cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral health treatment history among persons in the justice system: Findings from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II Program.

Objective Despite the high prevalence of substance use disorders, mental disorders, and co-occurring disorders among persons in the justice system, there is a fairly low rate of treatment utilization among this population. This study explored rates of lifetime behavioral health treatment utilization and factors associated with involvement in treatment. Methods The study examined data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II program from 2007 to 2010, including over 18,000 arrestees in 10 U.S. metropolitan jails. Logistic regression and χ² analyses were used to explore the relationship between self-reported lifetime treatment history and sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported substance use, and severity of substance use. Results Over half of arrestees reported no history of behavioral health treatment (62%), and Caucasians were significantly more likely to have received treatment than African Americans and Hispanics. Rates of treatment for substance use disorders or for both substance use and mental disorders were lowest among arrestees reporting marijuana and alcohol use and highest for heroin users. Methamphetamine users were the most likely to have received prior mental health treatment. Severity of alcohol and drug use was the highest among arrestees who had received both substance abuse and mental health treatment. Conclusions and implications for practice Considering the high rates of mental and substance use disorders in this population, the overall lack of behavioral health service utilization among offenders is concerning and points to the need to engage offenders in mental health and substance abuse treatment and to expand these services in jails, prisons, diversionary programs, and community corrections settings. (PsycINFO Database Record
Biology of the Black Blister Beetle (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

The family Meloidae is best known among entomologists because of its hypermetamorphic development, but at the same time a lack of detail has caused some misunderstanding of this type of development. It is understood that each species has two or more larval types occurring in sequence, and that the larval stage wholly or partly is predacious on eggs of other insects. The combination of different larval forms and specialized predatism has influenced various authors to express or imply a cause-and-effect relationship. For example, Packard (1883), in an article on the genealogy of insects, proposed this relationship when he said that in the meloid metamorphosis, we have a clue to the probable origin of the different types of coleopterous larvae, and that the changes in the Meloidae typify the successive steps in the degradation of form which characterizes the series of coleopterous larvae from the Carabidae down to the Curculionidae and Scolytidae. Milliken (1921), and Ingram and Douglas (1932) have touched on this phase of the significance of the metamorphosis of this family.
Modern paradigm for peritoneal catheter insertion: single port optical access laparoscopic shunt insertion.

BACKGROUND Ventriculoperitoneal shunting is one of the most commonly performed neurosurgical procedures. Typically, for insertion of the peritoneal catheter, a mini-laparotomy technique is used. Although generally safe, it can be cosmetically undesirable and time consuming. Complications include malpositioning, bowel injury, and delayed hernias. Laparoscopic techniques have been advocated to address these issues, but have been slow to gain traction with neurosurgeons. OBJECTIVE To describe our experience with single port optical access laparoscopy for placement of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Our technique simplifies adoption of a laparoscopic technique for neurosurgeons looking to incorporate its benefits. METHODS All ventriculoperitoneal shunts placed by the senior author since April 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Surgical and perioperative complications, length of postoperative stay, and need for revisions were analyzed. RESULTS Fifty-six patients were included in the study. There were no cases of peritoneal catheter misplacement. One intraoperative complication occurred early in the series, in which there was an injury to the gallbladder necessitating cholecystectomy. There were 7 cases followed by shunt revision inclusive of the abdomen. In 3 cases, pseudocysts were noted. CONCLUSION Single port optical access laparoscopy is a fast and minimally invasive technique that allows direct visualization of the layers of the abdominal wall as they are traversed and visualization of the peritoneal catheter during placement. It uses a small cosmetic incision and obviates the need for postoperative abdominal radiographic studies. The procedure has a modest learning curve, but can be safely used without the assistance of an assist surgeon after the skills are acquired.
Long–Term Renal Outcomes after Cisplatin Treatment

Background and objectives Nephrotoxicity remains the dose–limiting side effect of cisplatin, an effective chemotherapeutic agent with applications across diverse tumor types. This study presents data on renal outcomes across multiple tumor types in 821 adults. We report on incidence of AKI, initial and long-term changes in eGFR after cisplatin, and relationships between cumulative dose, initial eGFR, age, sex, and long–term renal function. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This was a retrospective study of adult patients treated with cisplatin from January 1, 2000 to September 21, 2011 who had survived ≥5 years after initial dose. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation was used to calculate eGFR. AKI was defined as an increase from the baseline creatinine of >25% within 30 days after the first cycle of cisplatin. Chi-squared tests were done to evaluate the relationships between categorical or ordinal variables; ANOVAs or t tests were used to evaluate continuous or categorical variables. Changes in eGFR over time were evaluated in a growth curve model. Results Mean follow-up was 6 years (25th and 75th percentiles, 4 and 9 years). AKI occurred in 31.5% of patients, with a median initial decline in eGFR of 10 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (25th and 75th percentiles, −41.5 and −23.3 ml/min per 1.73 m2). At any time point after the first cycle of cisplatin, 26–44 years old (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.60 to 2.4), 1.54 for >45–65 years old (95% CI, 0.78 to 3), and 2.96 for >66 years old (95% CI, 1.4 to 6.1). The lowest dose categories of cisplatin (≤100 and 101–250 mg/m2) are associated with increases in eGFR (P=0.06 and P=0.02, respectively) compared with the highest dose category (>701 mg/m2). Conclusions This is the largest study of adult patients with cancer who received cisplatin for treatment across multiple tumor types. Most patients experience small but permanent declines in eGFR, but none progressed to ESRD requiring hemodialysis.
On the measurement and treatment of extremes in time series

