cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compliance with Procalcitonin Algorithm Antibiotic Recommendations for Patients in Medical Intensive Care Unit

tudy Objectives To describe compliance with antibiotic recommendations based on a previously published procalcitonin (PCT)-guided algorithm in clinical practice, to compare PCT algorithm compliance rates between PCT assays ordered in the antibiotic initiation setting (PCT concentration measured < 24 hours after antibiotic initiation or prior to antibiotic initiation) with those in the antibiotic continuation setting (PCT concentration measured ≥ 24 hours after antibiotic initiation), and to evaluate patient- and PCT-related factors independently associated with algorithm compliance in patients in the medical intensive care unit. Design Single-center, retrospective cohort study. Setting Large medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care academic medical center. Patients A total of 527 adults admitted to the medical ICU unit over a 2-year period (November 1, 2011–October 31, 2013) who had a total of 957 PCT assays performed. PCT assays whose results were determined in the medical ICU were allocated retrospectively to either the initiation setting cohort or the continuation setting cohort based on timing of the PCT assay. Measurements and Main Results Each PCT assay was treated as a separate episode. Antibiotic regimens were compared between the 24-hour periods before and after each PCT assay was resulted and evaluated against an algorithm to determine compliance. Clinical, laboratory, PCT-related, and microbiologic variables were assessed during the 24-hour period after the PCT assay was resulted to determine their influence on PCT algorithm compliance. A larger proportion of PCT episodes occurred in the initiation setting (540 [56.4%]) than in the continuation setting (417 [43.5%]). Overall, compliance with PCT algorithm recommendations was low (48.5%) and not significantly different between the initiation setting and the continuation setting (49.1% vs 47.7%, p=0.678). No patient-related or PCT-related factors were independently associated with PCT algorithm compliance on multivariable logistic regression. Conclusion Compliance with PCT algorithm antibiotic recommendations in both the initiation and continuation settings was lower than that reported in published randomized studies. No factors were independently associated with PCT algorithm compliance. Institutions using PCT assays to guide antibiotic use should assess compliance with algorithm antibiotic recommendations. Inclusion of a formalized antimicrobial stewardship program along with a PCT-guided algorithm is highly recommended. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Clinical/MRI Characteristics of Acute Migrainous Infarction

Clinical and MRI characteristics in 17 patients with acute migrainous infarction were assessed by researchers at the University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Isolation of Human Platelet Membrane Microparticles From Plasma and Serum

Methods have been developed to isolate human platelet membrane fragments from plasma and serum. Rabbit antibody produced against the human platelet membrane glycoprotein complex, IIb/IIIa, was utilized in an immunoelectrophoretic assay to evaluate the amount of this antigen in various microparticle preparations. The serum concentration of platelet microparticles was more than tenfold greater than that observed for plasma (65 micrograms/ml versus 4.4 micrograms/ml, respectively). Ultrastructural evaluation of either plasma or serum-derived microparticles disclosed a variety of membrane fragments and membrane-bound vesicles with occasional fragments of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In contrast, microparticle preparations derived from isolated washed platelets after thrombin stimulation contained a heterogeneous array of membrane fragments, vesicles, and granules but no identifiable red cell, white cell, or platelet fragments. Thus, these studies demonstrate that normal human plasma and serum contain platelet membrane fragments that are produced during cell activation. If a similar loss of platelet membranes occurs in vivo following reversible platelet activation, it is possible that the resulting membrane modifications may be of importance in both the structural and functional changes that develop during platelet senescence.
Should High Dose or Very Long-Term Antipsychotic Monotherapy Be Considered Before Antipsychotic Polypharmacy?

Standard doses of all antipsychotics target 60–80% occupancy of dopamine D2 receptors. However, many patients do not respond adequately in 2–6 weeks to standard doses of one or more antipsychotics given as sequential monotherapies, as suggested by contemporary treatment guidelines for schizophrenia. The reasons for such inadequate treatment responses are several, and include both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic failures. That is, some patients at standard doses do not attain 60–80% D2 occupancy. Factors accounting for this include not only noncompliance, but also failure to absorb, rapid metabolism, CYP450 2D6 polymorphisms, and others. In addition, some patients at standard doses attain 60–80% D2 occupancy but do not respond adequately to this. Common problems among such patients are hostility, aggression, assaultiveness and violence as well as continued positive symptoms of psychosis. At least two approaches may be considered for such pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic failures: namely, high dose monotherapy, and very long treatment times when feasible. High doses of a single agent are actually better studied than antipsychotic polypharmacy with two or more antipsychotics, especially for certain agents, and provides an approach that is potentially simpler, safer and more effective for overcoming both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic treatment failures, and allows a strategy to optimize antipsychotic treatment without polypharmacy. In addition, certain patients have very late onset improvements, measured in months or years, and very long term treatment data for antipsychotics in schizophrenia are beginning to emerge for patients who are not in urgent management situations as an alternative to antipsychotic polypharmacy.
Resistance to antibacterial agents.

