cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Whole-body hyperthermia decreases lung metastases in lung tumor-bearing mice, possibly via a mechanism involving natural killer cells.

The effects of whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) on the course of the Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and B16 melanoma (B16) were examined. WBH was generated by microwave (2450 MHz) at an intraperitoneal temperature of 39.5–40.0°C and an intratumoral temperature of 40.0–40.5°C for 30 min once a week, ×3 (LLC) or ×6 (B16). The mice were sacrificed 21 days (LLC) or 42 days (B16) after tumor implantation and lung metastases were scored. Natural killer (NK)-cell activity was determined against the YAC-1 tumor target in WBH-treated tumorbearing mice as well as in tumor-bearing mice but untreated controls. The number of lung metastases was significantly reduced and NK-cell activity was higher in animals treated with WBH. Thus, this study suggests that WBH interferes with the spread of organ metastases, possibly through a mechanism involving NK cells.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 signaling in vocal fold fibroblasts

Objectives/Hypothesis: Inflammation and its role in a coordinated fibroplastic response, which disrupts the structure of the vocal folds following injury, is critical. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an important enzyme involved in both inflammation and fibrosis; in addition, it is a prime target for therapeutic intervention. We sought to study this pathway in vocal fold fibroblasts to provide a foundation for future interventional studies. Study Design: In vitro. Methods: Human vocal fold fibroblasts were incubated with IL-1β to determine the effects on COX-2 signaling, along with upstream regulatory mechanisms and downstream mediators of wound healing. In vitro methods to assess mRNA expression, as well as intracellular and secreted protein (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were employed. Results: IL-1β regulation of COX-2 mRNA and protein levels was dose and time dependent and IL-1β altered PGE2 metabolism, via regulation of both synthetic and degradative enzymes. IL-1β increased nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and nuclear translocation. Inhibition of the p50 and p65 subunits of NF-κB decreased IL-1β-induced COX-2 transcription. IL-1β also altered mRNA expression of four cell-surface prostaglandin receptors. Conclusions: Inflammation and fibrosis are important in the vocal fold pathophysiologic response to injury. Our data suggest that COX-2 and PGE2 are inducible in human vocal fold fibroblasts, and this response appears to be NF-κB-dependent. We purport this fundamental investigation will lead to increased insight regarding injury and repair in the vocal folds, with the ultimate goal of developing novel clinical care paradigms. Laryngoscope, 2010
Laparoscopic management of pelvic pathology during pregnancy

The following article presents an overview of current practices in laparoscopy for pelvic pathology during pregnancy. It includes a review of physiologic changes in pregnancy. Common indications for surgery during pregnancy, including adnexal masses, appendicitis and biliary disease are discussed. Recommendations for the safe practice of laparoscopy in pregnancy including timing and operative techniques are provided.
Dimensional standard alignment in K-12 digital libraries: assessment of self-found vs. recommended curriculum

Enhancing the experience of digital library users depends, in part, on recognizing and understanding user tasks. In the context of K-12 educational libraries this means that we must understand how K-12 teachers interact with such libraries and how they assess the relevance of documents found or encountered. This paper presents the results of an experiment in which K-12 teachers scored the relevance of curriculum they found themselves and the relevance of documents their colleagues found and recommended. We found that teachers apply a significantly more detailed notion of relevance, both qualitatively and quantitatively, when searching for as compared to evaluating recommended curricula. Differences were observed in both relevance judgments and system interaction logs. These variations may be useful in identifying user intent and in dynamically adapting the behavior of digital libraries of educational material.
Diffuse contralateral pulmonary metastases in malignant mesothelioma: an unusual radiographic presentation

We describe a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma involving the lung parenchyma bilaterally in a diffuse nodular fashion. This pattern of metastasis is seldom reported for this tumor.
Application-oriented 33 GHz E/D-PMODFET static prescaler fabricated using optical lithography

We report the 33 GHz operation of a packaged divide-by-32/64 static prescaler designed for instrument applications. The technology uses 0.1-/spl mu/m enhancement- and depletion-mode (E/D) MODFET's with pseudomorphic InGaAs channels (on GaAs substrate) defined by optical lithography and a self-limiting oxide spacer technique. >
Influence of ambient parameters on the response of polymer-coated SH-surface acoustic wave sensors to aromatic analytes in liquid-phase detection

This work addresses the importance of ambient conditions in the design of a sensor system for real-time monitoring of contaminated water sites and groundwater in situ for fuel and oil spills. The sensor system is based on shear-horizontal surface acoustic wave devices with chemically sensitive polymer coatings for analyte sorption. In addition to the use of a sensor array, evaluation of response time (absorption time constant) is discussed as a tool for analyte identification. The influence of relevant ambient parameters (temperature, pH, salinity) on the sensor response is described, and resulting requirements for the design of the sensor system are discussed.
THE EFFECTS OF VINBLASTINE SULFATE ON THE MICROTUBULAR ORGANIZATION OF THE OVARY OF RHODNIUS PROLIXUS

