cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Mutation Analysis of Goosecoid-like (GSCL), a Homeodomain-Containing Gene That Maps to the Critical Region for VCFS/DGS on 22q11

Abstract Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is a developmental disorder characterized by conotruncal heart defects, craniofacial anomalies, and learning disabilities. VCFS is phenotypically related to DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) and both syndromes are associated with hemizygous 22q11 deletions. Because many of the tissues and structures affected in VCFS/DGS derive from the pharyngeal arches of the developing embryo, it is believed that haploinsufficiency of a gene(s) involved in embryonic development may be responsible for its etiology. A homeodomain-containing gene, Goosecoid-like (GSCL), has been recently described, and it resides in the critical region for VCFS/DGS on 22q11.GSCLis related to the Goosecoid gene (GSC) in both sequence of the homeodomain and genomic organization.Gscin the mouse is expressed during early and midembryogenesis and is required for craniofacial, rib, and limb development. The chick homolog ofGSCL,termedGSX,is expressed during early chick embryogenesis. We detectedGSCLexpression in human embryos and biphasic expression in mouse embryos. It is possible that the vertebrateGSCLgene is also required for embryonic development. Due to its location in the critical region on 22q11,GSCLis an excellent candidate gene for VCFS/DGS. The vertebrate GSC protein has the same DNA binding specificity as theDrosophilamorphogen, bicoid. Upon examination of the putativeGSCLpromoter, we found three sequence elements with an exact match to the reverse complement of the bicoid DNA recognition motif, suggesting that GSC, or possibly GSCL itself, regulates the transcription ofGSCL.Sequence analysis of the putative promoter and the coding region ofGSCLwas performed on the DNA template from 17 VCFS patients who did not have a detectable 22q11 deletion to identify mutations. We did not detect a mutation in this set of VCFS patients. A polymorphism was detected in codon 47 of exon 1.
Association of Body Mass Index With New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Operations

Background Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently complicates coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations. As the frequency of obesity has increased in the United States, the number of obese patients undergoing CABG has kept pace. This study sought to define the association between body mass index (BMI) and postoperative AF. Methods We studied 12,367 consecutive patients with no history of AF who underwent isolated CABG operations. BMI was stratified according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, and differences in baseline clinical and operative characteristics were adjusted through multivariate logistic regression models. Results The unadjusted incidence of new-onset postoperative AF demonstrated a U-shape with regard to BMI. The highest incidence (34%) was found in the "lean" stratum (BMI 2 ), followed by 32% in the "severely obese" (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) stratum. Lower incidences were found in the "normal" stratum (30%), in the "obese" stratum (28%), and the lowest incidence (26%) was in the overweight stratum. Observed incidence was 50% greater than the expected incidence in the "severely obese" stratum (32% vs 21%). In multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and other covariates, BMI remains a strong risk factor for new-onset postoperative AF. Compared with normal BMI, obesity (odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.42) and severe obesity (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.54 to 2.57) both emerged as strong risk factors for postoperative AF. No association was found between a lean BMI and postoperative AF (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.66 to 1.98). Conclusions After adjusting for potential confounders, obesity, as reflected by the body mass index, remains an independent predictor of postoperative AF.
Syntaxin 6, a Regulator of the Protein Trafficking Machinery and a Target of the p53 Family, Is Required for Cell Adhesion and Survival

The p53 family consists of p53, p63, and p73. It has been well characterized that all of the p53 family proteins are transcription factors and capable of regulating cell cycle and apoptosis. To determine whether the p53 family exerts tumor suppression by other mechanisms, we set to identify novel p53 family target genes. Here, we found that the gene encoding STX6 (syntaxin 6), a vesicle transporter protein, is directly regulated by each of the p53 family proteins. In addition, STX6 can be induced by DNA damage and Mdm2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 in a p53-dependent manner. To examine how STX6 mediates the activity of the p53 family, STX6 is inducibly overexpressed or knocked down in various cell lines. We found that overexpression of STX6 alone has limited effect on cell proliferation. In contrast, we found that knockdown of STX6 inhibits cell proliferation and survival. We also found that knockdown of STX6 leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Interestingly, we found that p53 is necessary for STX6 knockdown-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that STX6 is necessary for proper expression of focal adhesion kinase and integrin α5 adhesion receptor. Consistent with this observation, STX6 knockdown inhibits cell adhesion. Together, we postulate that STX6 is an effector and a modulator of the p53 family in the regulation of cell adhesion and survival.
Disintegration of charged liquid jets

