cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Epidemiology of a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Network: The PECARN Core Data Project

OBJECTIVE:: To examine the epidemiology of pediatric patient visits to emergency departments (ED). METHODS:: We conducted a cross-sectional study of pediatric ED visits at the participating Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) hospitals in 2002. We provide descriptive characteristics of pediatric ED visits and a comparison of the study database to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). Bivariate analyses were calculated to assess characteristics associated with hospital admission, death in the ED, and length of ED visit. We also performed multivariate regression to model the likelihood of admission to the hospital. RESULTS:: Mean patient age was 6.2 years; 53.5% were boys; 47.5% black; and 43.2% had Medicaid insurance. The most common ED diagnoses were fever, upper respiratory infection, asthma, otitis media, and viral syndromes. The inpatient admission rate was 11.6%. The most common diagnoses requiring hospitalization were asthma, dehydration, fever, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. In multivariate analysis, patients who were black or Hispanic, had Medicaid insurance or were uninsured, or were older than 1 year were less likely to be hospitalized. Demographics of the PECARN population were similar to NHAMCS, with notable exceptions of a larger proportion of black patients and of admitted patients from the PECARN EDs. CONCLUSION:: We describe previously unavailable epidemiological information about childhood illnesses and injuries that can inform development of future studies on the effectiveness, outcomes, and quality of emergency medical services for children. Most pediatric ED patients in our study sought care for infectious causes or asthma and were discharged from the ED. Hospital admission rate differed according to age, payer type, race/ethnicity, and diagnosis. Language: en
Oxidative mechanisms involved in kainate-induced cytotoxicity in cortical neurons.

In our previous experiments, evidence of free radical formation has been demonstrated in gerbil brain after kainic acid (KA) administration. In the present study, the mechanisms involved in KA-induced free radical formation and subsequent cell degeneration were investigated using high density cortical neuron cultures. A free radical trapping agent,a-phenyl-N-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), as well as the combined action of superoxide dismutase and catalase attenuated KA neurotoxic effect. Calpain-induced xanthine oxidase (XO) activation may play an important role in KA excitotoxicity since calpain inhibitor I as well as allopurinol, a selective XO inhibitor, significantly protected the cortical neurons from KA-induced cell death. However, XO activation may not be the only source producing free radicals, other free radical generating systems such as nitric oxide synphase may also play a role in KA insult.
Minitransseptal Versus Left Atrial Approach to the Mitral Valve: A Comparison of Outcomes

Background Approaches to the mitral valve include left atriotomy (LA) through the interatrial groove and transseptal approach (TS) through the right atrium. Left atriotomy is more commonly used, but TS offers better mitral visualization in difficult cases. While TS has been associated with more atrial arrhythmias, heart block, and difficulty in repair, strong data are lacking. Methods Retrospective chart review was conducted of 531 consecutive patients undergoing a mitral valve procedure through sternotomy by a single surgeon between 1989 and 2003. Of these, 273 were performed through the standard LA approach and 258 by a "minitransseptal" approach consisting of a 6-cm vertical incision in the interatrial septum without incising the roof of the right or left atria. Results Subset analysis of isolated mitral procedures showed no significant differences in cross-clamp time or total bypass time. Although significantly more TS patients required new pacemakers (10.5% TS versus 5.1% LA) or had new junctional rhythm (8.7% TS versus 4.2% LA), TS patients also had more concomitant valve procedures and redo sternotomies. Multivariate analysis showed that the incidence of new pacemakers was linked most strongly with redo procedures, but TS was not an independent predictor of needing a new pacemaker, new junctional rhythm, or new atrial fibrillation. Conclusions The minitransseptal approach can provide excellent mitral valve exposure in difficult cases without any significant increase in junctional rhythm, atrial fibrillation, or new pacemaker requirements.
A potentiometric nonaqueous assay for barbiturates and their preparations

Abstract A quantitative study has been conducted on a series of barbiturates in order to ascertain if a suitable nonaqueous potentiometric method could be utilized for purposes of routine control of these drugs and their pharmaceutical preparations. The barbiturates selected are those which will be admitted into U. S. P. XV and N. F. X. The investigation also has included pharmaceutical dosage forms such as the tablet, elixir, ampul, capsule, and suppository. The method developed consists of a chloroform‐polyethylene glycol 400 solvent system using sodium methoxide in absolute methanol as titrant. The procedure was found to be rapid, highly accurate, simple, and relatively inexpensive and it is suggested that it may be suitable for the routine control of pharmaceuticals in industry.
Erythropoietin action in rat marrow cell cultures in complete absence of DNA synthesis I. Early effect on RNA synthesis