It has been well established that the trophocytes, or nurse cells of heteropterous ovaries, contribute a variety of cytoplasmic components to the developing oocytes (Bonhag, 1958) . Hemipteran ovaries are of the telotrophic type in which the nurse cells are confined to the apical trophic-chamber of each ovariole and are connected to developing oocytes, during their early stages of differentiation, by means of long nutritive or trophic cords. The central region of the trophic chamber is syncytial and is referred to as the trophic core . The fibrillar nature and basophilic staining of the trophic cords
A Proposed Model for the Thermal Conductivity of Dry And Water-Saturated Tuff*

The room-temperature thermal conductivities of two kinds of tuff from the Nevada Test Site have been measured on a linear-heat-flow thermal comparator. The results are the basis for an empirical model of the conductivity of these rocks in the dry and water-saturated conditions as a function of porosity. Tuff is one medium being considered for nuclear waste disposal. Devitrified, non-zeolitized tuffs with 6 to 22% porosity, and non-welded, zeolitized tuffs with 24 to 35% porosity were examined. The empirical geometric mean model is used to characterize the porosity-dependent thermal conductivity. We consider the rock metrix conductivity and the effective fluid conductivity as adjustable parameters in fitting the model to data for saturated and dehydrated samples, separately. For each rock type, the fitted value of matrix conductivity is the same in both the saturated and dehydrated cases; 2.3 and 1.1 W/(m.K) for the non-zeolitized and zeolitized tuffs, respectively. The fitted values for fluid conductivites are different for the zeolitized and non-zeolitized tuffs, but the ratio of fitted water conductivity to fitted gas conductivity is very nearly the same for both rock types. This permits the use of a single equation to predict with good accuracy the ratio of saturated to drymore » rock conductivity.« less
Foreground focus: Finding meaningful features in unlabeled images

We present a method to automatically discover meaningful features in unlabeled image collections. Each image is decomposed into semi-local features that describe neighborhood appearance and geometry. The goal is to determine for each image which of these parts are most relevant, given the image content in the remainder of the collection. Our method first c omputes an initial image-level grouping based on feature correspondences, and then iteratively refines cluster assignments based on the evolving in tra-cluster pattern of local matches. As a result, the significance attributed to each feature influences an image’s cluster membership, while related image s in a cluster affect the estimated significance of their features. We show that this mutual reinforcement of object-level and feature-level similari ty improves unsupervised image clustering, and apply the technique to automatically discover categories and foreground regions in images from benchmark datasets.
Advantage of surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of primary gastrointestinal lymphoma.

Background: Surgery has been the mainstay of treatment for gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy to surgery has not been clearly elucidated. Methods: The review covered 100 patients who were diagnosed with primary GI lymphoma and treated from 1980 to 1993 at Providence Hospital (Southfield, MI), and Hartford and St. Francis Hospitals (Hartford, CT) with a median follow-up of 5 years. Forty-two patients were treated with surgery alone; 31 patients with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy; 23 patients with primary chemotherapy, and 4 patients received no treatment. Results: The 5-year actuarial survival based on the above treatments calculated by life-table analysis were 57%, 76%, 58%, and 0%, respectively. This series showed that surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the 5-year actuarial survival of patients with primary GI Lymphoma and that primary chemotherapy showed comparable survival to surgery alone. There was no difference in prognosis when comparing patients with different stage, grade, or location of disease in the GI tract. Conclusions: We recommend surgery when feasible with adjuvant chemotherapy as the mainstay of treatment for primary Gl lymphoma. However, if a patient presents with comorbid factors, primary chemotherapy offers an effective altemative.
Maintenance of certification: Realities for the practitioner

During the 2011 Workshop on Perinatal Practice Strategies sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Perinatal Pediatrics, I reviewed the essentials of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) program for Maintenance of Certification (MoC). This article is a synopsis of that presentation. Although the principles of MoC are applicable across pediatric subspecialties (and many apply to General Pediatrics as well as the subspecialties), my comments in this article are directed primarily to clinicians interested in the MoC program as it applies to certificate holders in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine (NPM).
Intimal smooth muscle cells: the context-dependent origin.

