cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The use of debates as an active learning tool in a college of pharmacy healthcare delivery course.

Abstract Background and purpose To describe the use of debates, and to evaluate student performance and perceptions, when student debates are incorporated as an active learning tool in a required pharmacy healthcare delivery course. Educational activity and setting Student live debates replaced 15% of a traditional lecture-based course. Twelve healthcare controversies were debated by student teams each year. Student perception of debate utility and opinion on topics, pre- and post-debate, were measured via a voluntary survey. Both peer and instructor's assessments of team performances, as well as individual student performance on the debate-based questions on course exams, contributed to course grade. Findings The average survey response rates were 76% (2014) and 86% (2015). Fifteen-54% of student respondents changed their opinion on individual debate topics due to the debates. Although exam performance on debate-based questions was no better than on lecture-based questions, respondents who found the debates useful or very useful in mastering course material increased by 19% post versus pre-debate surveys. Summary Debates are an effective active learning tool for engaging students in controversial subjects. Assessment of student performance should include student and instructor evaluations, and can be incorporated into the course grade.
Effects of porosity on dynamic indentation resistance of silica nanofoam

The dynamic indentation behaviors of monolithic silica nanofoams of various porosities are investigated. When the pore size is on the nm scale, as the porosity increases, despite the decrease in mass density, the resistance offered by silica nanofoam to dynamic indentation is maintained at a high level, higher than the resistance of solid silica or regular porous silica. This phenomenon is related to the fast collapse of nanocells, which produces a locally hardened region and significantly increases the volume of material involved in impact energy dissipation.
Telehealth Protocol to Prevent Readmission Among High-Risk Patients With Congestive Heart Failure

Abstract Background Congestive heart failure is the leading cause of hospital readmissions. We aimed to assess adherence to and effectiveness of a telehealth protocol designed to prevent hospital admissions for congestive heart failure. Methods We recruited a random sample of 50 patients with congestive heart failure (mean age 61 years) from a managed care organization. We developed a telehealth platform allowing for daily, real-time reporting of health status and video conferencing. We defined adherence as the percentage of days on which the patient completed the daily check-in protocol. To assess efficacy, we compared admission and readmission rates between the 6-month intervention period and the prior 6 months. Primary outcomes were admissions and readmissions due to congestive heart failure, and secondary outcomes were admissions and readmissions due to any cause. Results Forty-eight patients (96%) completed the protocol. Approximately half (46%) were at high risk for readmission according to standardized measures. Median 120-day adherence was 96% (interquartile range, 92%-98%), and adherence did not significantly differ across sex, race, age, living situation, depression, cognitive ability, or risk for readmission. Approximately equal proportions of patients were admitted for all causes during the 6-month intervention period versus the comparison period (37% vs 43%; P = .32). Half as many patients were admitted for congestive heart failure during the 6-month intervention period compared with the comparison period (12% vs 25%; P = .11). Conclusion Adherence to this telehealth protocol was excellent and consistent, even among high-risk patients. Future research should test the protocol using a more rigorous randomized design.
Preventing Individual Limitations/Problems

This chapter will follow a similar outline as the previous chapters, considering the prevention of predictable problems for the individual in the physical, psychological, and spiritual perspectives. Each of these problem or limitation areas involves distinctive topics, for which we will use a common format as before: (1) general understanding of the topic and its terms; (2) step-by-step procedures to achieve the preventive goals; and (3) cautions, as relevant.
Systems Analysis and Urban Policy

This paper makes the following points about urban systems analysis, in the spirit of improving its usefulness and extending its range: 1. Systems analysis is encumbered with certain dysfunctional myths, which impede its effective use in policy-making. 2. It is applicable at different levels, which present different environments, and call for different methods of analysis. 3. There are other competing and complementary disciplines and perspectives that can profitably be embraced by systems analysis; hence, the education of systems analysts needs reform.
Education of City Planners

City planning1 in the United States has grown rapidly in scope, in complexity, and in the number of career opportunities the field provides. Almost every city in the United States, as well as many of the smaller urban communities, has established a planning agency or employs private planning consultants. In addition, there are many redevelopment, housing, and urban renewal agencies and citizens’ organizations employing trained planners. County and regional planning organizations, at times extending over very large areas, are being set up in every part of the country. An indication of the growth in planning activities is provided by the fact that the number of full-time employees of public planning agencies doubled in the decade after World War II, and membership in the major professional organizations more than doubled. At the same time many new opportunities for planners have opened up as consultants to, or employees of, private corporations undertaking various types of urban-development projects. Planners are being called upon to carry out activities of great variety and difficulty; activities which frequently directly influence the strength of the urban community’s economic base and social fabric.
Consumerism and Surveillance in Leighton Evans and Michael Saker’s Location-Based Social Media: Space, Time, and Identity

