cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial of spinal manipulation and two types of exercise for patients with chronic neck pain.

STUDY DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of spinal manipulation combined with low-tech rehabilitative exercise, MedX rehabilitative exercise, or spinal manipulation alone in patient self-reported outcomes over a two-year follow-up period. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA There have been few randomized clinical trials of spinal manipulation and rehabilitative exercise for patients with neck pain, and most have only reported short-term outcomes. METHODS One hundred ninety-one patients with chronic neck pain were randomized to 11 weeks of one of the three treatments. Patient self-report questionnaires measuring pain, disability, general health status, improvement, satisfaction, and OTC medication use were collected after 5 and 11 weeks of treatment and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment. Data were analyzed taking into account all time points using repeated measures analyses. RESULTS Ninety-three percent (178) of randomized patients completed the 11-week intervention phase, and 76% (145) provided data at all evaluation time points over the two-year follow-up period. A difference in patient-rated pain with no group-time interaction was observed in favor of the two exercise groups [F(2141) = 3.2; P= 0.04]. There was also a group difference in satisfaction with care [F(2143) = 7.7; P= 0.001], with spinal manipulation combined with low-tech rehabilitative exercise superior to MedX rehabilitative exercise (P = 0.02) and spinal manipulation alone (P < 0.001). No significant group differences were found for neck disability, general health status, improvement, and OTC medication use, although the trend over time was in favor of the two exercise groups. CONCLUSION The results of this study demonstrate an advantage of spinal manipulation combined with low-tech rehabilitative exercise and MedX rehabilitative exercise versus spinal manipulation alone over two years and are similar in magnitude to those observed after one-year follow-up. These results suggest that treatments including supervised rehabilitative exercise should be considered for chronic neck pain sufferers. Further studies are needed to examine the cost effectiveness of these therapies and how spinal manipulation compares to no treatment or minimal intervention.
Feasibility assessment of Doppler radar long-term physiological measurements

In this paper we examine the feasibility of applying doppler radar technique for a long-term health monitoring. Doppler radar was used to detect and eliminate periods of significant motion. This technique was verified using a human study on 17 subjects, and it was determined that for 15 out of 17 subjects there was no significant motion for over 85% of the measurement interval in supine positions. Majority of subjects exhibited significantly less motion in supine position, which is promising for sleep monitoring, and monitoring of hospitalized patients.
Planetary science: Constant illumination at the lunar north pole

Images returned by the spacecraft Clementine have been used to produce a quantitative illumination map of the north pole of the Moon, revealing the percentage of time that points on the surface are illuminated during the lunar day. We have used this map to identify areas that are constantly illuminated during a lunar day in summer and which may therefore be in permanent sunlight. All are located on the northern rim of Peary crater, close to the north pole. Permanently sunlit areas represent prime locations for lunar outpost sites as they have abundant solar energy, are relatively benign thermally (when compared with equatorial regions), and are close to permanently shadowed regions that may contain water ice.
Formation of dwarf galaxies in tidal tails

The results are reported of numerical simulations of encounters between disk galaxies, each modeled with a central bulge, an exponential disk, and a spheroidal dark-matter halo. It is found that dwarf systems form in material drawn out during the encounter; these objects can capture large amounts of moderately enriched gas but retain little dark matter from their parents' haloes. They should therefore have lower mass-to-light ratios than galaxies formed directly by the collapse of primordial matter.
The Impact of Diagnosing Skill Deficiencies and Assessment-Based Communication Training on Managerial Performance.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate an organizational diagnosis program that (a) commenced with the assessment of managerial communication skills and (b) provided the frame for follow‐up training programs. Two groups of managers (N = 96) participated in diagnostic assessment activities to evaluate their communication skills. One group of managers (N = 48) then received follow‐up communication skills training based on their assessed performance. Managers participating in communication skills training received significantly higher performance ratings on interpersonal skills, problem‐solving ability, and productivity over three long‐term assessments. Implications of these findings are discussed for corporate training programs and instructional development more generally.
Quantification of technetium-99 in complex groundwater matrixes using a radiometric preconcentrating minicolumn sensor in an equilibration-based sensing approach.

A preconcentrating minicolumn sensor for technetium-99 detection in water consists of a packed bed containing a mixture of anion-exchange resin and scintillating plastic beads. The column materials are contained in a transparent plastic flow cell placed between two photomultiplier tubes for radiometric detection. Upon retention of pertechnetate anions, the radioactive decay of Tc-99 results in detectable scintillation pulses that are counted in coincidence. In equilibration-based sensing mode, the sample is pumped through the packed bed until complete chromatographic equilibrium is achieved between the activity concentration in the water sample and the concentration on the anion-exchange resin. The analytical signal is the observed steady-state count rate at equilibrium. The sensitivity is related to a measurement efficiency parameter that is the product of the retention volume and the absolute radiometric detection efficiency. This sensor can readily detect pertechnetate to levels 10 times below the drin...
The use of gold coated quartz fibres in high pressure proportional counters

