cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a patient experience of care survey for emergency departments

Objectives To (1) develop a survey to assess the patient experience of care in hospital-based emergency departments (ED) and (2) evaluate the reliability and validity of composite measures of patient experience using data collected through the experimental implementation of the newly developed Emergency Department Patient Experience of Care (EDPEC) Discharged to Community (DTC) Survey. Data source 4893 adult patients were treated in the ED of 16 hospitals across the United States in 2018. Study design The study utilized a cross-sectional survey. Data collection Survey development activities included a literature review, focus groups, and cognitive interviews with recently discharged ED patients, technical expert panels, and multiple field experiments. Survey development resulted in a 34-item instrument; the analysis reported here focuses on 18 items on patient experience of care. Using data from the EDPEC DTC Survey in the 2018 Feasibility Test, we performed confirmatory factor analysis to group 15 evaluative survey items into composite measures. We examined internal consistency reliability, interunit reliability, and associations between each composite measure and patients' overall rating and willingness to recommend the ED. Principal findings Analyses of 15 evaluative items identified four composite measures: Getting Timely Care, How Well Doctors and Nurses Communicate, Communication about Medications, and Communication about Follow-up. Patient-level internal consistency reliability exceeded 0.75 for two of four composites; ED-level internal consistency reliability exceeded 0.83 for all four composites. Interunit reliability estimates indicated that 450 survey completes per ED results in at least 0.70 reliability for all composites. Higher scores on each composite were associated with higher overall ratings and willingness to recommend the ED. Conclusions The composite measures derived from the EDPEC DTC Survey are statistically reliable and valid. These results provide guidance for EDPEC DTC Survey adopters on how to construct meaningful and psychometrically-sound composite measures for monitoring the quality of care they provide.
Clinical Research in the Developing World: Economic Incentives Drive Poor Ethical Oversight

The history of clinical trials covers a wide variety of scientific, ethical, and regulatory challenges. This paper delves into the present ethical complications of clinical research within developing countries. Here the definition of clinical research is broad, encompassing all trials aimed at evaluating a medical intervention. In principle, the paper focuses on the exploitative nature of clinical trials in developing countries. I argue that there are two primary mechanisms of exploitation. The first is a lack of properly obtained informed consent and the second is an inequitable distribution of post-trial benefits. Next, I argue that the reason malpractice has ensued is due to economic incentives of governments involved, leading to weak ethical regulation, and as a consequence, ethical uncertainty among researchers. While there are other contributing factors, such as economic incentives of researchers and Contract Research Organizations (CROs), as well as racial discrimination that deserve attention, my paper does not discuss them. Throughout the paper, I draw from research conducted and analyzed around the world. Case studies supporting my claims are drawn from India, the US, and China. Research regarding informed consent is drawn from all over Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Asian countries include Thailand, India, the Philippines, and China, while the African countries include Kenya and Tanzania. Finally, the Latin American countries include Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.
Distal Symes amputation of the 5th toe – A case series highlighting treatment of tip of toe pathologies including neuropathic ulceration with chronic osteomyelitis, gangrene, phalangeal fracture nonunion, and adducto varus hammertoe with Lister's corn

Abstract Distal Symes amputation is commonly performed on the hallux and central toes but this procedure is not generally associated with the 5th toe. We present a case series of four patients who underwent distal Symes amputation to successfully treat tip of 5th toe pathologies including diabetic neuropathic ulceration with chronic osteomyelitis, painful 5th hammertoe associated with fracture non-union through the distal interphalangeal joint synostosis, tip of toe gangrene, adducto varus hammertoe associated with Lister's corn. A pictorial demonstration of surgical technique is provided to assist surgeons with patient selection and surgical planning. Distal Symes amputation of the 5th toe is a versatile procedure that can be performed to successfully to manage tip of 5th toe pathologies without the need to perform partial 5th ray amputation. This procedure is highly conducive to being performed in a clinic-based procedure room under local anesthesia and we have seen high patient acceptance due to quick recovery, pain relief, and improved cosmetic appearance when compared to complete digital or partial ray amputation.
A Window into the World of Students: An Analysis of 1920s High School Student Newspapers