Summary Incubation of rat marrow cells with hexachloroiridate (4.5–5.5 × 10 −4 M) at 36.5° for 45 hours totally abolishes their DNA synthesis. One hour exposure to erythropoietin considerably stimulates the rate of RNA synthesis of such Iridium treated marrow cells. Since hexachloroiridate is reported to be an agent which inhibits mammalian cell division by blocking cells in the G 1 phase, it seems that early erythropoietin action resulting in stimulated RNA synthesis is independent of DNA synthesis and can take place in cells arrested in G 1 .
The Social Logic of “False Memories”: Symbolic Awakenings and Symbolic Worlds in Survivor and Retractor Narratives

Taking an interactionist, narrative approach to psychology’s “memory wars,” I analyze the accounts of self-identified survivors of childhood sexual abuse (traditionally emphasized by “recovered” memory advocates) and the accounts of retractors—those who reject their former memories of childhood sexual abuse (traditionally emphasized by “false” memory advocates). Although typically held to be oppositional, both groups conform to similar patterns of storytelling. Both survivors and retractors use scripted symbolic awakenings to account for their past mnemonic “errors” and their more recent discovery of “truth.” Such symbolic awakenings are important mechanisms of mnemonic and autobiographical revision. Further, both groups use vocabularies of cognitive constraint to claim that cognitive authority figures once controlled their ability to interpret and remember their experiences. I approach the question of childhood sexual abuse and memory with attention to the distinctly social influences on cognition. I argue that the experiences of recovering and retracting memories involve similar social processes of remembering and storytelling.
Comparative acute toxicity of diethyleneglycol dinitrate to freshwater aquatic organisms

The acute toxicity of diethyleneglycol dinitrate (DEGDN) to nine freshwater aquatic organisms was determined. Juvenile fathead minnow, bluegill, channel catfish and rainbow trout were exposed to the compound for 96 h. The invertebrates tested for 48 h included the neonate water flea, early-young amphipod, midge larva and the mayfly larva. The effect of DEGDN on the growth of the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum was also studied. The toxicity of DEGDN was relatively low to the nine freshwater species tested. Toxicity values ranged from a 5-d EC50 (standing crop) of less than 58.4 mg/L for the alga to a 96-h LC50 of 491.4 mg/L for the fathead minnow. The most sensitive invertebrate, the daphnid, was more sensitive than the most sensitive fish, the bluegill.
Promoting cell adhesion on slippery phosphorylcholine hydrogel surfaces

The growing interest in regenerative medicine has created a need for superior polymer matrices that suit multiple physical, mechanical, and biological requirements. While the phospholipid bilayer of a cell membrane is considered optimal for interacting with biologics, polymeric materials composed of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) offer a cell membrane-like synthetic alternative. In this work, thiol-containing phosphorylcholine polymers were synthesized by radical copolymerization of a lipoic acid-functionalized methacrylate with MPC. The canonical cell adhesion oligopeptide (GRGDS) was incorporated into the polymers by copolymerization of a GRGDS-containing methacrylamide prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis. The relative amounts of phosphorylcholine, lipoic acid and oligopeptide were controlled by the monomer feed ratios, and the polymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and aqueous gel permeation chromatography (GPC). These multifunctional polymers formed hydrogels rapidly (<10 minutes) by Michael addition when poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGDA) was added at pH 9 – an initiator-free gelation performed in a completely aqueous environment. Two cell lines, live mouse skeletal muscle myoblasts (C2C12) and human ovarian cancer (SKOV3) cells, were observed to specifically attach, spread and proliferate only on hydrogels containing the GRGDS peptide sequence, with a notable dependence on peptide concentration. The remarkable hydrophilicity and biocompatibility attributed to polyMPC combined with the facile gelation conditions of these polymers affords a platform of new bio-cooperative materials suitable for cell studies.
Recent advances in Lunar geology

Abstract A previous paper, entitled ‘An Introduction to the Geology of the Moon’, is brought up to date. The lunar surface is now known to be mostly covered by a layer of debris, called regolith, of a thickness ranging from 5 to 15 metres on the maria. The upper part (a few millimetres) of the regolith appears to have been space-weathered. The chemical composition is essentially basaltic, suggesting that differentiation has occurred on the moon. The stratigraphical column has been revised; the Procellarian System and Period have been dropped. The units previously assigned to this System are now considered to belong to the Procellarian Group, which is a rock-stratigraphic unit at the top of the Imbrian System. A preliminary gravity map of the front face shows the presence of mascons (mass concentrations), under the six large circular maria. The influence of the geological study of the moon on the study of the geology of the earth is illustrated by citing theories about the Cambrian-Pre-Cambrian unconformity, the origin of continents and of the terrestrial hydro-atmosphere.
Asbestos and Disease: An Industrial Hygienist's Perspective

