cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Profile of Insulin Release Due to Intrapancreatic Glyburide Infusion

Intrapancreatic glyburide infusion in dogs (0.02 mg. per kg. of body weight) for five minutes provoked immediate, marked insulin release into the portal venous blood. Compared to control animals, the normal intrinsic insulin levels were exaggerated at intervals of approximately eighty minutes. Lack of immediate hypoglycemia suggests that the insulin release is merely secondary in contributing to the anti-diabetic property of this agent. An amount of tolbutamide fifty times as great caused a weak, delayed insulin response. The delayed blood glucose response is probably caused by the combined action of glyburide and circulating insulin.
Spatial and temporal variations in interstellar absorption towards HD 72127AB

New optical spectra of Ca II and Na I towards HD 72127AB provide additional evidence for both spatial and temporal variations in the complex interstellar absorption along the two sightlines; archival ultraviolet spectra yield information on the abundances, depletions and physical conditions in the gas towards HD 72127A. Similarities in the strengths of various tracers of interstellar material in the two lines of sight suggest that the total hydrogen column densities (N ∼ 2.5 × 10 20 cm −2 ) and the depletions and ionization in the main components at low local standard of rest (LSR) velocities also are similar. Towards HD 72127A, the main components are relatively cool (T 900 K), but with depletions resembling those found in warm, diffuse disc clouds; the generally weaker components at higher velocities have much milder depletions, more like those found in halo clouds. Several trace neutral species – Ca I, Cr I and Fe I – are much stronger towards HD 72127B, however. The column density of Cr I ,f or example, is about 30 times the value determined towards ζ Oph (the only previous detection of that species in the ISM). Dielectronic recombination in warmer gas (T 5000 K) may be largely responsible for the enhanced abundances of those trace neutral species towards HD 72127B. If the main components towards HD 72127AB are associated with material in the Vela supernova remnant, the differences in abundances and physical conditions occur on scales of about 1100 au.
Usability testing in the introductory technical communication course: Centering student practice on internationalization/localization

An introductory undergraduate course in technical and professional communication was the context of this study exploring student progress in coursework that combines usability testing of online and print documents with the study of internationalization and localization. In order for the students to begin considering the complex information needs of international document users, the students first found international students on campus who would serve as usability test participants for selected course projects. These usability test participants-at the time fulfilling English proficiency requirements in courses offered at the universitypsilas English language center-provided the technical communication students with test responses that would inform revisions of selected projects for final course portfolios. In the course, students worked with Dreamweaver and Creative Suite while attempting to localize documents for international students.
Reconsidering Policy Design: Policies and Publics

One of the emerging areas in the public policy literature concerns new modes of thought about the construction and analysis of public policy. This article extends notions about politics within the ‘policy design’ literature by considering the implications of different political environments for policy design and implementation. Two different political environments – policies with and without publics – that form ends of a continuum of policy publics are discussed. A contrast is drawn between these two polar political environments with respect to differing policy design and implementation challenges, as well as with respect to differing opportunities for policy learning.
The elephant in the room (and how to lead it out): In-clinic laboratory quality challenges.

Over 30 yr of technological evolution have resulted in sophisticated instrumentation for in-clinic laboratories, yet there is no regulatory oversight of diagnostic testing quality. Long overdue, the veterinary profession must address quality assurance (QA) of diagnostic testing. Each practice must weigh the responsibility for laboratory instrumentation test results that are often a combination of in-clinic and send-out testing. Challenges faced by clinic staff maintaining in-clinic laboratories include lack of training in QA and quality control (QC), lack of emphasis placed on QA/QC by instrument suppliers, QC financial and time costs, and a general lack of laboratory QA/QC support resources in the veterinary community. Possible solutions include increased continuing education opportunities and the provision of guidelines and other resources by national veterinary organizations; specialty certification of veterinary technicians; an increasing role of veterinary clinical pathologists as QA/QC consultants; ...
Coming of age in twenty-first century america: Public attitudes towards the importance and timing of transitions to adulthood

This paper examines age norms on seven important transitions to adulthood. Americans rank finishing school as the most important hallmark of becoming an adult. This is followed closely by obtaining full-time employment, being able to support a family, and being financially independent. Among these seven standards of achieving adulthood the average transition age runs over a 5.3 year span, from being financially independent, living independently, and being employed full-time by the traditional age of majority (21) to being a parent by age 26. A large degree of consensus prevails across social groups on the importance of these transitions. The only notable pattern of differences is that on supporting a family, having a child, and getting married older adults and the widowed and married rate these as more important than younger adults and the never married do. Considerably more variation exists across social groups on the age or timing of these transitions. First, the young and never married favor earlier transitions on financial independence, living away from parents, and working full-time, and later transitions on supporting a family, getting married, and having children. Second, the better educated and those with higher incomes favor later transitions on all domains. Third, cultural differences related to race and religion appear. For example, blacks tend to favor the early transition model more than whites do.
Juvenile Steelhead Distribution, Migration, Feeding, and Growth in the Columbia River Estuary, Plume, and Coastal Waters

AbstractRelative to extensive research on the freshwater stages of steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss life history, little is known about the species’ estuarine and early marine phases despite the decline of numerous populations, including several from the Columbia River. Comparisons of the distribution, diet, and growth of juvenile steelhead collected during surveys of the Columbia River estuary and coastal waters in May, June, and September 1998–2011 were analyzed for comparisons between fish caught in the estuary and ocean and between hatchery (marked) and putative wild (unmarked) fish. Almost all catches of juvenile steelhead in the ocean occurred during the May surveys (96%). Juvenile steelhead were consistently caught at the westernmost stations (>55 km from shore), indicating an offshore distribution. Based on otolith structure and chemistry, we determined that these juveniles had been in marine waters for an average of only 9.8 d (SD = 10.2). Some of the steelhead that had been in marine waters for 1–3...
Multisource radiation and microwave facility