In the 1920s, a distinctly new and important form of journalism emerged: the high school newspaper. Drawing on early journalism textbooks, education journals, and student newspapers themselves, this chapter discusses the early structure of these publications—their production process, place within the curriculum, and acceptance within the high school. It also examines how newspapers facilitated the development of the youth voice and how their popularity raised questions about control and power. This chapter explores the conflicts that emerged over the content of high school newspapers, and the role high school journalism occupied in the media landscape. As student newspapers became increasingly popular, various entities, including institutional actors and college journalism educators, sought to define and restrict the position these print products occupied.
The Across-Fiber Pattern Theory: An Organizing Principle for Molar Neural Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the across-fiber pattern theory of sensory neural coding for the neural representation of the qualitative difference between various tastes stimuli. The distinction between various tastes stimuli is based on individual neuron responses to various stimuli—the labeled-line orientation—in terms of the effects of a given stimulus across the responding population of neurons—the across-fiber pattern orientation. The across-fiber pattern view is that primarily because of the equivocal relationship between the activity in any one neuron and the variety of stimuli that could produce it within a sensory modality, the identity of the stimulus is given in the activity in the population of neurons responding. In the across-fiber pattern theory, the only requirement for adequate stimulus representation is that the activity evoked by each stimulus in the responding population differs in some way from that evoked by every other discriminability different stimulus; the trigger features or best stimuli are of no special concern. Discriminability between stimuli in the across-fiber pattern theory is given by the amount of difference between the evoked patterns of activity; thus, with similarly placed pairs of stimuli, the neural difference (shaded area) between one stimulus (actually, the two stimuli, A and B, applied at the same point) and two stimuli (A′ and B′ separated) is greater with the more narrowly tuned neurons. The principles of the organization of sensory systems might be found to be relevant to other processes such as, sensory, motor, memory, concepts, and movements.
Correlation between intrinsic mRNA stability and the affinity of AUF1 (hnRNP D) and HuR for A+U-rich mRNAs.

Presence of A+U-rich elements (AREs) within 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of numerous mRNAs has been associated with rapid mRNA turnover; however, the interaction of specific factors with AREs is also associated with mRNA stabilization. Recently, two ARE binding proteins with putative mRNA destabilizing (AUF1) and stabilizing (HuR) properties have been described. However, no direct comparison of AUF1 and HuR binding properties has been made. Therefore, we examined the relative affinities of p37AUF1 and HuR for a diverse set of ARE-containing mRNAs encoding β-adrenergic receptors, a proto-oncogene, and a cytokine. We find that high-affinity AUF1 binding appears to require elements beyond primary nucleotide sequence. In contrast, binding of HuR appears considerably less constrained. As a functional correlate, we determined the ability of these specific mRNA sequences to affect the stability of chimeric β-globin mRNA constructs. Although the relative affinity of AUF1 and HuR are generally predictive of mRNA stability, we find that certain mRNA sequences do not conform to these generalizations.
Towards a theory of values-based labeling

An outline of a theory ofvalues-based labeling as a social movementargues that it is motivated by the need tore-embed the agro-food economy in the largersocial economy. A review of some basic premisesof embeddedness theories derived from the workof Karl Polanyi reveals their connection toparticular values-based labeling efforts. Fromthis perspective, values-based labelingpresents itself as primarily an ethical andmoral effort to counter unsustainable trendswithin presently existing capitalism. Theselabels distinguish themselves from ordinarycommercial labels by a focus on processand on quality. Evaluating thetransformative potential and progressive natureof values-based labeling poses a key challenge.One avenue for gauging this potential isconventions theory. This approach can beadapted to consider the decision makingprocesses that go on within values-basedlabeling groups, as well as consumer decisionmaking based on such labels, as instances ofwhat is termed a politics of ethical judgment.The conclusion emphasizes the need for moreresearch in this area and suggests how it couldbe furthered.
Reconfigurable logistics systems for efficient processes-a new planning tool set

The importance of the circuitry of resources is continuously increasing in Europe and other parts of the world. The major driver is the scarcity of natural resources and disposal capacities. In this context, the efficient design of logistics processes is of high importance, as high costs for collection, return, treatment, and redistribution are combined with a low value added. There are already sound (logistics) recycling concepts for quantitatively significant material flows like packaging materials, high quality products like end-of-life vehicles, or very hazardous products like batteries. But the problem remains unsolved for those end-of-life products which have "a bit of everything but not enough of anything": household appliances. For these end-of-life products the project-team developed logistics plant concepts, which accommodate the high number of options and the low value added.
EIGHT YEARS OF SOHO: SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Since its launch on 2 December 1995, the joint ESA/NASA SOHO mission has provided a wealth of information about the Sun, from its interior, through the hot and dynamic atmosphere, to the solar wind and its interaction with the interstellar medium. Analysis of the helioseismology data from SOHO has provided the first images of structures and flows below the Sun’s surface and has shed new light on a number of structural and dynamic phenomena in the solar interior, such as the absence of di erential rotation in the radiative zone, subsurface zonal and meridional flows, and sub-convection-zone mixing. Evidence for an upward transfer of magnetic energy from the Sun’s surface toward the corona has been established. The ultraviolet imagers and spectrometers have revealed an extremely dynamic solar atmosphere where plasma flows play an important role. Electrons in coronal holes were found to be relatively “cool”, whereas heavy ions are extremely hot and have highly anisotropic velocity distributions. The source regions for the high speed solar wind have been identified and the acceleration profiles of both the slow and fast solar wind have been measured. SOHO has also revolutionized our space weather forecasting capabilities by providing a continuous stream of images of the dynamic atmosphere, extended corona, and activity on the far side of the Sun. At the same time, SOHO’s easily accessible images and movies have captured the imagination of the science community and the general public alike. This article summarizes some of the key findings from eight years of SOHO.
Pancreatic secretory activity of secretin5–27 and substituted analogues

