cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HuBac and nifH source tracking markers display a relationship to land use but not rainfall

Identification of the source of fecal pollution is becoming a priority for states and territories in the U.S. in order to meet water quality standards and to develop and implement total maximum daily loads. The goal of this research was to relate microbial source tracking (MST) assay concentrations to land use and levels of impervious surfaces in order to gauge how increasing development is associated with human fecal contamination in inland watersheds. The concentrations of two proposed MST markers, targeting nifH of Methanobrevibacter smithii and HuBac of Bacteroides sp., were positively correlated with increasing anthropogenic development and impervious surfaces. Higher concentrations of these MST markers in more urbanized watersheds suggest that increasing development negatively affects water quality. Neither MST marker concentration was correlated with antecedent rainfall levels, and detection of markers did not differ between dry weather and rain events. Water samples were also analyzed for norovirus and enterovirus, but these enteric viruses were rarely detected. These MST results differ from previous studies that have found correlations between traditional fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and antecedent rainfall. This difference suggests that the MST markers used in this study may be more specific for recent, land-based contamination events as opposed to resuspension of particle-associated organisms in waterways. HuBac was detected in 98% of samples, correlating with fecal coliform and Escherichia coli concentrations. The ubiquity of the HuBac marker in our samples suggests that this marker does not provide sufficiently different or additional information than FIB, and it is likely this marker was amplifying non-human targets. The nifH marker was detected in 30% of samples. Less than half of the nifH-positive samples contained levels of fecal coliforms or E. coli above regulatory thresholds, suggesting that nifH would be more useful when utilized simultaneously with FIB than in a tiered monitoring strategy. The results of this research suggests that land use factors play an important role in characterizing and mitigating fecal contamination in watersheds.
Acamprosate: New Drug to Treat Alcoholism

The drug, acamprosate, available now only in Europe, is showing promise as a new drug for treatment of alcoholism. Acamprosate, a calcium acetylhomotaurinate derivative, marketed as Campral throughout Europe, has been shown to be effective in relapse prevention with alcoholics. Recent studies support that acamprosate was used successfully in completed clinical trials with detoxified alcoholics in treatment centers throughout Europe.1-3
Development of cerebral arterial innervation: synchronous development of neuropeptide Y (NPY)- and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing fibers and some observations on growth cones

The pre- and postnatal development of sympathetic fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) and parasympathetic fibers containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) supplying the cerebral arteries were studied with immunohistochemistry in rats. The innervation patterns and densities of NPY and VIP fibers were similar at all stages of development and similar to that previously reported for norepinephrine (NE). There was a striking reorganization of the innervation pattern of all three fiber systems between the first and second postnatal weeks. At all stages of development prior to the first postnatal week, growth cones were present on individual fibers at the distal part of major cerebral arteries and the middle segment of the basilar artery. The growth cones had a range of shapes from blunt to stellate, lanceolate or filiform. NPY and VIP immunoreactive granules were commonly present. The present results taken with our earlier developmental study of NE fibers (J. Comp. Neurol., 271 (1988) 435-444), demonstrate that: (1) both sympathetic and parasympathetic perivascular nerves on immature cerebral vessels develop with similar sequences: first longitudinal fibers and fiber bundles are present; these transform to a meshwork pattern and finally transform again into the mature, predominantly circumferential pattern; (2) both the classical (NE) and peptidergic transmitters (NPY) within the sympathetic system appear to develop identically in terms of time of appearance, innervation patterns, densities and reorganization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Asian soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi on soybean and kudzu in Florida.

Abstract Asian soybean rust caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi was found on soybean and kudzu in Florida in November of 2004. The initial diagnosis of soybean rust was based on observations of symptom...
Phase-integral quantization of accidentally and intrinsically degenerate nonlinear systems

Abstract The dynamics of many nonlinearly coupled oscillator systems with internal resonances resembles the motion of a pendulum. For some other resonant systems the dynamics in the vicinity of the resonance cannot be mapped onto this “Standard Hamiltonian” of nonlinear theory. Often these two varieties, called “accidentally” and “intrinsically” degenerate systems respectively, can be converted into each other by changing external parameters. In this article, we introduce an alternative mapping (to the “Standard Map”) valid for both kinds of degeneracies by exploiting a connection between oscillator systems and asymmetric rotors. We apply this mapping to the phase-integral quantization to degenerate oscillator systems.
Unintentional injuries. Patterns within families

The occurrence of unintentional injuries is known to be influenced by physical and socioeconomic environmental factors as well as human behavior. Questions remain about how personal characteristics interact with the social, psychological, and physical environment to increase the risk of injury. The present study investigated the role of families in the injury experience of individual family members. Health encounter data from 693 families over a six-year period were analyzed. A small number of families accounted for a disproportionately large number of visits for injuries. Individual members of families tended to have similar rates of injury, and these rates were stable over time. Individual accident experience is influenced by the family to which one belongs. Injury prevention programs may find increased success by directing intervention strategies toward families.
Fiber bragg grating sensor for differential fault detection in overhead power transmission lines

