inferring clonal composition from multiple sections of a breast cancer.

11077 Background: Cancers arise from successive rounds of mutation and selection, generating clonal populations that vary in size, mutational content and drug responsiveness. Ascertaining the clona...
Behavioral therapy for urinary symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A randomized clinical trial.

Aim Determine the efficacy of behavioral therapy for urinary symptoms in Parkinson's disease. Methods Randomized trial of behavioral therapy compared with control condition among adults (aged 54-85 years, 74% male, 10% Black/ 83% White) with Parkinson's and greater than or equal to 4 incontinence episodes weekly. Behavioral therapy included pelvic floor muscle exercises, bladder training, fluid and constipation management. Both groups completed bladder diary self-monitoring. Outcomes included diary-derived incontinence and ICIQ-overactive bladder (OAB) score (range, 0-16) with bother and quality of life questionnaires (higher scores = worse outcomes). Results Fifty-three participants randomized and 47 reported 8-week outcomes including 26 behavioral therapy and 21 control. Behavioral vs control participants were similar with respect to age (71.0 ± 6.1 vs 69.7 ± 8.2 years), sex (70% vs 78% male), motor score, cognition, mean weekly incontinence episodes (13.9 ± 9.6 vs 15.1 ± 11.1) and OAB symptoms (8.9 ± 2.4 vs 8.3 ± 2.2). Weekly incontinence reduction was similar between behavioral (-6.2 ± 8.7) and control participants (-6.5 ± 13.8) (P = 0.89). After multiple imputation analysis, behavioral therapy participants reported statistically similar reduction in OAB symptoms compared to control (-3.1 ± 2.8 vs -1.9 ± 2.2, P = 0.19); however quality of life (-22.6 ± 19.1 vs -7.0 ± 18.4, P = 0.048) and bother (-12.6 ± 17.2 vs - 6.7 ± 8.8, P = 0.037) improved significantly more with behavioral therapy. Conclusion Self-monitoring resulted in fewer urinary symptoms; however, only multicomponent behavioral therapy was associated with reduced bother and improved quality of life. Providers should consider behavioral therapy as initial treatment for urinary symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
Chiari Malformation: Posterior Fossa Decompression With or Without Duraplasty?

Introduction: Posterior fossa decompression (PFD) is the treatment of choice for symptomatic Chiari I malformation (CIM) patients; however, controversy exists regarding specific surgical techniques needed to accomplish this goal. While a variety of methods have been described, an ongoing central debate exists regarding the need for duraplasty (PFDD) in addition to bony posterior fossa decompression for CIM.Materials and Methods: We performed a systematic review, including articles from 2000 to 2018, following the PRISMA statement, to study outcomes of CIM patients who underwent PFD with or without duraplasty. Information on demographic data, the type of procedure, study design, the presence of a syrinx, follow-up duration, and various clinical outcomes were collected. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess outcomes, such as clinical improvement, syringomyelia resolution, complications and reoperation rate.Results: Nine studies (including 212 and 315 patients undergoing PFD and PFDD, respectively) were included in the meta-analysis. Regarding clinical outcomes, PFDD showed higher clinical and syrinx improvement rates compared to PFD (p>0.05, <0.05, respectively). PFDD yielded a higher complication rate than PFD (p<0.05), particularly in CSF fistula and aseptic meningitis (p<0.05). No differences were found in wound infection and pseudomeningocele rates. PFD showed a higher reoperation rate compared to PFDD (p<0.05). In PFD, reoperations were related to a lack of resolution of clinical symptoms and syringomyelia, while in PFDD, were due to persistence of symptoms, or repair of a CSF fistula.Conclusions: We found no significant difference in outcome with respect to postoperative clinical improvement, rate of wound infection, or pseudomeningocele occurrence between PFD and PFDD. Although the clinical response was similar between the groups, the rate of syrinx regression was higher in patients undergoing PFDD compared to PFD. And while the reoperation rate was higher in the PFD subgroup, complications as a whole were more frequent in patients undergoing PFDD.
Use of the Stationary Wavelet Transform to Characterize Transient Events in DC Power Distribution Systems

