cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 18389: Predictors of Post-operative Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Previous Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Major Non-cardiac Surgery: Analysis of 30-Day Follow up Data from the ACS-NSQIP

Aim: We sought to identify predictors of recurrent Myocardial Infarction (MI), in patients with a recent history of MI, after undergoing a major non-cardiac surgery using a large national contemporary population-based cohort. Methods: American College of Surgeons National Surgical-Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP; 2006-2011) database was used to evaluate 30 day outcomes in patients undergoing one of the 16 major surgical procedures who had a history of MI within the last 6 months of the procedure. Patients were stratified based on incidence of repeat MI event within 30 days of the procedure and pre-operative demographic, anthropometric and clinical characteristics were compared among the patient groups. Multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis was used to identify the significant predictors of postoperative MI among these patients. Results: A total of 1568 patients with an episode of MI within last 6 months (35.8 % women; Mean age = 70 years) undergoing one of the 16 major surgical procedures (73% vascular surgery; 20% Gastrointestinal surgery) were included in the analysis. Overall, 3.7% (n = 57) patients had repeat MI events within 30 days after surgery. Patients with post-operative MI were older (75 vs.69 years; P value :< 0.001), had higher prevalence of DM (47.4% vs 34.5%; P value; 0.04), and were symptomatic with angina (26.3% vs 15.5%; P value; 0.03) within 30 days prior to procedure. On multivariable adjusted logistic regression analysis, age and presence of angina within 30 days prior to surgery were each independently associated with increased risk of postoperative MI [see Table]. Conclusion: Presence of angina in patients with previous MI who are undergoing major non-cardiac surgery is an independent predictor of recurrent post-operative MI. A more careful approach in pre operative evaluation in patients with angina is warranted to improve surgical outcomes. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Infants' neural responses to facial emotion in the prefrontal cortex are correlated with temperament: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

Accurate decoding of facial expressions is critical for human communication, particularly during infancy, before formal language has developed. Different facial emotions elicit distinct neural responses within the first months of life. However, there are broad individual differences in such responses, such that the same emotion can elicit different brain responses in different infants. In this study we sought to investigate such differences in the processing of emotional faces by analyzing infants’ cortical metabolic responses to face stimuli and examining whether individual differences in these responses might vary as a function of infant temperament. Seven-month-old infants (N = 24) were shown photographs of women portraying happy expressions, and neural activity was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Temperament data were collected using the Revised Infant Behavior Questionnaire Short Form, which assesses the broad temperament factors of Surgency/Extraversion (S/E), Negative Emotionality (NE), and Orienting/Regulation (O/R). We observed that oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) responses to happy face stimuli were negatively correlated with infant temperament factors in channels over the left prefrontal cortex (uncorrected for multiple comparisons). To investigate the brain activity underlying this association, and to explore the use of fNIRS in measuring cortical asymmetry, we analyzed hemispheric asymmetry with respect to temperament groups. Results showed preferential activation of the left hemisphere in low-NE infants in response to smiling faces. These results suggest that individual differences in temperament are associated with differential prefrontal oxyHb responses to faces. Overall, these analyses contribute to our current understanding of face processing during infancy, demonstrate the use of fNIRS in measuring prefrontal asymmetry, and illuminate the neural correlates of face processing as modulated by temperament.
Optimization of CdTe thin‐film solar cell efficiency using a sputtered, oxygenated CdS window layer

A major source of loss in cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride (CdS/CdTe) solar cells results from light absorbed in the CdS window layer, which is not converted to electrical current. This film can be made more transparent by oxygen incorporation during sputter deposition at ambient temperature. Prior to this work, this material has not produced high-efficiency devices on tin oxide-coated soda-lime-glass substrates used industrially. Numerous devices were fabricated over a variety of process conditions to produce an optimized device. Although the material does not show a consistent increase in band gap with oxygenation, absorption in this layer can be virtually eliminated over the relevant spectrum, leading to an increase in short-circuit current. Meanwhile, fill factor is maintained, and open-circuit voltage increases relative to baseline devices with sublimated CdS. The trend of device parameters with oxygenation and thickness is consistent with an increasing conduction band offset at the window/CdTe interface. Optimization considering both initial efficiency and stability resulted in a National Renewable Energy Laboratory verified 15.2%-efficient cell on 3.2-mm soda-lime glass. This window material was shown to be compatible with SnO2-based transparent conducting oxide and high resistance transparent coated substrates using in-line compatible processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The effect of tablet computers with a mobile patient portal application on hospitalized patients' knowledge and activation.

