cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The natural history of long thoracic and spinal accessory neuropathies

A cohort of 106 patients with electrodiagnostically confirmed long thoracic neuropathy (50 patients) or spinal accessory neuropathy (56 patients) seen at the Mayo Clinic over a 22-year period were retrospectively studied to better understand the natural history of these disorders and to determine the role of electrodiagnostic testing in predicting prognosis. Mean follow-up was 48 and 50 months, respectively. Good functional recovery was generally observed regardless of the results of electrodiagnostic studies, but improvement in the amplitude of the spinal accessory compound muscle action potential on serial nerve conduction studies tended to predict a good outcome. No electrodiagnostic findings correlated with poor outcome. Traumatic neuropathies generally did worse than neuropathies of other causes. In spinal accessory neuropathies, involvement of the dominant limb, scapular winging, and impaired arm elevation were associated with a poor outcome. Our data suggest that, contrary to other focal neuropathies, the electrodiagnostic findings do not predict functional outcome in these neuropathies.
Can stochastic neurons support spatio-temporal codes

The single cell firing rate interpretation of the neural code has long dominated the field of electro-physiology. The major reason for this is that it has proved to be an extremely successful interpretation. There have also been several different theoretical arguments as to why it is the most reasonable interpretation (Barlow, 1972; Shadlen and Newsome, 1994). Recent advances, such as multi electrode recording have made it possible to look at the spike trains of many neurons simultaneously and see how they relate to behavior or stimulus. Furthermore, recent work has tried to examine whether spike trains in single cells carry more information than carried by the firing rate of the cells (Richmond et al., 1987; Kajaer et al., 1994; Bialek et al., 1991; Victor and Purpura, 1996). A temporal code is much richer than a firing rate code, many suggestions have been made about the usefulness of such codes (Abeles, 1982; Bienenstock, 1995; Bialek et al., 1991). Many researchers are skeptical about the ability of the neural machinery to to support a temporal code. Neurons are considered too slow and too noisy to carry out such computations (Shadlen and Newsome, 1994). Recently direct evidence that neurons indeed have a quick reliable response to brief stimuli at the cell body has been presented by Mainen and Sejnowski (1995). Even if cell bodies are fast and reliable noise in synaptic transmission (Allen and Stevens, 1994) can degrade their effective reliability. Noise in synaptic transmission could be averaged out by slow membrane constants, but will be significant with fast membrane constants. Thus even if membrane properties allow quick computations they may do so with large levels of noise. The question posed in this paper is how detrimental is the stochastic nature of the neurons to spatio-temporal codes. We will do so using two examples: a random spatio-temporal code which is easy to analyze but does not have the familiar features of physiological neural codes and a Hierarchical Neural Multiplexing (HNM) code that has non-stationary Poisson statistics. We show that for the random code a number of patterns exponential in the dimensionality of the code can be stored for large levels of noise. Although this is not a biologically plausible code the result shows that in principle noise is not detrimental to spatio-temporal coding. The HNM code conveys a similar results, that despite noisy time varying Poisson statistics, information can be stored in the temporal structure of the neural code, given a large number of neurons, time bins, and a population coding scheme.
On the variational formulation of hybrid finite element-boundary integral techniques for electromagnetic analysis

This paper addresses the time-harmonic, electromagnetic analysis of a three-dimensional inhomogeneous radiator/scatterer in free-space. Such analysis can be carried out by combining the finite element method (FEM) with the method of moments (MoM), which yields finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) formulations. A general framework is presented, within which stationary FE-BI formulations can be established (variational boundary-value problems), which relate to equivalent, underlying variational principles (stationary functionals). The formulations are shown to be accurate, robust and computationally efficient. They avoid the problem of interior resonances without resorting to the combined field integral equation and they result in symmetric system matrices, which preserve reciprocity explicitly. Thus, the stationary FE-BI framework combines the FEM and MoM on the continuous level, as opposed to the usual approach of hybridization after discretization, which generally leads to asymmetric matrices. The stationary FE-BI framework allows one to solve either for the electric and magnetic fields on the volume of the problem domain, or for one volume and one exterior surface field quantity, with only marginal differences in computational cost. The volume-surface formulations have the same storage requirements as previous FE-BI formulations and can be more efficiently solved. The volume-volume formulations provide simultaneous solutions of the electric and magnetic fields, which could for instance be used to construct error estimators directly based on Maxwell's equations.
Euglossa paisa , a new species of orchid bee from the Colombian Andes (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A distinct new species of orchid bee, Euglossa paisa Ramirez n. sp., is here described. Various morphological characters suggest that this new taxon belongs to the subgenus Glossurella, a group composed of 21 species whose members occur throughout low and mid elevation tropical America. E. paisa n. sp. is morphologically closest to E. oleolucens Dressler, a species endemic to the montane region of southern Costa Rica, and these two to E. fuscifrons Dressler, a species endemic to the lowland wet forests of the northwest Amazon Basin. E. paisa is endemic to the Cordillera Central of Colombia, a region of elevated diversity and profuse endemism.
Targeted Disruption of Organic Cation Transporter 3 Attenuates the Pharmacologic Response to Metformin