Abstract The effect of secretin 5–27 and four substituted analogues (9-Gln-secretin 5–27 , 15-Asn-secretin 5–27 , 9-Gln-15-Asn-secretin 5–27 , and 15-Lys-secretin 5–27 ) on pancreatic secretion in the rat and guinea pig was examined. Secretin 5–27 retained significant pancreatic secretory activity in both species. Its efficacy (intrinsic activity) relative to secretin was much higher in the rat (0.2) than in the guinea pig (0.03). The activity of secretin 5–27 was not affected by a single or dual substitution of carboxylic acid residues by the corresponding carboxamides or by lysine despite a substantial decrease in the helical character of the peptide.
Four Failures of Deliberating Groups

Many groups make their decisions through some process of deliberation, usually with the belief that deliberation will improve judgments and predictions. But deliberating groups often fail, in the sense that they make judgments that are false or that fail to take advantage of the information that their members have. There are four such failures. (1) Sometimes the predeliberation errors of group members are amplified, not merely propagated, as a result of deliberation. (2) Groups may fall victim to cascade effects, as the judgments of initial speakers or actors are followed by their successors, who do not disclose what they know. Nondisclosure, on the part of those successors, may be a product of either informational or reputational cascades. (3) As a result of group polarization, groups often end up in a more extreme position in line with their predeliberation tendencies. Sometimes group polarization leads in desirable directions, but there is no assurance to this effect. (4) In deliberating groups, shared information often dominates or crowds out unshared information, ensuring that groups do not learn what their members know. All four errors can be explained by reference to informational signals, reputational pressure, or both. A disturbing result is that many deliberating groups do not improve on, and sometimes do worse than, the predeliberation judgments of their average or median member.
Fishy Business: Genetic Engineering and Salmon Aquaculture

The AquAdvantage salmon is the first genetically engineered animal to be considered for human consumption. We provide a sociohistorical analysis of how the decline of marine fisheries in general, and the growth of salmon farming in particular, created the political and economic foundation to support the development of a genetically engineered fish. We review the social and economic context of the genetically modified salmon, including a discussion of the precedent-setting regulatory status with the US Food and Drug Administration. As issues surrounding social equity and ecological efficiency associated with genetically modified foods are being debated in the public realm, we propose that it is necessary to move beyond the priorities of a market commodity and engage in a more robust review of sociological factors.
Cell mixing in the spinal cords of mouse chimeras.

With the aim of determining whether there is significant cell mixing during development of the spinal cord, experimental chimeric mice containing two genetically distinct cell populations were produced by aggregating BALB/c or BALB/c x LPT hybrid embryos with C3H/HeN embryos. The BALB/c and LPT hybrid spinal cord cells were distinguished histochemically from the C3H/HeN spinal cord cells by using beta-glucuronidase as an independent cell genotype marker. BALB/c and LPT hybrid cells have high levels of beta-glucuronidase activity, while the C3H/HeN cells have low levels. The spinal cords of the chimeras were dissected out regionally (i.e., cervical, thoracic, and lumbar areas) and were sectioned serially. Each region was then analyzed by scoring large- and medium-sized neuronal cell bodies (greater than or equal to 10 microns) whose genotypes were distinguished by their beta-glucuronidase levels. Observations of seven chimeric mice, with coat colors that varied from one extreme (5% albino) to the other (90% albino), suggest that each chimeric spinal cord is a relatively homogeneous population throughout its length. On average only 4 to 5 percentage point differences were observed when comparing left-right, cranial-caudal, and dorsal-ventral regions within a given chimera. The cell mixing, however, is not total, and regional variations were noted. Maximum left-right differences between different spinal cord levels never exceeded 18 percentage points, while in the entire cord the maximum left-right difference was 11 percentage points. When considering dorsal-ventral differences, 18 and 15 percentage points were observed within the spinal cord levels and the entire cord, respectively. However, when comparisons were made between smaller subregions (e.g., right-dorsal-cervical vs left-ventral-lumbar), larger differences of up to 30 percentage points were observed. In addition, the genotype proportions in the spinal cord were closely correlated with the visually estimated proportions of coat color genotypes.
Reforming direct-to-consumer advertising.