There are three major mechanisms whereby bacteria initially susceptible to an antimicrobial agent may acquire the ability to resist the effects of this agent. These include prevention of intracellular drug accumulation, alteration in the target of the drug, and production of a drug-inactivating enzyme. The relative importance of each of these mechanisms varies depending upon the organism involved, the antimicrobial agent, and the location of the target of the antimicrobial agent within the bacterial cell (Table 1).
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is ranked fourth in cancer-causing deaths. Most cases of pancreatic cancer are advanced and unresectable at the time of diagnosis due to their delayed symptomatic presentation. PET/MR imaging has a high sensitivity and specificity for detecting malignant pancreatic lesions and provides superior soft tissue detail to determine peripancreatic involvement.
The intraluminal pressures in the intact human intestine

Summary Measurements of the intraluminal pressure at various levels in the small intestine were made in subjects with apparently normal gastrointestinal tracts and in subjects with diverticula of the duodenum, cholelithiasis, sprue, and active duodenal ulcer. 1.The phasic waves were of greater amplitude (maximal 95 cm.) in the upper small intestine than in the ileum (maximal 20 cm.). The rate of rhythmic waves was 11 per minute in the duodenum and upper j ej unum, and 13 to 14 per minute in the lower ileum. 2.Increased phasic activity in the upper small intestine was noted in subjects with duodenal ulcer. 3.Decreased phasic activity was noted in subjects with sprue. 4.Sleep depressed phasic activity in the small intestine. Periods of quiescence in the duodenum and upper jejunum (due to sleep, following anticholinergic drug administration, or occurring spontaneously) were frequently preceded by a brief series of waves occurring at the rate of 11 per minute. 5.The basal pressures were the same at all levels in the intestine in the individual subject. The mean basal pressure was 9 cm, in normal subjects. 6.Obese subjects tended to have high basal pressures. 7.Increased basal pressure values in the duodenum were noted in subjects with diverticulosis of the duodenum (mean, 13 em.). 8.Normal values for basal pressure were noted in subjects with cholelithiasis and duodenal ulcer. 9.Low values for basal pressure were noted in subjects with active sprue. 10.Parenterally administered bethanechol chloride (Urecholine) evoked a marked phasic wave response in the upper small bowel and in the sigmoid colon, but no response in the ileum and a questionable response in the right colon. 11.Tricyclamol chloride (Elorine), an anticholinergic drug, consistently depressed phasic wave activity in the small bowel.
Tetralogy of Fallot with Absent Pulmonary Valve

Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve (TOFAPV) is a severe disease with an incidence of 0.2–0.4% among patients with congenital heart defects and 3–6% among patients with TOF. Much less frequently, APV can also occur without the features of TOF. In addition to the usual anatomic defects of TOF, i.e., anterior deviation of infundibular septum with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenosis, malaligned ventricular septal defect (VSD), overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy, patients with TOF-APV have rudimentary or absent pulmonary valve leaflets with free pulmonic insufficiency, minimally obstructed RVOT and characteristic aneurysmal dilatation of the main and branch pulmonary arteries (Fig. 20.1). Associated anomalies include atrial septal defect and the absence of the ductus arteriosus.
Descending Control of the Flexion Reflex

The fiexion refiex was one of the simple reflexes that Sherrington used to illustrate many of the prineiples of refiex action that he described in The Integrative Action of the Nervous System (Sherrington 1906). Particularly important features of the fiexion refiex are that: (a) the receptive field includes both the skin and musele; (b) the refiex may “irradiate” into other limbs, e. g., leading to the crossed extension refiex in the eontralateral limb and extension and fiexion in the other two limbs (Fig. 22A); and (c) the fiexion refiex may supplant other, less dominant reflexes (Sherrington 1906). A series of papers on the fiexion refiex was published by Sherrington’s laboratory (Cooper et al. 1927; Creed and Sherrington 1926; Eccles 1931; Eccles and Granit 1929; Eccles and Sherrington 1930, 1931a,b,c,d,e; Liddell and Sherrington 1923; Sherrington 1910) and by several American colleagues (Forbes and Cattell 1924; Forbes and Gregg 1915; Pi-Suner and Fulton 1929). Much of the information from these studies is summarized in Reflex Activity of the Spinal Cord (Creed et al. 1932).
Drug Testing and Procedural Fairness: The Influence of Situational Variables

This study examines the effect of four variables (i.e., interpersonal treatment, organizational reputation, testing context, and consequence of testing) on perceptions of the procedural fairness of a drug-testing program. Main effects for each of these variables on perceptions of procedural fairness were expected. In addition, interactions were predicted between interpersonal treatment and organizational reputation, testing context and consequence, and testing context and interpersonal treatment. Results generally supported the hypotheses, revealing main effects for the four variables and two significant interactions. The implications of these findings for justice research and the design and implementation of drug-testing programs are discussed.
Condoms for Dual Protection: Patterns of Use with Highly Effective Contraceptive Methods

