cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring Procedural Knowledge More Simply with a Single-Response Situational Judgment Test

Purpose This paper describes the development of a situational judgment test (SJT) based on single-response options developed directly from critical incidents and reports a study that tested the SJT’s concurrent validity against ratings of job performance.
Metabolism of methylcarbamate insecticides by the NADPH2.requiring enzyme system from houseflies.

Certain resistant strains of houseflies are distinguished from susceptible strains by greater enzyme activity for the oxidation of several insecticide chemicals. This may contribute to the mechanism of resistance. Abdomens are a convenient source of this enzyme
Myosin II Activity Facilitates Microtubule Bundling in the Neuronal Growth Cone Neck

The cell biological processes underlying axon growth and guidance are still not well understood. An outstanding question is how a new segment of the axon shaft is formed in the wake of neuronal growth cone advance. For this to occur, the highly dynamic, splayed-out microtubule (MT) arrays characteristic of the growth cone must be consolidated (bundled together) to form the core of the axon shaft. MT-associated proteins stabilize bundled MTs, but how individual MTs are brought together for initial bundling is unknown. Here, we show that laterally moving actin arcs, which are myosin II-driven contractile structures, interact with growing MTs and transport them from the sides of the growth cone into the central domain. Upon Myosin II inhibition, the movement of actin filaments and MTs immediately stopped and MTs unbundled. Thus, Myosin II-dependent compressive force is necessary for normal MT bundling in the growth cone neck.
Effects of Reduced Phenolic Acids on Metabolism of Propionate and Palmitate in Bovine Liver Tissue In Vitro

Abstract Benzoic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, trans -cinnamic acid, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionic acid in ruminal fluid are presumed to be the products of chemical reduction of dietary phenolic monomers by ruminal microorganisms. Effects of reduced phenolics on metabolism in bovine liver tissue were evaluated by measurement of 1) conversion of propionate to glucose and CO 2 , 2) conversion of palmitate to oxidized products, and 3) leakage of lactate dehydrogenase from liver slices in vitro. In Experiment 1, .4m M benzoic, 3-phenylpropionic, trans -cinnamic, or 3-(4- hydroxyphenyl)propionic acids decreased conversion of propionate to glucose and decreased conversion of palmitate to total oxidation products. At .2m M , 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid did not inhibit conversion of propionate to glucose compared with that of controls, but the other reduced phenolics did. In Experiment 2, the same reduced phenolics inhibited conversion of propionate to glucose. Of the reduced phenolics tested, cinnamic acid inhibited conversion of propionate to glucose at the lowest concentration, .1m M . Additionally, when present at ≥.4, .1, or .005m M , benzoic, 3-phenylpropionic, or trans -cinnamic acids, respectively, increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase from liver tissue. The reduced phenolics tested, which are representative of those in ruminal fluid, inhibited metabolism of bovine liver tissue in vitro at supraphysiological concentrations. Data at physiological concentrations were inconclusive.
Evaluation of basin-scale hydrologic response to a multi-storm simulation

Abstract Understanding how hydrologic systems of large river basins respond to atmospheric forcing is crucial to regional climate and hydrology studies. A hydrologic model system (HMS) was linked to a regional climate model (RCM) to model a series of storm events passing over the Susquehanna River Basin and to simulate various hydrologic processes in soil hydrology, land surface hydrology, and ground-water hydrology using observed and modeled storm events. The RCM is designed to link to general circulation models and to provide fine spatiotemporal output for hydrologic and other applications. The hydrologic models were calibrated to the observed data (e.g. soil moisture and streamflow) at the basin and subbasin-scales. The HMS-simulated hydrologic response to observed precipitation from a six-storm sequence compares well to the observed. The subgrid-scale spatial variability in precipitation and hydraulic conductivity is included in HMS simulations with RCM-modeled precipitation. Nested 108–36–12 km RCM domains are used for the multi-storm simulation. The 12 km RCM-modeled precipitation is then downscaled to a 1 km hydrologic grid resolution for HMS simulation. Simulations of the six-storm sequence by the RCM produce precipitation fields that appear realistic in general, but that diverge in detail from observed precipitation in both time and space. HMS proves to be sensitive to these details, so the simulated streamflow does not accurately reproduce observed streamflow. The results suggest potential value in improving on the current versions of RCM and HMS for regional climate and hydrology system modeling.
Variation in vaginal breech delivery rates by hospital type.

