cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initial and long-term outpatient experience with lorcainide for suppression of malignant and potentially malignant ventricular arrhythmias.

Abstract There is a need for effective, well-tolerated antiarrhythmic agents, particularly those effective by both intravenous and oral routes. Lorcainide, a new antiarrhythmic drug with such properties, was given long-term orally to 24 patients controlled initially with intravenous therapy—19 with frequent (>1/min) complex premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) on a baseline 24-hour Holter monitor and five with ongoing sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or frequent paroxysmal sustained VT, for a mean of 13 months (range 0.03 to 39.4 months). Long-term lorcainide was given in divided doses of 200 to 800 mg/day (median 260, mean 269 ± 90 mg/day). Response to long-term lorcainide therapy was assessed at a mean of both 26 days and 12.2 months. Frequency of PVCs on baseline averaged 13,490/24 hours (median 10,578, range 2,115 to 61,716); couplets averaged 309/24 hours (median 166, range 0 to 5,686), and runs averaged 33/24 hours (median 30, range 0 to 2,951). Median frequency of PVCs decreased by 94% ( p ≪ 0.001 ) and 97% ( p ≪ 0.01 ) at the first and second lorcainide efficacy assessments, respectively. Couplets decreased by a median of 99% ( p ≪ 0.001 ) and 100% ( p ) at the first and second assessments, respectively. Runs were suppressed by a median of 100% at both evaluations ( p ≪ 0.001 ). Only three (16%) of the patients with complex PVCs failed to respond to therapy. No recurrence during lorcainide has been noted in the five patients with ongoing sustained VT or recurrent episodes of VT. Three continued on therapy, one could be discontinued after corrective cardiac surgery (coronary bypass grafting with aneurysmectomy), and one was discontinued because of side effects (dizziness, bitter taste). ECG PR and QRS intervals increased mildly but significantly (by 0.02 and 0.01 second, respectively) during therapy ( p ). Adverse effects were frequent, however, and led to drug discontinuation in six (25%)-because of severe insomia in two; dizziness and metallic taste, impotence, arrhythmia exacerbation, and heart failure in one each. In summary, lorcainide is an effective antiarrhythmic long-term agent in patients initially responding to intravenous therapy, but is associated with a rather high incidence of adverse effects.
Detection and spectral measurement of single photons in communication bands using up-conversion technology

Quantum information systems are commonly operated in conventional communication bands (1310 and 1550 nm) over an optical fiber to take advantage of low transmission loss. However, the detection and spectral measurement of single photons in these communication bands are limited due to high noise and low sensitivity of single photon detectors in the wavelength ranges. To demonstrate high efficiency detection and high sensitivity spectral measurement, we have implemented a single photon detector and a spectrometer based on frequency up-conversion technology. This detector and spectrometer uses a 5-cm periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide and a tunable pump laser around 1550 nm, to convert signal photons around 1310 to 710 nm. The converted photons are then detected by a silicon-based avalanche photodiode (APD). The overall detection efficiency of the single photon detector is as high as 32%, which is three times higher than commercial InGaAs APDs. The sensitivity of the spectrometer is measured to be −126 dBm, which is at least three orders-of-magnitude better than any commercial optical spectrum analyzer in this wavelength range.
Youth appropriation of social media for collaborative and facilitated design-based learning

Youth participated in an afterschool design-based STEM program.Social networking forums (SNFs) were integrated as tools for design-based learning.SNF posts were analyzed using the theoretical framework of connected learning.Youth used SNFs to collaborate with others on designs and articulate knowledge.Facilitators played a role in encouraging youth to persist in the design process. The purpose of this paper is to report on the ways that middle school age youth in the US appropriated a social networking forum (SNF) during an afterschool integrative STEM program, Studio STEM. SNFs are a form of social media created predominantly for social interaction and maintenance of relationships. In design-based learning environments, SNFs have the potential to facilitate the documentation of the design process from collaborative idea generation through testing and refinement. These records can be accessed from anytime and anywhere with Internet access, providing opportunities for youth to draw connections between classroom and afterschool environments. Studio STEM was designed intentionally to expose youth to scientific concepts related to electrical generation and energy transformations through collaborative design of lights powered through motion. Concurrently, facilitators encouraged youth to post to the SNF, Edmodo. All posts were analyzed using the theoretical framework of connected learning in which peer and instructor interactions mediated through SNFs might enhance learning. Results indicate that youth appropriated Edmodo to connect with others, articulate knowledge, and exchange design ideas. Facilitators played a strong role in encouraging youth to persist with design refinement through the use of Edmodo. Results suggest that youth are open to using SNFs to collaborate and provide updates on design processes, which is encouraging in terms of blending formal and informal STEM learning environments with social media.
Clinic Offering Affordable Radiation Therapy to Increase Access to Care for Patients Enrolled in Hospice

This program increased access to palliative radiation therapy (RT) for patients in hospice who would otherwise have not been referred, and identified the need for educational activities at hospice agencies where staff turnover may be high and understanding about palliative RT can be limited.
Tumor control probability reduction in gated radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancers: a feasibility study.