OBJECTIVES: U.S. women experience high rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) yet they seldom combine condoms with highly effective contraceptives for optimal protection. Because oral contracep tives (OCs) have been the predominant form of highly effective contraceptio in the U.S. it is unknown whether condom use is similarly low with increasingly promoted user-independent methods. METHODS: We used weighted data from the National Survey of Family Growth to assess condom use odds among women relying on OCs vs. user-independent methods (i.e. injectibles intrauterine devices and implants). We also estimated the expected reduction in unplanned pregnancies and abortions if half or all of the women currently using a single highly effective method also used condoms. RESULTS: Across every demographic subgroup based on age partner status race/ethnicity household income and education condom use prevalence was lower for women relying on user-independent methods vs. OCs. Multivariable models for adult women also revealed a significant reduction within most demographic subgroups in the odds of condom use among women relying on user-independent methods vs. OCs. Population estimates suggested that if half of all women using highly effective methods alone also used condoms approximately 40% of unplanned pregnancies and abortions among these women could be prevented for an annual reduction of 393000 unplanned pregnancies and nearly 76000 abortions. If all highly effective method users also used condoms approximately 80% of unplanned pregnancies and abortions among these women could be prevented for an annual reduction of 786000 unplanned pregnancies and nearly 152000 abortions. CONCLUSIONS: Adding condoms to other methods should be considered seriously as the first line of defense against unplanned pregnancy and STls. This analysis can serve to target interventions where dual-method promotion is needed most.
Boundary Layer Wind Maxima and Their Significance for the Growth of Nocturnal Inversions

A sharp maximum is frequently observed at night in the wind speed profile below 3000 ft. The wind speed maximum is usually at the top of the nocturnal inversion, is supergeostrophic, and is often associated with extremely large values of wind shear at low levels. It is shown that the characteristic velocity profile tends to promote an orderly growth of the nocturnal inversion. The supergeostrophic wind speeds suggest that an inertia oscillation is induced when the constraint imposed by the daytime mixing is released by the initiation of an inversion at about the time of sunset.
Mapping Forest and Surrounding Landscape Changes 1949-2015 at the University of Michigan's Historic Forestry Education Properties

ABSTRACT Three forested properties owned by the University of Michigan and near to Ann Arbor were the sites of some of the earliest forestry field education in the USA. No longer managed solely for this purpose after the mid-1960s, and at the same time nested within a rapidly developing area of Michigan, current planning for the properties focuses on melding their historic legacy with renewed ecologically and sustainably sound uses. We developed new maps and knowledge of forest and land change within and surrounding the properties between 1949 and 2015. We acquired aerial photography at 5-10 year intervals, created land-cover/land-use and change data, and identified key trajectories of change. Results within Saginaw Forest (established 1904) showed a consistent amount of forest area, but transitions in some observed overstory composition from coniferous to mixed forest between 1949 and 2015. Within the present-day extent of Stinchfield Woods and the Newcomb Tract (established 1925-1955), forest area incre...
Daoism and dialogism: A dialogue between China and the West:

In this paper, I explore Chinese Daoist theoretical connections with modern conceptions of dialogue and Western theories of psychology. I investigate and compare these lines of Western thinking wit...
Managing crisis in a university setting: The challenge of alignment

This paper explores the unique challenges of university leadership when planning and aligning communications and activities before, during, and after crises. We examined the three stages of a crisis and the unpredictable nature of large‐scale crises, including natural or man‐made disasters, that threaten people and structures. Compiled data exposed the frequency and complexity of critical events emphasizing the urgent need for attention and action. Case studies informed primarily by the literature, and a personal interview with a crisis strategist, detail specific alignment challenges and recommend a holistic crisis management system for university leadership to implement that addresses planning, response, and recovery. Consequences of misalignment include loss of message control, rumourmongering, prolonged disruption of operations, and the likelihood of reputational damage.
Bullied youth: suicide attempts, planning, ideation, and pre-ideation

This paper uses student data from the 2016 Caring Communities Youth Survey (CCYS) to examine four victim effects of being bullied. Victim factors examined are suicide pre-ideation ideation, plannin...
Toxicant and teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol

Prenatal alcohol exposure can result in growth, cognitive, and behavioral deficits due to the toxicant and teratogenic effects of alcohol. Alcohol is an unusual toxicant, because, unlike other toxicants, it is consumed and has biological effects in the millimolar range. Cerebral cortical development is particularly vulnerable to both alcohol's acute and long-term reprogramming effects. Recent evidence suggests that neuroinflammation may be a persistent result of prenatal alcohol exposure and that modes of cellular communication capable of carrying miRNAs, such as extracellular vesicles, may be an integral part of long-term changes to cellular communication and inflammation following in utero alcohol exposure.
The priceless child talks back: How working children respond to global norms against child labor:

This article examines how working children understand the morality of child labor. Drawing on interviews with children in Bolivia and Ecuador, I find that children call child labor moral when it he...
Four Lead-free Layered Double Perovskites with the n = 1 Ruddlesden-Popper Structure.