“Know the enemy and know yourself; in numerous battles you will never be in peril.” Sun Tzu ( The Art of War , Chapter III) The sixth-century BC Chinese military general Sun Tzu underscored the dangers of overconfidence in strategy. A similar view has been shared by other thinkers and applied further to various contexts other than the military. A major goal of the medical sciences is to develop effective, well-refined therapies. Accomplishing this task requires a comprehensive understanding of the biology of each component in the disease mechanism and realization of the limits of current knowledge. This view can apply not only to the development of new therapies but also to advanced diagnostics (eg, imaging and biomarkers). Article see p 2048 The biology of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) has been central to cardiovascular research. Many investigations have focused on the mechanisms of SMC accumulation in the tunica intima, an inner layer of the vessel wall between the endothelium and the media. Evidence suggests that, unlike arteries in other mammals, those in humans spontaneously develop intima of substantial thickness. In addition to higher cholesterol levels (even in normolipidemic individuals compared with other mammals) and other human-specific risk factors (eg, smoking), the intima may serve as a soil for the future development of atherosclerotic plaques.1 Coronary atherosclerosis leads to acute thrombotic complications, the leading cause of death in many countries. High plasticity represents a unique feature of SMC compared with other muscle cell types. A classic theory proposes that, on activation in response to injury or inflammatory stimuli, medial SMC migrate into the subendothelial space, proliferate, and produce extracellular matrix, forming the tunica intima. Once relocated to the intima, migrated SMC regain a quiescent phenotype over time.2,3 This phenomenon suggests that SMC can transiently modulate their phenotype, …
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy as a Complication of Electroconvulsive Therapy

Objective:To examine the evidence regarding takotsubo cardiomyopathy as a complication of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).Data Sources:Searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1966-August 2011) were conducted.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Published studies and case reports that mentioned takotsubo cardiomyopathy following ECT were reviewed.Data Synthesis:Twelve case reports were available for review. There were 7 documented cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy, 4 cases of myocardial stunning, and 1 case of cardiogenic shock following ECT. Although takotsubo cardiomyopathy was not mentioned in 5 of the cases, some clinical characteristics were consistent with this diagnosis. Left ventricular ejection fraction and the electrocardiogram returned to normal within a few days in the majority of the cases. All cases were in women, the majority of whom were postmenopausal (average age 64 years). Takotsubo cardiomyopathy developed after a single course of ECT in 6 of the cases, w...
Formation of dispersed phase in incompatible polymer blends: Interfacial and rheological effects

The formation of dispersed phase in blends of incompatible polymers during melt extrusion with a co-rotating twin screw extruder was studied, using nylon and polyester as the matrix and ethylene-propylene rubbers as the dispersed phase. A master curve is obtained, i.e., Gηmα/γ = 4p±0.84, where G is the shear rate, γ the particle diameter, η the interfacial tension, ηm the matrix viscosity, ηd the dispersed-drop viscosity, and p = ηd/ηm. The plus (+) sign applies for p > 1, and the minus (−) sign for p < 1. Thus, the dispersed-drop size is directly proportional to the interfacial tension and the ±0.84 power of viscosity ratio. The dispersed drops are the smaller, when the interfacial tension is the lower and the viscosity ratio is the closer to unity. The interfacial tension is largely controlled by the polarities of the two phases, and can be varied over several orders of magnitude by using appropriate dispersants.
A Child's Response to Intervention Requires a Responsive Teacher of Reading

The revised Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) offers U.S. schools confronting rising enrollments of students with learning disabilities (LD) two options for managing this increasing population. The first option is that local education agencies can use as much as 15% of their special education funds to pay for early intervening services (EIS) and to support professional development and literacy instruction. The second option offered by IDEA is Response to Intervention (RTI) that can be used to provide early interventions without labeling students at risk for school failure as learning disabled. RTI encourages early identification and prereferral intervention to determine if a child responds to the intervening instruction. The goal is to limit referrals based on inadequate instruction or limited English proficiency and to reduce the number of children identified for LD services. In order to do this, the lowest performing children must be identified early so that appropriately intensive interventions and tiers of support can be provided within a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction at the first indication of the child’s difficulty.
Prognostic Factors in Elderly Patients with AML and the Implications for Treatment

The outcome of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not improved in the last three decades. These patients are more likely to have comorbid illness, poor performance status, and impaired organ function. These clinical features limit their ability to tolerate intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy and result in greater early mortality. The AML seen in elderly patients is also more likely to have evolved from a prior hematologic disorder, and the leukemic blasts are more likely to have poor-risk structural and numeric cytogenetic abnormalities and expression of multidrug resistance protein (MDR1). These blast features have been associated with greater resistance to therapy. Attempts to improve outcome have generally been unsuccessful. Priming of leukemic blasts with granulocyte colony-stimulating factors during cytarabine therapy, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support to speed neutrophil recovery following induction therapy, inhibition of the MDR1 p-glycoprotein efflux pump, the use of alternative anthracyclines, and the addition of high-dose cytarabine have all been investigated in the last three decades. Further manipulation of standard cytotoxic chemotherapy alone is unlikely to improve the outcome for the majority of patients with AML. Incorporation of molecularly targeted therapies may prove to be less toxic and/or more efficacious. However, patient selection for clinical trials will continue to confound the interpretation of treatment outcomes on clinical trials of older patients with AML.
Intercoronal cell complex of larvae of the bryozon Watersipora arcuata (cheilostomata: Ascophora)