In real-time load monitoring systems, load transient behavior is often used to detect and classify load shifts in the plant. For this application, the wavelet transform allows for both time and frequency localization information to address the shortcomings of the Fourier transform in transient analysis. This paper uses a shift invariant form of the discrete wavelet transform, the stationary wavelet transform, to detect transient events on a simulated DC power system. The wavelet modulus maxima of the transformed signal are then used to distinguish between a previously characterized load transient and a faulty injected signal. The method is verified using simulation of a DC power system with a pulsed load and with the starting transient of a brushless DC motor to a commanded speed.
Why I Must Teach

This short article describes the benefits to a law school dean – despite the heavy decanal administrative load – of continuing to teach. The article is based on my own experiences as a dean who continued to teach classes.
Mono-N-benzyl cyclen: A highly selective, multi-functional “turn-on” fluorescence sensor for Pb2+, Hg2+ and Zn2+

Abstract Metal complexing and fluorescence properties of MB-cyclen (1-phenylmethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) and its complexes with metal ions in 50% CH3OH/H2O are described. The crystallographic structures of the complexes [(Zn(MB-cyclen))2OH](ClO4)3(2·13H2O), [Ag(MB-cyclen)(ClO4)], [Pb(MB-cyclen)(ClO4)2], [Hg(MB-cyclen)(ClO4)2], [Cu(MB-cyclen)(ClO4)2], and [Ni(MB-cyclen)(ClO4)2] are reported. The normal fluorescence peak of the benzyl group was observed at 289 nm and only the ZnII ion showed a strong CHEF (chelation enhanced fluorescence) effect for the 289 nm peak, which is in line with its lower position in the well-known order of ability to form fluorescence quenching π contacts: ZnII ≪ CdII
Abstract P407: Association of Obesity at Baseline and Change Over Time With 6 Minute Walk Distance: The Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Introduction: The 6 minute walk distance (6MWD) may be an indicator of frailty and is strongly associated with risk of mortality. Obesity is increasingly shown to be associated with decreased physi...
Epidemiology and Socioeconomic Impact of CNS Metastases

Brain metastases are the most common tumor of the central nervous system with an overall incidence ranging from 8% to 26%. The most common malignancies to metastasize to the brain are lung, breast, melanoma, renal, and colorectal carcinoma. However, brain metastases are frequently underreported, and recent epidemiologic studies suggest that the true incidence is increasing due to longer patient survival and more sensitive imaging techniques. As advances in life-prolonging treatments with variable blood-brain barrier penetration achieve better control of extracranial disease, the brain has become a common site of late recurrence. Following the diagnosis of brain metastases, patients often experience a significant decline in quality of life and require a substantial increase in health care expenditure. Further epidemiologic studies are needed to better understand the burden of metastatic disease as treatments continue to evolve.
Endoscopy treatment on gastrointestinal tract foreign body in children

As a common disease in pediatric outpatient and emergency departments, foreign bodies in digestive tract of children can occur in all ages.Foreign bodies in digestive tract is swallowed accidently or deliberately, which can neither be digested nor be absorbed in gastrointestinal tract.Early and timely diagnosis of foreign bodies in digestive tract which failed to pass spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract or caused gastrointestinal tissue damage should be fully assessed and perfect auxiliary examination.Emergency endoscopic treatment with high success rate, less complications and quick recovery of organ function has become the best treatment for foreign bodies in digestive tract and is worth for extensive application in the clinic. Key words: Children; Foreign body; Endoscopy
Interfacial dilatational rheology as a bridge to connect amphiphilic heterografted bottlebrush copolymer architecture to emulsifying efficiency.

