cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcome of patients with biopsy-proved myocarditis: Comparison with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Objectives. The study objectives were 1) to assess the long-term outcome of patients with biopsy-proved lymphocytic myocarditis (Dallas criteria), and 2) to compare the outcome of these patients with that of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Background. Endomyocardial biopsy is frequently performed in patients presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy to identify lymphocytic myocarditis. Most previous studies of the natural history of myocarditis were performed before the establishment of the Dallas criteria. Thus, it is important to evaluate the prognostic value of positive endomyocardial biopsy findings in patients presenting with dilated cardiomyopathy, using standardized criteria for lymphocytic myocarditis. Methods. All endomyocardial biopsy results from the Mayo Clinic (October 1979 to April 1988) with a diagnosis of myocarditis were reclassified according to the Dallas criteria. Patients whose biopsy specimens showed borderline or lymphocytic myocarditis were included in the study group; those with systemic inflammatory diseases known to be associated with myocardial involvement were excluded. Study group survival was compared with that for a cohort of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy seen at the Mayo Clinic from 1976 to 1987 who had endomyocardial biopsy findings negative for myocarditis. Results. Biopsy specimens from 41 patients met the Dallas criteria for a diagnosis of myocarditis (n = 28) or borderline myocarditis (n = 13). Of these 41 patients, 9 were excluded because of the presence of systemic diseases known to be associated with myocarditis, and 5 patients were excluded because of lack of available follow-up data. The myocarditis study group therefore included 27 patients (10 with borderline myocarditis, 17 with myocarditis). Fifty-eight patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy who underwent endomyocardial biopsy served as the comparison cohort. Ejection fraction was lower in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy ([mean ± SD] 25 ± 11%) than in those with myocarditis (38 ± 19%, p = 0.001), even though a higher proportion of myocarditis group patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III or IV (63%) than patients in the dilated cardiomyopathy group (30%, p = 0.005). There was no difference in 5-year survival rate between the myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy groups (56% vs. 54%, respectively). Conclusions. This study demonstrates that the long-term outcome of patients with biopsy-proved myocarditis seen in a referral setting is poor, although no different from that of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. With the current lack of proved effective treatment for lymphocytic myocarditis and no demonstration of survival benefit for patients with myocarditis, these data suggest that endomyocardial biopsy performed to exclude myocarditis is of limited prognostic value in the routine evaluation of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Renal allograft tuberculosis

We present a case of miliary tuberculosis presenting as fever of unknown origin in an immunosuppressed patient following renal transplantation. Biopsy of the renal transplant revealed acid-fast bacilli histopathologically. Eye examination revealed bilateral choroidal tubercles. Recipients of kidney transplants with fever of undetermined aetiology should be investigated for tuberculosis and fundoscopy performed.
A Theoretic Consideration on the Use of Calcium Antagonists in the Treatment of Hypertension

A cellular basis for the reduction of contractile tension in vascular smooth muscle by calcium antagonists is described. A better understanding of the mechanisms and pathways that supply activating calcium ions to the cytoplasm will permit investigation of specific functional abnormalities that lead to hypertension. If the "leak channel" is found to be the responsible site, then anti hypertensive drugs even more specific than those currently available can be designed.
Outcome and late failures compared in 4 techniques of microsurgical vasoepididymostomy in 153 consecutive men.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Vasoepididymostomy remains one of the most technically challenging procedures in all of microsurgery. The technique has evolved from an end-to-end, to an end-to-side technique, then to intussusception end-to-side methods. We recently reported the superiority of 2-suture longitudinal and 3-suture triangulation intussusception techniques in rats. In the present study we report our results in humans. We evaluated all vasoepididymostomies performed by 1 surgeon from January 1992 until the present for patency, pregnancy and for disappearance of sperm after initial return of sperm to the ejaculate.Materials and Methods: We recorded the results of 153 consecutive vasoepdidymostomies done by 1 surgeon (MG) from January 1992 until February 2004. Four techniques were used, namely end-to-end (EE), end-to-side (ES), 3-suture triangulation intussusception (TIVE) and 2-suture longitudinal intussusception (LIVE). Data collected included technique, months of followup, sperm density, motility and morpholo...
The spousal-homicide syndrome

The relationships between murderers and their victims have traditionally been of great interest to criminologists. The sizeable literature encompasses the aggregate phenomenology of the subject’ as well as efforts to extract recurrent patterns from clinical case histories. 2 Several recent clinical studies have focused specifically on the killing of one spouse by the other,3 a phenomenon which occurs with some regularity in many societies and, in the United States, represents 15% of all homicides in any given year.4 The commentary on spousal homicide is surprisingly sparse, but the researchers appear to be in general agreement on several basic findings: These offenses are often end points in an intense but ambivalent relationship in which one spouse (or spouse equivalent), the eventual victim, assumes the role of “tormentor”5 and the other, the eventual aggressor, perceives himself or herself to be sorely abused but is unwilling or unable to terminate the relationship. The relationship often becomes cyclical, with periods of conflidt leading to short separations, followed by temporary reconciliation and the emergence of new
Evaluating Peacekeeping Missions