We studied the feasibility of evaluating tumor control probability (TCP) reductions for tumor motion beyond planned gated radiotherapy margins. Tumor motion was determined from cone-beam CT projections acquired for patient setup, intrafraction respiratory traces, and 4D CTs for five non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with gated radiotherapy. Tumors were subdivided into 1 mm sections whose positions and doses were determined for each beam-on time point. (The dose calculation model was verified with motion phantom measurements.) The calculated dose distributions were used to generate the treatment TCPs for each patient. The plan TCPs were calculated from the treatment planning dose distributions. The treatment TCPs were compared to the plan TCPs for various models and parameters. Calculated doses matched phantom measurements within 0.3% for up to 3 cm of motion. TCP reductions for excess motion greater than 5mm ranged from 1.7% to 11.9%, depending on model parameters, and were as high as 48.6% for model parameters that simulated an individual patient. Repeating the worst case motion for all fractions increased TCP reductions by a factor of 2 to 3, while hypofractionation decreased these reductions by as much as a factor of 3. Treatment motion exceeding gating margins by more than 5 mm can lead to considerable TCP reductions. Appropriate margins for excess motion are recommended, unless applying daily tumor motion verification and adjusting the gating window.
Divergent effects of bombesin and bethanechol on stimulated gastric secretion in duodenal ulcer and in normal men

Abstract To further investigate differences in the responses of normals and patients with doudenal ulcer with respect to gastrin release and acid and pepsin secretion, we infused bombesin (1 μg/kg · h) or bethanechol (40 μg/kg · h) during the middle hour of a 3-h infusion of pentagastrin and compared the results with a pentagastrin infusion without added drug. Pentagastrin dosage (0.1 μg/kg · h) was set to give about half-maximal response, to detect either inhibition or further stimulation of gastric secretion, whereas the dose of bombesin was chosen to give maximal gastrin but less than maximal acid secretion. Serum gastrin and somatostatin were also measured. In all subjects tested, bethanechol produced no effects on acid, gastrin, or somatostatin release but increased pepsin output. By contrast, bombesin inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated acid output in all 6 normal men by an average of 55%, whereas it inhibited acid output in only 2 of the 9 men with duodenal ulcer. Serum gastrin increases after bombesin in duodenal ulcer were three to four times greater than in normals. Although bombesin stimulates acid only by releasing gastrin, we postulate that bombesin may also simultaneously limit acid and pepsin secretion and speculate that this effect could be mediated by bombesin-induced somatostatin release. The causes for differences between duodenal ulcer and normals remain speculative.
Evolution of Bacterial Transformation: Is Sex with Dead Cells Ever Better than No Sex at All?

Computer simulations of bacterial transformation are used to show that, under a wide range of biologically reasonable assumptions, transforming populations undergoing deleterious mutation and selection have a higher mean fitness at equilibrium than asexual populations. The source of transforming DNA, the amount of DNA taken up by each transforming cell, and the relationship between number of mutations and cell viability (the fitness function) are important factors. When the DNA source is living cells, transformation resembles meiotic sex. When the DNA source is cells killed by selection against mutations, transformation increases the average number of mutations per genome but can nevertheless increase the mean fitness of the population at equilibrium. In a model of regulated transformation, in which the most fit cells of a transforming population do not transform, transforming populations are always fitter at equilibrium than asexual populations. These results show that transformation can reduce mutation load.
Commentary: Psychologist Researcher-Clinicians: The General Medical Setting Beckons!

Clinical psychologists increasingly recognize that general medical settings offer meaningful opportunities to pursue varied research and clinical interests. Colleagues wishing to evaluate and refine their clinical interventions will find the medical milieu challenging but also hospitable to these pursuits. The research to be conducted in general medical settings requires particular consideration of the ecologic validity of transferring treatments across service delivery settings; the choice of control conditions, such as usual care; randomization by practice rather than patient or physician; and the complexity in ascribing causality to multifaceted interventions.
Generation and evaluation of dimension-reduced amino acid parameter representations by artificial neural networks

