cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Schwann cell remyelination of demyelinated axons in spinal cord multiple sclerosis lesions

To investigate remyelination in multiple sclerosis lesions, we immunostained spinal cord sections from patients with multiple sclerosis and neurologically normal (control) patients with antisera to P0 protein, a major constituent of peripheral nervous system myelin, and myelin basic protein, which is found in both central and peripheral nervous system myelin. In sections from five of the eight patients with no clinical or pathological evidence of neurological disease, P0 immunostaining was confined to peripheral myelin sheaths in dorsal and ventral roots. They were intensely stained, and peripheral-central nervous system transition zones were clearly demarcated. Sections from the other three control patients contained a few P0-stained sheaths in the central nervous system near root entry zones or among marginal glia near the dorsal sulcus. Spinal cord sections from six of the ten patients with multiple sclerosis contained clusters of myelin sheaths immunostained by P0 antiserum. These regenerating sheaths of peripheral nervous system origin were most numerous in large lesions and were commonly located in central areas or peripherally near root entry zones. The sheaths were observed frequently in areas of active demyelination and appeared morphologically normal even when surrounded by debris-filled macrophages. Near margins of small inactive plaques were a few basic protein-stained oligodendroglia extending processes to thin basic protein-stained sheaths. These regenerating sheaths of central origin were relatively uncommon and were not observed in areas of active myelin breakdown. Our observations suggest that Schwann cell remyelination is more extensive in spinal multiple sclerosis lesions than previously thought. In very large spinal cord plaques, Schwann cells also apparently have a more important role in myelin sheath regeneration than do oligodendroglia.
F2 screening for resistance to pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis maize in Louisiana and Mississippi populations of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

BACKGROUND: In the mid-southern region of the United States, sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a major target pest of transgenic maize expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins. Novel transgenic maize technologies containing two or more pyramided Bt genes for controlling lepidopteran pests have recently become commercially available. Insect resistance management (IRM) is an important issue in the sustainable use of Bt crop technologies. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of resistance alleles in field populations of D. saccharalis to the new pyramided Bt maize technologies. RESULTS: A total of 382 F2 family lines derived from 735 feral larvae/pupae of D. saccharalis collected from six locations in Louisiana and Mississippi during 2008 and 2009 were screened for resistance to three new Bt maize technologies: MON 89034, Genuity™ VT Triple Pro™ and SmartStax™. None of the 382 F2 isoline families survived on the Bt maize leaf tissue for ≥ 12 days in the F2 screen. The joint frequency for two- or three-gene resistance models with 95% probability in these populations was estimated to be < 0.0063 to MON 89034 and < 0.003 to VT Triple Pro™ and SmartStax™. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the resistance allele frequency in D. saccharalis to the three pyramided Bt maize technologies is low in the mid-southern region of the United States, which should meet the rare resistance assumption of the currently used IRM strategy for Bt maize. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
The isotopic ecology of late Pleistocene mammals in North America

Abstract Mammoths and mastodons are common in Pleistocene deposits, yet these proboscideans and many other animals disappeared suddenly ≈10,000 years ago. In this study, we reconstruct the diets of proboscideans and associated mammals through isotopic analysis of carbonate in tooth enamel apatite in order to test nutritional hypotheses for late Pleistocene extinction. We analyzed specimens from six sites in Florida, ranging from full glacial (>21,000 BP) to late glacial (14,750 to 10,000 BP) age. The oxygen isotope composition of mammalian apatite covaries with meteoric water composition, which in turn varies with climate. Consequently, oxygen isotope analysis can be used to assess the potential for time-averaging or mixing of specimens from different geographic regions within fossil assemblages. The carbon isotope composition of an herbivore is controlled by the isotopic composition of the plants that it ingests. Carbon isotope analysis reveals that mastodons ate chiefly C3 plants, presumably trees, shrubs and herbs, whereas mammoths consumed chiefly C4 grass. Several nutritional hypotheses for late Pleistocene extinction entail the assumption that extinct taxa had specialized diets. The resource partitioning and focused feeding preferences of Florida's proboscideans corroborate this assumption, but they do not, in themselves, prove that nutritional stress was the cause of the late Pleistocene extinction.
The role of transesophageal echocardiography in optimizing resuscitation in acutely injured patients.