I have traced a personal thirty year journey of involvement with asbestos in the workplace and the nonoccupational environment, one still in progress, in an attempt to extract selected lessons for the industrial hygienist. Lessons for other professions, namely medicine, law and management have been studiously avoided in the interests of the scope of this presentation and permissible time. There are certainly numerous other lessons to contemplate. The movement of asbestos from the occupational to the nonoccupational environment is a case study that will undoubtedly be followed in the future by other potentially toxic materials. We must determine our position as a profession with regard to the tools we utilize, the procedures we follow, and our understanding of our moral and legal obligations to prepare for the often scientifically and technically unsupportable positions assumed by others, including governmental agencies, in their zeal to bring about change. We must discourage the opportunistic distortion of professional practices in these matters, and must issue well considered statements as a profession, statements relevant to the way these matters are addressed by society. We have a responsibility to lend perspective to these issues, to not permit understandably emotional responses to documented past severe health effects in other areas, such as the case of asbestos in the workplace, to carry over into conditions of very low exposures in the public domain. We must remind people of the relevance of dose-response and toxicological principles to assessment of risk.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Studies on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in sea urchin eggs

Abstract 1. 1.|Sea urchin eggs have multiple forms of cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17), 70% of which is localized in the post-microsomal supernatant. However, in fertilized eggs at about first cleavage, there is a significant decrease in the amount (55%) of the enzyme detected in the post-microsomal supernatant. This difference in the amount of phosphodiesterase present in the post-microsomal supernatant of cleaving eggs could be accounted for by a 2-fold increase in enzyme activity in heavy membrane fractions of cleaving eggs, as compared to that of unfertilized eggs. 2. 2.|Kinetic studies show two apparent K m values for low and high cyclic AMP concentrations, i.e. 2.5·10 −6 and 1.4·10 −3 M , with V max values of 3.7·10 −8 and 3.2·10 −6 M , respectively. 3. 3.|Mg2+ is essential for the activity of the enzyme and the optimum pH is 7.60. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP, N 6 - monobutyryl cyclic AMP and ADP were found to be inhibitory. Methylxanthines also inhibited the sea urchin enzyme. ATP was found to be the most potent physiological inhibitor of the sea urchin phosphodiesterase. 4. 4.|A 4–5 fold increase in specific activity of phosphodiesterase was obtained in a 30–60% (NH4)2SO4 fraction of the whole homogenate. General properties of the partially purified enzyme were similar to those observed for the whole homogenate enzyme. 5. 5.|Only a very weak cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase activity was found in these egg-homogenates, which could be due to a non-specific activity of cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase.
Smart materials systems through mesoscale patterning

We report work on the fabrication of smart materials with two unique strategies: (1) self- assembly and (2) laser stereolithography. Both methods are akin to the processes used by biological systems. The first one is ideal for pattern development and the fabrication of miniaturized units in the submicron range and the second one in the 10 micrometer to 1 mm size range. By using these miniaturized units as building blocks, one can also produce smart material systems that can be used at larger length scales such as smart structural components. We have chosen to focus on two novel piezoceramic systems: (1) high-displacement piezoelectric actuators, and (2) piezoceramic hydrophone composites possessing negative Poisson ratio matrices. High-displacement actuators are essential in such applications as linear motors, pumps, switches, loud speakers, variable-focus mirrors, and laser deflectors. Arrays of such units can potentially be used for active vibration control of helicopter rotors as well as the fabrication of adaptive rotors. In the case of piezoceramic hydrophone composites, we utilize matrices having a negative Poisson's ratio in order to produce highly sensitive, miniaturized sensors. We envision such devices having promising new application areas such as the implantation of hydrophones in small blood vessels to monitor blood pressure. Negative Poisson ratio materials have promise as robust shock absorbers, air filters, and fasteners, and hence, can be used in aircraft and land vehicles.
Characteristics of Thermal Finestructure in the Southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea from Airborne Expendable Bathythermograph Measurements

Four surveys of airborne expendable bathythermograph with horizontal spacing of about 35 km and vertical spacing of 1 m extending from the surface down to 400 m deep are used to analyze thermal finestructures and their seasonality in frontal zones of the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Finestructure characteristics are different not only among fronts but also along the same front, implying different mixing mechanisms. Summer thermocline intrusions with thickness from few to 40 meters, generated by the vertically-sheared advection, are identified along the southern tongue of the Cheju-Yangtze Front (especially south of Cheju Island). The finestructures south of the Yangtze Bank (i.e. the western tip of the southern tongue) produced by strong along-frontal currents are not as rich as elsewhere in the southern tongue. The Cheju-Tsushima Front presents mixed finestructures due to confluent currents from various origins. The irregular-staircase finestructures in the Kuroshio region (below the seasonal thermocline), driven by double-diffusive mixing, show seasonal invariance and vertical/horizontal coherence. The strength of mixing related to finestructure is weaker in the Kuroshio region than in the Cheju-Tsushima Front or south of Cheju Island. The profiles in the Tsushima Warm Current branching area show large (∼50 m thick), irregular-staircase structures at the upper 230 m depth, which coincides roughly with the lower boundary of the maximum salinity layer. The finestructure at depths deeper 230 m is similar to that in the Kuroshio region. The possible mechanisms for generating the finestructures are also discussed.
Dynamics of seismogenic volcanic extrusion at Mount St Helens in 2004–05