National Research Council With the end of the Soviet-U.S. rivalry ushering in what may be termed a "new world disorder," international peacekeeping has climbed to the top of the agenda of the United Nations (UN) and many national governments. Yet, despite the increasing resort to peacekeeping, there is little systematic understanding of its appropriate application. Particularly important are understanding what these missions can accomplish and determining the extent to which they have, in fact, achieved these goals. Progress depends on advances in conceptualization and analysis. Scholars, however, disagree about how to think about peacekeeping and how its impact should be evaluated. A number of the issues on which analysts differ were raised in RobertJohansen's 1994 Mershon International Studies Review examination of Paul Diehl's 1993 book, International Peacekeeping. Johansen took issue with Diehl's two criteria for evaluating peacekeeping operations, namely, that they (1) limit armed conflict, and (2) promote conflict resolution. These criteria, according toJohansen (1994:308), "ask more of peacekeeping forces than reasonably can be expected because they are not designed for the purpose[s] of [preventing war in general and] resolving underlying conflicts." He claimed that Diehl's criteria misrepresented the "real purpose of peacekeeping" and missed many of the main benefits of these missions. In short, Diehl and Johansen differed on the appropriate framework for analysis and on standards for evaluation. At issue were what goals the missions could be expected to achieve, whether impacts should be evaluated in the short or long term, whether to assess effects on the local people or the governing parties, and whether to impose external standards that can be used to evaluate many cases or to develop mission-specific evaluation criteria. Moreover, analysts disagreed on the methodological problems of how to isolate specific impacts of missions and how to define appropriate comparison conditions.
Magnetism and Raman spectroscopy of the dimeric lanthanide iodates Ln(IO3)3 (Ln = Gd, Er) and magnetism of Yb(IO3)3

Colorless single crystals of Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} or pale pink single crystals of Er(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} have been formed from the reaction of Gd metal with H{sub 5}IO{sub 6} or Er metal with H{sub 5}IO{sub 6} under hydrothermal reaction conditions at 180 deg. C. The structures of both materials adopt the Bi(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} structure type. Crystallographic data are (MoK{alpha}, {lambda}=0.71073 A): Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3}, monoclinic, space group P2{sub 1}/n, a=8.7615(3) A, b=5.9081(2) A, c=15.1232(6) A, {beta}=96.980(1){sup o}, V=777.03(5) Z=4, R(F)=1.68% for 119 parameters with 1930 reflections with I>2{sigma}(I); Er(IO{sub 3}){sub 3}, monoclinic, space group P2{sub 1}/n, a=8.6885(7) A, b=5.9538(5) A, c=14.9664(12) A, {beta}=97.054(1){sup o}, V=768.4(1) Z=4, R(F)=2.26% for 119 parameters with 1894 reflections with I>2{sigma}(I). In addition to structural studies, Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3}, Er(IO{sub 3}){sub 3}, and the isostructural Yb(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} were also characterized by Raman spectroscopy and magnetic property measurements. The results of the Raman studies indicated that the vibrational profiles are adequately sensitive to distinguish between the structures of the iodates reported here and other lanthanide iodate systems. The magnetic measurements indicate that only in Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} did the 3+ lanthanide ion exhibit its full 7.9 {mu}{sub B} Hund's rule moment; Er{sup 3+} and Yb{supmore » 3+} exhibited ground state moments and gap energy scales of 8.3 {mu}{sub B}/70 K and 3.8 {mu}{sub B}/160 K, respectively. Er(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} exhibited extremely weak ferromagnetic correlations (+0.4 K), while the magnetic ions in Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} and Yb(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} were fully non-interacting within the resolution of our measurements ({approx}0.2 K). - Graphical abstract: Three f-element iodates Ln(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} (Ln=Gd, Er, Yb), all containing the Bi(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} structure type, were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and magnetic property measurements. The results of the Raman studies indicated that the vibrational profiles are adequately sensitive to distinguish between the structures of the iodates reported here and other lanthanide iodate systems. The magnetic measurements indicate that only in Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} did the 3+ lanthanide ion exhibit its full 7.9 {mu}{sub B} Hund's rule moment; Er{sup 3+} and Yb{sup 3+} exhibited ground state moments and gap energy scales of 8.3 {mu}{sub B}/70 K and 3.8 {mu}{sub B}/160 K, respectively. Er(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} exhibited extremely weak ferromagnetic correlations (+0.4 K), while the magnetic ions in Gd(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} and Yb(IO{sub 3}){sub 3} were fully non-interacting within the resolution of our measurements ({approx}0.2 K)« less
A physics-based, dynamic thermal impedance model for SOI MOSFET's

A physics-based compact analytical expression for the thermal impedance of SOI MOSFET's is presented. This new model extends the steady-state thermal model of Goodson and Flik (1992) to allow for transient and ac analyses, while improving self-consistency for large devices. The modified steady-state model compares favorably to measurements. Using the software package Thermal Impedance Pre-Processor (TIPP), a multiple-pole circuit can be fitted to the thermal-impedance model. The new model is compared to three-dimensional (3-D) ANSYS transient simulations with good results. The thermal-equivalent circuit is used in conjunction with a modified version of SOISPICE to give efficient electrothermal simulations in the dc and transient regimes.
Foodservice Management Training for Dislocated Workers: Evaluation With a Nontraditional Sample

An eight week food service management training program was prepared and presented to 24 unemployed steel workers through a retraining project sponsored by the AFL-CIO. Program impact was evaluated using participant reactions to their training experience and their post- training behavior. Selection interview impressions, peer nominations, and expressed needs for further training were related to their evaluation and later entry into foodservices. Research im plications for foodservice training programs for nontraditional students or "soft core" unemployed are discussed.
Colonoscopy training: the need for patience (patients).

