cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research Techniques Made Simple: Laser Capture Microdissection in Cutaneous Research

In cutaneous research, we aim to study the molecular signature of a diseased tissue. However, such a study is met with obstacles due to the inherent heterogeneous nature of tissues because multiple cell types reside within a tissue. Furthermore, there is cellular communication between the tissue and the neighboring extracellular matrix. Laser capture microdissection is a powerful technique that allows researchers to isolate cells of interest from any tissue using a laser source under microscopic visualization, thereby circumventing the issue of tissue heterogeneity. Target cells from fixed preparations can be extracted and examined without disturbing the tissue structure. In live cultures, a subpopulation of cells can be extracted in real time with minimal disturbance of cellular communication and molecular signatures. Here we describe the basic principles of the technique, the different types of laser capture microdissection, and the subsequent downstream analyses. This article will also discuss how the technique has been employed in cutaneous research, as well as future directions.
Dysregulation Of Thrombotic and Hemostatic Factors In End Stage Renal Disease

Introduction Increased cardiovascular events occur in ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis. The objective of this study was to utilize newly introduced cardiac biomarker chips and immunoenzymatic methods, profiling various biomarkers of inflammation and thrombogenesis in a defined ESRD patient population. Material and Methods Blood samples from seventy two ESRD patients were drawn prior to maintenance hemodialysis. Commercially available ELISA kits for Tissue Plasminogen Activator – Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 complex (tPA-PAI-1 complex), Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 (PAI-1), Myeloperoxidase, (MPO), Thrombomodulin, (TM), Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), Anti-Annexin V, human sL-selectin, and Inter-Cellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Functional methods were used for measuring Antithrombin and Von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity were used. The biochip arrays (Randox, Evidence System, United Kingdom)for cardiac markers, included creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), Myoglobin (Myo), Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (hFABP) and cardiac troponin I (cTn1). The cerebral array included C-reactive protein (CRP), D-Dimer (DDMER), Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 (TNFRI) and Thrombodulin (TM). Results ESRD patients showed assay dependent decrease in markers such as tPA-PAI-1, Anti-Annexin V, L-selectin and Antithrombin activity (ranging from 18 to 46%). The levels for MPO, TM, CK-MB, MYO, FABP, CRP, DDMER, NSE, NGAL, TNFR1, and vWF activity all showed a significant increase in the ESRD patients (ranging from 25%-5587%). No changes were observed in the IL-1B, ICAM1, or cTn1 in ESRD patients compared to normal groups. Conclusions These studies underscore the role of inflammatory and thrombotic mediators in ESRD. The cardiac biochip array revealed a remarkable elevation of the FABP and as well as a notable increase in MYO. The cerebral array revealed a remarkable elevation of the TNFR1. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Multiple Dwell Serial Acquisition for Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Systems

This paper provides a simple derivation of an expression for the mean synchronization time of a multiple-dwell serial search code synchronization scheme using non-coherent square law envelope detection. In addition, the results of a numerical optimization of the detector integration times and thresholds is presented for single, double, and triple dwell systems. The analysis applies to any search-lock strategy including those using both a different integration time and decision threshold on each dwell.
The Revised European Neighbourhood Policy and Conflicts in the South Caucasus: The EU’s Growing Conflict Transformation Role

This chapter examines to what degree the revised ENP, and especially its eastern dimension, marks a change in the EU’s foreign policy and enables the EU to play a greater role in addressing unresolved conflicts in the South Caucasus. Since the 2008–2009 Russian intervention in Georgia, the desire for better integration with the countries of the East, as well as the deterioration of relations with Russia, have spurred change in EU policy as renewed attention was put on security issues. However more than having a direct effect on conflict resolution, the revised ENP has contributed first and foremost to the consolidation of the CFSP, communitarian and EaP responses under an increasingly complex ENP framework.
Growing Pains: The History of the UCLA Law Library, 1949–2000

This article traces how the UCLA Law Library, during its first half century, struggled to cope with unrelenting growth in collection size, law school student body, and resulting service demands, even with a perennially undersized and crowded facility subject to state budgetary limitations and fiscal retrenchment from the late 1960s onward.
Macroconsumer–Resource Interactions

Macroconsumers, such as fish, decapod crustaceans, and amphibians, can be important determinants of stream structure and function. In this chapter, we present three types of manipulative field experiments to evaluate top-down effects of macroconsumers in stream food webs and illustrate the role of macroconsumers in shaping the prey communities and resource availability. The most basic approach described is to use mesh exclosures and open-cage controls to test how stream invertebrate density, benthic algal biomass, and/or leaf breakdown rates respond to the absence of macroconsumers. Next, we present a more advanced approach to address similar ecological questions with electric exclosures, which reduce the cage artifacts resulting from the physical effects of cage exclosures. Finally, we describe an optional enclosure/exclosure experiment to directly manipulate macroconsumer density in mesh cages. We also discuss modifications to these three approaches to evaluate macroconsumer roles in algal- or detrital-based food webs and in initiating trophic cascades.
A quadrature method for numerical solutions of fractional differential equations