Objective To assess the effect of tablet computers with a mobile patient portal application on hospitalized patients’ knowledge and activation. Methods We developed a mobile patient portal application including pictures, names, and role descriptions of team members, scheduled tests and procedures, and a list of active medications. We evaluated the effect of the application using a controlled trial involving 2 similar units in a large teaching hospital. Patients on the intervention unit were offered use of tablet computers with the portal application during their hospitalization. We assessed patients’ ability to correctly name their nurse, primary service physicians, physician roles, planned tests and procedures, medications started, and medications stopped since admission. We also administered the Short Form of the Patient Activation Measure. Results Overall, 100 intervention- and 102 control-unit patients participated. A higher percentage of intervention-unit patients correctly named ≥1 physician (56% vs 29.4%; P < .001) and ≥1 physician role (47% vs 15.7%; P < .001). Knowledge of nurses’ names, planned tests, planned procedures, and medication changes was generally low and not significantly different between the study units. The Short Form of the Patient Activation Measure mean (SD) score was also not significantly different at 64.1 (13.4) vs 62.7 (12.8); P = .46. Conclusions Additional research is needed to identify optimal methods to engage and inform patients during their hospitalization, which will improve preparation for self- management after discharge.
Acute intravaginal misoprostol toxicity with fetal demise

We report a case of an overdose with fetal demise from the intravaginal administration of misoprostol. A 25-yr-old gravid female self-administered 6000 micrograms misoprostol intravaginally and 600 micrograms orally. She rapidly developed shaking chills, abdominal and extremity cramping, emesis, and confusion. Hyperthermia and hypotension developed within 3.5 h after drug administration, with a temperature of 41.4 degrees C (106 degrees F). Ultrasound at 3.5 h after drug administration showed no fetal movement or heart motion. A nonviable fetus was delivered by emergent cesarean section. Treatment of the mother was supportive and included intravaginal decontamination and endotracheal intubation with neuroparalytic therapy to control agitation and hyperthermia. Recovery was complete within 15 h of drug administration.
PATROL OFFICER RESPONSES TO CITIZEN FEEDBACK: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

Police organizations that implement community policing often seek new ways to measure officer performance. One important way to measure officer and organizational performance is through surveys of ...
Zulus Abroad: Cultural Representations and Educational Experiences of Zulus in America, 1880–1945*

This article broadens the study of cultural representations of the Zulu from within South Africa to the United States by exploring the experiences of Zulu performers and students in America between 1880 and 1945. In American exhibitions, carnivals, circuses and fairs, whites celebrated and re-enacted Anglo-Saxon military victories over darker-skinned peoples with stark contrasts of ‘civilised’ whites and subjugated ‘uncivilised’ Zulus. African Americans, struggling to secure basic political and socio-economic rights in America, had more varied and ambiguous views of Zulus. Some impersonated Zulus for monetary gain and to fashion new identities, others created cultural distance between themselves and Africans by advancing stereotypical images of Zulus as exotic African primitives, while some politically-minded blacks portrayed Zulu resistance to British aggression as ‘the greatest revolt against white supremacy’ in modern history and as a potential model for diasporic black political activity. Meanwhile, Z...
A Mathematical Model for Hot Cracking of Aluminum Alloys During D.C. Casting

A mathematical model to calculate the hot-cracking tendencies during DC casting is described. The model combines a new simplified thermal model for DC casting with the concept of solidification shrinkage not eliminated by afterfeeding (Feurer) and the concept of the critical time interval during solidification (Clyne and Davies). This model is available to calculate hot-cracking tendencies as a result of the effects of composition, casting rate, and ingot diameter. In spite of the absence of sufficient physical and solidification data, it is shown that there is a satisfactory degree of correlation between prediction and practical casting knowledge.
Introductions in research articles: variations across disciplines

Abstract This paper reports on an analysis of research article introductions from two related fields, Wildlife Behavior and Conservation Biology, using Swales' [Swales, J. M. (1990). Genre analysis. English in academic and research settings . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] Create-A-Research-Space (CARS) model. The results of the analysis reveal disciplinary variation in the structure of this genre, which has important pedagogical implications. The Conservation Biology introductions fulfill a greater promotional function than the Wildlife Behavior introductions through the use of steps such as centrality claims. These introductions also tend to justify the research being reported in terms of real world matters rather than the epistemic world of research, in contrast to the Wildlife Behavior introductions. The results also indicate that a greater degree of embedding is needed in the CARS model to account for the structures found in the introductions analyzed. A modified version of the CARS model based on the results is presented in the concluding section.
Development of salt aversion in the Fischer‐344 rat