Background: The insertion of a colonoscope to the caecum is a difficult technique to teach and to learn. The most commonly used criterion for proficiency is completion rate and early experience is often discouraging. In order to document the learning curve and better define normal progress for the early learning experience, the performance of trainees during their first 100–125 cases was recorded. Methods: The completion rate and time for office colonoscopy were recorded prospectively over a 5-year period for each of 18 trainees. Trainees’ experience was analysed in groups of 25 cases, numbered chronologically. Completion rate was defined as the number of examinations completed to the caecum by the trainee expressed as a percentage of the number completed by the staff. Results: The mean overall completion rate for trainees was 56.4% (range 27.8–83.9%). For the first five groups of 25 cases, the percentage completion rates (in order from first 25 cases to fifth 25 cases) were 43.1, 52.6, 49.3, 61.8 and 75.1%, respectively. There was a wide variation in completion rates between trainees, but no difference in time taken. (Time for trainees to complete the procedure, in order from the first 25 cases to fifth 25 cases: 18.7, 19.1, 19.4, 17.6 and 17.1 min, respectively.) Conclusions: Early experience in colonoscopy can be discouraging. At least 100 cases are needed to attain a level of proficiency that enables completion in two-thirds of cases, whereas 125 cases lead to an average completion rate of 75%.
Interpregnancy weight retention patterning in women who breastfed

This study compares weight change in lactating women with an 18-month interpregnancy interval with woman who also breastfed but did not have an immediate subsequent pregnancy. Cases were women who breastfed an index infant for 6 months and subsequently became pregnant within 18 months (cases 5 25), and the controls also breastfed an index infant for 6 months but had no ensuing pregnancy (controls 5 20) within 18 months. The pattern of postpartum weight retention following the initial pregnancy was not statistically different in cases compared to the controls. However, following their ensuing subsequent pregnancy, cases were 1.3 kg heavier than their average weight after their baseline pregnancy (P 5 0.02). The best predictor of this greater weight was their weight change during the interpregnancy interval (P 5 0.03). Total weight gain during the gestational period of the subsequent pregnancy was not associated with the greater weight following the subsequent pregnancy. Likewise, estimates of the amount of energy as calories or physical activity levels were not significant predictors of this greater weight following the subsequent pregnancy. These findings suggest that monitoring of postpartum weight, even in breastfeeding women, is essential. These findings indicate that breastfeeding women begin the next postpartum interval weighing more than the amount observed in the initial postpartum period. J. Matern.-Fetal Med. 7:89-94, 1998. r 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of task-relevant incentives on the electrophysiological correlates of error processing in major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with action-monitoring dysfunction—particularly, disrupted error processing. Whether such dysregulation is further modulated by task incentives is largely unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate possible dysfunctions in error processing in MDD as a function of varying task incentives and clinical profile. To this end, we recorded the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) in 18 MDD participants and 18 healthy controls during a Stroop task that intermixed no-incentive and reward trials. Relative to controls, MDD participants showed (1) larger ERN irrespective of task incentives, and (2) reduced Pe during reward (but not no-incentive) trials. Moreover, among MDD participants, Pe amplitudes were negatively correlated with depression severity and clinical symptoms. The present findings highlight distinct effects of task incentives on electrophysiological components of error processing and are interpreted within current theories of action monitoring and incentive processing in depression.
Image-Driven Population Analysis Through Mixture Modeling

We present iCluster, a fast and efficient algorithm that clusters a set of images while co-registering them using a parameterized, nonlinear transformation model. The output of the algorithm is a small number of template images that represent different modes in a population. This is in contrast with traditional, hypothesis-driven computational anatomy approaches that assume a single template to construct an atlas. We derive the algorithm based on a generative model of an image population as a mixture of deformable template images. We validate and explore our method in four experiments. In the first experiment, we use synthetic data to explore the behavior of the algorithm and inform a design choice on parameter settings. In the second experiment, we demonstrate the utility of having multiple atlases for the application of localizing temporal lobe brain structures in a pool of subjects that contains healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. Next, we employ iCluster to partition a data set of 415 whole brain MR volumes of subjects aged 18 through 96 years into three anatomical subgroups. Our analysis suggests that these subgroups mainly correspond to age groups. The templates reveal significant structural differences across these age groups that confirm previous findings in aging research. In the final experiment, we run iCluster on a group of 15 patients with dementia and 15 age-matched healthy controls. The algorithm produces two modes, one of which contains dementia patients only. These results suggest that the algorithm can be used to discover subpopulations that correspond to interesting structural or functional ldquomodesrdquo.
Heterogeneity in tandem octanucleotides within Haemophilus influenzae lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic gene losA affects serum resistance