The paper reviews the topic of extremal time series. The literature documenting the presence of extremes in time series data is first reviewed, followed by a discussion of various probabilistic measures, along with the associated statistical inference problems. The impact of extremes upon statistical analyses is discussed, and the connection to extremal latent components is emphasized. Two data sets illustrate the methods.
Effect of Music on Anxiety of Patients receiving Eyeground Operation

Objective: To study the effect of music therapy on anxiety o f patients receiving eyeground operation Method: 39 patients r eceiving awaking analgesia for eyeground operation were divided into study group (n=19) and control group (n=20) The patients in study group were given music chosen by them through earphone during the operation The affection of patients was assessed with STAI (state trait anxiety inventory), SDS (self-rating depres sion scale), VAS (visual analogue scale) afterwards Their BI was also measure d during operation Result: The study group had lower anxiety a nd depression in above measures than control There was no significant differen ce in BI result between the two groups Conclusion: Music can d ecrease anxiety of patients during awaking eyeground operation
Surveillance of test use.

Methods of monitoring the utilization of laboratory tests are comprehensively reviewed. The effects of such monitoring systems on the cost and quality of patient care are also evaluated. The author suggests guidelines for the development of surveillance systems to minimize overutilization and underutilization of the clinical laboratory.
Systems of Health Care Delivery: Community Setting

This chapter examines the role of the community in delivering health care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The unit of the community is a core element of the practice of public health and in many locales is an underutilized environment in which to conduct activities concerned with promoting health and preventing disease to protect populations. Persons with disabilities and their caregivers are a public health issue that warrants further research to improve their health outcomes. Efforts reviewed here include the role of person-centered planning and community integration of such arrangements. The importance of one’s connection to community is discussed as it relates to the influence of social capital in improving health. In addition, the potential for community health workers as innovative providers of care is examined. Challenges and recommendations are presented for partnerships between academia and people with disabilities who are engaging in community-based participatory research efforts aimed at addressing local public health issues. Lastly, the role of community in preventing secondary conditions in people with disabilities is discussed. As health professionals, we need to consider the living environment of people with disabilities and not just the physical structure they occupy but their social connectedness to their community. We need to put more effort into improving community-based public health systems to provide essential public health services to this special population. Efforts should be directed towards a community-based approach that will have the most beneficial impact with the limited financial and human resources present at the community level.
Language Origin Theories

Publisher Summary This survey of the history of language origin theories must end in inconclusive fashion, primarily because it has been compiled at a time when the literature relating to the topic has reached the proportions of a flood of new and only slowly digestible information. It seems clear that the work on language capabilities in apes has been one of the important developments triggering the reopening of the problem. The work with apes and language has made it possible, for the first time, to manipulate factors in the learning of a first language in a way that would be quite unethical if the subjects would have been human children. The profoundly deaf are a population in which language can be investigated without necessarily equating language with speech, but deaf children's acquisition of language cannot be endlessly tampered with in a manner acceptable with chimpanzee subjects. There are many possible practical educational and therapeutic spin-offs from the language work with chimpanzees.
Adaptive transmitting coil array for optimal power transfer in deeply implanted medical devices

In the design of implantable devices, providing the wireless power to the device presents one of the critical parts of the system design and RF power harvesting through inductive coupling presents a commonly used solution. The maximum power transfer in the inductive link occurs when the transmitting and receiving circular coils are aligned on the same central axes. However, when there is either angular or lateral misalignment between the coils, the maximum delivered power to the receiving coil can be significantly reduced. We propose a design of an array of coils instead of a single transmitting coil that through adaptive control of the phase of the coil feed currents optimizes the power transfer when misalignment exists. We demonstrate that the two coil transmitting antenna provides increase in the power efficiency compared to the same area single coil when both angular and lateral misalignment exist in a smart pill application.
Enabling rechargeable non-aqueous Mg-O2 battery operations with dual redox mediators.