The 2004-05 eruption of Mount St Helens exhibited sustained, near-equilibrium behaviour characterized by relatively steady extrusion of a solid dacite plug and nearly periodic shallow earthquakes. Here we present a diverse data set to support our hypothesis that these earthquakes resulted from stick-slip motion along the margins of the plug as it was forced incrementally upwards by ascending, solidifying, gas-poor magma. We formalize this hypothesis with a dynamical model that reveals a strong analogy between behaviour of the magma-plug system and that of a variably damped oscillator. Modelled stick-slip oscillations have properties that help constrain the balance of forces governing the earthquakes and eruption, and they imply that magma pressure never deviated much from the steady equilibrium pressure. We infer that the volcano was probably poised in a near-eruptive equilibrium state long before the onset of the 2004-05 eruption.
Water-filling capacity and beamforming performance of MIMO systems with covariance feedback

The paper presents the exact moment generating function (MGF) of the water-filling capacity for the correlated MIMO Rayleigh fading channels with covariance feedback. This MGF result is then used to derive the capacity mean and variance as well as the outage capacity. We also derive the outage capacity and capacity mean as well as the outage probability and average bit error rate for the MIMO beamforming scheme with covariance feedback in a correlated Rayleigh fading environment.
Absolute magnetometry of thin cobalt films and Co/Cu multilayer structures at nanometer spatial resolution

The absolute measurement of magnetization in thin magnetic specimens at nanometer spatial resolution has been made possible by implementing two off-axis holography modes in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The absolute mode of STEM holography displays a linear change in phase difference for regions with constant magnetization and the slope determines the absolute value of magnetization in the specimen. The differential mode of STEM holography displays a constant value of phase difference for regions with constant magnetization, which simplifies the identification of magnetic structures in the specimen and the determination of domain wall profiles. Taking into account the high spatial resolution of a STEM instrument, STEM holography provides a valuable tool for quantitative investigations of magnetic structures at the nanometer level. >
Evoked potentials in the brain: physiological and abstract optimal models for single sweeps processing

Two stochastic models are presented for modeling the evoked and event-related potential elicited in the brain in such a way as to perform an optimal processing of the single electrical response to a stimulus. An autoregressive with exogeneous input model is reported to improve the S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio by some 30 dB, provided that an average template for the potential under analysis is previously known. A time-varying just-autoregressive model is shown to have comparable performance, modeling the EP (evoked potential) as a time-varying EEG: this requires a more complex and time-consuming procedure, such as Kalman filtering instead of a straight least-squares identification, but provides a deeper description of the intrasweep variability of the single EP, besides an alternative description of the intersweep variability. >
Evidence for Upgrading the Ratings for Transcendental Meditation: Response to AHA Scientific Statement on Alternative Methods and BP

The AHA Statement on alternative approaches to lowering blood pressure (BP) is a groundbreaking effort to inform physicians and public of their options.1 As principal investigator on several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique and other alternative interventions for BP and cardiovascular disease, I suggest 5 points for consideration. First, an alert reader notices a discrepancy between the level of evidence (LOE) of B for research on TM and the published evidence. The Statement defines LOE B as “Data derived from a single randomized controlled trial or nonrandomized studies.” However, the Statement surveys 11 RCTs with >1200 subjects and 2 well-conducted meta-analyses on TM and BP.2– …
Impaired T Cell Death and Lupus-like Autoimmunity in T Cell–specific Adapter Protein–deficient Mice

T cell–specific adaptor protein (TSAd) is a T lineage–restricted signaling adaptor molecule that is thought to participate in the assembly of intracellular signaling complexes in T cells. Previous studies of TSAd-deficient mice have revealed a role for TSAd in the induction of T cell interleukin 2 secretion and proliferation. We now show that TSAd-deficient mice are susceptible to lupus-like autoimmune disease. On the nonautoimmune-prone C57BL/6 genetic background, TSAd deficiency results in hypergammaglobulinemia that affects all immunoglobulin (Ig)G subclasses. Older C57BL/6 TSAd-deficient mice (1 yr of age) accumulate large numbers of activated T and B cells in spleen, produce autoantibodies against a variety of self-targets including single stranded (ss) and double stranded (ds) DNA, and, in addition, develop glomerulonephritis. We further show that immunization of younger C57BL/6 TSAd-deficient mice (at age 2 mo) with pristane, a recognized nonspecific inflammatory trigger of lupus, results in more severe glomerulonephritis compared with C57BL/6 controls and the production of high titer ss and ds DNA antibodies of the IgG subclass that are not normally produced by C57BL/6 mice in this model. The development of autoimmunity in TSAd-deficient mice is associated with defective T cell death in vivo. These findings illustrate the role of TSAd as a critical regulator of T cell death whose absence promotes systemic autoimmunity.
BCG vaccination in the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus ) infected by the pulmonary route with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Summary To evaluate the usefulness of the American cotton rat ( Sigmodon hispidus ) in the evaluation of vaccine-induced resistance, we infected BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated cotton rats with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv) via the respiratory route. Lung histopathology of these animals showed loose, disorganized granulomas which were non-necrotic up to 8 weeks post-infection. Moreover, we were not able to detect a DTH response after intradermal injection with PPD antigen. Prior BCG vaccination significantly reduced lung and spleen bacterial loads by 1–1.5log CFU and upregulated PPD-induced proliferation and production of IFNγ in lymphocyte cultures. We conclude that pulmonary infection of the cotton rat with Mtb more closely resembles the phenotype seen in mice rather than guinea pigs.
Action of nicotine and analogs on acetylcholine receptors having mutations of transmitter-binding site residue αG153.