Why not exploit direct-to-consumer advertising to facilitate patient education about treatments and improve safety monitoring?
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding Rate at Discharge

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Objective To improve the exclusive breastfeeding and breast milk feeding rates at discharge to 71% by the third quarter of 2013. Design An interdisciplinary taskforce was created with representatives from the Women and Infants Service Line. Breastfeeding education was revised to support the 10 steps to becoming a Baby Friendly Hospital. Baby Friendly goals and other quality initiatives were adopted by each unit to improve exclusive breastfeeding at discharge. The electronic medical record (EMR) and interdisciplinary resources were leveraged to identify and support mothers throughout their hospitalizations. Sample All well newborns and all premature infants 28 to 34 weeks gestation (100%). Methods Retrospective chart review using software to abstract charts based on the Joint Commission definitions for perinatal core measures. Implementation Strategies An interdisciplinary taskforce was formed to standardize and reliably implement evidence-based, supportive hospital practices for breastfeeding, including skin to skin in labor and delivery and post anesthesia care units; EMR identification and interdisciplinary plan of care for newborns having difficulty latching or breastfeeding; EMR documentation of 24-hour breast milk totals; and bedside pumping logs and tracking of adequate expressed breast milk supply by 2 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). All mothers are encouraged to log and track their breast milk production on the breast pump log throughout hospitalization. Lactation consultants develop an interdisciplinary plan of care on all infants having difficulty breastfeeding or requiring specialized care. The plan of care is attached to a specific location within the neonatal EMR. Lactation consultants and registered nursed in the NICU have daily bed huddles to identify mothers who are having difficulty establishing breast milk supply. Results Based on all the strategies the taskforce implemented, we increased our exclusive breast milk rate at discharge from a baseline of 49% (July-September 2011) to 71% (April-June 2013). Conclusion/Implications for Nursing Practice Adopting an interdisciplinary approach involving all key stakeholders throughout hospitalization is critical to the success of improving exclusive breast milk rate at discharge. Implementing evidence-based practice and engaging the staff to take accountability was key to our success.
Strongly Bent DNA: Reconciling Theory and Experiment

The majority of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) in living cells is strongly bent. There is little doubt that standard models that assume harmonic bending energy (Hooke's law, worm-like chain) with effective persistence length of around 50 nm accurately describe the weak bending of DNA. However, it is not clear if these commonly used approximations are still accurate for the poorly understood strong bending regime, which is most relevant to biology. The available experimental evidence is controversial, with the most recent cyclization experiments of ∼100 base-pair DNA fragments pointing to strongly bent dsDNA being considerably more flexible than expected. We present a general concept of polymer bending that naturally allows for a transition from the weak, harmonic deformation regime into the “softer” mode at large deformations. In this model, convexity properties of the bending energy potential of individual monomer sub-units of the polymer give rise to the transition between two bending modes. Namely, if the effective monomer deformation energy as a function of bending angle has a non-convex (concave up) region, then the deformation energy of the polymer is a linear function of the bending angle. The dsDNA effective bending potential determined from the angular distribution of base-pairs from PDB structures of DNA-protein complexes is in agreement with our model: it is harmonic in the weak bending regime and non-convex for strong bends. We propose a simple expression that replaces the harmonic approximation in the strong bending regime. The theory shows quantitative agreement with recent cyclization experiments of short dsDNA fragments. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations point to short-range Lennard-Jones interactions as responsible for the onset of the linear bending regime of dsDNA.
Evaluation of the effect of respiratory and anatomical variables on a Fourier technique for markerless, self-sorted 4D-CBCT.

A novel technique based on Fourier transform theory has been developed that directly extracts respiratory information from projections without the use of external surrogates. While the feasibility has been demonstrated with three patients, a more extensive validation is necessary. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of a variety of respiratory and anatomical scenarios on the performance of the technique with the 4D digital extended cardiac torso phantom. FT-phase and FT-magnitude methods were each applied to identify peak-inspiration projections and quantitatively compared to the gold standard of visual identification. Both methods proved to be robust across the studied scenarios with average differences in respiratory phase 90%, when incorporating minor modifications to region-of-interest (ROI) selection and/or low-frequency location for select cases of DA and lung percentage in the field of view of the projection. Nevertheless, in the instance where one method initially faltered, the other method prevailed and successfully identified peak-inspiration projections. This is promising because it suggests that the two methods provide complementary information to each other. To ensure appropriate clinical adaptation of markerless, self-sorted four-dimensional cone-beam CT (4D-CBCT), perhaps an optimal integration of the two methods can be developed.
Avoid 'void' in geographic routing for data aggregation in sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks have attracted great attention in research and industrial development due to their fast-growing application potentials. New techniques must be developed for sensor networks due to their lack of infrastructure support and the constraints on computation capability, memory space, communication bandwidth and above all, energy supply. To prolong the life time of a battery-powered sensor network, an energy efficient routing algorithm for data collection is essential. We propose a new geographic routing algorithm that forwards packets from sensors to base stations along efficient routes. The algorithm eliminates the voids that cause non-optimal routing paths in geographic routing. It replaces the right-hand rule by distance upgrading. It is fully distributed and responds to topology changes instantly with localised operations. We formally prove the correctness of the algorithm and evaluate its performance by simulations.
Neural Correlate of the Contextual Interference Effect in Motor Learning: A Kinematic Analysis