Abstract Hypothesis Molecular architecture and composition of amphiphilic bottlebrush copolymers will dictate the dominant interfacial relaxation modes and the corresponding dilatational rheology for adsorbed layers at oil/water interfaces in a way that will correlate with the emulsifying efficiency of different bottlebrush copolymers. Experiments Amphiphilic, xylene-soluble poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PEO-PBA) heterografted bottlebrush copolymers with controlled differences in backbone length, hydrophilicity and arm length were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Dilatational rheology of adsorbed layers at the xylene/water interface was probed via pendant drop tensiometry by measuring the interfacial stress response to either large-amplitude strain cycling or small-amplitude strain oscillation. The rheological response was recorded as a function of interfacial pressure for adsorbed layers under different compression states. Emulsifying efficiency was determined as the lowest copolymer concentration that yielded water-in-xylene emulsions with at least one-month stability against coalescence. Findings The more hydrophilic copolymers with longer PEO arms exhibited non-hysteretic stress-strain response curves in large-amplitude strain cycling and a tendency for the modulus to increase with increasing interfacial pressure. These were more efficient emulsifiers than less hydrophilic copolymers that exhibited hysteretic interfacial rheology. Mere existence of significant moduli did not correlate with high emulsifying efficiency, while an increase in modulus with increasing interfacial pressure did so.
Osteocytes and Bone Metastasis

Bone is the most frequent site of breast cancer and prostate cancer metastasis, and one of the most common sites of metastasis for many solid tumors. Once cancer cells colonize in the bone, it imposes a major clinical challenge for the treatment of the disease, and fatality rates increase drastically. Bone, the largest organ in the body, provides a fertile microenvironment enriched with nutrients, growth factors and hormones, a generous reward for cancer cells. Dependent on cancer type, cancer cells can cause osteoblastic (bone forming) or osteolytic lesions to promote the net resorption and/or release of growth factors from the bone extracellular matrix. These processes activate a "vicious cycle", leading to disruption of bone integrity and promoting cancer cell growth and migration. Cancer cells influence the bone microenvironment favoring their colonization and growth. In order to metastasize to the bone, cancer cells must first migrate from the site of origin, and once established within the bone, they must overcome the dormant inducing effects of resident cells. If successful, cancer cells can then colonize and continually disrupt bone homeostasis that is primarily maintained by osteocytes, the most abundant bone cell type. For example, it has been shown that exercise induces osteocytes to release anabolic factors that inhibit osteoclast resorptive activity, promote dormancy and the release of anti-cancer factors that inhibit breast cancer cell metastasis. In this review, we will summarize recent research findings and provide mechanistic insights related to the role of osteocytes in osteolytic metastasis.
Detecting Abnormal PCG Signals and Extracting Cardiac Information Employing Deep Learning and the Shannon Energy Envelope

Phonocardiogram (PCG) is a computerized system that represents the heart sound recording. PCG reflects the acoustic behavior of the heart graphically through intensity, frequency, time duration, and other valuable information. An acoustic signal like PCG provides supplemental diagnostic information to Electrocardiogram (ECG) by extracting cardiac information from the heart sound those cannot be identified by hearing the heart sound. PCG is an objective and standard evaluation technique that can record the heart sound continuously for a long period of time and can also overcome the human hearing limitation [1] [2]. So, PCG plays a vital role to examine the heart sound as well as cardiac abnormalities which improves the overall diagnosis efficiency. We proposed a PCG classification method using the deep convolutional neural network (CNN). Our proposed method is not only able to classify PCG signals using CNN but can also segment PCG signals using the Shannon energy envelope method. This signal processing technique provides significant information regarding the heart condition that helps to detect heart diseases in the primary phase.
Variation in upstream open reading frames contributes to allelic diversity in protein abundance

