cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Safety and Efficacy of Allopurinol in Chronic Kidney Disease

Objective: To review the evidence surrounding the use of allopurinol in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and discuss safety and efficacy considerations of such use. Data Sources: A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE (1950-July 2013), PubMed (1965-July 2013), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-July 2013) using the search terms allopurinol and kidney or renal. In addition, reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Extraction: All articles in English identified from the data sources were evaluated for inclusion. Data Synthesis: Gout management with allopurinol in patients with CKD can be challenging because of the risk of adverse events and uncertain efficacy. Not all gout treatment guidelines provide recommendations for allopurinol use specifically in patients with CKD. Literature regarding the safety and efficacy of dosing allopurinol in CKD has shown inconsistent results and is based primarily on retrospective, case cohort or observatio...
The effects of methylprednisolone on postoperative bowel motility and propulsion in dogs.

Eighteen mongrel dogs underwent handsewn right segmental colectomy. One group was pretreated with methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg intravenously at the time of surgery and 7.5 mg/kg intravenously at 6-hour intervals for 24 hours; the second group served as a saline control. Motility was measured postoperatively by manometric catheters, and propulsion was measured by x-ray evidence of passage of radiopaque markers. Marker studies showed more rapid passage in animals pretreated with steroids, but differences were not statistically significant (P=0.11). Motility studies showed a significant overall increase in motility in steroid-treated animals on the first postoperative day (P=0.03); smaller differences on the second or third days were not significant. Motility studies comparing ileum, cecum, and sigmoid showed the ileum to be the site of significant steroid effect (P=0.02), with insignificant benefit seen in the colon. The data suggest that methylprednisolone may be of some objective benefit in restoration of postoperative bowel motility, and the site of action may be in the small bowel and not at the anastomosis.
Integrins αvβ3 and α4β1 Act as Coreceptors for Fractalkine, and the Integrin-Binding Defective Mutant of Fractalkine Is an Antagonist of CX3CR1

The membrane-bound chemokine fractalkine (FKN, CX3CL1) on endothelial cells plays a role in leukocyte trafficking. The chemokine domain (FKN-CD) is sufficient for inducing FKN signaling (e.g., integrin activation), and FKN-CD binds to its receptor CX3CR1 on leukocytes. Whereas previous studies suggest that FKN-CD does not directly bind to integrins, our docking simulation studies predicted that FKN-CD directly interacts with integrin α v β 3 . Consistent with this prediction, we demonstrated that FKN-CD directly bound to α v β 3 and α 4 β 1 at a very high affinity ( K D of 3.0 × 10 −10 M to α v β 3 in 1 mM Mn 2+ ). Also, membrane-bound FKN bound to integrins α v β 3 and α 4 β 1 , suggesting that the FKN-CD/integrin interaction is biologically relevant. The binding site for FKN-CD in α v β 3 was similar to those for other known α v β 3 ligands. Wild-type FKN-CD induced coprecipitation of integrins and CX3CR1 in U937 cells, suggesting that FKN-CD induces ternary complex formation (CX3CR1, FKN-CD, and integrin). Based on the docking model, we generated an integrin-binding defective FKN-CD mutant (the K36E/R37E mutant). K36E/R37E was defective in ternary complex formation and integrin activation, whereas K36E/R37E still bound to CX3CR1. These results suggest that FKN-CD binding to CX3CR1 is not sufficient for FKN signaling, and that FKN-CD binding to integrins as coreceptors and the resulting ternary complex formation are required for FKN signaling. Notably, excess K36E/R37E suppressed integrin activation induced by wild-type FKN-CD and effectively suppressed leukocyte infiltration in thioglycollate-induced peritonitis. These findings suggest that K36E/R37E acts as a dominant-negative CX3CR1 antagonist and that FKN-CD/integrin interaction is a novel therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases.
Being Part of Something: Transformative Outcomes of a Community-Based Participatory Study

Objectives. Calls for public health practices, including research, to better integrate social theories of power, agency, and social change suggest that increased reflexivity about both the process and outcomes of community engagement is warranted. Yet few community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects specifically report nonresearch outcomes of such projects. The authors analyzed “secondary outcomes” of Protecting the ’Hood Against Tobacco (PHAT), a CBPR project conducted in San Francisco, California. Methods. Interpretive analysis of quasi-ethnographic project documentation, including meeting minutes, field notes, retrospective observations, and interviews. Results. PHAT participation created “ripple effects,” encouraging healthier behaviors and public health promotion among community research partners, prompting academics to confront power asymmetries and recognize community knowledge, and widening social networks. Conclusions. CBPR benefits both communities and researchers beyond the findings o...
Investigations of DC Electro-Osmotic (DCEO) micro pumps for an orthopaedic implant applications