Metformin, the most widely prescribed antidiabetic drug, requires transporters to enter tissues involved in its pharmacologic action, including liver, kidney, and peripheral tissues. Organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3, SLC22A3), expressed ubiquitously, transports metformin, but its in vivo role in metformin response is not known. Using Oct3 knockout mice, the role of the transporter in metformin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics was determined. After an intravenous dose of metformin, a 2-fold decrease in the apparent volume of distribution and clearance was observed in knockout compared with wild-type mice (P < 0.001), indicating an important role of OCT3 in tissue distribution and elimination of the drug. After oral doses, a significantly lower bioavailability was observed in knockout compared with wild-type mice (0.27 versus 0.58, P < 0.001). Importantly, metformin's effect on the plasma glucose concentration-time curve was reduced in knockout compared with wild-type mice (12 versus 30% reduction, respectively, P < 0.05) along with its accumulation in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect of metformin on phosphorylation of AMP activated protein kinase, and expression of glucose transporter type 4 was absent in the adipose tissue of Oct3(-/-) mice. Additional analysis revealed that an OCT3 3' untranslated region variant was associated with reduced activity in luciferase assays and reduced response to metformin in 57 healthy volunteers. These findings suggest that OCT3 plays an important role in the absorption and elimination of metformin and that the transporter is a critical determinant of metformin bioavailability, clearance, and pharmacologic action.
Differential Induction of Gamma Interferon in Legionella pneumophila- Infected Macrophages from BALB/c and A/J Mice

Gamma interferon (IFN-g), a pleiotropic cytokine, is now known to be produced by macrophages as well as by NK cells, gd cells, and activated T cells. The autocrine biological functions of IFN-g on the macrophage include the upregulation of major histocompatibility complex MHC class II and the activation to an antiviral state. In this study, the production of IFN-g by macrophages was demonstrated to correspond to antibacterial activity. Legionella pneumophila replicates intracellularly in thioglycolate (TG)-elicited macrophages (TGmacrophages) from A/J mice, while TG-macrophages from BALB/c mice restrict bacterial growth after an initial period of growth. BALB/c TG-macrophages were shown to express IFN-g mRNA at 24 and 28 h, which corresponded to the initiation of anti-L. pneumophila activity. Moreover, IFN-gneutralization by antibody treatment of the cultures resulted in increased L. pneumophila growth in the macrophages. In contrast, no IFN-g mRNA was expressed in TG-macrophages from A/J mice, where L. pneumophila grew unrestricted. As would be expected, IFN-g treatment decreased bacterial growth. An IFN-g-mediated antibacterial activity was, however, inducible in A/J macrophages by the addition of interleukin-12 following L. pneumophila infection. Thus, autocrine IFN-g is involved in anti-L. pneumophila activity associated with different growth patterns and appears to be important during intracellular infection.
The stochastic segment model for continuous speech recognition

A new direction in speech recognition via statistical methods is to move from frame-based models, such as hidden Markov models, to segment-based models that provide a better framework for modeling the dynamics of the speech production mechanism. The stochastic segment model (SSM) is a joint model for a sequence of observations which provides explicit modeling of time correlation as well as a formalism for incorporating segmental features. The authors examine the modeling of time correlation within a segment. They consider three Gaussian model variations based on different assumptions about the form of statistical dependency, including a Gauss-Markov model, a dynamical system model, and a target state model, all of which can be formulated in terms of the dynamical system model. Evaluation of the different modeling assumptions is in terms of both phoneme classification performance and the predictive power of linear models. >
Magnetostriction vs. Magnetization of Hiperco 50 from 20 to 700Ç¬C

The magnetostriction and magnetisation of Hiperco 50 soft magnetic material composed of 49wt%Fe, 49%Co, and 2%V are measured simultaneously using an optical technique with a pickup coil. A butterfly shape is observed in the magnetostrictive strain vs. applied field curve at room temperature. This suggests that the alloy has a very low coercive field which is confirmed by the DC hysteresis loop. Magnetostrictive strain vs. magnetisation plot shows a parabolic shape at room temperature and up to about 500degC which changes radically so that significant strain occurs only near magnetic saturation.
Strong, Low Thermal Expansion Niobate Ceramics