Herein we report the synthesis, structure, and band gaps of four layered halide double perovskites, i.e., BA2Cu0.5In0.5Cl4, BA2Ag0.5In0.5Cl4, BA2Ag0.5Sb0.5Cl4, and BA2Ag0.5Sb0.5Br4 [BA = butylammon...
Don’t Keep It a Secret

Anthony’s success as a multimillion-dollar entrepreneur had modest roots—an activity in his middle school classroom. His teachers led students through the basics of sound money management and what it takes to launch a successful business. More importantly, they encouraged Anthony to take control of his own future. You already know that what happens in the classroom matters. If you have found the ideas presented in this book to be beneficial, don’t keep it a secret. Share it with your students, colleagues, and parents. There is a plethora of high quality classroom resources. Important providers of personal finance curriculum materials include the Council on Economic Education, Federal Reserve System, Junior Achievement, Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Finance, Next Gen Personal Finance, and the National Endowment for Financial Education. This chapter also offers important tips for engaging parents and helping other teachers.
The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMCC) Project

Abstract The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMCC) project provides an ambitious and rigorous empirical test of a theoretical framework that posits two key cognitive control modes: proactive and reactive. The framework’s central tenets are that proactive and reactive control reflect domain-general dimensions of individual variation, with distinctive neural signatures, involving lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in interactions with other brain networks and circuits (e.g., frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular). In the DMCC project, each participant is scanned while performing theoretically-targeted variants of multiple well-established cognitive control tasks (Stroop, Cued Task-Switching, AX-CPT, Sternberg Working Memory) in three separate imaging sessions, that each encourage utilization of different control modes, plus also completes an extensive out-of-scanner individual differences battery. Additional key features of the project include a high spatio-temporal resolution (multiband) acquisition protocol, and a sample that includes a substantial subset of monozygotic twin pairs and participants recruited from the Human Connectome Project. Although data collection is still continuing (target N=200), we provide an overview of the study design and protocol, planned analytic approaches and methodological development, along with initial results (N=80) revealing novel evidence of a domain-general neural signature of reactive control. In the interests of scientific community building, the dataset will be made public at project completion, so it can serve as a valuable resource.
Repeatability of 18F-FDG PET Radiomic Features in Cervical Cancer.

Knowledge of the intrinsic variability of radiomic features is essential to the proper interpretation of changes in these features over time. The primary aim of this study was to assess the test–retest repeatability of radiomic features extracted from 18F-FDG PET images of cervical tumors. The impact of different image preprocessing methods was also explored. Methods: Patients with cervical cancer underwent baseline and repeat 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging within 7 d. PET images were reconstructed using 2 methods: ordered-subset expectation maximization (PETOSEM) or ordered-subset expectation maximization with point-spread function (PETPSF). Tumors were segmented to produce whole-tumor volumes of interest (VOIWT) and 40% isocontours (VOI40). Voxels were either left at the default size or resampled to 3-mm isotropic voxels. SUV was discretized to a fixed number of bins (32, 64, or 128). Radiomic features were extracted from both VOIs, and repeatability was then assessed using the Lin concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Results: Eleven patients were enrolled and completed the test–retest PET/CT imaging protocol. Shape, neighborhood gray-level difference matrix, and gray-level cooccurrence matrix features were repeatable, with a mean CCC value of 0.81. Radiomic features extracted from PETOSEM images showed significantly better repeatability than features extracted from PETPSF images (P 0.96) when extracted from VOI40. Conclusion: Shape, gray-level cooccurrence matrix, and neighborhood gray-level difference matrix radiomic features were consistently repeatable, whereas gray-level run length matrix and gray-level zone length matrix features were highly variable. Radiomic features extracted from VOI40 were more repeatable than features extracted from VOIWT. Changes in voxel size or SUV discretization parameters typically resulted in relatively small differences in feature value, though several features were highly sensitive to these changes.
Conditional Entropy of DNA

the aim of our paper is make survey of conditional entropy of DNA and compare it to conditional entropy of human languages. We have not been able to prove the hypothesis that conditional entropy of human languages and DNA are similar. However, it has been shown that conditional entropy of DNA apparently differs from conditional entropy of randomly generated text.
Performance Evaluation of COVID-19 Proximity Detection Using Bluetooth LE Signal

