cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Framing marketing effectiveness as a process and outcome

Marketing effectiveness is a fundamental performance dimension of the marketing organization, traditionally viewed as an output variable predicated on goal attainment. Recent literature, however, has portrayed a broader conceptualization of effectiveness that disputes this strict goal attainment model. The present article builds on this recent work by contending that marketing effectiveness should be viewed as a process and an outcome to mitigate the challenges that arise when a marketing organization solely ascribes to a goal perspective. We proffer a marketing effectiveness framework to outline implications and spur future research on marketing performance control.
DPCM encoding of regenerative composite processes

Fixed (nonadaptive) and forward adaptive differential pulse code modulation of regenerative composite sources is investigated. In the fixed code, an approximate formula is given for the optimal value of the prediction coefficient. This is then used as an initial guess to optimize the code (predictor and quantizer) through a numerical method. In the forward adaptive scheme, the state of the switch in the composite source is estimated using a MAP sequence estimation algorithm, and the code is then matched to the mode process corresponding to the estimated switch state. The performance of the two systems is evaluated with quantizers of 4, 8, and 16 levels. The results show that the forward adaptive scheme significantly outperforms optimized fixed DPCM in the sense of mean-squared error. Stochastic stability of the code is also established for the fixed DPCM scheme as well as for an adaptive scheme which receives the switch state as side information. >
Estimation of the Prevalence of Cryptococcal Infection Among Patients Infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus in New York City

Cryptococcal infections are not reportable illnesses, and there have been limited attempts to estimate their incidence or prevalence. This study estimates the prevalence of cryptococcal disease in New York City in 1991 among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who were at risk. Numerator data were generated by surveying all hospitals in New York City to determine the number of patients with cultures positive for Cryptococcus neoformans as well as the number of patients with positive cryptococcal latex agglutination tests in 1991; 517 culture-positive patients were identified, and 1,277 patients were estimated to have a positive cryptococcal latex antigen test. Of these cases, 96% were estimated to be related to infection with HIV. Denominator data were generated via an active surveillance program of the New York City Department of Health. The annual prevalence of cryptococcosis among HIV-infected patients at risk in New York City is estimated to be 6.1%-8.5%.
Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and subtypes in autopsy‐confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies

OBJECTIVE—To determine whether dementia with Lewy bodies with or without probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder differ clinically or pathologically. METHODS—Patients with dementia with Lewy bodies who have probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior sleep disorder (n=71) were compared to those without it (n=19) on demographics, clinical variables (core features of dementia with Lewy bodies, dementia duration, rate of cognitive/motor changes) and pathologic indices (Lewy body distribution, neuritic plaque score, Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage). RESULTS—Individuals with probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder were predominantly male (82% versus 47%), and had a shorter duration of dementia (mean 8 years versus 10 years), earlier onset of parkinsonism (mean 2 years versus 5 years), and earlier onset of visual hallucinations (mean 3 years versus 6 years). These patients also had a lower Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage (Stage IV versus Stage VI) and lower neuritic plaque scores (18% frequent versus 85% frequent), but no difference in Lewy body distribution. When probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder developed early (at or before dementia onset), the onset of parkinsonism and hallucinations was earlier and Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage was lower compared to those who developed the sleep disorder after dementia onset. Women with autopsyconfirmed DLB without a history of dream enactment behavior during sleep had a later onset of hallucinations and parkinsonism and a higher Braak NFT stage.
Expression in Haloferax volcanii of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Synthase Facilitates Isolation and Characterization of the Active Form of a Key Enzyme Required for Polyisoprenoid Cell Membrane Biosynthesis in Halophilic Archaea

Enzymes of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in halophilic archaea remain poorly characterized, and parts of the pathway remain cryptic. This situation may be explained, in part, by the difficulty of expressing active, functional recombinant forms of these enzymes. The use of newly available expression plasmids and hosts has allowed the expression and isolation of catalytically active Haloferax volcanii 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (CoA) synthase (EC 2.3.310). This accomplishment has permitted studies that represent, to the best of our knowledge, the first characterization of an archaeal hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA synthase. Kinetic characterization indicates that, under optimal assay conditions, which include 4 M KCl, the enzyme exhibits catalytic efficiency and substrate saturation at metabolite levels comparable to those reported for the enzyme from nonhalophilic organisms. This enzyme is unique in that it is the first hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA synthase that is insensitive to feedback substrate inhibition by acetoacetyl-CoA. The enzyme supports reaction catalysis in the presence of various organic solvents. Haloferax 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA synthase is sensitive to inactivation by hymeglusin, a specific inhibitor known to affect prokaryotic and eukaryotic forms of the enzyme, with experimentally determined Ki and kinact values of 570 ± 120 nM and 17 ± 3 min(-1), respectively. In in vivo experiments, hymeglusin blocks the propagation of H. volcanii cells, indicating the critical role that the mevalonate pathway plays in isoprenoid biosynthesis by these archaea.
Evidence for the Presence of Regional Differences in the Subtype Specificity of Muscarinic Receptors in Rabbit Lower Urinary Tract