In this article, a numerical method is developed to obtain approximate solutions for a certain class of fractional differential equations. The method reduces the underlying differential equation to system of algebraic equations. An algorithm is presented to compute the coefficient matrix for the resulting algebraic system. Several examples with numerical simulations are provided to illustrate effectiveness of the method.
SKELETAL FLUOROSIS RELATED TO HABITUAL TEA CONSUMPTION: LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AFTER REDUCTION AND DISCONTINUATION OF TEA

ABSTRACT Objective: Systemic fluorosis due to excessive tea consumption is a cause of acquired osteosclerosis. Reversibility of systemic fluorosis and long-term outcome data are essentially limited to a few case reports and has never been reported in the context of fluorosis due to chronic excessive tea intake. Methods: We previously reported on 4 patients with fluoride excess due to habitual tea consumption with a wide disease spectrum, including skeletal fluorosis, gastrointestinal symptoms, lower extremity pain, and renal insufficiency. Herein, we report long-term follow-up on two of those subjects. Results: Reduction and discontinuation of tea intake was associated with rapid improvement of bone pain, renal function, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Reversibility of osteosclerosis and reductions in bone mineral density were also observed over several years after reduction and elimination of the fluoride source. An initial decrease in plasma fluoride levels occurred, followed by a plateau at above-normal...
Photocatalytic oxidation of toluene on platinum/titania catalysts

During heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) at room temperature, aromatics are not as readily oxidized as other organics, and intermediates accumulate that deactivate the catalyst. Toluene was used as a model aromatic on TiO 2 and Pt/TiO 2 catalysts. Transient isothermal reaction and reaction of a continuous flow of toluene were used to study reaction steps during PCO. Oxygen uptake was rapid for transient PCO of adsorbed toluene, but the rate of CO 2 formation was much slower. The Pt/TiO 2 catalyst deactivated within 7 h during PCO of a continuous flow of unhumidified toluene. With the addition of water, the rate of CO 2 production increased, and the catalyst was still active after 42 h. Less-reactive intermediates accumulated on the surface during PCO, and they were more strongly bound than toluene, which desorbed at relatively low temperatures. These intermediates were characterized by temperature-programmed hydrogenation (TPH). The strongly bound intermediates either thermally decomposed or oxidized during temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) or oxidation (TPO). However, these intermediates were hydrogenated to more weakly bound species that desorbed during TPH. The TPH spectra indicated that the aromatic ring remains intact during the first steps in toluene PCO. The transient photocatalytic oxidation of benzaldehyde was also investigated, but benzaldehyde does not appear to be the main reaction intermediate formed during toluene PCO.
Presentation and Significance of Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) leads to significant morbidity and mortality within our society. Furthermore healthcare costs related to diagnosis and management of thrombotic events and its complications are substantial. Though deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremity and pulmonary embolism (PE) are the most common, VTE may also occur in the upper extremities, inferior vena cava, renal vein, splanchnic venous circulation, and cerebral veins. VTE risk factors include inherited and acquired conditions, and the latter can be grouped into persistent or modifiable causes. Understanding risk factors for VTE will allow us to better counsel our patients in ways to minimize risk. Furthermore, awareness of clinical signs and symptoms associated with VTE will aid in earlier recognition and treatment.
Comparison of Juvenile Allogenous Articular Cartilage and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Versus Microfracture With and Without Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in Arthroscopic Treatment of Talar Osteochondral Lesions.

Background:The purpose of this study was to compare the functional and radiographic outcomes of patients who received juvenile allogenic chondrocyte implantation with autologous bone marrow aspirat...
Interaction of NaOH solutions with silica surfaces.

Abstract Hypothesis Sodium adsorption on silica surfaces depends on the solution counter-ion. Here, we use NaOH solutions to investigate basic environments. Simulations Sodium adsorption on hydroxylated silica surfaces from NaOH solutions were investigated through molecular dynamics with a dissociative force field, allowing for the development of secondary molecular species. Findings Across the NaOH concentrations (0.01 M − 1.0 M), ∼50% of the Na+ ions were concentrated in the surface region, developing silica surface charges between − 0.01 C/m2 (0.01 M NaOH) and − 0.76 C/m2 (1.0 M NaOH) due to surface site deprotonation. Five inner-sphere adsorption complexes were identified, including monodentate, bidentate, and tridentate configurations and two additional structures, with Na+ ions coordinated by bridging oxygen and hydroxyl groups or water molecules. Coordination of Na+ ions by bridging oxygen atoms indicates partial or complete incorporation of Na+ ions into the silica surface. Residence time analysis identified that Na+ ions coordinated by bridging oxygen atoms stayed adsorbed onto the surface four times longer than the mono/bi/tridentate species, indicating formation of relatively stable and persistent Na+ ion adsorption structures. Such inner-sphere complexes form only at NaOH concentrations of > 0.5 M. Na+ adsorption and lifetimes have implications for the stability of silica surfaces.
Graphics and Animation