The risk of COVID-19 transmission increases when an uninfected person is less than 6 ft from an infected person for longer than 15 minutes. Infectious disease experts working on the COVID-19 pandemic call this high-risk situation being Too Close for Too Long (TCTL). Consequently, the problem of detecting the TCTL situation in order to maintain appropriate social distance has attracted considerable attention recently. One of the most prominent TCTL detection ideas being explored involves utilizing the Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) to determine whether the owners of two smartphones are observing the acceptable social distance of 6 ft. However, using RSSI measurements to detect the TCTL situation is extremely challenging due to the significant signal variance caused by multipath fading in indoor radio channel, carrying the smartphone in different pockets or positions, and differences in smartphone manufacturer and type of the device. In this study we utilize the Mitre Range Angle Structured (MRAS) Private Automated Contact Tracing (PACT) dataset to extensively evaluate the effectiveness of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in comparison to classical estimation theory techniques to solve the TCTL problem. We provide a comparative performance evaluation of proximity classification accuracy and the corresponding confidence levels using classical estimation theory and a variety of ML algorithms. As the classical estimation method utilizes RSSI characteristics models, it is faster to compute, is more explainable, and drives an analytical solution for the precision bounds proximity estimation. The ML algorithms, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forest, and Gradient Boosted Machines (GBM) utilized thirteen spatial, time-domain, frequency-domain, and statistical features extracted from the BLE RSSI data to generate the same results as classical estimation algorithms. We show that ML algorithms can achieve 3.60%~19.98% better precision, getting closer to achievable bounds for estimation.
Depression and the willingness to expend cognitive and physical effort for rewards: A systematic review

Depression is associated with reduced motivation to engage in previously enjoyed activities. In particular, anhedonia has been linked to reduced motivation, though other depressive symptoms may also play a role. The purposes of this systematic review were to 1) examine the relationship between depression and motivation, as operationalized by a willingness to expend effort for rewards, 2) examine the relationship between anhedonia and motivation, and 3) examine potential methodological moderators of these relationships. Forty-three articles met our inclusion criteria for the review. Our review found that individuals with depression and anhedonia demonstrate reduced willingness to expend cognitive and physical effort for rewards, though the effect has been more robustly demonstrated for physical effort expenditure. Task design impacted the strength of these relationships, with stronger effects for tasks that used indices of decision-making and accuracy rather than response time. These findings have clinical implications for behavioral activation, which seeks to improve depressive symptoms by encouraging individuals to increase their activity level. Future research should examine the determinants of motivation in individuals with depression and anhedonia, to ultimately help these individuals become more active and hopefully improve their quality of life as a result.
TALON Demonstration Correlator Architecture for Early SKA Array Assemblies

The roll-out plan for Square Kilometer Array (Phase 1) (SKA1) Mid Frequency Telescope calls for five array assemblies which progressively integrate an increasing number of receptors and capabilities. The TALON Demonstration Correlator (TDC) is a small correlator / beamformer system to implement the first two array assemblies of the SKA1 Mid Frequency Telescope Correlator / Beamformer (Mid.CBF). The objective of the TDC design is to minimize the amount of hardware required for the early releases, while maximizing re-use of firmware and software across all array assemblies. The TDC is based on the TALON technology and Frequency Slice Architecture (FSA) developed by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada for the Mid.CBF. The TDC can process input from up to 16 dual-polarized receptors and can simultaneously generate the full visibility sets for all the baselines and form a beam as required for precise timing of known pulsars, both for 800 MHz of observed bandwidth.
A new species of Leptobrachium from Myanmar (Anura: Megophryidae)

The faunal composition of the Myanmar populations of frogs in the genus Leptobrachium has been confused historically. The secretive nature of these frogs in combination with few systematic surveys throughout Myanmar has meant that sampling is sparse, not allowing for robust examination of morphological variation. Recent survey efforts in conjunction with historical collections have yielded for the first time a chance to evaluate the diversity of the genus Leptobrachium within Myanmar. While three allopatric populations of Leptobrachium species were discovered and all are distinguishable based on morphological differences, genetic analyses support that only one is distinct. A new species with a red and black bi-colored iris with a blue scleral arc is described herein. In addition to the new species, a new country record is also reported.
Physiology and Host Immune Responses of the Nose and Sinuses

The nose and converging structures have several critical functions that are often trivialized until symptoms persist and interfere with the patient’s daily activities. The nose is the body’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as it humidifies, filters, and conditions air. These functions protect the lungs from an influx of aeroallergens, air particulates, and other potential deleterious air pollutants. The nasopharynx is colonized with normal flora that acts as commensal organisms to prevent colonization of the host with more pathogenic organisms, thereby preventing disease. There are several natural protective mechanisms in the nose that are part of the innate immune response. Because the nasal epithelium provides a weak protective barrier, innate immunity plays a very important role to prevent infection and other pathologic inflammatory responses. The humoral adaptive immune response plays an important role in combating infection as well as eliciting specific IgE-mediated responses in susceptible individuals. When one or more of these processes break down, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), characterized by persistent inflammation of the mucosa in the nose and paranasal sinuses, can result. Most cases of chronic rhinosinusitis are idiopathic. Proposed mechanisms for CRS included obstruction of the osteomeatal complexes, impaired mucociliary transport, atopy, microbial resistance, and biofilm formation. Correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment of patients with allergic, nonallergic, or mixed rhinitis to prevent unchecked nasal inflammation will often prevent or ameliorate the progression to chronic rhinosinusitis. Future research investigating the pathogenesis and mechanism(s) of CRS will provide better opportunities for developing novel therapies to improve our management of this common clinical condition.
Identification of enhancers in the 5'-flanking region of the rabbit surfactant protein A (SP-A) gene and characterization of their binding proteins.