In order to process data of proteins, a numeri- cal representation for an amino acid is often necessary. Many suitable parameters can be derived from experi- ments or statistical analysis of databases. To ensure a fast and efficient use of these sources of information, a re- duction and extraction of relevant information out of these parameters is a basic need. In this approach estab- lished methods like principal component analysis (PCA) are supplemented by a method based on symmetric neu- ral networks. Two different parameter representations of amino acids are reduced from five and seven dimen- sions, respectively, to one, two, three, or four dimensions by using a symmetric neural network approach alterna- tively with one or three hidden layers. It is possible to create general reduced parameter representations for amino acids. To demonstrate the ability of this approach, these reduced sets of parameters are applied for the ab initio prediction of protein secondary structure from pri- mary structure only. Artificial neural networks are imple- mented and trained with a diverse representation of 430 proteins out of the PDB. An essentially faster training and also prediction without a decrease in accuracy is ob- tained for the reduced parameter representations in com- parison with the complete set of parameters. The method is transferable to other amino acids or even other molec- ular building blocks, like nucleic acids, and therefore represents a general approach.
Third virial coefficients of nonpolar gases and their mixtures

While much attention has been given to second virial coefficients of nonpolar gases, experimental and theoretical studies on third virial coefficients are scarce. This work presents a correlation of third virial coefficients within the framework of the corresponding states principle. The correlation is useful for estimating third virial coefficients of pure and mixed nonpolar gases, including the quatum gases helium, hydrogen, and neon. The importance of third virial cross coefficients in phase equilibrium predictions is illustrated with calculations for the solid-gas, methane-hydrogen system at 76°K. Brief attention is given to the pressure series form of the virial equation. Because of fortuitous cancellations, it is shown that for reduced temperatures above 1.4, the pressure series, truncated after the second term, is applicable to a wider range of density than the density series truncated after the second term. However, when both series are truncated after the third term, the density series appears to be superior regardless of reduced temperature.
Automated analysis of electronic medical record data reflects the pathophysiology of operative complications.

Purpose We hypothesized that a novel algorithm that uses data from the electronic medical record (EMR) from multiple clinical and biometric sources could provide early warning of organ dysfunction in patients with high risk for postoperative complications and sepsis. Operative patients undergoing colorectal procedures were evaluated. Methods The Rothman Index (RI) is a predictive model based on heuristic equations derived from 26 variables related to inpatient care. The RI integrates clinical nursing observations, bedside biometrics, and laboratory data into a continuously updated, numeric physiologic assessment, ranging from 100 (unimpaired) to −91. The RI can be displayed within the EMR as a graphic trend, with a decreasing trend reflecting physiologic dysfunction. Patients undergoing colorectal procedures between June and October 2011 were evaluated to determine correlation of initial RI, average inpatient RI, and lowest RI to incidence of complications and/or postoperative sepsis. Patients were stratified by color-coded RI risk group (100-65, blue; 64-40, yellow; Results The overall incidence of perioperative complications in the 124 patient cohort was 51% (n = 64 patients). The 261 complications sustained by this group represented 82 distinct diagnoses. The 10 patients with sepsis (8%) experienced a 40% mortality. Analysis of initial RI for the population stratified by number of complications and/or sepsis demonstrated a risk-related difference. With progressive onset of complications, the RI decreased, suggesting worsening physiologic dysfunction and linear increase in direct cost of care. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that EMR data can be automatically compiled into an objective metric that reflects patient risk and changing physiologic state. The automated process of continuous update reflects a physiologic trajectory associated with evolving organ system dysfunction indicative of postoperative complications. Early intervention based on these trends may guide preoperative counseling, enhance pre-emptive management of adverse occurrences, and improve cost-efficiency of care.
Deep Erosion by Continental Ice Sheets

The following observations suggest that erosion by continental ice sheets removed stratigraphic cover to exhume some of the world9s largest areas of exposed Precambrian crystalline rock. 1. Of the world9s large areas of exposed Precambrian rock, two were centrally located beneath great Pleistocene continental ice sheets that no longer exist, are proportionate to those ice sheets in size and similar in shape, and are great lowlands holding central seas. Most of the others are in areas that were covered by Paleozoic ice sheets and are presently overlain only by stratigraphic cover that is younger than those ice sheets. 2. Around Laurentian and Fennoscandian shields, arcs of exhumation control major topography and drainage. These are arcuate lowlands of continental scope encircling the shields at the Precambrian-Paleozoic contact where glaciation skinned Paleozoic rocks off crystalline basement. They are geometrically similar and are proportional in size to the ice sheets that excavated them. They form the St. Lawrence and upper MacKenzie valleys, including America9s greatest lake basins—Great Bear, Great Slave, Athabaska, Reindeer, Winnipeg, Winnipegosis, Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lakes, Great Lakes, and St. Lawrence Trough. European counterparts are Skagerrak, Baltic, Gulf of Finland, Lakes Ladoga and Onega, Onega Bay, Gulf of Dvinsk, and White Sea. 3. Peripheral parts of shields that were inundated by Pleistocene ice sheets show exhumed pre-Paleozoic terrain with a regional slope that is radially outward, down-glacier. Central parts are flat-floored basins that slope radially inward up-glacier and have no monad-nocks because glacial erosion cut deeply into pre-Paleozoic basement. 4. Erosion by the Laurentide and Fenno-scandian ice sheets has carved great hierarchies of ellipsoidal basins. In North America, the master basin holds Hudson Bay; the lesser radiating basins, farther down-glacier, hold the Great Lakes. A similar but lesser hierarchy has eastern Lake Ontario as its master basin and the Finger Lakes of New York as its lesser radiating basins.
Muscle‐sparing abdominal free flaps in head and neck reconstruction

