cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical nanoimprinting of silicon: a direct patterning approach

Soft-lithography and nanoimprinting lithography have been critical in manufacturing 3D features with sub-20 nm resolution onto polymeric materials. However, methods for transferring 3D polymeric patterns (i.e. template) into silicon have relied upon the etch selectivity of the mask pattern during reactive ion etching, which in turn limits aspect-ratio, introduces shape distortions and introduces surface roughness via scalloping effects. To tackle this problem, this paper demonstrates an electrochemical nanoimprinting process for single-crystal semiconductors for directly etching 3D features into silicon wafers without the need for templates or lithographical steps. It is shown that stamps made of porous catalysts used in the imprinting process allows for better morphology control of the imprinted silicon which is attributed to increased pathways for diffusion of chemical species during imprinting. This process delivers low-defect density, and large-area patterning (>1 cm2) in a single imprinting operation. Further, it outperforms the resolution and scalability of leading serial (e.g. FIB, electron beam) and parallel (e.g. gray-scale lithography) methods altogether, allowing for fast replication of patterns onto hard materials from a soft or polymeric mold. This technique bypasses the need for dry etching and is potentially compatible with roll-to-roll platforms, amorphous and poly silicon and III-V semiconductors. In turn, it may pave the way for mold replication onto hard molds and the manufacturing of complex objects for infrared optics.
Orbital Stability of Waves in Hamiltonian Systems

Hamiltonian systems arise in a myriad of applications where damping can be neglected, from the motion of celestial bodies, to the spinning of rigid tops, to interactions of particles in molecular systems. They are also imbued with a rich structure that arises from the conservation of the underlying energy, the Hamiltonian, as well as other quantities such as mass and momentum. In this chapter we present a theory for the nonlinear stability of generalized traveling-wave solutions of Hamiltonian systems. This field has a long history, starting with a conjecture of Boussinesq, dating to 1872 [39], in which he suggested the constraint structure could be used to understand the stability of the critical points of the Hamiltonian.
Sex Differences in 2-DOF Human Ankle Stiffness in Relaxed and Contracted Muscles

Ankle stiffness has been known as one of the most important components contributing to the maintenance of lower body stability during postural balance and locomotion. It has been repeatedly shown that women have lower stability and increased risk of injury when compared to men participating in similar sports activities, yet sex differences in neuromuscular control of the ankle, including the modulation of ankle stiffness, and their contribution to stability remain unknown. To identify sex differences in human ankle stiffness, this study quantified multi-dimensional ankle stiffness in 20 young, healthy men and 20 young, healthy women over a range of ankle muscle contractions, from relaxed to 20% of maximum voluntary co-contraction of ankle muscles. A wearable ankle robot and a system identification method were used to reliably quantify ankle stiffness in a 2-dimensional space spanning the sagittal plane and the frontal plane. In all muscle activation levels, significant sex differences in ankle stiffness were identified in both the sagittal and frontal planes. In the given experimental conditions, ankle stiffness in males was higher than females up to 15.1 and 8.3 Nm/rad in the sagittal plane and the frontal plane, respectively. In addition, sex differences in the spatial structure of ankle stiffness were investigated by quantifying three parameters defining the stiffness ellipse of the ankle: area, aspect ratio, and orientation. In all muscle activation levels, a significant sex difference was identified in the area of stiffness ellipse as expected from the sex difference in the sagittal and frontal planes. However, no statistical sex difference was observed in the aspect ratio and orientation, which would be due to little differences in major anatomical configurations of the ankle joint between sexes. This study, in combination with future studies investigating sex differences during dynamic tasks (e.g. postural balance and locomotion) would serve as a basis to develop a risk assessment tool and sex-specific training programs for efficient ankle injury prevention or rehabilitation.
Towards a Transcultural Semiotic

Of late in philosophy the dominant trend may be styled ‘relative Kantianism’: the trend is Kantian in that it accepts Kant’s radical contention that experience is entirely a synthetic function of the mind’s unifying and ordering conceptions; yet it is relative in that it regards these ordering conceptions (against Kant) as variable and subject to differing perspectives occasioned by differing spatio-temporal circumstances.
The Mosaic Theory and the Spatial Dynamics of Natural Dieback and Regeneration in Pacific Forests

Most patterns of vegetation, particularly when projected on a map, form a mosaic. But mapped vegetation patterns are generally considered to be static, particularly if they are well correlated with strong differences in habitat.
Documentary Intertext: John Marshall, The Hunters 1957