In this paper, a fiber optic based sensor capable of differential fault detection in power systems is investigated. Bragg wavelength shift, is used to measure fault current in power systems. Magnetic fields generated by currents in overhead transmission lines cause a strain in a magnetostrictive material which is then detected by a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG). Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSA) monitor the reflected FBG signals, and the Bragg wavelength shift is calculated. It is shown that the faults in the overhead transmission line cause a detectable wavelength shift from the Fiber Bragg Grating.
THE EFFECT OF SEX HORMONES ON THE ANEMIA INDUCED BY HEMORRHAGE IN THE RAT

MANY INVESTIGATOES have examined the effects of endocrine glands such as the thyroid (Lim, Sarker and Brown, 1922; Kunde, 1926; Hoskins and Sleeper, 1929; Meyer, Thewlis and Rusch, 1940; Crafts, 1941; Vollmer, Gordon and Charipper, 1942), adrenal (Hartman, Green, Bowen and Thorn, 1932; Corey and Britton, 1932; Zwemer and Lyons, 1932; Meyer, Thewlis and Rusch, 1940; Dalton and Masson, 1940; Crafts, 1941, Lewis, 1941), gonads (Jolly, 1909; Kleineberger and Carl, 1912; Adams and Shevket, 1929; Juhn and Domm, 1930; Riddle and Braucher, 1934; Kamenoff, 1937; Steinglass, Gordon and Charipper, 1941; Vollmer and Gordon, 1941; Taber, Davis and Domm, 1943), and anterior pituitary (Meyer, Stewart, Thewlis and Rusch, 1937; Flaks, Himmel and Zlotnick, 1937; Overbeek and Querido, 1938; Querido and Overbeek, 1938; Querido and Overbeek, 1939; Vollmer, Gordon, Levenstein and Charipper, 1939; Vollmer and Gordon, 1941; Crafts, 1941) on the processes of blood formation and destruction.
Programming Pathways: A Technique for Analyzing Novice Programmers’ Learning Trajectories

Introductory computer science courses are a valuable resource to students of all disciplines. While we often look at students’ end products to judge their proficiency, little analysis is done on the most integral aspect of learning to programming, the process. We also have a hard time quantifying how students’ programming changes over the course of a semester. In order to address these we show how a process-oriented analysis can identify meaningful trends in how programmers develop proficiency across various assignments.
The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere Mission

The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) Mission is the first detailed exploration of Earth's Polar Mesospheric Clouds (PMCs). AIM was selected from NASA's 1999 Small Explorer (SMEX) Announcement of Opportunity to accomplish the first detailed observations of these clouds to aid our understanding of how and why they form. Polar Mesospheric Clouds form during the polar summers. These clouds have been growing brighter, are being observed in increasing quantity, and are being seen at lower latitudes. Some scientists have suggested that the changes may be the direct result of human-induced climate change. This overview paper discusses the AIM mission and its focus. It presents an historical perspective, including a review of challenges that faced the AIM team, their successes and their accomplishments during the mission development and early on-orbit operations.
The association of malocclusion complexity and orthodontic treatment outcomes.

Abstract Objective: To determine the relationship of the ABO Discrepancy Index (DI) to outcomes for routine malocclusions, and to ascertain whether significant trends in DI scores could be noted among annual samples of patients taken from 1998 to 2004. Materials and Methods: A total of 716 consecutive patients with permanent dentition from a large urban graduate orthodontics program were sampled over the 7-year span. A group of six researchers with a dental background were trained and calibrated in the various components of the DI method to ensure reproducible criteria and accurate recording of clinical and radiographic data across researchers. Data management and analyses were undertaken by two other investigators who were not involved in data coding. Results: Only a weak positive association was seen between the DI and Objective Grading System (OGS) and Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (CCA) scores. The DI was not significantly related to a general time trend. Conclusion: The DI was found to be a relia...
New Barometric and Temperature Coefficients for the Frequency of Small Cosmic-ray Bursts

This is a continuation of an earlier paper (1). Records for three of the nineteen months of the cosmic-ray observations primarily considered there have been reprocessed without satisfactory improvement of results. The statistical treatment of data for an earlier series of observations during eighteen months in 1938–9 has been completed with very satisfactory results. For a class of cosmic-ray bursts consisting of about 75 to 95 particles in a very heavily shielded high-pressure chamber at an altitude of 5440 feet, the barometric and atmospheric temperature coefficients have been found to be:—4.58%/mm Hg and —2.53%/°C, based on daily average values; and—9.05%/mm Hg and —2.19%/°C, based on monthly average values. With regard to coefficients based on daily average values, the ratio of the barometric coefficient of the radiation producing the small bursts to that of the radiation producing the burt-corrected ionization is about 26, while the corresponding ratio of the temperature coefficients is about 45. Discussion is included regarding the nature of the burst-producing radiation characterized by such large barometric and temperature coefficients.
The economic implications of organic farming