The coronate larva of the ascophoran bryozoan Watersipora arcuata has a ring of 32 large, multiciliated coronal cells that are used for swimming. Fourteen pairs of small cells are intercalated between the lateral margins of adjacent coronal cells. These intercoronal cells are arranged in a precise pattern and are polymorphic: seven pairs have multiple cilia and seven pairs are mono- or oligociliated. Three pairs of multiciliated intercoronal cells have their cilia arranged as a whorl that is recessed in a pocket formed between the adjacent coronal cells, and they are thought to be photoreceptors that sense general light intensity. Two other pairs of multiciliated cells with cohesive tufts of cilia may be chemo- or mechanoreceptors. Roles of the other intercoronal cells in this species are not evident, but it is proposed that the majority, if not all, of them are sensory. The close proximity of all the intercoronal cells to the equatorial nerve ring is compatible with this interpretation. Analyses of the literature on cleavage patterns, pigment cup ocelli, and flagellar tufts that serve as balancers in coronate larvae lead us to propose that (1) an intercoronal cell is the sensory element of most, if not all, pigment cup ocelli of bryozoan larvae; and (2) intercoronal cells are not modified coronal cells but probably are specialized supra- and/or infracoronal ones that have migrated to an intercoronal position.
Trophic Interactions of Turtles in a North Florida Lake Food Web: Prevalence of Omnivory

Omnivory is ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and may increase stability of food webs. Turtles are long-lived and among the most abundant organisms in lentic aquatic habitats. Many species are omnivores and thus may be especially important in regulating ecosystem dynamics in these systems. Turtles are also one of the most threatened vertebrate groups in the world; if they indeed play pivotal roles in lentic ecosystems, their declines may disrupt or even destabilize those ecosystems. In order to assess the role of turtles in an aquatic ecosystem, we examined sources of primary production, trophic structure, and ontogenetic diet shifts of five species of turtles, other herpetofauna, and fish in a large shallow lake in northern Florida. Stable isotope analyses (δ13C and δ15N) of 42 species of animals and five sources of primary productivity revealed that macroalgae and/or particulate organic matter were the foundation of the food web. Trophic structure of the herpetofauna and fish indicated a ...
Caucasian male infants and boys with hypospadias exhibit reduced anogenital distance

background: Animal models of endocrine dysfunction have associated male genital defects with reduced anogenital distance (AGD). Human studies have correlated shorter AGD with exposure to putative endocrine disruptors in the environment but have not examined AGD in hypospadiac boys. We measured AGD in boys with hypospadias and those with normal genitals. methods: Data were collected prospectively on boys undergoing urologic procedures at the University of California San Francisco and the Children’s Hospital of Oakland, CA, USA. Data included age, race, height, weight, BMI, urologic diagnoses and AGD. To minimize any potential effects of race on observed AGD, we examined only Caucasian boys. Differences between boys with hypospadias and those with normal genitals were examined through two-tailed Student’s t-tests. results: One hundred and nineteen Caucasian boys ranging in age from 4 to 86 months underwent AGD measurement, of which 42 and 77 were boys with normal genitals and hypospadias, respectively. The mean (+SD) AGD of boys with hypospadias was 67+ 1.2 versus 73+ 1 mm for boys with normal genitals (P ¼ 0.002). In these age-unmatched patient groups, there were also differences in age, height and weight (P ¼ 0.0001, 0.0002 and 0.0004, respectively). After age matching (all ,2 years of age), boys with hypospadias (n ¼ 26) still featured a shorter AGD than boys with normal genitals (n ¼ 26; 62+ 2 versus 68+ 2 mm respectively, P ¼ 0.033) but the differences in age, height and weight were no longer significant. conclusions: In humans, hypospadias may indeed be associated with reduced AGD. Additional studies are needed to corroborate these preliminary findings and to determine their etiology.
Effectiveness of different treatment regimens for peri-implantitis.

Systematic review conclusion Little reliable evidence exists to indicate the most effective method of treating peri-implantitis. Critical summary assessment The results of this thorough review show that although treatments for peri-implantitis may be effective, not enough evidence exists to recommend one treatment definitively over any other. Evidence quality rating Limited.
A call-and-response system facilitates group cohesion among disc-winged bats

Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society/[8973-11]//Estados Unidos
Migration and Inequality in the Rural United States: Connecting Urban to Rural and Local to Global

This article draws from several overlapping literatures to frame urban–rural migration in the United States as the cause of emerging dimensions of inequality. To begin, the article reviews the amenity migration field of research, noting that scholars often underestimate or overlook inequality within rural destinations because common research lenses and methodological decisions inadvertently mask it. The article then describes a second thread of research that explicitly implicates migration as a driver of inequality and a third that draws connections to gentrification. Finally, the article reviews more recent research that characterizes inequality in rural destinations using a more global sociological perspective. The author draws attention to work, which recognizes that migration constitutes a material and theoretical connection between inequality experienced locally and societal inequality at the national and global scales.
A Geostatistical Framework for Area-to-Point Spatial Interpolation