A new family of low thermal expansion niobate ceramics was discovered that sinter to form unusual high permeability microstructures. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) can be tailored from −4 × 10−7/°C to +40 × 10−7/°C by control of composition and firing temperature. The inherent vapor-phase transport sintering gives rise to low to negative firing shrinkage, more than 50% porosity, and a microstructure of loosely packed interlocking acicular grains that result in highly permeable porous filters with good strength and low backpressure in clean and soot-loaded conditions. The acicular grains show extensive solid solution with multiple components that enables a large compositional flexibility for engineering properties. The low thermal expansion and high strength coupled with the low structural Young's modulus of the fibrous microstructure give these materials excellent thermal shock resistance. Titanium and zirconium niobates are resistant to potassium-based NOx adsorbers up to 900°C, are chemically durable, thermally stable, and suitable for diesel particulate filters and catalyst supports.
Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life after Iatrogenic Bile Duct Injury Repair

Background Data on the effect of bile duct injuries (BDI) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are not well defined. We sought to assess long-term HRQOL after BDI repair in a large cohort of patients spanning a 23-year period. Study Design We identified and mailed HRQOL questionnaires to all patients treated for major BDI after laparoscopic cholecystectomy between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2012 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Results We identified 167 patients alive at the time of the study who met the inclusion criteria. Median age at BDI was 42 years (interquartile range 31 to 54 years); the majority of patients were female (n = 131 [78.4%]) and of white race (n = 137 [83.0%]). Most patients had Bismuth level 2 (n = 56 [33.7%]) or Bismuth level 3 (n = 40 [24.1%]) BDI. Surgical repair most commonly involved a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (n = 142 [86.1%]). Sixty-two patients (37.1%) responded to the HRQOL questionnaire. Median follow-up was 169 months (interquartile range 125 to 222 months). At the time of BDI, mental health was most affected, with patients commonly reporting a depressed mood (49.2%) or low energy level (40.0%). These symptoms improved significantly after definitive repair (both p 0.05). Conclusions Mental health concerns were more commonplace vs physical or general health issues among patients with BDI followed long term. Optimal multidisciplinary management of BDI can help restore HRQOL to preinjury levels.
The Public Interest Reconsidered

ATTHE VERY MOMENT WHEN IDEALISTS and realists are disputing the role of morality and interest in international affairs, students of the domestic political process are waging a similar, though less exacerbated, dispute over morality and interest in internal politics. Their debate centers generally on the vadidity and applicability of concepts of the "public interest" to the political process and policy-making. While this concept of the public interest lacks a neat and precise formulation, it has over years of use (and occasional abuse) acquired a pragmatic and functional definition. It has come to signify that public policy alternative which most deserves enactment. It is, in other words, the highest standard of governmental action, the measure of the greatest wisdom or morality in government. To define the public interest in terms of its role or function is, of course, to beg the question of its nature and the validity of its claim to be a policy standard. The validity of this claim of the public interest to superiority over other interests will be the subject of this paper's inquiry. The phrase "public interest," or some variation on its theme, has run through the American political vocabulary since the early years of the Republic. Its defense has traditionally evoked the most lavish flights of Senatorial oratory; statutory delegations of authority have long carried the admonition that administrators should exercise their powers in the public interest; and rare, indeed, is the pressure group that has not at one time or another masqueraded in the disguise of the public interest. In fact, so potent is the phrase, regardless of the elusive nature of its content, that it has become a symbol for righteousness and morality in American politics. Over and beyond the significance of the public interest for the world of practical politics, however, the term has as well a relevance for the scholarly world of political science. Few of the areas of
PROSPECTS FOR A UNIFIED PROFESSION

December 29, 1966 Kenneth W. Mildenberger appeared at the Foreign Language Program General Session of the Annual Meeting of the MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA and delivered an address entitled "Prospects for a Unified Profession." Since this address summarizes the past history and factors which motivated the organization of the AMERICAN COUNCIL ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES and also adds additional information to supplement the preceding statements it is here reproduced in its entirety. There is little doubt that the statements by Dr. Fisher and Dr. Mildenberger and the action of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATIONS were received with enthusiasm. Positive action was taken in the ensuing days by several constituent associations of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATIONS. In order that the foreign language teachers at all levels may be fully aware of the circumstances under which this organization is coming into being, I have undertaken to report as factually as possible the progression of events. I trust that the documentation will clarify and emphasize the fact that the AMERICAN COUNCIL ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, as now conceived, is to be and remain an individual-membership organization, democratically administered by its own members. It is with this intention that the organizational framework of the AMERICAN COUNCIL ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES is being projected by the Organizing Committee. ROBERT F. ROEMING, Managing Editor
Epstein–Barr Virus and Burkitt’s Lymphoma