A primary target for nicotine is the acetylcholine receptor channel (AChR). Some of the ability of nicotine to activate differentially AChR subtypes has been traced to a transmitter-binding site amino acid that is glycine in lower affinity and lysine in higher affinity AChRs. We studied the effects of mutations of this residue (αG153) in neuromuscular AChRs activated by nicotine and eight other agonists including nornicotine and anabasine. All of the mutations increased the unliganded gating equilibrium constant. The affinity of the resting receptor (Kd) and the net binding energy from the agonist for gating (ΔGB) were estimated by cross-concentration fitting of single-channel currents. In all but one of the agonist/mutant combinations there was a moderate decrease in Kd and essentially no change in ΔGB. The exceptional case was nicotine plus lysine, which showed a large, >8,000-fold decrease in Kd but no change in ΔGB. The extraordinary specificity of this combination leads us to speculate that AChRs with a lysine at position αG153 may be exposed to a nicotine-like compound in vivo.
Physicians' learning strategies

This article examines the two categories of learning strategies that physicians use in clinical practice. The strategies are similar in their overall architectures and differ (1) according to nature of the clinical problem that precipitated the need to learn, and (2) the ways in which learning resources are used.
Imaging the Effects of Oxygen Saturation Changes in Voluntary Apnea and Hyperventilation on Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebrovascular oxygenation changes during respiratory challenges have clinically important implications for brain function, including cerebral autoregulation and the rate of brain metabolism. SWI is sensitive to venous oxygenation level by exploitation of the magnetic susceptibility of deoxygenated blood. We assessed cerebral venous blood oxygenation changes during simple voluntary breath-holding (apnea) and hyperventilation by use of SWI at 3T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed SWI scans (3T; acquisition time of 1 minute, 28 seconds; centered on the anterior commissure and the posterior commissure) on 10 healthy male volunteers during baseline breathing as well as during simple voluntary hyperventilation and apnea challenges. The hyperventilation and apnea tasks were separated by a 5-minute resting period. SWI venograms were generated, and the signal changes on SWI before and after the respiratory stress tasks were compared by means of a paired Student t test. RESULTS: Changes in venous vasculature visibility caused by the respiratory challenges were directly visualized on the SWI venograms. The venogram segmentation results showed that voluntary apnea decreased the mean venous blood voxel number by 1.6% (P .0001), and hyperventilation increased the mean venous blood voxel number by 2.7% (P .0001). These results can be explained by blood CO2 changes secondary to the respiratory challenges, which can alter cerebrovascular tone and cerebral blood flow and ultimately affect venous oxygen levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the sensitivity of SWI to simple and noninvasive respiratory challenges and its potential utility in assessing cerebral hemodynamics and vasomotor responses. ABBREVIATIONS: ACPC anterior/posterior commissure; SD standard deviation
Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis in adult HIV infection.

Pulmonary disease associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is common and may be secondary to infectious and noninfectious processes.1 One of the noninfectious processes is lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (LIP). LIP is an uncommon disorder that was first described by Carrington and Liebow2 in 1966, and is characterized by a diffuse peribronchial and interstitial infiltration of the lung by lymphocytes and plasma cells.3 LIP has been recognized as a common pulmonary complication in cases of pediatric AIDS and appears to be present in as many as 75% of these cases.4 The present Centers for Disease Control (CDC) classification includes LIP as a diagnostic criterion for pediatric AIDS.5
Concepts and Controversies in Evaluating Vitamin K Status in Population-Based Studies

A better understanding of vitamin K’s role in health and disease requires the assessment of vitamin K nutritional status in population and clinical studies. This is primarily accomplished using dietary questionnaires and/or biomarkers. Because food composition databases in the US are most complete for phylloquinone (vitamin K1, the primary form in Western diets), emphasis has been on phylloquinone intakes and associations with chronic diseases. There is growing interest in menaquinone (vitamin K2) intakes for which the food composition databases need to be expanded. Phylloquinone is commonly measured in circulation, has robust quality control schemes and changes in response to phylloquinone intake. Conversely, menaquinones are generally not detected in circulation unless large quantities are consumed. The undercarboxylated fractions of three vitamin K-dependent proteins are measurable in circulation, change in response to vitamin K supplementation and are modestly correlated. Since different vitamin K dependent proteins are implicated in different diseases the appropriate vitamin K-dependent protein biomarker depends on the outcome under study. In contrast to other nutrients, there is no single biomarker that is considered a gold-standard measure of vitamin K status. Most studies have limited volume of specimens. Strategic decisions, guided by the research question, need to be made when deciding on choice of biomarkers.
Protective effects of a grape-supplemented diet in a mouse model of retinal degeneration.