Abstract Gold coated quartz fibres may successfully replace stainless steel anodes in 4π high pressure counters. Resolution is improved due to a reduction in surface roughness.
Interactive, Internet Delivery of Scientific Visualization via Structured, Prerendered Imagery

In this paper, we explore leveraging industry-standard media formats to effectively deliver interactive, 3D scientific visualization to a remote viewer. Our work is motivated by the need for remote visualization of time-varying, 3D data produced by scientific simulations or experiments while taking several practical factors into account, including: maximizing ease of use from the user's perspective, maximizing reuse of image frames, and taking advantage of existing software infrastructure wherever possible. Visualization or graphics applications first generate images at some number of view orientations for 3D scenes and temporal locations for time-varying scenes. We then encode the resulting imagery into one of two industry-standard formats: QuickTime VR Object Movies or a combination of HTML and JavaScript code implementing the client-side navigator. Using an industry-standard QuickTime player or web browser, remote users may freely navigate through the pre-rendered images of time-varying, 3D visualization output. Since the only inputs consist of image data, a viewpoint and time stamps, our approach is generally applicable to all visualization and graphics rendering applications capable of generating image files in an ordered fashion. Our design is a form of latency-tolerant remote visualization infrastructure where processing time for visualization, rendering and content delivery is effectively decoupled from interactive exploration. Our approach trades off increased interactivity, reduced load and effective reuse of coherent frames between multiple users (from the server's perspective) at the expense of unconstrained exploration. This paper presents the system architecture along with an analysis and discussion of its strengths and limitations.
Evaluation of biofilm reactor solid support for mixed-culture lactic acid production

A combination of lactobacilli and biofilm-forming bacteria were evaluated in continuous fermentations for lactic acid production using various supports. Twelve different bacteria, including species of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, Thermoactinomyces, and Thermomonospora were tested for biofilm-forming capabilities. Solid supports that were evaluated in either batch or continuous fermentations were pea gravels, 3M-macrolite ceramic spheres, and polypropylene mixed with 25% of various agricultural materials (e.g. corn starch, oat hulls) and extruded to form chips (pp-composite). Biofilm formation was evaluated by the extent of clumping of solid supports, weight gain and (in some instances) Gram stains of the supports after drying overnight at 70° C. The supports consistently producing the best biofilm were pp-composite chips followed by 3M-Macrolite spheres then by pea gravels. The best biofilm formation was observed with P. fragi (ATCC 4973), S. viridosporus T7A (ATCC 39115), and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris (NRRL B-5790), grown optimally at 25, 37, and 45° C, respectively, on various pp-composite chips. Lactic acid bacteria used in the fermentations were Lactobacillus amylophilus (NRRL B-4437), L. casei (ATCC 11443), and L. delbrueckii mutant DP3; these grow optimally at 25, 37 and 45° C, respectively. Lactic acid and biofilm bacteria with compatible temperature optima were inoculated into 50-ml reactors (void volume 25 ml) containing sterile pp-composite supports. Lactic acid production and glucose consumption were determined by HPLC at various flow rates from 0.06 to 1.92 ml/min. Generally, mixed-culture biofilm reactors produced higher levels of lactic acid than lactic acid bacteria alone. S. viridosporus T7A and L. casei on pp-composite chips were the best combination of those tested, and produced 13.0 g/l lactic acid in the reactors without pH control. L. casei produced 10.3 g/l lactic acid under similar conditions.
Geometric Mean Distances of Angle-Shaped Conductors

The self-geometric mean distance of a symmetrical angle-shaped conductor is approximately 0.393 times the width of the flange of the conductor, measured on the outer surface. The geometric mean distance between two symmetrical angular conductors, when arranged as shown in Figure 5, is very nearly equal to the distance between corresponding points on the two conductors, even for spacings approaching zero. Formulas are developed for the geometric self mean distance of an unsymmetrical angular conductor, and the geometric mean distance between two such conductors (equations 15 and 21 respectively).
Models of Spatial Variation in Political Expression The Case of the Scottish National Party

Two perspectives have dominated the analysis of regionalist movements in Western Europe: the uneven structural development perspective on the one hand, and the individualist electoral approach on the other. A third perspective is proposed here, one based on the concept of place. This last approach is used to analyze Scottish nationalism. It shows that local territorial cultural settings explain, in part, variations in the support obtained by the Scottish National Party.
Complex networks: Structure comes to random graphs

Incorporating structural features into random-graph calculations should bring theoretical models describing the properties and behaviour of complex networks closer to real-world systems.
ALLOY SOFTENING IN BINARY IRON SOLID SOLUTIONS