ABSTRACTTo elucidate the subtype specificity of muscarinic cholinergic receptors in mediating contractile responses in the lower urinary tract, we investigated contractile and biochemical properties of muscarinic receptors in bladder dome, bladder base and urethra of the rabbit. Isometric contractile response curves to increasing concentrations of carbachol were constructed in the absence and presence of various concentrations of subtype selective muscarinic antagonists. Bladder dome, bladder base, and urethra demonstrate different characteristics in terms of efficacy and potency with respect to carbachol-induced contractile responses. Emax values are significantly larger and ED50 values are significantly smaller in bladder dome and bladder base than in urethra. Calculation of the pA2 values, the negative logarithm of the antagonist affinity constant (KB), for a series of muscarinic antagonists, i.e., atropine (nonselective), pirenzepine (M1 selective), methoctramine (M2 selective), and 4-DAMP (M1/M3 sele...
An optimal lookahead processor to prune search space

The discrete relaxation algorithm (DRA) is an efficient computational technique for enforcing arc consistency (AC) in a consistent labeling problem (CLP). The original sequential AC-1 algorithm suffers from O(n/sup 3/m/sup 3/) time complexity for an n-object and m-label problem. Sample problem runs show that all these sequential algorithms are too slow to meet the need for any useful real-time CLP applications. An optimal parallel DRA5 algorithm that reaches the optimal lower bound, O(nm), for parallel AC algorithms (where the number of processors is polynomial in the problem size) is given. The algorithm has been implemented on a fine-grained, massively parallel hardware computer architecture. For problems of practical interest, 4 to 10 orders of magnitude of efficiency improvement can be reached on this hardware architecture. >
Risk factors for diabetes in familial partial lipodystrophy, Dunnigan variety.

OBJECTIVES —Familial partial lipodystrophy, Dunnigan variety (FPLD), is an autosomal dominant disorder due to missense mutations in the lamin A/C ( LMNA) gene encoding nuclear lamina proteins. It is characterized by loss of subcutaneous fat from the extremities and trunk and accumulation of fat in the head and neck region beginning at puberty. Patients with FPLD are predisposed to metabolic complications of insulin resistance such as diabetes. We sought to identify risk factors for diabetes in patients with FPLD. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —A cross-sectional study comparing clinical, biochemical, and anthropometric variables and LMNA genotypes in FPLD patients with and without diabetes. RESULTS —We studied 52 women and 24 men with FPLD from 18 different families. Twenty-eight women (54%) but only four men (17%) had diabetes ( P 2 , respectively; P = 0.03), increased chin skinfold thickness (10 vs. 20 mm; P = 0.001), lower rates of nulliparity (60% vs. 28%; P = 0.04), and higher levels of fasting serum triglycerides (2.4 vs. 3.5 mmol/l; P P = 0.9). The prevalence of diabetes was not related to age, menopausal status, family history of type 2 diabetes in unaffected relatives, or LMNA genotype. CONCLUSIONS —We conclude that increased adiposity as reflected by excess subcutaneous fat accumulation in the chin region and parity may predispose women with FPLD to develop diabetes.
Numerical investigation of restricted contact cutting tool in machining of AISI 1045 steel

In this paper, the performance of restricted contact cutting tool in dry orthogonal machining of mild steel (AISI 1045 steel) is investigated using finite element simulations. The rake face length of cemented carbide (WC/Co) cutting inserts is shortened. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of shortened tools on machining performance in terms of the main force, thrust force, and chip-tool contact length and to compare them with regular cutting tools. The following restricted tool parameters are examined: length of rake face, alpha angle (the angle between the rake face and the supporting face), and edge radius. It is concluded that restricted contact cutting tools generate lower cutting force and thrust force and consequently lower the energy necessary for machining. The length of rake face, the angle between the rake face and the supporting face, and edge radius all have influence on cutting force in their own ways. This research provides insightful guidance for designing restricted contact cutting tools. [Received 21 May 2014; Revised 25 January 2015; Accepted 26 January 2015]
ANOXIA NOT A REAL HEARTBREAKER

![Figure][1] While the mammalian heart cannot function without oxygen, this is not true of all vertebrates. Several vertebrate species can survive anoxia, the complete absence of oxygen, for days or even months. These anoxia-tolerant animals include freshwater turtles in the genera Chrysemys
Refractory Hypoxemia After Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication

Postoperative hypoxemia can result from a variety of causes. We describe a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia caused by shunting across a patent foramen ovale in a 72-year-old woman immediately after a laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication procedure. This was diagnosed by echocardiography and treated successfully with percutaneous device closure. An intracardiac shunt should always be considered as a potential cause of refractory postoperative hypoxemia after procedures on the thorax and upper abdomen.
Molecular basis for the recognition of cyclic-di-AMP by PstA, a PII-like signal transduction protein

Cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is a broadly conserved bacterial second messenger that is of importance in bacterial physiology. The molecular receptors mediating the cellular responses to the c-di-AMP signal are just beginning to be discovered. PstA is a previously uncharacterized PII-like protein which has been identified as a c-di-AMP receptor. PstA is widely distributed and conserved among Gram-positive bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes. Here, we report the biochemical, structural, and functional characterization of PstA from Listeria monocytogenes. We have determined the crystal structures of PstA in the c-di-AMP-bound and apo forms at 1.6 and 2.9 A resolution, respectively, which provide the molecular basis for its specific recognition of c-di-AMP. PstA forms a homotrimer structure that has overall similarity to the PII protein family which binds ATP. However, PstA is markedly different from PII proteins in the loop regions, and these structural differences mediate the specific recognition of their respective nucleotide ligand. The residues composing the c-di-AMP binding pocket are conserved, suggesting that c-di-AMP recognition by PstA is of functional importance. Disruption of pstA in L. monocytogenes affected c-di-AMP-mediated alterations in bacterial growth and lysis. Overall, we have defined the PstA family as a conserved and specific c-di-AMP receptor in bacteria.
The Steroid Hormone Environment During Primordial Follicle Formation in Perinatal Mouse Ovaries

Primordial follicle assembly is essential for reproduction in mammalian females. Oocytes develop in germ cell cysts that in late fetal development begin break down into individual oocytes and become surrounded by pregranulosa cells, forming primordial follicles. As they separate, many oocytes are lost by apoptosis. Exposure to steroid hormones delays cyst breakdown, follicle formation, and associated oocyte loss in some species. One model for regulation of follicle formation is that steroid hormones in the maternal circulation keep cells in cysts and prevent oocyte death during fetal development but that late in pregnancy hormone levels drop, triggering cyst breakdown and associated oocyte loss. However, herein we found that, while maternal circulating levels of progesterone drop during late fetal development, maternal estradiol levels remain high. We hypothesized that fetal ovaries were the source of hormones and that late in fetal development their production stops. To test this, mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic enzymes required for estradiol and progesterone synthesis were measured. We found that aromatase and 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA levels drop before cyst breakdown. The 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase protein levels also dropped, but we did not detect a change in aromatase protein levels. The steroid content of perinatal ovaries was assayed, and both estradiol and progesterone were detected in fetal ovaries before cyst breakdown. To determine the role of steroid hormones in oocyte development, we examined the effects of blocking steroid hormone production in organ culture and found that the number of oocytes was reduced, supporting our model that steroid hormones are important for fetal oocyte survival.
Spin-polarised quantum dot light-emitting diodes with high polarisation efficiency at high temperatures

Light-emitting diode heterostructures with 150 nm Ga/sub 0.95/Mn/sub 0.05/As spin injector layers and In/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As quantum dot active regions were grown and fabricated into 600 /spl mu/m diameter mesa-shaped surface-emitting devices. Polarised light at 1.05 /spl mu/m is observed with an output polarisation efficiency of 30% and record high temperature operation.
Language Development in Infants and Toddlers With Fragile X Syndrome: Change Over Time and the Role of Attention

Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with significant language and communication delays, as well as problems with attention. This study investigated early language abilities in infants and toddlers with FXS (n = 13) and considered visual attention as a predictor of those skills. We found that language abilities increased over the study period of 9 to 24 months, with moderate correlations among language assessments. In comparison to typically developing infants (n = 11), language skills were delayed beyond chronological age and developmental-level expectations. Aspects of early visual attention predicted later language ability. Atypical visual attention is an important aspect of the FXS phenotype with implications for early language development, particularly in the domain of vocabulary.
UV-B radiation: a health risk in the Arctic?

Seasonal stratospheric ozone depletion in the Arctic has raised the question of whether the associated increases in ultraviolet-B (290-320 nm) constitute a significant health risk in Arctic populations. Increases in skin cancer in Europe and the USA from excess UV-B resulting from ozone depletion have been predicted. Skin cancer is, however, rare in Inuit populations. UV-B also causes a selective down regulation of the immune system which may be a natural regulatory mechanism evolved to prevent autoimmune attack on sunlight-altered skin. The action spectrum for UV-B immunosuppression implicated a unique skin photoreceptor molecule, urocanic acid (UCA), which isomerizes from the trans to the cis isomer on exposure to UV-B, the cis isomer being immunosuppressive. This form of immunosuppression is important in skin cancer and possibly in infectious diseases. The epidemiology of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma shows a relationship with UV exposure, postulated to be via the immunosuppressive effects of UV-B. Cancers which show an excess in Inuit populations include nasopharyngeal and salivary gland cancer. Genetic factors appear to be involved, but these are thought to be virally related cancers possibly associated with the high viral load in these populations. In several studies on non-Arctic populations, salivary gland cancer has been linked to ultraviolet exposure. A potential role for UV-B exposure in these cancers in the Arctic needs to be explored. In view of the high levels of POPS in some Arctic regions, potential interactions between the immunosuppression caused by some of these pollutants and the effects of UV-B need to be investigated.
Traversing Scales of Brain and Behavioral Organization III: Theoretical Modeling