Many farmers are turning to organic or “low input” farming as a strategy for economic survival. Several comparisons of actual grain farms in the central and northern states showed that organic farming equals or exceeds conventional farming in economic performance. These findings are supported by studies that used yield data from research plots as inputs to economic models. However, models that relied more heavily on hypothetical data showed an economic disadvantage for organic farming. This may have been a result of the failure of the hypothetical models to incorporate valid assumptions on conservation and efficient utilization of water, nutrients, fuel, labor, and capital. Established organic farmers are less vulnerable to natural and economic risks than conventional farmers because their systems are more diversified. They also are less able, however, to take advantage of income tax deductions. Future trends in commodity prices, input prices, pollution regulation, and research can be expected to have mixed effects on conventional and organic farmers, but the net impact will probably favor organic farmers. On a macroeconomic (i.e. national) scale, conversion to organic farming would have many benefits. It would reduce federal costs for supporting commodity prices, reduce depletion of fossil fuels, reduce the social costs associated with erosion, improve fish and wildlife habitats, and insure the productivity of the land for future generations. However, widespread conversion to organic farming would have an undesirable impact on the balance of trade. Future research on the economics of organic farming at the farm or microeconomics level should be directed at horticultural crops, southern latitudes, marketing, and the process of conversion from conventional to organic farming. Future macroeconomic research should quantify the social benefits described above, enabling decision makers to compare organic farming with other policy options.
Assessing the likelihood of rare medical events in astronauts

Despite over half a century of manned space flight, the space flight community is only now coming to fully assess the short and long term medical dangers of exposure to reduced gravity environments. Further, as new manned spacecraft are de signed and with the advent of commercial flight capabilities to the general public, a full understanding of medical risk becomes even more critical for maintaining and understanding mission safety and crew health. To address these critical issues, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program (HRP) has begun to address the medical hazards with a formalized risk management approach by effectively identifying and attempting to mitigate acute and chronic medical risks to manned space flight. This paper describes NASA Glenn Research Center's (GRC) efforts to develop a systematic methodology to assess the likelihood of in-flight medical conditions. Using a probabilistic approach, medical risks are assessed using well established and accepted biomedical and human performance models in combination with fundamentally observed data that defines the astronauts' physical conditions, environment and activity levels. Two different examples of space flight risk are used to show the versatility of our approach and how it successfully integrates disparate information to provide HRP decision makers with a valuable source of information which is otherwise lacking.
Access to essential technologies for safe childbirth: a survey of health workers in Africa and Asia

The reliable availability of health technologies, defined as equipment, medicines, and consumable supplies, is essential to ensure successful childbirth practices proven to prevent avoidable maternal and newborn mortality. The majority of global maternal and newborn deaths take place in Africa and Asia, yet few data exist that describe the availability of childbirth-related health technologies in these regions. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health workers in Africa and Asia in order to profile the availability of health technologies considered to be essential to providing safe childbirth care. Health workers in Africa and Asia were surveyed using a web-based questionnaire. A list of essential childbirth-related health technologies was drawn from World Health Organization guidelines for preventing and managing complications associated with the major causes of maternal and newborn mortality globally. Demographic data describing each birth center were obtained and health workers reported on the availability of essential childbirth-related health technologies at their centers. Comparison analyses were conducted using Rao-Scott chi-square test statistics. Health workers from 124 birth centers in 26 African and 15 Asian countries participated. All facilities exhibited gaps in the availability of essential childbirth-related health technologies. Availability was significantly reduced in birth centers that had lower birth volumes and those from lower income countries. On average across all centers, health workers reported the availability of 18 of 23 essential childbirth-related health technologies (79%; 95% CI, 74%, 84%). Low-volume facilities suffered severe shortages; on average, these centers reported reliable availability of 13 of 23 technologies (55%; 95% CI, 39%, 71%). Substantial gaps exist in the availability of essential childbirth-related health technologies across health sector levels in Africa and Asia. Strategies that facilitate reliable access to vital health technologies in these regions are an urgent priority.
Equilibrium figures of spinning bodies with self-gravity