This chapter discusses both static and moving images. Each section surveys some of the basic results from cognitive psychology related to how one perceives images. Building from these results some of the recommendations made by graphic designers and others on the use of graphics and animation for representing quantitative information are discussed. We devote special attention to issues surrounding the perception and use of color (Section 4.2) and three-dimensional images (Section 4.3). Clearly it will only be possible to provide a brief survey of the relevant results. Sufficient information is provided to give a sense of the difficulty first in understanding how people perceive images, as well as how to design helpful, coherent graphical representations of quantitative information.
Laparoscopic Cystectomy: Initial Report on a New Treatment for the Retained Bladder

The retained bladder of a 27-year-old paraplegic woman suffering from recurrent pyocystis was removed laparoscopically. Operative time was 130 minutes. Postoperative hospital stay was 5 days, which was significantly less than that in 5 similar patients undergoing open cystectomy for vesical empyema in whom the mean hospital stay was 20.6 days. We believe that laparoscopic cystectomy represents a plausible, minimally invasive alternative to standard cystectomy for the symptomatic bladder left behind after supravesical urinary diversion.
Epilogue: People of Vision, Communities of Discernment

Everyone I know accepts the idea that technology is going to continue to advance. We even think we have a pretty good idea how it will advance, maybe not in the distant future, but at least in the next few years. By knowing where we are today, we can foresee at least in broad terms where key technological developments are most likely to take us.
Are low income and minority households more likely to die from traffic-related crashes?

Abstract An analysis of motor vehicle mortality is conducted using data from the Census Bureau’s National Longitudinal Mortality Study for 1980, 1990, and 2000. The likelihood of being a motor vehicle crash fatality is compared to all other causes of death and not dying within the six year follow up period of the data. Using a multinomial logistic regression, mortality associations with the socioeconomics and demographics of individuals is examined. No association is found with a greater likelihood of being a motor vehicle mortality, based on family income, ethnicity, or race. Those living in rural areas, are unemployed or disabled, and residents of southern states are more likely to be a motor-vehicle fatality. These results conflict with those of many ecological studies that assume lower income neighborhoods (and their residents) are more likely to die due to motor-vehicle crashes.
Energy-saving strategies for luminaire-level lighting controls

Abstract Luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLCs), also called luminaire-integrated controls, have the potential to reduce energy use, compared with traditional zone controls, when used in an open office setting. Additionally, LLLCs can be installed without incurring the additional costs associated with the installation of connected lighting. Due to this potential for both cost and energy savings, the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted a study to determine how various parameters affect the energy savings of LLLCs. The investigated parameters were: field of view of the built-in motion sensor, delay time between when the last occupancy is detected and when the luminaire is turned off or dimmed, number of luminaires that turn on and off together in groups, and if the luminaires dim to a low level or turn off completely when no motion is detected. This study measured the occupancy pattern of an open office and then used that data in a computer simulation to determine energy use. The results show that LLLCs have significant energy savings potential in open offices with a 43% average energy reduction compared with the calculated manual-control base case. Results also show that choices made during LLLC selection (e.g., sensor field of view) and commissioning (e.g., delay time, grouping, dimming vs. turning off during vacancy) significantly impact potential energy savings. However, selecting LLLC products and settings for maximum energy savings can adversely impact occupant satisfaction. Lighting designers and specifiers should balance energy targets with the needs of occupants, including safety, comfort, health, visibility and wellbeing.
Method to evaluate surface figure error budget for optical systems

We present a simple method to assess surface figure error tolerances of optical systems. From a statistical analysis, an empirical equation is obtained for estimating the overall wavefront error contribution from surface figure error tolerance assigned on each surface. The same equation can be used to evaluate the inverse sensitivity for surface figure error specification given an error budget.
Systematic Review of the Effects of Skin-to-Skin Care on Short-Term Physiologic Stress Outcomes in Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are exposed to many stressors. There is growing evidence that chronic stress early in life has long-term neurodevelopmental implications. Skin-to-skin care (SSC) is an intervention used to reduce stress in the NICU. Clinical question In premature infants in the NICU, what is the available evidence that SSC improves short-term physiologic stress outcomes compared with incubator care? Search strategy PubMed and CINAHL were searched for terms related to SSC, stress, physiology, and premature infants. Of 1280 unique articles, 19 were identified that reported on research studies comparing SSC with incubator care in the NICU and reported stress-related physiologic outcome measures. Results Although there have been some mixed findings, the research supports that SSC improves short-term cardiorespiratory stress outcomes compared with incubator care. The evidence is clearer for studies reporting stress hormone outcomes, with strong evidence that SSC reduces cortisol and increases oxytocin levels in preterm infants. Implications for practice and research SSC is safe and has stress-reducing benefits. SSC should be considered an essential component to providing optimal care in the NICU. More research is needed to determine the timing of initiation, duration, and frequency of SSC to optimize the stress-reducing benefits. Future research should include the most fragile infants, who are most likely to benefit from SSC, utilize power analyses to ensure adequate sample sizes, and use sophisticated data collection and analysis techniques to more accurately evaluate the effect of SSC on infants in the NICU.
From community to communal media: Lessons for the sustainability of community media from the Bolivarian experience

