cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indications for Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement in Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and after Myocardial Infarction

Dramatic reductions in the rate of sudden cardiac death due to use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) have been well-established in several large randomized clinical trials including patients with left ventricular dysfunction after myocardial infarction. This article reviews the literature regarding ICD utilization in the postinfarction population, with a strong emphasis on recent clinical trials. The most current indications for, and timing of, ICD implantation postinfarction also are summarized.
Immunodetection of α-Actinin in Focal Adhesions Is Limited by Antibody Inaccessibility

In this study we demonstrate that alpha-actinin is a prominent component of the focal adhesions of nonmuscle cells but that the alpha-actinin in focal adhesions is largely inaccessible to staining with antibodies against alpha-actinin. Our results explain a controversy that has existed in the literature. Investigators who microinject alpha-actinin into nonmuscle cells have routinely observed significant incorporation of alpha-actinin into focal adhesions as well as stress fibers. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy have, however, indicated that alpha-actinin is located farther from the membrane than either talin or vinculin. Immunofluorescence studies of smooth muscle dense plaques and myotendinous junctions have also yielded conflicting results regarding the presence or absence of alpha-actinin at these sites. Here, we confirm that alpha-actinin immunofluorescence of fibroblasts yields weak or absent staining of focal adhesions. We also demonstrate that microinjected alpha-actinin readily incorporates into focal adhesions. However, various antisera against either the cell's endogenous alpha-actinin or against the microinjected chicken gizzard alpha-actinin fail to stain focal adhesions despite the presence of microinjected alpha-actinin at these sites. Furthermore, disassembly of stress fibers induced by dibutyrl cAMP demonstrates that alpha-actinin persists in focal adhesions in the absence of associated stress fibers, suggesting that alpha-actinin's association with focal adhesions is independent of stress fibers.
Industrial perspectives of AFM control

The controllers delivered by atomic force microscope (AFM) manufacturers to AFM users are several decades behind various advanced control technology. This paper is trying to analyze factors that created this gap to reach certain specifications, either quantitatively or qualitatively, of an ideal controller viewing from AFM industries. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Properties of judgment models in a financial setting

Abstract The purpose of this study is to extend judgment research by investigating properties of information processing models utilized in a financial judgment situation. Forty-seven graduate business school students estimated percentage changes in the prices of 50 securities. An important element of the research design is the availability of an objective, readily determinable “environmental” processing model. Dimensions of cognitive processing considered here include the accuracy and reliability of judgments, linear versus nonlinear processing, interjudge agreement, and self-insight into weighting and combining of information cues. The results are compared with evidence from other areas of applied psychology. Individual and aggregated (“nominal group”) judgment models were generated. Aggregation models depict processing representative of the set of subjects, and diversification out of individual biases and errors is possible. Statistically significant levels of judgment accuracy are reported here. Moderate agreement among the subjects was noted, and a linear model did not explain a large percentage of the variance in judgments. A significant degree of self-insight into the relative weighting of cues by subjects is indicated. The aggregation models outperformed the “average” individual within the respective groups of subjects.
Cytoplasmic inheritance of the selfing factor in the myxomycete Didymium iridis.

The mechanism by which the selfing factor is inherited in the heterothallic myxomycete Didymium iridis has been investigated. A non-selfing isolate, Honduran A2 was crossed with two selfing isolates, Panamanian 2-4 and Panamanian 2-7. The latter two isolates bear the mating alleles A7 and A8 respectively. Meiotic segregants were then analysed for selfing frequency. Mating types were used as a nuclear marker. The capacity to self was inherited by all segregants, with the A2 segregant selfing at a higher frequency than either the A7 or A8 segregant. The incidence of selfing increases in the A2 segregant as it is successively recloned. In the F3 generation the frequency of selfing is observed to be 100 per cent. A cytoplasmic factor is postulated with the Honduran A2 mating type being more susceptible to its action than either of the other two mating types.
Gestational age-dependent extravillous cytotrophoblast osteopontin immunolocalization differentiates between normal and preeclamptic pregnancies.

PROBLEM: Normal placentation requires modulation of proliferative cytotrophoblast to an invasive phenotype. Preeclampsia is characterized by failed cytotrophoblast invasion and arterial remodeling. Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular matrix protein implicated in cell adhesion, spreading, and invasion. METHOD OF STUDY: To investigate gestational age-related OPN expression, placental immunostaining was performed. To investigate the role of OPN in uteroplacental vascular pathology, placental immunostaining from pregnancies with preeclampsia (n = 12), fetal growth retardation (FGR) (n = 8), or both (n = 4) was compared with gestational age-matched controls (n = 24). RESULTS: In non-preeclamptic pregnancies, OPN immunolocalized to basal plate and intervillous cytotrophoblasts from 24-30 weeks (n = 13). In preeclampsia, OPN immunoreactivity was detected from 24-40 weeks. Cytotrophoblasts from FGR placentas were OPN-positive until 30 weeks, unless preeclampsia accompanied the FGR. In this case, cytotrophoblasts were OPN-positive from 24-40 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest a role for OPN in cytotrophoblast invasion of the maternal vasculature/extracellular matrix during non-preeclamptic placentation, and OPN may serve as a marker for placental bed remodeling.
Cardiocirculatory and myocardial energetic effects of prostaglandin E1 in severe left ventricular failure due to chronic coronary heart disease.