Abstract The study of the equilibrium and stability of spinning ellipsoidal fluid bodies with gravity began with Newton in 1687, and continues to the present day. However, no smaller bodies of the Solar System are fluid. Here I model those bodies as elastic–plastic solids using a cohesionless Mohr–Coulomb yield envelope characterized by an angle of friction. This study began in Holsapple 2001. Here new closed-form algebraic formulas for the spin limits of ellipsoidal shapes are derived using an energy method. The fluid results of Maclaurin and Jacobi are again recovered as special cases. I then consider the stability of those equilibrium states. For elastic–plastic solids the common methods cannot be used, because the constitutive equations lack sufficient smoothness at the limiting plastic states. Therefore, I propose and study a new measure of the stability of dynamic processes in general bodies. An energy-based approach is introduced which is shown to include stability approaches used in the statics of nonlinear elastic and elastic–plastic bodies, spectral definitions and the Liapunov methods used for finite-dimensional dynamical systems. The method is applied to spinning, solid, strained bodies. In contrast to the special fluid case, it is found that the strain energy term of solid materials generally induces stability of all equilibrium shapes, except for two possible cases. First, strain softening in the elastic–plastic law can result in instability at the plastic limit spin. Second, a loss of shear stiffness can give unstable states at specific spins less than the limit equilibrium spins. In the latter case, a solid spinning ellipsoidal body without elastic shear stiffness can spin no faster than with a period of about 3.7 hr, else it will fail by shearing deformations. That is distinctly slower than the oft-quoted limit of 2.1 hr at which material would be flung off the equator by tensile forces. However, the final conclusion is that neither cohesion nor tensile strength is required for the shapes and spins of almost all of the larger observed asteroids: we cannot rule out rubble-pile structures.
Apraxia in Dementia: Impact on Oral Intake

Dementia is defined as a decline from a prior level of cognitive-behavioral function and is commonly associated with deficits in learned skilled movements (i.e., apraxia). Specifically, patients with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of degenerative dementia, frequently have problems with manipulating and using tools, such as using a fork to eat a meal. With disease progression, these patients can have difficulty with oral intake, including problems with swallowing.
The Use of Face Work and Politeness Theory

Communication is central to nursing care. There is no framework to link communication theory to actual nursing interactions. Face work refers to ways people cooperatively attempt to promote both the other's and one's own sense of self-esteem, autonomy, and solidarity in conversation. Face work theory provides a means of understanding the context of interaction and the ways in which a nurse and client choose speech patterns based on perceptions offace needs,face threats, and contextualfeatures of power, culture, and social distance. Models of face work as politeness, forms of address, and embarrassment are presented to illuminate how communication is mutually negotiated and how verbal strategies respond to the instrumental demands of the situation as well as the interpersonal needs of both participants. Nurses are often effective in practice due to their intuitive understanding offace work, but this is not explicitly recognized in current research and education.
An Engineering Approach to Laboratory Ergonomics

Sequencing the World of Possibilities for Energy & Environment COEH 2009 Summer Institute Ergo in the Biosciences: Ergo in the Biosciences: An Engineering Approach to Lab furniture & design Laboratory E L b Lab t furniture & design Ergonomics i Martin Pollard Instrumentation Group Leader Dept. Dept of Energy Joint Genome Institute Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory E-mail: mjpollard@lbl.gov
AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF TURBULENT NATURAL CONVECTION IN AIR AT LOW PRESSURE ALONG A VERTICAL HEATED FLAT PLATE

Abstract An experimental investigation of turbulent natural convection in air is described. The results of this study show good agreement with early investigations and remarkable agreement with the analytical correlation of Bayley [4]: Nu = 0·10 Ra 1 3 for Rayleigh numbers up to 1012. Extensive measurements of the temperature field indicate a good similarity in the temperature profiles when compared on the basis of the natural coordinate ty. The use of power law temperature profiles is shown to be undesirable for the case of turbulent natural convection.
Bayesian models for multivariate current status data with informative censoring.

Des donnees multivariees d'etat consistent en un ensemble d'indicatrices associees a la realisation de plusieurs evenements au moment d'un examen. Nous nous interessons aux inferences sur les distributions jointes des temps d'evenements. Les methodes conventionnelles d'analyse des donnees de durees multiples ne peuvent etre utilisees parce que tous les temps d'evenements sont censures, et la censure peut etre informative. Nous prenons en compte la correlation des temps d'evenements chez un sujet au moyen d'une variable latente propre au sujet, conditionnellement a laquelle les divers temps d'evenements sont supposes independants. Nous supposons egalement que chaque evenement contribue independamment au risque de censure. Des fonctions en escalier non parametriques sont utilisees pour caracteriser les distributions de base des differents temps d'evenements et des temps d'examen. Les covariables et les effets specifiques du sujet sont incorpores grace au modele lineaire generalise. Un algorithme de Monte Carlo par chaines de Markov est decrit pour l'estimation des distributions a posteriori des inconnues. Les methodes sont illustrees par une application sur des donnees de sites multiples de tumeurs dans une etude de carcinogenicite animale.
Passive vs. active AC-DC Power conversion in Variable Frequency aerospace applications