Denis Burkitt identified the existence of a highly aggressive lymphoproliferative disorder, Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL), which was highly prevalent in young children in the equatorial belt of Africa. Burrkitt’s lymphoma can also be seen in children as well as immunocompromised individuals in other areas with endemic malaria. Burkitt’s lymphoma was the first human tumour to be causally associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Intense studies over the past almost five decades have demonstrated a major role for EBV in the pathogenesis of this unique neoplasm. However, the precise contribution of EBV to the pathogenesis of BL has not been fully determined. In this chapter, we will discuss different aspects of EBV-mediated B-cell transformation that contributes to the development of BL. Additionally, we will also summarize the critical roles of the EBV latency proteins in oncogenesis and their contribution to cellular proliferation, deregulation of cell signaling and inhibition of the apoptotic process. This review will provide clues to the probable strategies for therapeutic intervention of EBV-associated Burkitt’s lymphoma progression which is dependent on the interplay between EBV-encoded latent antigens and their interactions with host cellular proteins and their environment.
Academic Major, Gender, Personal Values, And Reactions To An Ethical Dilemma

Recent corporate scandals have increased public interest in the area of business ethics. This study examines the relationship of gender and choice of academic major to personal values and to ethical choices, and the relationship of personal values to ethical choices. Two hundred fifty three subjects read a case that presented a tax evasion dilemma. The subjects responded to a series of action statements related to the ethical dilemma and completed a personal values survey. The responses to the action statements were used to calculate a tax compliance score. Participants were also asked to make a choice as to whether the taxpayer should or should not report all of the taxable income. The results indicate that both the tax compliance score and the tax payment choice differed by gender and academic major. Furthermore, gender differences were found on five of the ten personal value constructs and academic major differences were found on four of the ten personal value constructs. With regard to the relationship of personal values to ethical choices, it was found that three of the personal value constructs were correlated with the compliance score and the tax payment decision.
Viral Infections in ICU Patients

Intensive care units (ICU) were used originally for mechanical ventilation of patients with poliomyelitis and for recovery of patients after anesthesia. Today, these units have been expanded to care for severely ill patients with a wide variety of clinical conditions requiring close monitoring and support. A variety of medical conditions and physiologic disturbances have benefited from this care. Many critically ill patients have underlying infections and of those with infections, viruses are the cause in a small but important percentage (1,2). The majority of viral infections which require care in an intensive care unit involve the respiratory or the central nervous system. However, other organ systems, such as the gastrointestinal tract, may be severely affected by viruses and require support or close monitoring. The conditions reviewed in this chapter are found in adults and do not include HIV infections. Table 1 is a summary of acute illnesses which may be caused by viruses and require treatment in an ICU in the Western Hemisphere. The syndromes and special hosts that are associated with severe viral infections may be diagnosed from epidemiologic clues and specific laboratory tests (3,4). Clinical signs and symptoms are rarely sufficient to make a specific diagnosis of a viral infection.
The Market For The "Not-So-Rare" Rare Earth Elements

This paper examines the market for the Rare earth elements. These are comprised of 17 elements of the periodic table which include 15 elements from the group known as lanthanides and two additional elements known as scandium and yttrium. The metals are often found combined together in ores and must be separated into its individual elements. The fact is that rare earth metals are not rare in terms of the quantity present in the earths crust. However, the metals are less concentrated than other more common metals and the extraction and separation processes necessitate high research and development costs and large capital outlays. The various applications of rare earth elements can be broadly classified into four major categories, namely: High Technology Consumer Products, Environmentally Friendly Products, Industrial and Medical Devices, and National Defense Systems. The demand for such high technology products is rapidly increasing causing a simultaneous upsurge in the demand for rare earth metals as well. On the supply side, China dominates the production rare earth elements, mining approximately 97% of total world production. Consequently, most countries must rely on imports of these REEs to facilitate production of the various systems and products that are dependent on the rare earth metals as raw materials. This near-monopoly imposes several supply-chain risks on the importing nations which are exploring ways to mitigate the potential economic harm associated with these risks.
Activation of H+-ATPase by hypotonicity : a novel regulatory mechanism for H+ secretion in IMCD cells

The effect of hypotonicity on H+-ATPase activity was examined in cultured inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD-3) cells. mIMCD-3 cells were grown to confluence, loaded with 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxyeth...
Earlobe Rejuvenation: A Fat Grafting Technique

Background The earlobe demonstrates stereotypical signs of aging, including wrinkles and volume depletion. Objectives The purpose of this study is to review the outcome of the earlobe rejuvenation developed by the senior author. Methods We describe our earlobe rejuvenation technique refined over 10 years that uses fat grafting to the earlobe. Three raters assessed preoperative and postoperative photographs of 40 earlobes in 20 patients. Each earlobe was evaluated for volume deficiency, number of deep creases, depth of creases, and number of fine wrinkles. Inter-rater reliability was calculated. Earlobe length was also measured. Results Seventeen females and 3 males with average age of 63 years were followed for an average of 26 months. Postoperative improvements were observed in earlobe volume deficiency and number of fine wrinkles ( P .05). No complications relating to the earlobe were observed in these patients. Conclusions Fat grafting can be an effective means for earlobe rejuvenation. Level of Evidence 4![Graphic][1] Therapeutic [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Плоды Социального Либерализма и Некоторые Причины Устойчивости Выбора Неэффективных Стратегий (Fruits of the Social Liberalism and Some Reasons of Inefficient Strategies Choices' Stability)