In Location-Based Social Media: Space, Time, and Identity, Leighton Evans and Michael Saker present a comprehensive way of thinking about Location-Based Social Media Networking (LBSN) for a scholarly audience. The most basic understanding of LBSN is the act of “checking in” and sharing a location across a social network. However, Evans and Saker explain that this act of marking a physical presence in a place at a particular time creates profound effects on spatiality, identity, and temporality. Using Evans and Saker’s work as a starting base for understanding the effects of LBSN on the individual, I study the implications of LBSN features in monolithic social media platforms as a tool for consumerism and surveillance for marketers, the state, and everyday individuals.
Stimulant Use and Viral Suppression in the Era of Universal Antiretroviral Therapy.

BACKGROUND HIV-positive persons who use stimulants such as methamphetamine experience difficulties navigating the HIV care continuum that undermine the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, few studies have examined the association of stimulant use with viral suppression in the era of universal ART. SETTING Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. METHODS HIV-positive persons participating in a clinical cohort study and taking ART completed assessments every 4-6 months. The exposure was the cumulative, time-varying proportion of assessments with any self-reported stimulant use. The time-varying outcome, HIV viral suppression (ie, <200 copies/mL), was measured at assessments or extracted from the clinical record. RESULTS In total, 1635 HIV-positive participants on ART contributed 17,610 person-visits over a median of 2.3 [interquartile range (IQR) = 1.0-5.3] years of follow-up. Participants were middle-aged (median = 45.0; IQR = 38.0-52.0), predominantly white (57%), sexual minority men (78%), with a median CD4 T-cell count of 409 (IQR = 225-640) cells/mm at enrollment. Significant increases in odds of viral suppression over time were less pronounced among stimulant users compared with nonusers, particularly before the advent of universal ART. Increasing odds of viral suppression were paralleled by declining stimulant use over time. In the universal ART era, increasing odds of viral suppression were observed at lower levels of stimulant use, but not when participants reported using stimulants at every visit. CONCLUSIONS Although ART benefits are still not achieved as rapidly in stimulant users, this disparity is not as large in the era of universal ART.
New methods for ultra-sensitive and fast SWIR imaging (Conference Presentation)

Currently, there is no SWIR camera that can detect a single photon above cryogenic temperatures. We present the latest results of our Electron Injection (EI) cameras, which show a clear path toward achieving such a formidable goal. We present a fundamental relation between the capacitance of EI injector and its sensitivity to photons, and show experimental results that strongly support it. We also demonstrate the weak temperature dependency of the EI detectors, which allows operation with compact thermoelectric coolers. We also present our latest results for ultra-fast SWIR modulators, as fast optical shutter, and their applications in time of flight (ToF) SWIR 3D imaging. Our results show 3D imaging at video rates, with an unprecedented depth resolution due to the low energy consumption in the modulator. Our measurements show our new SWIR modulators consume only ~1 femto-Joule/bit, and with a timing accuracy of ~4 pico-seconds.
Towards Designing Unbiased Replication Studies in Information Visualization

Experimenter bias and expectancy effects have been well studied in the social sciences and even in human-computer interaction. They refer to the nonideal study-design choices made by experimenters which can unfairly influence the outcomes of their studies. While these biases need to be considered when designing any empirical study, they can be particularly significant in the context of replication studies which can stray from the studies being replicated in only a few admissible ways. Although there are general guidelines for making valid, unbiased choices in each of the several steps in experimental design, making such choices when conducting replication studies has not been well explored.We reviewed 16 replication studies in information visualization published in four top venues between 2008 to present to characterize how the study designs of the replication studies differed from those of the studies they replicated. We present our characterization categories which include the prevalence of crowdsourcing, and the commonly-found replication types and study-design differences. We draw guidelines based on these categories towards helping researchers make meaningful and unbiased decisions when designing replication studies. Our paper presents the first steps in gaining a larger understanding of this topic and contributes to the ongoing efforts of encouraging researchers to conduct and publish more replication studies in information visualization.
The Biospecimen Preanalytical Variables Program: A Multiassay Comparison of Effects of Delay to Fixation and Fixation Duration on Nucleic Acid Quality.