Abstract The cardiocirculatory actions of brief (69 ± 5 minutes) infusions of prostaglandin E 1 were evaluated in nine chronic coronary heart disease patients with severe left ventricular (LV) failure caused by previous myocardial infarction. Prostaglandin E 1 infusion did not alter heart rate (HR) and produced modest declines in mean systemic blood pressure (BP) (85 ± 6 to 76 ± 5 mm Hg, p p 1 augmented LV pump function raising cardiac index from 1.9 ± 0.2 to 2.5 ± 0.2 L/min/m 2 ( p 2 ( p 2 ( p −5 ( p p 1 is a potent systemic arteriolar dilator with markedly beneficial effects on cardiac function in chronic coronary patients having severe ischemic LV failure refractory to conventional therapy.
Posttranscriptional cell cycle–dependent regulation of human FANCC expression

The Fanconi Anemia (FA) Group C complementation group gene (FANCC) encodes a protein, FANCC, with a predicted M(r) of 63,000 daltons. FANCC is found in both the cytoplasmic and the nuclear compartments and interacts with certain other FA complementation group proteins as well as with non-FA proteins. Despite intensive investigation, the biologic roles of FANCC and of the other cloned FA gene products (FANCA and FANCG) remain unknown. As an approach to understanding FANCC function, we have studied the molecular regulation of FANCC expression. We found that although FANCC mRNA levels are constant throughout the cell cycle, FANCC is expressed in a cell cycle-dependent manner, with the lowest levels seen in cells synchronized at the G1/S boundary and the highest levels in the M-phase. Cell cycle-dependent regulation occurred despite deletion of the 5' and 3' FANCC untranslated regions, indicating that information in the FANCC coding sequence is sufficient to mediate cell cycle-dependent regulation. Moreover, inhibitors of proteasome function blocked the observed regulation. We conclude that FANCC expression is controlled by posttranscriptional mechanisms that are proteasome dependent. Recent work has demonstrated that the functional activity of FA proteins requires the physical interaction of at least FANCA, FANCC, and FANCG, and possibly of other FA and non-FA proteins. Our observation of dynamic control of FANCC expression by the proteasome has important implications for understanding the molecular regulation of the multiprotein complex. (Blood. 2000;95:3970-3977)
Endoscopic Stereotactic Interventions in the Treatment of Brain Lesions

Image-guided stereotaxis is an accurate and safe method of directing therapy to target volumes defined in two-dimensional (2D) multiplanes or three-dimensional (3D) perspectives using computer reconstruction of image data. The major limitations of stereotactic techniques are a lack of intraoperative visualization and direct monitoring of the procedures, and changes of intracranial coordinates after decompression of cystic lesions or aspiration of cerebrospinal fluid in the management of intraventricular lesions. Endoscopic laser stereotaxis (ELS) involves integration of rigid flexible endoscopy and Nd-YAG laser to 3D-2D multiplanar image-guided stereotactic procedures. The major advantages of ELS include: minimally invasive (burrhole or small craniotomy surgery), direct intraoperative visualization, hemostasis, evacuation or resection assessment, and wide exploration of intracranial cavities or ventricles. ELS has been used in the management of 152 clinical cases including biopsy, aspiration, resection and internal decompression of deep and subcortical intracranial lesions, and different types of fenestration procedures. Image-guidance combined with endoscopic techniques may offer a safe, accurate alternative to conventional neurosurgical procedures in treating small solid, cystic, and intraventricular lesions as well as fenestration procedures.
Modelling in‐pool temperature variability in a beaded arctic stream

This study examines the variability of in-pool temperatures in Imnavait Creek, a beaded arctic stream consisting of small pools connected by shallow chutes, for the purpose of predicting potential impacts of climate variations on the system. To better understand heat fate and transport through this system, the dominant heat sources and sinks creating and influencing thermal stratification within even the smallest and shallowest pools must be quantified. To do this, temperature data were collected vertically within the pool water column and surrounding bed sediments during stratified conditions. These temperature and other supporting data (e.g. instream flow, weather data, and bathymetry) were used to formulate and develop an instream temperature model that captures the site-specific processes occurring within the pools during summer low flow conditions. The model includes advective, air–water interface, and bed conduction fluxes, simplified vertical exchange between stratified pool layers, and attenuation of shortwave radiation within the water column. We present the model formulation, data collection methods used in support of model development and population, and the resulting model calibration and validation for one of the study pools. We also provide information regarding dominant heat sources and sinks and residence times of different layers within the stratified pool. We found that the dominant heat sources vary between stratified layers and that increases in thaw depths surrounding these pools due to possible climate changes can shift stratification, mixing, and instream storage dynamics, thereby influencing the fate and transport of heat and other constituents of interest (e.g. nutrients). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tissue- and Cell-Level Stress Distributions of the Heart Valve Tissue During Diastole