Dual redox mediators (RMs) were introduced for Mg–O2 batteries. 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) facilitates the discharge with an overpotential reduction of 0.3 V. 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine cobalt(II) (Co(II)TPP) facilitates the recharge with an overpotential decrease of up to 0.3 V. Importantly, the two redox mediators are compatible in the same DMSO-based electrolyte.
PET-CT assessment of solitary pulmonary nodules: SUV vs. lesion to normal tissue ratio

1620 Objectives Several studies have shown that higher uptake of FDG into solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) is associated with a higher probability of malignancy. Inter-patient variability in FDG kinetics decreases the reliability of SUV measurements and makes the task of discriminating benign from malignant nodules more difficult. Lesion to normal tissue ratios avoid some of this variability and may provide a more accurate way to characterize SPNs. Methods 217 FDG PET-CT studies for SPNs obtained from 2003 to 2008 were examined. All evaluable cases were included. The studies were done on Siemens Biograph systems (2 or 40 slice CT). Patients were imaged beginning 90 minutes after FDG injection. The true status of the nodules was determined by biopsy results or at least 1 year of follow-up. In each study SUVmax of the lesion and SUVave of liver and aortic arch blood pool were determined. The resultant distributions of tumor SUVmax(T), SUVmax/Aorta SUVave (A), and SUVmax/Liver SUVave (L) were determined for benign and malignant nodules, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed. Results 106 nodules were benign, 111 malignant. The benign nodules ranged in size from 0.7 to 3 cm (ave 1.6) For malignant nodules the range was 0.7 to 3 cm (ave 1.7). The areas under the ROC curves were: T: 0.78; A: 0.85; L: 0.85. The specificity at a sensitivity of 80% was T: 55%; A:72%; L:73%. Conclusions Lesion to normal tissue ratios appear to perform considerably better than using lesion SUVmax alone. This is probably because of the inherent variability in PET imaging. The areas under the ROC curves found in this study are somewhat lower than generally reported because we included smaller nodules, metastatic disease, and there is a high incidence of histoplasmosis in our patient population. The performance is similar to that reported by Fortes et al. for metastatic nodules (Eur J Cardio-Thor Surg (2008) 34 :1223). This does not affect the overall conclusion that lesion to normal tissue ratio is a more robust discriminator of malignant from benign nodules
Reducing spectrum use in traditional and SFN-based television for uniform and non-uniform deployments

Abstract During the last few years, reclaiming TV spectrum for mobile broadband use has been a hotly debated topic in the telecommunications policy agenda. This paper evaluates two ways to improve spectrum efficiency to today's noise-limited single-transmitter broadcast television approach. One way is to increase the transmit power of each broadcaster's only transmitter. The other way is to replace that single transmitter with a multi-transmitter low-power low-tower (LPLT) single frequency network (SFN). In order to quantify their potential benefits, two different scenarios are considered. First, this paper presents the results obtained for a large region in which broadcasters are uniformly distributed, so that the number of TV broadcasts that can be received is roughly the same at any location. In this case, results suggest that increasing power of traditional single-transmitter broadcasters could reduce the amount of spectrum needed for TV by up to 30%, and would be cost-effective for population densities above 30 per square km. A switch to SFNs could reduce the amount of spectrum needed for TV by roughly 60%, but at a higher cost. Results suggest that the LPLT SFN approach could be cost-effective for regions with uniformly distributed broadcasters and population densities above 120 per square km. The study then quantifies spectrum efficiency gains in regions where broadcasters are not uniformly distributed. In particular, it considers the case where U.S. broadcasters in the UHF band continue to serve their coverage areas as of 2015. In this case, the amount of spectrum that can be freed from TV throughout the entire nation using these two approach is considerably smaller, but some additional bands can be freed from TV throughout much of the nation. Moreover, most of these spectrum gains can be obtained when only a minority of broadcasters change their technical approach.
Photo-induced correlated spin-density wave state formation in overdoped pnictide superconductors

The non-equilibrium dynamics of superconducting order after the ultrafast gap quenching is analyzed. Evidence is shown for the formation of a photo-excited correlated spin-density wave state that can be controlled by adjusting pump laser's intensity.
Epidural Anesthesia Performed 2 Hours after Epidural Blood Patch

A 44-year-old man with an established postdural puncture headache was scheduled to undergo extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) as an outpatient. On admission to the outpatient unit, a lumbar epidural catheter was inserted and used to perform an epidural blood patch. This procedure relieved the headache, and 2 hours later epidural anesthesia for his ESWL was administered via the same epidural catheter. The patient had satisfactory epidural anesthesia and longterm relief of his headache with this approach.
COAL STRUCTURE DETERMINATION USING 19F AS A CHEMICAL LABEL AND NMR PROBE