Russian Abstract: сторонники жесткого ограничения функций государства исключительно сферами обороны и поддержания порядка (поставкой чистых общественных благ, т.е. защитой от ограниченного набора угроз жизни, свободе и собственности граждан). Они подвергают критике совмещение социальных доктрин с идеями либерализма. По их мнению, социальные доктрины искажают либеральные идеи и создают серьезные проблемы в функционировании современных государств.English Abstract: The authors support restriction of functions of state by the defense and the maintenance of order (pure public goods provision, or, "simply to prevent evil" life threats to life, liberty and property, instead of "to promote happiness" Humboldt, 1852). They criticize the combination of social doctrines with the ideas of liberalism. In their view the social doctrines distort liberal ideas and create serious problems in the functioning of modern states.
Monoclonal antibodies to leukocyte integrins CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18 or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 inhibit chemoattractant-stimulated neutrophil transendothelial migration in vitro

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is present on the endothelium and binds to one or more members of the CD11/CD18 family of leukocyte surface integrins. To assess the role of these molecules in mediating chemotaxis of neutrophils across the endothelium, an in vitro model consisting of monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) grown on amniotic connective tissue was used. Neutrophils placed on the apical sides of these cultures migrated across the endothelium in response to chemoattractants added basally. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to CD11a, CD11b, and CD18 on the neutrophils inhibited this migration by 52% +/- 11%, 29% +/- 19%, and 90% +/- 7%, respectively. An MoAb to ICAM-1 inhibited transendothelial chemotaxis of the leukocytes by 55% +/- 16%. Inhibition was mediated by binding of the MoAb to ICAM-1 on the HUVEC, rather than by any direct effect of the antibody on the neutrophils. When used in combination, MoAbs to CD11a and to CD11b inhibited migration in a nearly additive fashion. A similar additive effect was observed when MoAbs to CD11b and to ICAM-1 were used together. In contrast, MoAbs to CD11a and to ICAM-1 produced no more inhibition when used in combination than when added singly. These results show that ICAM-1, CD11a/CD18, and CD11b/CD18 all participate in controlling migration of neutrophils across endothelial monolayers in response to chemotactic agents.
Educational Debt in the Context of Career Planning: A Qualitative Exploration of Medical Student Perceptions

ABSTRACTPhenomenon: Medical students in the United States face increasing educational debt because medical education costs have risen while public investment in higher education has declined. Contemporary students borrow more money and accumulate debt far surpassing that of previous generations of physicians, and both interest rates and terms of loan repayment have changed significantly in the last decade. As a result, the experiences of medical students differ from the experiences of physician educators. Little is known about how contemporary medical students view their debt in the context of career planning. Understanding contemporary U.S. medical students’ lived experiences of educational debt is important, because high debt levels may affect medical students’ well-being and professional development. Approach: The study's purpose was to explore contemporary students’ views of their debt in the context of career planning. In 2012, 2nd-year medical students enrolled in a health policy course at one medic...
Research on Classification Performance of Eigenvalue Extraction Method Based on Circuit Breaker Mechanical Vibration Signal

Circuit breaker mechanical vibration signal is a typical non-stationary signal.This signal contains abundant information of working status and fault feature.The classification performance of its eigenvalue extraction method affects the results of the fault diagnosis directly.In the paper,it takes ZW45- 12 vacuum circuit breaker with mono-stable permanent magnet mechanism as an example,it has obtained condition data of normal condition of circuit breaker,of opening spring single take off,and of mechanism unsmooth of operating and transmission through constructing the data collection platform.It researches on three time-frequency domain signal processing methods of the short-time Fourier transform,wavelet packet energy entropy,Hilbert-Huang transform,adopting the fuzzy C clustering analysis algorithm to compare performance of three kinds of feature extraction methods.Through the comparative study,it concludes that wavelet packet transform method is the best divided performance for the time-frequency entropy vector.
Overview of Streamer Propagation Along Insulation Surfaces in the Uniform Field