An experimental study was conducted to determine whether alloy softening in Fe alloys is dependent on electron concentration and to provide a direct comparison of alloy softening and hardening in several binary Fe alloy systems having the same processing history. Alloy additions to Fe included the elements in the Periods 4-6 and the Groups IV-VIII with the exception of technetium. A total of 19 alloy systems was investigated, and hardness testing was the primary means of evaluation. Testing was carried out at four temperatures over a homologous temperature range of 0.043-0.227 times the absolute melting temperature of unalloyed Fe. Major conclusions are that the atomic radius ratio of solute-to-Fe is the key factor in controlling low-temperature hardness of the binary Fe alloys and that alloy softening rates at 77 K and alloy hardening rates at 411 K are correlated with this atomic radius ratio for 15 of the binary alloy systems. Mechanisms of alloy softening and hardening are proposed.
African American Intergender Relationships a Theoretical Exploration of Roles, Patriarchy, and Love:

Current expectations of men andwomen in society have undergone tremendous changes concerning roles and the expression of intimacy within intergender relationships. African American intergender relationships have not escaped these changes. Three theoretical perspectives are offered to enrich the discussion on African American intergender relationships: patriarchy, role, and love. This article posits that African American intergender relationships are defined within some particular significant parameters like patriarchy, gender roles, love, and a history of enslavement and discrimination. Current discussions of such relationships miss their complexity when they omit these conceptual perspectives and the unique historical and present-day experiences of African Americans. The Million Woman and Million Man Marches have made healing, nurturing, atonement, love, and acceptance national priorities for African Americans. This article promotes the incorporation of the perspectives—patriarchy, role, and love—as aven...
Analytical Calculation to All Orders in Z alpha of Vacuum Polarization at Short Distances

We have calculated the leading terms of the potential due to vacuum polarization about a point nucleus, $V(\mathcal{r})=m[{a}_{\ensuremath{-}1}{(m\mathcal{r})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}+{a}_{0}+{a}_{1}(m\mathcal{r})+{a}_{2\ensuremath{\lambda}}{(m\mathcal{r})}^{2\ensuremath{\lambda}}]$. Our results for ${a}_{1}$ and ${a}_{2\ensuremath{\lambda}}$, to all orders in $Z\ensuremath{\alpha}$, extend the previously known results which included terms only up to ${(Z\ensuremath{\alpha})}^{3}$. For ${a}_{\ensuremath{-}1}$ we confirm previous results. The new portions of ${a}_{1}$ and ${a}_{2\ensuremath{\lambda}}$ do not remove present discrepancies in muonic x-ray transition such as $5g\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4f$ in $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$.
Lipoic acid downmodulates CD4 from human T lymphocytes by dissociation of p56(Lck).

Lipoic acid is an antioxidant that suppresses and treats a model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We now demonstrate that treatment of human PBMC and T cell lines with LA downmodulated CD4 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. LA treatment of Con A stimulated PBMC specifically removed CD4 from the T-cell surface, but not CD3. Epitope masking by LA was excluded by using monoclonal antibodies targeting different domains of CD4. Incubation on ice inhibited CD4 removal following LA treatment, suggesting that endocytosis was involved in its downmodulation. LA is in a unique category of compounds that induce CD4 downmodulation by various mechanisms (e.g., gangliosides). We hypothesized that LA might induce dissociation of p56 Lck from CD4, thus leading to its downmodulation. Immunoblot analyses demonstrated reduced co-precipitation of p56 Lck from Jurkat T-cells following LA treatment and precipitation of CD4. This unique immunomodulatory effect of LA warrants further investigation.
Multidrug resistant cervical tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health problem, with an annual incidence of 8 to 10 million cases and the death of 3 million people year1y.l Despite the continuous decline of TB in the United States since the 185Os, an increase in new TB cases was observed in 1985. Between 1985 to 1991, the number of reported TB cases increased by 18%.2 Several factors have been responsible for the upward trend in new TB cases: immigration from endemic areas, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, increase in the homeless population, decreased medical access in certain subpopulations, and the introduction of TB into various growing high-risk populations (inmates, intravenous drug users).2-5 Patients with tuberculosis can often have extrapulmonary manifestations of TB, with frequent involvements in the head and neck. Mycobacterium tuberculosis presents in the head and neck most commonly as a cervical mass or abscess, with laryngeal and middle ear involvements also frequently reported.6v7 With an increasing number of head and neck TB cases, more may be initially diagnosed by otolaryngologists. Against this background of TB resurgence, resistance to pharmacological treatment of TB has become more important. The traditional first-line antituberculous medications have been isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. TB resistance to two or more of these first-line drugs is generally
INFINITE LOOP SPACES WITH ODD TORSION FREE HOMOLOGY

Abstract It is shown that an infinite loop space with no odd torsion in its integral homology also has no odd torsion in its homotopy. Combined with known results of Steve Wilson, this gives a complete classification; all such spaces are products of the Wilson spaces, which are the building blocks of the spaces in the omega spectrum for BP.
Examination of stratum corneum barrier function in vivo by infrared spectroscopy