Haemophilus influenzae is subject to phase variation mediated by changes in the length of simple sequence repeat regions within several genes, most of which encode either surface proteins or enzymes involved in the synthesis of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The translational repeat regions that have been described thus far all consist of tandemly repeated tetranucleotides. We describe an octanucleotide repeat region within a putative LPS biosynthetic gene, losA. Approximately 20 percent of nontypeable H. influenzae strains contain copies of losA and losB in a genetic locus flanked by infA and ksgA. Of 30 strains containing losA at this site, 24 contained 2 tandem copies of the octanucleotide CGAGCATA, allowing full-length translation of losA (on), and 6 strains contained 3, 4, 6, or 10 tandem copies (losA off). For a serum-sensitive strain, R3063, with losA off (10 repeat units), selection for serum-resistant variants yielded a heterogeneous population in which colonies with increased serum resistance had losA on (2, 8, or 11 repeat units), and colonies with unchanged sensitivity to serum had 10 repeats. Inactivation of losA in strains R3063 and R2846 (strain 12) by insertion of the cat gene decreased the serum resistance of these strains compared to losA-on variants and altered the electrophoretic mobility of LPS. We conclude that expression of losA, a gene that contributes to LPS structure and affects serum resistance, is determined by octanucleotide repeat variation.
Differential Media Evaluation and Satisfaction With Election Results The Bearer of Good and Bad Tidings

The hypothesis that the media (radio, television, and newspaper) would be rated more positively by people who rated themselves as satisfied with the results of an election and who had received the news over one or more of the media was tested. A sample of 70 subjects was taken from people who had written a letter in support of a candidate to the Editor's Mailbox of the local newspaper. These subjects were called either before and after the election or after the election only, and asked questions about the election and the various media. Analysis of the data indicated that the hypothesis was supported. Those subjects who rated themselves as satisfied with the election results did rate the media more positively than subjects who rated themselves as dissatisfied. In addition, this was shown not to be due to perceived media influence on the election outcome.
Nuclear chromatin changes during erythroid differentiation of friend virus induced leukemic cells.

Abstract Friend leukemia (FL) cells grown in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) undergo erythroid differentiation. Acridine orange (AO) binding to DNA and thermal denaturation of DNA in situ were studied in differentiated and non-differentiated FL cells using flow-through cytofluorometry. The differentiated cells bind less AO than do the non-differentiated ones. The difference in AO binding is higher in the spectrum of emission characteristic for AO intercalation (at 530 nm) than for AO stacking (>600 nm) and depends on AO concentration. The difference is abolished after extraction of acid-soluble macromolecules from cells. During stepwise extraction by lowering pH, there is a progressive increase of AO binding to DNA. Most of the increase in AO binding of the non-differentiated cells occurs at pH 2.5-2.0; of the differentiated cells at pH 1.75-1.50. There are differences in sensitivity of DNA in situ to heat-denaturation between differentiated and non-differentiated cells, as evidenced by the variation in height and in position of the melting bands on derivative melting profiles. The changes described suggest that a profound modulation of chromatin structure, perhaps involving altered DNA-histone interactions, occurs during the DMSO-induced erythroid differentiation of FL cells.
When Is Reliance on Voluntary Approaches in Agriculture Likely to Be Effective

Voluntary approaches have been used in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes in agriculture, including voluntary conservation programs and product labeling. This paper provides an overview of some of the general principles that emerge from the literature on voluntary approaches and their application in agriculture. The literature suggests that, to be effective, voluntary approaches must provide sufficiently strong participation incentives to a targeted population, clearly identify standards for behavior or performance that ensure additionality and avoid slippage, and monitor outcomes. Thus, reliance on voluntary approaches in agriculture is likely to be effective only if there is sufficient market demand for certain product characteristics, significant public funds are committed to pay for voluntary actions, or the political will exists to impose regulations if voluntary approaches fail.
White Racial Attitudes and White Empathy The Moderation of Openness to Diversity

A key step toward the actualization of social justice is understanding under what circumstances (i.e., high vs. low openness to diversity [OTD]) non-Latino Whites in each White racial identity attitude status show empathy toward targets of racism. Among a sample of 252 self-identified non-Latino White students, we found moderating effects of OTD. Specifically, for White undergraduates in the two least sophisticated racial identity statuses (i.e., Contact and Disintegration), those who were more open to diversity remained high on White Empathy regardless of their levels of Contact/Disintegration; conversely, those who were less open to diversity demonstrated less White Empathy. In addition, Whites in the last two statuses (i.e., Pseudo-Independence and Autonomy) showed that those who were more open to diversity still remained high on White Empathy regardless of their levels of Pseudo-Independence/Autonomy. However, for those who were less open to diversity, higher levels of Pseudo-Independence/Autonomy wer...
The role of personality dispositions to risky behavior in predicting first-year college drinking.