The contextual interference (CI) effect affirms that learning is enhanced when interference during practice is high, such as when participants practice multiple tasks in a random order. Previous research showed a distinct response in the cortical motor (CM) regions of participants performing under high CI practice conditions compared with low CI conditions. Specifically, there was increased corticomotor activity in a high CI condition when participants practiced 3 arm tasks, each with specific spatial and temporal requirements. Using disruptive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the authors' purpose was to determine whether CM is preferentially processing the spatial, temporal, or both parameters of the task during high CI practice. Participants were randomized to 1 of 6 practice conditions derived from 3 stimulation conditions (no TMS, TMS, sham TMS) and 2 CI conditions (blocked [low CI] and random [high CI]). The authors measured performance accuracy in movement timing (temporal) and amplitude (spatial) across practice and no-stimulation recall phases. TMS perturbation deterred learning of movement timing under random, but not blocked, practice order; the authors did not observe this in spatial parameter learning. The authors' data suggest that increased corticomotor activity during high CI practice may reflect preferential processing of the temporal parameter of the task.
CEO duality, succession‐planning and agency theory: research agenda

In response to Harris and Helfat's commentary on our article, ‘One hat too many: Key executive plurality and shareholder wealth,’ we suggest that their arguments are quite plausible, but we believe further empirical tests are needed. These proposed tests are described in our response. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparing the classroom environment to promote literacy during play

The purpose of this study was to determine if the voluntary literacy behaviors of children could be increased in type and quantity through design changes by including reading and writing materials in dramatic play areas. Thirteen preschool classes were distributed into one control group and three different experimental groups: one in which thematic play with literacy materials was guided by teachers, one in which thematic play with literacy materials was not guided by teachers, and one in which books, pencils and papers were supplied in unthemed dramatic play areas with teacher guidance. The type and quantity of literacy behaviors in each of the three experimental settings were determined by direct observation prior to intervention, during intervention, and after a delayed period of time. Literacy behaviors increased significantly in all the experimental groups over the control group. Thematic play with teacher guidance yielded greatest gains; the provision of books, pencils and paper with teacher guidance yielded the next greatest gains; and thematic play without teacher guidance yielded third greatest gains. The effect of the treatments continued after a delayed period of time.
Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions by Poison Control Centres in the US

Background: Although US poison control centres manage approximately 30 000 adverse drug reactions each year, the extent of voluntary reporting of these events to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MedWatch spontaneous surveillance programme is unknown. Methods: A survey was mailed to directors of all 72 US poison control centres during April 1999 to determine their practices and opinions on reporting adverse drug reactions. The survey requested information on the poison control centre staff’s practices in reporting adverse drug reactions to the FDA MedWatch programme during 1998. Results: A total of 56 fully completed surveys were returned. Of the respondents, 30 had not directly submitted adverse drug reaction reports to the FDA, 22 had submitted 10 or less, and 4 had submitted a total of 47 during 1998. Reasons given for not routinely reporting adverse drug reactions included adverse drug reactions reporting is not part of the regular routine (20%), lack of time to complete forms (15%), inability to determine causality (13%), most reactions are already reported and not unique (10%), reporting to the FDA is too much work (9%), and responsibility rests with the attending physician (7%). Direct reporting to MedWatch of any cases of adverse drug reactions was more likely when the poison control centre was certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (p < 0.05; odds ratio = 5.1; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 23.5); however, this practice was not associated with documenting deaths associated with adverse drug reactions, having more than 75% of the staff of the Poison Information Specialists composed of pharmacists or nurses, or managing greater than 20 000 or 34 000 human exposure cases during 1998. Approximately half of the poison control centres directly or indirectly reported some adverse drug reactions to the FDA by virtue of contacting the manufacturer or cooperating with postmarketing surveillance. Conclusion: Poison control centres represent an underutilised source of reporting to MedWatch, but several internal and external obstacles limit the direct reporting of adverse drug reactions routinely.
Noninvasive ECG Imaging (ECGI) of Cardiac Arrhythmias

A noninvasive imaging modality for cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias is not yet available for clinical application. Such modality could be used to identify patients at risk, provide accurate diagnosis and guide therapy. Standard noninvasive diagnostic techniques, such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) provide only low-resolution reflection of cardiac electrical activity on the body surface. In my presentation, I will describe the application in humans of a new imaging modality called Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI) that noninvasively images cardiac electrical activity on the heart epicardial surface. In ECGI, a multi-electrode vest (or strips) records 250 body-surface electrocardiograms; then, using geometrical information from a CT scan and an inverse solution to Laplace equation, electrical potentials, electrograms, activation sequences (isochrones) and repolarization patterns are reconstructed on the heart surface. I will show examples of imaged atrial and ventricular activation and ventricular repolarization in the normal heart and during cardiac arrhythmias. References: 1. C. Ramanathan, R.N. Ghanem, P. Jia, K. Ryu, Y. Rudy. Noninvasive Electrocardiographic Imaging for cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia. Nature Medicine 2004; 10: 422–428. 2. C. Ramanathan, P. Jia, R.N. Ghanem, K. Ryu, Y. Rudy. Activation and repolarization of the normal human heart under complete physiological conditions. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA (PNAS) 2006; 103: 6309–6314. 3. P.S. Cuculich, Y. Wang, B.D. Lindsay, M.N. Faddis, R.B. Schuessler, R.D. Damiano, L. Li, Y. Rudy. Noninvasive Characterization of Epicardial Activation in Humans with Diverse Atrial Fibrillation Patterns. Circulation 2010; 122: 1364–1372.
Prevalence, incidence, impairment, and course of the proposed DSM-5 eating disorder diagnoses in an 8-year prospective community study of young women