This paper investigates the feasibility and design of an Electro-Osmotic pump to deliver interstitial fluids to chemical sensing devices inside orthopaedic implants for prognostic feedback. Attention is given to pump parameters, e.g., pump geometries, power consumption, and fluid properties (ionic strength, viscosity). The fabrication of micro-pumps is simple and inexpensive by soft lithography, with no need of cleanroom. The micro-pumps are interfaced with an external load for sample delivery where flow rates of 0.017-0.097 μL/min are generated under electric fields of 10−50 V/cm with less than 2.5-μW power consumption. The overall results well agree with theoretic prediction.
IBM 193nm Semiconductor Resist: Material Properties, Resist Characteristics and Lithographic Performance

Using substituted poly(norbornenes), we have developed an etch-resistant, high resolution single layer 193nm positive resist. This paper describes the optical absorption properties, oxide-etch characteristics and resolution capabilities of such a first generation IBM resist.
Case Examples of Enhancing Pediatric OCD Treatment With a Smartphone Application

These case examples depict the use of a smartphone application, Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach, to enhance the treatment of pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The presented cases highlight the use of Anxiety Coach as a stand-alone intervention for mild OCD symptoms and as an adjunct to treatment for severe OCD complicated by geographical barriers. Each case includes a description of treatment, patient use of the application, objective assessment of clinical symptoms, and a qualitative interview with the families. Both patients responded well to treatment and had a positive experience with Anxiety Coach. The application encouraged the families to complete exposures between sessions and allowed a detailed examination of the patients’ engagement in homework assignments. Potential uses of smartphone applications to address challenges facing treatment of, and research on, OCD are discussed.
WDM Mitigation of Nonlinear Impairments in Low-Duty-Cycle M-PPM Free-Space Optical Transmitters

We evaluate the benefits of using WDM for the dual purpose of increasing data rate and mitigating peak-power nonlinearities in high-power M-PPM optical transmitters used in high-sensitivity applications that incorporate forward error correction.
From pen pals to chat rooms: the impact of social media on Middle Eastern Society.

In this article, we will discuss what is known about a surprisingly popular phenomenon in the Middle East—the use of social media to communicate. We will begin with a discussion of what “social media” sites are (sites such as Facebook, Your Middle East, YouTube, Flickr, Muslima.com, chat rooms, and instant messaging) and point out how common they are in the Middle East. Next, we will discuss the reasons why men and women are currently using Internet and social media. Finally, we will discuss what impact social media have had on politics, political dissent, education, and men’s and women’s relationships—and the impact they might be expected to have in future years. Finally, we will focus on the impact of such media on men’s and women’s relationships—including cross-gender friendships, romantic relationships, and sexual relationships.
The impact of data placement on memory management for multi-server OODBMS

We demonstrate the close relationship between data placement and memory management for symmetric multi-server OODBMS. We propose and investigate memory management algorithms for two data placement strategies, namely declustering and clustering. Through a detailed simulation, we show that by declustering the data most of the benefits of complex global memory management algorithms are realized by simple algorithms. In contrast we show that when data is clustered, the simple algorithms perform poorly. >
Query-guided maximum satisfiability

We propose a new optimization problem "Q-MaxSAT", an extension of the well-known Maximum Satisfiability or MaxSAT problem. In contrast to MaxSAT, which aims to find an assignment to all variables in the formula, Q-MaxSAT computes an assignment to a desired subset of variables (or queries) in the formula. Indeed, many problems in diverse domains such as program reasoning, information retrieval, and mathematical optimization can be naturally encoded as Q-MaxSAT instances. We describe an iterative algorithm for solving Q-MaxSAT. In each iteration, the algorithm solves a subproblem that is relevant to the queries, and applies a novel technique to check whether the partial assignment found is a solution to the Q-MaxSAT problem. If the check fails, the algorithm grows the subproblem with a new set of clauses identified as relevant to the queries. Our empirical evaluation shows that our Q-MaxSAT solver Pilot achieves significant improvements in runtime and memory consumption over conventional MaxSAT solvers on several Q-MaxSAT instances generated from real-world problems in program analysis and information retrieval.
Frequency-Based Sleep Stage Detections by Single EEG Derivation in Healthy Human Subjects

A need for sleep monitoring is increasing in modern society. However, sleep stage scoring is time consuming, and large inconsistencies may exist among scorers. The settings for the recordings are also complicated and usually need to be professionally prepared. If simple small equipment could record human EEG and detect sleep stages, it would bring significant benefits to a large population. We thus developed a simple frequency-based sleep stage classifier by single EEG derivation, and evaluated the performance of the classifier. It showed a potential to work as well as the other known automated classifiers. The classifier was not based on specific frequency bands or EEG patterns. It could perform as well with poor quality signals and could easily be adopted to score any other biological signals.
Adaptation of muscle glucose transport with caloric restriction in adult, middle-aged, and old rats