Context.— Despite widespread use of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue in clinical and research settings, potential effects of variable tissue processing remain largely unknown. Object...
Coagmento v3.0: Rapid Prototyping of Web Search Experiments

As understanding of web search behavior grows, researchers rapidly develop new study designs to capture and understand search behavior. Researchers have restricted time in which to design a study, develop a collection tool, collect data, analyze it, and report new insights. In particular, sufficient time and development skills are often required to create a tool that meets the needs of any particular web search behavior study. Coagmento is a tool that is developed for facilitating many of the needs for designing and running a lab study, from executing a session flow to collecting log data. By streamlining the programming of unique parts for a specific study, Coagmento helps researchers tailor various parts of running a user study, lowering the barrier for designing and conducting lab study experiments. One-click interactions with a graphical user interface permit researchers to operate through a web-based administrative service to generate stages, search tasks, and questionnaires for their interactive information retrieval studies. In this demonstration, Coagmento provides a solution to increase efficiency in the production of laboratory experiments for web search behavior.
Tubular cell and keratinocyte single-cell transcriptomics applied to lupus nephritis reveal type I IFN and fibrosis relevant pathways

The molecular and cellular processes that lead to renal damage and to the heterogeneity of lupus nephritis (LN) are not well understood. We applied single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to renal biopsies from patients with LN and evaluated skin biopsies as a potential source of diagnostic and prognostic markers of renal disease. Type I interferon (IFN)-response signatures in tubular cells and keratinocytes distinguished patients with LN from healthy control subjects. Moreover, a high IFN-response signature and fibrotic signature in tubular cells were each associated with failure to respond to treatment. Analysis of tubular cells from patients with proliferative, membranous and mixed LN indicated pathways relevant to inflammation and fibrosis, which offer insight into their histologic differences. In summary, we applied scRNA-seq to LN to deconstruct its heterogeneity and identify novel targets for personalized approaches to therapy.
Ticagrelor or Prasugrel in Acute Coronary Syndromes — The Winner Takes It All?

Orville Wright said, “If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.” Approximately one person in the United States has a my...
Policies on Privacy

Examines questions involving privacy and discusses the consequences of various levels and regulation of privacy policies and usage.
Rhinoplasty Strategy and Tactics Using the Rhinoplasty Compass

Instead of considering “steps” in a procedure, which must be blindly followed for various “indications,” this chapter presents an alternative structure to consider surgery. These “stages” of a procedure permit more thoughtfulness and flexibility by the surgeon to use judgment instead of memorization. The stages include approach, release, re-size, reposition, and reinforcement. The surgeon thus does not simply “check a box” at the completion of steps, but must achieve satisfactory achievement of the stages objective before advancing. Using the Rhinoplasty Compass™ of framework, surgical strategies to modify the basic variations on framework are described, using the stage concept.
Priorities and Preferences of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer for Discussing and Receiving Information About Sexuality and Perception of Self-Report Measures.

Abstract Background Head and neck cancer and its treatment can cause impairment in survivors’ sexuality. Previous studies show a need for education and psychological support. Aim To examine patients’ priorities and preferences for discussing and receiving information about sexuality and to examine patient perceptions of existing self-report measures used in research. Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional, Web-based study recruited adults with a current or previous diagnosis of head and neck cancer. Participants answered questions about their priority and preference for receiving information about sexuality and reviewed 4 self-report measures commonly used in the research of this population. Results More than 80% (n = 61) of participants reported that it was important to receive information about sexual issues. Participants chose “at the time of diagnosis” as the most frequent answer for preferred time to receive this information. Half of the participants (n = 35) indicated that they prefer discussing sexual issues with a health-care provider. The most frequent answer for the method of receiving information was through discussions. Participants endorsed 4 themes not addressed by self-report surveys: (i) elicitation of important information, (ii) symptom burden issues, (iii) psychological issues, and (iv) physical barriers. Clinical Implications Providers, regardless of specialty, must attempt or facilitate discussions around these issues at various times within the treatment and recovery phases. Strengths & Limitations Although limited by sample representation and cross-sectional design, this study addresses an important patient-centered issue that is a critical aspect of quality of life. Conclusions Patients prefer to discuss sexual issues in person with their health-care providers at the time of diagnosis. Participants reacted positively to the self-report measures, but they felt that important issues faced by patients with head and neck cancer were not fully addressed. Rhoten BA, Davis AJ, Baraff BN, et al. Priorities and Preferences of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer for Discussing and Receiving Information About Sexuality and Perception of Self-Report Measures. J Sex Med 2020;17:1529–1537.
A Mixed Methods Exploration of Electrical Stimulation in Veterans with Fibromyalgia Symptoms & Affective Disorders