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on coal structure determination using 19 F as a chemical label and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe. One approach to the identification of chemically reactive sites in the organic matrix of coals uses chemical derivatization to incorporate NMR-active nuclei that do not naturally occur in the solid fossil fuel. These nuclei can then be used to reveal local structure. The method highlights just the subset of chemically altered carbon moieties. The chapter describes recent experiments in labeling polymer models for low-rank coals with the fluorinating reagent, sulfur tetrafluoride. The object was to fluorinate hydroxylic, ketonic, and carboxylic acid residues, creating alkyl fluorides, difluorides, and acid fluorides, respectively, in model polymer mixtures to determine the extent to which these reactions can be effected selectively. The fluorinated polymers serve as models for 19F– 13 C DCP and rotational echo double resonance NMR experiments that lay the foundation for the interpretation of the spectra of fluorinated coal.
Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Bladder and Prostate in Children

We compare 8 patients wth rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder and prostate who underwent either a radical extirpative operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy or biopsy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The excellent survival in the former and the uniformly fatal outcome in the latter suggest that chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not substitutes for a radical extirpative operation. Indeed, proper care of these patients includes all 3 modalities.
Preload-corrected dynamic Starling mechanism in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

The beat-to-beat dynamic Starling mechanism (DSM), the dynamic modulation of stroke volume because of breath-by-breath changes in left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), reflects ventricul...
Composition of Selected Dietary Fats, Oils, Margarines, and Butter

Fats and oils provide the most concentrated source of energy in the diet, about 9 kcal/g. Animal tissues, dairy products, and oils extracted from certain seeds contribute most of the fat in the diet (see Table I). The source, chemical nature, and processes that fats and oils are subjected to before they reach the market shelf are important aspects of the study of lipids. A fat is distinguished from an oil by its solid state at a particular temperature, usually room temperature. Some oils are winterized to remove triglycerides that would cause the oil to solidify in the refrigerator; other oils are lightly hydrogenated to convert highly unsaturated fatty acids to more saturated acids to prevent the development of off-flavors and rancidity.
Quantification of free fatty acids in human cerebrospinal fluid.

Free fatty acids (FFA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are well-recognized markers of brain damage in animal studies. Information is limited regarding human CSF in both normal and pathological conditions. Samples of CSF from 73 patients, who had undergone lumbar puncture for medically indicated reasons, came from a core laboratory upon completion of ordered tests. Using high performance liquid chromatography, mean FFA concentrations (μg/L ± SEM) were: arachidonic 26.14 ± 3.44; docosahexaenoic 60.74 ± 5.70; linoleic 105.07 ± 10.98; myristic 160.38 ± 16.17; oleic 127.91 ± 10.13; and palmitic 638.34 ± 37.27. No differences in FFA concentrations were seen with gender, race, age, and/or indication for lumbar puncture. This is the first study to document normal human CSF FFA concentrations in a large series. Further characterization of FFA in pathological conditions may provide markers for evaluating clinical treatments and assisting in prognostication of neurological disease.
Acoustic neuroma: Assessment and management

Acoustic neuroma results from abnormal proliferation of Schwann cells. These tumors originate in the region of Scarpa's ganglion at the junction of peripheral and central myelin of the vestibular nerve located in the internal auditory canal (IAC). The bony confine of the IAC houses the VII and the VIII cranial nerves. The presence of tumor mass compresses these structures. The growing tumor mass may also prolapses into the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). With continued growth, the tumor eventually compresses on the brain stem and cerebellum. Despite the benign nature of these tumors, the clinical course of this disease may be fraught with complications.
Device Therapy in Heart Failure

In addition to medical therapy, device therapy plays an important role in the treatment of heart failure (HF) patients. For instance, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) improves survival in patients with ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy and low EF by reducing the rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces symptoms, and HF hospitalization, improves ejection fraction and also enhances survival in a subset of patients with HF. In this chapter, we will review all the ICD and CRT trials that have lead to the widespread use of this technology. We will also summarize the ACC/AHA/HRS guidelines for device therapy indications in patients with HF.
Website design and usability assessment implications from a usability study with visually impaired users

Outdoor recreation websites present complex design considerations because of their wide range of potential users and the variety of their needs. Usability testing allows users to interact with websites and give feedback on its usability. Knowledge acquired during the usability testing process can be used to improve the information architecture of the website and its content. This study included usability tests with both visually-impaired and sighted participants visiting the Natural Resources Management Gateway, a complex information-rich website. The study identified best practices for designing and testing websites that effectively and efficiently meet the needs of visuallyimpaired and sighted website users. In addition to design recommendations, the study also looked at the impact of visual impairments on usability test duration, determining a rule of thumb for allocating time for usability testing of websites.
Using lesson study to develop a shared professional teaching knowledge culture among 4th grade social studies teachers