This article seeks lessons for the sustainability of community media by looking at its role in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution. It draws on recent theorization to define community media as an articulating mechanism of a maximally democratic civil society. It then situates this understanding in relation to the Gramscian notion of a ‘civil state’, which has increasingly informed Latin American socialism and in which the state’s role is to maximise participatory governance within civil society. The article then analyses the weaknesses of the Venezuelan community media sector under a liberal framework, and attempts to establish a new legal structure that would integrate participatory media with civil society and the Bolivarian ‘commune’ system. These efforts demonstrate that heterarchical institutional structures may best integrate community media with civil society in a manner that assures sustainability and autonomy.
Forced Sexual Victimization Among Youth in Custody: Do Risk Factors Vary by Gender and Perpetrator?:

There is relatively little literature examining risk factors associated with sexual victimization among youth in custody. The current study explored whether risk of forced sexual victimization amon...
Direct Observation of Liquid Crystal Droplet Configurational Transitions using Optical Tweezers

Liquid crystals (LCs) are easily influenced by external interactions, particularly at interfaces. When rod-like LC molecules are confined to spherical droplets, they experience a competition betwee...
High pressure-high temperature carbon dioxide adsorption to shale rocks using a volumetric method

Abstract With the current increase in hydrocarbon production from shale reservoirs, several methods have been applied to improve recovery from these unconventional oil and gas sources. Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection is one of the methods that can be used to increase oil recovery and store the CO2 in the reservoir via adsorption. This research investigates the CO2 storage applicability in the North East Oklahoma shale, which is part of the southern section of the Kansas Basin for CO2 storage, as well as the factors impacting the storage capacity. The shale mineralogy was initially identified using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. CO2 adsorption on shale was measured using a volumetric-based adsorption apparatus. The effect of varying the CO2 phase, injection pressure, temperature, shale particle size, and shale volume in the sample cell was studied. Increasing the pressure resulted in an increase in adsorption, whereas increasing the temperature showed an opposite trend. No trend can be observed when decreasing the shale volume, since decreasing the volume using the volumetric adsorption apparatus will result in erroneous results. This research investigates and highlights the main factors that will impact CO2 adsorption to North East Oklahoma shale during CO2 injection in order to assess the applicability of CO2 injection storage purposes.
Production, use, and fate of synthetic polymers

Abstract Plastics, or synthetic polymers, have only been mass-produced for about 70 years, but have outgrown most man-made materials. Despite the large variety of polymers, eight of them make up 95% of all primary plastics ever made, which had exceeded nine billion metric tonnes by the end of 2017. Of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated so far, an estimated 10% were recycled, 14% were incinerated, while the remaining 76% are in landfills, dumps, or the natural environment. If global annual primary plastic production were to continue on its historic growth trend, it would reach 1.1 billion tonnes in 2050. This chapter contains an update of a prior analysis of global production, use, and fate of synthetic polymers.
Rapid eye movement sleep patterns of brain activation and deactivation occur within unique functional networks

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a paradoxical state where the individual appears asleep while the electroencephalogram pattern resembles that of wakefulness. Regional differences in brain metabolism have been observed during REM sleep compared to wakefulness, but it is not known whether the spatial distribution of metabolic differences corresponds to known functional networks in the brain. Here, we use a combination of techniques to evaluate the networks associated with sites of REM sleep activation and deactivation from previously published positron emission tomography studies. We use seed-based functional connectivity from healthy adults acquired during quiet rest to show that REM-activation regions are functionally connected in a network that includes retrosplenial cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and extrastriate visual cortices, corresponding to components of the default mode network and visual networks. Regions deactivated during REM sleep localize to right-lateralized fronto-parietal and salience networks. A negatively correlated relationship was observed between REM-activation and deactivation networks. Together, these findings show that regional activation and deactivation patterns of REM sleep tend to occur in distinct functional connectivity networks that are present during wakefulness, providing insights regarding the differential contributions of brain regions to the distinct subjective experiences that occur during REM sleep (dreaming) relative to wakefulness.
Manchester Arena Attack: management of paediatric penetrating brain injuries.

The Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017 resulted in 22 deaths and over 160 casualties requiring medical attention. Given the threat of modern- era terrorist attacks in civilian environments, it...
Extending the A Priori Procedure (APP) to Address Correlation Coefficients

The present work constitutes an expansion of the a priori procedure (APP), whereby the researcher makes specifications for precision and confidence and APP equations provide the necessary sample size to meet specifications. Thus far, APP articles have mostly focused on the results of true experiments, where it is possible to randomly assign participants to conditions designed to create variance. But researchers in fields such as education and psychology often are faced with problems that are not amenable to the random assignment of participants to conditions, either because of ethical or feasibility issues. In such cases, researchers usually obtain sample correlation coefficient estimators to help them estimate corresponding population correlation coefficients. Unfortunately, there are no published APP articles to help these researchers determine the necessary sample size. The present work introduces new APP equations that remedy the lack.
Improving National and Homeland Security Through Context Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Technologies

In the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy it has became clear that the lack of effective information exchange among government agencies hindered the capability of identifying potential threats and preventing terrorism actions. It has been noted by the National Research Council that “Although there are many private and public databases that contain information potentially relevant to counterterrorism programs, they lack the necessary context definitions (i.e., metadata) and access tools to enable interoperation with other databases and the extraction of meaningful and timely information”. This report clearly recognized the important problem that the semantic data integration research community has been studying. In this chapter, we describe the Laboratory for Information Globalization and Harmonization Technologies (LIGHT) developed at MIT. LIGHT arises from previous research, most notably the COntext INterchange (COIN) context mediation technology and the Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD). Context Mediation technology addresses the above problem and deals directly with the integration of heterogeneous contexts (i.e. data meaning) in a flexible, scalable and extensible environment. This approach makes it easier and more transparent for receivers (e.g., applications, sensors, users) to exploit distributed sources (e.g., databases, web, information repositories, sensors). In this paper we define context as the assumptions of the source and receiver that affect correct interpretation of the meaning of the information. Receivers are able to specify their desired context so that there will be no uncertainty in the interpretation of the information coming from heterogeneous sources. The COIN context knowledge representation approach and associated reasoning tools significantly reduce the overhead involved in the integration of multiple sources and simplifies maintenance in an environment of changing source and receiver context. This technology is essential in the counter-terrorism environment in a number of areas including: (1) allowing for receivers (i.e., applications, analysts) to have multiple views of the same data (e.g., different semantic assumptions two analysts may have a different meaning for Soviet Union depending on the application), (2) allowing for the collection of information into a single data warehouse, and (3) use in a dynamic federated environment where applications may have changing contexts and sources are added and removed from the grid. This approach is essential to the agile integration of information to support counter terrorism.
Ameloblastoma: clinical presentation, multidisciplinary management and outcome.

We studied 21 patients who underwent radical ameloblastoma excision followed by immediate reconstruction. Comorbidities, consumption of alcohol and/or tobacco and BMI status did not contribute to a...
Multiple mechanisms of photoreceptor spectral tuning following loss of UV color vision in Heliconius butterflies

Color vision modifications occur in animals via a process known as spectral tuning. In Heliconius butterflies, a genus-specific UVRh opsin duplication led to the evolution of UV color discrimination in Heliconius erato females, a rare trait among butterflies. In the H. melpomene and H. ismenius lineages, the UV2 receptor has been lost. Here we compare how loss of the UV2 photoreceptor has altered the visual system of these butterflies. We compare visual system evolution in three Heliconius butterfly species using a combination of intracellular recordings, ATAC-seq, and antibody staining. We identify several spectral tuning mechanisms including adaptive evolution of opsins, deployment of two types of filtering pigments, and co-expression of two distinct opsins in the same cell. Our data show that opsin gain and loss is driving rapid divergence in Heliconius visual systems via tuning of multiple spectral classes of photoreceptor in distinct lineages, potentially contributing to ongoing speciation in this genus.
Eficácia dos corticoides orais no alívio dos sintomas da síndroma do canal cárpico: qual a evidência atual?