It is generally accepted that the stratum corneum (SC) is the least permeable layer of the epidermis. Histologically, though, the SC is a non-uniform, inhomogeneous membrane, and the question "Is barrier function distributed uniformly across the SC thickness?" has been posed. To address this issue, human ventral forearm SC has been studied in vivo by attenuated-total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy during the course of sequential tape-stripping. Because the intercellular lipids of the SC and the degree of hydration of the membrane have been shown to be crucial determinants of barrier function, attention has been focused on the spectral features, which report specifically on these parameters. The degree of disorder of the SC intercellular lipids has been found to decrease over the outer cell layers (up to three tape-strips) and then to remain essentially constant. The amount of lipids decreases similarly such that a 60% reduction (relative to the "no-strip" baseline) is observed after about four tape-strips. A plausible explanation for these measurements is that the lipids near the surface are a mixture of (a) "true" intercellular lipid (which is expected to be highly ordered), and (b) sebaceous lipid (which contains much greater amounts of low-melting components, such as fatty acids). The sequential infrared (IR) spectra provide at least circumstantial evidence to support this hypothesis. As expected, the IR spectra show that SC hydration increases from the surface towards the SC-stratum granulosum interface. Taken together, the results imply that the SC is indeed non-uniform. The properties of the outer layers (those removed by the first 3-4 tape-strips) change significantly with increasing depth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Definitions and Standardization of a New Grading Scheme for Eyelid Contour Abnormalities after Trichiasis Surgery

Background Clear definitions of outcomes following trichiasis surgery are critical for planning program evaluations and for identifying ways to improve trichiasis surgery. Eyelid contour abnormality is an important adverse outcome of surgery; however, no standard method has been described to categorize eyelid contour abnormalities. Methodology/Principal Findings A classification system for eyelid contour abnormalities following surgery for trachomatous trichiasis was developed. To determine whether the grading was reproducible using the classification system, six-week postoperative photographs were reviewed by two senior graders to characterize severity of contour abnormalities. Sample photographs defining each contour abnormality category were compiled and used to train four new graders. All six graders independently graded a Standardization Set of 75 eyelids, which included a roughly equal distribution across the severity scale, and weighted kappa scores were calculated. Two hundred forty six-week postoperative photographs from an ongoing clinical trial were randomly selected for evaluating agreement across graders. Two months after initial grading, one grader regraded a subset of the 240 photographs to measure longer-term intra-observer agreement. The weighted kappa for agreement between the two senior graders was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.71–0.89). Among the Standardization Set, agreement between the senior graders and the 4 new graders showed weighted kappa scores ranging from 0.60–0.80. Among 240 eyes comprising the clinical trial dataset, agreement ranged from weighted kappa 0.70–0.71. Longer-term intra-observer agreement was weighted kappa 0.86 (95% CI: 0.80–0.92). Conclusions/Significance The standard eyelid contour grading system we developed reproducibly delineates differing levels of contour abnormality. This grading system could be useful both for helping to evaluate trichiasis surgery outcomes in clinical trials and for evaluating trichiasis surgery programs.
Studies on the stability of chromatin from hen oviduct

Abstract The stability of sheared chromatin from the magnum portion of hen oviduct has been examined during storage at 0 °C using several parameters. Chemical composition and ultraviolet spectra were unchanged after 1 month while changes in melting profiles were seen after 2 weeks. Gel electrophoretic patterns of histones indicated slight proteolysis after 4 weeks with no apparent degradation occurring at earlier times. Acidic protein gel patterns remained unchanged during the period of study. Rapid changes (within 1 to 3 days) were seen in chromatin size distributions as measured in sucrose gradients and in chromatin template activity. The mean chromatin size decreased with storage, an increasing percentage of the total population sedimenting as a 17S component. This change in chromatin size was accompanied by an increase in the amount of free protein floating on the top of gradients. Several experiments were conducted to investigate the nature of the chromatin changes occurring at early storage times. Changes in chromatin size and template activity could be attributed to neither proteolysis nor DNase activity. Diisopropylfluorophosphate, a known nuclear protease inhibitor, did not inhibit the rate of change in chromatin size with storage. Furthermore, no proteolysis was detectable by gel electrophoresis during storage times at which significant changes in chromatin size and template activity had occurred. When the size of chromatin DNA was examined, no changes were seen with storage nor were there differences in the size of DNA from fast and slow sedimenting chromatin fractions. When template activities of fast and slow sedimenting chromatin fractions were compared, the slow sedimenting fractions were found to be the most template active. The template activity of a slow sedimenting, high template activity fraction was examined with storage and was found to increase with time.
Reduction of diffusion broadening in flow by analysis of time-gated single-molecule data