Rackground: The goal of resuscitation is to correct the mismatch between oxygen delivery and that of cellular demands. The pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is frequently used to gauge the adequacy of resuscitation and guide therapy based on ventricular filling pressures. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has emerged as a potential tool in assessing adequacy of acute hemodynamic resuscitation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of TEE in assessing preload during ongoing volume resuscitation in trauma patients. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of acutely injured patients undergoing TEE during resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock from January 2002 to 2004 at a Level I trauma center. The indication for TEE was persistent hemodynamic instability in the absence of ongoing surgical hemorrhage. Variables included hemodynamic and PAC parameters, pre-TEE resuscitation volume, and vasopressor requirements. The impact of TEE findings on therapeutic decisions was evaluated. Results: Twenty-five patients underwent TEE, 18 (72%) had an indwelling PAC with a mean pulmonary artery occlusion pressure of 19.3 mm Hg (range, 12-29 mm Hg) and mean cardiac index of 2.9 L/min/m 2 (range, 1.6-4.6 L/min/m 2 ). Twelve patients (48%) were receiving inotropes and/or vasopressors for hypotension at the time of TEE. Resuscitation volume within 6 hours before TEE included a mean of 6.5 L of crystalloid and 12.2 units of blood products (packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets). TEE revealed left ventricular hypovolemia in 13 patients (52%) and altered therapy in 16 patients (64%), including additional volume (n = 13), addition of an inotrope (n = 4), and addition of a vasodilator (n = 1) in one patient with ventricular overdistention. Comparison of the abnormal and normal TEE groups revealed that only cardiac index was significantly different (2.6 L/min/m 2 in the abnormal group vs. 3.9 L/min/m 2 in the normal group; p = 0.005). Significant mitral valve regurgitation leading to valve replacement was identified in one patient. No clinically relevant pericardial effusion was identified. Conclusion: TEE altered resuscitation management in almost two thirds of patients. Many patients with acceptable pulmonary artery occlusion pressure parameters may in fact have inadequate left ventricular filling. In addition, TEE offers the advantage of direct assessment of cardiac valve competency, myocardial wall contractility, and pericardial fluid.
Inelastic transport in a system of 2D electrons localized in a smooth potential: giant negative magnetoresistance

We show that the tunnel coupling between semiclassical states localized in different minima of a smooth random potential increases when a magnetic field is applied. We illustrate the increase of coupling by a model calculation of tunneling through a saddle point separating two adjacent lakes. The effect of the field on coupling constants leads to a negative magnetoresistance in low-temperature conduction.
The Worship Scenes in the Apocalypse, Effective History, and Early Pentecostal Periodical Literature

History of effect is a recent methodology being used as a means to discover the ways in which readers are influenced by biblical texts. This essay seeks to discover how the early Pentecostals were influenced in their worship by their reading of the Apocalypse. Early Pentecostal literature is filled with references to the worship practices and experiences of the early Pentecostal communities. The literature, which is largely testimonial in nature, indicates that the early Pentecostals were deeply influenced in their worship by the Apocalypse. This essay provides a survey of both Wesleyan-Pentecostal and Finished Work periodical literature from 1906-1916.
Resonant Voice: Spectral and Nasendoscopic Analysis

Summary Although resonant voice therapy is a widely used therapeutic approach, little is known about what characterizes resonant voice and how it is physiologically produced. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that resonant voice is produced by narrowing the laryngeal vestibule and is characterized by first formant tuning and more ample harmonics. Videonasendoscopic recordings of the laryngeal vestibule were made during nonresonant and resonant productions of /i/ in six subjects. Spectrums of the two voice types were also obtained. Spectral analysis showed that first formant tuning was exhibited during resonant voice productions and that the degree of harmonic enhancement in the range of 2.0 to 3.5 kHz was related to voice quality: nonresonant voice had the least amount of energy in this range, whereas a resonant-relaxed voice had more energy, and a resonant-bright voice had the greatest amount of energy. Visual-perceptual judgments of the videoendoscopic data indicated that laryngeal vestibule constriction was not consistently associated with resonant voice production.
Wyvern: a simple, typed, and pure object-oriented language

The simplest and purest practical object-oriented language designs today are seen in dynamically-typed languages, such as Smalltalk and Self. Static types, however, have potential benefits for productivity, security, and reasoning about programs. In this paper, we describe the design of Wyvern, a statically typed, pure object-oriented language that attempts to retain much of the simplicity and expressiveness of these iconic designs.Our goals lead us to combine pure object-oriented and functional abstractions in a simple, typed setting. We present a foundational object-based language that we believe to be as close as one can get to simple typed lambda calculus while keeping object-orientation. We show how this foundational language can be translated to the typed lambda calculus via standard encodings. We then define a simple extension to this language that introduces classes and show that classes are no more than sugar for the foundational object-based language. Our future intention is to demonstrate that modules and other object-oriented features can be added to our language as not more than such syntactical extensions while keeping the object-oriented core as pure as possible.The design of Wyvern closely follows both historical and modern ideas about the essence of object-orientation, suggesting a new way to think about a minimal, practical, typed core language for objects.
A comparison of a new astringent agent with such agents now commonly used.