Heart valves are inhomogeneous microstructure with nonlinear anisotropic properties and constantly experience different stress states during cardiac cycles. However, how tissue-level mechanical forces can translate into altered cellular stress states remains unclear, and associated biomechanical regulation in the tissue has not been fully understood. In the current study, we use an image-based finite element method to investigate factors contributing the stress distributions at both tissue- and cell-levels inside the healthy heart valve tissues. Effects of tissue microstructure, inhomogeneity, and anisotropic material property at different diastole states are discussed to provide a better understanding of structuremechanics-property interactions, which alters tissue-to-cell stress transfer mechanisms in heart valve tissue. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study reporting on the evolution of stress fields at both the tissue- and cellular-levels in valvular tissue, and thus contributes toward refining our collective understanding of valvular tissue micromechanics while providing a computational tool enabling further study of valvular cell-tissue interactions.
Behavioral effects of using conduct problem adolescents as cross‐age tutors

Behavioral effects of using conduct problem adolescents as cross-age tutors for elementary school-aged mentally retarded students were evaluated. Eighteen high school students. administratively classified as emotionally disturbed; were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) Provision of cross-age tutoring, (b) Reception of peer tutoring, and (c) Reception of group counseling. Data assessing academic performance, absenteeism, and rates of disciplinary referrals were gathered on all subjects prior to, during, and after the interventions. When compared to students who received peer tutoring or group counseling, cross-age tutors improved significantly on social science and language arts grades, and had significantly reduced rates of absenteeism and disciplinary referrals. Furthermore, these changes were maintained during the follow-up period.
UGO1 Encodes an Outer Membrane Protein Required for Mitochondrial Fusion

Membrane fusion plays an important role in controlling the shape, number, and distribution of mitochondria. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the outer membrane protein Fzo1p has been shown to mediate mitochondrial fusion. Using a novel genetic screen, we have isolated new mutants defective in the fusion of their mitochondria. One of these mutants, ugo1, shows several similarities to fzo1 mutants. ugo1 cells contain numerous mitochondrial fragments instead of the few long, tubular organelles seen in wild-type cells. ugo1 mutants lose mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). In zygotes formed by mating two ugo1 cells, mitochondria do not fuse and mix their matrix contents. Fragmentation of mitochondria and loss of mtDNA in ugo1 mutants are rescued by disrupting DNM1, a gene required for mitochondrial division. We find that UGO1 encodes a 58-kD protein located in the mitochondrial outer membrane. Ugo1p appears to contain a single transmembrane segment, with its NH2 terminus facing the cytosol and its COOH terminus in the intermembrane space. Our results suggest that Ugo1p is a new outer membrane component of the mitochondrial fusion machinery.
NARRATIVE AND MEANING IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

. Differences of understanding in science and in religion can be explored via the distinction between paradigmatic and narrative modes of explanation. Although science is inclusive of the paradigmatic, I propose that in explaining the behavior of complex adaptive systems, and in the human sciences in particular, narratives may well constitute the best scientific explanations. Causal relationships may be embedded within, and expressions of higher-order constraints provided by, complex system dynamics, best understood via the temporal organization of intentionalities that constitute narrative. Complex adaptive systems, out of which intentions emerge, have behavioral trajectories that are in principle unique, contingent, and nondeterministic even in stable states and unpredictable across phase transitions. Given such unpredictability, the only explanation can be an interpretive story that retrospectively retraces the actual changes in dynamics. Without narrative, personality traits and human actions are incomprehensible. Such phenomena do not permit a reduction of purposive acts to nonpurposive elements or of reasons to the causes they constrain. Causality does not exhaust meaning. Given the role of narratives in human lives, religion and mythology provide larger stories within which individual stories make sense. Differences between narrative and historical truth suggest how we can be constituted by what we imagine ourselves to be.
Remodeling in myocardium adjacent to an infarction in the pig left ventricle

Changes in the structure of the “normal” ventricular wall adjacent to an infarcted area involve all components of the myocardium (myocytes, fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix, and the coronar...
The esophageal detector device: a rapid and accurate method for assessing tracheal versus esophageal intubation in a porcine model.