Abstract The 5’ untranslated region (UTR) sequence of eukaryotic mRNAs may contain upstream open reading frames (uORFs), which can regulate translation of the main open reading frame (mORF). The current model of translational regulation by uORFs posits that when a ribosome scans an mRNA and encounters a uORF, translation of that uORF can prevent ribosomes from reaching the mORF and cause decreased mORF translation. In this study, we first observed that rare variants in the 5’ UTR dysregulate protein abundance. Upon further investigation, we found that rare variants near the start codon of uORFs can repress or derepress mORF translation, causing allelic changes in protein abundance. This finding holds for common variants as well, and common variants that modify uORF start codons also contribute disproportionately to metabolic and whole-plant phenotypes, suggesting that translational regulation by uORFs serves an adaptive function. These results provide evidence for the mechanisms by which natural sequence variation modulates gene expression, and ultimately, phenotype.
The Future Is Known. Now What? Using Macbeth to Explore the Social Complexity of the Climate Crisis and COVID-19

The English classroom is an indispensable site to critically engage the social complexity of the climate crisis and COVID-19. A question comes up, however, about how to plan for such critical engag...
Do some lenders have information advantages? Evidence from Japanese credit market data

Abstract Using detailed Japanese credit data, we test for the existence of a credit market hierarchy. Empirical tests indicate that firms with information problems are more likely to carry higher proportions of relationship loans from main banks than non-main banks, holding constant risk and control factors. We further examine credit specialization on the part of lenders by testing the relationship between client firms' information and risk characteristics and the concentration of loans obtained from depository institutions versus other financial institutions. However, no significant differences in information superiority between these two types of financial institutions are found. We conclude that our evidence supports the credit market hierarchy hypothesis for Japanese main banks in particular but not depository institutions in general.
Red Blood Cell Transfusion

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are necessary to increase a patient's oxygen carrying capacity. The optimal transfusion trigger remains elusive, but a restrictive transfusion trigger of 7 g/dL has been shown in studies to reduce RBC transfusions without adversely affecting patient outcomes. Patient blood management programs have been shown effective at reducing RBC transfusions. Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers and induced pluripotent stem cell derived RBCs are being developed to help mitigate RBC shortages and RBC transfusion limitations. Numerous challenges still exist that need to be overcome before they can have widespread clinical use.
Operationalizing Global Volcano Monitoring Using High Resolution Orbital Remote Sensing

High resolution (i.e., sub-100 m) visible/near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) orbital data are vital for the scientific study of numerous volcanic processes including eruption detection, thermal baseline monitoring, measuring degassing rates, and compositional change assessment. However, these data are rarely captured at a temporal cadence required to model trends in dynamic systems nor create quantitative forecasts about future activity. Sensor-webs created to improve the repeat time of these high resolution sensors rely on early detection by lower resolution instruments and/or data from ground-based systems each with much better temporal resolution. The ASTER Urgent Request Protocol (URP) is one such sensor-web created to increase data collection of the world's most active volcanoes. It has operated since 2004 acquiring an additional 6,200 scenes of more than 100 different volcanoes. The URP is a combined effort of university and government (NASA, USGS) partners, and the data are used operationally for monitoring, crisis response, and to inform future mission development.
Productivity Efforts and Service Line Development Sustain Margin Improvement.

SUMMARY How can healthcare organizations best attain sound financial results and, in turn, sustain market growth? Leaders at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, part of Dignity Health Arizona, realized that they could not cut their way to success. They needed a plan for strategic growth that fit their corporate mission and expanded their market. They moved forward with a proven productivity process that would engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Supported by commitments to the necessary financial investment and the patience to see the plans through, their efforts have paid off with substantial improvements in margin. Similar financial growth success stories are playing out in other markets, including Froedtert Health in Wisconsin and Avera Health in South Dakota.
Architectural Petroglyphs at Sand Canyon Pueblo (5MT765), Southwestern Colorado

ABSTRACTPelroglyphs in building blocks have been reported at sites in southwestern Colorado since the explorations on Mesa Verde in the early part of this century. Although they have been noted, they are quite rare, and very little is known about how they were originally incorporated in structures. Recent finds at Sand Canyon Pueblo may show a correlation between petroglyphs in rooms and kiva suite units. Identification or reconstruction of the original locations of architectural petroglyphs is critical to their interpretation.
A warm air blower for perineal wounds