The effects of prolonged caloric restriction (60% of ad libitum intake initiated at 14 wk of age) on glucose transport activity in isolated epitrochlearis muscles were studied in female Fischer 344 rats aged 8, 18, and 23 mo. Basal 3-O-methylglucose transport (3-MG) rate (without insulin) was not significantly altered by caloric restriction. With a submaximally effective insulin concentration (75 microU/ml), 3-MG transport was enhanced in the caloric-restricted groups by 59, 59, and 105% at 8, 18, and 23 mo of age, respectively. With a maximally effective insulin concentration (20,000 microU/ml), 3-MG transport was increased after caloric restriction, despite no change in muscle GLUT4 glucose transporter protein content. These results indicate that chronic caloric restriction enhances insulin stimulation of the glucose transport system independent of changes in basal glucose transport or muscle GLUT4 levels, and insulin-stimulated glucose transport is enhanced in rats with chronic caloric restriction at least until 23 mo of age.
CHAPTER 36 – Complications of Joint Replacement in the Elderly

Despite numerous long-term studies of total joint replacement showing successful relief of pain and improvement in function in more than 90% of patients, the life span of an artificial joint is limited. In addition, results of revising a failed arthroplasty are inferior to the primary procedure. Therefore, prosthetic joint replacement is reserved for the aging population except in circumstances wherein severe joint destruction is compromising activities of daily living and there is no better treatment alternative. Improved implant designs, patient selection, preoperative investigation, and surgical technique have all played a major role in the current success of total joint replacement. Nevertheless, complications continue to occur both early and late following surgery. Age-related systemic disease and specific musculoskeletal disease add to the perioperative surgical risk and technical demands of surgery as well as the postoperative rehabilitation. Long-term, well-designed clinical studies are necessary to determine the success rates, risk factors, complications, and adjunctive treatments that will optimize the management of joint disease in the aged. Unfortunately, joint replacement technology is evolving prior to long-term testing of new designs and techniques, making it difficult to draw conclusions about the status of some joint replacements being performed today.
MODEL WITH DISTRIBUTED VECTORIAL PREMOTOR BURSTERS ACCOUNTS FOR THE COMPONENT STRETCHING OF OBLIQUE SACCADES

Quaia, Christian and Lance M. Optican. Model with distributed vectorial premotor bursters accounts for the component stretching of oblique saccades. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 1120–1134, 1997. During obl...
Stem cell progeny contribute to the schistosome host-parasite interface

Schistosomes infect more than 200 million of the world's poorest people. These parasites live in the vasculature, producing eggs that spur a variety of chronic, potentially life-threatening, pathologies exacerbated by the long lifespan of schistosomes, that can thrive in the host for decades. How schistosomes maintain their longevity in this immunologically hostile environment is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that somatic stem cells in Schistosoma mansoni are biased towards generating a population of cells expressing factors associated exclusively with the schistosome host-parasite interface, a structure called the tegument. We show cells expressing these tegumental factors are short-lived and rapidly turned over. We suggest that stem cell-driven renewal of this tegumental lineage represents an important strategy for parasite survival in the context of the host vasculature.
Reflections on Academia

* Excerpted from The Collected Wit and Wisdom of A Wuffle: Vol. I, The Early Years; Vol. II, The Not So Early Years; and Vol. Ill, The Center Year. I am indebted to Sue Pursche for bibliographic assistance, and to the staff of the Word Processing Center, UCI School of Social Sciences, and to Virginia Heaton, CASBS, Stanford, for typing earlier drafts. I dedicate this essay to Wilson Mizner, whose words, "to steal from one author is plagiarism, to steal from many is research," have provided hope to many young scholars.
Three Hyperbolas Associated with a Triangle

Moreover, the point M and the line m are trilinear pole and polar for each of the two triangles (T) and (T'), as is readily verified. The point M and the line m will be referred to as the Lemoine point and the Lemoine axis of (T) for the conic (q). c. Note. Given the triangle (T), and one of the three elements, M, m, (q), the remaining two are determined. This is an immediate consequence of the preceding article.
Development and initial validation of an endoscopic part-task training box

Background and study aims: There is currently no objective and validated methodology available to assess the progress of endoscopy trainees or to determine when technical competence has been achieved. The aims of the current study were to develop an endoscopic part-task simulator and to assess scoring system validity. Methods: Fundamental endoscopic skills were determined via kinematic analysis, literature review, and expert interviews. Simulator prototypes and scoring systems were developed to reflect these skills. Validity evidence for content, internal structure, and response process was evaluated. Results: The final training box consisted of five modules (knob control, torque, retroflexion, polypectomy, and navigation and loop reduction). A total of 5 minutes were permitted per module with extra points for early completion. Content validity index (CVI)-realism was 0.88, CVI-relevance was 1.00, and CVI-representativeness was 0.88, giving a composite CVI of 0.92. Overall, 82 % of participants considered the simulator to be capable of differentiating between ability levels, and 93 % thought the simulator should be used to assess ability prior to performing procedures in patients. Inter-item assessment revealed correlations from 0.67 to 0.93, suggesting that tasks were sufficiently correlated to assess the same underlying construct, with each task remaining independent. Each module represented 16.0 % – 26.1 % of the total score, suggesting that no module contributed disproportionately to the composite score. Average box scores were 272.6 and 284.4 ( P = 0.94) when performed sequentially, and average score for all participants with proctor 1 was 297.6 and 308.1 with proctor 2 ( P = 0.94), suggesting reproducibility and minimal error associated with test administration. Conclusion: A part-task training box and scoring system were developed to assess fundamental endoscopic skills, and validity evidence regarding content, internal structure, and response process was demonstrated.
Accessing totally implantable venous access systems on the day of placement does not significantly increase the risk of infection