Background. Our aim in this retrospective case se- ries was to review the indications, results, and complications of abdominal muscle-sparing free flaps in head and neck cancer reconstruction. Methods. A retrospective review of all head and neck cancer defects reconstructed with abdominal muscle-sparing free tis- sue transfers from 1999 to 2004 was performed. Data collected included patient demographics, etiology and site of the defect, reconstructive technique, flap size, recipient vessels, complica- tions, reconstructive technique, and clinical follow-up.
Cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma: an analysis of 20 patients

Although hematogenous spread of osteosarcoma is well known, the imaging findings of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma are seldom reported and can be difficult to recognize. The enhanced resolution of modern CT and MRI scanners may lead to better detection of cardiovascular involvement. To describe the key imaging findings and clinical behavior of cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed the imaging findings and clinical characteristics of 20 patients with cardiovascular involvement by osteosarcoma identified by two pediatric radiologists from a review of imaging studies at our institution from 2007 to 2013. At initial diagnosis, the median age of the patients was 15.1 years (range 4.8–24.6 years), and 7 (35%) patients had detectable metastases. Median time to detection of cardiovascular metastases was 1.8 years (range 0–7.3 years). Sixteen patients died of disease; 4 have survived a median of 7.4 years since initial diagnosis. The sites of cardiovascular involvement were the systemic veins draining the primary and metastatic osteosarcoma, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins draining the pulmonary metastases, and heart. A dilated and mineralized terminal pulmonary arteriole is an early sign of metastatic osteosarcoma in the lung. Unfamiliarity with the imaging features resulted in under-recognition and misinterpretation of intravascular tumor thrombus as bland thrombus. Knowledge of imaging findings in the era of modern imaging modalities has enhanced our ability to detect cardiovascular involvement and lung metastases early and avoid misinterpreting tumor thrombus in draining systemic veins or pulmonary arteries as bland thrombus.
Analysis of 1500 routine proctosigmoidoscopic examinations.

Summary A review of 1500 consecutive proctosigmoidoscopic examinations showed that these examinations done routinely, as part of general diagnostic studies, will reveal a significant number of rectal diseases. Five cases of rectal cancer, four of which occurred in rectal polyps, and 79 benign polyps were detected by routine examination. The examinations were conducted without any unto ward incident, demonstrating the relative saf eness of the procedure. The number of rectal cancers detected by routine examination constituted nearly half of those found in the entire series, although the percentage of similar conditions found in the group with definite rectal symptoms was much tigher.
MSRC at TREC 2011 Crowdsourcing Track.

Crowdsourcing useful data, such as reliable relevance labels for pairs of topics and documents, requires a multidisciplinary approach that spans aspects such as user interface and interaction design, incentives, crowd engagement and management, and spam detection and filtering. Research has shown that the design of a crowdsourcing task can significantly impact the quality of the obtained data, where the geographic location of crowd workers was found to be a main indicator of quality. Following this, for the Assessment task of the TREC crowdsourcing track, we designed HITs to minimize attracting spam workers, and restricted participation to workers in the US. As an incentive, we included the possibility of a bonus pay of $5 for the best performing workers. When crowdsourcing relevance judgments, multiple judgments are typically obtained to provide greater certainty as to the true label. However, combining these judgments by a simple majority vote not only has the flawed underlying assumption that each assessor has comparable accuracy but also ignores the impact of topic specific effects (e.g. the amount of topic-expertise needed to accurately judge). We provide a simple probabilistic framework for predicting true relevance from crowdsourced judgments and explore variations that condition on worker and topic. In particular, we focus on the topic conditional model that was our primary submission for the Consensus task of the track.
Conducting Experiments for Gaining Customer Insights: A Primer on Causal Research (Part 1 of 2)

In many situations companies are interested in understanding the impact of their actions. Did a change in our advertising strategy cause a change in sales? What is the effect of implementing a specific leadership practice on people’s performance? To answer these questions companies need to conduct causal research — or run field experiments. This article (1) explains the difference between correlation and causality; (2) provides an overview of key issues companies face in drawing causal inferences, (3) describes the common experimental designs used in customer research, and (4) provides examples of implementing simple field experiments.
Effects of Walnut Consumption on Endothelial Function in People with Type 2 Diabetes: a Randomized Pilot Trial