In coordinated movements typically several states related to different behavioral patterns can be found, e.g. different gaits of horses (Collins and Stewart 1993, Schoner et al. 1990) or different configurations among the joints for trajectory formation tasks (Buchanan et al. 1997, Kelso et al. 1991). These states have different stabilities dependent on external or internal control parameters. When such control parameters are manipulated, coordination states may become unstable and the system exhibits a transition from one state to another. These phenomena have intensively been investigated experimentally and theoretically and mathematical models have been set up reproducing the experimentally observed coordination behavior as well as predicting new effects (see (Haken 1996, Kelso 1995) for reviews). On the other hand, recent MEG and EEG experiments (Kelso et al. 1992, Wallenstein et al. 1995) have investigated the spatiotemporal brain dynamics during coordination of finger movements with external periodic stimuli. To accommodate these results, a mathematical phenomenological model was developed describing the on-going brain activity (Jirsa et al. 1994). In (Jirsa and Haken 1996a, 1996b) [Jirsa and Haken 1996a, Jirsa and Haken 1996b] a neurophysiologically motivated field theory of the spatiotemporal brain dynamics was elaborated which combined properties of neural ensembles, including their short- and long-range connections in the cortex, in addition to describing the interaction of functional units embedded into the neural sheet. This approach was applied to the brain-coordination experiment (Kelso et al. 1992) where the subject’s task was to coordinate rhythmic behavior of a finger with an external acoustic stimulus. During the experiment the MEG of the subject was recorded. Complex systems, such as the brain, have the general property that they perform low-dimensional behavior during transitions from one macroscopic state to another (Cross and Hohenberg 1993, Haken 1983, 1987). This type of behavior has also been found in the analyses (Fuchs et al. 1992, Jirsa et al. 1995) of the brain data from the coordination experiment in (Kelso et al. 1992). On the basis of these analyses the phenomenological model in (Jirsa et al. 1994) describing the brain activity was derived qualitatively from the neurophysiologically motivated theory in (Jirsa and Haken 1996a, 1997).
Relationship between lifetime ovulatory cycles and overexpression of mutant p53 in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: Several lines of evidence have suggested a relationship between a woman’s number of ovulatory cycles and the development of ovarian epithelial cancer. Repair of the ovarian surface after ovulation requires cellular proliferation, and spontaneous mutations arising during the DNA synthesis that accompanies this proliferation may play a role in carcinogenesis. Purpose: We conducted a molecular epidemiologic study to test the hypothesis that a greater number of ovulatory cycles increases the risk of ovarian cancer by inducing proliferation-associated DNA damage. In particular, we examined the association between the lifetime number of ovulatory cycles and mutation of the p53 tumorsuppressor gene (also known as TP53) in ovarian tumors. Methods: Case‐case and case‐control analyses involving participants in the Cancer and Steroid Hormone study were used to examine the association between p53 gene mutation in ovarian tumors and the lifetime number of ovulatory cycles. The women in our study were 20-54 years of age and included 197 case patients with invasive ovarian epithelial cancer and 3363 control subjects. Mutation of the p53 gene was indicated by overexpression of p53 protein (i.e., cellular accumulation of mutant p53 protein) in paraffin-embedded ovarian cancer tissue blocks; the mutant protein was detected by means of standard immunohistochemical techniques. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by employing multivariate analyses, with the use of logistic regression. Reported P values are two-sided. Results: Women whose cancers overexpressed p53 protein (p53 positive) had a greater mean number of lifetime ovulatory cycles (388 ± 77.4 cycles [mean ± standard deviation]) than women whose cancers did not overexpress p53 protein (p53 negative) (342 ± 119.0 cycles) ( P = .0025). Furthermore, women with p53-positive tumors were more likely to have had moderate (i.e., 235-375) or high (i.e., 376-533) numbers of ovulatory cycles than women with p53-negative tumors (age-adjusted ORs = 7.0 [95% CI = 1.6-30.5] and 7.7 [95% CI = 1.4-41.2], respectively) (<234 cycles was the referent category). After controlling for age, menopausal status, and nulliparity, women with p53-positive tumors were found to be significantly more likely to have had moderate or high numbers of ovulatory cycles than control subjects (ORs = 4.3 [95% CI = 1.4-13.0] and 9.1 [95% CI = 2.7-30.9], respectively); the corresponding ORs for women with p53-negative tumors compared with control subjects were 0.6 (95% CI = 0.3-1.4) and 1.3 (95% CI = 0.5-3.2), respectively. Conclusions and Implications: A higher number of ovulatory cycles may be associated with increased amounts of proliferationassociated DNA damage and increased risk of developing p53-positive but not p53-negative epithelial ovarian cancer. Our results are consistent with more than one developmental pathway in the pathogenesis of this type of cancer. [J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89:932-8]
Dimensionality Estimation, Manifold Learning and Function Approximation using Tensor Voting