Abstract This study examined whether scaffolded lesson study might contribute to the emergence of a shared professional teaching knowledge culture among 4th grade social studies teachers. The study reports findings from a three-year lesson study professional development project that sought to develop professional teaching knowledge for problem-based historical inquiry among participating teachers. Participants included six 4th grade State History teachers from three different schools and three different school systems. Using qualitative data collected during three yearlong lesson study cycles, we present evidence that suggests that lesson study can be used to develop a shared professional teaching knowledge culture among 4th grade social studies teachers. We suggest, however, that a combination of factors might contribute to variations in teachers׳ participation in that shared professional teaching knowledge culture including the degree to which the teachers embraced the public nature of lesson study. These factors include the teachers׳ idiosyncratic views of teaching and learning, the teachers׳ individual tolerance for socially constructing curricula, and the degree to which teachers acceded to cultural obstacles within elementary schooling.
Umbilical Vascular Myonecrosis

Intrauterine passage of meconium is common. Prolonged meconium exposure in utero is less common but may be associated with umbilical vascular myonecrosis (medial smooth muscle degeneration) and associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.
The Structures of Monoclinic Potassium-Rich Feldspars

The crystal structures of a low sanidine and an adularia (a -- 8.539(4), 8.545(2); b : 13.015(5)' 12.967(5);c :7.179G),2.201(3 )A; I :115.99(2),116.0 0(2)';2Yo:22o,65 0; space EtoupsC2/m) have been refined to R : 0.043 and 0.046, respectively. The mean T-O distances are (fl-O) = 1.650, 1.665A; (G-O) : 1.637,1.621A yielding by the linear model of Ribbe and Gibbs (1969) thefollowingaveragealuminumcontents: Alr,:O.29(2),O.aOQ);Aly,:g.21,0.l1.Thelowsanidine values agree well with a neutron diffraction site refinement of the same material by Brown et al. (1971): Alz, : 0.32(2); Al7" : 9.13. Multipie linear regression analysis of data from these two and three previous structure refinements of monoclinic K-rich feldspar indicates that the parameters influencing individual I-O bond length variations are, in order of importance: aluminum content of the ? site' -1lcos(T-O-?), >t1l(K-O)21 and the aluminum content of the bridging 7 site. Expressing aluminum content of the G and T, tetrahedra in terms of the cell-edge parameter (c - O.4b) and assuming average values of -l/cos(T-O-T) and >[l/(K-O)'?] for each of the oxygen atoms, eight equations of the form (7-O)o - pl + qt(c - O.4b) have been obtained which predict individual bond lengths that are in excellent agreement with those observed.
How to be a maker: Code me random

Want to program a computer, but don't know how? Hannah Joshua's fun method has an uncertain outcome
Representations of Place in the Human Brain

Abstract. Cartographers have been representing places and scenes for thousands of years. We know that there is not one single way to represent place. We can use a reference map, thematic map (not to mention all the different types), large scale, small scale, oblique and overhead remotely sensed image, hand-drawn cartoon maps, street view photographs, animated maps, and digital maps. We also know that the methods and then the resulting representations can be differentiated cartographically using established criteria. But, are these methods all equally effective in conveying a sense of place? We measure “effectiveness” by comparing activation differences in the parahippocampal place area when viewing different representations of place. The parahippocampal place area (PPA) is a region in the human brain that allows humans to recognize and characterize a place (or a representation of it) (Weiner et al., in press). The PPA is a functionally, as opposed to an anatomically, defined region. It overlaps several anatomical regions, including the parahippocampal cortex, the lingual gyrus, the collateral sulcus, and the fusiform gyrus (Figure 1) (Epstein, 2014). The place recognition function of the PPA has been well-documented (Weiner et al., in press; Epstein 2014, 2008; Baldassano et al. 2013; Aguirre et al., 1998; Epstein and Kanwisher, 1998), and we now know that this region is what allows humans to differentiate between a place and other objects such as faces, chairs, or apples. In this study, we measured the effect of cartographic representation on the human brain’s recognition of “place” by comparing the activation differences in the PPA. We compared four types of place representation: a street-view photograph of an urban environment, a drawn schematic similar to a subway-style map, a Google Maps street map, and a Google Maps satellite view. (Figure 2). The Google Maps images were used because they are common cartographic representations, and thus are likely representative of a general “map” condition.
Risk forecasting in the context of time series

We propose an approach for forecasting risk contained in future observations in a time series. We take into account both the shape parameter and the extremal index of the data. This significantly improves the quality of risk forecasting over methods that are designed for i.i.d. observations and over the return level approach. We prove functional joint asymptotic normality of the common estimators of the shape parameter and and extremal index estimators, based on which statistical properties of the proposed forecasting procedure can be analyzed.
Clinical features and disturbances of gastrointestinal transit in patients with rapid gastric emptying