Abstract Objective: To relate vaginal breech delivery rates to the following hospital types: public, health maintenance organization, private teaching, or private nonteaching. Methods: In a retrospective study using administrative discharge data from Los Angeles County, California, we calculated the vaginal breech delivery rates of singleton breech deliveries during calendar years 1988 and 1991. Results: Ten thousand four hundred breech deliveries were identified, 8988 (86.4%) term and 1412 (13.6%) preterm. Twelve percent (1252 of 10,400) were vaginal deliveries (10.1% term and 24.5% preterm). Term vaginal breech deliveries varied by hospital type and were more frequent in public hospitals (28.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 26.1%, 30.7%) and less frequent in private nonteaching hospitals (5.4%, 95% CI 4.8%, 5.9%). Term vaginal deliveries were 2.4 to 11.3 times more likely among black women and 1.3 to 6.3 times more likely for Hispanic women across all hospital types, compared with white women in private nonteaching hospitals. There was no difference in the proportion of preterm vaginal breech deliveries by hospital type (mean 24.5%). However, with the exception of public hospitals, the proportion of vaginal breech deliveries for both term and preterm deliveries varied significantly by ethnicity. Conclusion: The use of vaginal breech delivery varied by hospital type and patient ethnicity. Within private teaching and nonteaching hospitals, vaginal breech delivery was more likely for black women than for women of other ethnic groups. Further study is needed to understand the hospital policies or organizational factors, as well as the patient-related sociocultural and clinical factors, that contribute to those differences.
William Stetson Merrill and Bricolage for Information Studies

Purpose – This paper examines William Stetson Merrill, the compiler of A Code for Classifiers and a Newberry Library employee (1889‐1930) in an attempt to glean lessons for modern information studies from an early librarian's career. Design/methodology/approach – Merrill's career at the Newberry Library and three editions of the code are briefly examined using historical, bibliographic, and conceptual methods. Primary and secondary sources in archives and libraries are summarized to provide insight into Merrill's attempts to develop or modify tools to solve the knowledge organization problems he faced. The concept of bricolage, developed by Levi‐Strauss to explain modalities of thinking, is applied to Merrill's career. Excerpts from his works and reminisces are used to explain Merrill as a bricoleur and highlight the characteristics of bricolage. Findings – Findings show that Merrill worked collaboratively to collocate and integrate a variety of ideas from a diverse group of librarians such as Cutter, Pettee, Poole, Kelley, Rudolph, and Fellows. Bliss and Ranganathan were aware of the code but the extent to which they were influenced by it remains to be explored. Although this is an anachronistic evaluation, Merrill serves as an example of the archetypal information scientist who improvises and integrates methods from bibliography, cataloging, classification, and indexing to solve problems of information retrieval and design usable information products and services for human consumption. Originality/value – Bricolage offers great potential to information practitioners and researchers today as we continue to try and find user‐centered solutions to the problems of digital information organization and services.
Breakdown of the N=0 quantum Hall state in graphene: Two insulating regimes

We studied the unusual quantum Hall effect (QHE) near the charge neutrality point in high-mobility graphene sample for magnetic fields up to 18 T. We observe breakdown of the delocalized QHE transport and strong increase in resistivities ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xx},|{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xy}|$ with decreasing Landau-level filling for $\ensuremath{\nu}l2$, where we identify two insulating regimes. First, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xx,xy}$ increases nearly exponentially within the range of several resistance quanta ${R}_{K}$, while the Hall effect gradually disappears and the off-diagonal resistivity ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xy}$ eventually becomes independent of the direction of magnetic field, consistent with the Hall insulator with local transport. Then, at a filling $\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\approx}1/2$, there is a cusp in ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{xx}(\ensuremath{\nu})$ and an onset of even faster growth with the decreasing $\ensuremath{\nu}$, indicating transition to a collective insulator state. A likely candidate for this state is a pinned Wigner crystal.
Abstract 321: Autophagy is required for focal adhesion turnover, tumor cell motility and metastasis

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Macro-autophagy is a catabolic process important for degradation of damaged organelles, protein aggregates and intracellular recycling of proteins and lipids. Autophagy is thought to suppress tumor initiation by promoting genome stability and limiting necrosis and inflammation, but conversely is utilized by tumor cells to survive nutrient stress, hypoxia, and cytotoxic therapies, promoting growth of established tumors. However, whether autophagy impacts the metastatic process is not well understood. To examine the role of autophagy in breast cancer metastasis, essential autophagy genes atg5 and atg7 were stably knocked down the aggressive and metastatic 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cell line using shRNA. Inhibition of autophagy did not reduce cell proliferation or survival under stress in vitro or primary tumor growth in vivo, but markedly reduced metastasis to the lungs and liver. Surprisingly, this was not due reduced survival in the circulation or at the secondary site, as atg5 and atg7-deficient cells were able to colonize the lungs to the same extent as control cells when injected into the circulation in a tail vein experimental metastasis assay, suggesting that inhibition of autophagy impairs escape from the primary tumor in this model. Indeed, inhibition of autophagy prevented cell spreading, migration and invasion through collagen in transwell assays of 4T1 cells, MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, and B16.F10 melanoma cells. This was associated with failure of RhoA-mediated protrusion, impaired focal adhesion disassembly, and accumulation of the key focal adhesion component paxillin. We show that paxillin is degraded by autophagy, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of paxillin in autophagy-deficient cells rescued their spreading and motility, suggesting that impaired focal adhesion disassembly and migration in autophagy-deficient cells was the result of failure of autophagic degradation of paxillin. Intriguingly, active RhoA is localized at autophagosomes, and inhibition of RhoA activity inhibits not only cellular protrusion but also autophagic flux in metastatic cells, suggesting that RhoA may be involved in upstream regulation of autophagic degradation of paxillin to promote focal adhesion disassembly. In sum, we have identified a novel and unexpected function for autophagy in focal adhesion disassembly and tumor cell motility that is required for metastasis in vivo. This suggests that while autophagy may also promote the survival of disseminating tumor cells during metastasis, autophagy is in fact required for escape from the primary tumor. Citation Format: Marina N. Sharifi, Christopher Collier, Lauren Drake, Hong Chen, Stephanie Mui, Kay F. Macleod. Autophagy is required for focal adhesion turnover, tumor cell motility and metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 321. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-321
End point control of nonlinear flexible manipulators with control constraint using SDRE method