We address instance-based learning from a perceptual organization standpoint and present methods for dimensionality estimation, manifold learning and function approximation. Under our approach, manifolds in high-dimensional spaces are inferred by estimating geometric relationships among the input instances. Unlike conventional manifold learning, we do not perform dimensionality reduction, but instead perform all operations in the original input space. For this purpose we employ a novel formulation of tensor voting, which allows an N-D implementation. Tensor voting is a perceptual organization framework that has mostly been applied to computer vision problems. Analyzing the estimated local structure at the inputs, we are able to obtain reliable dimensionality estimates at each instance, instead of a global estimate for the entire data set. Moreover, these local dimensionality and structure estimates enable us to measure geodesic distances and perform nonlinear interpolation for data sets with varying density, outliers, perturbation and intersections, that cannot be handled by state-of-the-art methods. Quantitative results on the estimation of local manifold structure using ground truth data are presented. In addition, we compare our approach with several leading methods for manifold learning at the task of measuring geodesic distances. Finally, we show competitive function approximation results on real data.
The Medicare policy of payment adjustment for health care-associated infections: perspectives on potential unintended consequences.

In 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services introduced a new policy to adjust payment to hospitals for health care-associated infections (HAIs) not present on admission. Interviews with 36 hospital infection preventionists across the United States explored the perspectives of these key stakeholders on the potential unintended consequences of the current policy. Responses were analyzed using an iterative coding process where themes were developed from the data. Participants’ descriptions of unintended impacts of the policy centered around three themes. Results suggest the policy has focused more attention on targeted HAIs and has affected hospital staff; relatively fewer systems changes have ensued. Some consequences of the policy, such as infection preventionists having less time to devote to HAIs other than those in the policy or having less time to implement prevention activities, may have undesirable effects on HAI rates if hospitals do not recognize and react to potential time and resource gaps.
Cortisol, Sexual Arousal, and Affect in Response to Sexual Stimuli

Introduction. Theoretically, the physiological response to stress should inhibit the sexual response. This has been demonstrated experimentally in animal models, and correlationally in studies of human reproduction. It is reasonable to expect, then, that the stress response would be blunted during sexual arousal, and several researchers have found a pattern of decreasing cortisol during sexual arousal. Aim. In the present study, we explored individual differences in women's cortisol response to sexual arousal in a laboratory setting. We also examined how cortisol response in the laboratory related to a validated measure of sexual arousal functioning in real life. Main Outcome Measures. Cortisol levels were measured in saliva via enzyme immunoassay. Subjective arousal was measured by a self-report questionnaire, and genital arousal was measured by a vaginal photoplethysmograph. Methods. Subjective and physiological responses to an erotic film were assessed in 30 women. Saliva samples were taken at baseline and following the film. Results. The majority of women (N = 20) showed a decrease in cortisol; nine women showed an increase in response to an erotic film. The women who showed an increase in cortisol had lower scores on the Arousal, Desire, and Satisfaction domains of the Female Sexual Function Index. Genital arousal in the laboratory was not related to cortisol change. Conclusions. Women who show an increase in cortisol in response to sexual stimuli in the laboratory have lower levels of functioning in certain areas of their sexual life compared with women who show a decrease in cortisol. Stress related to sexual performance may interfere with sexual arousal. Hamilton LD, Rellini AH, and Meston CM. Cortisol, sexual arousal, and affect in response to sexual stimuli. J Sex Med 2008;5:2111-2118.
Demonstrating the Value of Contact Force Sensing: More Difficult Than Meets the Eye.