We describe the application of Extreme Value Statistics to the analysis of discrete species that possess distinguishable properties (fluorescence wavelength, fluorescence intensity, light scattering, etc.) as they cross a well-defined observation/probe region. Time-gated selection and extreme value data analysis result in increased resolution in analytical determinations. When only the data corresponding to the smallest crossing times are selected for analysis, the width of the diffusion band decreases for the measured parameter. The molecules with the smallest crossing times diffuse preferentially along the flow direction. A Monte Carlo technique and the probability density function (pdf) for a freely diffusing species are used to generate data streams to provide a theoretical basis for the aforementioned phenomenon. These calculations are included to characterize the effect of the average flow rate and the diffusion constant. We have also included a procedure for extracting the normal diffusion constant (D) from the Extreme Value Distribution. In contrast to standard flow analysis, which requires long path lengths, our approach is particularly suited for measurements in picolitre and nanolitre volumes and provides another dimension to single-molecule measurements in cellular size volumes. We believe that this is a general phenomenon that depends upon the details of the pdf, which can be complex.
Regional size, age and growth differences of red grouper (Epinephelus morio) along the west coast of Florida

Abstract Red grouper (Epinephelus morio) were collected from the west coast of Florida, the central area of fishery harvest in U.S. waters, by fishery-dependent sources during 2000–2005. The west Florida shelf was divided into two regions: north (capture locations ≥28°N latitude) and south (capture locations
Phosphorylated Stat-6 levels in human nasal epithelial (HNE) cells in acute and controlled asthmatic children

Abstract Rationale IL-4 and IL-13 signaling via IL-4Rα is a critical pathway in Th-2 mediated disease states such as asthma. The subsequent phosphorylation of Stat-6 is specific for transcription and gene expression induced by these cytokines. HNE cells were selected as a proxy for respiratory epithelium and activated Stat-6 levels were measured and evaluated as a biomarker of asthma. Methods HNE samples were collected via cytobrush sampling of the inferior turbinate from three groups: controlled asthmatic children, children with an asthma exacerbation through the emergency department, and normal healthy children who were skin test negative to common aeroallergens. Cells were incubated with and without IL-4 (20 ng/ml), fixed and permeabilized. A monoclonal antibody specific for phosphorylated Stat-6 site was used to detect the presence of activated Stat-6 by flow cytometry. The percentage change with IL-4 stimulation, corrected for isotype control, was compared between groups via t-test. Results No significant difference between all asthma (n=45) and normals (n=9) was found (p=.97). The difference between controlled asthma (n=23) +1.4% and acute asthma (n=22) +6.1% was not statistically significant (p=0.24) but trended towards a larger percentage change in acute asthma. Conclusions Although not statistically significant, slightly higher levels of phosphorylated Stat-6 were observed in acute asthma versus controlled asthma. This method of measuring a critical signaling molecule in a disease state warrants additional study. Furthermore, this data suggests that activated Stat-6 may have potential as a biomarker in the acute phase of asthma.
Generalized multiple-prism dispersion theory for laser pulse compression: higher order phase derivatives

An exact, and explicit, expression for the second derivative of the generalized multiple-prism angular dispersion is provided. This corresponds to the third derivative of the generalized exit angle with respect to the refractive index (∇n3φ2,m). Higher derivatives, in abstract notation, are also given. The generalized equations are presented in a format applicable to practical prismatic configurations utilized in laser pulse compression schemes in the femtosecond domain. Exact values, as a function of the refractive index, are given for the first, second, and third angular derivatives for compensating double-prism and four-prism configurations of practical interest.
Cost-effective whole-cell assay for laboratory evolution of hydroxylases in Escherichia coli.

Cytochrome P450 BM-3 from Bacillus megaterium catalyzes the subterminal hydroxylation of medium- and long-chain fatty acids at the to-1, w-2, and c-3 positions. A continuous spectrophotometric assa...
A Double-Blind Trial of Glycopyrrolate for Transesophageal Echocardiography

Glycopyrrolate is an anticholinergic agent used to dry oral secretions and has been advocated for routine use with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). To evaluate the safety and efficacy of glycopyrrolate for this unique application, a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study of glycopyrrolate was performed in 61 patients who were awake while undergoing TEE. Thirty patients were randomized to the standard dose of glycopyrrolate (0.2 mg intravenously), and 31 patients received 1 ml of saline solution as placebo. Intravenous midazolam was used for sedation in all but one patient. Heart rate, electrocardiogram, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation were continuously monitored before, during, and after TEE. The patients scored their comfort immediately after TEE and were interviewed at 24 hours for side effects. The operator scored the ease of performing the TEE. No complications occurred in either group. Changes in vital signs and oxygen saturation were similar in both groups. The operator ease and patient comfort was similar in both groups. A significantly higher incidence of the following side effects was observed at 24 hours in patients who received glycopyrrolate versus those who received placebo: sore throat, 63% versus 19%; dry mouth, 43% versus 6%; and urinary retention, 16% versus 0% ( p
Externalities and Corrective Policies in Experimental Markets