Introducao: A sindroma do tunel carpico (STC) e causada pela compressao do nervo mediano no seu trajeto atraves do tunel carpico e e a neuropatia mais frequente do membro superior. Objetivo: Rever e analisar a evidencia atual sobre a eficacia dos corticoides orais no alivio dos sintomas em pacientes com sindroma do tunel carpico. Material e metodos: Pesquisa de guidelines (GL), ensaios clinicos aleatorizados e controlados (ECA), revisoes sistematicas (RS) e meta-analises (MA), publicadas entre 2009 e 2019, nas bases de dados e sitios de medicina baseada na evidencia da PubMed, da Cochrane Library , DARE, Bandolier , TRIP Database , BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine , National Guideline Clearinghouse , NICE, Canadian Medical Association Practice Guidelines Infobase e Primary Care Clinical Practice Guidelines , utilizando-se os descritores MeSH: ‘ carpal tunnel syndrome ’ e ‘ corticosteroids ’. Foi aplicada a escala Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT), da American Academy of Family Physicians , para atribuicao dos niveis de evidencia (NE) e das forcas de recomendacao (FR). Resultados : Dos 172 artigos devolvidos da pesquisa efetuada foram selecionados seis: um ECA, quatro RS e uma norma de orientacao clinica (NOC). A eficacia dos corticoides orais a curto-medio prazo no alivio sintomatico da STC e evidenciada por varios ECA e RS metodologicamente bem concebidos. Na maioria dos estudos a administracao oral de 20mg de prednisolona por duas semanas conduz ao alivio temporario dos sintomas. Conclusoes: A corticoterapia oral pode ser usada no alivio temporario dos sintomas do STC a curto prazo, num regime de 20mg diarios de prednisolona durante duas semanas (SORT A). O seu uso no tratamento a medio e a longo prazo apresenta um nivel de evidencia mais baixo (SORT B).
The Missing Link: Where Does Value Fit in the Picture: An Abstract

Customer loyalty in the service exchange has been shown to be a primary objective when designing and implementing a marketing or service strategy (Cronin et al. 2000). While the extant literature is replete with examples of the importance of loyalty as a competitive advantage (c.f. Wolter et al. 2017), loyalty remains a somewhat elusive and perhaps understood concept.
Articular surface failure in hybrid anatomic glenoid components: a unique failure mechanism

Glenoid loosening is a common failure mechanism of anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). New hybrid fixation glenoids allow bony ingrowth and decrease the rates of glenoid loosening. The purpose of this study is to describe a new failure mode of polyethylene dissociation from the ingrowth cage in a single implant design. A retrospective review was performed using an institutional shoulder arthroplasty database of a single hybrid cage glenoid (Exactech, Gainesville, FL). Implants demonstrating this failure mechanism were investigated. Five out of 206 (2.4%) primary TSAs with cage glenoids performed at our institution and 2 referred for revision suffered glenoid articular face failure. Mean age was 57 (range 38–67 years). Two of 7 failures (29%) occurred secondary to trauma. Failure occurred at mean 14 months after index arthroplasty (range 0–30 months). Revision occurred at mean 24 months after index arthroplasty (range 6–39 months). Six of the 7 patients (86%) had posteriorly augmented glenoids. All 6 patients who had available pre-failure radiographs demonstrated off-axis deviation between the peripheral pegs and central cage (mean 4.8°, range 3°–6°), which may predispose the implant to failure by pre-stressing the material interface. Failure between the glenoid articular face and the central ingrowth cage is a unique failure mechanism to modular hybrid ingrowth glenoids. We hypothesize that this is predisposed by off-axis drilling leading to pre-stressing of the material interface. Surgeons should be aware of the existence of this failure mechanism, particularly when seeing patients with acute pain after an otherwise unproblematic TSA.
One-step solvothermal synthesis of Sn nanoparticles dispersed in ternary manganese-nickel-cobalt carbonate as superior anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Abstract Sn with high theoretical specific capacity has suffered from poor cycling stability due to its huge volume changes during charging/discharging processes. In this work, a novel structure of tin nanoparticles well dispersed in ternary manganese-nickel-cobalt carbonate Mn0.54 Ni0.13 Co0.13 (CO3)0.8 (MNCCO3) is synthesized using a facile one-step solvothermal process and demonstrates significantly improved electrochemical performance compared to Sn nanoparticles or bare MNCCO3. Additionally, Sn content can be optimized to maximize the battery performance of the composite. When tested as an anode material in lithium ion batteries, the composite with 10 wt.% Sn nanoparticles dispersed in MNCCO3 matrix (10Sn@MNCCO3) demonstrates the best performance, delivering a high initial charge capacity of 929 mAh/g and retains a specific capacity of 657 mAh/g after 50 cycles and 560 mAh/g after 100 cycles at a specific current of 100 mA/g. The charge capacity of 10Sn@MNCCO3 decreases from a value of 991 mAh/g when cycled at 50 mA/g to 64 mAh/g at 2000 mA/g with the increasing specific current. When the specific current returns from 2000 mA/g to 50 mA/g, 10Sn@MNCCO3 retains a high capacity of 791 mAh/g. The improved electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the synergic effect of both components in the composite, in which ternary carbonate MNCCO3 matrix not only provides high practical capacity, but also effectively accommodates the strain of dramatic volume change during long cycling, meanwhile Sn ensures a good electrical contact of the overall electrode due to its high electronic conductivity.
On Stoic Cosmopolitanism