The issue of passive vs. active AC-DC power conversion in Variable Frequency (VF) aerospace applications has been addressed. The analysis aimed at examining power quality figures in the two approaches has been performed and performance results against the industry governing standards have been obtained. A Space Vector Pulse-Width-Modulation (SVPWM) switching ACDC power converter, employing a frequency tracking algorithm and operating over the required VF and power range, is compared to a passive rectifier bridge, demonstrating its compatibility with aerospace systems power quality requirements, unlike the case of the passive conversion approach.
Neural network control of a chopper-fed DC motor

Neural networks are finding their way into control of power electronics and electric machines. Neural network controllers (NCs) possess generalization and learning capabilities that makes them suitable for control of nonlinear, time-variant plants. Neural network control of a chopper-fed DC motor is studied. A dynamic NC is used in a direct adaptive control configuration. After proper training, the dynamic NC emulates the inverse plant dynamic mapping. Training requirements of a NC are investigated. Simulation results showing system performance are presented. Hardware implementation of the NC is discussed. >
Optimization of microfluidic PET tracer synthesis with Cerenkov imaging

Microfluidic technologies provide an attractive platform for the synthesis of radiolabeled compounds. Visualization of radioisotopes on chip is critical for synthesis optimization and technological development. With Cerenkov imaging, beta particle emitting isotopes can be localized with a sensitive CCD camera. In order for Cerenkov imaging to also serve as a quantitative tool, it is necessary to understand how material properties relevant to Cerenkov emission, namely, index of refraction and beta particle stopping power, affect Cerenkov light output. In this report, we investigate the fundamental physical characteristics of Cerenkov photon yield at different stages of [(18)F]FDG synthesis on the electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) microfluidic platform. We also demonstrate how Cerenkov imaging has enabled synthesis optimization. Geant4, a Monte Carlo program applied extensively in high energy physics, is used to simulate Cerenkov photon yield from (18)F beta particles traversing materials of interest during [(18)F]FDG synthesis on chip. Our simulations show that the majority (approximately two-thirds) of the (18)F beta particle energy available to produce Cerenkov photons is deposited on the glass plates of the EWOD chip. This result suggests the possibility of using a single calibration factor to convert Cerenkov signal to radioactivity, independent of droplet composition. We validate our simulations with a controlled measurement examining varying ratios of [(18)O]H2O, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and acetonitrile (MeCN), and find a consistent calibration independent of solvent composition. However, the calibration factor may underestimate the radioactivity in actual synthesis due to discoloration of the droplet during certain steps of probe synthesis. In addition to the attractive quantitative potential of Cerenkov imaging, this imaging strategy provides indispensable qualitative data to guide synthesis optimization. We are able to use this imaging technique to optimize the mixing protocol as well as identify and correct for loss of radioactivity due to the migration of radioactive vapor outside of the EWOD heater, enabling an overall increase in the crude radiochemical yield from 50 ± 3% (n = 3) to 72 ± 13% (n = 5).
Hymenolepis nana: Mouse subcutaneous tissue responses to larval stages☆

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the cellular response to larvae developing subcutaneously in normal and immune mice. It was found that in normal mice injected subcutaneously with H. nana eggs, a leukocytic reaction was encountered which increased rapidly in intensity. After completing development to the cysticercoid stage, these parasites persisted, completely surrounded by fibroblasts, for several weeks. There was no appreciable eosinophilic infiltration of the area. In immune mice, the leukocytic reaction was more intense and few larvae developed.
Expression of the Acidothermus cellulolyticus E1 endoglucanase in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii enhances its ability to deconstruct crystalline cellulose

The Caldicellulosiruptor bescii genome encodes a potent set of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), found primarily as multi-domain enzymes that exhibit high cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activity on and allow utilization of a broad range of substrates, including plant biomass without conventional pretreatment. CelA, the most abundant cellulase in the C. bescii secretome, uniquely combines a GH9 endoglucanase and a GH48 exoglucanase in one protein. The most effective commercial enzyme cocktails used in vitro to pretreat biomass are derived from fungal cellulases (cellobiohydrolases, endoglucanases and a β-d-glucosidases) that act synergistically to release sugars for microbial conversion. The C. bescii genome contains six GH5 domains in five different open reading frames. Four exist in multi-domain proteins and two as single catalytic domains. E1 is a GH5 endoglucanase reported to have high specific activity and simple architecture and is active at the growth temperature of C. bescii. E1 is an endo-1,4-β-glucanase linked to a family 2 carbohydrate-binding module shown to bind primarily to cellulosic substrates. We tested if the addition of this protein to the C. bescii secretome would improve its cellulolytic activity. In vitro analysis of E1 and CelA shows synergistic interaction. The E1 gene from Acidothermus cellulolyticus was cloned and expressed in C. bescii under the transcriptional control of the C. bescii S-layer promoter, and secretion was directed by the addition of the C. bescii CelA signal peptide sequence. The vector was integrated into the C. bescii chromosome at a site previously showing no detectable detrimental consequence. Increased activity of the secretome of the strain containing E1 was observed on both carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and Avicel. Activity against CMC increased on average 10.8 % at 65 °C and 12.6 % at 75 °C. Activity against Avicel increased on average 17.5 % at 65 °C and 16.4 % at 75 °C. Expression and secretion of E1 in C. bescii enhanced the cellulolytic ability of its secretome. These data agree with in vitro evidence that E1 acts synergistically with CelA to digest cellulose and offer the possibility of engineering additional enzymes for improved biomass deconstruction with the knowledge that C. bescii can express a gene from Acidothermus, and perhaps other heterologous genes, effectively.
Elective versus emergency surgery for ulcerative colitis: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program analysis