The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary data to test the hypothesis that (1) a 12-week intervention with 28 g/day of walnuts improves endothelial function in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and (2) intake of walnuts improves plasma adipokines after 12 weeks of intervention. In this pilot randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial of 26 adult subjects with prevalent DM, each subject was randomized to a usual diet with 28 g of walnuts per day or usual diet without walnuts (control group). Reactive hyperemia index (RHI), a measure of endothelial function, was measured non-invasively at baseline and after 12 weeks using Endo-PAT2000. We used linear regression to examine the effects of the intervention on RHI. The mean age at baseline was 64.8 ± 11.6 years; 61.5 % of participants were female, and 15.4 % had coronary artery disease. The standard error of RHI was 0.19. The difference in change in RHI during the intervention between the two groups was −0.029 (95 % confidence interval (CI) −0.52, 0.46, p = 0.23). Walnut intervention led to a suggestive increase in adiponectin, albeit non-statistically significant (difference 0.50 μg/ml (95 % CI −0.10, 1.09), p = 0.65). We demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed randomized trial and obtained needed standard deviations to calculate the required sample size to test proposed hypotheses in an efficacy trial.
Marginal Mean Models for Zero-Inflated Count Data

Zero-inflated regression models have emerged as a popular tool within the parametric framework to characterize count data with excess zeros. Despite their increasing popularity, much of the literature on real applications of these models has centered around the latent class formulation where the mean response of the so-called at-risk or susceptible population and the susceptibility probability are both related to covariates. While this formulation in some instances provides an interesting representation of the data, it often fails to produce easily interpretable covariate effects on the overall mean response. In this article, we propose two approaches that circumvent this limitation. The first approach consists of estimating the effect of covariates on the overall mean from the assumed latent class models, while the second approach formulates a model that directly relates the overall mean to covariates. Our results are illustrated by extensive numerical simulations and an application to an oral health study on low income African-American children, where the overall mean model is used to evaluate the effect of sugar consumption on caries indices.
Improving Query Reformulation in Voice Search System

During online search, users frequently modify the existing query to get better results. For voice search users, the system error is a second reason of query reformulation. In keyboard system, query reformulation usually involves partial modification which is not well supported by the current voice search systems. In this proposal, I aim to develop a set of voice commands which will improve the user experience in query reformulation during voice search. The study will include four phases. Firstly, a survey will be used to collect the user's perception of the current voice search system. Secondly, an experiment will be performed to find out how the users would like to communicate with the system. Thirdly, a set of voice commands will be developed based on the findings of the second phase. Finally, another experiment will be used to test the effects of the voice commands.
Some Reflections on Sociology and the Counter-Culture

(1971). Some Reflections on Sociology and the Counter-Culture. Sociological Focus: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 61-68.
“A ton of faith in science!” nature and role of assumptions in, and ideas about, science and epistemology generated upon watching a sci‐fi film

This study (i) explicates the sorts of ideas about science and the nature of knowing that were generated among participant graduate students who viewed the sci-fi film, Contact, and (ii) examines the interactions between these ideas and ontic stances with which participants approached viewing the film. Eleven doctoral students of various disciplinary backgrounds viewed Contact, wrote a film review in response to a prompt, and were interviewed to clarify and further explore ideas mentioned in their review. Participants’ most prevalent ideas generated upon viewing Contact were that scientific assumptions, and trust in scientific knowledge and authority, are “faith-based”; theory-choice in science can be faith-based; science requires empirical evidence; and females in science are severely misrepresented. Further, more participants experienced such ideas as realistic rather than unrealistic representations of science, and some identified with particular scenes from the film. These results do not empirically support pedagogical techniques recommended by prior literature suggesting that science teachers who expose students to sci-fi film in the classroom should focus specifically on what teachers deem scientifically inaccurate or misinformation. This approach is rather limited and fails to consider ideas generated by students upon viewing films, which teachers might not expect (e.g., relating science with faith). Rather, we recommend an open-ended, reflective pedagogical approach to using sci-fi film where teachers, first, openly engage students with writing about and discussing thoughts they generate upon watching a given film, and then move to address student ideas. Our findings also indicate a critical need to expand the current consensus model for NOS in K-12 science education—in particular, including and explicating the nature and role of assumptions in science as an additional core dimension of currently accepted NOS models. Toward this end, we delineate the nature and role of scientific assumptions by reference to the epistemological theory of coherentism. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 1143–1171, 2016
Epidemiological Analysis of Measles Epidemics and Its Control Strategies in Anhua County from 2006 to 2011