Purpose Totally implantable venous access systems (ports) are commonly placed and have a low complication rate. The most common complication is infection, which can have very negative effects on patients resulting in hospitalization and/or treatment delay in the setting of neoplasm. While a number of variables have been studied in relation to diminishing infectious rates, one remaining question is the effect of accessing the port on day of placement, which is the aim of this retrospective study. Materials and methods After internal review board approval the electronic medical records of 2,006 patients who underwent port placement between 10/1/2008 and 9/30/2013 were reviewed. Of these patients 628 were excluded as they did not have complete placement and removal data available, leaving 1378 patients in our cohort. Results There was a significantly longer number of infection-free catheter days in the out-patient cohort as compared to the in-patient cohort (p = 0.027). In-patients mean day after placement when the port was first accessed (DAP) (0.5) was statistically earlier (closer to placement) than the out-patients DAP (7.2) (pl0.0001). However, the increased likelihood of infection could not be explained by DAP (p = 0.2029) even when controlling for in-patient and out-patient status (p = 0.97). Conclusions Accessing the port on the day of placement does not significantly contribute to an increased likelihood of infection. This study seems to indicate that placing a port on the first day of outpatient therapy likely optimally balances respect for patient time with infection control.
Association Between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Sleep Quantity in Pregnant Women.

Introduction To determine the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with overall sleep duration among pregnant women. Methods Data from the 2011 and 2012 Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used. All women (n = 2951) of childbearing age (18-44 years) who were pregnant and responded to all fruit and vegetable consumption and sleep duration questions were included. Covariates included age, race, education level, exercise, and marital status. Data were analyzed using linear and ordinal logistic regression. Results Total daily fruit and vegetable consumption was not associated with sleep duration among pregnant women, controlling for confounders [β = -0.03, (-0.07, 0.00)]. Orange and green vegetable consumption were both inversely associated with sleep duration [β = -0.19, (-0.38, -0.01) and β = -0.20, (-0.33, -0.08) respectively]. Ordinal logistic regression found that the odds of meeting or exceeding sleep time recommendations increased slightly with each unit increase in total fruit and vegetable consumption [OR = 1.05 (1.003, 1.092)] and for every unit increase in fruit consumption [OR = 1.12 (1.038, 1.208)]. Women who exercised within the past 30 days reported approximately 20 min of additional sleep compared to those who did not [β = 0.32 (0.16, 0.49)]. Age, employment status, and marital status were also independently associated with sleep duration. Discussion Sleep duration in pregnant women was associated with exercise and other demographic factors, but only mildly associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Future research should investigate the effects of additional factors including sleep quality, gestational age, family status and other medications as potential confounders.
Effect of thioridazine on experimental cutaneous staphylococcal infections.

BACKGROUND Some non-antibiotic drugs, such as the phenothiazine antipsychotic agents, may have antimicrobial activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS We sought to determine the in vivo antimicrobial effects of the phenothiazine thioridazine in two mouse models of Staphylococcus aureus skin infection. RESULTS Thioridazine significantly suppressed dissemination from skin to spleen and kidney after inoculation of the skin surface. However, the drug did not affect infection parameters in the skin itself. Thioridazine did suppress the size of abscesses produced when the bacteria were injected intradermally. On the other hand, using the cutaneous abscess model we were not able to demonstrate synergistic activity between thioridazine and the β-lactam drug cefazolin against methicillin-resistant S. aureus, as previously demonstrated in vitro. CONCLUSION The phenothiazine drug thioridazine has in vivo antimicrobial activity against certain S. aureus skin infections, although the previously-demonstrated reversal of methicillin resistance by this agent may not be readily evident in vivo.
CP violation in the decay b-->s gamma in the two-Higgs-doublet model.

In the most general two-Higgs-doublet model with an approximate family symmetry and [ital CP] violation originating solely from the relative phase of two vacuum expectation values, [ital CP] asymmetry in the decay [ital b][r arrow][ital s][gamma] may arise from the [ital CP] violation of the charged Higgs boson interactions with fermions. This asymmetry may be larger than in the standard model and can lie between 10[sup [minus]2] and 10[sup [minus]1]. The decay rate of [ital b][r arrow][ital s][gamma] is allowed to be smaller or larger than in the standard model.
ELECTRONEGATIVE ELECTRORETINOGRAM IN ACHROMATOPSIA.