Study objectives: To assess time and accuracy of the esophageal detector device (EDD), disposable end-tidal CO 2 monitor (ETco 2 ), and standard clinical methods for detection of endotracheal tube placement. Design: Prospective, randomized, single-blinded, controlled laboratory investigation. Methods: Thirty airway managers (physicians, nurse anesthetists, and paramedics) used one pig ( Sus scrofa ) as the intubated, respiratory depressed/arrest model. Interventions: Part 1: A standard 7.5-mm endotracheal tube was placed in either the esophagus or the trachea of the anesthetized swine. Anatomic location was verified by bronchoscopy. Airway managers blinded to the endotracheal tube location were assigned randomly to identify tube position by one of three methods (EDD, ETco 2 , or clinical methods). Speed and accuracy of the assessment were recorded. Part 2: A second identical tube was placed, so that both the esophagus and the trachea were intubated; then, the esophageal tube was bag-ventilated for one minute. Each blinded airway manager, using only the EDD, determined placement site of both tubes. Results: Part 1: Mean time to determine tube placement for group A (EDD) was 13.8 seconds; group B (ETco 2 ), 31.5 seconds, and group C (clinical methods), 39 seconds. Comparison by analysis of variance yielded a value of P Conclusion: In this porcine model, the EDD and ETco 2 were more accurate than clinical methods in determining endotracheal tube placement. The EDD demonstrated a significant time advantage over both ETco 2 and clinical methods. Prior ventilation of the esophageal tube does not interfere with the accuracy of the EDD.
Vegetation and topographic influences on the connectivity of shallow groundwater between hillslopes and streams

Ryan E. Emanuel,* Anna G. Hazen, Brian L. McGlynn and Kelsey G. Jencso 1 Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 2 Department of Geology, Appalachian State University, ASU Box 32067, Boone, NC 28607, USA 3 Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90227, Durham, NC 27708-0227, USA 4 Department of Forest Management, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
Doxorubicin chemomyectomy in orbicularis oculi: increasing drug infiltration at the injection site.

PURPOSE Doxorubicin is an effective agent for chemomyectomy of the orbicularis oculi muscle when injected directly into the eyelid. However, the amount of muscle loss often differs throughout the medial to lateral extent of the eyelid. In order to increase uniform muscle loss in rabbit eyelids, doxorubicin was injected together with agents known to increase the spread of drugs at their injection site in an attempt to increase infiltration of the doxorubicin in the plane of the orbicularis oculi muscle. METHODS Three agents were injected, singly or in combination, 20 min prior to doxorubicin administration. Drugs included: collagenase, hyaluronidase, bupivacaine, and hyaluronidase and bupivacaine together. Doxorubicin was injected at a dose of either 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg. Muscle loss from the co-treatments was compared with that seen with doxorubicin alone as assessed by light microscopic morphometric analysis of the treated eyelids one month after treatment. RESULTS Injection of doxorubicin alone resulted in a dose-related muscle loss. Injections of either collagenase or hyaluronidase prior to doxorubicin treatment did not alter muscle loss compared with doxorubicin alone. The combination of hyaluronidase and bupivacaine slightly increased muscle loss over doxorubicin alone at the lower doses of doxorubicin. Muscle loss was increased further after doubling the dose of hyaluronidase. Collagenase pretreatment exacerbated eyelid skin injury. Hyaluronidase did not influence the skin toxicity of doxorubicin at doses of 1 or 2 mg, but did result in a delayed onset and a shorter duration of skin injury at the 0.5 mg dose of doxorubicin. CONCLUSIONS Only hyaluronidase combined with bupivacaine increased doxorubicin induced myotoxicity in the orbicularis oculi muscle, presumably by increasing doxorubicin infiltration at the intramuscular injection site throughout the length of the muscle fibers. Thus, the combined injection of hyaluronidase and bupivacaine prior to doxorubicin treatment improves doxorubicin chemomyectomy by increasing drug infiltration throughout the full extent of the orbicularis oculi muscle. Future studies will be directed at achieving better penetration of the drug into individual muscle cells.
Advanced Clockgating Schemes for Fused-Multiply-Add-Type Floating-Point Units

The paper introduces fine-grain clockgating schemes for fused multiply-add-type floating-point units (FPU). The clockgating is based on instruction type, precision and operand values. The presented schemes focus on reducing the power at peak performance, where each FPU stage is used in nearly every cycle and conventional schemes have little impact on the power consumption. Depending on the instruction mix, the schemes allow to turn off 18% to 74%of the register bits. Even for the worst case instruction 18% to 37% of the FPU are shut down depending on the data patterns.
A Susceptibility Gene for Affective Disorders and the Response of the Human Amygdala