The synthesis of a new astringent, aluminum methionate, is reported. Extensive comparative protein precipitation tests for astringency indicate that this salt is more effective as an astringent than other common astringent agents tested, and thus may be applied to improve perspiration retarding or inhibiting preparations. Cloth tests indicate that aluminum methionate is harmless to fabric.
Conformational aspects of polypeptide structure. XLI. Crystal structure of S‐thiazolidine‐4‐carboxylic acid and helical structure of poly[(S)‐thiazolidine‐4‐carboxylic acid]

The helical structures of poly[(S)-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid], in the cis and trans forms, were redetermined by using the new sets of bond angles and bond lengths established by X-ray diffraction analysis of L-thioproline. Calculations of the helical structures of poly-L-proline and poly[(S)-oxazolidine-4-carboxylic acid] were also repeated. As a result of these energy calculations, it is suggested that, in contrast to poly-L-proline and poly[(S)-oxazolidine-4-carboxylic acid], poly[(S)-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid] should not mutarotate from the trans to the cis form. This result is due to the fact that the energy barrier for the conversion is most likely too high. Previous experimental work is consistent with this finding.
BK Virus Nephropathy and Kidney Transplantation

Nephropathy from BK virus (BKV) infection is an evolving challenge in kidney transplant recipients. It is the consequence of modern potent immunosuppression aimed at reducing acute rejection and improving allograft survival. Untreated BKV infections lead to kidney allograft dysfunction or loss. Decreased immunosuppression is the principle treatment but predisposes to acute and chronic rejection. Screening protocols for early detection and prevention of symptomatic BKV nephropathy have improved outcomes. Although no approved antiviral drug is available, leflunomide, cidofovir, quinolones, and intravenous Ig have been used. Retransplantation after BKV nephropathy has been successful.
Combination median filter

A detail- and structure-preserving smoothing filter is introduced. It is called the combination median filter as it uses directional median, multilevel median, and median filters to smooth different regions of the image. The decision about the region is made by robust Dixon's r-test which is well known in statistics for outlier detection. The threshold value of Dixon's test can be kept constant. As a result, the filtering algorithm operates like a quasi-nonadaptive filter, and no computation of local statistics is involved. Some properties of the filter as well as detailed experimental results that demonstrate its superior performance are presented. >
Protective Facemask Impact on Human Thermoregulation: An Overview

The use of protective facemasks (PFMs) negatively impacts respiratory and dermal mechanisms of human thermoregulation through impairment of convection, evaporation, and radiation processes. The relatively minor reported increases in core temperature directly attributable to the wearing of PFMs suggest that associated perceptions of increased body temperature may have a significant psychological component or that regional or global brain temperature changes are involved. Modifications in PFM structure, components, and materials might allow for improved heat dissipation and enhanced compliance with use.
Designing Autocorrelated Genes

The redundancy in the genetic code enables a protein to be encoded by many different sequences. Recent studies show that the degree of tRNA autocorrelation in a coding sequence has important effects on translation speed. The tRNA pairing index (TPI) has been used widely to study the phenomenon of autocorrelation in sequences. However TPI only counts successive transitions of tRNA usage, without regard to how far apart they occur in the sequence. In this paper, we propose a new type of autocorrelation measure, DICA (Distance Incorporated Codon Autocorrelation), which weighs positional distance between codons as well as the number of transitions. We demonstrate that our DICA correlates better to the expression level of a particular gene than TPI. Finally, we devise exact and heuristic algorithms to find near optimally autocorrelated and anti-autocorrelated genes for the purposes of synthetic gene design.
Mechanical response of single living cells by bio-MEMS sensors

The paper presents a new bio-MEMS sensor for insitu force response measurement of single living cells. The sensor consists of fixed-fixed silicon beams connected by a backbone and attached to a probe. The sensor is functionalized by a coating with fibronectin. Adhesion sites are formed between the probe and a single cell by contact. The cell is stretched by the probe and the cell force response is measured from the deflection of the beams and their spring constant. Several living monkey fibroblast cells are tested as they are loaded and unloaded under large deformation. The force response is found to be linear and reversible.
Stimulated association of STIM1 and Orai1 is regulated by the balance of PtdIns(4,5)P2 between distinct membrane pools

We have previously shown that PIP5KIβ and PIP5KIγ generate functionally distinct pools of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] important for antigen-stimulated Ca2+ entry in mast cells. In the present study, we find that association of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ sensor, STIM1, and the store-operated Ca2+ channel, Orai1, stimulated by thapsigargin-mediated ER store depletion, is enhanced by overexpression of PIP5KIβ and inhibited by overexpression of PIP5KIγ. These different PIP5KI isoforms cause differential enhancement of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fractions, which comprise ordered lipid regions, and detergent-solubilized membrane (DSM) fractions, which comprise disordered lipid regions. Consistent with these results, the inositol 5-phosphatase L10-Inp54p, which is targeted to ordered lipids, decreases PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the DRM fraction and inhibits thapsigargin-stimulated STIM1–Orai1 association and store-operated Ca2+ entry, whereas the inositol 5-phosphatase S15-Inp54p, which is targeted to disordered lipids, decreases PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the DSM fraction and enhances STIM1–Orai1 association. Removal of either the STIM1 C-terminal polylysine sequence (amino acids 677–685) or an N-terminal polyarginine sequence in Orai1 (amino acids 28–33) eliminates this differential sensitivity of STIM1–Orai1 association to PtdIns(4,5)P2 in the distinctive membrane domains. Our results are consistent with a model of PtdIns(4,5)P2 balance, in which store-depletion-stimulated STIM1–Orai1 association is positively regulated by the ordered lipid pool of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and negatively regulated by PtdIns(4,5)P2 in disordered lipid domains.
Dissociation of the role of the prelimbic cortex in interval timing and resource allocation: beneficial effect of norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor nomifensine on anxiety-inducing distraction.