Abstract Introduction Past research has shown that electrical stimulation has modest beneficial effects on symptoms of fibromyalgia, which is also commonly associated with anxiety and depression. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness and utilization of electrical stimulation (AID or M units) at-home by Veterans. Methods Sixty Veterans were identified using the Fibromyalgia Symptoms Questionnaire for an electrical stimulation trial during January 1-December 31, 2016 at a Midwestern VA Medical Center. Each patient completed a brief, semi-structured phone interview, which included an inquiry about the benefits of the units on affective symptoms. Results Quantitative findings suggest that participants who were given any kind of unit (AID or M units) did not have a significant change in pain level from baseline to follow-up. Participants who were given any kind of unit (AID or M units) did not report a significant change in anxiety, depressive, or insomnia symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Qualitative findings produced three thematic maps: utilization, effectiveness, and satisfaction. Limitations This study used a quasi-experimental, one group, pre-/post-test design, and explored the benefits of programming when based on patient self-selection. The instruments used in this study were self-report measures, and the lack of change may have been due to the use of binary versus continuous measures. The findings may differ among other Veterans as the current sample had a larger representation of minority groups compared to the typical Veteran profile. Conclusions This information is invaluable in helping patients who suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms and affective disorders and for the providers aiding in their treatment.
Blue Liver: Case Report of Blue Liver

BACKGROUND Although many cases of unusual liver discoloration exist, such as blue liver syndrome which is linked to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy, our finding was seen in a patient who was not on chemotherapy. A 39-year-old male who presented with jaundice was found to have blue liver discoloration. CASE REPORT A 39-year-old male presented with jaundice of one-month's duration evidenced by elevated total and direct bilirubin. An ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) demonstrated thickened gall bladder wall but no common bile duct stones. A robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy with liver biopsy was performed. Intraoperatively, the liver was noted to be unusually blue in color. During his postoperative course, the patient developed excessive incisional bleeding associated with an increase in international normalized ratio (INR) and increasing direct hyperbilirubinemia. This was managed with blood transfusions, and ursodeoxycholic acid was begun, which resulted in improvement of his bilirubin levels and overall recovery. CONCLUSIONS Drug induced cholestasis and liver injury is a common cause of elevated liver enzymes. However, the unusual blue appearance of the liver should prompt an evaluation for other unusual and rare causes of obstructive jaundice.
Prevalence of endometrial cancer symptoms among overweight and obese women presenting to a multidisciplinary weight management center.

Endometrial cancer rates are rising in parallel with the obesity epidemic. We aimed to determine the prevalence of endometrial hyperplasia or cancer (EH/EC) bleeding symptoms among at-risk women. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of overweight and obese women at a multidisciplinary weight management center who had completed a gynecologic/menstrual history questionnaire from May 2018 to October 2019. The primary outcome of any EH/EC symptom was defined as follows: in premenopausal women, any recent abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB); in postmenopausal women: any bleeding/discharge. The prevalence of EH/EC symptoms was compared by menopausal status using Fisher's exact tests, and multivariable regression identified independent factors associated with having EH/EC symptoms. A total of 103 women were included, and 4 (4%) had a history of EH/EC. Of the 84 (n = 82%) of women with no prior hysterectomy, 57% (n = 33/58) of premenopausal women reported any EH/EC symptom compared to 15% (n = 15/26) of postmenopausal women (p < 0.001). Two-thirds of symptomatic premenopausal women had two or more symptoms, most commonly heavy menses (49% (n = 25/51)) and irregular periods (39% (n = 17/44)). Sixty percent (n = 20/33) had discussed these with a gynecologist, and one third had undergone an endometrial biopsy. A history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (RR:1.72, 95% CI 1.24-2.38) was associated with EH/EC symptoms, while being postmenopausal was not (RR:0.32, 95%CI: 0.12-0.87). We demonstrate that EH/EC bleeding symptoms are prevalent in this at-risk population, but frequently are not discussed with gynecologists. Providers who care for obese women should ask about EH/EC symptoms, and provide prompt referrals to facilitate prevention and early detection of this cancer.
Peripheral Leakage on Ultra-Widefield Fluorescein Angiography in Patients With Inherited Retinal Degeneration:

Purpose:This report illustrates that peripheral vascular leakage on ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (FA) can occur in patients with inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) without evidence of ...
Effect of Soil Spatial Variability on the Structural Reliability of a Statically Indeterminate Frame

AbstractThis paper presents a probabilistic procedure for assessing the structural responses of a statically indeterminate frame caused by soil spatial variability. Neglecting the soil spatial vari...
Experimental Validations of Characteristic Mode Analysis Predictions Using GTEM Measurements