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of measles and the incidence of measles before and after supplemental immunization of measles vaccine in Anhua County,to master the regularity of measles epidemics,and to provide a scientific basis for measles prevention and control. Methods With descriptive epidemiological methods,the data of measles epidemics in Anhua County from 2006 to 2011 were statistically analyzed by SPSS13.0 software. Results A total of 254 cases of measles were reported in Anhua County from 2006 to 2011.The cases occurred mostly from March to June.Children aged below 10 years were the major subjects attacked by measles,accounted for 88.19%.Scattered children,preschool children and pupils accounted for 90.16% of the incidence population.The cases without immunization history or with dubious immunization history accounted for 98.42%(251/254).After supplemental immunization,the incidence of measles was significantly declined(χ2=11.08,P0.01). Conclusions Supplemental immunization of measles vaccine could effectively reduce the incidence rate of measles.The key points of controlling measles are to strengthen routine and supplemental immunizations of measles in school-age children and to increase the coverage rate of immunization.
Gastrin and CCK activate phospholipase C and stimulate pepsinogen release by interacting with two distinct receptors

Both gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) can stimulate pepsinogen release from chief cells, but controversy exists about the receptors or intracellular mediators involved. In the present study, we prepared isolated chief cells from guinea pig stomach (> 90% pure) to investigate the ability of gastrin and CCK to alter cell function. The COOH-terminal octapeptide of CCK (CCK-8) caused an eightfold increase in pepsinogen release (EC50, 54 nM). Both CCK-8 and gastrin increased inositol phosphates, with CCK-8 (1 microM) and gastrin (3 microM) causing a 40- and 14-fold increase in [3H]IP1, 10- and 6-fold for [3H]IP2, and 8- and 4-fold for [3H]IP3. CCK-8 caused a half-maximal increase in [3H]IP3 at 2 nM, and the dose-response curve was monophasic, whereas with gastrin the curve was biphasic, with an EC50 of the initial component (20% maximal) at 38 nM and the second component at 10 microM. L-364,718 (0.1 microM) inhibited the secondary increase seen with gastrin concentrations > 10 nM. The CCK-A-selective agonist A-71378 was 85-90% as efficacious as CCK-8 and was equally potent. With 0.1 microM L-364,718, A-71378 caused no increase in [3H]inositol phosphates until > 10 nM, whereas CCK-8 caused 15% of maximal increase at concentrations > 0.3 nM. Similar results were obtained with cytosolic calcium measured using fura-2 or on CCK-8- or gastrin-stimulated pepsinogen release. These results demonstrate that gastrin and CCK-8 can alter chief cell function by interacting with either a CCK-A or CCK-B/gastrin receptor. Both receptors are coupled to phospholipase C and cause changes in inositol phosphates, cytosolic calcium, and pepsinogen release; however, the intracellular amplification differs between the two receptor subtypes. Activation by CCK-related peptides of the CCK-A receptor subtype accounts for 85-90% of the maximal changes in cellular function, and activation of the CCK-B/gastrin receptor accounts for 10-20% of maximal changes.
Estimates of zinc and iron bioavailability in pork liver and the effect of sex of pig on the bioavailability of copper in pork liver fed to male and female chicks.

Four chick experiments were conducted to investigate possible explanations for why Cu bioavailability in pork liver is zero. One possible explanation was that pork liver contains compounds, such as Zn, that directly or indirectly inhibit Cu utilization: It has also been suggested that sex differences may influence Cu bioavailability. The effect of freeze-dried (FD) pork liver from gilts vs barrows was first examined. Neither FD gilt liver nor FD barrow liver provided any bioavailable Cu to chicks. The effect of sex of the chicks used in the assay (i.e., male chicks vs female chicks) was also examined, but there were no sex-dependent differences (P>.10) in the slopes of the standard curve generated by added Cu from CuSO 4 or in the responses to added FD pork liver. Based on bone Zn uptake, Zn bioavailability in FD barrow liver and FD gilt liver was not different (P>.04) from that in ZnSO 4 , but Fe bioavailability (hemoglobin repletion assay) was approximately 40% (P<.05) OF THAT IN FESO 4 in both FD gilt liver and FD barrow liver
Farmers' Market Manager's Level of Communication and Influence on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Adoption at Midwest Farmers' Markets.

Abstract Objective To understand market managers' level of communication and use of technology that might influence decision to adopt Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) at farmers' markets. Design Cross-sectional study using the Theory of Diffusion of Innovation. Setting Electronic survey administered in midwest states of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Participants Farmers' market managers in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Main Outcome Measures Information on EBT adoption, market managers' communication, and technology use. Analysis Binary logistic regression analysis with EBT adoption as the dependent variable and frequency of technology use, partnership with organizations, farmers' market association (FMA) membership, Facebook page and Web site for the market, and primary source of information as independent variables. Chi-square tests and ANOVA were used to compare states and adopter categories. Results Logistic regression results showed that the odds of adopting EBT was 7.5 times higher for markets that had partnership with other organizations. Compared with non-adopters, a significantly greater number of early adopters had partnership, FMA membership, and a Facebook page and Web site for market, and reported to a board of directors. Conclusions and Implications Markets that had partnership, FMA membership, a Facebook page and Web site, and mandatory reporting to a board of directors were important factors that influenced EBT adoption at midwest farmers' markets.
Long Thoracic Nerve Entrapment