Adult Fischer-344 (F-344) rats fail to prefer NaCl solutions of any concentration to water and, in fact, avoid NaCl at solution concentrations which other strains of rats reliably prefer. In contrast, immature rats of a number of strains have been reported to express an elevated salt preference relative to adults. The present studies examine the development of the F-344 rat's salt aversion by testing salt preference in the preweaning (Day 10) and weanling (Days 20-24) F-344 rat. At Day 10, F-344 rats ingested significantly more 1% and 2% NaCl solutions than water during "towel testing" and their preference was comparable to that displayed by other strains at this age. By the time of normal weaning (Days 20-24) significant avoidance of NaCl solutions in the isotonic range was displayed by F-344 rats, and their preference was strikingly different from other rat strains. This was evident in a 24-hr 2-bottle preference test as well as a 25 min "towel test." Since NaCl preference of F-344 rats is comparable to other rat strains at Day 10 but dramatically different by Day 20, a change must occur during this time which reverses the hedonic value of NaCl stimulation. Identification of factors responsible for this reversal may provide insight into the causes both of the F-344 rat's dislike of salt and the immature rats elevated salt preference.
Water-Soluble Polymers. 80. Rheological and Photophysical Studies of pH-Responsive Terpolymers Containing Hydrophobic Twin-Tailed Acrylamide Monomers

To examine the effects of microblock hydrophobicity on interpolymer association behavior, a series of terpolymers composed of acrylic acid, methacrylamide, and a DiC12AM, DiC14AM, or DiC16AM twin-tailed hydrophobic monomer have been synthesized using micellar polymerization methods. The terpolymer incorporating the DiC12AM hydrophobe possesses the highest initial viscosity and lowest critical yield stress in aqueous solution, while the terpolymer incorporating the DiC14AM hydrophobic monomer showed a slightly lower initial viscosity and critical yield stress. The pH response of these terpolymers was examined via rheology and fluorescence energy transfer (NRET) measurements. Dynamic frequency sweeps measured as a function of solution pH reveal viscoelastic behavior consistent with a simple Maxwell model. It is proposed that the number density of network junctions and the residency of hydrophobes in the junctions increase with pH. NRET measurements performed on mixed, separately labeled DiC12AM terpolymers ...
Restructuring collection development for empowerment and accountability

Purpose – This article proposes describing the restructuring of collection development at the University of California Riverside University Libraries.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on the library's experience in changing to fund accounting.Findings – The author describes the new system that has created more accountability for the materials budget.Practical implications – As a result of the new system, faculty members are more aware of the budgeted amount for monographic purchases in their own area and whom they can contact with concerns or purchasing requests.Originality/value – This article provides a model for restructuring collection development that other libraries can adapt.
Validity of the icosahedral glass model for quasicrystalline alloys

Abstract The powder patterns of various icosahedral glass models for quasicrystalline alloys are compared with X-ray and neutron data on i-AlMnSi alloys. The patterns were found to be independent of the model size when the model diameter reached ∼450 A . By constructing anisotropic packings, a transition is observed in the calculated patterns from a “typical” icosahedral glass pattern to what is clearly a disordered bcc pattern. Relaxed isotropic packings with varying local topologies are also examined which increase the model density and result in a more ordered powder pattern. While the undecorated icosahedral glass model reproduces many observed features, its detailed comparison requires further study.
Oxidation of oleic acid at air/liquid interfaces

[1] Oxidation of oleic acid monolayers by ozone was studied to understand the fate of fat-coated aerosols from both freshwater and saltwater sources. Oleic acid monolayers at the air/water interface and at the air/sodium chloride solution interface were investigated using surface-specific, broad-bandwidth, sum frequency generation spectroscopy. Complementary techniques of infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy and surface pressure measurements taken during monolayer oxidation confirmed the sum frequency results. Using this nonlinear optical technique coupled with a Langmuir trough, concurrent spectroscopic and thermodynamic data were collected to obtain a molecular picture of the monolayers. No substantial difference was observed between oxidation of monolayers spread on water and on 0.6 M sodium chloride solutions. Results indicate that depending on the size of the aerosol and the extent of oxidation, the subsequent oxidation products may not remain at the surface of these films, but instead be dissolved in the aqueous subphase of the aerosol particle. Results also indicate that oxidation of oleic acid could produce monolayers containing species that have no oxidized acyl chains.
Aeroplane Photography for Archæology

PHOTOGRAPHS from an aeroplane taken on a clear afternoon a little before sunset would give good records of ancient British and Roman camps, “castles,” villages, rings, pack-tracks, barrows, ditches, and other earthworks, and, as in such photographs taken in Mesopotamia, would probably reveal details that cannot be distinguished by inspection on the ground. Photographs might yield almost as much information as the models in the Pitt Rivers Museum at Farnham, which were made from laborious contour surveying.
All-optical polarization holography by means of nematic liquid crystal doped with azobenzene liquid crystal

All-optical holography of azobenzene-liquid-crystal (ALC) doped nematic liquid crystals (NLC) is investigated by means of polarization and intensity grating methods. The holographic grating is formed upon a total optical power as low as 200 (mu) W/cm2 without any external biases, and can be switched within hundreds of milliseconds. The polarization dependence of the probe beam on the diffraction intensity reveals that the grating formation is attributed to reorientation and order-parameter change of the NLC molecules induced by the photoisomerization of the ALC molecules.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Characterization of reasoning in terms of perceptual simulation

Although characterizing reasoning and natural language semantics in traditional logic captures their complexity and productivity, accounting for the grounding of logical reasoning in perception raises several challenges. These include difficulties in explaining the integration of reasoning and perceptual processing, and in accounting for the evolution of human reasoning from sensorimotor origins. Central to these problems is the fact that traditional logic includes elements such as quantifiers and negation that do not obviously occur in perceptual representations. We propose a formal framework in terms of perceptual simulation that bridges this gap. We demonstrate that perceptual simulations have the power to explain crucial elements of logical human reasoning and also allow us to provide the first unified linguistic analysis of noun phrases, negative polarity items and branching quantifiers within a single cognitively motivated formal framework.
Conversion by retinoic acid of anterior cells into ZPA cells in the chick wing bud

IN recent years there has been considerable interest in the role of retinoic acid (RA) in vertebrate-limb pattern formation. When RA is applied to the anterior of the chick wing bud, a mirror-image duplication of the limb pattern develops that is identical to the pattern resulting from grafts of posterior tissue (zone of polarizing activity, or ZPA)1. It has been proposed that position along the anterior-posterior axis in the chick limb is specified by a gradient of a diffusible factor produced by the ZPA2. The ZPA-mimicking action of RA has led to the hypothesis that exogenously applied RA acts by providing graded spatial information across the anterior-posterior limb axis3,4. An alternative interpretation is that RA changes anterior cells into ZPA cells, which in turn provide the actual pattern-duplicating stimulus3-5; there is already some preliminary evidence that this occurs5. A hybrid interpretation has also been suggested whereby ZPA cells are formed in response to RA exposure and then begin to release retinoids that act as graded spatial cues3. We have used a functional assay6 to test anterior chick wing-bud cells for ZPA activity after exposure to RA. The results of our studies indicate that the action of RA is to change anterior cells into ZPA cells. Further, our results indicate that it is unlikely that RA-treated anterior cells then begin producing RA in such a way as to provide a graded positional signal.
Investigation of driving performance, vection, postural sway, and simulator sickness in a fixed-based driving simulator

Abstract This paper reports the results of a pilot study conducted to determine whether there is a relationship between simulator sickness and measures of driver inputs, vection, and postural sway, in a fixed base driving simulator. Seven males and four females performed a series of alternating left and right turns (20 each), with straigth-aways inbetween. The task was designed to promote experiences of circular and linear vection, and associated sway. It was hypothesized that greater driver inputs (i.e., steering wheel and braking activity; deviation from the centerline) would correlate: with reports of vection and measures of postural sway. Ten of the eleven subjects reported moderate sickness, which precluded any statistical comparisons between “sick” and “not sick” however, there was a significant tendency for persons who reported vection to also report sickness. There were no gender differences in reported incidence of vection or sickness, however, males tended to exhibit greater lateral velocity. The next phase of investigation will necessitate reducing the strength of the stimulus (i.e., require less turns) to increase variability of sickness scores amongst subjects and permit comparisons between “sick” and “not sick.” Measurement considerations include increasing the sensitivity of vection ratings, and examination of the timecourse for the development of postural sway.
Learning Styles of Faculty Members and Senior Students in Coordinated Programs in Dietetics Compared by Area of Career Interest

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To identify differences in learning styles between dietetics students and faculty in Coordinated Programs. The learning styles of faculty members and senior students in Coordinated Programs (CP) in Dietetics were examined to compare learning styles by area of career interest in dietetics. Thirty-five (70%) of the 50 university CP programs (excluding our own) agreed to participate. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) 1985 and a short survey, to identify demographic and career preference information, as well as faculty teaching methods, were mailed to the 35 participating universities. Thirty-two programs (91%), including 108 faculty and 324 students, returned learning style and survey responses. LSI's were scored according to Kolb's specifications. Chi-square was used to compare learning styles of students and faculty and also to compare style with career interest or teaching area. Analysis showed significant difference between student and faculty learning styles (p=0.006). The percentage of students and faculty, respectively, in each of the four learning styles was: Diverger, 21.9% and 14.6%; Accommodator, 27.8% and 18.5%; Converger, 20.7% and 35.9%; Assimilator, 29.6% and 31.1%. Faculty also showed a significant difference for learning style within each area of practice (p=0.037), i.e., clinical, management, community/education, research/food science. For faculty, no significant differences were found in learning style by age or academic rank. For students, no significant differences were found in learning style by career choice, GPA, or age. The more even distribution of dietetics students' learning styles than faculty learning styles implies that dietetics faculty may need to consciously include a variety of teaching methods, beyond lecture and case study, to benefit a variety of learning styles. This would show consideration for students with different styles, as well as provide opportunities for students to develop abilities within styles other than their own.
Temporal and Topographical Characterization of Language Cortices Using Intraoperative Optical Intrinsic Signals

We used intraoperative optical imaging of intrinsic signals (iOIS) and electrocortical stimulation mapping (ESM) to compare functionally active brain regions in 10 awake patients undergoing neurosurgical resection. Patients performed two to four tasks, including visual and auditory naming, word discrimination, and/or orofacial movements. All iOIS maps included areas identified by ESM mapping. However, iOIS also revealed topographical specificity dependent on language task. In Broca's area, naming paradigms activated both anterior and posterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), while the word discrimination paradigm activated only posterior IFG. In Wernicke's area, object naming produced activations localizing over the inferior and anterior/posterior regions, while the word discrimination task activated superior and anterior cortices. These results may suggest more posterior phonological activation and more anterior semantic activations in Broca's area, and more anterior/superior phonological activation and more posterior/inferior semantic activations in Wernicke's area. Although similar response onset was observed in Broca's and Wernicke's areas, temporal differences were revealed during block paradigm (20-s) activations. In Broca's area, block paradigms yielded a boxcar temporal activation profile (in all tasks) that resembled response profiles observed in motor cortex (with orofacial movements). In contrast, activations in Wernicke's area responded with a more dynamic profile (including early and late peaks) which varied with paradigm performance. Wernicke's area profiles were very similar to response profiles observed in sensory and visual cortex. The differing temporal patterns may therefore reflect unique processing performed by receptive (Wernicke's) and productive (Broca's) language centers. This study is consistent with task-specific semantic and phonologic regions within Broca's and Wernicke's areas and also is the first report of response profile differences dependent on cortical region and language task.
Nuclear magnetic resonance in the pure quadrupole regime: the spin 52 case☆

Abstract Measurements are reported of nuclear magnetic resonance signals at approximately three times the Larmor frequency arising the 127 I nuclei in a crystalline powder sample of CsICl 2 . From the limiting weak field effective gyromagnetic ratio we obtain for the 127 I chemical shift parameter. στ= − (0.39 ± 0.02)%.
Sleep in critically ill chemically paralyzed patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

Objective To determine sleep characteristics in patients receiving mechanical ventilation who require a neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA). Design Observational study. Setting Adult medical ICU at a university hospital. Participants Eighteen patients with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation were classified into three groups based on medication regimen determined a priori : intermittent sedation (IS), continuous sedation (CS), or CS and an NMBA. Measurements Twenty-four–hour polysomnography was performed to determine sleep architecture and fragmentation. Measurement of severity of illness, laboratory indexes, patient-care interventions, and drug dosage were compared between groups, and the effects on sleep staging and fragmentation were analyzed. Sleep stages were scored manually using criteria of Rechtschaffen and Kales, as well as by a modified 50-μV voltage criteria for scoring delta activity. Results All patients demonstrated abnormal sleep architecture. In each group of patients, the total sleep time (TST) was > 10 h. There was no statistical difference in the delta activity between the two scoring methods; delta activity was increased in all groups: 32.9%, 49.6%, and 43.7% in the IS, CS, and CS/NMBA groups, respectively. Patients receiving NMBAs spent 22% of the sleep period awake. Rapid eye movement sleep could not be detected in the patients receiving NMBAs and was reduced in the other two groups (3.5%). TST, sleep stage, or arousal/awakening index were not statistically correlated with either severity of illness, clinical laboratory indexes, drug dosage, patient-care interventions, or mode of mechanical ventilation. Conclusion TST during a 24-h period is not reduced in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Delta activity is increased and may reflect age, drug, or a contributing metabolic process. The effect of wakefulness in patients receiving chemical paralysis on recovery and weaning from mechanical ventilation, and overall clinical outcome is unknown.
Student Internet Purchases

Since the onset of the Internet shopping format, e-commerce sales have soared, and Generation Y consumers, the first generation to grow up with the Internet, have turned into young adults. As part of Generation Y, college students represent a lucrative market for businesses selling a wide array of goods and services, and they are extremely computer savvy. The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze online buying behavior among college students. Based on an economic framework, factors affecting the online purchase of nine different merchandise categories were examined. Data were analyzed from 4,688 students enrolled in a major Midwestern university. Logistic analysis revealed that variations in the effect of age, gender, income, car ownership, ability to identify a secure Internet site, and compulsive buying behavior existed between the merchandise categories. This study has implications for educators, marketers, and policy makers.
A simulation study of distortion of the heliospheric sheet caused by solar activity

During major geomagnetic storms, the interplanetary magnetic field angle, phi, changes often abruptly, either from 135 to 315 or 315 to 135 deg, suggesting that the heliospheric current sheet is pushed upward or downward by disturbed solar wind. The distortion of the heliospheric current sheet by three successive solar flares is simulated to show that such a flapping motion can occur.
Unified boundedness, periodicity, and stability in ordinary and functional differential equations

We discuss a unified theory of periodicity of dissipative ordinary and functional differential equations in terms of uniform boundedness. Sufficient conditions for the uniform boundedness are given by means of Liapunov functionals having a weighted norm as an upper bound. The theory is developed for ordinary differential equations, equations with bounded delay, and equations with infinite delay.
A DSS for management of patients with a chronic illness

There is uncertainty in the management of an individual with a chronic illness. The uncertainty results from lack of information about groups of similar patients. A feedback model for patient care is presented and its implementation discussed. The model requires characterization of patients at the time of entry into the health-care system, cataloging the methods of management used and assessing the response to treatments by following the patient over long periods of time.With a computer-based data management system, the doctor can select a subgroup of like patients and review their management and their responses. Using the experiences of other patients, the doctor and patient can map out the most appropriate treatment. By following the patient over time, his treatment response can be compared with those in the subgroup. If the responses are not equivalent, the subgroup definition can be modified and another treatment selected. An example of the use of this strategy in determining time of discharge for patients on a coronary care unit is presented.
Deformation and strain analysis for high extrusion ratios and elevated temperatures

A method is described for obtaining full-field distribution of strain during axisymmetric extrusion. Strains are determined from changes in the shapes of flowlines as observed through the deformation of an ink-stamped grid on an axial plane of the extruded billet. Numerical methods are described for approximation and differentiation of the materialflow functions. The method is applied to extrusion of aluminum at 430°C with an extrusion ratio of 12.4 to 1. Good agreement is found between calculated and measured flow patterns.
Patient–provider communication, self-reported medication adherence, and race in a postmyocardial infarction population

OBJECTIVES Our objectives were to: 1) describe patient-reported communication with their provider and explore differences in perceptions of racially diverse adherent versus nonadherent patients; and 2) examine whether the association between unanswered questions and patient-reported medication nonadherence varied as a function of patients' race. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline in-person survey data from a trial designed to improve postmyocardial infarction management of cardiovascular disease risk factors. RESULTS Overall, 298 patients (74%) reported never leaving their doctor's office with unanswered questions. Among those who were adherent and nonadherent with their medications, 183 (79%) and 115 (67%) patients, respectively, never left their doctor's office with unanswered questions. In multivariable logistic regression, although the simple effects of the interaction term were different for patients of nonminority race (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-3.92) and those of minority race (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.54-2.66), the overall interaction effect was not statistically significant (P=0.24). CONCLUSION The quality of patient-provider communication is critical for cardiovascular disease medication adherence. In this study, however, having unanswered questions did not impact medication adherence differently as a function of patients' race. Nevertheless, there were racial differences in medication adherence that may need to be addressed to ensure optimal adherence and health outcomes. Effort should be made to provide training opportunities for both patients and their providers to ensure strong communication skills and to address potential differences in medication adherence in patients of diverse backgrounds.
Inhibitory effect of short‐chain aliphatic acids on deoxythymidine incorporation into DMA in mitogen‐stimulated and leukemic lymphocytes

The effect of short-chain aliphatic acids on [3H]deoxythymidine incorporation into DNA was studied in human mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes. Butyric acid at 1--2 mM level was strongly inhibitory; however, its hydroxy or amino derivatives were ineffective. Valeric and propionic acids were less inhibitory. Formic, acetic, and hexanoic acids did not have any inhibitory effect. The effect of butyrate persisted in washed lymphocytes for 24--48 hr depending on the concentration used and the time of its addition into the incubation medium. The inhibitory effects of butyrate, valerate, and propionate on deoxythymidine and amino acid incorporation into DNA and protein were also found in human leukocytes in myelocytic and lymphocytic leukemias.
Climate Informatics: Accelerating Discovering in Climate Science with Machine Learning

Given the impact of climate change, understanding the climate system is an international priority. The goal of climate informatics is to inspire collaboration between climate scientists and data scientists, in order to develop tools to analyze complex and ever-growing amounts of observed and simulated climate data, and thereby bridge the gap between data and understanding. Here, recent climate informatics work is presented, along with details of some of the remaining challenges.
Epilepsy in Muenke syndrome: FGFR3-related craniosynostosis

Epilepsy, a neurologic disorder characterized by the predisposition to recurrent unprovoked seizures, is reported in more than 300 genetic syndromes. Muenke syndrome is an autosomal-dominant craniosynostosis syndrome characterized by unilateral or bilateral coronal craniosynostosis, hearing loss, intellectual disability, and relatively subtle limb findings such as carpal bone fusion and tarsal bone fusion. Muenke syndrome is caused by a single defining point mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. Epilepsy rarely occurs in individuals with Muenke syndrome, and little detail is reported on types of epilepsy, patient characteristics, and long-term outcomes. We present seven patients with Muenke syndrome and seizures. A review of 789 published cases of Muenke syndrome, with a focus on epilepsy and intracranial anomalies in Muenke syndrome, revealed epilepsy in six patients, with intracranial anomalies in five. The occurrence of epilepsy in Muenke syndrome within our cohort of 58 patients, of whom seven manifested epilepsy, and the intracranial anomalies and epilepsy reported in the literature, suggest that patients with Muenke syndrome may be at risk for epilepsy and intracranial anomalies. Furthermore, the impact of Muenke syndrome on the central nervous system may be greater than previously thought.
Water marginalization at the urban fringe: environmental justice and urban political ecology across the North–South divide

This article reconsiders the epistemic and geographic boundaries that have long separated scholarship on urban water poverty and politics in the Global North and South. We stage an encounter between the seemingly dissimilar cases of Tooleville outside of the city of Exeter in California’s Central Valley and Bommanahalli outside of Bangalore, India, to illuminate the geography of water marginalization at the fringes of urban areas, and to deepen cross-fertilization between two geographic literatures: environmental justice (EJ) and urban political ecology (UPE). We argue that there is scope for transnational learning in three arenas in particular: (1) water access, (2) state practice, and (3) political agency. In so doing, we aim to advance a genuinely post-colonial approach to theory and practice in the pressing arena of urban water politics.
Pediatric septic shock.

1. Stephen M. Schexnayder, MD* 1. 2. *Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Internal Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, AR. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Explain how the host’s immune response may cause toxic effects during sepsis. 2. Delineate the cornerstone of resuscitation in patients who have septic shock. 3. List the factors to be considered when prescribing empiric antimicrobial therapy for septic shock. 4. Explain when referral and transport arrangements should be made for patients in septic shock. Despite major advances in vaccines in the past two decades, septic shock continues to be an important pediatric problem. It is a frequent reason for admission to a pediatric intensive care unit, and this complex problem requires prompt recognition and intervention to improve the likelihood of a good outcome. Because the clinical picture of sepsis is not unique to infectious conditions, a number of definitions have been advocated. Investigators in the field have separated the clinical spectrum of sepsis into the categories of bacteremia, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Clinical observations over the past two decades have led to the description of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and have identified the major role that endothelium plays in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Infection is one of the major causes of SIRS, but a number of other entities, including trauma, acute respiratory distress syndrome, neoplasms, burns, and pancreatitis, also have been recognized as triggers for this complex series of pathophysiologic events. Although initially written with adult vital sign parameters, the principles behind the definitions shown in Table 1⇓ are valid, and modifications have been proposed for applying them to children. View this table: Table 1. Definitions of the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome Sepsis is a recognized important cause of death, with the highest mortality rate occurring among infants. The most recent data report 5.9 deaths per 100,000 population in infants, with the fatality rate decreasing …
Radiation-induced site-specific damage of mercury derivatives: phasing and implications.

The behavior of mercury-derivatized triclinic crystals of a 60 kDa protein target from the New York Structural GenomiX Research Consortium provides novel insights into the mechanism of heavy-atom-specific radiation damage and its potential exploitation for de novo structure solution. Despite significant anomalous signal, structure solution by classic SAD and MAD phasing approaches was not successful. A detailed analysis revealed that significant isomorphic variation of the diffracted intensities was induced by X-ray irradiation. These intensity changes allowed the crystal structure to be solved by the radiation-damage-induced phasing (RIP) technique. Inspection of the crystal structure and electron-density maps demonstrated that the covalent S—­Hg bonds at all four derivatized cysteine sites were much more susceptible to radiation-induced cleavage than other bonds typically present in native proteins. A simple diagnostic is described to identify the fingerprint of such decay at the time of data collection/processing. The rapid radiation-induced decomposition of mercury adducts is consistent with the difficulties frequently associated with the experimental phasing of mercury derivatives and suggests a straightforward solution to overcome this limitation by radiation-damage-induced phasing with anomalous scattering (RIPAS). These results indicate that historically recalcitrant and newly emerging difficulties associated with Hg phasing should be revisited.
A note on the biological activity of the noble gas compound xenon trioxide.