Numerous simulations and measurements are typically required to quantify the electromagnetic interference statistics of a device due to radiation at different angles of incidence, polarization, and frequency. Characteristic Mode Analysis (CMA) has the potential to reduce the number of necessary measurements and simulations by revealing the device's modal behavior, which allows the prediction of the variations in the interfering current. In this work, we describe an experimental setup to verify the CMA predictions of the coupling and interfering current to different devices. The experimental setup involves placing the device inside a GTEM cell to emulate far-field excitation. The currents coupled to different devices are compared with the CMA predictions and excellent agreement is achieved. This experimental verification demonstrates the versatility of CMA for electromagnetic compatibility and interference applications.
Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are immune-mediated disorders that can affect any part of the nervous system, including the retina, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and neuromuscular junction. These disorders manifest with a variety of neurological syndromes, the most characteristic being limbic encephalitis, cerebellar degeneration, or sensory neuronopathy. They frequently occur in patients with cancer and are thus considered paraneoplastic. Most PNS are characterized by detection of autoantibodies, in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, which target a variety of intracellular neuronal antigens, such as Hu or Yo proteins. These antibodies are markers of the presence of a tumor, given that they can also be found in a proportion of patients with tumor but without neurological symptoms, and they are not considered pathogenic. It is thought that PNS are caused by an anti-tumor immune response, mainly mediated by cytotoxic T cells, which is directed against neuronal antigens that are also ectopically expressed by tumor cells. Response of neurological symptoms to treatment depends on the neurological syndrome, associated cancer, and neuronal antibody. However, overall, patients with PNS associated with antibodies against intracellular antigens show poor response to cancer treatment and immunotherapies, likely due to irreversible T-cell-mediated neuronal damage.
Communication and Learning: The Bilateral Information Transmission in the Cobweb Model

Communication is a natural activity to gain information and exchange ideas for making proper economic decisions. The mechanism of social interaction remains inadequately understood. Previous studies have investigated the consequences of communication under a one-way information transmission mechanism from more-informed leaders to less-informed followers. This mechanism leads to the “boomerang effect”—a reduction in leaders’ forecasting efficiency due to the information transmission. However, communication should be interactive. This paper devises a two-stage interactive cobweb model with a generalized information diffusion process called the bi-directional information diffusion (BID) process, which allows both information transmission and feedback mechanisms. Numerical analysis and simulations show that the model has multiple equilibria and can be dynamically stable under certain conditions. More importantly, the BID process improves forecast efficiency for all individuals, and the boomerang effect disappears if leaders correctly observe followers’ forecasts to revise their expectations.
Active Learning for the Automation of Medical Systematic Review Creation

While systematic reviews (SRs) are positioned as an essential element of modern evidencebased medical practice, the creation of these reviews is resource intensive. To mitigate this problem there has been some attempts to leverage supervised machine learning to automate the article triage procedure. This approach has been proved to be helpful for updating existing SRs. However, this technique holds very little promise for creating new SRs because training data is rarely available when it comes to SR creation. In this research we propose an active machine learning approach to overcome this labeling bottleneck and develop a classifier for supporting the creation of systematic reviews. The results indicate that active learning based sample selection could significantly reduce the human effort and is viable technique for automating medical systematic review creation with very few training dataset.
Designing Creative Assignments: Examples of Journal Assignments and a Creative Project

I define “creative assignments” and discuss their benefits. I then describe the creative assignments used in my Psychology of Creativity and the Arts course as examples. The chapter includes the rationale, objectives, and student feedback for the creative journal assignments and course creative project.
Consumer Behavior in the Presence of an Income Tax

We now consider the implications of allowing taxes to be a function of the income earned by individuals. If the government wishes to, redistribute income by its tax policy, government may decide to use a nonlinear tax, taxing wealthy individuals more than poorer individual s. This leads to the question; how should government define how wealthy an individual is? Perhaps ideally government could base the income tax on the individual’s full income, F. This would allow government to base taxes on the market spending potential of each individual, and to construct a tax bill that really redistributes utility.
A Low-cost Wireless MeMS System for Measuring Dynamic Pavement Loads

This report describes a project which had as its objective to design, build, and conduct a "proof of concept" test of an experimental weigh in motion (WIM) system in which pavement load could be estimated using accelerometer measurements. The project involved finding a closed-form series solution of the displacement of an Euler beam with elastic foundation under a moving load. Using the solution, algorithms were used to process the accelerometer measurement so that pavement load could be estimated. However, it was found that the prototype system was not able to accurately measure pavement vibrations.
Expression of Crisp-1 mRNA Splice Variants in the Rat Epididymis, and Comparative Analysis of the Rat and Mouse Crisp-1 Gene Regulatory Regions