Abstract A safe mechanism for the delivery of thermostatically controlled warm air has been devised. This apparatus has proved useful in the postoperative treatment of perineal wounds.
Diet Quality and Older Adults: Special Considerations

Evidence suggests that there is a direct relationship between the nutrient quality of the diet and survival rates. Due to decreased levels of physical activity, decreased metabolic rates, and increased proportions of fat to lean muscle mass, energy requirements decline with advancing years yet nutrient requirements remain either unchanged or increased. Hence, a greater emphasis should be placed on choosing nutrient dense foods. Attention also needs to be placed on monitoring nutrient supplement use in older adults to avoid overconsumption. Current data suggest those who are more likely to report using nutrient supplements have dietary and lifestyle characteristics that are more closely associated with lower rather than higher risk for nutrient insufficiency. Special attention needs to be given to adapting living environments for older adults to enable them to retain the ability to acquire and prepare familiar foods that are appealing. Changes in social situations that could impact on food intake should be monitored on a regular basis. The definitions for old age and expectations for the period of time individuals can remain active, productive, and independent are expanding. There is no data to suggest a person is too old to benefit from improvements in diet quality and physical activity.
Interaction of the baculovirus occlusion-derived virus envelope proteins ODV-E56 and ODV-E66 with the midgut brush border microvilli of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (Fabricius)

Chapter 1: Introduction On the nature of viruses Virus physiology and nomenclature Baculoviridae The host and viral immunity Baculovirus occlusion derived virus (ODV) Receptor binding and fusion Thesis organization References Chapter 2: ODV-E56 is PIF-8 and is non-essential to binding and fusion ABSTRACT BACKGROUND MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES TABLES AND FIGURESBACKGROUND MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES TABLES AND FIGURES Chapter 3: A peptide that binds the gut epithelium of Heliothis virescens has similarity to the baculovirus envelope protein ODV-E66 and impedes infection with wild type baculovirus SUMMARY INTRODUCTION RESULTS DISCUSSION MATERIALS AND METHODS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES TABLES AND FIGURES Chapter 4: Discussion and Conclusions REFERENCES
Tutorial: model predictive control technology

This paper provides a brief tutorial on model predictive control (MPC) theory for linear and nonlinear models. The discussion of MPC with linear models covers the topics of steady-state target calculation, infinite horizon receding horizon regulation, resolving infeasibilities caused by constraints, and state estimation and disturbance models. The section on nonlinear models briefly discusses what is desirable from a theoretical perspective and what is possible from an implementation perspective and focuses on some current efforts to bridge this gap. The paper concludes with a brief outlook for future developments in the areas of nonlinear MPC, robustness, moving horizon state estimation and MPC of hybrid systems.
The spherical condenser as a high transmission particle spectrometer: I. Point source

The inverse square electric field between the plates of a charged spherical condenser provides a focussing of charged particles leaving a source on the inner sphere. Part I of this paper dealt with the characteristics of such a spectrometer for the case where the source may be considered concentrated at a point on the axis of the instrument. The present analysis is concerned with the line profile, the transmission, and the resolution of the spectrometer for a distributed source. Where high transmission is important, a source on the inner sphere having a radius 30% of the radius of the inner sphere provides a transmission of 16% at an energy resolution of 7.7%.
A Seismic Study of Salt Dissolution in the Stettler Area South-Central Alberta, Canada

In Famennian (Late Devonian) time, bedded Wabamun Group rock salt with a net thickness of about 40m was deposited throughout the Stettler area (T25–40, R11-21W4M), south-central Alberta. However, as a result of extensive leaching, the Wabamun rock salt in the study area is now confined to a single, more-or-less laterally contiguous main body and numerous smaller isolated remanaants. The isolated remnants are located between the updip active margin (main dissolution front) of the large contiguous body of rock salt and the updip (northeastern) edge of the Wabamun subcrop.
Modal Realism with Modal Tense 1

Modal realists should fashion their theory by postulating and taking seriously the modal equivalent of tense, or modal tense. This will give them a uniform way to respond to five different objections, one each by Skyrms, Quine, and Peacocke, and two by van Inwagen, and suggest a non-Lewisian path to modal realism.
Therapeutic Document in Group Counseling: An Active Change Agent.