Background: A common regulatory variant (5HTTLPR) in the human serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), resulting in altered transcription and transporter availability, has been associated with vulnerability for affective disorders, including anxiety and depression. A recent functional magnetic resonance imaging study suggested that this association may be mediated by 5-HTTLPR effects on the response bias of the human amygdala—a brain region critical for emotional and social behavior—to environmental threat. Objectives and Design: To examine the effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype on the reactivity of the human amygdala to salient environmental cues with functional magnetic resonance imaging in a large (N=92) cohort of volunteers carefully screened for past and present medical or psychiatric illness, and to explore the effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype as well as amygdala reactivity on harm avoidance, a putative personality measure related to trait anxiety. Results: We now confirm the finding of 5-HTTLPR short allele–driven amygdala hyperreactivity in a large independent cohort of healthy subjects with no history of psychiatric illness or treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these genotype effects on amygdala function are consistent with a dominant short allele effect and are equally prominent in men and women. However, neither 5-HTTLPR genotype, amygdala reactivity, nor genotype-driven variability in this reactivity was reflected in harm avoidance scores. Conclusions: Our results reveal a potent modulatory effect of the 5-HTTLPR on amygdala reactivity to environmental threat. Since this genetically driven effect exists in healthy subjects, it does not, in and of itself, predict dimensions of mood or temperament. As such, the 5-HTTLPR may represent a classic susceptibility factor for affective disorders by biasing the functional reactivity of the human amygdala in the context of stressful life experiences and/or deficient cortical regulatory input. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:146-152
Characterization of passive UHF RFID tags in toroidal metal pipes

Recently, automated identification techniques that utilize radio frequency (RF) systems have experienced growth both in the industry and in research worldwide. The current state-of-art of this identification realm is the radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which utilizes a transponder with a unique identifier. RFID systems can be classified into active systems (with built-in power supply), passive systems (requires RF energy scavenging), and other semi-active and semi-passive systems [1]. The utilization of passive RFID systems have experienced a tremendous growth in the last decade, specifically in the supply chain area due to its' ability to offer process automation at a low price point, thus enabling return-on-investments (ROI) for corporations worldwide. In an attempt to derive an effective solution to their supply chain needs, many industries such as the oil and gas industry has since invested on research to understand the limitations of this passive (tag) technology. Unlike most other industries, the pipeline and tubular industry has a unique problem that requires the use of passive RFID tags inside metal pipes. These tags are typically required to be placed inside these metallic structures due to the stacking problems inherent in the storage facility of these large pipes. There has been much research focusing on the characteristics of these passive tags and systems within the metal pipe [2–7], however these studies have not previously focused extensively on passive UHF RFID tags operating in toroidal metal pipes. Toroidal metal pipes are often used as interconnects for the longer cylindrical metal pipes as studied in [2, 3], and present more irregularities (radial ratios must be studied independently from curvature) than studied in [8].
A Direct Contact between the Dorsal rel Homology Domain and Twist May Mediate Transcriptional Synergy

The establishment of mesoderm and neuroectoderm in the early Drosophila embryo relies on interactions between the Dorsal morphogen and basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) activators. Here we show that Dorsal and the bHLH activator Twist synergistically activate transcription in cell culture and in vitro from a promoter containing binding sites for both factors. Somewhat surprisingly, a region of Twist outside the conserved bHLH domain is required for the synergy. In Dorsal, the rel homology domain appears to be sufficient for synergy. Protein-protein interaction assays show that Twist and Dorsal bind to one another in vitro. However, this interaction does not appear to be of sufficient strength to yield cooperative binding to DNA. Nonetheless, the regions of Twist and Dorsal required for the binding interaction are also required for synergistic transcriptional activation.
Atlantic Tropical Systems of 1996 and 1997: Years of Contrasts

Abstract A total of 62 and 63 tropical waves were counted in the Atlantic from May to November during 1996 and 1997, respectively. These waves led to the formation of 12 of the 13 total number of tropical cyclones in 1996 and only 3 of 7 tropical cyclones in 1997. All of the tropical depressions became tropical storms in 1996 and only one failed to become a named storm in 1997. On average, 62% of the Atlantic tropical depressions develop from tropical waves. These waves contributed to the formation of 92% of the eastern Pacific tropical cyclones in 1996 and 83% in 1997. Tropical waves and their environment during the 1996 and 1997 seasons are discussed.
Local Politics in Ho and Aba

(1970). Local Politics in Ho and Aba. Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue canadienne des etudes africaines: Vol. 4, Local-Central Politics, pp. 121-144.
Type 2 diabetes–related foot care knowledge and foot self-care practice interventions in the United States: a systematic review of the literature