AIMS Some patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms have rapid gastric emptying (GE). We aimed to compare patients with normal and rapid GE and to identify phenotypes among patients with rapid GE. METHODS Among 2798 patients who underwent GE scintigraphy, we compared patients with normal and rapid GE and separately, patients with rapid GE at 1 hour (GE1), 2 hours (GE2), or both (GE12). RESULTS In 2798 patients, GE was normal (74%), delayed (18%), or rapid (8%). Among 211 patients with rapid GE, patterns were rapid GE1 (48%), 2 hours (17%), or 1 and 2 hours (35%); 42 (20%) had diseases that explain rapid GE. A combination of upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms (54%) was more common that isolated upper (17%) or lower (28%) gastrointestinal symptoms (P < .001). Constipation was more prevalent in patients with rapid GE 2 (72%) than rapid GE 1 (47%) or rapid GE12 hours (67%) (P < .05). Among 179 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, 15% had rapid GE, which was not associated with the DM phenotype. By multivariable analysis, insulin therapy (odds ratio [OR], 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15-0.88), and weight loss (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.78) were associated with a lower risk of rapid than normal GE in DM. CONCLUSIONS Eight percent of patients undergoing scintigraphy had rapid GE, which is most frequently associated with upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms; constipation is common. Insulin therapy and weight loss were associated with a lower risk of rapid than normal GE in DM patients.
Metformin Should Be Used to Treat Prediabetes in Selected Individuals.

In this issue of Diabetes Care , Dr. Mayer Davidson proposes that prescription of metformin for patients with prediabetes is inappropriate (1). We respectfully disagree. Hyperglycemia is a continuous risk factor for adverse health outcomes. Both the degree and duration of hyperglycemia are associated with the development and progression of diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complications (2), and early aggressive management of hyperglycemia in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes confers lifelong health benefits (3,4). We believe that Dr. Davidson’s approach to watchful waiting, “to follow [high-risk individuals] closely and immediately introduce metformin when their glycemia meets the criteria for diabetes…,” is inadequate. Numerous studies have demonstrated that there is a delay of 3–8 years between the onset and the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (5), and at the time of diagnosis as many as 8–16% of patients have diabetic retinopathy, 17–22% have microalbuminuria, and 14–48% have peripheral polyneuropathy (6,7). A recent epidemiologic analysis of new-onset diabetes in the U.K. demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of microvascular complications at diagnosis among individuals identified previously with prediabetes compared with those with previous normal glucose tolerance (adjusted odds ratio of 1.76 for retinopathy and 1.14 for nephropathy) (8). Therefore, there is no reason to withhold metformin, a safe, effective, and cost-saving treatment to delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, from individuals at high risk. That said, a number of caveats apply. First, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and indeed most of the other major diabetes prevention trials studied individuals at extremely …
The coupled effects of stocking density and temperature on Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) growth in suspended culture

Abstract Despite the profitability of the wild Atlantic Sea Scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, fishery, the U.S. still imports more than 26,000 tonnes of various scallop products annually. Atlantic Sea Scallop (hereafter referred to as scallop) aquaculture is one method of mitigating this imbalance. We examined scallop growth at three sites across the mouth of Penobscot Bay, Maine to determine the coupled effects of lantern net stocking density and temperature on growth and mortality. Scallops were held in high and low (20 and 10 individuals tier−1, respectively) density treatments, and shell height measurements were recorded monthly for one year. We divided the growth rate analysis into three periods: winter - spring, summer, and fall. During summer across all sites, growth rates were 75 % higher in low-density nets than in high-density nets. We observed significant nonlinear relationships between shell height growth rate, temperature, and stocking density. Optimal growth occurred within a window of 10–15 °C. Above this threshold, there was a distinct negative relationship between temperature and growth. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining low densities within nets, particularly during periods of high temperature and growth. However, handling in summer and early fall may lead to mortality. Therefore, we recommend that growers stock nets at low densities in the spring, ensuring that they will not require thinning during peak temperatures. Similarly, finding sites that maximize time within a thermal envelope of 10–15 °C will be critical, which in the case of the Gulf of Maine will most likely warrant leasing sites at the mouths of estuaries and bays. These locations offer a combination of sufficient depth and space for sparsely stocked nets, adequate food levels, and optimal salinity and temperature.
Impact of California Safe Patient Handling Legislation: Health Care Workers’ Perspectives:

Background:Musculoskeletal injuries from patient handling are significant problems among health care workers. In California, legislation requiring hospitals to implement safe patient handling (SPH)...
Controlling the Dynamics of a Random System

Random systems, dynamical systems and control systems can all be described as flows on (finite or infinite dimensional) spaces, which allows for the use of unified concepts in the analysis of their qualitative long term behavior. In particular there is a close connection between the attractors of an undisturbed system, the stationary and ergodic solutions of the system under Markovian parameter noise, the invariant control sets of an associated control system, and the (chaotic) attractors of the corresponding control flow. This correspondence is used to analyze the possible changes in the ergodic behavior of controlled random nonlinear systems. Discussing four examples in some detail reveals a link to stochastic bifurcation theory.
Phenylurethane herbicides: Inhibitors of changes in metabolic state: I. Botanical aspects