In this article, the authors provide a therapeutic document model using language as an active change agent. The practice of the therapeutic letter has demonstrated substantial power in narrative therapy to foster client change. No literature, however, has applied this construct in group counseling. Grounded in social constructionism, re-authoring therapy and the power of written language, this model transforms the usually time-consuming and frequently nontherapeutic client documentation into a functional intervention. As a competency-based intervention, this model provides counselors with principles and procedures to enhance clients' self-agency and expedite the change process in group counseling.
Relation of perceived teacher support of student questioning to students' beliefs about teacher attributions for questioning and perceived classroom learning environment

Abstract Two studies examined students' perceptions of their teachers' support for classroom question asking in relation to: (a) their beliefs about teachers' attributions for student questioning, and (b) their perceptions of classroom goal orientations and incentive structure. In Study 1 (n = 125), college students who perceived higher levels of support reported believing that their teachers attributed asking questions to higher motivation and less to lack of ability, and attributed not asking questions less to lack of motivation or low ability. An avoidance-avoidance conflict was suggested for students who perceived very low support. They believed their teachers attributed both asking and not asking questions to low motivation or low ability. Teachers' (n = 80) self-rated support was related only to higher levels of attributed motivation for student question asking. Study 2 (n = 1013) found evidence that perceived teacher support of questioning was related: (a) directly to perceived mastery goal orientation and inversely to perceived emphasis on performance goals (grades), and (b) directly to perceived independence and cooperative incentives and inversely to perceived classroom competition. Discussion included possible self-fulfilling prophecy effects of perceived teacher support of questioning.
Death of the personality: The grief response of the Alzheimer's disease family caregiver

The grief that follows death is understood and accepted by society. However, the grief associated with certain chronic illness is often misunderstood by family, friends and acquaintances. Unlike a terminal case of cancer where physical deterioration is quite evident, it is difficult to under-stand the grief associated with irreversible dementia because the patient is physically well for most of its duration. What has died in victims of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the personality that quality or assemblage of qualities that makes a person what he or she is.This paper describes family care-giver responses to providing chronic care for a demented relative and compares and contrasts it with the responses of coping with a non-dementing terminal illness. Based upon our clinical work and empirical research with AD patients and their families, it seems that while many of the AD family caregiver responses are similar to bereavement reactions and anticipatory grieving of other terminal illnesses, the intensity and ...
Metabolic connections between nutrient intake and lactational performance in the sow

Abstract Improvement in the efficiency of milk synthesis in the sow can be accomplished only with a thorough understanding of the metabolic mechanisms relating nutrient intake to lactational performance. We have begun to describe these connections systematically and quantitatively through mathematical modelling. Our model is an integration of our present knowledge base with concepts of lactating sow metabolism. It is limited by serious inadequacy of present information, but it has guided us to ask key questions which can be investigated by animal experimentation. We are presently studying the metabolism of lipids in adipose tissue, and the impacts of lysine and amino acid intake on metabolic state and lactational performance, to elucidate aspects of the connection between nutrient intake and lactational performance. The pressing need for more information at several levels of biological organization is described. Collaboration among scientists across disciplines can increase the productivity and efficiency of both scientific and practical endeavours. It is imperative that publication of research results include thorough descriptions of animals, diets and environments to allow better interpretation and use of results.
The identification of acylcarnitines by desorption chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Several organic acidaemias are accompanied by a decreased availability of free carnitine, probably as a result of excessive urinary losses of acylcarnitine (Allen et al., 1982). The identification of urinary carnitine (3-hydroxy-4-(trimethylamino)butyric acid), and its esters is a cumbersome task. Direct chromatographic procedures have not been published because: (a) there does not exist a specific staining reagent which allows the unequivocal detection after thin layer or column liquid chromatography, and (b)derivatization in order to make gas chromatography possible has proven to be unsuccessful.
Effectiveness of a Novel Device in the Reduction of Cesarean Deliveries