The paper treats the question of end point regulation of multi-link light-weight manipulators using the state dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) method. It is assumed that each link is flexible and deforms when maneuvered. It is well known that end point trajectory control using widely used feedback linearization technique is not possible since the system is nonminimum phase. Furthermore, control saturation is a major problem in controlling nonlinear systems. In this paper, an optimal control problem is formulated for the derivation of control law with and without control constraints on the joint torques and suboptimal control laws are designed using the SDRE method. This design approach is applicable to minimum and as well as nonminimum phase nonlinear systems. For the purpose of control, psuedo joint angles and elastic modes of each link are regulated to their equilibrium values which correspond to the target end point under gravity. Weighting matrices in the quadratic performance index provide flexibility in shaping the psuedo angle and elastic mode trajectories. In the closed-loop system, the equilibrium state is asymptotically stable, and vibration is uppressed. Simulation results are presented for a single link flexible manipulator which shows that in the closed-loop system, end point regulation is accomplished even with hard bounds on the control torque, and that the transient characteristics of the psuedo angles and elastic modes are easily shaped by the choice of the the performance criterion.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
The Recent Shift of United States Population to Nonmetropolitan Areas, 1970-75

Net movement of people into the nonmetropolitan areas of the United States has developed in recent years, reversing a long term trend of out-movement. This new trend is not limited to counties adja...
A Sales Floor in the Sky: Philadelphia Department Stores and the Radio Boom of the 1920s

Between 1920 and 1922, the number of radio stations in the United States mushroomed from a handful to almost 600. Department stores operated 30 of these stations, using the airwaves to stimulate the sale of receivers, to advertise the store, and to promote merchandise. This research analyzes the phenomenon of department store radio stations, with a particular focus on Philadelphia. In contrast to historical accounts of radio that stress the dramatic commercialization of the industry in the late 20s, this research argues that advertising has always been a defining element of the American approach to broadcasting.
Translation factor IF2 at the interface of transposition and replication by the PriA-PriC pathway

Bacteriophage Mu DNA synthesis is initiated during transposition by replication restart proteins PriA, DnaT and either PriB or PriC. The PriA-PriC pathway requires PriA's helicase activity and other host factors that promote the orderly transition from transpososome to replisome on the Mu DNA template. The host factor MRFalpha-PR, which removes obstacles to PriA binding and promotes the PriA-PriC pathway, was identified to be the translation initiation factor IF2. Purified isoform IF2-2, which is truncated at the N-terminal end, had full MRFalpha-PR activity whereas full-length IF2-1 was inactive. IF2-2 was bound to the Mu DNA template specifically at the step for prereplisome assembly. Prior steps in the orderly transition from transpososome were essential to promote efficient IF2-2 binding. Moreover, PriA helicase activity was subsequently needed to displace IF2-2, remodelling the template to permit replisome assembly. IF2's role in the transition mechanism as well as its function as G protein and translation factor suggest its potential to regulate DNA synthesis by this pathway.
Differences in sensitivity to farnesol toxicity between neoplastically- and non-neoplastically-derived cells in culture

Six neoplastically-derived cell lines and three cell lines derived from normal tissues were compared for their sensitivity to isoprenoid trans-trans farnesol. Assays of cell numbers and of protein concentrations per culture revealed greater sensitivity of neoplastic cells than of the normal cells. Similar differences were obtained from the comparison of incorporation of [methyl-3H]choline into cellular lipids, with neoplastic cells showing greater inhibition than normal cells.
A pilot study of cognitive-behavioral therapy of insomnia in people with mild depression