Abstract Phenylurethane herbicides such as isopropyl-N-(3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (CIPC) and 4-chloro-2-butynyl-N-(3-chlorophenyl) carbamate (barban) inhibit changes in metabolic state. Thus, the gibberellin-induced synthesis of amylase by aleurone layers of embryo-free barley seeds is blocked, as is the decapitation-induced rise in rate of protein synthesis in hypocotyls of Sesbania exaltata. The latter response is not affected by gibberellin. In contrast, the phenylurethanes act in the same direction as phytokinins, i.e., they preserve chlorophyll levels in excised barley leaves, and maintain synthesis of tyramine methylpherase in roots of barley seedlings.
Central Nervous System

A construction worker falls from a scaffold that was positioned at the second-story level of a building. He has a severe closed heal injury with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 6. Admission computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrates diffuse axonal injury. No other injuries were found on secondary evaluation and CT evaluation of the cervical spine, chest, and abdomen. Which of the following is the preferred management for this patient? (A) Forced diuresis (B) Barbiturate administration (C) Hyperventilation (72 hours) (D) Craniotomy (E) Intracranial pressure monitoring
Floral resources enhance aphid suppression by a hoverfly

The reduction in floral diversity that often accompanies agricultural intensification may compromise the effectiveness of many natural enemies. Field studies examining the effects of floral resources on natural enemy fitness have been rare, however, particularly for predators such as hoverflies. Making the link between the presence of floral resources and the suppression of herbivores in crop fields has proved difficult. We investigated the effects of the floral resource plant sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv. (Brassicaceae), on aphid suppression by the hoverfly Eupeodes fumipennis (Thomson) (Diptera: Syrphidae) in California lettuce fields. The presence of alyssum in field cages significantly enhanced hoverfly egg production, resulting in more hoverfly larvae and fewer aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Hoverfly survival was unaffected by alyssum, indicating that the indirect effect of alyssum on aphids was mediated primarily through the reproductive component of hoverfly fitness. Alyssum and other plant species are used to enhance resources for natural enemies in agricultural landscapes, and the results of this study provide some of the clearest evidence to date that increasing floral resource availability can enhance pest suppression and crop quality through elevated natural enemy fitness.
On Channel Estimation for Massive MIMO With Pilot Contamination

This letter proposes a simple channel estimator for a multi-cell massive MIMO system with pilot contamination. Under moderate or strong pilot contamination, the existing least square (LS) channel estimator suffers from substantial performance degradation while the existing minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimator offers much improved performance over the LS estimator. However, the existing MMSE estimator assumes perfect knowledge of cross-cell large-scale channel coefficients and such an assumption is practically unjustifiable. The proposed estimator overcomes the issues of both existing estimators and provides estimation performance close to that of the ideal MMSE estimator. An analytical mean square error (MSE) expression is also derived for the proposed estimator.
The use of dienestrol to inhibit lactation in nonnursing mothers.

Abstract 1. 1. Dienestrol was given to 85 nonnursing mothers in varying dosages for the purpose of inhibiting lactation. 2. 2. Lactation was completely inhibited in only 11 patients (13 per cent). 3. 3. In a control group of 75 patients receiving no estrogens, lactation was completely inhibited in 49 patients (65 per cent) by symptomatic therapy. 4. 4. The suppression of breast engorgement and pain was about the same in treated and untreated patients. 5. 5. Dienestrol appears to have little effect upon the endometrium of the early postpartum patient. No case of postpartum bleeding was recorded. No side effects were noted.
The Hoosier-Shawnee Ecological assessment

This report is a scientific assessment of the characteristic composition, structure, and processes of ecosystems in the southern one-third of Illinois and Indiana and a small part of western Kentucky. It includes chapters on ecological sections and soils, water resources, forest, plants, and communities, aquatic animals, terrestrial animals, forest diseases and pests, and exotic animals. The information presented provides a context for land and resource management planning on the Hoosier and Shawnee National Forests.
On the Complexity of General Context-Free Language Parsing and Recognition (Extended Abstract)

Several results on the computational complexity of general context-free language parsing and recognition are given. In particular we show that parsing strings of length n is harder than recognizing such strings by a factor of only 0(log n), at most. The same is true for linear and/or unambiguous context-free languages. We also show that the time to multiply \(\sqrt n \times \sqrt n\) Boolean Matrices is a lower bound on the time to recognize all prefixes of a string (or do on-line recognition), which in turn is a lower bound on the time to generate a particular convenient representation of all parses of a string (in an ambiguous grammar). Thus these problems are solvable in linear time only if n×n Boolean matrix multiplication can be done in 0(n2).
Techniques for simultaneous placement and routing of custom analog cells in KOAN/ANAGRAM II

The authors describe novel techniques for simultaneous device placement and detailed routing of analog cells. Both nets and devices are treated as placeable, malleable objects in a common simulated-annealing framework. A detailed routing abstraction called a k-bend net limits the complexity of each net's topology, and allows simple incremental net reshaping during annealing. Analog layouts in which the critical interacting nets are simultaneously embedded during device placement prove to be superior, in terms of performance-limiting crosstalk violations, to sequentially placed and routed layouts. >
Early membrane rupture events during neutrophil-mediated antibody-dependent tumor cell cytolysis.