The spatial prediction of point values from areal data of the same attribute is addressed within the general geostatistical framework of change of support; the term support refers to the domain informed by each datum or unknown value. It is demonstrated that the proposed geostatistical framework can explicitly and consistently account for the support differences between the available areal data and the sought-after point predictions. In particular, it is proved that appropriate modeling of all area-to-area and area-to-point covariances required by the geostatistical framework yields coherent (mass-preserving or pycnophylactic) predictions. In other words, the areal average (or areal total) of point predictions within any arbitrary area informed by an areal-average (or areal-total) datum is equal to that particular datum. In addition, the proposed geostatistical framework offers the unique advantage of providing a measure of the reliability (standard error) of each point prediction. It is also demonstrated that several existing approaches for area-to-point interpolation can be viewed within this geostatistical framework. More precisely, it is shown that (i) the choropleth map case corresponds to the geostatistical solution under the assumption of spatial independence at the point support level; (ii) several forms of kernel smoothing can be regarded as alternative (albeit sometimes incoherent) implementations of the geostatistical approach; and (iii) Tobler’s smooth pycnophylactic interpolation, on a quasi-infinite domain without non-negativity constraints, corresponds to the geostatistical solution when the semivariogram model adopted at the point support level is identified to the free-space Green’s functions (linear in 1-D or logarithmic in 2-D) of Poisson’s partial differential equation. In lieu of a formal case study, several 1-D examples are given to illustrate pertinent concepts.
A Data-Level Fusion Model for Developing Composite Health Indices for Degradation Modeling and Prognostic Analysis

Prognostics involves the effective utilization of condition or performance-based sensor signals to accurately estimate the remaining lifetime of partially degraded systems and components. The rapid development of sensor technology, has led to the use of multiple sensors to monitor the condition of an engineering system. It is therefore important to develop methodologies capable of integrating data from multiple sensors with the goal of improving the accuracy of predicting remaining lifetime. Although numerous efforts have focused on developing feature-level and decision-level fusion methodologies for prognostics, little research has targeted the development of “data-level” fusion models. In this paper, we present a methodology for constructing a composite health index for characterizing the performance of a system through the fusion of multiple degradation-based sensor data. This methodology includes data selection, data processing, and data fusion steps that lead to an improved degradation-based prognostic model. Our goal is that the composite health index provides a much better characterization of the condition of a system compared to relying solely on data from an individual sensor. Our methodology was evaluated through a case study involving a degradation dataset of an aircraft gas turbine engine that was generated by the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation (C-MAPSS).
The gastrointestinal complications of the Miami Pouch: a review of 77 cases.

Abstract Objectives . To describe the gastrointestinal (GI) complications associated with the Miami Pouch (MP), a continent ileocolonic urinary reservoir. Methods . A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent a MP from 1988 to 1997 at the University of Miami, School of Medicine, was employed. Data was analyzed in terms of early and late (beyond 6 weeks) GI complications resulting directly from the operation. Results . Seventy-seven patients underwent a MP, a form of continent urinary diversion. Seventy-two patients (93.5%) were previously radiated. The perioperative mortality rate was 11.7%. Twenty (26%) patients developed a GI complication (17 late and 3 early), and 5 (6.5%) were directly as a result of the MP. Twelve recto-vaginal and 1 recto-neo-vaginal fistulas were identified. All but one was considered as late. Three (3.9%) patients developed colo-MP fistulas (3, 5, and 14 months). All three patients failed conservative management and required reoperation. Two patients developed enterocutaneous fistulas (3 and 5 months). One patient developed breakdown of the ileotransverse colon anastomosis on postoperative day 12 and required reoperation with bowel resection and an ileostomy. She expired from intraabdominal sepsis. Finally, 1 patient developed short bowel syndrome secondary to an expanding hematoma in the small bowel mesentery. Conclusions . The GI complication rate attributed directly to the MP is low (6.5%). Prompt recognition is the key to successful management of these complications. The majority of these complications are considered as late and do not occur in the immediate postoperative period. Conservative management of GI-MP fistulas is not successful and necessitates reoperation.
A Critical Analysis of Assessment Quality in Genomics and Bioinformatics Education Research

The growing importance of genomics and bioinformatics methods and paradigms in biology has been accompanied by an explosion of new curricula and pedagogies. An important question to ask about these educational innovations is whether they are having a meaningful impact on students’ knowledge, attitudes, or skills. Although assessments are necessary tools for answering this question, their outputs are dependent on their quality. Our study 1) reviews the central importance of reliability and construct validity evidence in the development and evaluation of science assessments and 2) examines the extent to which published assessments in genomics and bioinformatics education (GBE) have been developed using such evidence. We identified 95 GBE articles (out of 226) that contained claims of knowledge increases, affective changes, or skill acquisition. We found that 1) the purpose of most of these studies was to assess summative learning gains associated with curricular change at the undergraduate level, and 2) a minority (<10%) of studies provided any reliability or validity evidence, and only one study out of the 95 sampled mentioned both validity and reliability. Our findings raise concerns about the quality of evidence derived from these instruments. We end with recommendations for improving assessment quality in GBE.
Azithromycin for the Self-Treatment of Traveler's Diarrhea