Introduction : The purpose of this systematic literature review is to review published studies on foot care knowledge and foot care practice interventions as part of diabetic foot care self-management interventions. Methods : Medline, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched. References from the included studies were reviewed to identify any missing studies that could be included. Only foot care knowledge and foot care practice intervention studies that focused on the person living with type 2 diabetes were included in this review. Author, study design, sample, intervention, and results were extracted. Results : Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria and were classified according to randomized controlled trial ( n =9), survey design ( n =13), cohort studies ( n =4), cross-sectional studies ( n =2), qualitative studies ( n =2), and case series ( n =1). Improving lower extremity complications associated with type 2 diabetes can be done through effective foot care interventions that include foot care knowledge and foot care practices. Conclusion : Preventing these complications, understanding the risk factors, and having the ability to manage complications outside of the clinical encounter is an important part of a diabetes foot self-care management program. Interventions and research studies that aim to reduce lower extremity complications are still lacking. Further research is needed to test foot care interventions across multiple populations and geographic locations. Keywords: diabetes; foot care; foot care knowledge; diabetic foot disease; self-care management (Published: 17 February 2016) Citation: Diabetic Foot & Ankle 2016, 7: 29758 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/dfa.v7.29758
Saturation Permeameter

The saturation permeameter is a device for speedy and accurate measurement of saturation value of magnetic material; that is, for measurement of the limiting value of intrinsic induction (s) characteristic of that material. The permeameter in its present form is of the well-known bar-yoke type, with a magnetizing coil capable of producing a magnetizing force of H = 4500 g. without excessive heating. The permeameter is equipped with a compensating coil whose function is to compensate automatically for the spatial flux enclosed by the potential coil, so that the ballistic deflections indicate the saturation value without further computation or correction. The permeameter is available for accurate measurement of saturation value of such material as is saturated well within the working range of the permeameter, i. e., with a magnetizing force of H = 8000 g., or less, which includes all magnetic material used for electrical engineering purposes except those for permanent magnets and cobalt. The saturation permeameter is also available for approximately correct measurement of B or s, for range of H below the saturation point as far down as H = 200 g. In speed of testing and accuracy of the measured saturation value, this permeameter surpasses all devices for saturation measurement developed heretofore.
A traffic and resource-aware energy-saving mechanism in software defined networks

Energy-saving mechanisms are crucial in reducing the environmental impact and energy costs of ICT network infrastructures. Integration of renewable energy resources to ICT infrastructures and dynamic energy pricing suggest that not only traffic demands and communication resources but also energy resources should be taken into account in designing energy-saving mechanisms for network infrastructures. With the introduction of Software Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm with a logically centralized controller architecture and programmability of network elements new opportunities have emerged for improving the energy efficiency of the networks. In this paper, by exploiting the SDN features and adopting the idea of powering down unnecessary links to save energy, we formulate an optimization problem for identifying the optimum set of active links that reduces the energy cost of the network while satisfying traffic demands and respecting communication and energy resources. To solve this optimization problem we introduce a computationally efficient heuristic algorithm. Using simulation results, we show that the solutions of the heuristic algorithm reduce the energy cost of the network up to 34% while satisfying the constraints of the problem.
Influence of German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) Fecal Extract on Food Consumption and Harborage Choice

The influence of fecal extract on German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), consumption and harborage choice was evaluated in 24-h dual choice arena tests. The mean number of German cockroaches entering and remaining in harborages containing food treated with fecal extract (100 or 1,000-μl dose levels; no effect was observed at the 10-μl dose level) was significantly greater than that expected from a 50% distribution. However, the fecal extract applied directly on the food source did not enhance consumption. At the 1,000-μl dose level, consumption of the control food was significantly greater than that of the extract-treated food. These results indicate that German cockroaches preferentially consumed the food in control harborages but left the food to aggregate in harborages containing fecal extract. Dual-choice arena tests where fecal extract was placed adjacent to the food source (inside the harborage) resulted in significantly more German cockroaches (>50%) aggregating in harborages containing the fecal extract. Food consumption in harborages containing the fecal extract (100 and 1,000 μl) was also significantly greater than in controls with no fecal extract. These results demonstrate that the number of German cockroaches in the harborage increased when fecal extract was present. Larger numbers of cockroaches resulted in increased food consumption when fecal extract was placed adjacent to the food source.
8th annual meeting of the Regional Cancer Center Consortium. 26-28 February, 2005. Penn State Cancer Center, Hershey, PA, USA.

After its inception in 1998, as a means to facilitate research collaboration, new clinical trial development and education amongst laboratory and clinical researchers at the comprehensive and regio...
Biopsy Needle Advancement during Bone Marrow Aspiration Increases Mesenchymal Stem Cell Concentration.