Abstract Objective Retinal degenerations are a class of devastating blinding diseases that are characterized by photoreceptor dysfunction and death. In this study, we tested whether grape consumption, in the form of freeze-dried grape powder (FDGP), improves photoreceptor survival in a mouse model of retinal degeneration. Methods Retinal degeneration was induced in mice by acute oxidative stress using subretinal injection of paraquat. The grape-supplemented diet was made by formulating base mouse chow with FDGP, corresponding to three daily human servings of grapes, and a control diet was formulated with equivalent sugar composition as FDGP (0.68% glucose–0.68% fructose mixture). Mice were placed on the diets at weaning for 5 wk before oxidative stress injury until analysis at 2 wk post-injection. Retinal function was measured using electroretinography, thickness of the photoreceptor layer was measured using optical coherence tomography, and rows of photoreceptor nuclei were counted on histologic sections. Results In mice fed the control diet, oxidative stress significantly reduced photoreceptor layer thickness and photoreceptor numbers. In contrast, retinal thickness and photoreceptor numbers were not reduced by oxidative stress in mice on the grape-supplemented diet, indicating significantly higher photoreceptor survival after injury than mice on the control diet. Furthermore, mice on the grape diet showed preservation of retinal function after oxidative stress injury compared with mice on the control diet. Conclusions A diet supplemented with grapes rescued retinal structure and function in an oxidative stress–induced mouse model of retinal degeneration, which demonstrates the beneficial effect of grapes on photoreceptors.
Modeling shallow autocompaction in coastal marshes using cesium-137 fallout: Preliminary results from the Trinity River Estuary, Texas

Accurate prediction of changes in the relative elevation of coastal marsh surfaces has gained considerable importance in light of global-warming-induced sea-level rise. Shallow autocompaction is an important component of elevation change that acts to decrease relative elevation. Unlike vertical accretion, which can be determined from repeated surveys of artificial marker horizons, autocompaction is difficult to measure. This report presents the results of a preliminary study that uses cesium-137 dating and down-core measurements of sediment bulk density to numerically model vertical accretion, shallow autocompaction and surface elevation change. The models produce vertical accretion rates that are comparable to rates derived from artificial marker horizons, and long-term surface elevation changes that are in close agreement with sedimentation rates based on cesium-137 dating of well-compacted sediment. The model results suggest that average annual vertical accretion may be higher than average annual surface elevation change by a factor of 1.6 to 21. Sedimentation rates derived from cesium-137 dating also are higher than average annual surface elevation change by a factor of 1.1 to 4.7. These findings suggest that sedimentation rates based on cesium-137 dating will tend to be lower than vertical accretion and higher than long-term surface elevation change. The results of the study re-emphasize the importance of fully accounting for shallow autocompaction when attempting to predict marsh surface elevation change.
Stone Tools in Secondary Refuse: Lithics from a Late Preclassic Chultun at Cuello, Belize

The archaeological site of Cuello, in northern Belize, preserves a sequence of building levels and pottery the analysis of which has led to a redefinition of the Maya Preclassic period, and especially of the Early Preclassic (Hammond 1977, 1980). Excavation at the site focused on Platform 32+, a large, flat construction topped by a small Late Preclassic pyramid. Approximately m southeast of the main area of excavation was found a chultun, Feature 87 — an underground structure consisting of two chambers connected to the surface by a masonry shaft and surrounded on the surface by a plaster catchment floor (Figure 1). A third chamber, connected to one of the others by a hole through the wall, was also excavated. A separate shaft led to the surface from this chamber, but the shaft was not excavated. The chultun was probably originally used for food storage, and later used as a trash dump (Bullard 1960; Puleston 1971; Hammond 1980). The fill of the three chambers was dated by ceramics to the end of the Late Preclassic, ca. A.D. 100. Besides ceramics, the fill contained both animal and plant remains and an assortment of lithic items. It is the lithic collection from the chultun that is discussed in this paper.
Non-coding RNAs: The small mysteries of males

Cells associated with the male germlines of grasses produce huge amounts of small RNAs. A large survey of two types of small RNA in maize uncovers unique characteristics associated with male fertility, but the molecular mechanism by which these germline-associated small RNAs function remains unclear.
The Dong People's Jisa Festival and its Resource Value

Sa means motherhood or multiplication,so jisa means motherhood-worship.The word Sa is the eo-grandmother which was worshiped by the Dong people.Jisa Festival is a sacred one,a derivation of the worship for the motherhood and the ancestors.The traditional ceremony of the festival shows abundant cultures from the ancient times,full of a mysterious,simple and distant atmosphere. Both Jisa and the Jisa festival are of high value in resources.
Accelerating medical education: a survey of deans and program directors.