Abstract Background It is unclear whether advances in the medical management of ulcerative colitis (UC) have altered outcomes for medically intractable disease. Therefore, it is essential to understand the current impact of elective versus emergency surgery for UC. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was used to compare outcomes for elective versus emergency UC surgery between 2005 and 2010. Results Four thousand nine hundred sixty-two patients were eligible for study (94% elective and 6% emergent). Emergency surgery patients were significantly older and frequently underwent open surgery. Emergency cases were associated with a higher frequency of cardiac, pulmonary, and renal comorbidities; postoperative complications; longer hospital stays; and higher rates of return to the operating room. Conclusions In the era of advanced UC medical therapy, the need for emergency surgery still exists and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Data are needed to determine if earlier selection of surgery would be beneficial.
Activation of Neutrophils by Cachectin/Tumor Necrosis Factor: Priming of N-Formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl- Phenylalanine-Induced Oxidative Responsiveness Via Receptor Mobilization Without Degranulation

Human recombinant cachectin/tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was shown to prime neutrophils (PMN8), in a dose-dependent fashion, for subsequent oxidative responsiveness toward n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). One basis for this phenomenon appeared to be TNF-mediated FMLP receptor mobilization. The maximal observed priming response was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the expression of PMN FMLP surface receptors, without changes in receptor affinity. Priming was not seen following stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate, possibly eliminating a role for the protein kinase C-dependent transductional components of FMLP-induced oxidative activity In the priming process. FMLP receptor mobilization occurred without significant degranulation as evident by an absence of increased granular enzyme release. These data support a potential role of macrophage-derived TNF in the augmentation of PMN host-defense during infectious and inflammatory challenge. TNF-mediated PMN oxidative priming may also promote oxidant tissue injury as seen in septic shock, adult respiratory distress syndrome, and multiple system organ failure.
Seminoma in a Renal Transplant Recipient

AbstractA case is reported of testicular seminoma developing de novo 13 months post-transplantation. Two other post-transplant scrotal complications were noted, that is hydrocele and testicular atrophy. The question raised is what type of therapy would be best for this patient.
Voting and Political Participation

In democratic societies, the right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights a citizen can have. The right to vote is a critical source of political power and a powerful symbol of one’s membership in a society. Persons with dementia, however, face significant barriers to exercising the right to vote. This chapter describes those barriers and explores the extent to which they are consistent with international law and human rights norms. After showing how many are not, it suggests how jurisdictions might adopt voting-related laws and practices to enable persons with dementia to more fully engage in the political life of their societies.
Cosmic Conflict as a Hermeneutical Framework for Mission Theology in the Old Testament

COSMIC CONFLICT AS A HERMENEUTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR MISSION THEOLOGY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT by Cristian Dumitrescu Adviser: Bruce L. Bauer ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH DissertationOF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: COSMIC CONFLICT AS A HERMENEUTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR MISSION THEOLOGY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Name of researcher: Cristian Dumitrescu Name and degree of faculty adviser: Bruce L. Bauer, D.Miss. Date completed: July 2010 This research aims to rediscover mission as taught by the Old Testament and to show how that mission is consistent with God’s loving and just character as reflected in the whole Bible. Toward this end, the research surveys assumptions that influence Old Testament mission theology and evaluates ways in which current theologies of mission and theological currents relate to the unity and continuity of the Bible. With this background, the study then proposes a comprehensive theological framework that preserves the unity of God’s character and his mission. Chapter 1 shows how the traditional understanding of centrifugal and centripetal mission is often based on uneven assumptions and indicates the need for a balanced approach to God’s character and to his mission. Chapter 2 reviews the main mission theology works of the twentieth and twentyfirst centuries that deal primarily with the Old Testament. The chapter shows that the development of mission theology was influenced by an array of events and extra-biblical assumptions that affected God’s mission by assigning a different type of mission to each Testament, thereby missing the unity of Scripture. Chapter 3 analyzes the basic assumptions of theological currents such as dispensationalism and covenant theology and shows how belief in the superiority of the New Testament over the Old affects the understanding of mission in the Bible. The chapter also shows how the outward focus of ecumenical mission leads to a distortion of the biblical text. Chapter 4 looks first at basic biblical assumptions that should inform the reading of the text and uses these assumptions in an attempt to discover a comprehensive framework for building a mission theology. The second part of the chapter proposes the cosmic conflict as an all-encompassing framework that preserves the unity and continuity of Scripture. It addresses main thematic concerns of previous mission theologies and restores mission’s rightful motivation and purpose. Chapter 5 concludes the study by summarizing correctives to the popular understanding of God and mission (missio Dei) in the Bible that come from recognition of the universal dimension of the cosmic conflict framework. This chapter also suggests some further missiological implications of that framework. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary COSMIC CONFLICT AS A HERMENEUTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR MISSION THEOLOGY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy
Diversification of importin-α isoforms in cellular trafficking and disease states