Objective. To test the hypothesis that the use of the HEM-AVERT Perianal Stabilizer will result in a reduction of cesarean births and shorter duration of second-stage labor. Study Design. In a prospective controlled trial, 102 women scheduled for vaginal delivery were randomized to either the HEM-AVERT investigational device or control group. Ninety eight (98) patients completed the study. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the difference in the number of cesarean deliveries between the investigational and control groups. Duration of second-stage labor was assessed as a secondary outcome. Results. Six (6) of the 50 patients in the investigational group (12%) failed to deliver vaginally and required cesarean delivery. Comparatively, 19 of the 48 control patients (39.6%) required cesarean delivery. Duration of second-stage labor was shorter in the investigational group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Results from 4 patients were excluded due to protocol violations. Conclusion. The HEM-AVERT device effectively reduced the incidence rate of cesarean deliveries in the investigational group when compared to women who delivered without use of the device. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01739543.
Modeling of groundwater heads based on second-order difference time series models

Abstract Historical groundwater heads at a confined aquifer in southwest Florida show a nonstationary long-term (multi-year) fluctuation. Stochastic modeling of these data is a main topic here. Ahn and Salas (Ahn, H., Salas, J.D., 1997. Groundwater head sampling based on stochastic analysis. Water Resour. Res. 33(12), 2769–2780) introduced an approach to build time series models of nonstationary data at different time intervals based on an observed time series sampled at a reference interval. The model utilized in their study was a first-order difference autoregressive integrated moving average model. However, some groundwater head data may also be fitted adequately by a second-order difference time series model. Thus, this study derived variance and autocovariance equations for the second-order difference time series model at various time intervals as a function of the parameters of the referenced model. The derived equations are useful for building a time series model at arbitrary time intervals. Unlike the first-order difference models, the variance and auto-covariance equations here are fully derivable, making the second-order difference models more convenient than the first-order difference models. The modeling procedure with the derived equations was tested through example problems of: (1) filling in gaps in time series; and (2) sampling frequency design. The results showed that the second-order difference model in some cases produces lower interpolation error than that of the first-order difference model.
The Staging of Agency in Girls Gone Wild

This paper addresses the ambivalence produced by Girls Gone Wild (GGW) as both text and social practice by interrogating the ways in which it functions hegemonically by staging an effect of agency. I draw on Bakhtin's notion of the carnivalesque as a means to examine how contradictory spatio-temporal contexts of GGW function as spaces that offer the opportunity to momentarily transgress—yet simultaneously reify—white, bourgeois norms of femininity. The videos reinforce a neoliberalist mentality of personal responsibility through the inclusion of the consent—and dissent—processes on camera. After analyzing how postfeminist discourses emphasizing “individual choice” justify GGW as a mode of female empowerment, I turn to a complementary textual analysis of GGW's role-reversal counterpart, Guys Gone Wild (2004), in an effort to show the ways in which this “mirror image” text ultimately reinforces the structure of exploitation in the original.
Chronic exposure to Mn inhalation may have lasting effects: A physiologically-based toxicokinetic model in rats

In humans, inhaled manganese (Mn) initiates neurodegeneration in the striatum and produces manganism, a disorder phenotypically mimetic of Parkinson's disease (PD), and it is unclear how Mn has this effect. The main route of inhaled Mn passage to striatum – via direct transneuronal transport via the olfactory system or indirectly via lungs to blood, and the relative contributions of each of these pathways – also remain unclear. The primary goal of this investigation was to explore these questions – and others – quantitatively in a rat model. An 11-compartment whole-body physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model of Mn distribution, optimally and simultaneously fitted to a single set of multiorgan rat data was used. The fully quantified model provided numerous kinetic parameters, including the relative distribution of whole-body Mn for each compartment in response to a constant simulated input of inhaled Mn, and the relative contributions of olfactory and pulmonary pathways. The liver, which actively...