Martha Nussbaum gives a timely and interesting exhortation of Stoic ideals in Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism, but any implementation of these ancient ideals may have very serious consequences, as they certainly did in antiquity. Material consequences (loosely speaking) are not the purpose of a Stoic sage’s actions. Yet if prudence is to be the virtue for us that it was to our philosophical ancestors then, would-be Stoics are obligated to be very careful in making decisions for a cosmopolitan worldview, especially if we are to approach our future based on ideals over which even the ancients argued.
A pediatric specific shock index in combination with GMS identifies children with life threatening or severe traumatic brain injury

We have previously demonstrated that a shock index, pediatric age adjusted (SIPA) accurately identifies severely blunt injured children. We aimed to determine if SIPA could more accurately identify children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) than hypotension alone. We performed subset analysis of those children with TBI among a cohort of children age 4–16 years with blunt trauma and injury severity score ≥15 from 1/07 to 6/13. We evaluated the ability of four markers to identify the most severely brain injured children. Markers included hypotension, elevated SIPA, abnormal GCS motor score (GMS), and elevated SIPA or abnormal GMS. We aimed to determine which of these four markers had the highest sensitivity in identifying severely injured children. Three hundred and ninety-two (392) children were included. Hypotension was present in 24 patients (6 %); elevated SIPA in 106 (27 %), abnormal GMS in 172 (44 %), and elevated SIPA or abnormal GMS in 206 (53 %). All markers were able to accurately identify severely injured children with TBI. Elevated SIPA or abnormal GMS identified a greater percentage of patients with each of seven complications with higher sensitivity than each of the three other markers. Among blunt injured children with TBI, elevated SIPA or abnormal GMS identifies severely brain injured children.
Adapting the NSCAT data system to changing requirements

NSCAT is a spaceborne, eight-beam scatterometer which measures ocean backscatter. A description is given of its non-real-time ground-based science data processing system, particularly the changes to the baseline design in response to changes in requirements. The new requirements are in five areas: (1) telemetry data source, (2) data catalog, (3) hosting instrument operations, (4) definition of data granularity (revolutions) and (5) science team data needs. The science team requirements consist of a need for new or revised products, different delivery volume and schedule, and electronic communication among team and with the project. >
Alogliptin Use in Elderly People: A Pooled Analysis from Phase 2 and 3 Studies

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of alogliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) enzyme inhibitor, in elderly (≥65) and younger (<65) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Pooled analysis of six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of alogliptin. PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 18 to 80 with type 2 diabetes mellitus and inadequate glycemic control. INTERVENTIONS: Elderly (mean age 70.0; n=455) and younger (mean age 51.8; n=1,911) patients received alogliptin 12.5 mg (n=922), alogliptin 25 mg (n=910), or placebo (n=534) for 26 weeks (12 weeks in a Phase 2 study). The studies evaluated alogliptin as monotherapy and coadministered with pioglitazone, glyburide, metformin, or insulin. MEASUREMENTS: Efficacy endpoints included change from baseline in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), weight, and lipid values. Safety variables included hypoglycemic events, adverse events, and blood pressure. RESULTS: Least-squares mean HbA1c decreased from baseline by 0.7% and 0.8% in elderly patients receiving alogliptin 12.5 and 25 mg, respectively, and 0.5% and 0.6%, respectively, in younger patients (P<.001 for both alogliptin doses vs placebo for both age groups P=.70 for 12.5 mg and .68 for 25 mg for differences between age groups). Results were similar for FPG. Incidence of hypoglycemia was 8.3% or less in all alogliptin groups (≤10.5% for placebo), with no apparent difference between elderly and younger patients. Changes in weight were negligible in all treatment groups in both age categories. The safety profiles of alogliptin were similar in the age and dose groups. CONCLUSION: Alogliptin was effective and well tolerated in the elderly patients enrolled in these studies. Improvements in HbA1c were similar to those seen in younger patients, and no increase in the risk of hypoglycemia, weight gain, or other adverse events was apparent in elderly patients.
Apolipoprotein(a) (Apo(a)) Glycoprotein Isoforms Result from Size Differences in Apo(a) mRNA in Baboons

Like humans, baboons possess serum lipoprotein(a) that contains apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a], and baboon apo(a) also occurs in distinguishable glycoprotein isoforms. To investigate the molecular basis for isoform size variation, we isolated hepatic RNA from baboons possessing different apo(a) isoforms for Northern blot analyses with rhesus apo(a) cDNA probes. In a survey of 22 baboons, we detected a variety of sizes of apo(a) transcripts (5.2-11.2 kilobases) that corresponded with relative mobilities and numbers of serum apo(a) isoforms. In unrelated baboons possessing apo(a) isoforms of similar mobilities, we detected apo(a) transcripts with similar mobilities. In related baboons possessing apo(a) isoforms that were identical by descent, apo(a) transcripts were also identical in size. Using data from 22 baboons included in this study, we compared the sizes of 20 apo(a) isoforms and corresponding transcripts. Linear regression analysis established a highly significant correlation (p less than 0.001) between estimated apo(a) transcript size and glycoprotein mass (r2 = 0.996). From these results, we conclude that apo(a) glycoprotein isoforms are due to structural differences in apo(a) transcripts. However, we also noted exceptions to correspondence between apo(a) transcripts and isoforms that suggest the action of additional post-transcriptional control of serum apo(a) levels.
Socialism vs Social Democracy as Income-Equalizing Institutions