The human genome encodes seven isoforms of importin α which are grouped into three subfamilies known as α1, α2 and α3. All isoforms share a fundamentally conserved architecture that consists of an N-terminal, autoinhibitory, importin-β-binding (IBB) domain and a C-terminal Arm (Armadillo)-core that associates with nuclear localization signal (NLS) cargoes. Despite striking similarity in amino acid sequence and 3D structure, importin-α isoforms display remarkable substrate specificity in vivo. In the present review, we look at key differences among importin-α isoforms and provide a comprehensive inventory of known viral and cellular cargoes that have been shown to associate preferentially with specific isoforms. We illustrate how the diversification of the adaptor importin α into seven isoforms expands the dynamic range and regulatory control of nucleocytoplasmic transport, offering unexpected opportunities for pharmacological intervention. The emerging view of importin α is that of a key signalling molecule, with isoforms that confer preferential nuclear entry and spatiotemporal specificity on viral and cellular cargoes directly linked to human diseases.
Teaching Computational Thinking Through Bio-Design (Abstract Only)

We are developing ways to teach computational thinking through interaction with tangible digital tools for synthetic biology. Inspired in part by Jeannette Wing's (Wing 2008) notion of the essence and pervasiveness of computational thinking, a growing community within SIGCSE is exploring tools that encourage computational thinking that don't use traditional computer science terminology or computer programming (Basawapna 2013, Daily 2014, Freeman 2014, Miller 2014, Wolz 2011). However, that community has not yet explored how to teach computational thinking through bio-design. Synthetic biology is a relatively new research field where scientists engineer living organisms to exhibit new behaviors. Biologists arrange and combine BioBricks, sequences of DNA that exhibit a behavior, sense an environmental factor, or indicate the beginning or end of a larger sequence. Bio-design not only incorporates traditional principles of computational thinking (abstraction, modularity, design/build/test), but also introduces new challenges that force the user to apply these principles in new ways. Interacting with biology can thus 1) help deepen understanding for people who are proficient in computational thinking, 2) provide a platform for introduction to computational thinking for the first time. Because most bio-design is performed in a wetlab by experienced biologists, we focus now on designing and developing low-barrier digital tools for interacting with biology. We present SynFlo (Okerlund 2016), a tangible interactive system for bio-design that mimics a real-life biological wetlab protocol and we discuss the properties of SynFlo and bio-design in general that encourage computational thinking.
The Artistic Value of Works of Agatha Christie

As the world-famous Queen of Crime,Agatha Christie not only won great honor for detective fiction but also made a significant contribution towards helping popular novels step into the palace of elegant culture.The methods like analysis and contrast are used in this paper to analyze its unique artistic value of her detective works from the artistic technique employed and her antiheroic qualities as a feminine detective fiction writer.
18 THE IMPACT OF TRAINING MEDICAL ASSISTANTS TO PROVIDE SMOKING CESSATION COUNSELING TO AN UNDERSERVED PATIENT POPULATION

Background Health care providers have experimented with ways to implement smoking cessation education and assistance into the clinic visit. The inclusion of smoking status as the fifth vital sign has been one way. At most clinics, the medical assistant has the first contact with the patient and documents the patient9s smoking status along with other vital signs. This brief contact provides an opportunity to initiate dialogue about smoking cessation. Our study seeks to measure the effectiveness of the medical assistant as a smoking cessation educator. We anticipate patients will report an increased awareness of smoking cessation programs and a higher interest in pursuing a smoking cessation program. Study Design and Methods: The study was conducted at the Bothell-Kenmore Community Health Clinic in King County, Washington in two 3-week blocks. In the first phase, medical assistants gave all smokers a 12-item survey regarding smoking cessation. At the conclusion of the control period, the medical assistants took part in a one-hour class on providing education and smoking cessation assistance. Following the class, the medical assistants continued administering the same surveys to current smokers and were encouraged to educate patients on smoking risks and cessation. Results 43 surveys were collected in the control period and 42 in the experimental period. Experimental group subjects were more likely to positively respond to questions regarding the helpfulness of the clinic visit and in the level of interest in starting a smoking cessation program. While experimental group subjects were more likely to report that they were advised to quit smoking, that they discussed cessation with the doctor and that they were given education materials, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Bringing the medical assistant into the smoking cessation process appears to increase patient9s self-reported motivation to quit. Benefits in other areas, such as improved patient education penetrance, would likely be seen in a larger sample size.
Estrogen facilitates and the kappa and mu opioid receptors mediate antinociception produced by intrathecal (−)-pentazocine in female rats