AIMS: US college student drinking is associated with enormous risks to health, safety and productivity. Recent advances in personality research that have delineated multiple, separate dispositions to engage in risky behaviors may help to clarify the personality contribution to risk for this problem. DESIGN: The authors compared the prospective roles of sensation seeking, lack of planning, lack of perseverance, negative urgency and positive urgency (dispositions to engage in rash action when in an unusually negative or positive mood, respectively) in predicting increases in drinking frequency, drinking quantity and negative outcomes from consumption across the first year of college. SETTING: University of Kentucky campus. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 418 first-year US college students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course during the first assessment; 293 participants completed both phases of the study. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed self-report measures of personality and drinking behavior twice during the first year of college [the UPPS-R Impulsive Behavior Scale, positive urgency measure (PUM) and Drinking Styles Questionnaire (DSQ)]. FINDINGS: Whereas sensation seeking related to increases in the frequency with which college students drank alcohol, positive urgency predicted increases in (i) the quantity of alcohol students consumed at any given drinking episode and (ii) negative outcomes experienced from drinking. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that although sensation seeking is a risk factor for participation in drinking behaviors, risk for increased quantity of consumption and its negative outcomes may be more a function of dyscontrol stemming from high positive mood for college students. Language: en
Exploring Random Access and Handshaking Techniques in Large-Scale Underwater Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks

In this paper, we study the medium access control (MAC) problem in large-scale underwater wireless acoustic sensor networks. We specially explore the random access and handshaking (i.e., RTS/CTS) techniques. We first formally model the two approaches, and then conduct extensive numerical experiments to study their performance in various network conditions. Based on our results, we observe that the performance of random access and RTS/CTS are affected by many factors such as data rate, transmission range, network topology, packet size, and traffic pattern. And our results show that RTS/CTS is more suitable for dense networks with high date rate, low/medium transmission range and bursty traffic, whereas random access is preferred in sparse networks with low data rate and non-bursty traffic. We believe this work will supply useful guidelines for energy-efficient adaptive MAC design in large-scale underwater wireless acoustic sensor networks.
Better Architectures and New Security Applications for Network Monitoring

Busy networks today cannot afford to log all traffic traversing them, and consequently many network-monitoring applications make due with coarse traffic summaries. In this talk we will describe an approach we have developed to improve the fidelity of these traffic summaries, by coordinating the monitoring performed by the network's routers so as to achieve network-wide monitoring goals while respecting each router's processing constraints. We will also describe our use of traffic summaries to detect a variety of stealthy network abuses—e.g., file-sharing traffic masquerading on other application ports, "hit-list" scans and malware propagation, data exfiltration by spyware, and botnet command-and-control traffic—and even to identify the origin of epidemic malware spreads.
Role of Sphingolipid Metabolites in Metabolic Disease

156 비만과 이상지질혈증은 대사질환을 일으키는 위험인자로 서 만성 성인 질환인 제 2형 당뇨병, 고혈압, 동맥경화, 지방 간, 심장 질환의 원인이 되는 것으로 알려져 왔다. 이러한 성인병은 운동 부족과 과영양으로 인하여 발병하며 지방조 직의 축적에 따른 혈액 내 지질 대사체의 증가에 의해 일어 나는 것으로 알려져 있다[1]. 세계적으로 비만 환자가 증가 하고 있어 미국의 경우 전 인구의 30%가 과체중으로 임상 적 비만 환자이며 비만 인구는 증가 추세에 있다[2]. 이에 따른 대사 관련 질환의 치료에 드는 비용이 미국 전체 의료 비의 40%에 달하게 되며 계속적인 증가 추세에 있다[3]. 국 내의 경우 인구의 급속한 노령화 및 비만인구가 점차 증가 하게 되어 당뇨 및 심혈관 질환과 같은 만성 대사질환이 증 가하고 있다. 특히 당뇨병의 유병률은 전체 인구의 8%로 환 자 수가 400만 명에 달하고, 총 국민 의료보험료의 19.2%가 지출되고 있다[4]. 이러한 이유로 만성 대사질환의 예방과 치료가 시급한 현실이다. 이러한 보건적.사회적 이유 때문에 계속적인 관심과 연 구를 통해 비만에 의한 조직 내 대사 질환 발병을 유발하는 기전에 대해서 여러 가지 가설이 제시되고 있다. 그 중 가장 힘을 얻고 있는 가설이 조직 내 지질의 유입이 지방산의 산 화와 수용 정도를 넘어서서 축적되는 현상이 세포 내 신호 전달 체계의 이상을 가져와 장기의 기능을 저해 시킨다는 가설이다[5,6]. 이러한 대사이상의 표적 장기는 간, 근육, 심 장, 췌장, 혈관을 들 수 있겠다. 신호 전달계의 조절을 가져 오는 여러 지질 대사체 중 diacylglycerol (DAG)에 의한 protein kinase C (PKC)의 활성 조절 기전이 활발히 보고되 고 있으나 스핑고지질 대사체와 만성 대사 질환과의 연관관 계가 최근 대두되고 있다. 스핑고지질은 다른 지질대사체와는 달리 염증과 여러 사 이토카인에 의해 생합성이 증가되며 비만 및 당뇨병 동물 모델의 여러 조직에서 증가되는 것이 알려져 있다[7,8]. 또 한 스핑고지질의 생합성 기질인 지방산의 농도에 의해 세포 내 농도가 조절되기 때문에 비만에 의해 증가된 혈액 내 지 방산의 농도에 민감하게 반응한다[9]. 이러한 이유로 비만 유발 대사 질환에 관계된 여러 병리학적 위험인자에 밀접한 연관이 있음이 최근 알려져 왔다[9]. 유전적 변이 동물 모델 의 부재로 인해 스핑고 생합성 저해제를 사용한 약리학적 연구로 그 치료효능이 규명되고 있다. 본 총설에서는 스핑고 생합성 저해로 치료가 제시된 성인성 만성 대사 질환에 대 한 동물 및 임상 연구결과를 검토하고자 한다.
Comparisons of Highly Virulent H5N1 Influenza A Viruses Isolated from Humans and Chickens from Hong Kong