This paper reports on the behaviour of simple, laboratory markets which have an externality. Experiences with these markets provide some help in answering two broad questions. (1) Do markets with externalities behave in accordance with the law of supply and demand? (2) How do the pollution tax, pollution standard, and pollution licenses compare as methods for correcting the externality?
Review of the pharmacokinetics, interactions and adverse reactions of cyclosporine in people, dogs and cats

Cyclosporine is being increasingly used in veterinary medicine. Oral formulations of the drug have found many therapeutic uses, but topical formulations have met with only limited success, probably owing to their poor penetration through the stratum corneum. The concurrent use of ketoconazole to inhibit cyclosporine metabolism has been shown to reduce the required dose and hence the cost of cyclosporine therapy. In human medicine, adverse reactions to the drug, especially nephrotoxicity, are common but in dogs given the commonly used oral dose of 5 mg/kg per day there have been few adverse reactions. However, no toxicity studies lasting longer than 12 months have been carried out in this species. This paper reviews the pharmacokinetics, drug and procedural interactions, contraindications and the adverse reactions to cyclosporine, with particular reference to its use in the treatment of dermatological conditions in dogs, cats and people.
Generation and Evaluation of Intraoperative Inferences for Automated Health Care Briefings on Patient Status After Bypass Surgery

Objective: The authors present a system that scans electronic records from cardiac surgery and uses inference rules to identify and classify abnormal events (e.g., hypertension) that may occur during critical surgical points (e.g., start of bypass). This vital information is used as the content of automatically generated briefings designed by MAGIC, a multimedia system that they are developing to brief intensive care unit clinicians on patient status after cardiac surgery. By recognizing patterns in the patient record, inferences concisely summarize detailed patient data. Design: The authors present the development of inference rules that identify important information about patient status and describe their implementation and an experiment they carried out to validate their correctness. The data for a set of 24 patients were analyzed independently by the system and by 46 physicians. Measurements: The authors measured accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity by comparing system inferences against physician judgments, in cases where all three physicians agreed and against the majority opinion in all cases. Results: For laboratory inferences, evaluation shows that the system has an average accuracy of 98 percent (full agreement) and 96 percent (majority model). An analysis of interrater agreement, however, showed that physicians do not agree on abnormal hemodynamic events and could not serve as a gold standard for evaluating hemodynamic events. Analysis of discrepancies reveals possibilities for system improvement and causes of physician disagreement. Conclusions: This evaluation shows that the laboratory inferences of the system have high accuracy. The lack of agreement among physicians highlights the need for an objective quality- assurance tool for hemodynamic inferences. The system provides such a tool by implementing inferencing procedures established in the literature. � J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2001;8:267-280.
On the Importance of Modeling the Mutual Coupling for Antenna Selection for Closely-Spaced Arrays

In this paper we consider a system in which multiple dipole antennas are placed side-by-side within a finite space at the receiver to form a uniform linear array, causing the dipole antennas to be closely spaced. We investigate the achievable rate with receive antenna selection and take into account both spatial correlation and mutual coupling effects between the antennas. We assume the full channel state information is available at the receiver but not at the transmitter. Opposite to what might be expected, the system achievable rate with receive antenna selection can outperform the system employing all the antennas, provided the number of antennas used is larger than a critical value. We also describe the optimal processing scheme which enumerates all possible antenna combinations and selects the combination maximizing the instantaneous achievable rate for a given channel realization.
Efficient surface gateway deployment for underwater sensor networks

Deploying multiple surface-level radio-capable gateways enhances the performance of underwater acoustic sensor network. The locations of gateways have to be carefully selected to maximize the benefit in a cost-effective way. In this paper, we show how to efficiently solve the surface gateway deployment optimization problem, using heuristic approaches. The results of applying these proposed algorithms to a variety of practical deployment scenarios suggest that these heuristics are nearly optimal for practical cases.
A laboratory study of the turbulent ekman layer

Abstract Comparing characteristics of a turbulent Ekman boundary layer in a rotating apparatus with atmospheric observations and theories, we find that the similarity relations derived by Kazanski and Monin, and others, scale both laboratory and field data quite well, especially considering that the Coriolis parameter is larger by a factor of 105 in the experiment than it is in the atmosphere. Eddy viscosity models and Deardorff's numerical model predict the properties of both with varying degrees of success. High frequency spectra of velocity fluctuations scale with the Kolmogoroff length and time scales. Both magnitude and direction of the surface shear stress were measured directly, with a heated film stress gauge.
Randomized trials assessing calcium supplementation in healthy children: relationship between industry sponsorship and study outcomes.