The rat Crisp-1 gene encodes Protein DE (acidic epididymal glycoprotein; AEG), a glycoprotein secreted by the epididymal epithelium that associates with maturing sperm and has been implicated in the process of sperm-egg fusion. Previous characterization of the Crisp-1 messenger RNA in the rat epididymis has demonstrated the presence of 3 splice variants (Klemme et at, 1999). This study was undertaken to determine if expression of the Crisp-1 splice variants in the rat epididymis is region-specific and correlates with the region-specific pattern of synthesis of the D and E forms of the Crisp-1 protein. Expression of each of the splice variants was shown by RNase protection assays to be under the control of androgens, but they are not differentially regulated either within the epididymal segments or along the length of the organ. The reported structure of the mouse Crisp-1 gene does not include an exon that is equivalent to the rat exon 1, suggesting that the rat splice variants cannot exist in the mouse and may be specific to the rat. Furthermore, the mouse transcription start site is situated in a different region of the gene than in the rat. In this study, a comparison of the mouse and rat genes in the region flanking the mouse exon 1 and the rat exon 2 (within the rat intron 1) shows greater than 80% sequence identity, including the conservation of several putative androgen receptor binding sites. In addition, the rat gene is shown to have a corrupted TATA box in intron 1 that corresponds to the TATA box located in the mouse gene. These observations explain the preferential transcription for the mouse gene in this region, while the predominant start site for the rat gene is 5' of the upstream exon 1. Although an exon corresponding to the rat exon 1 has not been found in the mouse gene, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction experiments using mouse epididymal RNA suggest that such an exon exists in the mouse gene and is transcribed at low frequency.
A Review of “Social Marketing to Protect the Environment: What Works, by Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Nancy Lee, P. Wesley Schultz, and Philip Kotler”

The application of social marketing to influence people's behaviors in order to solve social problems, especially in the area of human health, has received considerable attention from practitioners...
Bioinformatics and clinical informatics: the imperative to collaborate.

In this issue, Perry Miller and Russ Altman review the experiences at Yale and Stanford that have led to a convergence and cross-pollination between clinical informatics and bioinformatics at those institutions. A related convergence is revealed by a MEDLINE search for the string “informatics” in the last five months. Of 346 publications, 175 were in the area of genomics and not clinical applications. Concurrently, there has been much discussion within the informatics community about the dual nature of the research agenda (and, not coincidentally, the funding opportunities) as it pertains to clinical applications and fundamental biological research.1,2 Informal discussions with investigators in bioinformatics and clinical informatics, however, are tinged with concern that these two disciplines in biomedical informatics will diverge or at least that the two investigator communities are not collaborating sufficiently. It may, therefore, be timely to briefly review several major categories in which these two strains of biomedical informatics share common methodological and policy challenges. Moreover, as suggested by this overview, the success of bioinformatics and clinical informatics will depend on joint successes in resolving their mutual challenges. The categories outlined here are by no means intended to exhaustively cover the areas of commonality but are intended to provide a useful reference point for discussions on this topic of increasing relevance to the readership of JAMIA . In less than a decade, the Human Genome project (HGP)3 has generated a large amount of biological data that is likely eventually to lead to a qualitative change in the way in which clinical medicine (diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics) is practiced. A central intellectual and technologic asset to this effort has been GenBank4 and related genomic and protein databases (e.g., the SWISS-PROT,5 Exon-Intron,6 and IMGT databases7). Their standardized data models have allowed research …
Adsorption of water molecules on the CdTe(0 0 1) surface

Abstract The adsorption of water molecules on the CdTe(0 0 1) surface is studied by density-functional total-energy calculations within the generalized gradient approximation. We find that water is adsorbed molecularly on Cd atoms, and dissociative adsorption is energetically unfavorable. We also find that the formation of Cd and Te vacancies on the surface and electron and hole doping do not alter significantly the adsorption behavior of water molecules on the CdTe(0 0 1) surface.
Algorithms for the Analysis of Data from the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

An algorithm is described that is intended for use in the analysis of data from the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite. An improved technique for detecting sources has been developed. This method is shown to be computationally simpler than non-linear methods and more sensitive to point sources than previous linear techniques, because it incorporates more information from the instrument point spread function. It is shown how simulated data help test this algorithm and are useful in the design of the satellite hardware.
A review of preventative efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa.