Emotional distracters impair cognitive function. Emotional processing is dysregulated in affective disorders such as depression, phobias, schizophrenia, and PTSD. Among the processes impaired by emotional distracters, and whose dysregulation is documented in affective disorders, is the ability to time in the seconds-to-minutes range, i.e. interval timing. Presentation of task-irrelevant distracters during a timing task results in a delay in responding suggesting a failure to maintain subjective time in working memory, possibly due to attentional and working memory resources being diverted away from timing, as proposed by the Relative Time-Sharing model. We investigated the role of the prelimbic cortex in the detrimental effect of anxiety-inducing task-irrelevant distracters on the cognitive ability to keep track of time, using local infusions of norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor nomifensine in a modified peak-interval procedure with neutral and anxiety-inducing distracters. Given that some antidepressants have beneficial effects on attention and working memory, e.g., decreasing emotional response to negative events, we hypothesized that nomifensine would improve maintenance of information in working memory in trials with distracters, resulting in a decrease of the disruptive effect of emotional events on the timekeeping abilities. Our results revealed a dissociation of the effects of nomifensine infusion in prelimbic cortex between interval timing and resource allocation, and between neutral and anxiety-inducing distraction. Nomifensine was effective only during trials with distracters, but not during trials without distracters. Nomifensine reduced the detrimental effect of the distracters only when the distracters were anxiety-inducing, but not when they were neutral. Results are discussed in relation to the brain circuits involved in Relative Time-Sharing of resources, and the pharmacological management of affective disorders.
Transcriptional profiling differences for articular cartilage and repair tissue in equine joint surface lesions

Background Full-thickness articular cartilage lesions that reach to the subchondral bone yet are restricted to the chondral compartment usually fill with a fibrocartilage-like repair tissue which is structurally and biomechanically compromised relative to normal articular cartilage. The objective of this study was to evaluate transcriptional differences between chondrocytes of normal articular cartilage and repair tissue cells four months post-microfracture.
Distribution of a Costa Rican Wet Forest Velvet Worm (Onychophora: Peripatidae)

The ecology of New World onychophorans is poorly known because individuals are rare and difficult to locate in the field. The only descriptions of density and microhabitat associations are based on the field observations of a few individuals. This paper presents the results of a 300-m2 search of leaf litter in a wet tropical forest at La Selva Biological Station, Republic of Costa Rica, during the dry season over a period of 4 mo. Density of this Epiperipatus sp. was 0.11 individuals per square meter. The age structure of the population was biased toward juveniles, but did not include newly born onychophorans; this suggests that reproduction occurs during the wet season. Epiperipatus sp. nonrandomly selects microhabitats. It is strikingly associated with ants; 1-m2 plots containing onychophorans contained a mean of 7.4 ant nests, whereas plots without onychophorans had a mean of only 4.7 ant nests. In 2 instances, onychophorans were located inside large and active ant nests.
Structure of the adenovirus E4 Orf6 protein predicted by fold recognition and comparative protein modeling.

To facilitate investigation of the molecular and biochemical functions of the adenovirus E4 Orf6 protein, we sought to derive three-dimensional structural information using computational methods, particularly threading and comparative protein modeling. The amino acid sequence of the protein was used for secondary structure and hidden Markov model (HMM) analyses, and for fold recognition by the ProCeryon program. Six alternative models were generated from the top-scoring folds identified by threading. These models were examined by 3D–1D analysis and evaluated in the light of available experimental evidence. The final model of the E4 protein derived from these and additional threading calculations was a chimera, with the tertiary structure of its C-terminal 226 residues derived from a TIM barrel template and a mainly α-nonbundle topology for its poorly conserved N-terminal 68 residues. To assess the accuracy of this model, additional threading calculations were performed with E4 Orf6 sequences altered as in previous experimental studies. The proposed structural model is consistent with the reported secondary structure of a functionally important C-terminal sequence and can account for the properties of proteins carrying alterations in functionally important sequences or of those that disrupt an unusual zinc-coordination motif. Proteins 2001;44:97–109. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A fluorogenic 5′ nuclease (TaqMan) assay to assess dosage of a marker tightly linked to red skin color in autotetraploid potato