Disintegration processes occurring with charged liquid jets of distilled water have been examined. High-speed photographic techniques were used to determine the effect of charging on disintegration of the jet, the size distribution of the drops formed, and the velocities of the drops. At relatively small currents, the jet remains undisplaced while the drops formed acquire components of velocity perpendicular to the jet axis. At sufficiently large currents, the jet develops kink or longitudinal instabilities which can cause the jet to be appreciably displaced, and the drops may have relatively large components of velocity perpendicular to the jet axis. The size distributions of the drops formed are significantly different from those resulting in the absence of electrification. Mean drop size decreases with increased charging in all cases. Drop speeds increase with increased charging as a result of both increased electrical repulsion and reduction in size.
Simultaneous decomposition of multiple hyperspectral data sets: signal recovery of unknown fluorophores in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Upon excitation with different wavelengths of light, biological tissues emit distinct but related autofluorescence signals. We used non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to simultaneously decompose co-registered hyperspectral emission data from human retinal pigment epithelium/Bruch’s membrane specimens illuminated with 436 and 480 nm light. NMF analysis was initialized with Gaussian mixture model fits and constrained to provide identical abundance images for the two excitation wavelengths. Spectra recovered this way were smoother than those obtained separately; fluorophore abundances more clearly localized within tissue compartments. These studies provide evidence that leveraging multiple co-registered hyperspectral emission data sets is preferential for identifying biologically relevant fluorophore information.
Factors predicting for urinary incontinence after prostate brachytherapy.

Abstract Purpose To define risk factors that predict for urinary incontinence after 125 I prostate brachytherapy. Methods and materials Urinary incontinence after 125 I prostate brachytherapy was evaluated using a patient self-assessment questionnaire based on the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria (version 2). Grade 0 is defined as no incontinence; Grade 1 incontinence occurs with coughing, sneezing, or laughing; Grade 2 is spontaneous incontinence with some control; and Grade 3 is no control. One hundred fifty-three patients received monotherapy (145 Gy) 125 I implants between October 1996 and December 2001, and 112 (75%) responded to our survey. Median follow-up was 47 months (range, 14–74 months). Patient characteristics included a preimplant prostate-specific antigen ≤10, Gleason score ≤6, and stage ≤T2b. CT-based postimplant dosimetry was analyzed approximately 30 days after the procedure, and dose–volume histograms of the prostate and the prostatic urethra were generated based on contoured volumes. Dosimetric parameters evaluated as predictive factors for incontinence included the prostate volume; total activity implanted; number of needles; number of seeds; seed activity; urethral D 5 , D 10 , D 25 , D 50 , D 75 , and D 90 doses; prostate D 90 doses; and prostate V 100 , V 200 , and V 300 . Clinical parameters evaluated included age, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen, preimplant International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS), and length of follow-up. Results Urethral D 10 dose and preimplant I-PSS predicted for urinary incontinence on multivariate analysis ( p = 0.002 and p = 0.003, respectively). Twenty-eight patients reported Grade 1 incontinence (26%), and 5 patients reported Grade 2 (5%). Patients with Grade 1 and 2 incontinence were analyzed together, because of the small number of patients who experienced Grade 2. No patients reported Grade 3 incontinence. Mean urethral D 10 was 314 ± 78 Gy in patients with Grade 0 compared with 394 ± 147 Gy in patients with Grades 1, 2 incontinence ( p = 0.002). The incidence of incontinence doubled as the urethral D 10 dose increased above 450 Gy. Patients with Grade 0 had a mean preimplant I-PSS score of 6.6 ± 4.5 compared with 10.0 ± 6.4 for Grades 1, 2 ( p = 0.003). A significant increase in the incidence of incontinence was noted when the preimplant I-PSS was greater than 15. No relationship was noted between incontinence and prostate volume, total activity implanted, or the number of needles used ( p = 0.83, p = 0.89, p = 0.36, respectively). Conclusion Urethral D 10 dose and preimplant I-PSS are predictive for patients at higher risk of urinary incontinence. To decrease the risk of this complication, an effort should be made to keep the urethral D 10 dose as close to the prescribed dose as possible, and the preimplant I-PSS should be thoroughly evaluated in an attempt to select patients with scores less than 15.
Short-time dissolution mechanisms of kaolinitic tropical soils

Previous research on the short-time dissolution behavior of kaolinitic Oxisols suggested pH-dependent kinetics involving ligand-promoted dissolution, metal readsorption, and colloidal dispersion, with soil organic matter conjectured to play a decisive role. A novel combination of spectroscopy, light-scattering, and batch dissolution experiments, conducted at controlled pH and ionic strength over five dissolution periods ranging from 1 to 12 h, was applied to evaluate this mechanism for samples of a representative kaolinitic Oxisol collected at both forested and cultivated field sites (leading to significant differences in organic matter content and field soil pH). The overall characteristics of the pH-dependent net release kinetics of Al, Fe, and Si by the soil samples, for any dissolution period in the range investigated, were determined by the pH value at which colloid dispersion commenced, which decreased significantly as the soil organic matter content increased. Plots of log (SiAl released) (or SiFe released) vs. −log [H+] ([H+] is proton concentration) were superimposable for all dissolution periods studied, rising to a plateau value above the point of zero net charge of the soils (pH 3.2). Light-scattering and X-ray diffraction data showed conclusively that this plateau represented the release of siliceous colloids containing kaolinite and X-ray amorphous material. X-ray diffraction, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, applied to the soil samples before and after dissolution, and after conventional chemical extractions to remove Al, C, Fe, and Si, showed that kaolinite and iron oxide phases (the latter being highly Al-substituted and present in both coatings and occlusions) were essentially unaltered by dissolution, even at −log [H+] = 2, whereas substantial dissolution loss of soil quartz occurred. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy gave strong evidence that C in these soils occurs principally in discrete solid phases, not as a reactive coating on mineral surfaces.
Modeling epidemic spreading in mobile environments