Abstract The gene encoding surfactant protein A (SP-A) is expressed in type II pneumonocytes and is developmentally and hormonally regulated in fetal lung. In the present study, rabbit lung nuclear proteins were found to bind to two genomic elements within the 5'-flanking region of the rabbit SP-A gene, termed distal binding element (DBE; -986 to -977 base pairs) and proximal binding element (PBE; -87 to -70 base pairs). Binding activity was enriched in type II pneumonocytes as compared with whole lung tissue. Although binding activity was undetectable in nuclear proteins from rabbit liver and kidney, low levels of binding activity were detected in nuclear proteins from cardiac and skeletal muscle. DNase I footprinting indicated that lung nuclear proteins protected the palindromic sequence CCCACGTGGG in the DBE. The underlined core sequence is an E box motif; a similar sequence (CCCTCGTG) is present within the PBE. Both elements competed for binding to the same size species of nuclear proteins of M(r) approximately 69,000, 45,000, and 22,000. In type II cells transfected with fusion genes containing SP-A 5'-flanking DNA linked to the human growth hormone structural gene, mutagenesis of the DBE or PBE resulted in a marked reduction of basal and cyclic AMP-stimulated fusion gene expression. These findings suggest that the DBE and PBE act as enhancers that interact with the same or related trans-acting proteins and serve an important role in type II cell-specific, cyclic AMP-mediated regulation of SP-A gene expression.
Toward a ‘More Enlightened and Tolerant View’: Educational Choice and the Regulation of Religious Institutions

Since the Supreme Court upheld the inclusion of religious schools in publicly funded school choice programs, the question of the extent to which states may regulate the schools that participate in such programs remains unsettled. The question is important because state regulation may implicate issues of religious belief and practice that have traditionally been outside state control. Indeed, many legal scholars have endorsed such regulation in order to bring religious institutions into line with majoritarian norms. This Article argues that those activists and legal scholars who advocate public regulation of religious schools through school choice programs ignore the serious constitutional obstacles to such regulation. Even the modest regulations that already apply to religious schools in the nation’s two choice programs that include such schools lack a compelling justification that outweighs the infringement of First Amendment rights. The First Amendment establishes a right of religious institutions to remain free of government oversight and prohibits the government from involving itself in ecclesiastical questions reserved to religious institutions. Even if a religious institution consents to government oversight, an “excessive entanglement” will nevertheless render such oversight unconstitutional. Moreover, if a regulation, had it been imposed directly, would violate the school’s rights under the First Amendment, it would represent an unconstitutional condition when pressed indirectly. Because a school choice program that aims to promote educational pluralism resembles a limited public forum, the state may not discriminate on the basis of viewpoint by imposing regulations that exclude certain types of religious belief and practice. Ultimately, while the government need not empower parents to choose educational alternatives with vouchers, if a state does establish such a program it may not police those alternatives in ways that implicate religious expression.
Test Tube Families: Why the Fertility Market Needs Legal Regulation

Preface Introduction Part I Initial Conceptions1 The Treatment Plan for Legal Issues 2 The Treatment Plan for Creating Babies Part II The State of ART3 Market Regulation 4 Parenting Regulation 5 Donating to Parenthood 6 Donor IdentityPart III Race, Class, and Gender: Who Benefits?7 Barriers to Conception 8 Expensive Dreams 9 What Is Wrong with Technology? Part IV Baby Steps Forward10 Baby Steps: Going to Market 11 Five-Parent Families? A Proposition 12 Finding Out Conclusion Notes Index About the Author
Use of a least squares finite element lattice boltzmann method to study fluid flow and mass transfer processes

In our previous efforts, a least squares finite element lattice Boltzmann method (LSFE-LBM) was developed and successfully applied to simulate fluid flow in porous media. In this paper, we extend LSFE-LBM to simulate solute transport in bulk fluid and couple it with non-linear sorption/desorption processes at solid particle surfaces. The influences of the Peclet number and sorption non-linearity on solute transport is evaluated. Results of this work demonstrate the capability of using LSFE-LBM to study fluid flow and non-linear mass transfer processes at the pore scale.
Successful use of Rituximab in a patient with recalcitrant multisystemic eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a rare eosinophil-rich disorder characterised by necrotising granulomatous inflammation affecting small to medium sized vessels. Extrapulmonary manifestations can be life-threatening when heart, central nervous system (CNS), gastrointestinal tract or kidneys are affected. We describe a case of a 56-year-old woman with a long-standing history of asthma, who presented with an acute sudden painless loss of vision after she had been recently diagnosed with EGPA and induced with pulse steroids and cyclophosphamide. The patient had a complicated hospital course with multisystemic involvement of active vasculitis, involving heart, kidneys, muscles, eyes and CNS. The patient's devastating condition responded remarkably to Rituximab. The role of Rituximab in EGPA is not yet proven. Few cases are reported in the literature about the role of Rituximab in EGPA, of which only one described retinal artery occlusion as a presentation of a recently treated patient with EGPA.
Phosphatidyl glycerol in lung surfactant. 1. Synthesis in rat lung microsomes.