Genes of an influenza A (H5N1) virus from a human in Hong Kong isolated in May 1997 were sequenced and found to be all avian-like (K. Subbarao et al., Science 279:393–395, 1998). Gene sequences of this human isolate were compared to those of a highly pathogenic chicken H5N1 influenza virus isolated from Hong Kong in April 1997. Sequence comparisons of all eight RNA segments from the two viruses show greater than 99% sequence identity between them. However, neither isolate’s gene sequence was closely (>95% sequence identity) related to any other gene sequences found in the GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the nucleotide sequences of at least four of the eight RNA segments clustered with Eurasian origin avian influenza viruses. The hemagglutinin gene phylogenetic analysis also included the sequences from an additional three human and two chicken H5N1 virus isolates from Hong Kong, and the isolates separated into two closely related groups. However, no single amino acid change separated the chicken origin and human origin isolates, but they all contained multiple basic amino acids at the hemagglutinin cleavage site, which is associated with a highly pathogenic phenotype in poultry. In experimental intravenous inoculation studies with chickens, all seven viruses were highly pathogenic, killing most birds within 24 h. All infected chickens had virtually identical pathologic lesions, including moderate to severe diffuse edema and interstitial pneumonitis. Viral nucleoprotein was most frequently demonstrated in vascular endothelium, macrophages, heterophils, and cardiac myocytes. Asphyxiation from pulmonary edema and generalized cardiovascular collapse were the most likely pathogenic mechanisms responsible for illness and death. In summary, a small number of changes in hemagglutinin gene sequences defined two closely related subgroups, with both subgroups having human and chicken members, among the seven viruses examined from Hong Kong, and all seven viruses were highly pathogenic in chickens and caused similar lesions in experimental inoculations.
EHRs and clinical documentation to optimize patient care.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are important tools for the proper documentation and administration of clinical care. When combined with quality improvement capabilities such as clinical decision support, population health management analytics, and quality measurement, EHRs can greatly enhance the quality of care delivered. As with any tool, EHRs can be used to improve the efficiency and completeness of documentation in support of good care and good billing practices or for less laudable aims. Preventing and reducing fraud and abuse is a societal goal that EHRs can support. As Secretary Sebelius and Attorney General Holder stated in a letter to hospital and health system leaders, ‘false documentation of care is not just bad patient care; it's illegal.’ While the primary focus of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is on improving patient care, we have made a great deal of progress and will continue to work toward enhancing the capability of EHRs to improve clinical documentation and reduce improper billing practices. ONC has always understood the importance of addressing concerns raised about EHRs and overbilling. In 2005 and 2007, ONC sponsored projects with the goal of gaining a better understanding of the issues and to identify opportunities for mitigating risks for improper billing practices.1 ,2 These projects, of …
Do Survivors of Colorectal Cancer Need Continued Screening for Non-Colorectal Cancers?

CONCLUSIONS: There is a substantial unmet desire for greater involvement in provider choice among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Participants in this study attached particular importance to surgery-specific information. Improving involvement and information provision will require a coordinated approach in both primary and secondary care. Greater involvement in decision-making may increase satisfaction and contribute to a greater sense of control among these patients.
Abstract #13: Decreased expression of TCA cycle enzymes and HIF-1\#945; activation in the developing mammary gland_potential role in the higher susceptibility to carcinogens and prevention by polyphenols

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Rats are shown to be more susceptible to the development of mammary carcinomas when they are exposed to DMBA, during the 30-50 day-old (pubertal) period. By contrast, rats when exposed to genistein, during the early stages of mammary development (prenatal, neonatal, or pre-pubertal periods), have a reduced risk of chemical-induced mammary cancer. In the present study, we show that the abundance and activity of TCA cycle enzymes such as succinate dehydrogenase-B, fumarase and NAD+ isocitrate dehydrogenase in the mammary gland of Sprague-Dawley rats are significantly lower during puberty (day 50) compared to the prepubertal (day 21) period. Moreover, there was a subsequent activation of HIF-1\#945; in the epithelial cells of mammary gland during pubertal period. On the contrary, the abundance of these enzymes was significantly higher in resveratrol and genistein treated rats on day 50 and day 21 than the untreated control animals. These results indicate that, during puberty, the mammary gland microenvironment exists in a \#8220;pseudo-hypoxic\#8221; condition, which may potentially make it more vulnerable to tumor initiation by carcinogens. Restoration of TCA cycle enzyme levels and subsequent biochemical changes in the mammary gland may be one of the mechanisms by which dietary polyphenols reduce the risk of chemical-induced mammary cancer. Further studies will help to develop new approaches to breast cancer prevention, timely implementation of prevention strategies successfully in high-risk groups, and elucidate the mechanism of mammary carcinogenesis. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 13.
Age-dependent variation in cytokines, chemokines, and biologic analytes rinsed from the surface of healthy human skin