Background : A handful of medical schools in the U.S. are awarding medical degrees after three years. While the number of three-year pathway programs is slowly increasing there is little data on the opinions of medical education leaders on the need for shortening training. Purpose : To survey deans and program directors (PDs) to understand the current status of 3-year medical degree programs and to elicit perceptions of the need for shortening medical school and the benefits and liabilities of 3-year pathway programs (3YPP). Methods : Online surveys were emailed to the academic deans of all U.S. medical schools and to a convenience sample of residency and fellowship PDs. Frequency distributions are reported for key survey items and content analysis was used to describe open-ended responses. Results : Of the respondents, 7% have a 3YPP, 4% were developing one, and 35% were considering development. In 2014, 47% of educational deans and 32% of PDs agreed that there may be a need to shorten medical school. From a list of benefits, both deans and PDs agreed that the greatest benefit to a 3YPP was debt reduction (68%). PDs and deans felt reduced readiness for independence, reduced exposure to complementary curricula regarding safety and quality improvement, premature commitment to a specialty, and burnout were all potential liabilities. From a list of concerns, PDs were concerned about depth of clinical exposure, direct patient care experience, ability to assume increased responsibility, level of maturity, and certainty regarding career choice. Conclusions : Over one-third of medical schools are considering the development of a 3YPP. While there may be benefits for a select group of students, concerns regarding maturity, depth of clinical exposure, and competency must be addressed for these programs to be well received. Keywords: curriculum development; accelerated training; three-year MD (Published: 13 June 2016) Citation: Med Educ Online 2016, 21: 31794 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.31794
Normalization of Complex Mode Shapes by Truncation of Alpha-Polynomial

Finite Element (F.E.) models need validating in order to reliably predict the dynamic properties of the system. One parameter that is necessary for updating the analytical models is the mode shape. The mode shapes obtained from analytical models are real-valued (normal modes), whereas the experimental mode shapes are more often than not complex-valued (complex modes). In order to be able to compare the experimental and analytical mode shapes, the former needs to be normalized. Two techniques to normalize the complex mode shapes will be discussed in this paper. The first technique is a pre-processing technique based on truncation of the α polynomial obtained from the Unified Matrix Polynomial Approach (UMPA) model of modal parameter estimation (MPE). The proposed technique eliminated the damping and normalized the complex modal vectors, however, the undamped natural frequencies deviated from that of the actual system. The disagreement in natural frequencies is explained with the help of 2 and 4 degree of freedom (DOF) analytical models. The second normalization method proposed is a post-processing technique based on the partial fraction method of residue synthesis. The technique successfully normalized the complex modal vectors with a very good correlation with the actual (complex) mode shapes resulting in a very high modal assurance criterion (MAC) value.
Cell surface regulators of complement, 5I2 antigen, and CD59, in the rat eye and adnexal tissues.

Purpose Cell surface complement regulatory proteins have been identified in high levels in ocular tissues, but no experimental model is available for examining their physiological roles. To develop such a model, the distribution of 5I2 antigen, a protein possessing the functions of the human decay-accelerating factor (DAF [CD55]) and membrane cofactor protein (MCP [CD46]), and rat inhibitory protein (CD59), the homologue of the human membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis (MIRL[CD59]) were characterized in the rat eye and ocular adnexal structures. Methods After euthanasia of female Wistar rats, followed by orbital exenteration, eyelids and orbital tissue including the lacrimal gland were separated from the globes and immediately snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen at -70 degrees C. Tissues then were sectioned at -20 degrees C and examined immunohistochemically for 5I2 antigen and rat CD59. Results Both molecules were found to be present in high levels in multiple sites. Corneal and conjunctival epithelia showed moderate to intense labeling for both regulators. Fibroblasts in the corneal stroma, conjunctiva, and sclera labeled similarly. Corneal endothelial cells showed intense labeling for rat CD59 but not for 5I2 antigen. The iris and ciliary body showed intense labeling for both proteins. The retina showed labeling at multiple levels, with that of rat CD59 being more intense than that of 5I2 antigen. The lacrimal gland labeled for both regulators. Vessels, muscle, and nerves in the orbit labeled intensely for both antigens. In the eyelid, conjunctiva, sebaceous glands, and muscle and nerve tissues labeled moderately to intensely for both molecules, whereas skin epithelium labeled less intensely. Conclusions 5I2 antigen and rat CD59 are expressed in high levels and distributed similarly in the rat eye and lacrimal gland to DAF, MCP, and MIRL in the human eye and lacrimal gland. These findings establish the rat ocular surface as a model for studying the role of cell surface complement regulators in this site. This first identification of copious expression of these proteins in eyelid structures, which also participate in protection of the ocular surface, further suggests an important role for surface complement regulatory proteins in this location.
A Bayesian computer-based approach to the physician's use of the clinical research literature