We have recently identified an allele of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase ( dfr) that cosegregates with the ability of potato ( Solanum tuberosum L) to produce red pelargonidin-based anthocyanin pigments. A rapid assay to assess dosage of this allele in cultivated potato, an autotetraploid, would be useful for breeding programs that develop red-skinned cultivars. To identify regions of dfr that are conserved between alleles, as well as regions that are variable, a portion of the gene was sequenced from several cultivated and wild potato clones. In one region the sequence of the 'red' dfr allele differed at two nucleotide positions from the three other sequence classes observed. A fluorogenic oligonucleotide probe labeled with 6-FAM was designed to anneal specifically to the red allele in this region, while a second probe labeled with VIC was designed to anneal to the 'not-red' dfr alleles. PCR primers that annealed to conserved sequences flanking the variable region were also developed. When subjected to a fluorogenic 5' nuclease (TaqMan) allelic discrimination assay all diploid clones tested clustered into three distinct groups based on the relative amounts of FAM and VIC released. These three groups represented clones homozygous for the red allele, heterozygous for the red allele, and homozygous for the not-red allele(s). When tetraploid clones were tested they separated into five distinct clusters, three of which were shared with diploid clones. The five clusters were interpreted to represent clones quadruplex, triplex, duplex, simplex and nulliplex for the red dfr allele. This interpretation was supported by monitoring the segregation of red allele dosage in several tetraploid crosses. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of a fluorogenic 5' nuclease assay being used for allelic discrimination in an autopolyploid.
Effective diffusion and conduction in two-phase media: A unified approach

Analyse a echelles multiples basee sur 2 echelles de longueur largement differente qui existent dans un milieu stagnant a 2 phases est effectuee pour etudier la conduction et la diffusion dans les systemes aleatoires et periodiques
Analysis of a Stock–Recruit Relationship for Red King Crab off Kodiak Island, Alaska

Abstract Waters of the northern Gulf of Alaska around Kodiak Island once supported the world's largest fishery for the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus. Commercial fisheries began at low levels in the 1930s, increasing rapidly in the 1960s to a peak harvest of 42,800 metric tons in 1965. Stock abundance declined sharply in the late 1960s, moderated in the 1970s, and crashed in the early 1980s. A commercial fishery closure since 1983 has not resulted in stock recovery. To improve understanding of stock dynamics, we examined spawner–recruit (S-R) relationships for the Kodiak red king crab stock. The shape of the S-R relationship helps describe average stock productivity at different stock levels, thus relating directly to fishery management objectives. Due to limited female data, we used only male data and two currencies of male abundance as a proxy for spawners: either (1) all males greater than or equal to 125 mm carapace length (CL) or (2) legal males (≥145 mm CL). Due to age uncertainty, we cons...
Lasers, a tool for soft cochleostomies

Advancements in implantable auditory prostheses now demand preservation of residual auditory function following the surgery. Atraumatic cochleostomy formation is essential to this goal. Clinically reported hearing outcomes in human implantation are still quite variable in this regard. The objective of the manuscript is to report on clinical indications and supportive laboratory evidence that the handheld CO 2 laser fiber (BeamPath® OTO-S, OmniGuide® Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA) is an effective tool for creating a soft cochleostomy.
Effect of the direct discharge of reverse-osmosis effluent on the microbiology of a natural surface-water system

The abundance of micro-organisms (dinoflagellates and euglena) and the concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride ions were monitored in the Big Wichita River prior to the opening of a reverse-osmosis (RO) treatment facility. While providing access to surface water sources containing high levels of ions, the facility will directly discharge effluent containing an estimated 5200 mg l−1 Cl− into the river. Natural fluctuations in ion concentrations and the level of micro-organisms in the river were monitored over a 9-week period. To predict the effect on micro-organisms when RO effluent is discharged into the river, water samples were spiked with salts in the laboratory. Increasing K+ up to ten times its natural level had no effect on dinoflagellate and euglena levels. Increasing Cl− and Na+ to 2.3 and 3.1 times the natural concentrations, respectively, led to statistically significant decreases in the concentration of these micro-organisms.
Transgene-Free Genome Editing in Caenorhabditis elegans Using CRISPR-Cas

CRISPR-Cas is an efficient method for genome editing in organisms from bacteria to human cells. We describe a transgene-free method for CRISPR-Cas-mediated cleavage in nematodes, enabling RNA-homology-targeted deletions that cause loss of gene function; analysis of whole-genome sequencing indicates that the nuclease activity is highly specific.
Teaching holistic nursing using clinical simulation: A pedagogical essay

Major nursing organizations that set standards for nursing practice and education emphasize the holistic nature of nursing practice. The patient-centered approach to holistic healing requires specialized knowledge, skills, and attitudes that move the student from focusing on the patient as an individual with physiological and/or psychological problems to a person on a healing journey. Strategies that foster the development of such knowledge, skills, and attitudes are necessary to prepare students to provide holistic care. Clinical simulation, an active teaching/learning strategy is effective for teaching holistic nursing practice. This pedagogical essay presents a holistic nursing clinical simulation scenario and grading rubric.
Local Orbital Equations for Excited States