The long thoracic nerve is under-recognized by pain specialists as a cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. Unless it is specifically elicited, the hallmark winged scapula may go unnoticed. This chapter discusses the clinical presentation, physical exam, diagnostic features, and treatment options.
Emphysematous pyelonephritis with an unusual cause

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a severe infection that occurs in both diabetic and nondiabetic persons who have ureteral obstruction. A high index of suspicion and an aggressive workup are essential for the diagnosis. Management-medical therapy with or without surgical intervention-is based on clinical, laboratory, and CT findings. We present a case of emphysematous pyelonephritis associated with lactobacillemia and Candida glabrata and Candida albicans fungemia in a diabetic patient with bilateral ureteral stents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of emphysematous pyelonephritis associated with lactobacillemia reported in the literature.
The Effects of a Transition Diet on the Smoltification of Chinook Salmon

AbstractTransition diets, often supplemented with salt and other additives, have been used to prepare Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. being moved directly from freshwater to saltwater net pens for aquaculture production. However, the use of transition diets to prepare hatchery-reared salmon released into freshwater prior to out-migration to the ocean has shown mixed results. We compared the physiological (size, condition factor, Na+,K+-ATPase [NKA] enzyme activity, survival during a saltwater challenge) and nutritional (proximate composition, fatty acid profile) condition of juvenile Chinook Salmon O. tshawytscha that were fed either a standard hatchery feed or a commercially available transition diet for the final 6 weeks of hatchery rearing to determine whether the transition diet altered smolt condition. At release, NKA activity of fish fed the transition diet was higher than that of fish fed the control diet, though survival during a saltwater challenge was similar between groups. Differences were se...
Metabolic energy expenditure estimation using a position-agnostic wearable sensor system

This paper presents an energy expenditure estimation method that uses a wearable accelerometer sensor, but does not rely on a priori knowledge about the location of the sensor. The sensor can be worn at any of three pre-defined locations, namely, right wrist, right thigh and right ankle. It is shown that once the system is trained, the proposed mechanism can perform sensor location detection in run-time within a period as short as 4.2 seconds. A sensor-position-specific energy expenditure estimation model is then applied. Experiments were carried out on 25 healthy subjects, and 14 activities with diverse intensities were included. It is demonstrated that the sensor position can be detected at an accuracy of 99.68%, and the Root-Mean-Square-Error for energy expenditure estimation is 1.79 METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task).
Keep Calm and Simulate On: Faculty Experiences and Insights Into Implementing Best Practices in Simulation

Abstract Nursing faculty struggle with simulation pedagogy as standards and best practices have only recently emerged. Recent groundbreaking research provides support for the acceptance of simulation standards across nursing programs. However, experts developed best practices under optimal conditions that can be challenging to implement under real-world conditions. Educators need examples of implementing standards to ensure high-quality simulation-based education. Keep calm and read on for a practical examination of simulation best practices and to learn strategies and tools for organizing simulated learning experiences.
Cryptococcosis Today: It Is Not All About HIV Infection

Cryptococcal disease is most often thought of in the context of HIV infection. Much of our knowledge of the disease originates from its management in the HIV-positive population over the last 30 years. While the majority of cases globally continue to occur in the setting of advanced HIV, Cryptococcus species is increasingly responsible for disease in HIV-negative populations including those considered normal hosts and these HIV-negative populations will be the focus of this review. Currently available data indicated that significant differences exist in epidemiology, clinical presentation, management and outcomes of cryptococcal disease in HIV-negative populations when compared to those living with HIV. Further research is required to improve our knowledge of cryptococcal disease in particular in HIV-negative cohorts so as to optimise management of the disease in the future.
Intracranial complications of CSOM in pediatric patients: A persisting problem in developing countries

Abstract Background Intracranial complications (ICC) of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) occur even in the antibiotic area. These complications are commonly seen in pediatric patients due to poor hygiene and low immunity. They are more prevalent in developing countries due to illiteracy, low socioeconomic status and lack of access to health care facilities. Objective To study the incidence, clinical profile, treatment and outcome of pediatric patients presenting with intracranial complications of chronic suppurative otitis media. Methods A retrospective analysis of intracranial complications of CSOM in pediatric patients was conducted over a period of 15 years at a tertiary level institute. Data regarding age, sex, clinical presentation, laboratory and radiological investigations, management, duration of hospitalization, and outcomes were recorded. Results There were 142 patients, in the pediatric age group, diagnosed as having intracranial complications due to chronic otitis media during the study period. There was a decline in the incidence of ICC of CSOM. The most frequent intracranial complication seen was brain abscess (58.5%). All patients were administered intravenous antibiotics for 4–6 weeks and underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy. Neurosurgical intervention was considered in the required patients. The case fatality rate in our study was 2.8% (4 patients). Conclusion Otogenic intracranial complications can be fatal if not managed appropriately and timely. Broad spectrum intravenous antibiotics are usually required for 4–6 weeks with or without neurosurgical intervention and mastoid exploration. A high index of suspicion is required in all patients presenting with danger symptoms.
Nanotechnology and the diagnosis of cutaneous malignancies

The application of nanotechnology to dermatology has opened new doors in the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous malignancies in the twenty-first century. Noninvasive diagnosis of cutaneous malignancies has traditionally been limited by the confines of what can be seen with visual inspection. Despite the availability of adjunctive tools, such as the dermatoscope, to increase accuracy in correct identification of lesions, skin biopsy with histopathologic confirmation is frequently necessary to ascertain a diagnosis. Thus, the possibility of imaging potentially malignant lesions noninvasively by coupling nanotechnology with various imaging techniques is very exciting. Much of this new technology still remains under investigation. This chapter will provide an overview of cutaneous malignancies, as well as an overview of the traditional methods and current developments in cutaneous imaging on the nanotechnology front.
« Corporate Welfare » : l’industrie des services sociaux et la réforme du « Welfare State » aux États-Unis

L’auteur analyse les transformations en cours dans le vaste systeme des services sociaux aux Etats-Unis. Reduction des depenses, decentralisation des programmes constituent le principe de base de la philosophie conservatrice. Mais depuis peu, un nouveau theme est apparu, celui d’un role accru des initiatives privees dans le secteur des services sociaux.L’article analyse l’influence du secteur prive dans trois domaines : la securite du revenu, en particulier les pensions de vieillesse, les soins de sante et les nouveaux centres d’accueil destines aux personnes âgees qui ont des ressources financieres suffisantes, les politiques dites de « zones d’entreprises » qui consistent a favoriser l’implantation d’industries dans les zones les plus defavorisees, tant urbaines que rurales, en suspendant les reglementations de protection des conditions de travail, du salaire minimum, etc., afin de rendre ces zones plus attrayantes pour les investisseurs.Ainsi est en train de se mettre sur pied une veritable industrie privee des services sociaux qui tend a introduire dans la logique du marche de vastes secteurs jusque-la pris en charge par les programmes gouvernementaux. Que vont devenir, dans un tel rapport de forces, les populations les plus pauvres, puisque le gouvernement n’aura plus les moyens financiers d’assurer une reponse adequate a leurs besoins ? Le « Corporate Welfare » est en train de remplacer le « Welfare State ».
PLASTICITY | The Role of Calcium in Mediating Neuronal Plasticity in Epileptogenesis

The major brain injuries leading to the development of acquired epilepsy include status epilepticus, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Despite differences in the initiating events, these injuries share common molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of epilepsy. Following injury, increased accumulation of extracellular glutamate leads to the excessive stimulation of glutamate receptors, and thus elevations in intracellular calcium. As calcium is a major second messenger, this alteration leads to a disruption of homeostasis and triggers changes in plasticity and gene expression. Understanding altered calcium dynamics post-injury may have therapeutic potential in preventing the progression to acquired epilepsy.
Abstract 15629: Superior Myocardial Protection With Adenosine - Triphosphate - Sensitive Potassium Channel Opener Diazoxide in a Novel Mouse Langendorff Model

Introduction: Adenosine triphosphate - sensitive potassium (KATP) channel openers are cardioprotective via an unknown mechanism. Mouse models allow genetic manipulation of KATP channel components f...
d-QPSO: A Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Technique for Finding D-Optimal Designs With Discrete and Continuous Factors and a Binary Response

Identifying optimal designs for generalized linear models with a binary response can be a challenging task, especially when there are both discrete and continuous independent factors in the model. ...
Overview of Formal Verification

Formal verification of a computing system entails a mathematical proof showing that the system satisfies its desired property or specification. To do this, we must use some mathematical structure to model the system of interest and derive the desired properties of the system as theorems about the structure. The principal distinction between the different formal verification approaches stems from the choice of the mathematical formalism used in the reasoning process. We survey some of the key formal verification techniques and understand their strengths and limitation.
A Survey of Issues Related to the Analysis of Observational Data in Longitudinal Research

The primary problems in analysis of data from longitudinal studies arise from the fact the such studies most frequently involve naturally occurring groups, or samples of convenience, rather than random assignment and other features of good experimental design. This fact results In numerous possibly confounded effects that must be disentangled in analysis of the data. Because groups may differ initially on the measures that are to be the basis for evaluation of change, the particular index chosen to define change is more critical than in experimental studies. In this brief discussion, an attempt will be made to survey some of the more controversial issues related to definition of change and the statistical control over a variety of possibly confounding factors In observational type research.