To date, automated statistical methods used to help physicians use the clinical research literature for making clinical decisions have been limited in the degree to which they can represent methodological and domain concepts that are crucial to the physician who must take clinical action. In this dissertation, I consider the thesis that Bayesian decision theory can provide the foundation for a computer-based environment that helps physicians to use the research literature. On the basis of a knowledge-level analysis of this problem, I argue for the use of Bayesian statistics over classical statistics. To show that this new paradigm can be implemented in a functioning computer system, I have developed a prototype system, called scTHOMAS, that enables a physician to read a research report, to incorporate her domain knowledge and methodological concerns, and to evaluate their impact on the clinical significance of the conclusion. The system effectively automates the Confidence Profile Method of Eddy, Hasselblad, and Shachter $\sim$ (1991). scTHOMAS operates in the domain of randomized clinical trials that compare the effects of different drugs on a patients' survival. To incorporate any methodological concern, scTHOMAS (1) requires a statistical submodel for the concern, and (2) requires a visual metaphor though which the physician can communicate the particular concern. scTHOMAS contains submodels for the methodological concerns of loss to followup, withdrawal, noncompliance, crossing-over, and measurement unreliability. The system uses the visual metaphor of the patient-flow diagram for physician input. In the course of each consultation, the user implicitly constructs a statistical model. Statistical models are represented as hierarchical, typed influence diagrams, a structure that limits the interactions among parameters in a statistical model. Prespecified construction steps dictate how the primitive methodological submodels are pieced together. A metadata-state diagram, containing basic methodological knowledge assessed from a statistical expert and from the methodological literature, limits the sequence of construction steps the user is allowed. This dissertation puts on the medical-informatics agenda the question of how physicians should act on the basis of research data, and suggests novel methods for storing, using, and retrieving the contents of the biomedical research literature.
The Humble Leader: Association of Discrepancies in Leader and Follower Ratings of Implementation Leadership With Organizational Climate in Mental Health

Objectives:Discrepancies, or perceptual distance, between leaders’ self-ratings and followers’ ratings of the leader are common but usually go unrecognized. Research on discrepancies is limited, but there is evidence that discrepancies are associated with organizational context. This study examined the association of leader-follower discrepancies in Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) ratings of mental health clinic leaders and the association of those discrepancies with organizational climate for involvement and performance feedback. Both involvement and performance feedback are important for evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation in mental health.Methods:A total of 593 individuals—supervisors (leaders, N=80) and clinical service providers (followers, N=513)—completed surveys that included ratings of implementation leadership and organizational climate. Polynomial regression and response surface analyses were conducted to examine the associations of discrepancies in leader-follower ILS ratings wi...
Development of a Synchronization Coefficient for Biosocial Interactions in Groups and Teams

Body movements, autonomic arousal, and electroencephalograms (EEGs) of group members are often coordinated or synchronized with those of other group members. Linear and nonlinear measures of synchronization have been developed for pairs of individuals, but little work has been done on measures of synchronization for groups. We define a new synchronization coefficient, SE, for a group based on pairwise correlations in time series data and employing the notions of a group driver, who most drives the group’s responses, and empath, who is most driven by the group. SE is developed here in the context of emotional synchronization based on galvanic skin response time series. A simulation study explores its properties, the balance between strong versus weak autocorrelational effects, transfer, group size, and direct versus oscillatory functions. Distributions of SE are not affected by group size up to 16 members. Norms for interpreting the coefficient are presented along with directions for new research.
Twenty-Five Years of Indian Economic Reform: A Story of Private-Sector Success, Government Failure, and Institutional Weakness

Economic reforms that began 25 years ago have transformed India. What used to be a poor, slow-growing country now has the third-largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world with regard to purchasing power parity and is projected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the world in 2016 (with 7.6 percent growth in GDP). Once an object of pity, India has become an object of envy. It has been called a potential superpower and the only credible check on Chinese power in Asia in the 21st century. Hence, the United States has backed India for a permanent seat in the United Nations and has persuaded the Nuclear Suppliers Group to exempt India from the usual nuclear nonproliferation rules.Yet India’s success has been tarnished in several areas. The past 25 years can be largely summed up as a story of private-sector success and government failure, of successful economic reform tainted by institutional erosion. Although many old controls have been abolished, many still continue, and a plethora of new controls have been created in areas relating to the environment, health, tribal areas, and land. What leftist critics have denounced as an era of neoliberalism is better called neo-illiberalism. India remains in the bottom half of countries measured by indicators of economic freedom. Social indicators of education, health, and nutrition have improved much too slowly, and India has been overtaken in some indicators by poorer Bangladesh and Nepal. The delivery of all government services remains substandard. Political interference has eroded the independence and quality of institutions ranging from the police and courts to educational and cultural institutions. India’s economic reforms over 25 years have transformed it from a low-income country to a middle-income one. But to become a high-income country, India must liberalize the economy much further, improve governance, and raise the quality of its institutions.