Abstract Phosphatidyl glycerol is present in lamellar bodies and in the material obtained by alveolar wash representing 12.3 and 11.5%, respectively, of the total phospholipid phosphorus. Lung microsomes catalyze the formation of phosphatidyl glycerol from the known precursors, L-glycerol 3-phosphate and CDP-diglyceride. The rate of [14C]L-glycerol 3-phosphate incorporation into phosphatidyl glycerol was 30% higher in microsomes as compared to mitochondria. The addition of mercuric chloride inhibited the synthesis of phosphatidyl glycerol, and stimulated the incorporation into another as yet incompletely identified lipid. After pulse labeling of microsomal phosphatidyl glycerol in vitro , further incubation of microsomes with lamellar bodies or alveolar wash resulted in nearly quantitative appearance of label in surfactant.
Partitioning of Cu in estuarine waters, II. Control of partitioning by the biota

Abstract In two sets of suspensions containing biotic particles, organisms indirectly controlled the partitioning of added Cu between the dissolved and particulate phases by releasing dissolved organic ligands. Organisms present at total suspended matter concentrations as low as 10 mg/l released enough organic compounds during 1 day to negate the initial removal of the hydrophobic dissolved organic matter by Sep-Pak columns. In these experiments, the coating of particulate inorganic surfaces with organic matter may have also prevented Cu from establishing a chemical equilibrium between these particulate surfaces and the solution. The behavior of added radioactive Cu is consistent with an equilibrium model if the transfer of organic matter between dissolved and particulate phases by organisms is considered. In contrast, the behavior of natural Cu in these biotic suspension indicate that the partitioning of Cu was controlled as much by active biological processes as by chemical equilibria.
Information structuring: Relating old and new knowledge

By carefully applying the principle of information structuring, writers can explain difficult concepts to nonspecialist readers. Information structuring refers to the way pieces of information are related to allow readers to gain a clear understanding of the new knowledge that the writer is trying to explain. This structure allows writers to explain new ideas and concepts by comparing them to knowledge that readers already understand. To illustrate this principle the paper discusses the use of analogy in technical explanation and the use of repetition to emphasize key concepts.
Antiproliferative Trihydroxyalkylcyclohexenones from Pleiogynium timoriense.

Investigation of a DCM extract of the bark of Pleiogynium timoriense from the former Merck collection of natural product extracts for antiproliferative activity indicated that it was active with an IC50 value of 1.3 μg/mL against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. Bioassay-directed fractionation of this extract yielded the three new bioactive trihydroxyalkylcyclohexenones 1–3. Their structures were determined by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 1–3 exhibited submicromolar antiproliferative activity against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line, with IC50 values of 0.8, 0.7, and 0.8 μM, respectively.
Comparison of biopsy sites for the histopathologic diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori: a topographic study of H. pylori density and distribution.

Abstract The histologic demonstration of characteristic curved, spiral bacilli on the gastric mucosa is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, in some cases the urea breath test or serologic tests may be positive, yet gastric biopsy specimens fail to reveal H. pylori . The objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the density and distribution of H. pylori in different regions of the stomach, (2) to ascertain which area of the stomach is a preferential site for obtaining biopsy specimens, and (3) to determine whether the presence of neutrophils or lymphoid aggregates correlates with the presence of detectable organisms in the same biopsy specimen. Eighty-nine patients with H. pylori infection underwent gastric mapping. The density of H. pylori , neutrophils, and lymphoid follicles was assessed semi-quantitatively in each biopsy site. The likelihood of getting a false-negative result was also calculated for each biopsy site. All biopsy specimens from the antral lesser curvature, at or near the incisura, had detectable H. pylori . Scores for this area and the cardia were higher than scores for the gastric corpus, but most differences were not significant. Fewer than 3% of antral biopsy specimens were false-negative, compared to between 6% and 9% of those from the corpus ( p = 0.02). Neutrophils were present in more than 94% of all antral biopsy specimens, compared to 60% to 86% of specimens from the corpus ( p H. pylori infection. Specimens from the corpus should be obtained for evaluation of the distribution and severity of gastritis, but they do not increase the diagnostic yield unless extensive intestinal metaplasia is present in the antrum. The presence of neutrophils and lymphoid follicles has a high positive predictive value, but their absence, particularly in the corpus, does not exclude H. pylori infection. (Gastrointest Endosc 1994;342-5.)
Silicon and Germanium Nanocrystal Inks for Low-Cost Solar Cells