The growing popularity of mobile networks makes them increasingly attractive to virus writers, and malicious code targeting mobile devices has already begun to appear. Unfortunately, standard techniques for modeling computer virus propagation cannot be applied to mobile settings. We describe why these models fail and introduce a new framework called probabilistic queuing which treats node mobility as a first-order concern. A network is modeled by multiple queues which emulate the skewed connectivity levels common in mobile environments. Each queue represents a separate epidemiological population, and as nodes shuttle between queues, they bring their infections with them. Simulations show that for realistic mobility parameters, our model is more accurate than the standard Kephart-White framework.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF SEVERAL BROMEGRASSES (BROMUS): BREEDING SYSTEM, PATTERN OF FRUIT MATURATION, AND SEED SET

Five species of Bromus were tested for self-fertility when bagged. Bromus inermis was selfincompatible. Bromus tectorum, B. kalmEi, B. ciliatus, and B. Iatiglumis were capable of selffertilization. Further evidence from flowering behavior suggested that B. tectorum almost always self-pollinated and that the remaining self-fertile species sometimes outcrossed. Florets in different positions on a spikelet varied in the proportion that set seed. Open-pollinated B. inermis plants had lower seed set than the self-fertile species, in agreement with the pattern in a variety of hermaphroditic plants. THE RATE of self-pollination can have a profound effiect on the reproductive and population biology of hermaphroditic plants. In comparison with closely related outcrossing taxa plants that have high rates of self-fertilization can be expected to have lower rates of gene flow via pollen, smaller neighborhood size more homozygosity, and greater genetic differentiation and ecotypic specialization among populations (Stebbins, 1957; Allard, Jain and Workman, 1968; Schoen, 1982; Layton and Ganders,1984). Ornduff(1969) has listed many other correlates of breeding system. In addition, Sutherland and Delph (1984) have recently shown a relationship between the breeding system and the rate of seed set in many difEerent plant species. To test the generality of these patterns and as part of a study of the reproductive biology of several species of bromegrass (Bromus L.) I investigated the breeding system and pattern of seed set in five congeneric species that show wide variation in breeding system. Like most grasses, species of the genus Bromus are wind pollinated. The flower is much reduced and, with the two subtending bracts is referred to as a floret; florets are grouped together on the plant into spikelets. Each floret
Survival Benefit With Concomitant Clopidogrel and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor Therapy at Ad Hoc Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVE To study clinical outcomes in patients given glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors with concomitant clopidogrel at the time of ad hoc percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). PATIENTS AND METHODS We studied 30-day and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing elective or urgent PCI from March 1, 1998, to December 31, 2006, stratified by administration of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors with concomitant clopidogrel treatment at the time of ad hoc PCI. RESULTS The mean ± SD age was 66.3±11.9 years in 5196 patients receiving compared with 67.8±11.8 years in 4681 patients not receiving a GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor ( P P =.22). Long-term mortality was significantly lower ( P P =.01). Kaplan-Meier analysis (median follow-up, 48 months) revealed a significant improvement in long-term survival in patients receiving a GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor at the time of ad hoc PCI that persisted after propensity adjustments (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.98; P =.021). Patients treated with drug-eluting stents showed a significant improvement in adjusted long-term mortality. CONCLUSION In patients undergoing elective or urgent ad hoc PCI, coadministration of a GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor and dual antiplatelet therapy is associated with reduced risk-adjusted 30-day and long-term mortality.
Shape-tunable electronic properties of monohydride and trihydride [112]-oriented Si nanowires

Using first-principles calculations within density-functional theory, we demonstrated shape-dependent electronic properties of [112]-oriented Si nanowires (SiNWs) with monohydride (mh-SiNW) and trihydride (th-SiNW) passivation. We show for both mh-SiNWs and th-SiNWs, an indirect-to-direct band-gap transition can be induced solely by varying the cross-sectional aspect ratio of the {111} and {110} facets enclosing the nanowires, which is explained by the different confinement effects on the conduction-band state at $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ point by the two facets. For both mh-SiNWs and th-SiNWs, the hole (electron) effective mass converges to a value independent of cross-sectional area (aspect ratio). By analyzing the formation energy, we show that direct band-gap [112] SiNWs are possible to form at experimentally relevant passivation conditions.
Generalized horseshoe maps and inverse limits