Purpose:To report novel electroretinographic findings in a genetically confirmed case of achromatopsia.Methods:A patient with a history of childhood nystagmus, photoaversion, and absent color vision was examined. Electroretinography and fundus examination were performed under anesthesia at the time
Thermal Modifications of Welding Residual Stresses

Significant changes can be made in welding residual stresses by proper welding and post-weld thermal techniques. In particular, the axial ID stresses in butt welded schedule 80 austenitic stainless steel pipes are usually tensile in the weld heat affected zone. Compressive stresses can be induced instead by heat sink welding, whereby the ID is water cooled after the second welding layer while the rest of the weld is completed. The tensile stresses in pipes already welded can be changed to compressive stresses by heating the pipe OD near the weld while simultaneously cooling the ID with water, so that plastic deformation occurs. Then the heating is removed. One method of heating the OD is induction heating. Examples will be given of the stresses induced by normal welding procedures, heat sink welding, and the induction heating process.
Dosimetric parameters correlate with duodenal histopathologic damage after stereotactic body radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer: Secondary analysis of a prospective clinical trial

Abstract Purpose Prospectively assess relationships between dosimetric parameters and histopathologic/clinical duodenal toxicities in patients on a phase I trial for pancreatic cancer. Methods Forty-six borderline resectable/unresectable patients were enrolled on a prospective trial testing neoadjuvant gemcitabine/5-fluorouracil followed by SBRT (5 daily fractions of 5–8Gy) and concurrent nelfinavir. Post-SBRT surgery was performed in 13 resectable patients, which constituted the patient population herein. Pathologic duodenal damage was assessed using predetermined criteria: 1, no/minimal; 2, moderate; and 3, marked damage. Clinical toxicities were assessed per the Clinical Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Duodenal dosimetric parameters included V5–V40 and mean/maximum doses. Spearman correlation and linear regression evaluated associations between dosimetric parameters and clinical/pathologic duodenal toxicity. Results The median duodenal mean and maximum doses were 20 and 37Gy. Median duodenal V5–V40 were 64, 62, 52, 39, 27, 14, 5 and 0cc, respectively. The median duodenal damage score was 2 (four 1, eight 2, and one 3). Higher duodenal damage scores correlated with higher duodenal mean doses ( r =0.75, p =0.003), V35 ( r =0.61, p =0.03), V30 ( r =0.67, p =0.01), V25 ( r =0.68, p =0.01), V20 ( r =0.56, p =0.05), and the planning target volume (PTV) mean ( r =0.59, p =0.03) and maximum ( r =0.61, p =0.03) doses. Clinical toxicities did not correlate with dosimetric parameters or duodenal pathologic damage. Conclusions Duodenal histologic damage correlates with mean duodenal dose, V20-V35, and PTV mean/maximum doses.
Peri-Implant Distribution of Polyethylene Debris in Postmortem-Retrieved Knee Arthroplasties: Can Polyethylene Debris Explain Loss of Cement-Bone Interlock in Successful Total Knee Arthroplasties?

Abstract Background Loss of mechanical interlock between cement and bone with in vivo service has been recently quantified for functioning, nonrevised, cemented total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). The cause of interlocking trabecular resorption is not known. The goal of this study is to quantify the distribution of PE debris at the cement-bone interface and determine if polyethylene (PE) debris is locally associated with loss of interlock. Methods Fresh, nonrevised, postmortem-retrieved TKAs (n = 8) were obtained en bloc . Laboratory-prepared constructs (n = 2) served as negative controls. The intact cement-bone interface of each proximal tibia was embedded in Spurr's resin, sectioned, and imaged under polarized light to identify birefringent PE particles. PE wear particle number density was quantified at the cement-bone interface and distal to the interface, and then compared with local loss of cement-bone interlock. Results The average PE particle number density for postmortem-retrieved TKAs ranged from 8.6 (1.3) to 24.9 (3.1) particles/mm 2 (standard error) but was weakly correlated with years in service. The average particle number density was twice as high as distal (>5mm) to the interface compared to at the interface. The local loss of interlock at the interface was not related to the presence, absence, or particle density of PE. Conclusion PE debris can migrate extensively along the cement-bone interface of well-fixed tibial components. However, the amount of local bone loss at the cement-bone interface was not correlated with the amount of PE debris at the interface, suggesting that the observed loss of trabecular interlock in these well-fixed TKAs may be due to alternative factors.
Preliminary examination of metabolic syndrome response to motivational interviewing for weight loss as compared to an attentional control and usual care in primary care for individuals with and without binge-eating disorder