In some cases, insomnia and depression may have a reciprocal relationship, in which each aggravates and maintains the other. To test the hypothesis that reduction of insomnia would result in reduction of depression in patients (N=10) with both disorders, a repeated-measures design was used comparing depression and insomnia levels before and after 6 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy of insomnia. Posttreatment, 100% of completers (n=8) had a normalized sleeping pattern, and 87.5% had normalized depression scores. Significant posttreatment improvement was seen in sleep onset latency (-31 min), wake time after sleep onset (-24 min), total sleep time (+65 min), sleep efficiency (+14%), and sleep quality (+19%), which was maintained at 3-month follow-up. A decreasing trend occurred in depression scores from pre- to posttreatment, which reached significance at 3-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses showed similar results.
A new boson expansion for odd-particle systems☆

Abstract The Beliaev-Zelevinsky boson expansion is extended to include systems with odd particle number. Closed forms, valid to all orders, are given for the particle-boson as well as boson-boson interaction.
Effect of actinomycin D on hormones that control the release of thyrotropin from the anterior pituitary glands of mice.

TRF and T3 have been shown previously to act on the anterior pituitary gland (APG), T3 inhibiting the releasing activity of TRF in a quantitative fashion. This study shows that actinomycin D can prevent or impair the inhibiting effect of T3 on release of TSH by TRF. Actinomycin D inhibited this T3 effect even when the antibiotic was administered 6 hr before the injection of T3. When actinomycin D was administered 1 hr after the injection of T3, it essentially had no effect on this T3 action. The effect of actinomycin D on the T3 block probably does not occur by decreasing the uptake of T3 into the APG. When actinomycin D was given to mice in amounts and at time intervals known to decrease the T3 block, it was found that the total RNA synthesis was decreased by 50% in APG but protein synthesis was not impaired. As reported previously for puromycin and cycloheximide, actinomycin D does not affect the TRF-TSH release response. (Endocrinology 82: 303, 1968)
Unusual symptoms and syndromes in multiple sclerosis.

Purpose of ReviewIn multiple sclerosis (MS), symptoms vary widely from patient to patient. Certain events in MS are well recognized (eg, optic neuritis, brainstem and spinal cord relapses) and do not lead to much clinical confusion. However, other events that occur in MS may be less expected and may
Theoretical sampling for data mining

Given a finite sequence of vectors (numerical tuples), there is a complexity associated to it, called data complexity. The 'simplest' pattern that is supported by this data set has a complexity, called pattern complexity. Then the 'smallest' sub-sequence, whose pattern complexity and data complexity are both equal to the pattern complexity of the original sequence, is the smallest sample, called theoretical sample. This paper investigates such samples.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
13C NMR assignments of the isoprenoid chain carbons of retinoids from empirical chemical shift differences

13C NMR assignments have been made for a series of 36 α- and 3,4-dehydroretinoids with different substituents (alcohol, ester, aldehyde and acid) and for their separated E and Z geometrical isomers. The assignments were made by using 2D heteronuclear-correlated NMR experiments. From the chemical shift data of 24 systematically related retinoids, empirical chemical shift changes due to four polar end groups (alcohol, aldehyde, carboxylic acids and esters), three chain configurations (all-E, 9Z and 13Z), and two ring substitutions (2,6,6-trimethyl-cyclohex-2-enyl and 2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-dienyl) were determined. All trends were found to be independent of each other, except for the dependence of the chemical shift change of the 13Z-isomers on the polar end groups. The chemical shift changes were used to predict the chemical shifts of other retinoids based on two different ring structures (2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexenyl and 4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethylphenyl).
Cyclodextrin-Modified Capillary Electrophoresis: Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Contaminated Soils

A separation method using cyclodextrin-modified capillary electrophoresis has been developed for analysis of the 16 U.S. EPA priority pollutant PAHs in contaminated soils. In this procedure, a mixt...
Growth of diamond thin films on nickel-base alloys

Abstract Microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition has been employed to grow diamond films (thickness up to 50 μm) using a gas mixture of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), and oxygen (O2) on various substrates such as Ni 200, MONEL 400, INCONEL 600, INVAR, single crystal nickel with orientations of (100), (111), etc. Nucleation of diamond on the substrates has been achieved by seeding with diamond particles, manual scratching, and ultrasonic agitation in methanol (CH3OH) containing diamond particles. The substrate underwent H2 microwave plasma treatment for 5–60 min to remove any oxide film present prior to diamond growth. Growth of diamond over MONEL 400 was achieved at various CH4 concentrations in H2. As-deposited films were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. According to SEM the morphology of the grown films was (100) texture over the entire surface (
Thin, light-trapping silicon solar cells for space

Ultrathin silicon solar cells with high efficiency and radiation tolerance can be made by incorporating light-trapping and heterojunction surface passivation. Calculations show that a 2 mu m-thick light-trapping cell remains over 18% efficient after the equivalent of 20 years in geosynchronous orbit. Including a 50 mu m coverglass, the thin cells had, after irradiation, a specific power over ten times higher than that of the baseline design. >
Lebesgue constants for Leja points