The now-classical example due to Smale, the horseshoe map, displays interesting dynamics as well as a topologically complicated attractor. In 1986 Marcy Barge showed that the full attracting sets of horseshoe maps are homeomorphic to inverse limits of the unit interval with a single bonding map. Here we extend Barge's results to a more general class of maps. 1. Introduction. In [Ba], Barge describes the attracting sets of horseshoe maps as inverse limits of the unit interval with a single bonding map. Topologically these spaces are chainable continua known as Knaster continua. In this paper we consider a more general class of maps which we will refer to as generalized horseshoe maps. We will show that the attractors of these maps are homeomorphic to inverse limits of the unit interval with a single bonding map. Both the generalized horseshoe map and the bonding map which defines the inverse limit space described above "follow a pattern" in a sense we will define in the next section. In §3 we will prove two theorems about inverse limit spaces which will be needed in the proof of the main result given in §4. In the final section of the paper we will give some examples, and show that the horseshoe maps which Barge studied in [Ba] are special cases of the generalized horseshoes we consider here. For basic information on attractors and inverse limits see [S].
A portable X-ray imaging system for small-format applications

A prototype low-intensity x-ray imaging system with the acronym LIXIscope was built to demonstrate the feasibility of a modular approach toward X-ray imaging in small-format applications. The prototype, including its own X-ray source, is shown to be fully portable, rugged and pocket-sized. Preliminary results and performance characteristics obtained with the prototype Lixiscope are presented.
Agonists specific for the transcription factor PPARdelta accelerate differentiation of oligodendrocytes

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors belonging to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that regulate key genes involved in lipid metabolism. PPARδ is ubiquitously expressed at low levels in many tissues and its function has remained elusive. However, we have shown that PPARδ is abundantly expressed in oligodendrocytes (Ols), suggesting this receptor plays a critical role in oligodendrocyte differentiation (Granneman et al. 1998 J. Neurosci. Res51, 563). We first investigated the effects of PPAR agonists on proliferation and differentiation of Ols in tissue culture. Primary glial and enriched Ol cultures were treated with ligands that specifically activate PPARγ and PPARδ (Berger et al. 1999 J. Biol. Chem. 274, 6717). PPARδ but not PPARγ agonists increased the size of OL membrane sheets within 24 h of application. The increase in membrane sheet size was mirrored by increases in MBP and PLP mRNA's. In enriched Ol cultures, the number of Ols was increased 70% with the PPARδ agonist but not the PPARγ agonist (Saluja et al. 2001 Glia33, 191). In vivo injections of PPARδ agonist into P2 and P3 mice show an increase of total macroglia in the ventral and dorsal funiculi of the spinal cord of 20–40% compared to controls. Preliminary observations suggest the Ols in agonist treated cultures are larger and more densely stained than controls. Our results show for the first time that a specific ligand for a transcription factor is capable of activating the program of Ol differentiation. Acknowledgements: Supported by NMSS.
Immunohistochemical studies indicate multiple enteroendocrine cell differentiation pathways in the mouse proximal small intestine

The enteroendocrine cell system of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract is comprised of at least 16 different subpopulations. Each subpopulation shows a characteristic distribution along both the crypt-villus and cephalo-caudal axes. In both the small intestine and colon of adult mice, multilabel immunohistochemistry has demonstrated that two or more neuroendocrine products can be coexpressed in various combinations in single cells along the crypt-villus axis, suggesting that enteroendocrine phenotypes may be actively regulated. Using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and multilabel immunohistochemistry, we have previously demonstrated an enteroendocrine cell differentiation pathway consisting of two subpopulations of cells in the mouse proximal small intestine--one involving the sequential expression of substance P, serotonin, and secretin in cells migrating out of the crypts into the villi, and a second involving the expression of substance P and serotonin in cells which remain in the crypts. In this report, we use double label immunohistochemistry and BrdU incorporation to define the temporal and spatial interrelationships between gastrin, cholecystokinin (CCK), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) immunoreactive cells in the mouse proximal small intestine. The expression of these products was compared with that of substance P, serotonin, and secretin. Minimal overlap of expression was found in cells immunoreactive for substance P or serotonin with gastrin, CCK, GLP-1, or GIP; however, secretin was found colocalized in villus-associated gastrin, CCK, and GLP-1 containing cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Is there an optimal crawl