In the skin, aging is associated with overall epidermal thinning, decreased barrier function, and gradual deterioration of the epidermal immune response. However, the presence and role of cytokines, chemokines, and biologic analytes (CCBAs) in immunosenescence are not known. Here we identified age-related changes in skin properties and CCBAs from stratum corneum of healthy human subjects, providing a means to utilize CCBAs as benchmarks for aging skin health. Transepidermal water loss and a(*) (skin redness) decreased in an age-dependent manner, and were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in Groups 2 (56.6 ± 4.6 years) and 3 (72.9 ± 3.0 years) vs. Group 1 (24.3 ± 2.8 years). In skin wash fluid, 48 CCBAs were detected; seven were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in Groups 2 and 3: EGF, FGF-2, IFNα2, IL-1RA, HSA, keratin-6, and involucrin; cortisol was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Groups 2 and 3. Our results correspond with the pro-inflammatory shift that occurs with immunosenescence and also provides basis for understanding the inflammatory changes in normal aging skin.
Terry and SQF Viewed Through the Lens of the Suspicion Heuristic

This article traces the history of police stop-question-frisk (“SQF”) tactics from their early roots in English Common Law to the adoption of the reasonable suspicion standard in the companion cases of Terry v. Ohio, Sibron v. New York, and Peters v. New York. Building on the work of Richardson and Groff, we extend the so-called “suspicion heuristic” from its original use in framing how implicit racial bias manifests in split-second decision-making in self-defense situations to the SQF context. Specifically, we examine how the psychological literature on implicit racial bias helps to explain modern controversies surrounding the racially- and ethnically-biased ways in which SQF techniques are used to control crime. After documenting the empirical effects of SQF, most notably in New York City, we posit that the expansion of SQF authority in cases since the early 1980s not only collective represents a weakening of Fourth Amendment protections beyond that accomplished by Terry, but also has increasingly invited racial and ethnic disparities in American policing vis-a-vis the suspicion heuristic in ways that violate the guarantee of equal protection under law. These disparities, in turn, have damaged police legitimacy, especially in urban areas. Moreover, the implicit racial biases that underlie police decisions to stop, question, and frisk racial and ethnic minorities at significantly disparate rates than Whites leads to similar disparities in the police use of force which, in turn, both violates the constitutional rights of racial and ethnic minorities, and damages police legitimacy even further. In light of the snowballing effect that the reasonable suspicion standard invites vis-a-vis the suspicion heuristic, we question whether Terry remains constitutionally viable. At minimum, the post-1980 expansion of SQF authority (chronicled in this Article) needs to be narrowed, especially with regard to pretextual stops that provide illegitimate constitutional cover to racially-biased policing.
The Case to Include Brand of Moist Snuff in Health Surveys

INTRODUCTION Brand of smokeless tobacco was added to the most recent Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey (TUS-CPS), but deleted from the Centers for Disease Control's National Adult Tobacco Survey. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of brand in distinguishing users of moist snuff. METHODS The sample consisted of participants from the 2010-2011 TUS-CPS who reported having used one of 14 brands of moist snuff in the past month (n = 2334). The brands were categorized into one of three types: snus, discount snuff, premium snuff. Multinomial logistic regression was employed for testing for associations between brand type and a series of demographic and tobacco use measures. RESULTS Females, metropolitan residents, current smokers, and moderate users of snuff had significantly greater odds of using snus relative to premium snuff in the adjusted model (P < .001). Frequent users of snuff (eg, daily users), current smokers, young adults, participants with low household income, and those exhibiting dependence on nicotine had greater odds of using discount versus premium snuff. Separate analyses among current smokers (n = 470) and former smokers (n = 70) revealed positive associations between smoking cessation attempts and smokers' switch to discount snuff. CONCLUSIONS Differences among the three categories of snuff users are likely attributed to variations in marketing campaigns. The differences are sufficient to warrant inclusion of snuff brand in health surveys because brand type could serve as a proxy measure for snuff use and dependence. IMPLICATIONS Inclusion of brand of moist snuff in health surveys will enable researchers to categorize snuff users by brand type. Findings from this study indicate that brand type, defined according to cost (ie, discount vs. premium brands) and type of preferred snuff (ie, snus vs. other moist snuff), can distinguish snuff users by various demographic and tobacco use measures. Consequently, categorization by brand type could be used as a proxy measure for studies whose surveys do not include detailed information on snuff use and behavior.
An input centric paradigm for program dynamic optimizations and lifetime evolvement