Motivational interviewing (MI) treatment for weight loss is being studied in primary care. The effect of such interventions on metabolic syndrome or binge eating disorder (BED), both highly related to excess weight, has not been examined in primary care. This study conducted secondary analyses from a randomized controlled trial to test the impact of MI for weight loss in primary care on metabolic syndrome. 74 adult participants with overweight/obesity recruited through primary care were randomized to 12weeks of either MI, an attentional control, or usual care. Participants completed measurements for metabolic syndrome at pre- and post-treatment. There were no statistically significant differences in metabolic syndrome rates at pre-, X2(2)=0.16, p=0.921, or post-, X2(2)=0.852, p=0.653 treatment. The rates in metabolic syndrome, however, decreased for MI (10.2%) and attentional control (13.8%) participants, but not for usual care. At baseline, metabolic syndrome rates did not differ significantly between participants with BED or without BED across treatments. At post-treatment, participants with BED were significantly more likely to meet criteria for metabolic syndrome than participants without BED, X2(1)=5.145, p=0.023, phi=0.273. Across treatments, metabolic syndrome remitted for almost a quarter of participants without BED (23.1%) but for 0% of those with BED. These preliminary results are based on a small sample and should be interpreted with caution, but they are the first to suggest that relatively low intensity MI weight loss interventions in primary care may decrease metabolic syndrome rates but not for individuals with BED.
Airing Democracy: Politics and Broadcast Television

In an information age where knowledge is power, and political knowledge doubly so, broadcast (non-cable) television is of vital importance. As the cheapest and most widely available information medium, broadcast television has a uniquely democratic potential to disseminate political information across traditional socioeconomic boundaries. And as the beneficiary of the immensely valuable gift of the free use of the publiclyowned airwaves, broadcast television has a real obligation to achieve this potential. Unfortunately, the amount of useful political information available on broadcast television has declined dramatically in the past twenty years to startlingly low current levels. This paper analyzes the extent of this decline, its possible causes and effects, and previous attempts at reform. While this complex issue defies simple solution, the importance and scope of the problem warrant continued vigilance in seeking to establish television as a truly democratic medium.
Willingness to Pay for Precision Application Technology: The Case of Mississippi

A contingent valuation survey conducted in Mississippi is used to assess public willingness to pay for reductions in agricultural nonpoint pollution. We focus on implementation of a policy to provide farmers with precision application equipment to reduce nutrient runoff. Findings suggest public support exists for such policies. This paper also finds that inclusion of debriefing questions can be used to refine willingness-to-pay estimates in contingent valuation studies. Nonparametric and econometric scope tests suggests respondents are sensitive to level of runoff reduction and associated water-quality benefits.
A Note on the ‘Under adjustment Phenomenon’

In recent work in the area of employment discrimination statistics we have noticed that a basic formula quantifying the degree of underadjustment bias in regression coefficients seems not to have been clearly stated and proved. We believe the underadjustment phenomenon to be of great importance in assessing the validity of multiple regression studies of wage disparities in equal employment litigation, and of observational studies involving two populations in general. Since the argument is based entirely on some simple mathematical features of the linear model, the result should be of interest in other fields of application as well.
The Geology of the Southern Termination of the Caledonides

Caledonian earth movements are manifest in the Caledonides. This truism raises the partly semantic, yet vexing, question of a proper definition of the terms Caledonides and Caledonian. If one adheres rigidly to definitions based upon Scottish mountains, the type example, the Caledonides involve the Northwest and Grampian Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The term Caledonian would then apply to earth movements from Precambrian to Middle Devonian. The terms, however, are currently, and sensibly, used to embrace orogenic zones, orogenic stratigraphic sequences, and orogeny in a distinct and unified, albeit complex, belt from Spitzbergen and Finmark through Scandinavia to the British Islands. When viewed on a pre-Early Jurassic sea-floor spreading reconstruction of the continents around the North Atlantic, the Caledonides can be interpreted as forming part of an orogenic belt continuous into the Northern Appalachian System of eastern North America and probably involves the Paleozoic orogenic belt of East Greenland (Fig. 1). Thus, on this model, it is proper to regard the Northern Appalachians and the Caledonides as a single mountain belt if we are to fully evaluate and understand the evolution of either continent. The problem is further compounded by the fact that certain distinctive zones are common to the Caledonides, the Northern Appalachians, the Southern Appalachians, the Mauritanides and the Hercynides (Fig. 1). This essentially means that, when viewed on a sufficiently large geographic scale, classically defined orogenic belts are not discrete separate units but form parts of larger systems of crustal mobility.
Do Juvenile Nearctic River Otters ( Lontra canadensis ) Contribute to Fall Scent Marking

We present photographic evidence in support of the hypothesis that juvenile Nearctic River Otters ( Lontra canadensis ) contribute to the observed fall peak in scent marking.
Limits to Induction-Based Magnetoreception