Abstract This paper shows that optimal exchange rate policy can be defined in terms of either a long-run secular policy or a short-run stabilization policy. The rate of crawl which maximizes real per capita consumption is shown to often differ from the exchange rate movements produced under fixed or floating exchange rates. And the optimal program for dealing with short-run speculative capital flows will involve both discrete and gradual exchange rate changes. It is also argued that domestic monetary policy and exchange rate policy are not independent instruments.
Hybrid droop and current control for seamless transition mode of microgrids

This paper proposes a smooth transition control strategy for voltage source inverters between standalone (SA) and grid connected (GC) modes of operation. During transition both current control and droop control will participate in formulating the inverter output voltage but with different weights or coefficients. In transition mode the controller varies the output coefficients of the current and droop control depending on the frequency variation to regulate the real power flow. In the proposed controller, no additional unit, like central controller, is needed to flow the required power in the transition period and no explicit communication between the inverters is required. In the transition mode, the proposed controller takes the responsibility and ensures the continuous power delivery to the load. The performance of the proposed control technique has been verified with simulation and experimental studies.
A FOUR‐DIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON POLICE TYPOLOGIES

Using factor analysis with variables previously assumed to be conceptually bipolar, four dimensions of police juvenile bureaus are suggested: juvenile specialist, community service, local, and organizational orientations. Further analysis shows these four types to have different relationships with legalism, community satisfaction, and personalized treatment of juveniles.
A fast, alignment-free, conservation-based method for transcription factor binding site discovery

As an increasing number of eukaryotic genomes are being sequenced, comparative studies aimed at detecting regulatory elements in intergenic sequences are becoming more prevalent. Most comparative methods for transcription factor (TF) binding site discovery make use of global or local alignments of orthologous regulatory regions to assess whether a particular DNA site is conserved across related organisms, and thus more likely to be functional. Since binding sites are usually short, sometimes degenerate, and often independent of orientation, alignment algorithms may not align them correctly. Here, we present a novel, alignment-free approach for incorporating conservation information into TF motif discovery. We relax the definition of conserved sites: we consider a DNA site within a regulatory region to be conserved in an orthologous sequence if it occurs anywhere in that sequence, irrespective of orientation. We use this definition to derive informative priors over DNA sequence positions, and incorporate these priors into a Gibbs sampling algorithm for motif discovery. Our approach is simple and fast. It does not require sequence alignments, nor the phylogenetic relationships between the orthologous sequences, and yet it is more effective on real biological data than methods that do.
Optimal Resource Allocation in the OFDMA Downlink with Feedback of Buffer State Information

With the advent of new applications, one of the primary applications supported in downlink cellular systems is streaming video. QoS for streaming video entails data transmission to the mobile stations with limited latency and limited jitter. This requirement on latency and jitter can be mapped to the number of yet-to-be-played packets in a mobile station's buffer, to always be above a certain minimum. Additionally, there should be no overflow of finite-size user buffers. This paper solves the problem of optimal resource allocation in a downlink OFDMA system with buffer constraints for all downlink users. The optimal strategy is shown to be a generalized version of water-filling and channel-inversion. Specifically, with infinite buffer size and no minimum constraint on buffer, it reduces to water-filling; and to channel-inversion in the absence of a buffer. It is shown that scheduling gains from the derived optimal strategy, in terms of number of users that the system can support, can be an order-of-magnitude higher than that of heuristic scheduling schemes.
Myocardial Oxygen Consumption During Ventricular Contraction and Relaxation

Determinations of left ventricular oxygen consumption were made in the isolated heart of a dog while the ventricle performed work by compressing air. In the described preparation the air compressed by the ventricle could be rapidly released and the ventricular pressure pulse repeatedly interrupted at specific points during its cycle. Upon interrupting the pressure pulse at its peak there was a 10% increase in peak pressure that appeared in the subsequent four to five beats. When the intraventricular pressure was released at various points during its ascent to peak pressure, left ventricular oxygen consumption could be correlated with both the pressure, at which it was interrupted, and the area under the pressure pulse. When the oxygen consumed by a ventricle developing a full pressure pulse was compared to that of a ventricle in which the intraventricular pressure was released at its peak-land when the peak systolic pressure of the two compared pulses were equal-then the oxygen consumed by the ventricle when the pulse was interrupted averaged 91% of that when the pulse was full. These studies indicate that by the time the pressure pulse has reached its peak, myocardial oxygen consumption has been largely determined, and that the oxygen cost of the ventricular relaxation is small.
Patient-driven resource planning of a health care facility evacuation