It is shown that for many compact sets in the plane, the Lebesgue constant of interpolation in the first n Leja points cannot grow exponentially in n. This gives a theoretical foundation for the use of Leja points in interpolation.
Socio-Economic Conditions and Party Politics in Japan: A Statistical Analysis of the 1969 General Election

L ven a cursory review of Japanese political development during the 1960s can attest to an unmistakable change in the complex interrelations of Japanese political parties. It seems clear that the relative position of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) has somewhat diminished in influence and that the pre-eminence of the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) has substantially dwindled among the progressive elements. At the same time each of the three minor parties-the Clean Government Party (CGP or Komeito), the Japan Communist Party (JCP), and the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) -has registered an appreciable increase in support during the latest national election held in December 1969. The LDP obtained less than a majority of the popular votes for the second time in 15 years and the JSP suffered a net loss of about 2.7 million votes and 50 seats in the 486-member House of Representatives. These electoral results not only repudiate the current possibility of a functional two-party system for Japan, but also challenge the viability of what Scalapino and Masumi have called a "one-and-onehalf-party system."'1 An important question is whether the election results in any way reflect the increasingly affluent and pluralistic conditions of Japan's economic and social life. This article is designed to explore the relation between affluence and voting and to assess the relations between selected socio-economic variables as measured at prefectural levels and variations in party strength in the 1969 general-election vote for the House of Representatives. Japan is composed of 46 local administrative units: 42 ken, or
Exploring the Relationship Between Increased Opportunities to Respond to Academic Requests and the Academic and Behavioral Outcomes of Students with EBD: A Review

The purpose of this article is to review the literature and examine the effect of increased opportunities to respond to academic requests (OTR) on academic and behavioral outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The studies reviewed suggest that increased rates of OTR result in higher task engagement and academic achievement and in lower rates of inappropriate classroom behaviors. However, descriptive research in classrooms for students with EBD suggests that teachers rarely provide adequate OTR. Implications of these findings and future research needs are discussed.
Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among Children 1 to 5 Years of Age in the United States from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2011 to 2012

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence among U.S. children 1 to 5 years old was assessed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2011 to 2012. The overall seroprevalence (95% confidence interval) of IgG was 20.7% (14.4 to 28.2%), that of IgM was 1.1% (0.4 to 2.4%), and that of low IgG avidity was 3.6% (1.7 to 6.6%), corresponding to a 17.3% (10.1 to 26.7%) prevalence of recent infection among IgG-positive children.
Successful treatment of persistent migraine aura with divalproex sodium.

Two patients with an established history of migraine developed persistent aura symptoms that ceased after the initiation of treatment with divalproex sodium. NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 261-262
Block-based multiperiod dynamic memory design for low data-retention power

Dynamic random access memorys (DRAMs) are widely used in portable applications due to their high storage density. In standby mode, the main source of DRAM power dissipation is the refresh operation that periodically restores leaking charge in each memory cell to its correct level. Conventional DRAMs use a single refresh period determined by the cell with the largest leakage. This approach is simple but dissipative, because it forces unnecessary refreshes for the majority of the cells with small leakage. In this paper, we investigate a novel scheme that relies on small refresh blocks and multiple refresh periods to reduce DRAM dissipation by decreasing the number of cells refreshed too often. In contrast to conventional row-based refresh, small refresh blocks are used to increase worst case data retention times. Long periods are used to accommodate cells with small leakage. Retention times are further extended by adding a swap cell to each refresh block. We give a novel polynomial-time algorithm for computing an optimal set of refresh periods for block-based multiperiod refresh. Specifically, given an integer K and a distribution of data-retention times, in O(KN/sup 2/) steps our algorithm computes K refresh periods that minimize DRAM dissipation, where N is the number of refresh blocks in the memory. We describe and evaluate a scalable implementation of our refresh scheme whose overhead is asymptotically linear with memory size. In simulations with a 16-Mb DRAM, block-based multiperiod refresh reduces DRAM standby dissipation by a multiplicative factor of 4 with area overhead below 6%. Moreover, our proposed scheme is robust to semiconductor process variations, with power savings degrading no more than 7% over a 20-fold increase of leaky cells.
Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation is Associated with Higher Euroscore, but not with Hospital Mortality after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) and is associated with an increased morbidity. Recently, it has been suggested that POAF is also associated with increased postoperative mortality. Aim: To investigate whether POAF after isolated CABG was associated with a higher EuroSCORE, indicating greater in-hospital mortality risk. Methods: We reviewed data from our prospective cardiac surgery database of all patients (n=2791) undergoing isolated CABG from January 2003 through December 2006 at a large university medical center. The Mann-Whitney test was used to test for differences in continuous variables between the POAF and non-POAF groups, while the Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results: The mean age was 68 ± 9.1yrs, and mean EuroSCORE was 6.91 ± 3.18. The overall incidence of POAF was 32.3%. The POAF group was older (70.5 ± 7.8 vs. 66.8 ± 9.5yrs non-POAF: p<0.0001), but there was no significant difference in ejection fraction (EF) between the two groups (p=0.13). There was a significant difference in the mean EuroSCORE (POAF, 7.6 ± 3.2 vs non-POAF, 6.6 ± 3.1, p<0.0001), indicating that the POAF group was at greater risk for postoperative mortality. Although, there was a significant association between EuroSCORE and POAF (p<0.0001), there was no significant difference in hospital mortality between the POAF and non-POAF groups. The overall hospital mortality was 1.9%, with no difference between the two groups (p=0.91). Furthermore, POAF was not predictive of hospital mortality after CABG. Conclusion: POAF is associated with a higher EuroSCORE, but it is neither associated with, nor predictive of increased hospital mortality after CABG.
A concept development of the village health worker.