While behavioral experiments apparently have established that several species perceive magnetic fields as small as, or perhaps even substantially smaller than, the geomagnetic field of the earth, in few species is an organ responsible for magnetoreception clearly identified. Magnetite crystallites in bacteria and the ampullae of Lorenzini of the elasmobranch fish seem the only clear cases. Magnetoreception may also be the only perceptual sense found in animals for which a similar sense is not manifest in humans.
Multicriteria Design as a Natural Phenomenon

Nature does not consciously optimize. Rather, classical minimum principles serve to select from among all possible events that one event or sequence of events which is actually observed in nature. Here, we show, by way of example, that some principles may be recast as multicriteria minimal principles, and we offer a concept of biological growth based on a postulated minimal principle whose outcome we have termed natural structural shapes.
Glutamatergic Neurotransmission Abnormalities and Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia affects approximately 1% of the adult population worldwide and requires lifelong therapy. Hyperfunction of the dopaminergic system has long been hypothesized as the underlying cause of schizophrenia. However, this hypothesis explains mostly the positive symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Several lines of evidence point to the glutamatergic system and suggest that abnormalities in this system may play a crucial role in the pathophysiological features of schizophrenia. Most prominently, N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor hypofunction has been associated with the positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. In this chapter, we describe the evidence showing that N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor hypofunction may be crucial in the pathophysiological features of this disorder. Although a plethora of evidence is available from preclinical studies, this chapter is focused mainly on the findings from patients with schizophrenia. In addition to N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, we also describe the findings of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate/kainate receptors and glutamate transporters in patients with schizophrenia. Overall, these findings suggest that therapeutic agents directed toward glutamatergic systems may be helpful in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms and cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.
Designing wearable computing devices for improved comfort and user acceptance.

This study identified acceptable range of physical attributes (form factors, weight, volume and contact area) of wearable computing devices (WCD) on different body areas in relation to human factor...
Innovative Collaboration Between Industry and Academics: Meeting Industry’s Future Talent Requirements

The authors share their experience in creating and maintaining the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. The Haslam Colle...
The Effects of Surface-Level Diversity Compared to Deep-Level Diversity

Diversity's contribution to performance in generating unique ideas is difficult to parse out. This is due to the difficulty associated with separating deep-level diversity from surface-level diversity. This poster proposes a study that will use virtual models and voice modulation to disguise surface-level diversity and see if deep-level diversity still impacts generation of ideas.
Unusual presentation of submandibular lingual nerve sheath tumour as sublingual stone

A 60-year-old woman was referred to the otolaryngologist for 18 months of left-sided tongue pain and taste changes. Surgeon-performed ultrasound of the submandibular region revealed a hyperechoic mass. Wharton’s duct was dilated proximally and the submandibular gland demonstrated normal vascularity. While these findings were highly suspicious for submandibular gland sialolith, an in-office attempt at sialolithotomy suggested an alternate process or mass. After imaging failed to further elucidate an aetiology, surgical exploration revealed a well-circumscribed submandibular mass associated with the lingual nerve. The mass was removed en-bloc and pathology revealed a schwannoma of the lingual nerve.
From nanoplastic to microplastic: A bibliometric analysis on the presence of plastic particles in the environment

Identifying leading publications, authors, and countries in microplastic and nanoplastic research is beneficial for regulatory decisions, determining standardized research methodology, and solidifying definitions. Here, bibliometric analysis was performed using Web of Science's Core Collection to evaluate publication trends. A total of 3820 publications were downloaded and analyzed with the majority being journal articles. Since 2009, the number of publications has substantially increased. Results revealed that although the USA and China are the topmost publishing countries, two out of three of the top publishing institutions lie outside of these countries. The year with highest total number of citations was 2019 (42,000 citations), followed by 2018 (25,000 citations) and 2017 (13,000 citations). The journal Marine Pollution Bulletin published the highest number of records and included the top cited publications. Top publishing countries and the top cited publications and authors will likely pave the way for standardization in both microplastic and nanoplastic research.
The Joint Effect of Task Properties Feedback and Goal-Contingent Pay on Performance

This study investigates how the distribution of task properties feedback interacts with goal-contingent pay in a complex task. We experimentally examine how task properties feedback with identical content influences performance when employees receive the feedback either evenly throughout a task or clustered at the beginning of the task, and whether goal-contingent pay moderates the effect. We predict and find that evenly distributed feedback produces higher performance when there is no goal-contingent pay. However, when goal-contingent pay is present, feedback distributed early yields higher performance. This study highlights the influence that goal-contingent pay can have on the effectiveness of task properties feedback.
Aggressive Action: In Search of a Dominant Narrative