Introduction The evacuation of a health care facility is a complex undertaking, especially if done in an immediate fashion, ie, within minutes. Patient factors, such as continuous medical care needs, mobility, and comprehension, will affect the efficiency of the evacuation and translate into evacuation resource needs. Prior evacuation resource estimates are 30 years old. METHODS: Utilizing a cross-sectional survey of charge nurses of the clinical units in an urban, academic, adult trauma health care facility (HCF), the evacuation needs of hospitalized patients were assessed periodically over a two-year period. RESULTS: Survey data were collected on 2,050 patients. Units with patients having low continuous medical care needs during an emergency evacuation were the postpartum, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, surgical, and preoperative anesthesia care units, the Emergency Department, and Labor and Delivery Department (with the exception of patients in Stage II labor). Units with patients having high continuous medical care needs during an evacuation included the neonatal and adult intensive care units, special procedures unit, and operating and post-anesthesia care units. With the exception of the neonate group, 908 (47%) of the patients would be able to walk out of the facility, 492 (25.5%) would require a wheelchair, and 530 (27.5%) would require a stretcher to exit the HCF. A total of 1,639 patients (84.9%) were deemed able to comprehend the need to evacuate and to follow directions; the remainder were sedated, blind, or deaf. The charge nurses also determined that 17 (6.9%) of the 248 adult intensive care unit patients were too ill to survive an evacuation, and that in 10 (16.4%) of the 61 ongoing surgery cases, stopping the case was not considered to be safe. Conclusion Heath care facilities can utilize the results of this study to model their anticipated resource requirements for an emergency evacuation. This will permit the Incident Management Team to mobilize the necessary resources both within the facility and the community to provide for the safest evacuation of patients. Petinaux B , Yadav K . Patient-driven resource planning of a health care facility evacuation. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(2):1-7. Language: en
A new methodology for the design centering of IC fabrication processes

The authors describe a practical methodology that can be applied to optimize the process yield of IC fabrication lines. The yield maximization problem is first reformulated into a deterministic design centering problem. Macromodeling and problem decomposition are then applied to solve the design centering problem efficiently. The effectiveness of this methodology is illustrate through a simulation example involving a CMOS process adopted from an industrial line. >
An event-based approach for examining the effects of wildland fire decisions on communities.

Public concern over the consequences of forest fire to wildland interface communities has led to increased resources devoted to fire suppression, fuel treatment, and management of fire events. The social consequences of the decisions involved in these and other fire-related actions are largely unknown, except in an anecdotal sense, but do occur at a variety of temporal and social organizational scales. These consequences are not limited to the fire event itself. Preparation for the possibility of a fire, actions that suppression agencies take during a fire, and postfire decisions all have consequences, if unknown currently. This article presents an “event-based” approach that can be useful for constructing and systematizing discussion about the consequences of wildland fire to human communities. For each of the three major periods within this approach, agencies, communities, and individuals make decisions and take actions that have consequences. The article presents an integrated, temporally based process for examining these consequences, which is similar to others developed in the natural hazards and disaster management literature.
Characterization of the Pheromone Response of the Enterococcus faecalis Conjugative Plasmid pCF10: Complete Sequence and Comparative Analysis of the Transcriptional and Phenotypic Responses of pCF10-Containing Cells to Pheromone Induction

The sex pheromone plasmids in Enterococcus faecalis are one of the most efficient conjugative plasmid transfer systems known in bacteria. Plasmid transfer rates can reach or exceed 10−1 transconjugants per donor in vivo and under laboratory conditions. We report the completion of the DNA sequence of plasmid pCF10 and the analysis of the transcription profile of plasmid genes, relative to conjugative transfer ability following pheromone induction. These experiments employed a mini-microarray containing all 57 open reading frames of pCF10 and a set of selected chromosomal genes. A clear peak of transcription activity was observed 30 to 60 min after pheromone addition, with transcription subsiding 2 h after pheromone induction. The transcript activity correlated with the ability of donor cells to transfer pCF10 to recipient cells. Remarkably, aggregation substance (Asc10, encoded by the prgB gene) was present on the cell surface for a long period of time after pheromone-induced transcription of prgB and plasmid transfer ability had ceased. This observation could have relevance for the virulence of E. faecalis.
Measuring and reducing observational latency when recognizing actions

An important aspect in interactive, action-based interfaces is the latency in recognizing the action. High latency will cause the system's feedback to lag behind user actions, reducing the overall quality of the user experience. This paper presents a novel dataset and algorithms for reducing the latency in recognizing the action. Latency in classification is minimized with a classifier based on logistic regression that uses canonical poses to identify the action. The classifier is trained from the dataset using a learning formulation that makes it possible to train the classifier to reduce latency. The classifier is compared against both a Bag of Words and a Conditional Random Field classifier and is found to be superior in both pre-segmented and on-line classification tasks.
Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Inhibitors Side Effects—Physiologic and Non‐Physiologic Considerations

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are increasingly recognized as having an important role in the treatment of hypertension and/or end-organ disease. The sheer number of ACE inhibitors in the United States--now numbering 10 different chemical entities--has created a sense of comfort with these compounds, which is particularly evident when these compounds are used in the patient with essential hypertension; conversely, when comorbid conditions are present in the ACE inhibitor-treated patient, circumstances change and physician vigilance becomes more of a necessity. ACE inhibitor therapy in patients with either cardiac and/or renal disease is as much an art as it is a science, and even in the most skilled hands can prove a challenging undertaking. This review discusses the physiologic and non-physiologic basis for side effects with ACE inhibition.
Investigating the complex genetic architecture of ankle-brachial index, a measure of peripheral arterial disease, in non-Hispanic whites.