Abstract Twenty-five years after the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, precious lives continue to be lost. The consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic have been tragic indeed. In this article we review the response to HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that the disease spread rapidly in this region because many of the policies and prevention efforts were initiated rather late and were half-hearted at best. Many governments on the continent and key individuals continue to respond to the AIDS pandemic indecisively. This notwithstanding, we show that there is hope for stemming the tide, as illustrated by the case studies from Uganda and Senegal. We conclude the article by pointing out the need for researchers and policymakers to incorporate the deep-rooted reverential belief about spiritual forces when formulating strategies for changing sexual behaviors in sub-Saharan African.
Spatially Generated Transportation Demands

Abstract Transportation demanders are located at different points in geographical space and have differential access to modes. Central to the planning of transportation infrastructure is the aggregation of different shippers by mode over space. We estimate a modal choice model for rail and barge. However, shippers may not have direct access to one or both modes and incur access (truck) costs. The results indicate that access costs, barge and rail rates, and shippers’ attributes matter significantly in mode choice. The choice model is then augmented by rate functions defined over space and used to derive spatially generated modal demand functions.
Photosensitivity in germano-silicate sol-gel thin films

Abstract Binary germano-silicate thin-film waveguides were produced by the sol-gel method with 10, 25 and 45 mol% GeO2. Post-depositin, reducing-atmosphere heat treatments were used to induce a variety of photosensitive defects in the films. The waveguides were subsequently exposed to guided counter-propagating beams at 488 nm to seed and grow permanent optical gratings. The mechanisms of defect formation and bleaching following exposure at 488 and at 248 nm are analyzed, and the role of these mechanisms in developing photosensitivity is elucidated. New photo-induced absorptive processes are observed and related to the optical behavior. Models for photosensitivity are reviewed in light of these observations.
Pannexin1 is expressed by neurons and glia but does not form functional gap junctions.

Pannexins are a newly described family of proteins that may form gap junctions. We made antisera against mouse pannexin1 (Panx1). HeLa cells expressing Panx1 have cell surface labeling, but not gap junction plaques, and do not transfer small fluorescent dyes or neurobiotin in a scrape-loading assay. Neuro2a cells expressing Panx1 are not electrophysiologically coupled. Intracellular Panx1-immunoreactivity, but not gap junction plaques, is seen in cultured oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and hippocampal neurons. Thus, at least in these mammalian cells lines, Panx1 does not form morphological or functional gap junctions, and it remains to be demonstrated that Panx1 forms gap junction-forming protein in the CNS. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of Nylon and Polyglactin 910 Suture Material on Perilimbal Corneal Wound Healing in the Dog

The effects of fine suture materials on corneal wound healing in the dog were studied. In 20 dogs, standardized perforating perilimbal clear corneal wounds were made and closed with either monofilament Polyglactin 910 or nylon. Five dogs each were euthanized 8,12,16, and 21 days postoperatively. Results of gross, biomicroscopic, and histologic examinations at 8,12,16, and 21 days showed nylon and Polyglactin 910 to cause similar inflammatory responses. Epithelialization and suppuration around the suture tracts were observed more frequently when Polyglactin 910 was used. Both materials were associated with a foreign body (granulomatous) response. There was no loss of wound integrity with either material. Strengths of the incised corneal tissues with and without the sutures intact were determined. At day 16 postsurgery, there was a statistically significant difference in tissue strengths between cases in which sutures were and were not intact. This difference was not apparent at 21 days postsurgery, which suggested that the suture dependent phase ends between the 16th and 21st postsurgical days. In addition, at day 16 there was no statistical difference between the tissue strength of wounds sutured with nylon or Polyglactin 910. Corneal suture materials studied should remain in place for at least 16 days, and absorbable material is only appropriate if it retains tensile strength for 16 days.
THERAPY OF SYSTEMIC VASCULITIS