PROBLEM. Village health workers (VHWs) promote health and provide basic health care in areas of the world where basic health knowledge and health professionals are scarce. The 1960s–1980s saw a dramatic increase in the training of VHWs in resource-limited environments. Politics changed, disillusionment set in, and enthusiasm waned. Recently, increased pressures on health resources have led to the resurgence of VHWs. Until the shortage of health professionals is alleviated, the need for VHWs to extend the reach of scientifically verified health care into remote and conflict areas will remain acute. This need provides a compelling reason to pursue research concerning VHWs. Village health workers are usually trained by professional nurses and refer patients to them, so nursing is positioned to lead this important research. METHODS. The author developed the concept of the VHW using Meleis's Integrated Approach. Meleis's approach was chosen because it is appropriate for undeveloped concepts, emphasizes exploration and discovery, and can begin with clinical practice, taking advantage of the author's experience with VHWs. RESULTS. The resultant concept definition, with antecedents and consequences, provides a foundation other nurse researchers can build upon. Existing research concerning VHWs was reviewed and gaps suitable for future nursing research were identified.
Combined transnasal and transoral endoscopic approaches to the craniovertebral junction.

Objectives: To describe and evaluate a new technique of a combined endoscope-assisted transnasal and transoral approach to decompress the craniovertebral junction. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients requiring an anterior decompression at the craniovertebral junction over a 12-month period was studied. Eleven patients were identified and included in the study. Eight of the patients had an endoscopic approach [endonasal (2), endooral (2), and combined (4)]. Four of the 8 patients in the endoscopic group had a prior open transoral procedure at other institutions. These 8 patients were compared with a contemporary group of 3 patients who had an open, transoral-transpalatal approach. Charts, radiographic images, and pathologic diagnosis were reviewed. We evaluated the following issues: airway obstruction, dysphagia, velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), length of hospital stay (LOS), adequate decompression, and the need for revision surgery. Results: Adequate anterior decompression was achieved in all the patients. The endoscopic cohort had a reduced LOS (P = 0.014), reduced need for prolonged intubation/tracheotomy (P =0.024) and a trend toward reduced VPI (P = 0.061) when compared with the open surgery group. None of the patients required a revision surgery. Conclusion: Proper choice of endoscopic transnasal, transoral, or combined approaches allows anterior decompression at the craniovertebral junction, while avoiding the need to split the palate. A combined transnasal-transoral approach appears to reduce procedure-related morbidity compared with open, transoral, and transpalatal surgeries.
Exploiting mid-range DNA patterns for sequence classification: binary abstraction Markov models

Messenger RNA sequences possess specific nucleotide patterns distinguishing them from non-coding genomic sequences. In this study, we explore the utilization of modified Markov models to analyze sequences up to 44 bp, far beyond the 8-bp limit of conventional Markov models, for exon/intron discrimination. In order to analyze nucleotide sequences of this length, their information content is first reduced by conversion into shorter binary patterns via the application of numerous abstraction schemes. After the conversion of genomic sequences to binary strings, homogenous Markov models trained on the binary sequences are used to discriminate between exons and introns. We term this approach the Binary Abstraction Markov Model (BAMM). High-quality abstraction schemes for exon/intron discrimination are selected using optimization algorithms on supercomputers. The best MM classifiers are then combined using support vector machines into a single classifier. With this approach, over 95% classification accuracy is achieved without taking reading frame into account. With further development, the BAMM approach can be applied to sequences lacking the genetic code such as ncRNAs and 5 0 -untranslated regions.
An efficient linearity and bound preserving conservative interpolation (remapping) on polyhedral meshes

An accurate conservative interpolation (remapping) algorithm is an essential component of most Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) methods. In this paper, we describe an efficient linearity and bound preserving method for polyhedral meshes. The algorithm is based on reconstruction, approximate integration and conservative redistribution. We validate our method with a suite of numerical examples, analyzing the results from the viewpoint of accuracy and order of convergence. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Identification and analysis of outdoor recreation habitats: the recreation habitat analysis method.