Background Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects 8–10 million people in the United States and is associated with a marked impairment in quality of life and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Noninvasive assessment of PAD is performed by measuring the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Complex traits, such as ABI, are influenced by a large array of genetic and environmental factors and their interactions. We attempted to characterize the genetic architecture of ABI by examining the main and interactive effects of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and conventional risk factors.
Approximation of two-dimensional digital filters using first and second-order information

The autocorrelation and impulse sequences of a discrete system are utilized to develop a new technique for the approximation of 2-D separable-in-denominator digital filters. It is shown that the proposed scheme guarantees the stability of the approximated filter. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed approach. >
Evaluating Interactive Entertainment using Breakdown: Understanding Embodied Learning in Video Games

This paper describes evaluating interactive entertainment by understanding embodied learning in games, which is a perspective that situates the learning that a player must go through to play a game in a skill-based environment. Our goal was to arrive at a tool for designers to improve learnability from this perspective. To study embodied learning, we use the concept of breakdown, which happens when our experience fails to aid our everyday actions and decision-making. We conducted a study to investigate learning in games from which we constructed a framework of 17 patterns of breakdown and a set of guidelines to aid heuristic evaluation of video games and to help designers support breakdown in interactions, which support players’ learning, so that they do not become breakdowns in illusion, which break players’ immersion [19]. Author Keywords video games, user experience, learnability, embodied interaction, flow, immersion, entertainment
The Transfer of Phosphorus to the Hen’s Egg, under Controlled Environment, as Traced with Radiophosphorus (P32)

Abstract THE hen’s egg contains a large amount of phosphorus (about 0.6% of the dry matter) which is distributed in various chemical forms through its three principal components: shell, white, and yolk. It has been observed that radioactive phosphate when administered (fed or injected) to a laying hen appears rapidly in all components and phosphorus compounds of the egg (Chargaff, 1942; Hevesy and Hahn, 1938; Lorenz et al., 1943; O’Neil et al., 1948). The effect of environmental factors on egg production and egg composition (Smith et al., 1954) may well be associated with changes in the rate and extent of transfer of phosphorus from the hen to the egg. This paper reports the results of some studies on the deposition of injected P32 in the egg which were carried out under controlled conditions. METHOD The environmental conditions, a description of the experimental animals, and general methods of analysis used in this …
Boost-Phase Filtering Options: Is Simpler Better?

It is well known that a template-based Kalman filter with correct a priori information can outperform a linear polynomial Kalman filter that does not require such information. It is also well understood that a template-based Kalman filter with slight errors in the template will require additional process noise to prevent filter divergence. For the boost-phase filtering problem, this paper will show that when template information is in error, a polynomial filter will outperform a template-based Kalman filter.
An overview of reconfigurable antennas: Design, simulation, and optimization

Reconfigurable antenna implementation can be separated into three main processes: Antenna design, simulation, and optimization. The objective of this paper is to provide insight into the selections that must be made to implement a reconfigurable antenna, serving as a guideline for future reconfigurable antenna designers as to what needs to be done before a model is constructed, such as choosing a suitable antenna structure and reconfiguration technology, a proper simulation environment, and an adequate optimization algorithm that will allow smooth transitions between reconfigurable states. These selections are directly dependent on the given project requirements. Several options are presented for each case, and particular selections are made based on desired characteristics.
Infrared Radiation from the Galactic Center

A review of recent observations of the infrared radiation from the galactic center region is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on recent one arc minute resolution 30- to 150-μm maps made from a balloon-borne telescope and from the C 141 air-borne telescope. It is shown that most of the far infrared radiation from the central 10 pc of the galactic center comes from dust heated by the bright stellar distribution observed at 2.2 μm. The infrared radiation from other components, such as Sgr B2 is also discussed.
Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Characteristics on Clinical Pain

We compared the effects of four treatment variables on the pain reduction produced by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and attempted to establish indications for TENS based on patient history and pain evaluation items. Treatment variables were the therapist and the three TENS stimulus characteristics--pulse width, frequency, and amplitude. We randomly assigned 192 consecutive adult patients suffering from painful conditions to one of four physical therapists and one of 12 stimulus characteristic combinations. We used a standard evaluation form that included a visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate pain. Patients were given a 30-minute trial using TENS, followed by reevaluation. The VAS line length change after treatment was the criterion score for comparison of stimulus characteristic effectiveness. Although pain was reduced greatly with TENS (p = .01), a four-way analysis of variance (pulse width, frequency, amplitude, and therapist) attributed little of the treatment effect to the treatment variables or their interactions (r2 = .101). The amplitude effect, however, was borderline (p = .056), and subthreshold stimulation proved more effective than stimulation to tolerance (p = .05). Extensive multiple linear regression analyses failed to provide indications for TENS based on patient information and pain evaluation items. Therefore, pain remains the only indication for TENS, and we recommend subthreshold rather than higher amplitude stimulation on the initial TENS trial.
American Indian Housing