The systemic vasculitides are a spectrum of diseases with the shared features of vascular inflammation, vascular necrosis, and varying degrees of target organ ischemia. The clinical manifestations of these disorders are highly varied and depend on the nature, intensity, and distribution of the inflammatory process. The vasculitides are classified broadly as primary or secondary. The primary vasculitides are those unassociated with systemic diseases, and in only rare instances have been associated with specific etiologic agents (eg, hepatitis B and C, a specific drug). The pathogenesis of most of these disorders is not well understood but is generally believed to be immunologically mediated. Successful therapy of the systemic vasculitides represents a balance between opposing forces, namely, suppressing the undesired inflammatory response while sparing the host complications of immunosuppression and drug toxicity (Fig. 1). Regardless of the vasculitic syndrome involved or its specific drug therapy, a series of therapeutic principles belie a successful clinical outcome. First and foremost is the prerequisite of an accurate diagnosis. Obstacles to prompt and accurate diagnosis include the general lack of highly sensitive and specific noninvasive diagnostic tests and the low specificity and test efficiency of invasive studies such as biopsy and angiography. Numerous conditions including systemic infections, malignancies, infiltrative and inflammatory disease states, and noninflammatory vascular diseases such as thrombosis, emboli, and spasm, may mimic vasculitis. A second principle of therapy is the urgency of diagnosis. Acute and possibly irreversible renal failure, respiratory failure, bowel infarction, stroke, and other complications of ischemia are all possible consequences of a delay in diagnosis. Third, successful treatment of vasculitis requires an accurate determination of disease activity. Certain disorders are associated with highly efficient surrogate markers of disease activity such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in giant cell arteritis, whereas in other diseases, similar markers are less reliable (i.e., Takayasu arteritis). Unfortunately, in the treatment of neurologic complications of vasculitis, end-organ damage of brain and peripheral nerves are slow to clinically improve even when the vasculitic response is totally suppressed. Recognition of these limitations may help avoid confusion of irreversible target organ damage with treatment-resistant disease activity. This review first focuses on the therapeutic modalities employed for systemic vasculitis, highlighting principles of their usage as well as mechanisms of action and toxicities. Additionally, the major vasculitic syndromes are briefly discussed, outlining unique principles of therapy, with particular emphasis on neurologic complications. Finally, a number of general principles important in the chronic treatment of vasculitis are discussed.
A Population Genetic Study of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto from Eastern Long Island, New York, Suggested Frequency‐Dependent Selection, Gene Flow and Host Adaptation

Eastern Long Island, New York, is one of the major foci of Lyme disease in the United States. As in almost all other parts of North America, Lyme disease in this region is caused by a single genomic species of spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. For three consecutive years, natural populations of Lyme Borrelia in this region were sampled and studied for gene flow among different locations, changes in population structure over time, and selective forces. The genetic diversity of Borrelia populations was measured at the outer surface protein A (ospA) locus using Cold Single-Stranded Conformation Polymorphism (Cold SSCP) analysis. The Borrelia populations were found to be highly polymorphic within any of thirteen local populations. Ewens-Watterson tests of neutrality revealed that the high level of genetic diversity within local Borrelia populations is maintained by balancing selection. Frequency-dependent selection for the different strains distinguished by the ospA alleles is likely the mechanism of the balancing selection. Allele frequency distributions of Borrelia populations were homogeneous across the region in any particular year, although different infection rates of local tick (Ixodes scapularis) populations suggested that the Borrelia populations were at least partially isolated. Since the allele frequency distribution changed over time, while remaining homogeneous over space, the nearly uniform allele frequency distribution across the region cannot be explained by recent geographic expansion from a single population. This uniform distribution across the region thus may be maintained by selection, or by a significant amount of migration or both. The genetic structure of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto also differed between spirochetes infecting nymphal ticks and those infecting adult ticks. Since larval and nymphal ticks have distinctly different host feeding preferences, host adaptation of spirochete populations is implied. This distinction and an animal study using chipmunks suggest that ticks infected by Borrelia as larvae may have high mortality in the wild. This study represents a genetic analysis of local populations of a bacterial species.
Population characteristics in cervical cancer trials: search for external validity.

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of patients with cervical cancer who were enrolled in cooperative group trials with characteristics of the cervical cancer population of the United States and to determine the generalizability of the results of those trials to the disease population in the United States. Study design Phase III trials in cervical cancer that were conducted by cooperative groups in the United States from 1981 through 1997 were identified. These groups were placed into 4 categories on the basis of disease stage and primary treatment modality: Stage IB, negative pelvic nodes that were treated with radical hysterectomy (n=277 patients); Stage IB-IIA, positive pelvic nodes that were treated with radical hysterectomy (n=239 patients); Stage IB 2 , negative pelvic and para-aortic nodes that were treated with radiation therapy (n=369 patients); and Stage IIB-IVA, negative para-aortic nodes that were treated with radiation therapy (n=1190 patients). For each category, comparable patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were identified. The age and ethnic distributions of each study population and the distributions of the SEER program were compared. Results The age distributions were equivalent, except for patients with IB 2 disease that was treated with radiation therapy where cooperative group subjects were more likely to be younger than 50 years, (odds ratio, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.11-0.26). A statistically significant higher proportion of black and Hispanic women enrolled in cooperative group studies in comparison with surveillance, epidemiology, and end results. Conclusion Hispanic and black women were recruited proportionately to cooperative group randomized cervical cancer trials in comparison to the United States population. The age distribution of the clinical trial population is also comparable to that of the general population.