We examined prevalence, incidence, impairment, duration, and course for the proposed DSM-5 eating disorders in a community sample of 496 adolescent females who completed annual diagnostic interviews over 8 years. Lifetime prevalence by age 20 was 0.8% for anorexia nervosa (AN), 2.6% for bulimia nervosa (BN), 3.0% for binge eating disorder (BED), 2.8% for atypical AN, 4.4% for subthreshold BN, 3.6% for subthreshold BED, 3.4% for purging disorder (PD), and combined prevalence of 13.1% (5.2% had AN, BN, or BED; 11.5% had feeding and eating disorders not elsewhere classified; FED-NEC). Peak onset age was 19-20 for AN, 16-20 for BN, and 18-20 for BED, PD, and FED-NEC. Youth with these eating disorders typically reported greater functional impairment, distress, suicidality, mental health treatment, and unhealthy body mass index, though effect sizes were relatively smaller for atypical AN, subthreshold BN, and PD. Average episode duration in months ranged from 2.9 for BN to 11.2 for atypical AN. One-year remission rates ranged from 71% for atypical AN to 100% for BN, subthreshold BN, and BED. Recurrence rates ranged from 6% for PD to 33% for BED and subthrehold BED. Diagnostic progression from subthreshold to threshold eating disorders was higher for BN and BED (32% and 28%) than for AN (0%), suggesting some sort of escalation mechanism for binge eating. Diagnostic crossover was greatest from BED to BN. Results imply that the new DSM-5 eating disorder criteria capture clinically significant psychopathology and usefully assign eating disordered individuals to homogeneous diagnostic categories.
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY IN THE PALEOZOIC CLASTICS OF THE MIDDLE AMAZON BASIN, BRAZIL

Paleoenvironmental maps of all the stratigraphic units of the Middle Amazon Basin from Ordovician to Early Carboniferous are analysed in terms of their source-rock and reservoir potentials. These maps were obtained by applying the following techniqes; detailed petrography of diamictites, sandstones and siltstones including measurements of index of clasticity; analysis of early and late diagenetic cementation processes; environmental interpretation of sedimentary structures; geochemistry of trace elements and lateral variations of clay mineral assemblages based on X-ray diffraction data. Five distinct sedimentary models were recognized. Fluvio-deltaic model consisting of fluvial, deltaic, distal deltaic and offshore subenvironments. Tidal flat model consisting of marshes, intertidal flat, shoreface and offshore subenvironments. Beach model consisting of dunes (inferred), beach, shoreforce and offshore subenvironments. Glacial model (Nhamunda time, Early Silurian), consisting of glacial (tillites), fluvial, beach, shoreface and offshore subenvironments. Glacial model (Curiri time, Late Devonian) consisting of glacial (tillites with subglacial sandstone channels and interglacial braided streams), shoreface and offshore subenvironments. From the association of these depositional models, the direction and intensity of the supply of coarse clastics was determined in a semi-quantitative manner for each stratigraphic unit. The time andspace distribution of the detritalsupplies and of the areas of coarse clastic sedimentation indicates a continuous synsedimentary tectonic control of the depocenters by the differential subsidence of the underlying Precambrian basement in the shape of large blocks limited by a system of NW-SE and NE-SW lineaments. By using an index of synsedimentary tectonic activity it is possible to define three major episodes of coarse clastic sedimentation which have the best reservoir potential: Early Silurian fluvio-glacial systems, Early Devonian progmding deltas and Late Devonian fluvio-glacial systems. The tmps for hydrocarbons are mainly stmtigmphic but enhanced by the weak structures of the basin and result from the relationship between the coarse clastics and two intervening sequences of mature black shales.
Passive limb movement: evidence of mechanoreflex sex specificity