Silicon is the most widely used material in the microelectronics and photovoltaics industry. Currently it is used in one of two forms: as wafers of single- or polycrystalline material or as CVD deposited thin film material. While crystalline silicon solar cells achieve high efficiencies, the silicon wafer contributes significantly to the module cost. Thin film silicon solar cells can be produced at much lower cost, but they also feature lower efficiencies. In this presentation, we discuss an alternate route to forming silicon (Si) or germanium (Ge) thin films from solution on flexible substrates. Silicon (germanium) nanocrystals are formed in a nonthermal plasma. In the plasma environment a Si/Ge precursor is broken down by electron impact, leading to the nucleation and growth of Si or Ge crystals. By adding dopant precursors, p- and n-doped as well as intrinsic crystals can be formed. Organic ligands can be attached in the plasma such that nanocrystals become soluble in organic solvents. These “nanocrystal inks” can be used to form Si or Ge films with ultra-low-cost printing or coating techniques. Film properties of Si/Ge-ink processed films will be discussed. Proof-of-concept demonstrations of solar cells produced from silicon inks will be presented.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Surgical Treatment for Anomalous Origin of Left Coronary Artery from Pulmonary Artery

Abstract Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery carries a poor prognosis; most patients die early in life from myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. During a 12-year period at the Texas Heart Institute, 13 patients with this congenital malformation ranging in age from 1 to 24 years underwent operation. The anomalous coronary artery was sutured or ligated, or both, close to the pulmonary artery in 3 patients, 2 before 1965. Aortocoronary bypass was performed in the remaining 10 patients, using an autogenous saphenous vein graft in 9 and a Dacron tube in 1. More recently a distal end-to-side anastomosis has been employed and is now the preferred method. If necessary, a pump oxygenator may be used to complete the procedure. The only death was that of the first patient in the series who underwent ligation of the left coronary artery and mitral annuloplasty for severe mitral insufficiency. Of the 12 patients available for long-term follow-up study, all but 1 were asymptomatic. Follow-up angiographic studies showed the graft to be patent in 7 patients; the longest period of graft patency was 8 years. Definitive operative therapy is preferable to simple ligation because it eliminates the left-to-right shunt from the right coronary artery to the pulmonary artery and establishes a double coronary artery system.
Metabolism of tacrolimus (FK506) and recent topics in clinical pharmacokinetics

Tacrolimus (FK506), an immunosuppressive drug, is co-medicated with multiple drugs under clinical conditions. Tacrolimus is highly lipophilic and is excreted from the body after receiving extensive metabolism. Due to its narrow therapeutic window following organ transplantation, tacrolimus requires therapeutic drug monitoring by an enzyme immunoassay using the monoclonal antibody raised against tacrolimus. Therefore, metabolism studies including drug-drug interaction and metabolite identification studies are essential for the efficient development and clinically optimal usage of this drug. Tacrolimus was metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A subfamily. Metabolic drug-drug interaction studies were conducted to provide information regarding the optimal usage of tacrolimus, and its metabolism was inhibited by known CYP3A inhibitors such as ketoconazole, cyclosporine A, and nifedipine. Recent reports on clinical pharmacokinetics indicate that dose levels of tacrolimus need to be adjusted in transplant patients with CYP3A5 polymorphism.
Thyroid hormone responses to endurance exercise

Summary Reasons for performing study: Limited information exists about changes in circulating thyroid hormone concentrations during prolonged endurance exercise in horses. Objective: To examine the effects of prolonged exercise on serum iodothyronine concentrations in horses performing endurance exercise of varying distances. Methods: Serum concentrations of iodothyronines were measured in horses before and after completion of 40, 56, 80 and 160 km endurance rides (Study 1); daily during a 5 day, 424 km endurance ride (Study 2); and before and for 72 h after completion of a treadmill exercise test simulating a 60 km endurance ride (Study 3). Results: In Study 1, 40 and 56 km of endurance exercise had little effect on serum iodothyronine concentrations with the exception of a 10% decrease (P<0.05) in free thyroxine (FT4) concentration after the 56 km ride. In contrast, total thyroxine (T4), total triiodothyronine (T3), FT4 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentrations all decreased (P<0.05) after successful completion of 80 and 160 km rides, with decreases ranging from 13–31% and 47–54% for distances of 80 and 160 km, respectively. Further, pre-ride T4 concentration was lower (P<0.05) and FT3 concentration was higher (P<0.05) in horses competing 160 km as compared to horses competing over shorter distances. In Study 2, serum concentrations of T4, T3 and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) progressively decreased (P<0.05) over the course of the multi-day ride. In Study 3, the greatest decrease (P<0.05) in all iodothyronines was observed at 12 h of recovery, ranging from 25% for FT4 to 53% for FT3, but all thyroid hormone concentrations had returned to the pre-exercise values by 24 h of recovery. Conclusion: Endurance exercise results in transient decreases in serum iodothyronine concentrations. Potential relevance: These data are important to consider when thyroid gland function is assessed by measurement of serum iodothyronine concentrations in endurance horses.