In this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Tribble et al. [1] present data on the occurrence of traveler's diarrhea among US military personnel stationed in Thailand, where the principal pathogen was fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter species, and they provide evidence of the utility of single-dose azithromycin as therapy for the illness. After 156 adult military personnel were randomized to receive a single (1-g) dose of azithromycin or a 3-day regimen of either azithromycin or levofloxacin (both given in a 500 mg dose once daily), the mean duration of diarrhea after treatment initiation (i.e., the time to passage of the last unformed stool [TLUS]) was 39 h for subjects receiving single-dose azithromycin, compared with 43 h for subjects receiving a 3-day regimen of azithromycin and 56 h for those receiving a 3-day regimen of levofloxacin. The rate of microbiological eradication was significantly higher with the use of azithromycin-based regimens, although, as has been previously shown, microbiological cure did not correlate with the clinical response to therapy [2]. The highest rate of nausea during the 30 min after treatment initiation occurred in the group receiving
Tensor-product parity code for magnetic recording

In magnetic recording, a standard code architecture consists of an outer Reed-Solomon code in concatenation with an inner parity code. The inner parity code is used to detect and correct common error events. Generally, a parity code with short block length performs better, as multiple error events within one block and, consequently, miscorrection are less likely. In this paper, we study an inner code that offers the same system performance as a parity code with very short block length, even as short as the symbol length (in bits) of the outer Reed-Solomon code, but with higher code rate. This code is a tensor-product code, with a Bose-Chauduri-Hocquenghem (BCH) code and a short parity code as constituent codes. The decoder for this code is not much more complex than the optimal decoder of the baseline parity-coded channel; in fact, the only additional steps are Viterbi detection matched to the channel and decoding of the BCH code.
Microvascular Embolization of Arteriovenous Malformations: Predicting Success by Cerebral Angiography

A retrospective and prospective analysis of cerebral arteriograms in 28 patients with intracerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) was undertaken to identify those parameters that predict the efficacy of small silicone particle embolization as a method of treatment. It was noted that when the number and caliber of the arterial feeding vessels were greater than the number and caliber of the draining veins the embolization was successful (15 of 16 patients). On the contrary, when the number and caliber of the draining veins exceeded that of the arteries the embolization failed (seven of seven patients). In four of five patients with nearly equal ratios, the embolization reduced the flow but not the size of the malformation.
US Perspectives in the Management of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: Patient and Physician Results from the Population-Based Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP) Survey

Background The Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP), a population-based survey of patients, dermatologists, and rheumatologists, was conducted for better understanding of the unmet needs of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.
Alcohol Involvement in Highway Crashes: A Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence

There is probably no other single aspect of American behavior which is so underinvestigated as driving, and yet which has such an impact on our daily lives and on our annual death rate. Evidence is reviewed which indicates that the probability of being responsible for a fatal crash increases sharply as blood alcohol concentrations increase above those achieved by heavy social drinking.
Mechanism of membrane stabilization by calcium in vascular smooth muscle

In this study we observed relaxation in helical strips of rat tail artery in response to high concentrations of calcium after contraction induced by 10(-7) g/ml norepinephrine. This action of calcium on vascular smooth muscle contraction is referred to as the “membrane-stabilizing effect” of calcium. The current study demonstrates that changes caused by many of the variables that alter this relaxation induced by calcium parallel changes in relaxation in response to potassium; both are attenuated by ouabain, low sodium, reduced temperature, and low potassium. Relaxation produced by manganese is not similarly affected. Because potassium has been shown to cause relaxation of vascular smooth muscle by increasing the activity of sodium-potassium ATPase, we conclude that the relaxation produced by high concentrations of calcium is dependent on the activity of sodium-potassium ATPase; that produced by manganese is not.
The Elusive Pancreatic Stem Cell