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation is a widely accepted and commonly performed procedure worldwide. During the almost 2 decades that have passed since first identification of the pulmonary veins (PVs) as a common site for focal triggers that initiate atrial fibrillation (AF), catheter ablation of AF has matured. AF ablation is now recommended as a Class 1 therapy for treatment of patients with symptomatic AF refractory to at least 1 membrane active antiarrhythmic medication.1–3 Despite the well-established track record of safety and efficacy of AF ablation, its outcomes remain imperfect. Major complications occur in 1% to 5% of patients, and single procedure efficacy disappoints us—even when the procedure is performed in optimal young healthy individuals with paroxysmal AF. It is widely acknowledged that touch-up procedures will be needed in 30% to 50% of patients.4,5 When a repeat AF ablation procedure is performed, reconnection of 1 or more PVs is the rule.6,7 Creation of more permanent radiofrequency (RF) lesions would be a major step forward in combatting the problem of reconnection of the PVs and hopefully in improving efficacy. RF lesion size is impacted by power, duration, and contact force (CF). Until recently only the first 2 in this triad could be measured and controlled.8 The good news is that over the past several years 2 different RF ablation catheters capable of monitoring contact force have been developed.9–11 The first of these was evaluated as part of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process in a nonrandomized study.11 This catheter met its end point of being equivalent to a commercially approved irrigated RF ablation catheter. But only after a post hoc analysis could the value of CF monitoring be seen. Of even greater disappointment was that …
THE IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST'S D MEASURE CAN MINIMIZE A COGNITIVE SKILL CONFOUND: COMMENT ON McFARLAND AND CROUCH (2002)

Abstract McFarland and Crouch (2002) reported substantial positive correlations (a) between the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and response speed and (b) between IATs assessing racism or self-esteem and ostensibly unrelated control IATs. Using an IAT measure in millisecond-difference score format, they concluded that the IAT was confounded with general cognitive ability. A reanalysis of these data using the D measure (Greenwald, Nosek, & Banaji, 2003) eliminated the speed of responding confound, although it did not eliminate the correlation between the control and racism IATs. The study was replicated and the two correlations, paralleling those in the original study, emerged for the millisecond-difference score. However, both were reduced to nonsignificance by use of the D measure. These findings are consistent with other recent studies (Mierke & Klauer, 2003) that document the protection afforded by D against cognitive skill confounds.
High-dose rhBMP-2 for adults: major and minor complications: a study of 502 spine cases.

Background Use of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) has increased considerably since its introduction in 2002. The complications associated with high-dose rhBMP-2 (≥ 40 mg) are unknown. The purpose of our study was to determine outcomes and medical and surgical complications associated with high-dose rhBMP-2 at short-term and long-term follow-up evaluations. Methods Five hundred and two consecutive adult patients who had received high-dose rhBMP-2 as a part of spinal surgery from 2002 to 2009 at one institution were enrolled. Data were entered prospectively and studied and analyzed retrospectively. Surgical procedures in the thoracic and lumbar spine were included. Major and minor complications were documented intraoperatively, perioperatively, and at the latest follow-up examination. Complications potentially associated with rhBMP-2 use were evaluated for correlation with rhBMP-2 dose. Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) outcome measures were obtained before and after surgery. Results On average, 115 mg (range, 40 to 351 mg) of rhBMP-2 was used. The average age of the patients (410 women and ninety-two men) at the time of the index procedure was 52.4 years (range, eighteen to eighty years). There were 265 primary and 237 revision procedures, and 261 patients had interbody fusion. An average of 11.5 vertebrae were instrumented. The average duration of follow-up was forty-two months (range, fourteen to ninety-two months). The diagnoses included idiopathic scoliosis (41%), degenerative scoliosis (31%), fixed sagittal imbalance (18%), and other diagnoses (10%). The rate of intraoperative complications was 8.2%. The rate of perioperative major surgical complications was 11.6%. The rate of perioperative major medical complications was 11.6%. Minor medical complications occurred in 18.9% of the cases, and minor surgical complications occurred in 2.6%. Logistic regression analysis and Pearson correlation did not identify a significant correlation between rhBMP-2 dosage and radiculopathy (r = -0.006), seroma (r = -0.003), or cancer (r = -0.05). Significant improvements in the ODI score (from a mean of 41 points to a mean of 26 points; p Conclusions This is the largest study of which we are aware that examines complications associated with high-dose rhBMP-2. Major surgical complications occurred in 11.6% of patients, and 11.6% experienced major medical complications. There was a cancer prevalence of 3.4%, but no correlation between increasing rhBMP-2 dosage and cancer, radiculopathy (seen in 1% of the patients), or seroma (seen in 0.6%) was found.
Victor H. Winston, 1925–2015

On 23 November 2015, Victor H. Winston, founding publisher of Urban Geography and other important journals in geography (Physical Geography, Polar Geography) and the social sciences (Post-Soviet Af...
SURFACE REACTIONS OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OF GRAPHITE

Chemical reactions produce characteristic surface structures on single graphite crystals. These were studied with optical and electron microscopes. It was possible to determine differences of chemical reactivity between various faces of the crystals. In particular, oxidation is produced only at the edges and not on the surfaces of the phases unless lattice faults are introduced into the crystal. Some surface steps often appear during reaction with oxygen or carbon dioxide. The angle of these steps is, generally, but not always, related to the swiftness of the reaction. The steps tend to be almost vertical when the reaction is accelerated by water. Some studies with tritium tracer reveal a persistent retention of water by the graphite. Some pronounced surface effects are provoked by solid colloidal catalysts. Various faults and their effect on the reactivity were studied. It was observed that the spiral dislocations with a large Burgess vector augment the reactivity and produce cavities. The damage produced by radiation and the lattice faults caused by tempering produced profound modifications in the reaction kinetics and, consequently, changes in the surface structure. (tr-auth)
Farmers’ market governance and its role on consumer motives and outcomes