Pentazocine, a mixed-action kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, has high affinity for both KOR and the mu opioid receptor (MOR), and has been shown clinically to alleviate pain with a pronounced effect in women. However, whether local application of pentazocine in the spinal cord produces antinociception and the contribution of spinal KOR and MOR in mediating the effect of pentazocine in female rats remain unknown. Also, it is not known whether pentazocine-induced antinociception in females is estrogen-dependent. Hence, we investigated whether intrathecal (i.t.) (-)-pentazocine produces thermal antinociception and whether estrogen modulates the drug effect in female rats. Only the highest dose of pentazocine (500 nmol) was effective in producing antinociception in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. In contrast, pentazocine produced antinociception in estradiol-treated ovariectomized females (OVX+E) rats with the lowest effective dose being 250nmol. KOR or MOR mediated the effect of the lowest effective dose in OVX+E rats; however, MOR blockade extended the KOR-mediated effect of 500nmol pentazocine in both groups. In normally cycling females, the 250nmol dose was effective in producing antinociception at the proestrous, but not at the diestrous stage of the estrous cycle. Thus, estrogen facilitates and KOR or MOR mediates. the antinociceptive effect of i.t. (-)-pentazocine in female rats. Selective doses of (-)-pentazocine, with or without MOR blockade, may have a therapeutic benefit.
Popularity as a Poor Proxy for Utility

This chapter compares claims regarding the scientific and societal significance of the Implicit Association Test (“IAT”) to the empirical record. The data fails to support the rhetoric: the mechanisms of bias remain in dispute and theories of prejudice have not converged; bold claims about the superior predictive validity of the IAT over explicit measures have been falsified; IAT scores add practically no explanatory power in studies of discriminatory behavior; and IAT research has not led to new practical solutions to discrimination. The implicit prejudice construct should be subjected to greater theoretical and empirical scrutiny.
Measuring Socioeconomic Inequalities With Predicted Absolute Incomes Rather Than Wealth Quintiles: A Comparative Assessment Using Child Stunting Data From National Surveys

Objectives. To compare the predictive power of synthetic absolute income measures with that of asset-based wealth quintiles in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) using child stunting as an outcome.Methods. We pooled data from 239 nationally representative household surveys from LMICs and computed absolute incomes in US dollars based on households’ asset rank as well as data on national consumption and inequality levels. We used multivariable regression models to compare the predictive power of the created income measure with the predictive power of existing asset indicator measures.Results. In cross-country analysis, log absolute income predicted 54.5% of stunting variation observed, compared with 20% of variation explained by wealth quintiles. For within-survey analysis, we also found absolute income gaps to be predictive of the gaps between stunting in the wealthiest and poorest households (P < .001).Conclusions. Our results suggest that absolute income levels can greatly improve the prediction of...
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of septic bursitis

Limited data guide practice in evaluation and treatment of septic bursitis. We aimed to characterize clinical characteristics, microbiology, and outcomes of patients with septic bursitis stratified by bursal involvement, presence of trauma, and management type. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to a single center from 1998 to 2015 with culture-proven olecranon and patellar septic bursitis. Baseline characteristics, clinical features, microbial profiles, operative interventions, hospitalization lengths, and 60-day readmission rates were determined. Patients were stratified by bursitis site, presence or absence of trauma, and operative or non-operative management. Of 44 cases of septic bursitis, patients with olecranon and patellar bursitis were similar with respect to age, male predominance, and frequency of bursal trauma; patients managed operatively were younger (p = 0.05). Clinical features at presentation and comorbidities were similar despite bursitis site, history of trauma, or management. The most common organism isolated from bursal fluid was Staphylococcus aureus. Patients managed operatively were discharged to rehabilitation less frequently (p = 0.04). This study of septic bursitis is among the largest reported. We were unable to identify presenting clinical features that differentiated patients treated surgically from those treated conservatively. There was no clear relationship between preceding trauma or bursitis site and clinical course, management, or outcomes. Patients with bursitis treated surgically were younger. Additional study is needed to identify patients who would benefit from early surgical intervention for septic bursitis.
A Physician's Duty to Warn Third Parties of Hereditary Risk

Two key court decisions came to different conclusions regarding physicians’ duty to warn third parties of genetic risk. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.