Comparison of xenon trioxide for toxicity in the few common oxidants using three bioassays. On a molar basis XeO3 and HOCl were similar, but XeO3 was less active than expected when comparisons were based on normality.
Regicide Revisited: Marx, Foucault and Accounting

Abstract The publication of the essay "The King is Dead! Long Live the King" (Neimark, 1990a) evoked a wave of protest from many of the accounting scholars who draw on the writings of Foucault for their inspiration. This essay responds to two of those scholars (Hoskin, 1994; Grey, 1994) by situating the debate over Marx and Foucault within the contemporary socio-political context and by critically examining the accounting Foucauldians' understanding of both Marx (and the Marxist tradition on which accounting scholars draw) and Foucault.
The Crystal and Molecular Structure of (BEDT-TTF)4(Hg2Br6)(1,1,2-Trichloroethane)

Abstract The synthesis, elcctrocrystallization, and crystal structure of the organic conductor (BEDT-TTF)4(Hg2Br6)(TCE) (BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylene- dithio)tetrathiafulvalene; TCE = 1,1,2-trichloroethane) are reported. The crystal structure contains layers of two stacks per unit cell of BEDT-TTF donor molecules. Within the stacks, eight donor units are found per unit cell. The anion consists of a dimeric species formed by two edge-sharing distorted [HgBr4] tetrahedra. Crystal data: monoclinic, space group P21/n, a = 19.344(5) A, b = 13.401(3) A, c = 29.418(10) A, β = 103.87(2)°, Vc = 7403(3) A3, Z = 4.
A robust adaptive dynamic programming principle for sensorimotor control with signal-dependent noise

As human beings, people coordinate movements and interact with the environment through sensory information and motor adaptation in the daily lives. Many characteristics of these interactions can be studied using optimization-based models, which assume that the precise knowledge of both the sensorimotor system and its interactive environment is available for the central nervous system (CNS). However, both static and dynamic uncertainties occur inevitably in the daily movements. When these uncertainties are taken into consideration, the previously developed models based on optimization theory may fail to explain how the CNS can still coordinate human movements which are also robust with respect to the uncertainties. In order to address this problem, this paper presents a novel computational mechanism for sensorimotor control from a perspective of robust adaptive dynamic programming (RADP). Sharing some essential features of reinforcement learning, which was originally observed from mammals, the RADP model for sensorimotor control suggests that, instead of identifying the system dynamics of both the motor system and the environment, the CNS computes iteratively a robust optimal control policy using the real-time sensory data. An online learning algorithm is provided in this paper, with rigorous convergence and stability analysis. Then, it is applied to simulate several experiments reported from the past literature. By comparing the proposed numerical results with these experimentally observed data, the authors show that the proposed model can reproduce movement trajectories which are consistent with experimental observations. In addition, the RADP theory provides a unified framework that connects optimality and robustness properties in the sensorimotor system.
Fear of needles and vasovagal reactions among phlebotomy patients

Anxiety associated with blood and injections is a common problem in medical settings and, in severe cases, affects sufferers' ability to receive medically essential treatment. The present study was conducted to examine incidence of adverse reactions to venipunctures among phlebotomy patients, as well as to understand the demographic and psychological characteristics associated with such reactions. A large sample of participants undergoing venipuncture (N=3315) was recruited from hospital-based phlebotomy laboratories. Participants completed a brief questionnaire assessing psychological and physiological reactions to having their blood drawn. Results indicated that a small minority of patients experienced significant anxiety symptoms during venipuncture. Vasovagal reactions and vasovagal syncope were extremely infrequent. A tendency to experience pain, disgust, and fear of fainting during injections was associated with anxious responding to the venipuncture and a probable diagnosis of needle phobia. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The Influence of Performance, Environment and Size on the Identifiability of Firm Strategy

SUMMARY This paper empirically examines the broadly held assumption that higher performing firms pursue identifiable generic and/or industry-specific strategies, as opposed to pursuing an unidentifiable strategy. Here, in a sample of 200 banks, the identifiability of strategy was linked to two dimensions of the environment (interdependence/complexity and munificence) and bank size. The linkage between identifiability and performance was more complex. The discussion emphasizes the potential importance of institutionalization, and implementation in the performance-strategy identifiability link.