John Marshall’s The Hunters provides a window to the practices of an age-old hunting-and-gathering economy persisting into the twentieth century. The labors of men and women are detailed in their respective daily tasks. Problems that arise in “authentically” representing the works and days of a Paleolithic people in terms of a camera-eye view become obvious here. The camera, as Susan Sontag argues, transmutes what it “sees” into forms that are merely “picturesque” from the viewpoint of the modern middle-class flaneur. More problematic still, as in Robert Gardner’s Dead Birds, is the need for the ethnographic filmmaker to reconstruct scenes supposedly representative of primeval cultures since none are now available. In visual ethnography, here, as in John Gardner’s Dead Birds, the problems of cinema verite and the epistemology of documentary film are first and foremost. Yet, beyond worries about truth in representation, the film also raises issues in the history of media culture: orality and storytelling’s evolution into scriptography and reading, then in turn into electronic imaging. Hence, this chapter takes a step back into the ancient campsite to consider the role of fire in human evolution, including its “light” in the development of media and consciousness. The fire around which ancient bards and their listeners huddled served as a wellspring not only of warmth, but also of communicative practices. Today, like Paleolithic peoples before the fire, postmodern moviegoers gather at the cinema and we all, from Sub-Saharan Africa to New York and Beijing, now hover before our glowing electronic screens (Pew Research Center: Global Attitudes and Trends, Cell Phones in Africa: Communication Lifeline, 2015).
Quantifying and connecting atomic and crystallographic grain boundary structure using local environment representation and dimensionality reduction techniques

Abstract In this work, the relationship between grain boundary crystallography and grain boundary atomic structure is examined, using [ 1 0 0 ] - symmetric tilt grain boundaries in nickel. The structural unit model is used as a benchmark to evaluate the atomic structure description capacities of an emerging structural descriptor, the local environment representation, which itself is a refinement of the Smooth Overlap of Atomic Positions (SOAP) descriptor. We show that the local environment representation encodes both the information of the structural unit model and additional information, such as distortion in the structural units and the arrangement of the structural units at the interface. The use of the local environment representation permits the use of a visualization tool known as SPRING to represent structural similarities between grain boundaries. With the SPRING representation, we produce objective evidence of a relationship between crystallography and atomic structure, at least for [ 1 0 0 ] - symmetric tilt grain boundaries.
History and dynamics of the Greater Yellowstone Glacial System during the last two glaciations

Abstract The Greater Yellowstone Glacial System (GYGS) covered about 20,000 km2 at its maximum Pleistocene extent. The initiation, culmination, and ultimate decay of the GYGS involved complex interactions between several coalescent ice masses flowing from glacial source areas adjoining and including the Yellowstone Plateau. Here, we present an updated review of the history and dynamics of the GYGS during the penultimate (Bull Lake) and last (Pinedale) glaciations, drawing upon an integration of glacial-geologic mapping with >130 cosmogenic 10Be and 3He exposure ages. Bull Lake glacial deposits in greater Yellowstone are dated to ca. 150–140 ka and correlate with marine isotope stage 6. The Bull Lake glaciation extended well beyond the Pinedale along the southern and western GYGS margins, but Pinedale glaciers overrode Bull Lake ice limits on the north and east sides. The northeastward shift of the center of ice mass from Bull Lake to Pinedale time may be explained by uplift on the leading edge of the Yellowstone hotspot and subsidence on the trailing margin. In early Pinedale time (∼22–18 ka), ice buildup culminated in the high terrain of the Beartooth Uplift and High Absaroka Range. Glaciers from these source regions flowed onto the northeastern margin of the Yellowstone Plateau and advanced to terminal moraines beyond Clarks Fork Canyon and in Jackson Hole. By middle Pinedale time (∼18–16 ka), the Yellowstone Plateau ice cap surface had risen above the equilibrium-line altitude, stimulating orographic glacial buildup nourished by storms funneled eastward through the Snake River Plain. The plateau ice cap eventually thickened to >1000 m and joined glaciers from the Beartooth Uplift and Gallatin Range to form the northern Yellowstone outlet glacier. Terrain east and downwind of the ice cap crest was placed in a precipitation shadow, resulting in glacial recession in these regions. During the late Pinedale (∼16–13 ka), the plateau ice cap prograded southwestward toward the direction of moisture supply, leading to advances along the southern and western margins of the GYGS. Northern sectors of the plateau ice cap were nearly stagnant at this time. The Yellowstone region experienced widespread deglaciation ca. 15–14 ka in response to warming climate. Unloading of the ∼1 km-thick plateau ice cap and consequent release of pressure on the magmatic system beneath Yellowstone was not accompanied by volcanism, indicating that the magma chamber was not primed to erupt via decompression during the last deglaciation.
Integration of Biomarkers Into a Signature Profile of Persistent Traumatic Brain Injury Involving Autoimmune Processes Following Water Hammer Injury From Repetitive Head Impacts.