Socialism is defined as a normative property of an allocation: that the allocation of labor and output be Pareto efficient, and that output received by individuals be proportional to the value of the labor they expended in production. Social democracy is an institution: the redistribution of income through taxation, with a system of private ownership of capital. We present a stylized parameterization of the US economy and compute its (unique) socialist allocation, and the Gini coefficient of the income distribution in that allocation. We compute the Gini coefficient of after-tax income in the present US “social democracy” and show that it is lower than in the socialist allocation. Hence, socialists must choose between two mutually exclusive alternatives: eliminating exploitation in the Marxian sense (achieving socialism, as defined above), or equalizing income. We propose that egalitarians must go beyond socialism, as it has been classically conceived.
Sporulation gene spoIIB from Bacillus subtilis.

Abstract We have cloned and characterized the sporulation gene spoIIB from Bacillus subtilis. In extension of previous nucleotide sequence analysis, our results show that the order of genes in the vicinity of spoIIB is valS folC comC spoIIB orfA orfB mreB mreC mreD minC minD spoIVFA spoIVFB L20 orfX L24 spoOB obg pheB pheA. All 20 genes have the same orientation; the direction of transcription is from valS to pheA. We show that spoIIB is a 332-codon-long open reading frame whose transcription is under sporulation control. The deduced amino acid sequence of the spoIIB gene product, a 36-kDa polypeptide, is highly charged and contains a stretch of uncharged amino acids that could correspond to a transmembrane segment. Surprisingly, mutations in spoIIB, including an in vitro-constructed null mutation, cause only a mild impairment of spore formation in certain otherwise wild-type bacteria. However, when combined with mutations in another sporulation gene, spoVG, mutations in spoIIB cause a severe block in spore formation at the stage (stage II) of septum formation. (As with spoIIB mutations, mutations in spoVG cause little impairment in sporulation on their own.) The nature of the spoIIB spoVG mutant phenotype is discussed in terms of the events involved in the maturation of the sporulation septum and in the activation of sporulation transcription factors sigma F and sigma E.
A porcine model for instruction of lateral canthotomy.

Abstract. Objectives: Retrobulbar hemorrhage is a rare condition often necessitating immediate lateral canthotomy for preservation of vision. It is performed infrequently in emergency departments (EDs); therefore, a laboratory-based curriculum using a swine model was developed to teach emergency medicine (EM) residents and pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows the proper technique of lateral canthotomy and to provide them with hands-on training. Methods: Anesthetized adult swine are used due to similarity with human anatomy and availability from other concurrent procedure laboratories. Fifteen to twenty milliliters of saline is injected behind the orbit to produce proptosis and mimic retrobulbar hemorrhage. A dissection is performed on one orbit to demonstrate the technique and to illustrate the lateral canthal ligaments. The resident then performs a rapid lateral canthotomy on the contralateral orbit under faculty supervision. Results: Over one year, 19 EM residents and 3 PEM fellows were trained using this model. During the same period no lateral canthotomies were performed in the EDs. A post-laboratory survey demonstrated a high subjective level of comfort with this procedure. Video-based demonstration of this laboratory is publicity available on the World Wide Web. Conclusion: Adult swine can effectively serve as a model for resident training in lateral canthotomy, a rarely performed sight-saving procedure.
Correlation of targeted ultrasound with magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities of the breast

Abstract Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast is highly sensitive for cancer. However, MRI frequently detects additional lesions that mandate further evaluation. The intent of this study was to assess the ability of targeted ultrasound to identify additional lesions detected on MRI in patients undergoing evaluation for breast cancer. Methods Between January 1, 1999, and July 15, 2004, 270 women underwent breast MRI at Grant Medical Center. MRI was obtained in 191 women during evaluation for documented or suspected breast cancer. Fifty-two patients had additional suspicious lesions on MRI, prompting targeted ultrasound; these patients constituted our study population. Results Seventy-five additional suspicious lesions were detected on breast MRI in 52 women. Two women underwent mastectomy without targeted ultrasound. Targeted ultrasound identified 65 of the remaining 73 lesions (89%). Eight lesions (11%) were not visible on targeted ultrasound. Conclusion Targeted ultrasound can be a reliable method to correlate MRI abnormalities in breast cancer patients.