Objective: To explore the relationship between industry sponsorship of Ca supplementation studies in healthy children and study outcomes. Design: An electronic search for published randomized controlled trials (RCT) was conducted. We collected data on study design features aimed at reducing bias, statistical significance of results, authors' conclusions and financial sponsorship of study. We used Fischer's exact test to examine associations between sponsorship and study results and conclusions. Subjects: Healthy children between the ages of 9 and 18 years. Results: Nineteen trials met our inclusion criteria. Seventeen out of nineteen studies reported a statistically significant improvement of supplementation on bone mineral density. Subjects in eight of the seventeen studies had a baseline daily Ca intake of 800-1300 mg. There was no significant association between study design features and the results or conclusions of the studies. Three studies received government funding, two of which (66·7%) concluded in favour of additional supplementation. Sixteen studies were either industry-funded or had mixed industry funding, thirteen (81·3%) of which had a conclusion supporting Ca supplementation in children. There was no significant association between study sponsorship and authors' conclusions. Conclusions: The majority of RCT assessing the effects of Ca supplementation in healthy children are industry-funded and support Ca supplementation. The clinical significance of the outcomes measured in Ca supplementation studies should be considered when examining associations between study design and results. Further non-industry funded research is needed to thoroughly assess the impact of funding on authors' conclusions in nutrition research.
14. Ventricular Fibrillation & Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

The ROC consists of 10 regional centers in the USA and Canada, funded primarily by NIH for the purpose of conducting definitive trials of resuscitation strategies/therapies for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and life-threatening trauma. During the 1st year of funding the organizational infrastructure has been maturing (including processes for measuring CPR components) and several protocols developed, including a combined study of hypertonic saline for trauma populations (hypovolemic shock and traumatic brain injury), a study of the Impedence Threshold Device for cardiac arrest patients, and a registry of all serious emergent medical out-of-hospital events. Over the initial 5 years of funding, we estimate the ROC has the potential to improve survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from 5% to 10% and to reduce morbidity and mortality following trauma by 10 to 25%.
“Rescue” Directional Coronary Atherectomy After Unsuccessful Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

Objective To evaluate the outcome in patients who underwent directional coronary atherectomy after unsuccessful balloon angioplasty. Design We conducted a retrospective computerized data bank search of patients in whom unsuccessful balloon angioplasty and subsequent "rescue" coronary atherectomy had been performed at the Mayo Clinic between Nov. 1, 1988, and May 1, 1993. Material and Methods Among the 336 patients who underwent directional coronary atherectomy during the study period, in 16 the procedure was a rescue attempt. The mean age of these 16 study patients was 67 years. The following vessels were treated: left anterior descending coronary artery, six patients; right coronary artery, six; circumflex artery, two; and saphenous vein graft, two. Coronary angioplasty had failed because of dissection in eight patients, elastic recoil without evident dissection in seven, and recurrent thrombus without evident dissection in one. Results After coronary atherectomy, the mean stenosis was 41% (in comparison with 90% before coronary angioplasty and 71% after coronary angioplasty). Both angiographic success (20% or more decrease in stenosis after tissue removal and a final stenosis of less than 50%) and clinical success (angiographic success without in-hospital Q-wave myocardial infarction, bypass operation, or death) were achieved in 10 patients. Adventitia was obtained in two patients, both of whom underwent atherectomy for elastic recoil. In six patients, a stenosis of more than 50% remained after atherectomy; one patient suffered a Q-wave myocardial infarction, and one underwent emergent coronary artery bypass grafting. No deaths occurred in the study group. During follow-up (mean, 22 ± 19 months), one patient suffered a non-Q-wave myocardial infarction, and two others underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting. Eleven patients were asymptomatic at last contact. Repeated angiography, done in five patients a mean of 3.4 ± 3.1 months after the procedure, showed re-stenosis in three. Conclusion Rescue directional coronary atherectomy seems to be safe and effective in achieving angiographic and clinical successes in carefully selected patients after unsuccessful coronary angioplasty.
An electronic structure theory investigation of the physical chemistry of the intermolecular complexes of cyclopropenylidene with hydrogen halides

The proton accepting and donating abilities of cyclopropenylidene (c-C(3)H(2)) on its complexation with hydrogen halides H-X (X = F, Cl, Br) are analyzed using density-functional theory with three functionals (PBE0, B3LYP, and B3LYP-D) and benchmarked against second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2) theory. Standard signatures including, inter alia, dipole moment enhancement, charge transfer from the carbenic lone pair to the antibonding σ*(H-X) orbital, and H-X bond elongation are examined to ascertain the presence of hydrogen bonding in these complexes. The latter property is found to be accompanied with a pronounced red shift in the bond stretching frequency and with a substantial increase in the infrared intensity of the band on complex formation. The MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ c-C(3)H(2)···H-F complex potential energy surface turns out to be an asymmetric deep single well, while asymmetric double wells are found for the c-C(3)H(2)···H-Cl and c-C(3)H(2)···H-Br complexes, with an energy barrier of 4.1 kcal mol(-1) for proton transfer along the hydrogen bond in the latter complex. Hydrogen-bond energy decomposition, with the reduced variational space self-consistent field approach, indicates that there are large polarization and charge-transfer interactions between the interacting partners in c-C(3)H(2)···H-Br compared to the other two complexes. The C···H bonds are found to be predominantly ionic with partial covalent character, unveiled by the quantum theory of atoms in molecules. The present results reveal that the c-C(3)H(2) carbene divalent carbon can act as a proton acceptor and is responsible for the formation of hydrogen bonds in the complexes investigated.
Rethinking Field Observations: Strengthening Teacher Education Through INFORM