Objectives:To assemble an algorithm that will describe a “Signature” predictive of an individual’s vulnerability to persistent traumatic brain injury (TBI)Subjects and Methods:Studies of athletes a...
Small cell carcinoma of the cervix: a retrospective analysis of characteristics important in outcomes

To assess clinical characteristics and treatment modalities in patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix and the effect this has on overall (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS).
360° Video Coding Based on Projection Format Adaptation and Spherical Neighboring Relationship

This paper describes a 360° video coding scheme submitted in response to the joint call for proposal on video compression for capability beyond HEVC issued by ITU-T SG16 Q.6 (VCEG) and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 (MPEG) in October 2017. The proposed coding scheme uses projection format adaptation and spherical neighboring relationship to improve coding efficiency. A hybrid angular cubemap projection format is used to adapt the sampling within each face. The faces are packed in an adaptive manner, and the frame packing configuration is updated at regular intervals. Geometry padding of reference photographs is used to improve inter prediction. For intra-/inter-prediction and in-loop filters, processes are modified to avoid utilizing “wrong” neighbors in the frame packed photograph. Finally, post-filtering is used to reduce artifacts at face discontinuities. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the superior compression efficiency achieved by the proposed 360° video coding scheme. Based on the end-to-end weighted-to-spherically uniform PSNR metric, it achieves average bit rate savings of 33.9% and 13.5% over the HM and joint exploration model anchors, respectively, encoded in the padded equirectangular projection format.
Tight Conic Formulation of Unit Commitment Problem and Comparison with MINLP/MILP Formulations

Unit Commitment (UC) in its classical form is a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problem, which is not scalable to power systems with large number of generators. Mixed integer linear programming (MILP) versions of UC use linear or piece-wise linearized cost functions of the generators, which is computationally efficient for larger systems, and is the state-of-the-art method in some of the existing energy management system (EMS) tools. In this paper, we demonstrate that use of linear cost functions in MILP can lead to suboptimal solutions, thus having larger differences in cost which can be possibly run into millions of dollars. We then develop a tighter conic reformulation of the UC problem that retains the quadratic cost functions of the generators and utilizes convex hull descriptions of harder inter-temporal constraints. This improves on the computational efficiency, and as a result, the formulation shows better scalability than MINLP and significantly lower operational costs compared to MILP. We demonstrate efficacy of the proposed UC formulation using several case studies considering upto 1,000 generators.
PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION IN PATIENT WITH PERSISTENT LEFT SUPERIOR VENA CAVA (SVC) WITH ABSENT RIGHT SVC

Persistent left superior vena cava (SVC) is an abnormality affecting 4.5 - 11% of patients with congenital heart disease. Most commonly, the left-sided SVC enters the coronary sinus (CS) with subsequent drainage into the right atrium, although approximately 8% of cases drain into a left atrium,
Tone language experience-dependent advantage in pitch representation in brainstem and auditory cortex is maintained under reverberation.

Abstract Long-term language and music experience enhances neural representation of temporal attributes of pitch in the brainstem and auditory cortex in favorable listening conditions. Herein we examine whether brainstem and cortical pitch mechanisms—shaped by long-term language experience—maintain this advantage in the presence of reverberation-induced degradation in pitch representation. Brainstem frequency following responses (FFR) and cortical pitch responses (CPR) were recorded concurrently from Chinese and English-speaking natives, using a Mandarin word exhibiting a high rising pitch (/yi2/). Stimuli were presented diotically in quiet (Dry), and in the presence of Slight, Mild, and Moderate reverberation conditions. Regardless of language group, the amplitude of both brainstem FFR (F0) and cortical CPR (Na Pb) responses decreased with increases in reverberation. Response amplitude for Chinese, however, was larger than English in all reverberant conditions. The Chinese group also exhibited a robust rightward asymmetry at temporal electrode sites (T8 > T7) across stimulus conditions. Regardless of language group, direct comparison of brainstem and cortical responses revealed similar magnitude of change in response amplitude with increasing reverberation. These findings suggest that experience-dependent brainstem and cortical pitch mechanisms provide an enhanced and stable neural representation of pitch-relevant information that is maintained even in the presence of reverberation. Relatively greater degradative effects of reverberation on brainstem (FFR) compared to cortical (Na Pb) responses suggest relatively stronger top-down influences on CPRs.
Report of 52nd annual meeting of the pacific association of pediatric surgeons.

Abstract This is the report of the 52nd Annual Association of Pediatric Surgeons held in Christchurch, New Zealand, March 10–March 14, 2019.
Definition of alleles and altered regulatory motifs across Cas9-edited cell populations