Previous studies have determined that premenopausal women exhibit an attenuated metaboreflex; however, little is known about sex specificity of the mechanoreflex. Thus, we sought to determine if sex differences exist in the central and peripheral hemodynamic responses to passive limb movement. Second-by-second measurements of heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure, and femoral artery blood flow (FBF) were recorded during 3 min of supine passive knee extension in 24 young healthy subjects (12 women and 12 men). Normalization of CO and stroke volume to body surface area, expressed as cardiac index and stroke index, eliminated differences in baseline central hemodynamics, whereas, peripherally, basal FBF and femoral vascular conductance were similar between the sexes. In response to passive limb movement, women displayed significantly attenuated peak central hemodynamic responses compared with men (heart rate: 9.0 ± 1 vs. 14.8 ± 2% change, stroke index: 4.5 ± 0.6 vs. 7.8 ± 1.2% change, cardiac index: 9.6 ± 1 vs. 17.2 ± 2% change, all P < 0.05), whereas movement induced similar increases in peak FBF (167 ± 32 vs. 193 ± 17% change) and femoral vascular conductance (172 ± 31 vs. 203 ± 16% change) in both sexes (women vs. men, respectively). Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between individual peak FBF and peak CO response to passive movement in men but not in women. Thus, although both sexes exhibited similar movement-induced hyperemia and peripheral vasodilatory function, the central hemodynamic response was blunted in women, implying an attenuated mechanoreflex. Therefore, this study reveals that, as already recognized with the metaboreflex, there is likely a sex-specific attenuation of the mechanoreflex in women.
Voltage-sensitive dye recording of action potentials and synaptic potentials from sympathetic microcultures.

Given the appropriate multicell electrophysiological techniques, small networks of cultured neurons (microcultures) are well suited to long-term studies of synaptic plasticity. To this end, we have developed an apparatus for optical recording from cultured vertebrate neurons using voltage-sensitive fluorescent dyes (Chien, C.-B., and J. Pine. 1991. J. Neurosci. Methods. 38:93–105). We evaluate here the usefulness of this technique for recording action potentials and synaptic potentials in microcultures of neurons from the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG). After extensive dye screening and optimization of conditions, we chose the styryl dye RH423, which gave fast linear fluorescence changes of approximately 1%/100 mV for typical recordings. The root mean square noise of the apparatus (limited by shot noise) was typically 0.03%, equivalent to 3 mV of membrane potential. Illumination for at least 100 flashes of 100 ms each caused no noticeable photodynamic damage. Our results show that voltage-sensitive dyes can be used to record from microcultures of vertebrate neurons with high sensitivity. Dye signals were detected from both cell bodies and neurites. Signals from presumptive dendrites showed hyperpolarizations and action potentials simultaneous with those in the cell body, while those from presumptive axons showed delayed propagating action potentials. Subthreshold synaptic potentials in the cell body were occasionally detectable optically; however, they were usually masked by signals from axons passing through the same pixel. This is due to the complex anatomy of SCG microcultures, which have many crisscrossing neurites that often pass over cell bodies. Given a simpler microculture system with fewer neurites, it should be possible to use dye recording to routinely measure subthreshold synaptic strengths.
Computation-efficient algorithms for image registration

Two computation-efficient algorithms are presented for automatically generating matching pixels for image registration. The first algorithm is an efficient Sequential Spatial Search Algorithm. A window selection and searching approach incorporated with a post-processing technique are used for restricting the image search area in order to increase reliability of pixel matching. The second method is the Hierarchical Fuzzy C-varieties-based algorithm. The translation and rotation between two images are estimated based on a combination of the closest match both in the centroid value and the membership count. Through a match-and- search procedure, the linear transformation is determined between images. Both methods resulted in good image mosaicking quality even for large rotation and translation.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Experimental studies on ageing in rotifers

Abstract Studies on the ageing process in rotifers have been reviewed emphasizing research at the organismic and population levels. Work on ageing at the level of the individual has generally considered the manipulation of lifespan as a function of the physiological stresses imposed by variations in temperature, pH, total salt concentration, calcium content, and nutritional factors. Other studies have indicated that maternal age significantly affects the lifespan of offspring. This phenomenon is clearly demonstrated by differences in the survivor-ship and growth rates of populations derived from young and old parents. Finally, the contributions of population biology in general, and studies on rotifers in particular are gathered to approach the basic question: Why do ageing phenomena exist?
Reversal of hypercapnia induces endothelin-dependent constriction of basilar artery in rabbits with acute metabolic alkalosis.