Previously, we have developed computationally tractable, local orbitals techniques for computing the charge density of the ground state of a crystal in the Hartree-Fock limit. In the present paper, we extend our previous concepts to the question of the virtual orbitals of a Hartree-Fock system. Such orbitals may become useful in constructing the states of excitons, excited states of impurity centers or for LCAO calculations of energy bands. These orbitals also provide a convenient basis for performing configuration interaction calculations. This is demonstrated in a simple case, that of the helium atom. Finally we develop equations for the virtual orbitals which are correct to first order in interatomic overlap. In einer fruheren Arbeit wurden Methoden fur numerisch berechenbare, lokale Zustande zur Berechnung der Ladungsdichte des Grundzustands eines Kristalls in der Hartree-Fock-Naherung entwickelt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die fruheren Uberlegungen auf die Frage virtueller Zustande eines Hartree-Fock-Systems ausgedehnt. Derartige Zustande konnen fur die Konstruktion von Exzitonenzustanden, angeregten Zustanden von Fremddefekten oder fur LCAO-Berechnungen der Energiebander nutzlich werden. Diese Zustande liefern auch eine geeignete Basis fur die Durchfuhrung von Konfigurationswechselwirkungs-berechnungen. Das wird an einem einfachen Fall, dem des Heliumatoms, demonstriert. Auserdem werden Gleichungen fur virtuelle Zustande entwickelt, die korrekt bis zu Termen erster Ordnung der interatomaren Uberlappung sind.
Algorithms for variable length Markov chain modeling

Summary: We present a general purpose implementation of variable length Markov models. Contrary to fixed order Markov models, these models are not restricted to a predefined uniform depth. Rather, by examining the training data, a model is constructed that fits higher order Markov dependencies where such contexts exist, while using lower order Markov dependencies elsewhere. As both theoretical and experimental results show, these models are capable of capturing rich signals from a modest amount of training data, without the use of hidden states. Availability: The source code is freely available at http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~jill/src/
TimeStitch: Interactive multi-focus cohort discovery and comparison

Whereas event-based timelines for healthcare enable users to visualize the chronology of events surrounding events of interest, they are often not designed to aid the discovery, construction, or comparison of associated cohorts. We present TimeStitch, a system that helps health researchers discover and understand events that may cause abstinent smokers to lapse. TimeStitch extracts common sequences of events performed by abstinent smokers from large amounts of mobile health sensor data, and offers a suite of interactive and visualization techniques to enable cohort discovery, construction, and comparison, using extracted sequences as interactive elements. We are extending TimeStitch to support more complex health conditions with high mortality risk, such as reducing hospital readmission in congestive heart failure.
Building Better Digital Badges

Background. Digital badges are used in games and simulations for purposes such as incentivizing learning, identifying progress, increasing time on task, and credentialing. Designing effective badges is complicated by psychological factors mediating the processes of recognizing, orienting toward, and acquiring badges. Aim. This article analyzes digital badges through mechanics and psychology. This approach involves understanding the underlying logics of badges as well as the experiential nature of badges-in-use. The proposed model provides additional insight about badges and recommends design strategies to complement existing scholarship. Procedure. This article examines an existing model of completion logic for digital badges. This model is expanded upon by pairing these formal mechanics with relevant psychological theory, summarizing key principles that pertain to how people interact with badges. It then considers three dimensions of badges-in-use-social, cognitive, and affective-reviewing examples and analyzing the relationship of badging to debriefing. Outcome. Understanding the relationships between formal completion logics and the psychological experience of badging allows designers to better design, deploy, and critique badging systems, leading to more effective implementations within simulation and gaming contexts. A design matrix and a series of design recommendations for badging are derived from the presented perspectives.
Endolysosomal trafficking of viral G protein-coupled receptor functions in innate immunity and control of viral oncogenesis

The ubiquitin-proteasome system degrades viral oncoproteins and other microbial virulence factors; however, the role of endolysosomal degradation pathways in these processes is unclear. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of Kaposi's sarcoma, and a constitutively active viral G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR) contributes to the pathogenesis of KSHV-induced tumors. We report that a recently discovered autophagy-related protein, Beclin 2, interacts with KSHV GPCR, facilitates its endolysosomal degradation, and inhibits vGPCR-driven oncogenic signaling. Furthermore, monoallelic loss of Becn2 in mice accelerates the progression of vGPCR-induced lesions that resemble human Kaposi's sarcoma. Taken together, these findings indicate that Beclin 2 is a host antiviral molecule that protects against the pathogenic effects of KSHV GPCR by facilitating its endolysosomal degradation. More broadly, our data suggest a role for host endolysosomal trafficking pathways in regulating viral pathogenesis and oncogenic signaling.
Qualitative Descriptive Methods in Health Science Research