Abstract Background Genetic alteration of candidate response elements at their native chromosomal loci is the only valid determinant of their potential transcriptional regulatory activities. Targeted DNA cleavage by Cas9 coupled with cellular repair processes can produce arrays of alleles that can be defined by massively parallel sequencing by synthesis (SBS), presenting an opportunity to generate and survey edited cell populations that include informative alterations. Such editing efforts commonly rely on subclonal enrichment to isolate cells with preferred genotypic properties at target loci; short nucleotide adducts (indices/barcodes) allow PCR-amplified molecules from diverse sample sources to be pooled, sequenced, and demultiplexed to resolve source-specific content. Not widely available, however, are capabilities for barcoding thousands of clones, or for automated analysis of individual candidate regulatory loci PCR-amplified and sequenced from a genetically heterogeneous population—specifically, imputation of discrete genotype(s) by allele definition and abundance, and identification of altered regulatory factor binding motifs. Results We describe a panel of 192 8-nucleotide barcode primers compatible with Illumina® sequencing platforms, and the application of these barcodes to genotypic analysis of Cas9-edited clones. Permutations of the ninety-six i7 (read 1) and ninety-six i5 (read 2) barcodes allow unique labeling of up to 9,216 distinct samples. We created three independent Python scripts: SampleSheet.py automates construction of Illumina® Sample Sheets encoding up to 9,216 barcode:sample relationships; ImputedGenotypes.py defines alleles and imputes genotypes from demultiplexed fastq files; CollatedMotifs.py flags transcription factor recognition motif matches altered in alleles relative to a reference sequence. Conclusions Code-enabled definition of alleles and regulatory motifs in sequenced, demultiplexed amplicons facilitates evaluation of genetic diversity in up to 9,216 distinct samples. Here, we demonstrate the utility of three scripts in analysis of cell populations targeted by Cas9 for disruption of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) binding sites near FKBP5, a GR-regulated gene in the human adenocarcinoma cell line A549. SampleSheet.py, ImputedGenotypes.py, and CollatedMotifs.py operate independently and are broadly applicable beyond the case described here.
An antibody against HK blocks Alzheimer's disease peptide β-amyloid-induced bradykinin release in human plasma.

Bradykinin is a proinflammatory factor that mediates angioedema and inflammation in many diseases. It is a key player in some types of hereditary angioedema and is involved in septic shock, traumatic injury, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and stroke, among others. Activation of the plasma contact system leads to elevated levels of plasma kallikrein, which cleaves high molecular weight kininogen (HK) to release bradykinin. Drug development for bradykinin-meditated pathologies has focused on designing inhibitors to the enzymes that cleave HK (to prevent bradykinin release) or antagonists of endothelial bradykinin receptors (to prevent downstream bradykinin action). Here we show a strategy to block bradykinin generation by using an HK antibody that binds to HK, preventing its cleavage and subsequent bradykinin release. We show that this antibody blocks dextran sodium sulfate-induced HK cleavage and bradykinin production. Moreover, while the pathogenic AD peptide β-amyloid (Aβ)42 cleaves HK and induces a dramatic increase in bradykinin production, our HK antibody blocked these events from occurring. These results may provide strategies for developing treatments for bradykinin-driven pathologies.
Hypnotic Analgesia and Stress Inoculation Training: Individual and Combined Effects in Analog Treatment of Experimental Pain

The individual and combined effects of hypnotic analgesia and a multicomponent cognitive–behavioral intervention were compared in the analog treatment of experimental pain. Eighty-three participants previously assessed for hypnotic suggestibility were randomly assigned to hypnotic analgesia, Stress Inoculation Training, combined (analgesia plus Stress Inoculation procedures delivered in a hypnotic context), or control conditions. Participants in the 3 treatment conditions reported more reduction of finger pressure pain than did control participants. However, there was no difference among the 3 treatments in pain reduction. More pain reduction was associated with greater suggestibility. Decreases in pain were correlated with expected pain reduction in the hypnotic analgesia and combined conditions, but not in the cognitive–behavioral condition. Therefore, response expectancies may play a larger mediational role in hypnotic treatments for experimental pain than in cognitive–behavioral interventions.
Astroglial TLR9 antagonism promotes chemotaxis and alternative activation of macrophages via modulation of astrocyte-derived signals: implications for spinal cord injury

The recruitment of immune system cells into the central nervous system (CNS) has a profound effect on the outcomes of injury and disease. Glia-derived chemoattractants, including chemokines, play a pivotal role in this process. In addition, cytokines and chemokines influence the phenotype of infiltrating immune cells. Depending on the stimuli present in the local milieu, infiltrating macrophages acquire the classically activated M1 or alternatively activated M2 phenotypes. The polarization of macrophages into detrimental M1 versus beneficial M2 phenotypes significantly influences CNS pathophysiology. Earlier studies indicated that a toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) antagonist modulates astrocyte-derived cytokine and chemokine release. However, it is not known whether these molecular changes affect astrocyte-induced chemotaxis and polarization of macrophages. The present studies were undertaken to address these issues. The chemotaxis and polarization of mouse peritoneal macrophages by spinal cord astrocytes were evaluated in a Transwell co-culture system. Arrays and ELISA were utilized to quantify chemokines in the conditioned medium (CM) of pure astrocyte cultures. Immunostaining for M1- and M2-specific markers characterized the macrophage phenotype. The percentage of M2 macrophages at the glial scar was determined by stereological approaches in mice sustaining a mid-thoracic spinal cord contusion injury (SCI) and intrathecally treated with oligodeoxynucleotide 2088 (ODN 2088), the TLR9 antagonist. Statistical analyses used two-tailed independent-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. A p value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. ODN 2088-treated astrocytes significantly increased the chemotaxis of peritoneal macrophages via release of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 1 (CCL1). Vehicle-treated astrocytes polarized macrophages into the M2 phenotype and ODN 2088-treated astrocytes promoted further M2 polarization. Reduced CCL2 and CCL9 release by astrocytes in response to ODN 2088 facilitated the acquisition of the M2 phenotype, suggesting that CCL2 and CCL9 are negative regulators of M2 polarization. The percentage of M2 macrophages at the glial scar was higher in mice sustaining a SCI and receiving ODN 2088 treatment as compared to vehicle-treated injured controls. TLR9 antagonism could create a favorable environment during SCI by supporting M2 macrophage polarization and chemotaxis via modulation of astrocyte-to-macrophage signals.
Ultra-Low Cross Polarization Microstrip Patch Antennas for Phased Arrays

In this article, the authors present three microstrip patch antenna configurations for ultra low cross polarization phased arrays. These antennas are based on a mathematical model of an electric current in top of a dielectric covered ground plane. The model predicts that for linearly polarized antennas, -40 dB cross polarization can be achieved in the field of view of $\theta=\pm 45^{o}$ and $0^{o}\leq\phi\leq 180^{o}$ . To validate the model, HFSS planar electromagnetic simulations were made in where infinite ground plane and dielectrics are assumed. To extend the designs for planar phased arrays, an embedded element simulation using periodic boundary conditions was performed. Results show that microstrip antennas with −40 dB cross-polarization are possible by controlling effectively the dielectric characteristics under patch.
Variable-length Cognitive Processing Therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in active duty military: Outcomes and predictors.

Abstract Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based therapy recommended for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, rates of improvement and remission are lower in veterans and active duty military compared to civilians. Although CPT was developed as a 12-session therapy, varying the number of sessions based on patient response has improved outcomes in a civilian study. This paper describes outcomes of a clinical trial of variable-length CPT among an active duty sample. Aims were to determine if service members would benefit from varying the dose of treatment and identify predictors of treatment length needed to reach good end-state (PTSD Checklist-5 ≤ 19). This was a within-subjects trial in which all participants received CPT (N = 127). Predictor variables included demographic, symptom, and trauma-related variables; internalizing/externalizing personality traits; and readiness for change. Varying treatment length resulted in more patients achieving good end-state. Best predictors of nonresponse or needing longer treatment were pretreatment depression and PTSD severity, internalizing temperament, being in precontemplation stage of readiness for change, and African American race. Controlling for differences in demographics and initial PTSD symptom severity, the outcomes using a variable-length CPT protocol were superior to the outcomes of a prior study using a fixed, 12-session CPT protocol. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT023818.
Functional connectivity within an anxiety network and associations with anxiety symptom severity in middle-aged adults with and without autism.

Anxiety is highly prevalent in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of ASDs have focused on anxiety (and fewer still on anxiety in middle-aged adults). Thus, relationships between atypical connectivity and anxiety in this population are poorly understood. The current study contrasted functional connectivity within anxiety network regions across adults (40-64 years) with and without autism, and tested for group by functional connectivity interactions on anxiety. Twenty-two adults with ASDs (16 males) and 26 typical control (TC) adults (22 males) completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory and a resting-state fMRI scan. An anxiety network consisting of 12 regions of interest was defined, based on a meta-analysis in TC individuals and two studies on anxiety in ASDs. We tested for main effects of group and group by anxiety interactions on connectivity within this anxiety network, controlling for head motion using ANCOVA. Results are reported at an FDR adjusted threshold of q < 0.1 (corrected) and p < 0.05 (uncorrected). Adults with ASDs showed higher anxiety and underconnectivity within the anxiety network, mostly involving bilateral insula. Connectivity within the anxiety network in the ASD group showed distinct relationships with anxiety symptoms that did not relate to ASD symptom severity. Functional connectivity involving the bilateral posterior insula was positively correlated with anxiety in the ASD (but not the TC) group. Increased anxiety in middle-aged adults with ASD is associated with atypical functional connectivity, predominantly involving bilateral insula. Results were not related to ASD symptom severity suggesting independence of anxiety-related effects. LAY SUMMARY: Anxiety is very common in adults with autism but the brain basis of this difference is not well understood. We compared functional connectivity between anxiety-related brain regions in middle-aged adults with and without autism. Adults with autism were more anxious and showed weaker functional connections between these regions. Some relationships between functional connectivity and higher anxiety were specific to the autism group. Results suggest that anxiety functions differently in autism.
Transplant surgery: Do the training wheels ever come off?