Abstract We recently concluded that constriction of basilar artery due to respiration-induced hypocapnia in rabbits with acute metabolic alkalosis and accompanying compensatory hypercapnia was independent of NO and KATP channels. Based on reports that endothelin-1-mediated hypocapnic constriction of the rabbit basilar artery in vitro, we further investigated whether the respiration-induced hypocapnic constriction was endothelin-1 mediated. Metabolic alkalosis was induced acutely following ketamine/xylazine injection. The ETA plus ETB receptor antagonist, PD145065 (1 μM), and the selective ETA receptor antagonist, BQ610 (3 μM), completely relaxed the hypocapnic constriction, as determined in a cranial window. Unexpectedly, the ETB receptor antagonists, BQ788 and RES-701-1 (3 μM), relaxed the constriction by 72.1±2.8% (4) and 77.2±8.7% (5), respectively (means±S.E. (n)). To investigate whether the large magnitudes of relaxation to both ETA and ETB receptor antagonists were due to nonselectivity of the antagonists, the effects of the antagonists on the constriction to exogenous endothelin-1 were evaluated. BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxed the 3–5 nM endothelin-1 constriction by only 64.3±7.6% (4), 43.5±8.5% (5), and 26.7±4.8% (3) (means±S.E. (n)), respectively, consistent with the selective blocking action of these antagonists. To investigate whether the greater magnitude of BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxation of hypocapnic constricted versus exogenous endothelin-1-constricted vessels was due to differences between constriction elicited by endogenous versus exogenous endothelin-1, the effects of the endothelin receptor antagonists on constriction to isocapnic alkaline suffusate were evaluated. PD145065 (1 μM) and 0.1 mM phosphoramidon, an endothelin-converting enzyme inhibitor, inhibited the constriction to isocapnic alkaline suffusate by 83.8±7.8% (6) and 74.3±9.7% (8) (means±S.E. (n)), respectively, consistent with the endothelin-1 dependency of the constriction. BQ610, BQ788, and RES-701-1 relaxed the isocapnic alkaline suffusate constriction by 74.9±6.7% (5), 65.5±6.4% (5), and 78.0±6.5% (4) (means±S.E. (n)), respectively. Thus, the relaxation profile to the selective endothelin receptor antagonists in isocapnic alkaline constricted vessels more closely approximated the relaxation profile observed in hypocapnic constricted as compared to endothelin-1-constricted vessels. Hypocapnia did not alter the 5 nM endothelin-1 constriction. These results suggest that, under conditions of acute metabolic alkalosis and accompanying compensatory hypercapnia, subsequent hypocapnic constriction is endothelin mediated. Both ETA and ETB receptor activation may mediate the hypocapnic constriction. The hypocapnic constriction is not due to enhanced endothelin-1 constriction and, thus, is due to the release of endothelin-1 and/or additional endothelins.
Measurement of Heterogeneous Electron Transfer Rate Constants for Fe(H2O)62+/3+ during Sonication of Suspensions of Alumina Particles

Heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics for reduction of Fe(H2O)63+ at Pt electrodes in the presence of equimolar Fe(H2O)62+ in noncoordinating 1.0 M HClO4 have been studied during irradiation with high-intensity ultrasound at 20 kHz both in the presence and in the absence of small solid particles. Increases in heterogeneous rate constants have been measured during sonication in the presence of 1-μm particles of Al2O3. During sonication, particles collide with the electrode surface, generating heat and enhancing kinetic rates relative to those determined for sonication in the absence of particles. Control experiments (in the absence of ultrasound) were conducted with a rotating disk electrode (RDE). Rate constants from charge transfer resistance measurements within ±0.025 V of the equilibrium potential obtained by RDE, sonication, and sonication with 16.7 g of Al2O3 per liter of solution were (3.4 ± 0.1) × 10-4, (4.2 ± 0.5) × 10-4, and (20 ± 2) × 10-4 cm/s, respectively. By comparison, Tafel plots correc...
Optimal Controller Synthesis for Second Order LTI Plants with Switched Output Feedback

We derive a switched output feedback control law for the class of second order linear systems of relative degree two which maximizes a quantity that measures the rate of convergence of the state trajectories to the origin. After providing a formal definition for the rate of convergence and formulating an infinite horizon optimization problem, we explore a corresponding finite horizon problem for the specific case where the plant is a double integrator (P(S) = 1/s2) and use qualitative information about the behavior of the optimal state trajectories to derive a control law for the corresponding infinite horizon problem. We then derive an optimal controller for a general second order plant of relative degree two by relating it to the double integrator case study through appropriate transformations. We conclude with a design example.
Both TATA box and upstream regions are required for the nopaline synthase promoter activity in transformed tobacco cells

Using a promoter expression vector system based on the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, we have studied the molecular structure of the nopaline synthase (nos) promoter which is active constitutively in transformed plant tissues. The system uses the sensitive and reliable chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay for the analysis of promoter strength in plant cells. Two sets of mutants were generated by sequential deletion of the nos promoter region from both 5′ and 3′ ends. These promoter fragments were linked to the cat coding sequence within the expression vector. The strength of the mutant promoters was measured in transformed tobacco calli as CAT activity. 3′ deletions up to-17 bp did not significantly affect the promoter strength. Further deletions into the TATA box region reduced the promoter strength by about ten-fold. Analysis of the 5′ deletion mutants showed that an upstream region is required for the nos promoter activity in addition to the TATA box and CCAAT box regions.
Sex differences in esthetic treatment needs in American Black and White adolescent orthodontic patients

Abstract Objective: To test whether the severity of malocclusions in adolescents who actually entered orthodontic treatment is different between the sexes, as this might explain the preponderance o...