Point-of-care kits to concentrate bone marrow (BM) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used clinically in horses. A maximal number of MSCs per ml of marrow aspirated might be desired prior to use of a point-of-care system to concentrate MSCs. Our objective was to test a method to increase the number of MSCs per ml of marrow collected. We collected 2 BM aspirates using 2 different collection techniques from 12 horses. The first collection technique was to aspirate BM from a single site without advancement of the biopsy needle. The second collection technique was to aspirate marrow from multiple sites within the same sternal puncture by advancing the needle 5 mm 3 times for BM aspiration from 4 sites. Numbers of MSCs in collected BM were assessed by total nucleated cell count (TNCC) of BM after aspiration, total Colony-Forming-Unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay, and total MSC number at each culture passage. The BM aspiration technique of 4 needle advancements during BM aspiration resulted in higher initial nucleated cell counts, more CFU-Fs, and more MSCs at the first passage. There were no differences in the number of MSCs at later passages. Multiple advancements of the BM needle during BM aspiration resulted in increased MSC concentration at the time of BM collection. If a point-of-care kit is used to concentrate MSCs, multiple advancements may result in higher MSC numbers in the BM concentrate after preparation by the point-of-care kit. For culture expanded MSCs beyond the first cell passage, the difference is of questionable clinical relevance.
Metabolic Bone Disease of Prematurity

Advances in neonatal care have led to increased survival rates in preterm infants. Optimizing postnatal nutrition has been a critical factor for improved growth and outcomes in very low-birth-weight infants. Despite rapid progress in the field, obtaining comparable mineral delivery to fetal rates has been challenging. Metabolic bone disease of prematurity is a multifaceted condition primarily resulting from inadequate mineral supply compounded by chronic illness, an immature digestive system, and hormonal imbalance. The aim of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of metabolic bone disease.
Determining activity monitor wear time: an influential decision rule

Background: Accurately measuring physical activity (PA) with activity monitors requires sufficient monitor wear time which can be difficult to assess. Monitor sensitivity to movement and population characteristics (eg, children vs. adults) may dictate the duration of monitor inactivity indicative of nonwear. A standardized method for determining appropriate decision rules to identify wear time is needed. Methods: Several decision rules based on minimum durations of monitor inactivity (ie, 60, 90, 120, 150 minutes) to identify nonwear were applied to Stepwatch Activity Monitor data from 1064 adult bariatric surgical candidates. The frequency, pattern, and duration of resulting nonwear and wear periods were examined. Generalized Estimating Equations tested the effect of these decision rules on PA measures. Results: A 60-minute duration resulted in unreasonably large percentages of subjects with unlikely wear patterns [eg, ≥3 nonwear periods in a day (29.9%); ≥2 wear periods of less than an hour in a day (28...
Extending TM Primitives using Low Level Semantics

Transactional Memory (TM) has recently emerged as an optimistic concurrency control technique that isolates concurrent executions at the level of memory reads and writes, therefore providing an easy programming interface. However, such transparency could be overly conservative from an application-level perspective. In this work, we propose an extension to the classical TM primitives (read and write) to capture program code semantics (e.g., conditional expressions) while maintaining the same level of programming abstraction. We deployed this extension on two state-of-the-art STM algorithms and integrated it into the GCC compiler and the RSTM software framework. Results showed speedups of up to 4x (average 1.6x) on different applications including micro benchmarks and STAMP.
On the Equations of the Linear Theory of Elastic Conical Shells

In a recent article [19], it was shown that the equations of the linear theory of elastic shells of revolution under arbitrary loads, after a harmonic analysis in the polar angle of the base plane of the shell, can be reduced to two simultaneous fourth order ordinary differential equations for a stress function and a displacement function. The exact reduction procedure of [19] was applied to a circular cylindrical shell. Also mentioned was the possibility of a simplified procedure based on the fact that there is an inherent error in shell theory of the order h/R, where h is the shell thickness and R is a representative magnitude of the two principal radii of curvature. In the present paper, the exact and the simplified procedure of [19] will be applied to a conical shell frustrum. The simplified procedure leads to two differential equations as well as to auxiliary equations for the calculation of stress resultants and couples which differ from those of the exact procedure only in terms which are O(h/R). The differential equations obtained here are very similar in form to those of shallow shell theory [6,8] as well as to those of the Donnell type theory [15]. They do in fact reduce to the shallow shell equations when the slope angle /!? between a meridian and the base plane is very small. On the other hand, for /3 = z/2, they reduce to the “correct” equations for circular cylindrical shells of [16,19] while the results of [15] reduce only to the Donnell equation. Aside from their usefulness in obtaining the solution of specific problems, our results also delimit the range of applicability of the Donnell type equations for conical shells previously obtained in [5,15].
The Reduction of Morality to Religion

The chief aim of this study is to get clearer about the extent to which morality and religion may be interdependent. I propose to begin by assuming, as others have done, that there is some such thing as morality and some such thing as religion, and I shall take as my first task the clarification of what would be involved in the interdependence of these two things. We shall avoid danger of serious muddle only if we bear firmly in mind that our initial investigation of dependence relationships is preliminary, and that we must also ask what sorts of things that might be called morality and religion could be dependent or independent in the ways charted.
WAKEFIELDS OF SUB-PICOSECOND ELECTRON BUNCHES