Becoming a transplant surgeon requires mastering both operative procedures and management of the patient before and after the operation. Along with the ability to make wise decisions under pressure, a solid foundation in all areas is necessary. In this issue, Khan et al. analyzed their experience training 11 fellows focusing specifically on the liver transplant operation (1). To evaluate for evidence of a learning curve, they divided fellow experience into two cohorts: Transplants 1 to 45, and 45 to 90. The break point matches the current American Society of Transplant Surgery (ASTS) minimum requirement of 45 liver transplants for fellows completing training in liver transplantation.
Malignant Hyperthermia Preparedness Training: Using Cognitive Aids and Emergency Checklists in the Perioperative Setting.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this project was to prepare perioperative staff at a military ambulatory surgical center to respond to a malignant hyperthermia crisis effectively with the assistance the Stanford emergency manual cognitive aid. Design This is an evidence-based practice improvement project. Methods Multidisciplinary perioperative staff at a military ambulatory surgical center participated in an in-service about the Stanford emergency manual cognitive aid tool, and a simulation exercise was conducted to practice using the tool during a malignant hyperthermia crisis. Preproject and postproject implementation surveys were to used to measure staff perceptions of and willingness to use cognitive aids/emergency checklists during perioperative emergencies. Findings Staff positive perception of and willingness to use the Stanford emergency manual cognitive aid improved after implementation of an education session and simulation exercise with the checklist tool. Conclusions Introduction of the Stanford emergency manual cognitive aid to multidisciplinary perioperative staff with an in-service and simulated malignant hyperthermia scenario improved staff perception of cognitive aid use during emergencies. Use of cognitive aid checklists during simulated perioperative emergencies was shown to reduce missed critical treatment steps.
Microbial Production of L-Threonine:Part II. Production by α-Amino-β-hydroxyvaleric Acid Resistant Mutants of Glutamate Producing Bacteria

The growth of Brevibacterium flavum No. 2247 was inhibited over 90% at a concentration above 1 mg/ml of α-amino-β-hydroxyvaleric acid, a threonine analogue, and the inhibition was reversed by the addition of l-threonine, and to lesser extent by l-leucine, l-isoleucine, l-valine and l-homoserine. l-Methionine stimulated the inhibition. Several mutants resistant to the analogue produced l-threonine in the growing cultures. The percentage of l-threonine producer in the resistant mutants depended on the concentration of the analogue, to which they were resistant. The best producer, strain B-183, was isolated from resistant strains selected on a medium containing 5 mg/ml of the analogue. Mutants resistant to 8 mg/ml of the analogue was derived from strain B-183 by the treatment with mutagen, N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Among the mutants obtained, strain BB-82 produced 13.5 g/liter of l-threonine, 30% more than did the parental strain. Among the resistant mutants obtained from Corynebacterium acetoaci...
G-protein beta gamma-subunits activate the cardiac muscarinic K+-channel via phospholipase A2.

Muscarinic receptors of cardiac pacemaker and atrial cells are linked to a potassium channel (IK.ACh) by a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein. The dissociation of G-proteins leads to the generation of two potential transducing elements, alpha-GTP and beta gamma. IK.ACh is activated by G-protein alpha- and beta gamma-subunits applied to the intracellular surface of inside-out patches of membrane. beta gamma has been shown to activate the membrane-bound enzyme phospholipase A2 in retinal rods. Arachidonic acid, which is produced from the action of phospholipase A2 on phospholipids, is metabolized to compounds which may act as second messengers regulating ion channels in Aplysia. Muscarinic receptor activation leads to the generation of arachidonic acid in some cell lines. We therefore tested the hypothesis that beta gamma activates IK.ACh by stimulation of phospholipase A2. When patches were first incubated with antibody that blocks phospholipase A2 activity, or with the lipoxygenase inhibitor, nordihydroguaiaretic acid, beta gamma failed to activate IK.ACh. Arachidonic acid and several of its metabolites derived from the 5-lipoxygenase pathway, activated the channel. Blockade of the cyclooxygenase pathway did not inhibit arachidonic acid-induced channel activation. We conclude that the beta gamma-subunit of G-proteins activates IK.ACh by stimulating the production of lipoxygenase-derived second messengers.
Abstract W P178: Multiple Concurrent Strategies are Required to Achieve Door-to-Needle Time Under One Hour for Thrombolysis of Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Majority of Patients

Introduction: Reducing door-to-needle time (DTNT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) thrombolysis is a major public health priority. Various strategies to reduce DTNT have been evaluated in academic but less so in community hospital settings. At our hospital, weekly debriefings of all AIS cases were conducted to develop process improvement strategies using a rapid cycle test of change model; which allows for quickly implementing changes in organizational structure. Methods: Paired t-test was used to compare mean DTNT before and after implementation of changes. First, stroke patients arriving by ambulance were transferred directly to CT scan, eliminating the time delay of gurney transfers. In response to a delay due to IV tubing issues, pharmacy included tubing with the t-PA. Next, the algorithm was changed to allow ED staff to order t-PA while neurologist was en route. Later, a neurologist was assigned to be on-site at the hospital for immediate response. Pharmacy began hand delivering t-pa after a delay in communication of when it was ready. After triage delays for posterior territory strokes, ED began pre-shift nursing messages and displayed posters that emphasized atypical stroke symptoms. A single pharmacy phone number was used and “t-pa alert” was called overhead for all thrombolysis candidates. Finally, graphs highlighting DTNT among involved hospital staff were placed in a visible area to encourage competetion for timeliness. Results: At the start of the quality improvement initiative, average DTNT was 84 minutes, and 13% of patients were treated within an hour. Over 3 years of process changes, DTNT was reduced to 57 minutes, and 68% of AIS patients were treated within an hour. Conclusion: Multiple concurrent strategies are needed to achieve and maintain a DTNT under 60 minutes in the majority of AIS patients in a community hospital. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
From Global to Local Constraints: A Constructive Version of Bloch's Principle

Generalizing several results from complex analysis, A. Bloch formulated an informal principle—that for every global implication there is a stronger local implication. This principle has been formalized for complex analysis, but is has been successfully used in other areas as well. In this paper, we propose a new formalization of Bloch’s Principle, and we show that in general, the corresponding localized version can be obtained algorithmically.
Wegener's granulomatosis.

In recent years, interest in Wegener's granulomatosis has been stimulated by an increasing appreciation of the chronic relapsing nature of this disease and its association with antibodies to proteinase 3. Although conventional therapy with cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids has produced remission in most patients, remission may not occur immediately and, in at least 50% of patients, may be followed by relapse. As a result, most patients experience some form of permanent morbidity from disease or treatment, or both. These observations have led to renewed efforts to identify more effective and less toxic therapies. Preliminary studies have evaluated other cytotoxic agents, such as methotrexate, and biologic products, such as high-dose immunoglobulin and monoclonal antibodies. It is hoped that a better understanding of the possible pathogenic role of anti-proteinase 3 antibodies may contribute to improved therapy. Unfortunately, research is handicapped by lack of an animal model, without which it will be difficult to prove convincingly that anti-proteinase 3 antibodies are important in expressing disease. Current Opinion in Rheumatology 1993, 5:11-17
A Reproductive Justice Approach to Women's Health

This commentary provides a brief history of the term reproductive justice and describes ways that it differs from the more commonly used term reproductive rights. Reproductive justice is a broader concept, situated firmly in the movement for social justice and based on a principle of positive rights. The author then shows how the articles by Mollen (1976) and DeLucca and Lobel (2014) both reflect and contribute to our understanding of reproductive justice.
Interleukin-6 induces neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) through suppression of RE-1 silencing transcription factor (REST).

BACKGROUND Paracrine interleukin-6 (IL-6) can mediate neuroendocrine (NE) features, including the acquisition of a neurite-like phenotype and growth arrest in prostate cancer cells. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying neuroendocrine differentiation induced by IL-6. METHODS Immunoblotting was performed to determine the status of RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and of neuroendocrine markers such as Neuron-specific Enolase (NSE), chromogranin A and synaptophysin in LNCaP cells treated with IL-6. To further study the impact of REST-mediated repression on neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) in LNCaP cells, either wild-type REST or a dominant-positive form of REST, REST-VP16, in which both repressor domains of REST were replaced with the activation domain of the herpes simplex virus protein VP16, was introduced into LNCaP cells. RESULTS In this study, we show that REST is suppressed in IL-6-induced neuroendocrine differentiation in LNCaP cells. Overexpression of exogenous REST abrogated IL-6-induced NED in prostate cancer cells. Expression of the recombinant REST-VP16 fusion protein activated REST target genes and other neuronal differentiation genes and produced neuronal physiological properties. In addition, REST protein turnover was accelerated in IL-6 induced NE differentiated LNCaP cells via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of the deubiquitylase HAUSP, indicating that pathway(s) priming REST degradation may be involved in IL-6 induced NE differentiation. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that REST functions as a major switch of IL-6 induced neuroendocrine differentiation in LNCaP cells. Prostate 74:1086–1094, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Computing frequent itemsets inside oracle 10G

Frequent itemset counting is the first step for most association rule algorithms and some classification algorithms. It is the process of counting the number of occurrences of a set of items that happen across many transactions. The goal is to find those items which occur together most often. Expressing this functionality in RDBMS engines is difficult for two reasons. First, it leads to extremely inefficient execution when using existing RDBMS operations since they are not designed to handle this type of workload. Second, it is difficult to express the special output type of itemsets. In Oracle 10G, we introduce a new SQL table function which encapsulates the work of frequent itemset counting. It accepts the input dataset along with some user-configurable information, and it directly produces the frequent itemset results. We present examples of typical computations with frequent itemset counting inside Oracle 10G. We also describe how Oracle dynamically adapts during frequent itemset execution as a result of changes in the nature of the data as well as changes in the available system resources.
A Review of “The Atlas of New Librarianship/The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film”

As librarians, how does society view us? Does it matter? These questions have bothered librarians for a long time. For the creators of the two works discussed in this review, a better question woul...
Immune Responses to Acute Alphavirus Infection of the Central Nervous System: Sindbis Virus Encephalitis in Mice

Publisher Summary Sindbis virus is an alphavirus that produces an acute nonfatal encephalitis in mice. The local immune responses to this virus are both cellular and humoral. The cellular response is characterized by an infiltration of mononuclear cells into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the meninges, and the brain parenchyma. This inflammatory response is initiated by sensitized T-lymphocytes that are stimulated by exposure to viral antigen to produce a lymphokine, which is chemotactic for mononuclear cells. These T-cells may also produce a lymphokine that stimulates mast cells to release vasoactive amines, which facilitate monocyte entry from the blood. Inflammation is not necessary for clearance of virus from the brain. Humoral immune responses are initially systemic and, in the central nervous system (CNS), reflect transudation of serum antibody. During recovery, there is local production of antiviral IgA as well as IgG.
OSU89A/B Potential Coefficient Models

The GEM-T2 potential coefficient model has been combined, in a least squares sense, with 30’ mean anomalies, to obtain an adjusted set of coefficients and gravity anomalies. The adjusted anomalies were processed to yield a set of potential coefficients to degree 360. The 30’ mean anomalies were estimated from terrestrial gravity data, from altimeter derived anomalies, from 1° × 1° anomalies when such data was available. For areas devoid of gravity information, the anomalies were computed in two ways: A) from the GEM-T2 coefficients and B) from the GEM-T2 coefficients to degree 36 plus coefficients implied by a topographic/isostatic model. The “fill-in” anomalies led to two potential coefficient models: OSU89A and OSU89B.
The Trial of Lindy and Michael Chamberlain ('The Dingo Trial')

On August 17, 1980, at a campsite near Australia's famous Ayer's Rock, a mother's cry came out of the dark: My God, my God, the dingo's got my baby! Soon the people of an entire continent would be choosing sides in a debate over whether the cry heard that night marked an astonishing and rare human fatality caused by Australia's wild dogs or was, rather, in the words of the man who would eventually prosecute her for murder, a calculated, fanciful lie. A jury of nine men and three women came to believe the latter story and convicted Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her ten-week-old daughter, Azaria. Three years later, while Lindy dealt with daily life in a Darwin prison, police investigating the death of a fallen climber discovered Azaria's matinee jacket near a dingo den, and the Australian public confronted the reality that its justice system had failed. A Cry in the Dark, a movie starring Meryl Streep, carried the story of Lindy's wrongful conviction across oceans. What went wrong? Convictions of the innocent usually result from inaccurate eyewitness testimony (generally the least reliable evidence in a trial because of biases and the tricks of memory), but Lindy Chamberlain was convicted by flawed forensic evidence and by investigators and prosecutors unwilling to reconsider their assumptions in the face of contradictory evidence. The trial of Lindy Chamberlain, and her husband Michael, is a cautionary tale that everyone who practices forensic science should carefully consider.
Tobacco dependence education in U.S. Dental assisting programs' curricula.

The aim of this study was to assess the level of tobacco dependence education (TDE) in the curricula of U.S. dental assisting programs and to compare the findings to those from a similar assessment of dental hygiene curricula. In the 2012–13 academic year, a 51-item survey was sent to directors of all 298 accredited dental assisting programs. Assessed were curricular TDE content, time spent on each topic, expected levels of clinical competence, and resources used. Of the 298 potential participants, 89 programs returned completed surveys, for a response rate of 30%. Of the 13 TDE-related content areas, those most often covered were oral disease related to tobacco use (100%) and general diseases related to tobacco use (93%); those least often covered were stages of (behavior) change (29%), how to develop a comprehensive tobacco intervention program in a private office setting (23%), and strategies for community-based tobacco control (22%). Responding program directors indicated the following levels of tobacco cessation intervention at which students should demonstrate competence: brief, 44%; moderate, 55%; intensive, 8%. Less than half of the reporting programs conducted a formal assessment of clinical competence in any TDE-related skills; however, skills in assessing patient tobacco use and associating head and neck findings to tobacco use were formally or informally assessed by 74% and 61%, respectively. Compared to dental hygiene programs, TDE appeared to play a smaller role in the curricula of dental assisting programs, and dental assisting programs were less likely to formally assess clinical competence in TDE.
Regression Rank: Learning to Meet the Opportunity of Descriptive Queries

We present a new learning to rank framework for estimating context-sensitive term weights without use of feedback. Specifically, knowledge of effective term weights on past queries is used to estimate term weights for new queries. This generalization is achieved by introducing secondary features correlated with term weights and applying regression to predict term weights given features. To improve support for more focused retrieval like question answering, we conduct document retrieval experiments with TREC description queries on three document collections. Results show significantly improved retrieval accuracy.