The flashover of insulators is one of important problems in the design and operation of transmission lines.The comprehensive study of the interaction of a material surface with the streamer development process is of major importance where the improvement of the indoor and outdoor insulation performance is concerned.Streamer propagation is studied in three groups of tests.A uniform field arrangement consists of two parallel plane electrodes in air between which insulators are inserted perpendicularly to the electrodes.Streamers are initiated from a sharp point which is set in a shaped receptacle at the center of the lower grounded plane.In a uniform field arrangement,significant space charge effects due to streamer branching can be avoided.We summarize the research status of streamer propagation along insulting surfaces.The influences of insulation materials,materials shape,amplitude of uniform field,and amplitude of pulse voltage on the streamer propagation are introduced.The achievements in streamer propagation along insulting surfaces are presented.Furthermore,many problems which can not be explained by existing theory are put forward to study intensively.
Emergency and disaster preparedness of school transportation staff and school buses in the United States: compliance with recommendations for school transportation safety

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children to and from school and school-related activities. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire was distributed to school transportation staff represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during the 2013-2014 academic year. RESULTS: Analysis was performed on 558 completed questionnaires (13% usable response rate). Responders had previous training in first aid (89%), basic life support (28%), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (52%). Seventy-eight percent of school buses in our sample had restraint devices and 87% had seat belt cutters. Responders reported the immediate availability of the following on their bus: communication devices (81%), first aid kits (97%), fire extinguishers (89%), automated external defibrillators (1%), and epinephrine autoinjectors (2%). Thirty percent of responders have had no previous training in the management of emergencies such as trouble breathing, severe allergic reaction, seizures, cardiac arrest or unresponsiveness, and head, neck, or extremity trauma. Thirteen percent of responders are unfamiliar with or have had no previous training on protocols regarding emergency shelters and community evacuation plans in the event of a disaster. CONCLUSIONS: Variability exists in the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children. Areas for improvement were identified, such as educating school transportation staff in the recognition and initial management of pediatric emergencies, ensuring the presence of restraint devices, increasing the immediate availability of certain emergency medications and equipment, and familiarizing school transportation staff with designated emergency shelters and community evacuation plans. Language: en
Design of 5,000 Bottles/h Aseptic Hot Bottle-filling Pipelining of Black Rice Wine

The technical processes of one-million-level dust-free hot bottle-filling pipelining in yellow rice wine industry were defined. Besides,air purification standards,bottle-washing water requirements,selection of filling machine,and sterilization control points were also introduced. By use of such standardized technical processes,the automated production level in yellow rice industry could be enhanced and energy-saving and discharge-reducing could be achieved,which was of great significance in yellow rice wine production.(Tran. by YUE Yang)
Ambulatory Monitoring of Blood Pressure: An Overview of Devices, Analyses, and Clinical Utility

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has been available for more than 40 years, and despite substantial evidence that this diagnostic tool provides a more precise picture of BP status in individual persons, in most countries, clinic BP measurements remain the primary method used for hypertension screening, diagnosis, and management. Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitors have become increasingly popular in clinical practice. The numerous benefits include the avoidance of potential blood pressure measurement errors such as observer bias and terminal digit preference and provision of more comprehensive information on blood pressure behavior than is possible with office or home blood pressure measurement (Cardiol Clin 13(4):479–90, 1995).
Immunosuppressive therapy, 1987.

Abstract The use of cyclosporine in transplant practice has at least doubled graft survival in renal transplantation, and has improved patient survival as well. In cardiac transplants, cyclosporine was first used in combination with prednisone to achieve immunosuppression by inhibition of the synthesis of lymphokines. When stimulated in vitro, lymphocytes from cyclosporine-treated patients display an impaired ability to produce the critical lymphokine interleukin-2. When there is in vitro inhibition, the patient shows poor immunosuppression in vivo. Unfortunately, cyclosporine is toxic: given in high enough doses to weaken the immune response, it can have neuroectodermal, and (of greater concern) mesenchymal side effects, including hepato- and nephrotoxicity. Patients who display renal impairment before cardiac transplantation are at a greater risk of postoperative renal dysfunction with cyclosporine therapy. The most important adverse actions of cyclosporine upon the nephron are events that arise from reduced renal blood flow caused either by vasoconstriction or by platelet adhesion associated with reduced prostacyclin production. The accepted technique for control of cyclosporine nephrotoxicity has been to reduce the cyclosporine dose, while simultaneously initiating azathioprine therapy. In the presence of an abnormal serum creatinine level, cyclosporine trough values appear to correlate with rejection or toxicity, thereby providing an indicator of drug-induced complications. Preoperative pharmacokinetic profiling to test cyclosporine clearance can help optimize the regimen in both renal and cardiac transplant patients. (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1987; 14:351-358)
Decline of serum albumin concentration at calving in dairy cows: its relationship with age and association with subsequent fertility.