ABSTRACTLocal food systems and farmers' markets across the USA have experienced unprecedented growth and development in the past 20 years. While scholarship has examined participant demographics and motives for engaging in farmers' markets, few studies have considered the coupled nature of those attending the markets with institutional governance systems used for market coordination. This study examined participation in farmers' markets under the framework of high and low market governance systems, specifically considering the demographics, values for local foods, motives for attending farmers' markets, and outcomes of the experience based on the dichotomous governance classification. Governance was characterized using four attributes: market rules or policies, paid employee(s), a rule governing geography of food origin, and affiliation with an organisation or agency. Our results suggest that market governance may impact (1) which consumers attend the market, (2) motives among those who attend the market,...
Metals and Neurodegeneration.

Metals play important roles in the human body, maintaining cell structure and regulating gene expression, neurotransmission, and antioxidant response, to name a few. However, excessive metal accumulation in the nervous system may be toxic, inducing oxidative stress, disrupting mitochondrial function, and impairing the activity of numerous enzymes. Damage caused by metal accumulation may result in permanent injuries, including severe neurological disorders. Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown a strong correlation between aberrant metal exposure and a number of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism spectrum disorders, Guillain–Barre disease, Gulf War syndrome, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Wilson’s disease. Here, we briefly survey the literature relating to the role of metals in neurodegeneration.
Reliability of Transcutaneous Oximeter Electrode Heating Power During Exercise in Patients with Intermittent Claudication

The purposes of this study were to (1) compare the reliability of transcutaneous oximeter electrode power with the reliability of oxygen tension and (2) compare the relationship of the oximetry measures with exercise performance in claudicants. One hundred ten PAOD patients with stable claudication symptoms performed a treadmill test and had the following exercise measures obtained: foot transcutaneous oxygen tension, oximeter electrode heating power, exercise duration, and peak oxygen consumption. A subset of 30 patients were tested once per week over three successive weeks to assess the reliability of the oximetry measures. The coefficient of variation of foot transcutaneous oxygen tension at peak exercise was 32.8%, whereas the variability of the oximeter electrode heating power was only 5.1%. Oximeter electrode heating power at peak exercise was related to maximal claudication pain time (r=0.44, P < 0.001) and peak oxygen consumption (r=0.36, P < 0.001), whereas foot transcutaneous oxygen tension was ...
EARLY ASSOCIATION OF ASYMMETRIC DIMETHYLARGININE WITH ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH ANGINA AND NONOBSTRUCTIVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Endothelial dysfunction is a potential cause of angina and a predictor of worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) inhibits nitric oxide synthase, and elevated levels of ADMA impair endothelial function. In
Anywhere decoding: Low-overhead basestation cooperation for interference- and fading-limited wireless environments

In the context of interference channels with multiple transmitters and receivers, we propose a novel decoding scheme called anywhere decoding that does not pre-assign the receiver at which each message should be decoded, but rather requires that each message must be decoded at some receiver. This paper illustrates how system performance can improve if we allow for this flexibility. After developing a system model based upon the classical two-user, discrete-memoryless interference channel, we present two decoding schemes based upon the anywhere decoding concept, each requiring extremely low overhead to enable cooperation among the receivers. Both of these schemes offer the same achievable rate region, for which we outline the proof in the discrete-memoryless case and state the result for the Gaussian case with independent and identically distributed Gaussian inputs. When cast into a cellular setting with two cooperating basestations experiencing path-loss and multipath fading, we assess performance in terms of two system metrics: the common outage probability and the symmetric throughput. Asymptotic analysis of the outage probability of the anywhere decoding schemes demonstrates that they achieve full spatial diversity through multiple decoding opportunities, and they are no more than 1.5 decibels (dB) from full basestation cooperation at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Alcoholic Steatosis in Different Strains of Rat: A Comparative Study.