: This paper describes a concept for identification and ranking of outdoor recreation habitats using principles of ecology as a guide. The Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) is a commonly used technique for assessment of human impacts on the vigor of wildlife species, and serves as the model for the Recreation Habitat Analysis Method (RHAM). Recreation activities are dependent on habitat attributes for their success just as are wildlife species. A sample model is described for recreation activities at large, multipurpose lakes. RHAM could be applied to recreation experiences in a variety of settings including smaller water bodies and riparian and terrestrial ecosystems.
Year in Review, Public Anthropology, 2013: Webs of Meaning, Critical Interventions

In this essay, I provide an overview of public anthropology from the year 2013, examining how anthropologists engaged public, socially relevant issues and brought anthropological understandings and expertise into public debates, conversations, and forums. In particular, I focus on the ways that the publication of anthropology is changing to reflect trends toward open-access electronic publishing and new formats for scholarly and public discussion. I then highlight how anthropologists engaged with a set of specific issues and topics, including debates about same-sex marriage in the United States; the trial of Efrain Rios Montt, the former dictator of Guatemala who was tried and convicted of genocide last year; and the publication of a controversial new memoir by the anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon. Taken together, the sections of this essay disclose the significant ways that anthropologists have engaged with and contributed to public debates and contested issues. RESUMEN En este ensayo proveo una vision general de la antropologia publica del ano 2013, examinando como antropologos se comprometieron con cuestiones publicas socialmente relevantes, y trajeron conocimientos y experiencia antropologicos a los debates publicos, conversaciones y foros. En particular, enfoco las maneras en que la publicacion de antropologia esta cambiando para reflejar las tendencias hacia publicaciones electronicas de acceso abierto y nuevos formatos para discusion academica y publica. Luego enfatizo como antropologos se comprometieron con una serie de cuestiones y topicos especificos incluyendo debates sobre matrimonios del mismo sexo en los Estados Unidos, el juicio de Efrain Rios Montt, antiguo dictador de Guatemala quien fue juzgado y condenado por genocidio el ano pasado, y la publicacion de una nueva autobiografia controversial por el antropologo Napoleon Chagnon. Tomadas en conjunto, las secciones de este ensayo revelan las maneras significativas en que los antropologos se han comprometido y contribuido a los debates publicos y cuestiones en disputa.
Androgens potentiate renal vascular responses to angiotensin II via amplification of the Rho kinase signaling pathway.

Objectives: This study assessed whether the Rho kinase signaling pathway contributes to androgenic amplification of angiotensin II (Ang II) induced pressor and renal constrictor responses. Methods: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) responses to angiotensin II receptor 1 (AT1) inhibition were measured in conscious male New Zealand genetically hypertensive rats (NZGH) subjected to sham operation, castration or castration+testosterone replacement. MAP and renal vascular resistance (RVR) responses to Ang II were recorded with and without a Rho kinase inhibitor, fasudil, in anesthetized NZGH. Western blot was used to analyze target protein expression in the kidney. Results: MAP responses to AT1 receptor inhibition and exogenous Ang II were attenuated in castrated NZGH. The increase in RVR (mm Hg/ml/min/g kidney) at the maximum dose of Ang II was significantly lower in castrated NZGH than in sham operated NZGH. Testosterone replacement restored RVR responses to Ang II in castrated rats. Fasudil treatment reduced both MAP and RVR responses to Ang II in each group. In addition, the differential MAP and RVR responses to Ang II amongst the three groups were significantly attenuated by Rho kinase inhibition. Western blot showed that Rho kinase protein expression was reduced by castration, while testosterone replacement restored the Rho kinase protein levels in castrated rats. The phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit 1 (MYPT1), a downstream target of Rho kinase, was also increased by androgens. Conclusions: Collectively, these results indicate that androgens potentiate Ang II-induced renal vascular responses, an effect mediated at least partly via up-regulation of the Rho kinase signaling pathway.
Femtosecond Dynamics Of Fluoro-Aluminum Phthalocyanine And Linear Alkane Molecules

The dynamics of fluoro-aluminum phthalocyanine polycrystalline thin films is studied using differential transmission spectroscopy with femtosecond laser pulses. Following excitation by 620 nm pulses into the first electronic transition a very rapid energy redistribution of the excitons is directly observed within the 55 fs duration of the pump pulse. Following this process two extremely fast decay routes lead to the recovery of the ground state : exciton-exciton annihilation with an intensity dependent decay of 550 fs at power density of 1.2 GW/cm2 and exciton-phonon coupling with a 4 ps decay time. A complete interpretation of the decay mechanisms based on the Frenkel exciton terminology successfully accounts for the observed results. We have analyzed the nonlinear dynamics of a series of linear alkane molecules in pure liquid state using the time-resolved optical Kerr effect. The results show that the Kerr nonlinearity increases linearly with the number of atoms. However, for those molecules with more than eight carbons, a surprisingly large deviation from the bond additivity approximation was observed. The molecular orientational contribution to the nonlinear response is negligible for these types of molecules. A small component, with less than 8% of the total nonlinear Kerr response, is attributed to translational anisotropy and has a 450 fs lifetime. The nonlinear dynamics and the length dependence of optical Kerr nonlinearities will be discussed.
Retinoids are important cofactors in T cell activation.