Blood samples were collected weekly from Friesian cows between five weeks before and 10 weeks after calving in three consecutive years, and analysed for serum albumin (using two methods: a hydroxyazo-benzene benzoic acid [HABA] dye-binding method and a bromocresol green [BCG] method), and serum bilirubin. At calving the decrease in HABA albumin concentration in cows was twice that for heifers but corresponding decreases in BCG albumin were similar. Bilirubin concentrations increased near calving, more so in cows than in heifers, and maximum post partum values were inversely correlated with minimum values of HABA albumin (r=0 · 40) but not with BCG albumin (r = 0 · 01). Albumin concentrations were lower between zero and two weeks (P = 0 · 03 HABA, P = 0 · 13 BCG) and between seven and nine weeks (P = 0 · 07 HABA, P = 0 · 06 BCG) in cows requiring four or more services than in cows which conceived at first service. Over the three year period the repeatability of post partum albumin concentration was low. However, cows which were hypoalbuminaemic in the first year showed higher repeatability in subsequent years than those which were not.
Medical Reasons for Pregnancy Interruption: Chromosomal and Genetic Abnormalities

This chapter addresses clinical experience and the medical literature on the uptake of elective termination of pregnancy (TOP) when a genetic abnormality is identified in the fetus. In the USA there are no databases which systematically track such interventions. However, such databases do exist in some European countries. In addition, all such reports from clinics and hospitals providing these services carry an inherent selection bias, given that women who would not terminate a pregnancy for any reason are less likely to seek out prenatal testing. This is not to say that women cannot change their minds about such an intervention, as any clinician could attest to. However, tracking those shifts in decision making is rarely done.
Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer: A Rational Approach to Chemotherapy

One of the important issues in the use of cytotoxic chemotherapy is the timing of treatment. When considering chemotherapy for “hormone-refractory” prostate cancer, one must ensure that the cancer is really resistant to the impact of castration. Adrenal androgens contribute to the hormonal environment, so that some tumors that appear to be resistant or refractory to the castrate, testoster-one-depleted setting, may actually be receiving stimulation from adrenal hormones, and will thus respond to second-line adrenal blockers, such as aminoglutethimide or ketoconazole. These remissions sometimes may be sustained for months to years.
New and Noteworthy: The Value-Added Organization: Beyond Business as Usual

Value-added services are essential in today's libraries to ensure that they remain important and relevant to our users. Recent literature highlights how libraries can and should explore value-added initiatives, including enhanced catalogs, makerspaces, tagging, and more.
Use of polyclonal/monoclonal antibody therapies in transplantation

For over thirty years, antibody (mAb)-based therapies have been a standard component of transplant immunosuppression, and yet much remains to be learned in order for us to truly harness their therapeutic capabilities. Current mAbs used in transplant directly target and destroy graft-destructive immune cells, interrupt cytokine and costimulation-dependent T and B cell activation, and prevent down-stream complement activation. Areas covered: This review summarizes our current approaches to using antibody-based therapies to prevent and treat allograft rejection. It also provides examples of promising novel mAb therapies, and discusses the potential for future mAb development in transplantation. Expert opinion: The broad capability of antibodies, in parallel with our growing ability to synthetically modulate them, offers exciting opportunities to develop better biologic therapeutics. In order to do so, we must further our understanding about the basic biology underlying allograft rejection, and gain better appreciation of how characteristics of therapeutic antibodies affect their efficacy.
Cell Biology of Tight Junction Barrier Regulation and Mucosal Disease

Mucosal surfaces are lined by epithelial cells. In the intestine, the epithelium establishes a selectively permeable barrier that supports nutrient absorption and waste secretion while preventing intrusion by luminal materials. Intestinal epithelia therefore play a central role in regulating interactions between the mucosal immune system and luminal contents, which include dietary antigens, a diverse intestinal microbiome, and pathogens. The paracellular space is sealed by the tight junction, which is maintained by a complex network of protein interactions. Tight junction dysfunction has been linked to a variety of local and systemic diseases. Two molecularly and biophysically distinct pathways across the intestinal tight junction are selectively and differentially regulated by inflammatory stimuli. This review discusses the mechanisms underlying these events, their impact on disease, and the potential of using these as paradigms for development of tight junction-targeted therapeutic interventions.
Using abrupt change detection to categorize glucose variability of Type 1 diabetes patients