The idea of “going to war” seemed obvious enough at first blush. We had been attacked, and we planned to respond in kind. It was that simple. Or was it? Despite the analogies drawn to the attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, the decision to enter a “state of war” after September 11, 2001 was a unique event in American history. Although other American wars are associated with “triggering” events (e.g., the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the sinking of the Battleship Maine, Pearl Harbor, the invasion of Kuwait), none of those past instances occurred in a “narrative vacuum.” In each previous case, the road to war had been well paved materially, politically, and psychologically over an extended period of time. The shelling of Fort Sumter by South Carolinian troops was the culmination of events that had unfolded over several months after the election of Lincoln and after many years of heated discussion and debate.2 The public clamor for war with Spain was already several years old when the battleship Maine exploded and sank in Havana in February 1898, but even then two months passed before Congress declared war.3 The U.S. entry into the First World War is often associated with the loss of American lives when the Lusitania was sankh—but nearly two years and a great deal of preparation passed between that event and the declaration of war.4
A Microcomputer Linear Programming Package: An Alternative to Mainframes

This paper presents the capabilities and limitations of a microcomputer linear programming package. The solution algorithm is a version of the revised simplex. Rapid problem entry, user ease of operation, sensitivity analyses on objective function and right hand sides are advantages. A problem size of 150 activities and 64 constraints can be solved in present form. Due to problem size, limitations and lack of parametric and integer programming routines, this package is thought to have the most value in teaching applications and research problems in the smaller size categories.
Using FIFOs in hardware-software co-design for FPGA based embedded systems

This paper deals with the evaluation of FIFO for connecting custom cores to processors in FPGA. Two case studies were done in order to evaluate the use of FIFO in the context of hardware-software co-design. One case study analyzes the rendering images of the Mandelbrot set and the other one deals with the game of Connect Four. In both applications a simple co-processor provides the most speed-up, where a higher quality co-processor implementation was exhibited.
The cervical relaxant properties of prostaglandin E2 in non pregnant subjects.

Five healthy non-pregnant patients received 20 mg of PGE 2 by intravaginal suppository. The occurrence of side effects, including one patient with severe hypotension, and the absence of cervical dilatation limits the use of this medication as a precurettage cervical dilating agent.
Exercise And Hypertension: A Model For Central Neural Plasiticty

1. Physical movement is accompanied by coordinated changes in respiratory and cardiovascular activity proportional to the metabolic demands of the locomotor task. Cardiorespiratory changes include increases in ventilation, blood pressure and heart rate, as well as altered regional sympathetic nerve activity and blood flow. 2. The posterior hypothalamic area, a periventricular region in the caudal-most diencephalon, has been shown to play a role in mediating the coupling of locomotion and cardiorespiratory activity. Stimulation of this brain region produces locomotor behaviour and simultaneous increases in cardiorespiratory activity that are independent of peripheral feedback from contracting muscles. Posterior hypothalamic neurons are also activated by exercise and exercise-related stimuli, such as muscle contraction. 3. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a deficiency in the inhibitory GABA neurotransmitter system within the posterior hypothalamic area contributes to tonically elevated levels of arterial blood pressure. We previously identified a reduction in the GABA synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) within the posterior hypothalamus of SHR. 4. We have recently demonstrated that exercise can upregulate GABA-mediated caudal hypothalamic control of cardiovascular function in SHR. Similarly, exercise increases GAD gene transcript levels in the posterior hypothalamus. Thus, we have identified a model to study exercise-related central neural plasticity in GABAergic neurotransmitter function. Moreover, we suggest that exercise may increase cardiovascular health through changing central neural regulation of blood pressure.
MEASUREMENT OF TEXTURE PARAMETERS OF FREEZE-DRIED BEEF*

A modified texture profile analysis with the Instron Universal Testing Apparatus was used to measure hardness and chewiness of precooked freeze-dried beef cubes in order to determine the influence of processing and reconditioning. Two different plate temperatures were used during freeze-drying, and the resulting product was reconditioned at four different water activities in addition to the dry and fully rehydrated product. Reconditioning temperatures of 52, 70, and 100°F were investigated. The results revealed that the hardness and chewiness values were the highest at water activities of 0.4 to 0.6 and with the product freeze-dried at a plate temperature of 105°F. The influence of reconditioning temperature was inconsistent, apparently due to an interaction between the water activity and the plate temperature.
On Informing Women of Child Bearing Age about Seat Belt Risk during Pregnancy

Seat belts have been effective in reducing serious injuries and deaths in vehicular accidents. However, their use by women in the third trimester of pregnancy can cause placental damage and fetal injury or death in relatively minor motor vehicle accidents without severely injuring pregnant women. The lack of seat belt use in similar or more serious accidents could cause severe injuries or death to pregnant women from impacts within the cabin or from ejection, and in turn could lead to fetal injuries or deaths. The present study sought to determine whether women between the ages of 16 and 45 (child bearing age) would like to be informed of these risks. Ninety-nine of the 101 women surveyed indicated they would like to be informed of the risks, and that they would expect to find this information in the vehicle's owners manual. in dealing with the risks, some women indicated that they would wear the seatbelts and others indicated they would not. Most respondents indicated that they would reduce the risks by ...