This article introduces the Instructional Field Observation Rounds Model (INFORM), drawn from the medical profession where resident interns make rounds with experienced physicians, as an alternative approach for conducting classroom observations in pre-service teacher education methods courses. INFORM centers on structured group observations in P-12 classrooms, followed by interactive debriefing between methods students, their instructor, and observed classroom teachers. This shift from traditional field observations contributes in addressing the call for transformational change in teacher education with explicit connections between theory and practice (Zeichner, 2010a). We argue that INFORM allows pre-service teachers to focus more intently on improving content-specific teaching practices through a unique community of practice.
A comparative study of pulse combining schemes for impulse radio UWB systems

Impulse radio systems transmit a number of ultrawideband pulses for each information bit. In a multiuser scenario, the pulses from a given user may have different signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SIR) and therefore a receiver that combines these signals with equal weight assignment is suboptimal. In this paper, a multiuser impulse radio system over an additive white Gaussian noise channel is considered and the performances of three types of receivers that employ different pulse combining schemes are investigated. Namely, a conventional matched filter receiver, a blinking receiver and a minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver are considered. Assuming a large number of pulses per information bit, approximate expressions of bit error probability for the conventional matched filter and blinking receiver are presented. Then, conditions under which one receiver has a lower probability of error than the other are obtained. Also an MMSE receiver is proposed, which optimally combines the pulses but has higher complexity compared to the other types of receivers. Simulation studies are employed to compare the performances of the receivers and to verify the analytical expressions.
Effects of Under- and Overnutrition on Lactation in Laboratory Rats

To study the effects of maternal nutritional status on lactational performance, the diets of laboratory rats were manipulated with food restriction or increases in fat concentration. Compared with rats fed control diets ad libitum, conception rate, milk production and litter growth decreased and milk fat concentration increased in both chronically food restricted and obese animals. Chronically food restricted rats mobilized body fat and reduced their energy expenditure for maintenance and activity. Differences in suckling pattern between control and food-restricted rats affected hormone concentrations important for successful lactation. Obese rats experienced greater difficulty than controls in delivering their pups and more of their pups died in the first days of life. Milk production among obese rats may be constrained by poor appetite and the high heat production that characterizes lactation in litter-bearing species. There are many parallels as well as important differences between results obtained from these models and findings in nursing women. Nevertheless, these models provide useful information about the possible mechanisms by which maternal nutritional status affects lactational performance.
Language Impairment, Parent—Child Shared Reading, and Phonological Awareness: A Feasibility Study

This study evaluated the feasibility and outcomes of a parent-implemented phonological awareness (PA) intervention for young children with specific language impairment. The intervention was deliver...
Fluoride Content of Commercially Prepared Mechanically Deboned Poultry Meat

Abstract While the presence of fluoride in foods containing small amounts of bone has long been known, this study has been prompted by the need to monitor fluorides, which has recently been accentuated by the expanded production of mechanically deboned meat. Fluoride content was determined on raw broiler necks (with and without skin) and breast frames fed into the deboner (input), the deboned products, and the bone-containing residues. Fluoride was also determined on six mechanically deboned poultry meat products commercially prepared with two different deboners from raw or cooked broiler necks, broiler breast frames, fowl, and turkey frames. Samples were freeze-dried, fat-extracted, ground, and subsampled for the assay. Each subsample was ashed, the ash dissolved in perchloric acid solution, and the solution distilled at 137 to 140 C. Fluoride in the distillate was measured with an ion electrode and millivolt meter. Fluoride contents of input, product, and residue indicated about a 1:13 distribution of input fluoride between product and residue, with yields of meat product from input around 80%. Fluoride contents ranged from 1.5 μ/g wet basis for mechanically deboned broiler neck meat to 27 μ/g wet basis for mechanically deboned cooked fowl meat; fluoride content of raw broiler breast frame and turkey rack products ranged from 2.7 to 3.6 μ/g.
Cellulitis syndromes: an update.

Cellulitis is a commonly seen clinical syndrome that is most often associated with β-haemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus. Several medical conditions and a variety of procedures can predispose to the development of cellulitis by a common mechanism: venous and lymphatic compromise. The precise pathophysiologic and immunologic details involved in the predisposition to cellulitis remain poorly understood. Therapy is directed at resolution of acute infection and prevention of recurrent episodes of cellulitis.