Accurately predicting program behaviors (e.g., memory locality, method calling frequency) is fundamental for program optimizations and runtime adaptations. Despite decades of remarkable progress, prior studies have not systematically exploited the use of program inputs, a deciding factor of program behaviors, to help in program dynamic optimizations. Triggered by the strong and predictive correlations between program inputs and program behaviors that recent studies have uncovered, the dissertation work aims to bring program inputs into the focus of program behavior analysis and program dynamic optimization, cultivating a new paradigm named input-centric program behavior analysis and dynamic optimization. The new optimization paradigm consists of three components, forming a three-layer pyramid. At the base is program input characterization, a component for resolving the complexity in program raw inputs and extracting important features. In the middle is input-behavior modeling, a component for recognizing and modeling the correlations between characterized input features and program behaviors. These two components constitute input-centric program behavior analysis, which (ideally) is able to predict the large-scope behaviors of a program's execution as soon as the execution starts. The top layer is input-centric adaptation, which capitalizes on the novel opportunities created by the first two components to facilitate proactive adaptation for program optimizations. This dissertation aims to develop this paradigm in two stages. In the first stage, we concentrate on exploring the implications of program inputs for program behaviors and dynamic optimization. We construct the basic input-centric optimization framework based on of line training to realize the basic functionalities of the three major components of the paradigm. For the second stage, we focus on making the paradigm practical by addressing multi-facet issues in handling input complexities, transparent training data collection, predictive model evolvement across production runs. The techniques proposed in this stage together cultivate a lifelong continuous optimization scheme with cross-input adaptivity. Fundamentally the new optimization paradigm provides a brand new solution for program dynamic optimization. The techniques proposed in the dissertation together resolve the adaptivity-proactivity dilemma that has been limiting the effectiveness of existing optimization techniques. Its benefits are demonstrated through proactive dynamic optimizations in Jikes RVM and version selection using IBM XL C Compiler, yielding significant performance improvement on a set of Java and C/C++ programs. It may open new opportunities for a broad range of runtime optimizations and adaptations. The evaluation results on both Java and C/C++ applications demonstrate the new paradigm is promising in advancing the current state of program optimizations.
Adin Ballou and the Perfectionist's Dilemma

From the vantage point of his Concord study in 1844, Ralph Waldo Emerson surveyed the world around him and exclaimed, "What a fertility of projects for the salvation of the world!"1 Reformers scurried everywhere, calling for the immediate aboli tion of slavery, a return to an agrarian way of life, or the con sumption of unleavened bread as the way to induce the reforma tion of society. There were other reformers, now known as Utopian socialists, who were not satisfied with a single reform and wanted to combine all those ideas into one ultimate ex periment. Their goal was as old as New England; Emerson called it "total regeneration." The method which they advo cated was building and settling their own modern versions of John Winthrop's "city upon a hill." Here, they believed, they could live life as it should be, with their own churches, schools, and governments, constructed on pure principles, uncontami nated by worldly flaws. Indeed, the problem faced by the Utopian socialists of the 1830s and 1840s had been endemic to New England reform for two hundred years. It was the ques tion as to how a person could live a sinless life in a sinful society, or how to live in the world and not be contaminated by it. Edmund S. Morgan recognized this problem in seventeenth-cen tury Massachusetts and called it the "puritan dilemma."2 The Utopian socialist movement of antebellum America was a product of a similar phenomenon, something which the present author will call the "perfectionist's dilemma." Utopian communities sprang up everywhere across America. John Humphrey Noyes founded one of the first at Putney, Ver mont, and later began perhaps the most successful one at Oneida, in upstate New York. Massachusetts witnessed the efforts of George Ripley at Brook Farm, a few miles from Winthrop's Boston. Connecticut spawned a community at Wallingford,
Targeting the ecology within: The role of the gut–brain axis and human microbiota in drug addiction

Despite major advances in our understanding of the brain using traditional neuroscience, reliable and efficacious treatments for drug addiction have remained elusive. Hence, the time has come to utilize novel approaches, particularly those drawing upon contemporary advances in fields outside of established neuroscience and psychiatry. Put another way, the time has come for a paradigm shift in the addiction sciences. Apropos, a revolution in the area of human health is underway, which is occurring at the nexus between enteric microbiology and neuroscience. It has become increasingly clear that the human microbiota (the vast ecology of bacteria residing within the human organism), plays an important role in health and disease. This is not surprising, as it has been estimated that bacteria living in the human body (approximately 1kg of mass, roughly equivalent to that of the human brain) outnumber human cells 10 to 1. While advances in the understanding of the role of microbiota in other areas of human health have yielded intriguing results (e.g., Clostridium difficile, irritable bowel syndrome, autism, etc.), to date, no systematic programs of research have examined the role of microbiota in drug addiction. The current hypothesis, therefore, is that gut dysbiosis plays a key role in addictive disorders. In the context of this hypothesis, this paper provides a rationale for future research to target the "gut-brain axis" in addiction. A brief background of the gut-brain axis is provided, along with a series of hypothesis-driven ideas outlining potential treatments for addiction via manipulations of the "ecology within."
The Community Land Act 1975

The White Paper, ‘Land’ (Cmnd 5730), stated in September 1974 that the local administration of the proposals it made would require 12,750 extra staff, while the central administration would require a further 1400. This in itself militated against the immediate implementation in full of the principles enunciated in the Act which followed in 1975 — the Community Land Act.