According to the American Diabetes Association, Type 1 diabetes affects approximately three million Americans. This disease is characterized by an inability to regulate blood glucose, caused by diminished function of the pancreas to produce insulin. One current method of monitoring blood glucose is through continuous glucose monitoring, which measures patients' blood glucose levels at regular five-minute intervals via a skin patch sensor. Patients have an increased risk of mortality caused by dipping into the hypoglycemic (< 70 mg/dL) range, so careful accurate monitoring is critical to the well-being of Type 1 diabetes patients. Analysis of the continuous glucose monitoring signal can be challenging, as it is difficult to separate behavioral changes from purely physiological changes in the signal. In this study, individual patients' glucose variability was analyzed based on features created from the signal including glycemic state, risk index calculations, and blood glucose rate of change. Primarily the signal was analyzed for any abrupt changes in the variability following an inpatient glycemic trial designed to test the patient's physiological response to insulin. Results show that a known change-point caused by an inpatient study could be identified in 7 out of 15 patients. This is important as glucose variability is reflective of a patient's physiological state, and an understanding of changes in glucose variability can lead to increased ability to maintain optimal euglycemic levels.
Prospective, Randomized Control Trial Investigating the Impact of a Physician-Communicated Radiation Therapy Plan Review on Breast Cancer Patient-Reported Satisfaction

Abstract Purpose Patients with breast cancer face complex medical decision-making. We investigated the impact of a physician-communicated, patient-specific radiation therapy (RT) plan review on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant RT in a prospective randomized trial. Methods and materials Patients with stage I-III breast cancer treated with adjuvant RT were prospectively randomized to a standard nondetailed review (Arm A) versus an in-depth, individualized RT plan review during week 1 of RT (Arm B). Plan review included visualization of the treatment plan, RT doses, beam arrangements, normal tissue doses, and dose/volume constraints. Patient-reported satisfaction was assessed using a subset of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Treatment Satisfaction - Patient Satisfaction questionnaire related to physician communication (PC), technical competency (TC), confidence and trust (CT 27 in Arm B) were randomized and completed all 3 surveys. Mean baseline scores for PC, TC, C&T, and OS mean were 2.73 (standard deviation [SD], 0.71), 2.66 (SD, 0.86), 2.56 (SD, 0.98), and 2.27 (SD, 0.88), respectively, with high baseline scores in both arms. There was no difference in baseline-reported communication indicators between the arms. There were no significant differences among the 3 time points for PC, TC, C&T, or OS (P = .63, .53, 0.52, and 0.71, respectively). Conclusions We report the first randomized trial evaluating the impact of in-depth RT plan review on PROs during breast radiation. Both baseline and postintervention scores were high for all domains. Detailed patient assessment, understanding of communication types, and information processing may be necessary to determine subtle PRO differences. Further investigations of PROs could potentially direct and optimize physician and patient communication during RT.
“After These Things” and its Composition in Genesis

As a formulaic phrase that appears in Genesis to connect sequential narratives, critics have attributed “after these things” to a single literary stratum or to redactional insertions into developing narrative blocks. Drawing upon the other attestations of “after these things” from the biblical corpus, this article explains that “after these things” in Genesis may be viewed as a stock phrase, one that a composer or a redactor may employ in the absence of quantifiable chronological data to express the passage of an indefinite amount of time between two consecutive events.
Proceedings of the twenty-second annual ACM-SIAM symposium on Discrete algorithms

The papers in this volume were presented at the Twenty-Second Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, held January 23--25, 2011 in San Francisco, California. The Symposium was jointly sponsored by SIGACT (the ACM Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory) and by the SIAM Activity Group on Discrete Mathematics.
Single vs. dual head using geometric mean and its effect on gastric emptying time.

2707 Objectives Gastric emptying (GE) scintigraphy demonstrates the rate in which ingested foods and/or liquids leave the stomach and enter the duodenum of the small intestine. While there are other modalities that can be used for this study, nuclear scintigraphy manifests the most qualitative results. Because the stomach is located both anteriorly and posteriorly in the human body, it is ideal to acquire projections using both views. Several departments have been utilizing single detectors for efficiency purposes, which underestimates and overestimates GE times. This research analyzes the results of ten GE studies by calculating geometric mean along with a decay factor, and comparing anterior versus anterior and posterior acquisitions. Methods 0.500 µCi (18,500 Bq) of Tc-99m sulfur colloid was injected into the middle of an egg salad sandwich and consumed by the patient. A dynamic imaging study was obtained for 90 frames at 1 minute per frame. Head 1 of the detector was used to acquire anterior images, while head 2 was used to acquire posterior images. A total of ten patients’ GE studies were analyzed via hand-drawn regions of interest (ROIs) in both the anterior view and anterior/posterior views. Mean GE time was compared between the two methods of processing to determine if the results were significant enough to suggest a new diagnosis. Results One out of ten patients’ results were changed from abnormal to normal. Symptoms of gastroparesis and dyspepsia occurred in females slightly more than in males. Conclusions Dual headed detectors, which factor in a geometric mean, were determined to be the most accurate means of conducting a gastric emptying study. A limitation to the study was that while processing the data, the ROIs could not be copied from the anterior/posterior acquisition and pasted to the anterior acquisition. This meant that a new ROI had to be drawn for each patient’s data which was not the most accurate or consistent method. Another limitation was having a small sample size.