This encyclopedia entry describes the United States' attempts to provide adequate housing on American Indian reservations from 1961-2009, including the 1996 Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act.
G. ARTHUR COOPER 1902–1999

G. Arthur Cooper (February 9, 1902–October 17, 2000) was a president of The Paleontological Society and at the 1957 meeting reinstituted the long dormant custom of the presidential address. He helped design The Paleontological Society medal and, in 1964, was its second recipient. Although Dr. Cooper received other major honors for his efforts in invertebrate paleontology, he was particularly proud of this recognition by his peers. Cooper was interested in minerals when young but, upon attending Colgate University, he came into contact with the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group fossils at the campus quarry and was a paleontologist thereafter. His bachelor and master's degrees from Colgate investigated the rocks and fossils of the Hamilton Group. His PhD with Charles Schuchert at Yale University in 1929 extended this biostratigraphic record. Later, he pursued the Devonian in Michigan, Indiana, Oklahoma and in the west. He was a member of the National Research Council Committee on Stratigraphy and chairman of the Devonian Correlation Committee, which published its summary of deliberations as a chart in 1942 in the Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. Following his degree, …
Patients' Views Concerning Research on Medical Practices: Implications for Consent.

ABSTRACTBackground: Comparative effectiveness research (CER) and pragmatic clinical trials commonly test interventions that are in routine use and pose minimal incremental risk or burdens to patients who participate in this research. The objective of this study was to elicit the range of patients' views and opinions regarding a variety of different types of research on usual medical practices, especially notification and authorization for them. Methods: We conducted 12 focus groups with adults in five U.S. cities—six focus groups addressing CER (“CER groups”) and six groups addressing research involving hospital operations and clinician interventions (“Operations groups”). Participants discussed hypothetical research studies and potential methods of notifying patients and obtaining their authorization to participate. Group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify patients' views related to research on standard medical practice. Results: In total, 96 people participated. Twelve key the...
High Retention of Minority and International Faculty Through a Formal Mentoring Program

In these economic times, retention of new faculty, particularly minority and international faculty, is a high priority. In this study, retention of new faculty from 2006 to 2013 was compared for participants and nonparticipants in a formal mentoring program. Retention was 92% for participating faculty and 58% for nonparticipating new faculty. For African-American faculty, retention was 86% for participating and 56% for nonparticipating. Participating international faculty were retained at 100% and nonparticipating at 61%. The results indicate that mentoring programs including both individual and group mentoring provide a supportive community and self-validation to new faculty, leading to high retention rates.
Small-Molecule PKD Inhibitor Prevents Mitochondrial Fragmentation and Dysfunction during Gq-Protein Coupled Receptor Stimulation in Cardiac Cells

Regulation of mitochondrial morphology and dynamics is crucial for the maintenance of various cellular functions in cardiomyocytes. Abnormal mitochondrial morphologies concomitant with mitochondrial dysfunction are frequently observed both in human heart failure (HF) and in animal HF models. However, it is still unclear which cardiac signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial morphology and function under pathophysiological conditions. Recent reports suggest that Gq-protein coupled receptor (GqPCR) signaling pathways are critical for the development and progression of HF. Therefore, we hypothesize that GqPCR stimulation induces mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, which initiates cardiomyocyte death. We found that protein kinase D (PKD) activated by GqPCR signaling was translocated to outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) observed by Western blot analysis of cytosolic and mitochondria-enriched fractionated proteins and by live cell imaging of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We also found that GqPCR-mediated PKD activation induced mitochondrial fragmentation, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as well as increased mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, which initiates apoptotic signaling activation and cardiomyocyte death. These morphological and functional changes in cardiac mitochondria were mediated via PKD-dependent phosphorylation of mitochondrial fission protein, Dynamin-Like Protein 1 (DLP1) at S637. Moreover, pretreatment with a novel potent PKD inhibitor CRT0066101 effectively inhibited GqPCR-mediated PKD translocation to OMM, DLP1 phosphorylation at S637, mitochondrial fragmentation, ROS generation and mPTP activation. In conclusion, we demonstrate that GqPCR stimulation induces mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction through PKD-dependent phosphorylation of DLP1 at S637, which likely contributes to cardiomyocyte injury. Thus, small-molecule PKD inhibitor may become a novel and potent therapeutic for preventing cardiac cell injury and death during HF.