Although cell-mediated cytolysis is a fundamental immune effector response, its mechanism remains poorly understood at the cellular level. In this report, we image for the first time transient ruptures, as inferred by cytoplasmic marker release, in tumor cell membranes during Ab-dependent cellular cytolysis. The cytosol of IgG-opsonized YAC tumor cells was labeled with tetramethylrhodamine diacetate followed by the formation of tumor cell-neutrophil conjugates. We hypothesized that tumor cell cytolysis proceeds via a series of discrete membrane rupture/resealing events that contribute to marker release. To test this hypothesis, we occluded the fluorescence image of the labeled tumor cells by passing an opaque disk into a field-conjugated plane between the light source and the sample. Multiple small bursts of fluorescent label release from tumor cells could be detected using a photomultiplier tube. Similarly, multiple fluorescent plumes were observed at various sites around the perimeter of a target. These findings support a multihit model of target cytolysis and suggest that cytolytic release is not focused at specific sites. Cytolytic bursts were generally observed at 20-s intervals, which match the previously described reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate and superoxide release oscillation periods for neutrophils; we speculate that metabolic oscillations of the effector cell drive the membrane damage of the target.
Information technology and organizational performance: a critical evaluation of Computerworld's index of information systems effectiveness

Abstract Justifying and demonstrating the effectiveness of information systems is increasingly becoming critical as firms look to become more competitive and efficient. This study takes a detailed look at the ranking criteria and the overall effectiveness index developed by Computerworld . Researchers have alluded to this index as a significant development and Computerworld claims that it is useful for justifying information systems to top management. The broader objective of this study is to contribute to the measurement of the business value of information technology (IT). Towards this goal, a conceptual model of IT measures is developed.
Isolation of Zymogen Granules from Rat Pancreas

This unit describes methods for preparing zymogen granules from rat pancreas. Zymogen granules are storage organelles in pancreatic acinar cells containing digestive enzymes that are released into the pancreatic duct. The protocols in this unit take advantage of the large size (up to 1 µm diameter) and high density (>1.20 g/cm3 on sucrose gradients) of the granules as compared to other cellular organelles. They use a combination of differential sedimentation and density gradient separation to accomplish the purification. Similar procedures can be used to isolate zymogen granules from mouse pancreas and canine pancreas. A protocol for preparing zymogen granules from dog pancreas is also included. Keywords: pancreas; zymogen granules; secretory granules; amylase; exocrine; rat
The use of multiple problem decompositions in time constrained planning tasks

Problems requiring the synthesis of a collection of plans accomplishing distinct (but possibly related) goals has received increasing attention within Al. Such problems are typically formulated as multi-agent planning problems, emphasizing a problem decomposition wherein individual agents assume responsibility for the generation of individual plans while taking into account the goals and beliefs of other agents in the system. One consequence of such a problem decomposition is a simplified view of resource allocation that assumes avoidance of conflicts to be the sole concern. The validity of this assumption comes into question in time constrained problem domains requiring the allocation of multiple, shared resources. In job shop scheduling, for example, where sequences of manufacturing operations must be determined and scheduled for multiple orders, it is necessary to consider much more than availability to efficiently allocate resources over time. We argue that in such domains, an ability to reason from both resource-based and agent-based perspectives is essential to appropriate consideration of all domain constraints.
Delayed Detection of Coarctation in Infancy: Implications for Timing of Newborn Follow-up

During a recent 5-year period, 74 patients younger than 6 months of age were diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta. Coarctation was correctly diagnosed in only 22% of patients prior to referral despite readily apparent femoral pulse abnormalities in 86%. Infants whose symptoms were detected between 5 and 14 days of age were significantly more ill than infants outside this age range and had a high mortality rate (25%). The number of associated cardiac defects was not related to the severity of clinical illness in this group, suggesting that closure of the ductus arteriosus is the primary determinate of disease severity. Observations in two patients suggested that a detectable pulse discrepancy occurs between 3 and 5 days postnatally. Upper extremity hypertension was found commonly in infants after 5 days of age despite the presence of congestive heart failure. Earlier detection of coarctation in the newborn requires a diligent cardiovascular and peripheral pulse examination between 3 and 7 days of life, upper extremity and lower extremity blood pressure measurement, and a high index of suspicion.