Objective:The purpose of this methodology paper is to describe an approach to qualitative design known as qualitative descriptive that is well suited to junior health sciences researchers because i...
Exploring the Emotional Experience of the user and Designer, Both in the Design Process and Classroom

Abstract As radical changes in products are driven by improvements in technology and rapid manufacturing processes, the experience of the designer in the designing process also undergoes changes. Exploring this future in a departure from traditional classroom project experience, a fourth year industrial design studio utilizes a ‘design sprint’, including rapid paced design thinking towards human-centred products for the future. Student teams sought to understand user needs, diverge and converge ideas, and prototype their innovations in a fast-paced implementation of the design process. Traditional design techniques were incorporated along with empathic modeling and exploring the emotional curve (irrational/rational). These methods are particularly useful in order to find out how people experience a variety of emotional phases in the use of a product and to discover where users’ frustrations peak. Frequently people have a pre-conceived perception about the ease or enjoyable uses of a product based on the result of its use, and fail to understand that there might be pain points in the process that could be better resolved. Student teams reviewed each other at stage-gates twice a week with the reviewers choosing which concepts would go forward. Forty initial concepts were funnelled into one final deliverable with the team evaluating the emotional impact of their design and who benefits from it. Student takeaways included problem finding/solving, articulating ideas, collaboration, trust, and developing a shared vision. This paper discusses the design validation tools of empathic modeling and the emotional curve (irrational/rational) as well as the design sprint process.
Charge-Transfer Excited States and Proton Transfer in Model Guanine-Cytosine DNA Duplexes in Water

Characterization of the excited electronic states and relaxation processes in DNA systems is critical for understanding the physical basis of radiation damage. Spectroscopic studies have shown evidence of coupling between the relaxation dynamics of photoinduced charge-transfer states and interstrand proton transfer in DNA duplexes, where a deuterium isotope effect was observed for duplexes with alternating sequences but not with nonalternating sequences. We performed quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations of the vertical excitation energies and excited state proton potential energy curves for model DNA duplexes comprised of three guanine-cytosine pairs with alternating and nonalternating sequences in aqueous solution. Our calculations indicate that the intrastrand charge-transfer states are lower in energy for the alternating sequence than for the nonalternating sequence. The more accessible intrastrand charge-transfer states could provide a relaxation pathway coupled to interstrand ...
LONG-TERM MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE TREATED WITH TRANSCATHETER OR SURGICAL AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: A PROPENSITY-MATCHED ANALYSIS

Patients with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been excluded from clinical trials of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). A comparison of long-term mortality between TAVR and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with severe CKD including dialysis use has yet to be
Evaluating Node Reliability in Cooperative MIMO Networks

Cooperative multiple input multiple output (Co-MIMO) strategies represent one approach to meet the growing requirements (i.e., higher throughput, enhanced coverage, low latencies, and reduced cost) of wireless communication services. In Co-MIMO networks, low-power relay nodes (RNs) are recruited by mobile users to cooperate as virtual antenna arrays. Although Co-MIMO architectures can offer significant improvement in both the performance and security of wireless networks, they are susceptible to attacks. In this paper, we propose a novel node reliability evaluation scheme to enhance the security of Co-MIMO networks. Leveraging the probe signal transmissions involved in physical-layer secret key generation schemes, two distributed node level reliability detection methods (one-shot and dynamic) are proposed to detect RNs that are noncooperative. Based on the fusion of information from the RNs, an overall reliability evaluation can be accomplished at a central server. Mobile users interested in collaboration can access this central server to determine which nodes to recruit for cooperation. Both the theoretical analysis and the simulation results are presented to illustrate the proposed node reliability evaluation schemes.
Young Men With Cancer Experience Low Referral Rates for Fertility Counseling and Sperm Banking

Purpose:With improved cancer survival rates and the current trend of delaying parenthood, fertility is a growing issue among cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of fertility counseling and sperm banking in reproductive-age male cancer patients and to assess factors that influence counseling and banking.Materials and Methods:Male patients ages 13 to 50 years who received a new cancer diagnosis from January 1, 2013, to May 1, 2015, and planned to initiate curative chemotherapy at our center were identified. Documentation of fertility counseling and sperm cryopreservation was abstracted from the medical record. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to examine variables associated with fertility counseling and sperm banking.Results:Of 201 patients who fit the study criteria, 59 (29%) received fertility counseling and 23 (11%) attempted sperm banking. All patients who banked sperm had documentation of fertility counseling. Younger patients were...
The preparation and phospholipid binding property of the C2 domain of human factor VIII