Whether pancreatic stem cells exist in the embryo or in the adult organ remains a controversial topic. Here, we review embryonic pancreas development, with a focus on the role of pancreatic multipotent progenitor cells during epithelial patterning, cell fate specification, and isletogenesis. Research efforts have recently turned to beta cell regeneration or replacement to treat T1D. Stimulating the expansion of stem or progenitor cells toward a beta cell fate in the adult pancreas, or generating new beta cells in the laboratory, are both major therapeutic goals in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D), a burdensome disease with no cure. We apply insights from progenitor cells in embryonic pancreatic development to adult beta cell neogenesis. New adult beta cells have been shown to originate endogenously via self-replication, or via transdifferentiation of other cell types, including acinar, hepatobiliary, or ductal cells. Regenerative approaches to treat diabetes have been successful in rodent models of pancreatic injury, but these regenerative mechanisms may not be conserved in the human pancreas. Bona fide stem cells may not exist in the adult pancreas, but achieving beta cell replacement in the diabetic pancreas appears possible, with recent leaps in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived beta cell technology, as well as current clinical trials of encapsulated beta cell replacement therapy. Abbreviations: Angptl8, angiopoietin like protein 8; BAC, bacterial artificial chromosome; bHLH, basic helix-loop-helix; BM, bone marrow; BrdU, bromodeoxyuridine; CAII, carbonic anhydrase II; Cpa1, carboxypeptidase 1; hESC, human embryonic stem cell; hGO, human gut organoid; Hlxb9, Homeobox HB9; iPSC, induced pluripotent stem cell; KGF, Keratinocyte Growth Factor; MODY4, maturity onset diabetes of the young; MPC, multipotent progenitor cell; MSC, mesenchymal stem cell; Ngn3, Neurogenin3; Nkx6.1, NK6 homeobox 1; PDL, Pancreatic Ductal Ligation; Pdx1, Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1; PP, pancreatic polypeptide; Ppx, partial pancreatectomy; RA, retinoic acid; RhoGAP, Rho GTPase Activating Protein; RIPCreERT2, Rat Insulin Promoter Cre Estrogen Receptor Tamoxifen; Sox9, sex determining region Y protein 9; STZ, streptozocin; T1D, Type 1 Diabetes; T2D, Type 2 Diabetes
27 A TRADITIONAL NATIVE APPROACH TO PRESCRIPTION NARCOTIC ABUSE ON THE FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION.

Purpose Northwest Montana9s Flathead Indian Reservation has a high number of chronic pain patients on prescription narcotics and a high rate of narcotic abuse. Noteworthy is the history of oppression of Native peoples, loss of culture, and subsequent depressed societal behaviors. Using the input of tribal cultural leaders and care providers, a pamphlet was designed to dually offer traditional pain management and uphold Native culture. Methods Interviews intended to respectfully gather information on traditional ways of life—to be used as a remedy for the prescription narcotics abuse problem—were conducted with cultural leaders from the three major tribes inhabiting the Flathead Reservation. Mental health staff and a family physician, all tribal members, also contributed. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and local resources to ascertain causes of narcotics abuse and interventions on reservations. Summary All methods, along with clinical and societal observation, point to (1) a history of oppression, identity loss followed by pleasure-seeking behaviors, (2) increased patient comfort with and effectiveness of medical interventions involving traditional wisdom, and (3) traditional spirituality correlating with societal health. A pamphlet directed toward narcotics abusers, the general public was distributed to tribal health clinics, substance abuse counselors, and tribal traditional leaders. Conclusions Reached Historical scars render many Western interventions sterile in reservation settings. Promoting traditional wisdom empowers the elders who offer wisdom and the patients who receive it.
The basis and evidence of a role for the ovarian renin-angiotensin system in health and disease.

OBJECTIVE We reviewed the evidence for an intrinsic ovarian renin-angiotensin system (OVRAS), highlighting potential diverse signaling in this system through different bioactive angiotensin peptides, their specific receptors, and second messengers. In addition, sites of action for OVRAS in the regulation of ovarian function in health and disease were reviewed. DATA SOURCES We used published journals and abstracts from national scientific meetings. Current developments in the renin-angiotensin field are historically set. STUDY SELECTION One hundred referenced articles provided studies on renin-angiotensin systems in mammalian species, including humans. DATA ABSTRACTION Interpretation of the reviewed publication was in line with the original authors' conclusions and statistical analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS Techniques in molecular biology, biochemistry, and immunohistochemistry have identified an OVRAS in mammalian species. Ovarian tissues contain all the elements for the production of angiotensin, including prorenin/renin, angiotensinogen, and angiotensin-converting enzyme. In addition, angiotensin II is present in ovarian compartments, and receptors for angiotensin II are demonstrated on specific ovarian cells. Angiotensin II is implicated to play a role in ovulation, steroidogenesis, follicular atresia, and hyperandrogenic syndromes. CONCLUSIONS The newly identified OVRAS may have important actions in the ovary that range from regulation of ovulation to ovarian dysfunction, such as hyperandrogenic syndromes in women. In this respect, the OVRAS is a putative paracrine/autocrine regulator in the ovary, and pharmacologic regulation of the OVRAS may provide new methods for the management of fertility and reproduction.
Ultrasound-Guided Shoulder Joint and Bursa Injections

Shoulder pain is commonly encountered in pain management practices. Although the rotator cuff and the subacromial structures are thought to contribute to the majority of shoulder pain presentations, there are a number of other structures that generate pain. Fortunately, all these structures are easily accessible with office-based procedures, and injections are useful to confirm the diagnosis and provide analgesia.
Dipole effect in long-period fiber grating