We discuss wakefields excited by short bunches in accelerators. In particular, we review some of what has been learned in recent years concerning diffraction wakes, roughness impedance, coherent synchrotron radiation wakes, and the resistive wall wake, focusing on analytical solutions where possible. As examples, we apply formulas for these wakes to various parts of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) project. The longitudinal accelerator structure wake of the SLAC linac is an important ingredient in the LCLS bunch compression process. Of the wakes in the undulator region, the dominant one is the resistive wall wake of the beam pipe.
Authoring Student Voices on College Preparedness: A Case Study

African American students continue to attend college at much lower rates than their white, Asian, and Latino counterparts. Although researchers have examined this issue from a multitude of vantage ...
The File Drawer Problem in Finance Journals: Documentation of a Well-Known Problem

The “file drawer problem” is a publication bias where editors of journals are much more likely to accept empirical papers with statistically significant results than those with non-significant results. As a result, papers that have non-significant results are not published and relegated to the file drawer, never to be seen by others. In this paper, we examine the prevalence of the file drawer problem in finance journals. To do this we examine 29 finance journals for five years (2010-2014). These journals include A-ranked journals as well as B- and C-ranked journals. In an examination of over 5740 empirical papers we found only 121, or 2.1 percent of the papers, had statistically non-significant results. Indeed, for some journals there was not a single article that had non-significant results. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the file drawer problem is just as bad, if not worse, in lower-ranked journals as it is in top-ranked journals. The percentage of papers with non-significant results is actually somewhat smaller in B- and C-ranked journals than the A-ranked journals. These results suggest that there is a publication bias in finance journals.
Modeling the impact of care transition programs on patient outcomes and 30 day hospital readmissions

Abstract The increasing adoption of care transition programs – interventions designed to reduce hospital readmissions – has introduced a new challenge of evaluating such programs, i.e., assessing their impact on patient outcomes and care quality. This is difficult given the limited availability of program outcome data and analytical feedback exchange between providers. Moreover, the temporal nature of the effects of scheduled interventions on patient health raises the question of selecting and applying methodological tools appropriate for scientific research in this area. Our aim is to provide such methodological guidance and assist analysts, healthcare providers, and policy makers with extracting meaningful insights regarding the impact of care transition programs based on available data. We explore two well-known modeling approaches, Cox models and Markov chains, and using an illustrative example, demonstrate how they can be translated into informative analytic models with sufficient flexibility to analyze programs with diverse structures. We show that Cox Proportional Hazard models are particularly useful for identifying variables with the greatest impact on readmissions and quantifying the benefits of patient participation in a readmission reducing program. Extended Cox models provide an understanding of the effects of influential variables on readmissions as they change throughout the recovery period, allowing assessment of the relative benefits of care transition programs on different patient populations at specific times following a hospital discharge. Discrete Time Markov Chain models are particularly useful for assessing the impact of care transition programs in terms of expected time to readmission, facilitating the comparison of alternative program designs on patient outcomes.
Ending the War on Drugs: A Serious Challenge for the Field of Prevention

Several decades ago just before publication of the Surgeon General’s landmark report on the hazards of cigarette smoking, I was part of an ad-hoc group of public health specialists and applied behavioral scientists whom the Public Health Service called to Washington to consult on what the government might do to address the hazard of cigarette smoking in the United States. Out of these meetings the U.S. Government developed a very broad, multi-faceted, and not altogether coherent strategy for reducing the number of smokers in this country. At the time of those meetings, cigarette smoking was not only highly prevalent; it was also an accepted part of individual behavior in restaurants, bars, many forms of public transportation, work places, and public buildings. Cigarette smoking was ubiquitous in movies. Lighting and smoking cigarettes was part of every actor’s everyday stage craft. Today the United States is, by comparison with almost every other country in the world, an amazingly smoke-free environment. The vast majority of restaurants have sections reserved for nonsmokers; in some states smoking is altogether prohibited in restaurants, office buildings, and other public places. Cigarette manufacturers face law suits for damages brought by state governments. Smoking is banned in all domestic airlines. In many places, during their breaks, hard core smokers stand furtively outside the entrances of buildings to grab a puff and thus satisfy their insistent addiction. Yes, altogether too many American adults remain hooked on cigarettes and, although rates rise and fall year by year, an alarming percentage of young people persist in flirting with nicotine addiction. Nevertheless, the combination of public education, judicious warnings, limitations of advertising, efforts of citizen action groups, targeted legal restrictions, and law suits have resulted in a remarkable transformation of our society’s stance towards this major agent of disease.
Crystal structure of the amino-terminal domain of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein.

Crystal structure of the amino-terminal domain of N -ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein