cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accredited vs. non-accredited: The polarization of practitioners in the public relations profession

Abstract Characteristics of a profession include standardized education grounded in a theory-based body of knowledge, professional associations, codes of ethics, accountability and public recognition, as well as accreditation or certification. This study found that accredited and non-accredited practitioners differ significantly on a range of demographic and job-related variables, including gender, age, years of experience, education levels, employing organization type, reporting relationships, professional competencies, and salary levels. This apparent polarization of practitioners cannot be beneficial for public relations as the field continues to strive toward professionalism.
Infant Mental Health in Occupational Therapy Practice in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

The work of supporting an infant's emotional development and mental health begins in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). It depends on understanding the family and uses the parallel processes involved in relationship building to maximize the environment for the optimal development of the infant in the NICU. Occupational therapy service provision is discussed in light of knowledge about the developmental work of the full-term neonates and their parents and the corresponding work of infants in the NICU and their families. A brief vignette of occupational therapy services provided in the context of a relationship-focused infant mental health model is included.
Antinutritional Factors in Sweetpotato Greens

Abstract Although sweetpotato leaves are consumed as a green vegetable in several Asian and some African countries, information on their antinutritional factors is very limited. Thus, oxalic, phytic, and tannic acids and trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor contents in the leaves of three sweetpotato varieties, Jewel, Georgia Jet, and TU-82-155 were determined. Varietal differences in oxalic, phytic, and tannic acid concentrations were noted. Conventional and microwave blanching in boling water decreased their concentration but blanching time did not affect the amount reduced. Trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors were not detected even in the fresh leaves.
Detecting Cooling Coil Fouling Automatically—Part 2: Results Using a Multilayer Perceptron

A new concept to automatically detect cooling coil fouling is introduced in a companion paper (Veronica 2010). The concept maintains a data-driven dynamic model of the cooling coil on-line with coil instruments, so all steady and transient coil behavior is assimilated. The fouling surveillance is to periodically apply a specific transient sequence (the query) to this model off-line as a surrogate for applying such a test to the real coil. A query sum, calculated from the transient response of the model to a query, is used to detect changes in the real coil, to discern fouling from other faults such as instrument drift, and to further discern water-side from air-side fouling. A crucial element to viability of the concept is that the data-driven coil model respond to queries dynamically and recursively, with sufficient stability and accuracy so that fouling can be discerned. Yet, the model should be of reasonably simple architecture, permitting a plausible embedded implementation. Based on trials using simu...
Genetic initiation of hypertensive and diabetic nephropathy

The factors initiating the common etiologies of chronic renal failure remain elusive. This article reviews the evidence in support of a generalized genetic susceptibility to human end-stage renal disease, including kidney failure attributed to the systemic diseases of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and glomerulonephritis. Molecular genetic techniques are powerful tools, assisting in the detection of the initiating factors in many complex diseases. In kidney disease, genetic methodologies complement the available anatomic, epidemiologic, and physiologic analyses. This article provides strategies to allow for the detection of human renal failure susceptibility genes. The identification of human renal failure genes would provide useful markers for disease susceptibility and speed the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
New Approaches to Understand Cognitive Changes Associated With Chemotherapy for Non-Central Nervous System Tumors

Abstract Context Researchers have described a constellation of cognitive deficits (e.g., impairments in executive functions, working memory, attention, and information-processing speed) associated with cancer treatment, and specifically chemotherapy, for non-central nervous system tumors. However, findings have been inconsistent, largely because of measurement and study design issues. Objectives To propose ways for researchers to more clearly delineate and characterize the mild cognitive deficits and related outcomes that appear to affect a subset of cancer patients and suggest methods to make more effective use of the existing data to understand risk factors for impaired neuropsychological functioning. Methods We examined the literature on the relationship between chemotherapy and cognitive impairment, as well as related literature on neuropsychological measurement, structural and functional neuroimaging, alternative measures of health outcomes, and integrative data analysis. Results A more comprehensive picture of cognitive functioning might be obtained by incorporating nontraditional ecological measures, self-reports, computational modeling, new neuroimaging methods, and markers of occupational functioning. Case-control and integrative data analytic techniques potentially could leverage existing data to identify risk factors for cognitive dysfunction and test hypotheses about the etiology of these effects. Conclusion There is a need to apply new research approaches to understand the real-world functional implications of the cognitive side effects of chemotherapy to develop and implement strategies to minimize and remediate these effects before, during, and after cancer treatment.
Studying metacognition in natural settings

The purpose of this paper is to provide significant evidence from the literature for the use of emerging methods to study engineering students' use of metacognitive strategies when studying. We will review current research methods used to study metacognition and provide evidence that observational methods are an appropriate methodological choice when attempting to study the actual metacognitive strategies students engage in when in naturalistic settings.
Fast analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories with graphics processing units-Radial distribution function histogramming

The calculation of radial distribution functions (RDFs) from molecular dynamics trajectory data is a common and computationally expensive analysis task. The rate limiting step in the calculation of the RDF is building a histogram of the distance between atom pairs in each trajectory frame. Here we present an implementation of this histogramming scheme for multiple graphics processing units (GPUs). The algorithm features a tiling scheme to maximize the reuse of data at the fastest levels of the GPU's memory hierarchy and dynamic load balancing to allow high performance on heterogeneous configurations of GPUs. Several versions of the RDF algorithm are presented, utilizing the specific hardware features found on different generations of GPUs. We take advantage of larger shared memory and atomic memory operations available on state-of-the-art GPUs to accelerate the code significantly. The use of atomic memory operations allows the fast, limited-capacity on-chip memory to be used much more efficiently, resulting in a fivefold increase in performance compared to the version of the algorithm without atomic operations. The ultimate version of the algorithm running in parallel on four NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 (Fermi) GPUs was found to be 92 times faster than a multithreaded implementation running on an Intel Xeon 5550 CPU. On this multi-GPU hardware, the RDF between two selections of 1,000,000 atoms each can be calculated in 26.9s per frame. The multi-GPU RDF algorithms described here are implemented in VMD, a widely used and freely available software package for molecular dynamics visualization and analysis.
Chromosomal Anomalies Influence Parental Treatment Decisions in Relation to Prenatally Diagnosed Congenital Heart Disease

This study aimed to identify the variables that influence parental treatment decisions after a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD). The authors reviewed all cases of prenatally diagnosed structural CHD from August 1998 to December 2006 at their center. The following variables were studied as potential predictors of parental intent to treat: maternal age, race, insurance status, obstetric history, fetal gender, univentricular versus biventricular cardiac physiology, and fetal chromosomal abnormality. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. In the review, 252 consecutive cases of prenatally diagnosed CHD were identified. Of these, 204 women pursued full medical treatment, whereas 25 women sought termination of pregnancy or comfort care. Parental intent to treat was unknown for 23 cases. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified fetal chromosomal abnormality as the only variable that influenced parental intent to treat (odds ratio [OR], 14.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.28–62.66; p = 0.0006). An associated chromosomal abnormality rather than the severity of the heart defect influences the decision to choose termination of pregnancy or comfort care for a fetus with prenatally diagnosed CHD. Women were 14 times more likely to terminate a pregnancy or seek comfort care for a fetus with CHD if a chromosomal abnormality was present.
Neurodevelopmental Precursors to Learning Disabilities: A Preliminary Report From a Parent Survey

This study documented the number and type of neurodevelopmental problems reported by parents of children with and without learning disabilities (LD), and examined whether a pattern of problems could be identified. One hundred parents, 50 for each group, responded to a retrospective developmental survey. Their children were between 9 and 13 years of age and had a history of either typical academic achievement or classification of a learning disability. Results indicated that the children with learning disabilities were reported to have significantly more neurodevelopmental problems or delays across domains (e.g., language, motor, attention, social behavior) than normal achievers. The study showed that a sizeable portion, although not all, of the children with LD had a history of neurodevelopmental problems. Despite findings that suggest that some difficulties more commonly co-occurred than others, a pattern of neurodevelopmental difficulties was not observed in these children. However, some specific difficulties, such as with following multistep directions, printing letters of the alphabet, and understanding directions (e.g., up, down, right, left), seemed to most typify the students with learning disabilities.
A TOOL FOR CONSTRUCTING INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

The Tailor is a research tool for refining and evaluating a design representation for software systems that have a high degree of textual and graphical interaction. The design representation incorporates both software engineering and knowledge engineering techniques, providing a set of conventions for describing software design information and software construction knowledge. The Tailor demonstrates that the design representation, when embedded in a productivity tool, overcomes limitations of current generation user interface tools. For example, the Tailor has the capability to foresee construction difficulties arising from earlier design decisions. It uses this capability to provide active guidance in producing a software design that avoids problems otherwise overlooked during software specification and design.
Supervised self-organization of large homogeneous Swarms using Ergodic Projections of Markov Chains

This paper formulates a self-organization algorithm to addresses the problem of emergent behavior supervision in engineered swarms of arbitrary population size. Based on collections of independent identical finite-state agents, the algorithm is derived to compute necessary perturbations in the local agents' behavior, which guarantees convergence to the desired observed state of the swarm. A simulation example illustrates the underlying concept.
Differentiation and Eating Disorder Symptoms Among Males

We explored the relationship between four domains of differentiation of self and eating disorder symptoms among male college students. While all differentiation domains were significantly correlate...
The supergirls: fashion, feminism, fantasy, and the history of comic book heroines, by Mike Madrid

Author Mike Madrid begins this historical and social analysis of comic book superheroines by recounting his own experience with the medium as a young boy. Madrid writes that he was drawn to what he...
Cost-Based Optimization of Buffer Size in M/G/1/N Systems under Different Service-Time Distributions

An analytic cost model is presented for M/G/1/N queueing systems. It considers the cost of customer loss versus customer delays, by varying buffer size and processor speed. We find optimal (and near optimal) configurations for a wide variety of service-time distributions. The model can provide insight into when it is better to invest in increased processor speed than to supply more buffer space. It is seen that different distributions may need very different hardware for optimal performance, and that it may actually be better to reject customers.
A Demonstration of Regression False Positive Selection in Data Mining.

Business analytics courses, such as marketing research, data mining, forecasting, and advanced financial modeling, have substantial predictive modeling components. The predictive modeling in these courses requires students to estimate and test many linear regressions. As a result, false positive variable selection (type I errors) is nearly certain to occur. This article describes an in-class demonstration that shows the frequency and impact of false positives on data mining regression-based predictive modeling. In this demonstration, 500 randomly generated independent (X) variables are individually regressed against a single, randomly generated (Y) variable, and the resulting 500 p-values are sorted and examined. This experiment is repeated and the distribution of the number of variables significant at the 5% level resulting from this simulation is presented and discussed. The demonstration provides a tangible example in which students see the reality and risks of incorrectly inferring statistical significance of independent regression variables. Students have expressed a deeper understanding and appreciation of the risks of type I errors through this demonstration. This demonstration is innovative because the scale of the simulation allows the students to experience the near certainty that the correlations shown in the results are truly random.
Toughness determination for fibre reinforced concrete

Methods currently used to evaluate the toughness of fibre reinforced concrete (frc) are reviewed. Parameters representing the fracture energy determined from the area under the load-displacement curve obtained from conventional laboratory tests are discussed. An improved toughness parameter is proposed based on the secant compliance (the displacement/load ratio), rather than judging by load or displacement alone as by conventional methods. The new parameter is shown to represent the toughness properties of frc in a more consistent manner than other similar methods when applied to a wide range of idealised load-displacement curves. However, like other toughness parameters determined from the area under the load-displacement curve, its use should be limited to comparisons among results obtained under the same test conditions.(a)
Exploring the relationships among spiritual well‐being, quality of life, and psychological adjustment in women with breast cancer

This study examined the relationships among spiritual well-being, quality of life, and psychological adjustment in 142 women diagnosed with breast cancer who were participating in a larger study designed to compare the efficacy of two psychosocial support programs. Participants were given a set of questionnaires that measured spiritual well-being, quality of life, and adjustment to cancer. Results revealed a positive correlation between spiritual well-being and quality of life, as well as significant correlations between spiritual well-being and specific adjustment styles (e.g. fighting spirit). There was also a negative correlation between quality of life and use of a helpless/hopeless adjustment style, and a positive correlation between quality of life and fatalism. In regression analyses, after controlling for demographic variables and adjustment styles, spiritual well-being contributed very little additional variance in quality of life. These findings suggest that while spiritual well-being is correlated with both quality of life and psychological adjustment, the relationships among these variables are more complex and perhaps indirect than previously considered.
Rapid likelihood analysis on large phylogenies using partial sampling of substitution histories

Likelihood-based approaches can reconstruct evolutionary processes in greater detail and with better precision from larger data sets. The extremely large comparative genomic data sets that are now being generated thus create new opportunities for understanding molecular evolution, but analysis of such large quantities of data poses escalating computational challenges. Recently developed Markov chain Monte Carlo methods that augment substitution histories are a promising approach to alleviate these computational costs. We analyzed the computational costs of several such approaches, considering how they scale with model and data set complexity. This provided a theoretical framework to understand the most important computational bottlenecks, leading us to combine novel variations of our conditional pathway integration approach with recent advances made by others. The resulting technique ("partial sampling" of substitution histories) is considerably faster than all other approaches we considered. It is accurate, simple to implement, and scales exceptionally well with dimensions of model complexity and data set size. In particular, the time complexity of sampling unobserved substitution histories using the new method is much faster than previously existing methods, and model parameter and branch length updates are independent of data set size. We compared the performance of methods on a 224-taxon set of mammalian cytochrome-b sequences. For a simple nucleotide substitution model, partial sampling was at least 10 times faster than the PhyloBayes program, which samples substitutions in continuous time, and about 100 times faster than when using fully integrated substitution histories. Under a general reversible model of amino acid substitution, the partial sampling method was 1,600 times faster than when using fully integrated substitution histories, confirming significantly improved scaling with model state-space complexity. Partial sampling of substitutions thus dramatically improves the utility of likelihood approaches for analyzing complex evolutionary processes on large data sets.
Immune reconstitution syndrome associated with opportunistic mycoses

Host immunity is essential in facilitating the eradication of infection. However, immunological recovery and an imbalance characterised by either suboptimum or excessive expression of immune responses can also be harmful to the host. Inflammatory responses triggered by rapid resolution of immunosuppression can lead to a series of localised and systemic reactions, termed immune reconstitution syndrome (IRS), that are often misconstrued as failure of specific antifungal therapy to eliminate the offending fungal pathogen. Recognition of IRS has become increasingly relevant in the context of our current use of potent immunosuppressive agents and immunostimulators that allow rapid manipulation of the immune system. Whereas the conceptual principles of IRS underscore the adverse effects of an overzealous and dysregulated immune response, they also support a role of immunotherapies to augment immunity if induction of endogenous responses is inadequate for the control of infection.
Development of ion-channel based biosensors using polymerizable lipids

As a step in developing the potential of polymerizable lipids for stabilization of bilayers for biosensor applications, the authors have demonstrated that asymmetric bilayers consisting of one monolayer of polymerized diacetylenic lecithin and the other monolayer consisting of asolectin can support the function of alamethicin, although this function is somewhat modified. Single monolayers of 1, 2-bis- (10, 12-tricosadiynoyl)-sin-glycero- 3-phosphocholine (DC/sub 23/PC) were formed at the air-water interface and polymerized with a low-pressure mercury lamp. Other monolayers were formed from asolectin, and a patch electrode was passed through them to form an asymmetric bilayer. Membrane stabilization in the form of a substantial increase in the bilayer breakdown voltage was seen. When the ion-channel-forming peptide alamethicin was presented to the asolectin monolayer it formed channels through such bilayers, although the turn-on voltage for the channels was substantially higher and the conductivity lower than for symmetric asolectin bilayers. >
Performance of smart antennas with adaptive combining at handsets for the 3GPP W-CDMA system

We present the performance gain of dual smart antennas with adaptive combining at handsets for the 3GPP W-CDMA system. The adaptive algorithm based on the normalized least-mean-square (N-LMS) algorithm is employed, in which antenna weights are recursively obtained. To obtain the channel profile, we adopted the GBSB (geometrically based single bounce) elliptical and circular models. The simulation results show that the dual smart antenna system with adaptive combining performs better than a single antenna system and its performance gain is 3.3 dB for the GBSB elliptical model at BER of 5/spl times/10/sup -2/ and 5.5 dB for the GBSB circular model. The higher performance gain is achieved as the mobile velocity decreases.
Frequent loss of heterozygosity at the retinoblastoma locus in human esophageal cancers.

Abstract Abnormalities in the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (Rb) have been observed in a large number of human cancers. Loss of heterozygosity is a common mode of allelic inactivation of Rb and other tumor suppressor genes. We investigated DNA from 61 primary human esophageal tumors for loss of heterozygosity at the Rb locus using a polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Of informative cases, we found loss of heterozygosity in 14 of 26 (54%) squamous cell carcinomas and 5 of 14 (36%) adenocarcinomas. These data support the hypothesis that Rb inactivation is involved in the pathogenesis and/or progression of esophageal cancer.
Canine Intra-Articular Multipotent Stromal Cells (MSC) From Adipose Tissue Have the Highest In Vitro Expansion Rates, Multipotentiality, and MSC Immunophenotypes†

Objective To identify the optimum intra-articular multipotent stromal cell (MSC) tissue source in the canine stifle. Study Design Experimental. Sample Population Infrapatellar adipose tissue, synovium lining the joint capsule, and synovium surrounding the cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) from normal stifles of 6 dogs. Methods Nucleated cell density for each tissue was determined, and cell doublings (CD) and doubling times (DT) were quantified for expansion rates. Adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation was confirmed with light microscopy. Fibroblastic, adipogenic, and osteogenic colony forming unit frequencies were determined for multipotentiality. Tissue-specific target gene expression was assessed, and percentages of CD29+, CD34+, CD44+, CD45+, and CD90+ cells quantified. Results Adipose tissue had the highest MSC density (ASC). The CD decreased with increasing passages for all cell types, and ASC values tended to be higher. Multipotentiality decreased with passage, but remained highest in ASC. Tissue-specific target gene expression was higher in induced versus noninduced cells, and ASCs had the highest upregulation across passages. Most cells were CD29+, CD44+, CD90+, and percentages decreased with passage. Within cell types, there were more CD29+ ASC in early passages and more CD44+ and CD90+ ASC in later passages. Conclusions ASC had the highest in vitro expansion rates, CFU frequencies, tissue-specific target gene expression, and percentages of MSC immunophenotypes.
Rotating-flask method for dissolution-rate determinations of aspirin from various dosage forms.

Abstract The dissolution of aspirin from different commercial dosage forms was evaluated by the rotating-flask method, and the data were correlated with previously reported absorption data.Regardless of agitation intensity, over a range from 0.9 to 2.4 r.p.m., dissolution rate was found to decrease in the following order: buffered tablets > plain tablets > timed-release tablets.The data were linearized by means of log-normal probability plots and interpreted accordingly.Aspirin dissolves from the buffered tablet about twice as rapidly as from the plain tablet and about eight times as rapidly as from the timed-release tablets.Once disintegration and deaggregation take place, the dissolution of aspirin from the capsule formulation proceeds as rapidly as from the buffered tablet.Surfactant decreased the dissolution rate of aspirin from certain formulations, in contrast to the enhanced dissolution effects observed using the beaker method where mound formation occurred.Excellent single- and multiple-quantitative correlations were observed between the dissolution data and absorption data in man.
Predictors of emergency department patient satisfaction: stability over 17 months.

Objectives: The contradictory findings reported in the emergency department (ED) patient satisfaction literature may be due to methodologic differences between studies, as well as actual differences in predictors. The authors examined the stability of predictors of ED patient satisfaction across multiple assessments over 17 months. Methods: All patients who presented for emergency care to the authors' hospital during four designated time periods spanning 17 months were eligible. The participants were contacted by telephone and the following were assessed: demographics, visit characteristics, perceived waiting times, subjective quality of care indicators, and overall satisfaction. The authors computed logistic regressions to predict overall satisfaction for each of the four periods. They compared the results across the assessments, both visually and using an aggregated logistic regression, to determine the consistency of the final equations. Interpretations based on traditional p-value cut-offs and odds ratios (ORs) were compared. Results: When using a p-value cut-off strategy of p < 0.05, notable discrepancies in the predictors of overall satisfaction were common. Six indicators, including age, perceived wait before bed placement, perceived wait before physician evaluation, physician care, discharge instructions, and waiting time satisfaction, were statistically associated with satisfaction for only one of the four assessments. In contrast, examining the size of the ORs associated with each predictor showed far fewer discrepancies. Only physician care appeared to have large differences in the strength of its relation to overall satisfaction. This trend was confirmed by the aggregated logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Using p-value cut-offs as the sole criterion for interpreting which variables are most important in determining ED patient satisfaction is ill-advised, and may lead to spurious conclusions of discrepant findings. Nevertheless, some determinants of ED satisfaction likely differ meaningfully based on the cohort that is being examined. Overgeneralizing conclusions derived from a single ED patient satisfaction study should be avoided, especially those studies that are cross-sectional and use a single site.
Real-Time Dynamic Modeling - Data Information Requirements and Flight Test Results

Practical aspects of identifying dynamic models for aircraft in real time were studied. Topics include formulation of an equation-error method in the frequency domain to estimate non-dimensional stability and control derivatives in real time, data information content for accurate modeling results, and data information management techniques such as data forgetting, incorporating prior information, and optimized excitation. Real-time dynamic modeling was applied to simulation data and flight test data from a modified F-15B fighter aircraft, and to operational flight data from a subscale jet transport aircraft. Estimated parameter standard errors, prediction cases, and comparisons with results from a batch output-error method in the time domain were used to demonstrate the accuracy of the identified real-time models.
Effects of temperature and cadmium exposure on the mitochondria of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) exposed to hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation

Intertidal bivalves are commonly exposed to multiple stressors including periodic hypoxia, temperature fluctuations and pollution, which can strongly affect energy metabolism. We used top-down control and elasticity analyses to determine the interactive effects of intermittent hypoxia, cadmium (Cd) exposure and acute temperature stress on mitochondria of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica. Oysters were acclimated at 20°C for 30 days in the absence or presence of 50 μg l(-1) Cd and then subjected to a long-term hypoxia (6 days at <0.5% O(2) in seawater) followed by normoxic recovery. Mitochondrial function was assessed at the acclimation temperature (20°C), or at elevated temperature (30°C) mimicking acute temperature stress in the intertidal zone. In the absence of Cd or temperature stress, mitochondria of oysters showed high resilience to transient hypoxia. In control oysters at 20°C, hypoxia/reoxygenation induced elevated flux capacity of all three studied mitochondrial subsystems (substrate oxidation, phosphorylation and proton leak) and resulted in a mild depolarization of resting mitochondria. Elevated proton conductance and enhanced capacity of phosphorylation and substrate oxidation subsystems may confer resistance to hypoxia/reoxygenation stress in oyster mitochondria by alleviating production of reactive oxygen species and maintaining high aerobic capacity and ATP synthesis rates during recovery. Exposure to environmental stressors such as Cd and elevated temperatures abolished the putative adaptive responses of the substrate oxidation and phosphorylation subsystems, and strongly enhanced proton leak in mitochondria of oysters subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation stress. Our findings suggest that Cd exposure and acute temperature stress may lead to the loss of mitochondrial resistance to hypoxia and reoxygenation and thus potentially affect the ability of oysters to survive periodic oxygen deprivation in coastal and estuarine habitats.
Advancing geriatrics education: an efficient faculty development program for academic hospitalists increases geriatric teaching.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalists care for an increasing number of older patients. As teachers, they are uniquely positioned to teach geriatric skills to residents. Faculty development programs focused on geriatrics teaching skills are often expensive and time-intensive, and may not enhance trainee learning. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a train-the-trainer (TTT) model designed to equip hospitalists with knowledge and skills to teach geriatric topics to residents in a time-constrained, resource-limited environment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Academic tertiary hospital. INTERVENTION: A 10-hour geriatric curriculum, the Reynolds Program for Advancing Geriatrics Education (PAGE), cotaught by geriatricians and hospitalists at preexisting noon conferences over 1 year that consisted of exportable teaching modules. MEASUREMENTS: Session leaders' and faculty participants' satisfaction, hospitalist geriatrics teaching self-efficacy, residents' self-report of frequency of geriatric teaching received, and frequency of geriatric skill use. RESULTS: The curriculum was highly rated by session leaders and hospitalist faculty. Hospitalists perceived improvement in geriatric teaching skills, indicating (1: “unlikely” to 5: “highly likely”) that they are likely to use these teaching tools in the future (M = 4.61, standard deviation [SD] = 0.53). Residents reported both significantly more geriatrics teaching by hospitalists (P < 0.05) and a borderline significant increase in their practice of geriatric clinical skills (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A time-efficient geriatric faculty development program for hospitalists suggests improvement in the amount and quality of geriatrics teaching and skill practice among faculty and residents at an academic medical center. Concise faculty development programs within preexisting faculty meetings may be a feasible, successful method to increase geriatric skill development in the hospital setting. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2010; © 2010 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Factors Dominating Adhesion of NaCl onto Potato Chips

In this study, the adhesion factors examined were time between frying and coating, surface oil content, chip temperature, oil composition, NaCl size, NaCl shape, and electrostatic coating. Three different surface oil content potato chips, high, low, and no, were produced. Oils used were soybean, olive, corn, peanut, and coconut. After frying, chips were coated immediately, after 1 d, and after 1 mo. NaCl crystals of 5 different particle sizes (24.7, 123, 259, 291, and 388 microm) were coated both electrostatically and nonelectrostatically. Adhesion of cubic, dendritic, and flake crystals was examined. Chips were coated at different temperatures. Chips with high surface oil had the highest adhesion of salt, making surface oil content the most important factor. Decreasing chip temperature decreased surface oil and adhesion. Increasing time between frying and coating reduced adhesion for low surface oil chips, but did not affect high and no surface oil chips. Changing oil composition did not affect adhesion. Increasing salt size decreased adhesion. Salt size had a greater effect on chips with lower surface oil content. When there were significant differences, cubic crystals gave the best adhesion followed by flake crystals then dendritic crystals. For high and low surface oil chips, electrostatic coating did not change adhesion of small size crystals but decreased adhesion of large salts. For no surface oil content chips, electrostatic coating improved adhesion for small salt sizes but did not affect adhesion of large crystals.
Gadopentetate Dimeglumine: Reassessment of the Clinical Research Process

The report in this issue of the AJNR by Tishler and Hoffman [2] of an anaphylactoid reaction to the IV administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine reminds us of the truism that no drug is without side effects and that the benefits derived from the use of an exogenous agent always must be assessed in the light of the risks entailed. Since 1962, United States law has required an extensive formal evaluation and testing proc­ ess before any new drug is released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prescription by physicians. FDA ap­ proval indicates that the therapeutic benefits of the agent under consideration appear to outweigh the estimated poten­ tial risks. In a recent review of all the clinical trials on gado­ pentetate dimeglumine in the United States (1 068 patients examined at multiple centers) completed before this agent was approved by the FDA, Goldstein et al. [3] found that 213 patients had experienced one or more adverse reactions, a prevalence of 20%. Most of these reactions were minor and short-lived. They included headache (7%), a sense of coldness at the injection site (4%), and nausea (2%). Four patients had convulsions, but three of these had a history of seizures. Notably, no anaphylactoid or pseudoallergic severe multior­ gan system reactions occurred. On the basis of this experi­ ence, gadopentetate dimeglumine was approved by the FDA in June 1988 as an acceptable contrast agent for IV admin­ istration in conjunction with MR imaging .
Identifying High Power–Density Stream Reaches through Refined Geospatial Resolution in Hydropower Resource Assessment

AbstractAided by the rapid development of multiple geospatial data sets for topography, hydrology, and existing energy-water infrastructures, reconnaissance-level hydropower resource assessment can now be conducted using geospatial models in all regions of the United States. The updated techniques can be used to estimate the total undeveloped hydropower potential across all regions, and they may eventually help to identify additional hydropower resources that were previously overlooked. To enhance the characterization of higher power–density stream reaches, this paper explored how the degree of geospatial resolution affects the identification of hydropower stream reaches, using the geospatial merit matrix–based hydropower resource assessment (GMM-HRA) model. GMM-HRA model simulation was conducted at eight different spatial resolutions on six USGS eight-digit hydrologic units with terrains classified as flat, mild, and steep. The results showed that more hydropower potential from higher power–density strea...
In Search of Reason-centered Discussion on China’s Twitter: The Effects of Initiating Post and Discussion Format on Reasoning

Reason-centered discussion of politics is an important route toward improving the quality of public opinion. This study examined predictors of reason-centered online discussion, including the use of a debate format with two sides displayed as opposing columns, as well as various characteristics of the post that initiates the discussion. A content analysis was conducted to examine 6,360 reply posts in 291 threaded discussions on Sina Weibo, one of China’s most popular venues for online discussion. Results showed that debate format is greatly associated with a higher reasoning level of the corresponding threaded discussion, with opinion presence and multiple viewpoints playing a role as well. Moreover, debate format can elicit differences in the effects of initiating posts on the overall reasoning level of a threaded discussion. Implications for online discussion in the virtual sphere are discussed.
The role of the posterior corneal surface in surgical planning

Historically, the role of posterior cornea has been largely ignored. As technology has improved our ability to image the posterior cornea, its increasingly important role is becoming evident. This review article will summarize the complex role of the posterior cornea in surgical planning and outcomes as relevant to refractive surgery, cataract surgery and corneal transplantation.
Quintuple Friction Pendulum Isolator: Behavior, Modeling, and Validation:

This paper describes the behavior of the quintuple friction pendulum isolator, a spherical sliding isolator with six sliding surfaces, five effective pendula, and nine regimes of operation that all...
Virginity Testing, History, and the Nostalgia For Custom in Contemporary South Africa

Over the past twenty years, South African civil society has engaged in an extended debate over the appropriate role of “custom” in public life, focusing on issues of gender and sexuality. The history of virginity testing in the Eastern Cape region shows that the nostalgia for custom points to the loss of sexual autonomy that accompanied colonialism. While the rhetoric that justified virginity testing in the precolonial and early colonial era was deeply patriarchal, the practice itself protected female sexual autonomy and provided protections that were undermined by the colonial legal regime and have yet to be effectively replaced.
Effects of krill oil on endothelial function and other cardiovascular risk factors in participants with type 2 diabetes, a randomized controlled trial

Objective The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the effect of krill oil supplementation, a source of ω-3 fatty acids, on cardiovascular disease risk factors and blood glucose control among participants with type 2 diabetes. Research design and methods A randomized, double-blind controlled cross-over trial was employed. Outcomes assessed were: endothelial function, blood lipids, glucose, glycated hemoglobin, serum antioxidant level, C peptide, and calculated Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) scores. Participants were randomized to either krill oil or olive oil supplementation for 4 weeks, underwent a 2-week washout period, and then crossed to the other supplementation for 4 weeks. All participants were then offered an additional 17 weeks of krill supplementation. Testing occurred at 3 time points: baseline, after first supplementation, and after second supplementation. Testing also occurred after an optional 17 weeks of krill oil supplementation. Difference scores were calculated for each participant in both sequences (ie, differences in outcome measures in the first and second period of the sequence). The mean and SD of the scores in the 2 sequence groups were used to test for differences between treatment effects at a significance level of p Results A total of 47 participants were included in the initial cross-over study. Participants who received krill oil for 4 weeks had an improvement in their endothelial function and a reduction in blood C peptide levels and HOMA scores as compared with the olive oil. A total of 34 participants completed the additional 17-week supplementation period. When compared with their respective baseline measures, these participants had a statistically significant improvement in endothelial function and blood high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Conclusions Krill oil may lead to moderate improvement of cardiovascular risks, specifically endothelial dysfunction and HDL in patients with type 2 diabetes. Trial registration number Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02091193.
Medicare’s Part D Drug Benefit At 10 Years: Firmly Established But Still Evolving

Despite initial controversy and uncertainties, Medicare Part D now provides drug coverage to thirty-nine million beneficiaries through dozens of private plans in each region. Although firmly established, the program faces challenges, including projected spending growth. Enrollees also face challenges as plans adopt new strategies to control costs.
The effect of corporate governance, auditor choice and global activities on EU company disclosures of estimates and judgments

Abstract Following the 2005 EU adoption of IFRS, several studies noted that some companies omitted a separate disclosure of key judgments and estimation uncertainty within the notes to the financial statements, and other companies limited their separate disclosure to boilerplate narrative. We determine if the choice of specific Big-4 audit firm and the independent variables included in the international financial reporting literature associated with voluntary disclosure are related to the decision to include a separate disclosure of judgments and estimates that provides more than boilerplate narrative. We also test if these independent variables affect the qualitative characteristics of the separate disclosures. We find that several of our independent variables are significant in the decision to make a disclosure that contains more than boilerplate, and affect the length and content of the separate disclosure. These findings add to the literature by identifying factors that influence discretionary disclosure. Our study also contributes to the current financial statement disclosure discussion among standard setters and regulators by detailing the format and content of disclosures among a sample of EU companies. This is an important area of inquiry, given that prior research finds that the way information is displayed affects how that information is actually used.
The Suspended Aesthetic: Slavoj Žižek on Eastern European Film

Slavoj Žižek's writings on Krzysztof Kies´lowski and Andrej Tarkovskij represent direct challenges to the Central and Eastern European tradition of spiritual art and to dominant aesthetic concepts as such. He refuses to separate the solemn films of Kies´lowski and Tarkovskij from popular culture and stresses their import as ethical statements by their directors. Despite this ethical emphasis, Žižek makes an important contribution to philosophical aesthetics. He implicitly defines art as a suspension of reality which reveals time in its fragility and potentiality. Defining Žižek's aesthetics in terms of suspension helps to explain his partiality for Kies´lowski and Tarkovskij and bears comparison to the Russian tradition of philosophical aesthetics, in particular Aleksej Losev and Alexander Bakshy.
Rabbit erythrocyte hemolysis by lipophilic, aryl molecules.

SummaryIndole, skatole, and 17 additional aryl molecules can interact with the cellular membrane to produce hemolysis of the rabbit erythrocyte. The minimum concentrations of aryl molecules required to produce total lysis of 1.4 × 108 red blood cells are correlated with the lipophilicity of the molecules as measured by their partitioning across the interface barrier of n-octanol: aqueous phosphate buffer, 50 mM, pH 7.4, phases. Hemolysis requires lesser amounts of a molecule that is lipophilic than one that is hydrophilic.
Inhibition of Growth Hormone-Stimulated Lipolysis by Somatostatin, Insulin, and Insulin-like Growth Factors (Somatomedins) in Vitro

AbstractThe effects of somatostatin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II)/MSA on growth hormone (GH) (1 μg/ml)-induced lipolysis were examined employing chicken adipose tissue in vitro. Basal and GH-stimulated glycerol release were inhibited by somatostatin (1 ng/ml) and by IGF-II/MSA (10 and 100 ng/ml). Insulin and IGF-I (10 and 100 ng/ml) completely inhibited the lipolytic response to GH without affecting basal glycerol release. Insulin and IGF-I were equipotent in inhibiting GH-induced lipolysis while IGF-II is only 16% as potent as insulin.
Ribonucleic acid of foot-and-mouth disease virus: an ultrasensitive plaque assay.

SummaryFoot-and-mouth disease virus RNA infectivity for calf-kidney cultures was 102- to 107-fold higher in the presence of DEAE-dextran than in its absence. By comparison, this polycation had no effect on the sensitivity of the plaque assay of the intact virus. At an optimum concentration of DEAE-dextran of about 1000 μg/ml, the infectivity of different lots of RNA ranged from 10-2 to 102 times that of the virus. A linear relationship between plaque numbers and dilution was observed, and the assay was highly reproducible. DEAE-dextran did not raise the temperature of half-melting of the RNA.
Association between barracks type and acute respiratory infection in a gender integrated Army basic combat training population.

ABSTRACTBackground: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are the leading cause of acute morbidity and lost work time in the United States. Few studies have looked at building design and transmission of ARIs. Objectives: This study explores the association of ventilation design, room occupancy numbers, and training week with ARI rates in Army Basic Combat Training barracks. Methods: This observational study captured the overall incidence of ARI in a cohort of 16,258 individuals attending basic combat training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Results: ARI risk was higher among trainees living in the 60-person room barracks compared with those living in 8-person rooms, which increased rapidly for the first few weeks of training and then declined to baseline. Conclusions: Findings support direct contact as primary ARI transmission mode in this study population based on observed lower ARI risk in smaller room barracks and similar risk in large room barracks despite heating, ventilation, and air conditioning sys...