An effect of dipole by the UV-induced birefringence was analyzed using a long-period fiber grating. It was approximately 5.6% in UV-induced refractive index change due to the photosensitivity of Ge-related glass defects in our experiment.
Unit Operations in Food Engineering

In order to successfully produce food products with maximum quality, each stage of processing must be well-designed. Unit Operations in Food Engineering systematically presents the basic information necessary to design food processes and the equipment needed to carry them out. It covers the most common food engineering unit operations in detail, in
Association of left atrial epicardial adipose tissue with electrogram bipolar voltage and fractionation: Electrophysiologic substrates for atrial fibrillation

Background Epicardial adipose tissue (EAdT) is metabolically active and likely contributes to atrial fibrillation (AF) through the release of inflammatory cytokines into the myocardium or through its rich innervation with ganglionated plexi at the pulmonary vein ostia. The electrophysiologic mechanisms underlying the association between EAdT and AF remain unclear. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of EAdT with adjacent myocardial substrate. Methods Thirty consecutive patients who underwent cardiac computed tomography as well as electroanatomic mapping in sinus rhythm before an initial AF ablation procedure were studied. Semiautomatic segmentation of atrial EAdT was performed and registered anatomically to the voltage map. Results In multivariable regression analysis clustered by patient, age (–0.01 per year) and EAdT (–0.29) were associated with log bipolar voltage as well as low-voltage zones ( 2 ) were associated with atrial fat. Conclusion The presence of overlaying EAdT was associated with lower bipolar voltage and electrogram fractionation as electrophysiologic substrates for AF. EAdT was not a statistical mediator of the association between clinical variables and AF substrate. Body mass index was directly associated with the presence of EAdT in patients with AF.
Improving clinical and translational research training: a qualitative evaluation of the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2-mentored research scholars program.

A major impediment to improving the health of communities is the lack of qualified clinical and translational research (CTR) investigators. To address this workforce shortage, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed mechanisms to enhance the career development of CTR physician, PhD, and other doctoral junior faculty scientists including the CTR-focused K12 program and, subsequently, the KL2-mentored CTR career development program supported through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs). Our evaluation explores the impact of the K12/KL2 program embedded within the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a consortium linking Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. We conducted qualitative interviews with program participants to evaluate the impact of the program on career development and collected data on traditional metrics (number of grants, publications). 46 combined K12/KL2 scholars were supported between 2002 and 2016. 30 (65%) of the 46 K12/KL2 scholars are women; 24 (52%) of the trainees are minorities, including 10 (22%) scholars who are members of an underrepresented minority group. Scholars reported increased research skills, strong mentorship experiences, and positive impact on their career trajectory. Among the 43 scholars who have completed the program, 39 (91%) remain engaged in CTR and received over $89 000 000 as principal investigators on federally funded awards. The K12/KL2 funding provided the training and protected time for successful career development of CTR scientists. These data highlight the need for continued support for CTR training programs for junior faculty.
Using Collaborative Filtering to Automate Worker-Job Recommendations for Crowdsourcing Services

Generally, in crowdsourcing, providers advertise their task offerings (i.e. the open call model) largely to crowdworkers who subscribe their interest in working (i.e. subscription model). The combined open call and subscription model represent significant bottlenecks for recruitment in the paradigm of crowdsourcing. Consequently, attracting and retaining a crowd are the major challenges to the success of a crowdsourcing platform and forming a labor market. To address this problem, we introduce a worker-job matching model for crowdsourcing supported by a service-oriented architecture. The service-oriented architecture implements a push-pull mechanism and an underlying algorithm based on collaborative filtering techniques. Preliminary studies show that the infrastructure can effectively infer the levels of expertise of potential crowdworkers based on their profile and past performance history.
Proprotein Convertase Processing Enhances Peroxidasin Activity to Reinforce Collagen IV

The basement membrane (BM) is a form of extracellular matrix that underlies cell layers in nearly all animal tissues. Type IV collagen, a major constituent of BMs, is critical for tissue development and architecture. The enzyme peroxidasin (Pxdn), an extracellular matrix-associated protein, catalyzes the formation of structurally reinforcing sulfilimine cross-links within the collagen IV network, an event essential to basement membrane integrity. Although the catalytic function of Pxdn is known, the regulation of its activity remains unclear. In this work we show through N-terminal sequencing, pharmacologic studies, and mutational analysis that proprotein convertases (PCs) proteolytically process human Pxdn at Arg-1336, a location relatively close to its C terminus. PC processing enhances the enzymatic activity of Pxdn and facilitates the formation of sulfilimine cross-links in collagen IV. Thus, PC processing of Pxdn is a key regulatory step that contributes to its function and, therefore, supports BM integrity and homeostasis.