Murine thymic T cells depleted of antigen-presenting cells proliferate poorly in response to crosslinking anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies or concanavalin A when cultured in conventional fetal calf serum-containing serum. However, in a serum-free medium formulated to contain, in addition to basic ingredients, insulin, transferrin, albumin, linoleic acid (ITLB), and retinol, proliferation is vigorous. The presence of retinol is critical, because when omitted, cells do not become activated. The subsets of T cells proliferating with the assistance of retinol cofactor are both CD4+ and CD8+ thymic T cells, and CD4+ peripheral T cells. Mature CD8+ T cells of lymph nodes can also be activated in ITLB medium plus retinol, provided that interleukin 2 (IL-2) is added. Retinol needs to be present at the time when T cell receptor triggering is initiated, suggesting that early activation events (G0 to G1 transition) are dependent on retinol. It is currently less clear whether or not subsequent events associated with G1 to S phase transition also require the presence of retinol. 14-hydroxy-retroretinol (14HRR) is a metabolic product of retinol in lymphocytes, and this retinoid effectively supports T cell activation in conjunction with a mitogen in lieu of retinol. Thus, while retinol and its intracellular product, 14HRR, are unable to activate T cells on their own, they are important cofactors. The requirement for retinol in CD3-mediated T cell activation cannot be satisfied by retinoic acid or ILs-1, 2, 4, and 6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha whereas interferon gamma can substitute for retinol. Our experiments are compatible with the idea that retinol, in the course of cellular activation, is converted to 14HRR, which is needed as intracellular messenger. If substantiated by molecular studies now underway, our data should lead to the description of a new signal pathway distinct from the retinoic acid signal pathway observed in nonlymphoid cells, but perhaps functioning by a similar mechanism, i.e., ligand-assisted transcriptional regulation.
Decomposition of peat from upland boreal forest: Temperature dependence and sources of respired carbon

signatures of peat components showed that a combination of substrates must contribute to the CO2 evolved in our incubations. Decomposition of fine roots (which made up less than 7% of the total peat C) accounted for 50% of respired CO2 in feather moss peat and for 30% of respired CO2 in sphagnum peat. Fine-grained (<1 mm), more humified material that makes up 60–70% of the bulk peat organic carbon contributed significantly to heterotrophic respiration (30% in feather moss and 50% in sphagnum moss peat), despite slow decomposition rates. Increased temperatures caused enhanced decomposition from all pools without changing their relative contributions. Because the contribution of peat decomposition is a small portion of total soil respiration at the study site, increased respiration rates would be difficult to measure as increased fluxes in the field. Nonetheless, sustained warming could lead to significant loss of C from these peat layers. INDEX TERMS: 1615 Global Change: Biogeochemical processes (4805); 0315 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Biosphere/atmosphere interactions; 0330 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Geochemical cycles; 1040 Geochemistry: Isotopic composition/chemistry; KEYWORDS: decomposition, peat, soil carbon, radiocarbon, temperature response, boreal forest
Surgical Adhesive Drape (IO-ban) as Postoperative Surgical Site Dressing.

Study Design: Retrospective chart analysis. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the senior author’s (MNN) experience applying a widely available surgical drape as a postoperative sterile surgical site dressing for both cranial and spinal procedures. Summary of Background Data: Surgical site infection (SSI) is an important complication of spine surgery that can result in significant morbidity. There is wide variation in wound care management in practice, including dressing type. Given the known bactericidal properties of the surgical drape, there may be a benefit of continuing its use immediately postoperatively. Methods: All of the senior author’s cases from September 2014 through September 2015 were reviewed. These were contrasted to the previous year prior to the institution of a sterile surgical drape as a postoperative dressing. Results: Only one surgical case out of 157 operative interventions (35 cranial, 124 spinal) required operative debridement due to infection. From September 2013 to September 2014, prior to the institution of a sterile surgical drape as dressing, the author had five infections out of 143 operations (46 cranial, 97 spinal) requiring intervention. Conclusion: The implementation of a sterile surgical drape as a closed postoperative surgical site dressing has led to a decrease in surgical site infections. The technique is simple and widely available, and should be considered for use to diminish surgical site infections.
WebWise: Guide to the Washington University Center for Genetics in Medicine Web Site

This installment of the WebWise series reviews the Washington University Center for Genetics in Medicine (CGM) web site. As with the previous WebWise reviews, you may find it useful to point your Browser Window to the CGM web site while reading. Redundant links are omitted from the site map displayed in Figure 1. The main features of this web site, as well as the features of those sites already reviewed, are indicated in Table 1.