The C2 domain of human factor VIII was expressed in a yeast secretion system and its binding properties were studied. A cDNA coding the C2 domain sequence of human factor VIII with a N-terminal six amino acids extension (C-C2) was constructed, transformed into Pichia pastoris cells and expressed. The product was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and anion exchange chromatography. It emerged as a single peak from both ion exchange and gel filtration columns, indicating C-C2 is a homogenous monomer. The binding activity of C-C2 to phosphatidylserine-containing phospholipid vesicles was measured by competitive binding with annexin V. The values of IC50 were approximately 70nM for both factor VIII and its light chain, but were about 7000nM for C-C2. These results indicated C-C2 has 100-fold less binding affinity than factor VIII or the light chain. Direct binding to solidified phosphatidyl-serine-containing phospholipids also showed that C-C2 has approximately 50-fold less binding affinity than does the light chain. C-C2 poorly inhibited Xase activity. These results together clearly show that the C2 domain alone does not have full membrane binding activity, and suggest that the other light chain domains, A3 and/or C1, are also involved in the phospholipid binding activity of factor VIII.
Ein Beitrag zur Uroporphyrinbestimmung

Zur Bestimmung der Uroporphyrine im Harn wurde Cellulosepulver als ausgezeichnetes Adsorptionsmittel angewendet. Man erhalt ein sauberes Eluat, das sich sehr gut zur spektralphotometrischen oder fluorometrischen Messung eignet. Es wird eine genaue Analysenvorschrift angegeben.
An assessment of doubled haploid production in soft red winter wheat by wheat x corn wide crosses

Feasibility of wheat x corn hybridization to produce doubled haploids (DHs) for soft red winter wheat (SRWW) breeding was assessed. Seven interparietal wheat hybrids were pollinated with the same corn genotype (Seneca 60) in a greenhouse, followed by 2,4-D application, 6–24 hours post-pollination, embryo rescue at the end of third week after pollination and chromosome doubling by colchicine in the media at 1–2 leaf stage of the plantlets. The plantlets were transferred to soil, maintained in a growth chamber for two weeks and then grown in the greenhouse. There was no seed set without 2,4-D treatment and 81–90% (mean 87%), including proliferated ovaries, with 100 ppm 2,4-D treatment. Wheat hybrids differed significantly for percent seed set with corn pollination and for percent seeds with embryos but not for differentiation of cultured embryos. Haploid seed development was better in coin envelops than in glassine bags. 16% seeds had embryos, 37% embryos had normal organogenesis, 50% seedlings survived to maturity and 25% of them set seed. Wheat hybrid 5156 was the best with 86% seed set, 35% seeds with embryos, 54% embryos producing plantlets of which 57% survived to maturity and 50% of the survivors set seed. Overall, if 100 DHs are needed for selection of desirable segregants, enough intervarietal wheat hybrid seed would be required to have 289 plants of an intervarietal cross for pollination with corn.
Using the Taylor Center to Teach ODEs

This article introduces a powerful ODE solver called the Taylor Center for PCs (http://www.ski.org/gofen/TaylorMethod.htm) as a tool for teaching and performing numeric experiments with ODEs. The Taylor Center is an All-in-One GUI-style application for integrating ODEs by applying the modern Taylor Method (Automatic Differentiation). The Taylor Center also offers dynamic graphics (including 3D stereo vision). After a brief review of the features of the Taylor Center, we consider instructive examples of ODEs in various applications and also several particular examples illustrating intricacies of numeric integration. The article therefore continues the thesis of Borrelli and Coleman [2] that awareness and caution are needed while interpreting the results of numeric integration. We offer practical ideas and advice on how to use the Taylor Center for teaching ODEs, and to increase the motivation and interest of students.
Use of Finite Sinusoidal Series

One of the most useful solution forms for solving a discrete model is the finite sinusoidal series. The two principal advantages of the series over the classical exponential solution form are generality as to loading term and simpler algebra. The most straightforward use of a series solution is in those cases for which each term of the series satisfies the model boundary condtions; thus, the series is both a particular and a total solution. There are four types of boundary conditions (16 possible two boundary permutations) that can be identically satisfied by a closed form finite sinusoidal series. These cases are discussed in detail in Appendix III, pp. 139 thru 146.
PHASE DIAGRAM DETERMINATION OF CERAMIC SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary The chapter intends to provide the readers with an overview of the experimental techniques most commonly used for constructing ceramic phase diagrams, with a particular emphasis on oxide systems. Because each system has its peculiarities, no experimental technique or protocol can be singled out as the best for ceramic systems. The chapter attempts to point out some common issues that must be considered to obtain high-quality data.Experimental phase diagrams for ceramic systems are based on observations of phase existence or coexistence, reactions, and transitions. Because ceramic systems exhibit a broad range of physical behavior, several experimental techniques have been used to identify phase relationships. X-ray diffraction is the most commonly used method for determining the phase assemblage of ceramic systems. High-temperature X-ray diffraction is an extremely useful tool for identifying phases that cannot be retained upon quenching to room temperature and for studying reactions under varying temperature and partial pressure conditions.