Background. Different strains of rats have been used to study alcoholic liver disease (ALD) while the reason for selecting a particular rat strain was not apparent. Purpose. The aim of our study was to compare outbred (Wistar) and inbred (Fischer) strains to evaluate pathological, biochemical changes, and gene expression differences associated with ethanol-induced early hepatic steatosis. Study Design. Male Wistar and Fischer-344 rats were pair-fed for 6 weeks with or without 5% ethanol in Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet. Livers were analyzed for histological and lipid-related differences. Results. Hepatic midzonal steatosis was mainly found in Wistar rats while Fischer rats showed mostly pericentral steatosis. Increased hepatic steatosis in ethanol-fed Wistar rats is supported by increases in lipids with related genes and transcription factors involved in fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis. Conclusion. Our data showed that Fischer rats are relatively less prone to ethanol-mediated steatosis with pericentral lipid deposition pattern in the liver which is similar to humans and show no trace level of lipid accumulation in pair-fed controls as observed in Wistar (outbred) strain. Therefore, Fischer rats are better suited for lipid studies in an early development of ALD.
Assessing the effectiveness of k -shortest path sets in problems of network interdiction

This paper focuses on the network interdiction problem and integration of a solution methodology based on k-shortest path sets. We design and conduct an experiment using the road network of Northridge, California to assess performance of the k-shortest path approach under varying assumptions which include homogeneous and heterogeneous arc metrics, the use or non-use of pseudo nodes and alternate origin-destination scenarios. We compare the obtained solutions from the k-shortest path set approach to optimal solutions obtained by implementing Benders Decomposition and observe the differences in computation time and the objective gap for all cases of the experimental design. We also introduce a similarity measure based on spatial analysis techniques to compare coverage as a secondary measure of performance. The observed findings support the use of a k-shortest path set approach in situations where computation time prohibits the need to derive an optimal solution. Additionally, we show that the k-shortest path set approach performs better on heterogeneous networks and that only a small number need be used for k to achieve strong interdiction solutions.
A Parametric Approach to the Optimization-Based Design of Compliant Mechanisms

Several optimization-based strategies have been proposed for compliant mechanism design that do not rely on the experience or intuition of the designer. This paper demonstrates an optimization-based method wherein compliant mechanisms are modeled parametrically within an optimization and a finite element analysis package. Topological optimization is performed to minimize an objective function representing the fitness of the design. This methodology exploits the nonlinear nature of compliant mechanisms and augments optimization-based methods previously proposed. Using this method, constant-force mechanisms optimized for a displacement from 4% to 25% of the mechanism’s total length were predicted to remain within 3.58% of constant force. Results from the testing of fabricated mechanisms are: for 425% displacement, within 7.5% constant force; for 18-65% displacement, within 2.3%. Path generation mechanisms were designed with similarly encouraging results.
On the use of circular SAR to improve the performance of knowledge-aided STAP

In order to enhance the Hybrid STAP algorithm presented by Adve, a novel method to supplement the knowledge base through the use of circular SAR imaging and registration with Land Use and Land Cover and other data is presented herein. The proposed method will enhance the performance of the embedded non-homogeneity detector present in Hybrid STAP.
Aberrant splicing in maize rough endosperm3 reveals a conserved role for U12 splicing in eukaryotic multicellular development

RNA splicing of U12-type introns functions in human cell differentiation, but it is not known whether this class of introns has a similar role in plants. The maize ROUGH ENDOSPERM3 (RGH3) protein is orthologous to the human splicing factor, ZRSR2. ZRSR2 mutations are associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and cause U12 splicing defects. Maize rgh3 mutants have aberrant endosperm cell differentiation and proliferation. We found that most U12-type introns are retained or misspliced in rgh3. Genes affected in rgh3 and ZRSR2 mutants identify cell cycle and protein glycosylation as common pathways disrupted. Transcripts with retained U12-type introns can be found in polysomes, suggesting that splicing efficiency can alter protein isoforms. The rgh3 mutant protein disrupts colocalization with a known ZRSR2-interacting protein, U2AF2. These results indicate conserved function for RGH3/ZRSR2 in U12 splicing and a deeply conserved role for the minor spliceosome to promote cell differentiation from stem cells to terminal fates.
ALS-linked FUS exerts a gain of toxic function involving aberrant p38 MAPK activation

Mutations in Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Liposarcoma (FUS) cause familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive axonal degeneration mainly affecting motor neurons. Evidence from transgenic mouse models suggests mutant forms of FUS exert an unknown gain-of-toxic function in motor neurons, but mechanisms underlying this effect remain unknown. Towards this end, we studied the effect of wild type FUS (FUS WT) and three ALS-linked variants (G230C, R521G and R495X) on fast axonal transport (FAT), a cellular process critical for appropriate maintenance of axonal connectivity. All ALS-FUS variants impaired anterograde and retrograde FAT in squid axoplasm, whereas FUS WT had no effect. Misfolding of mutant FUS is implicated in this process, as the molecular chaperone Hsp110 mitigated these toxic effects. Interestingly, mutant FUS-induced impairment of FAT in squid axoplasm and of axonal outgrowth in mammalian primary motor neurons involved aberrant activation of the p38 MAPK pathway, as also reported for ALS-linked forms of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Accordingly, increased levels of active p38 MAPK were detected in post-mortem human ALS-FUS brain tissues. These data provide evidence for a novel gain-of-toxic function for ALS-linked FUS involving p38 MAPK activation.