A containment facility with the ability to shield ionizing radiation is a necessity for many facets of high powered electromagnetic research. The radiation facility located at the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for Physical and Power Electronics has been designed with the capability to accommodate a variety of different high power electromagnetic sources. The design constraints originated from the need to contain a 4–8 MeV Electron Beam Accelerator and a Virtual Cathode Oscillator (VIRCATOR) operating at 19.5 MW with a frequency of 1 GHz. The 4–8 MeV tunable relativistic electron beam is to be used for material irradiation, conditioning, and x-ray production. These devices will be driven by the newly reconstructed MAG 1-D pulse modulator, which is now capable of producing 250 kV pulses at 100pps. The ability to support the ionizing radiation shielding of multiple pulsed megawatt sources makes this facility unique.
Recent advances in the pathogenesis and treatment of juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia

Myeloid neoplasms derive from the pathological clonal expansion of an abnormal stem cell and span a diverse spectrum of phenotypes including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Expansion of myeloid blasts with suppression of normal haematopoiesis is the hallmark of AML, whereas MPN is associated with over-proliferation of one or more lineages that retain the capacity to differentiate, and MDS is characterized by cytopenias and aberrant differentiation. MPD and MDS can progress to AML, which is likely due to the acquisition of cooperative mutations. Juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) is an aggressive myeloid neoplasm of childhood that is clinically characterized by overproduction of monocytic cells that can infiltrate organs, including the spleen, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and lung. JMML is categorized as an overlap MPN/MDS by the World Health Organization and also shares some clinical and molecular features with chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia, a similar disease in adults. While the current standard of care for patients with JMML relies on allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), relapse is the most frequent cause of treatment failure. This review outlines our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of JMML with a recent update on the discovery of novel CBL mutations, as well as a brief review on current therapeutic approaches.
Material Property Recognition by Active Tapping for Fingertip Digitizing

This paper presents a methodology of material property determination by a human subject’s active finger tapping. Object digitization by direct finger touch is a prerequisite for good quality intuitive haptic input interface. Previous attempts were limited to scanning the surface geometry, and were not capable of describing the material characteristics of the object being touched. In this research, a compound mechanical model was developed to characterize the non-linear, viscoelastic behavior of the fingertip and the test object. Using a new active touch digitizer, subject’s tapping input and response were analyzed for material recognition. Parameters to describe material properties were obtained by successive, optimized model fit. In an experiment, our methodology was successful in recognizing the elastic properties of five common materials, including a biomaterial.
The influence of acute stress on active and inactive renin in the rat.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence acute stress on the plasma levels of active and inactive renin in the rat. Active and inactive plasma renins were measured in calm unanesthetized normal Wistar rats (indwelling catheter) and compared to values obtained after handling, anesthesia and decapitation. All manouvers resulted in an increase of active renin. Only anesthesia significantly reduced inactive renin It is concluded that acute stress can significantly change the ratio of active and inactive renins in rat plasma. These changes must be taken into consideration when the influence of “physiological or pharmacological” alterations of these enzymes are under investigation.
Adversaries and information leaks (Tutorial)

Secure information flow analysis aims to prevent programs from leaking their H (high) inputs to their L (low) outputs. A major challenge in this area is to relax the standard noninterference properties to allow "small" leaks, while still preserving security. In this tutorial paper, we consider three instances of this theme. First, we consider a type system that enforces the usual Denning restrictions, except that it specifies that encrypting a H plaintext yields a L ciphertext. We argue that this type system ensures security, assuming strong encryption, by giving a reduction that maps a noninterference adversary (which tries to guess which of two H inputs was used, given the L outputs) to an IND-CPA adversary (which tries to guess which of two plaintexts are encrypted, given the ciphertext). Second, we explore termination leaks in probabilistic programs when typed under the Denning restrictions. Using a notion of probabilistic simulation, we show that such programs satisfy an approximate noninterference property, provided that their probability of nontermination is small. Third, we consider quantitative information flow, which aims to measure the amount of information leaked. We argue that the common information-theoretic measures in the literature are unsuitable, because these measures fail to distinguish between programs that are wildly different from the point of view of an adversary trying to guess the H input.
Improving kangaroo care policy and implementation in the neonatal intensive care

Abstract This paper examines the current evidence based practice for providing kangaroo care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Additionally, this paper observes the effect of policy implementation and overcoming common obstacles to proper kangaroo care policy implementation. Implications for practicing kangaroo care are sustained through research supporting the initiation of kangaroo care in preterm infants; however, there are identifiable barriers preventing the skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant. The barriers commonly include insufficient nursing education, parent education, managerial support, and lack of a standard kangaroo care policy (Rodgers, 2013).
Polyribosome dynamics at steady state.

Abstract The Warner-Rich model for monocistronic polyribosomes is analyzed quantitatively by computer simulation. Its kinetic parameters may be directly related to those which are experimentally observable at steady state. Although simple cases can be solved exactly, it is found that computer simulation is a superior technique for polysomes of biologically significant size. The rate of protein synthesis, polysome distribution, ribosome gradient along the messenger, and distribution of nascent peptide lengths are given over the full range of variability of the free parameters for messenger RNA (mRNA) with a length of 150 codons. Measurements are suggested to test the validity of the Warner-Rich model, or certain of its predictions.
Disaster Preparedness in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to assess emergency preparedness among families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 115 English-speaking families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus who were attending the diabetes clinic at Texas Children9s Hospital agreed to a questionnaire study designed to ascertain their level of preparedness for a disaster or emergency. The study was conducted from June through September 2008 and ended just before Hurricane Ike made landfall. RESULTS: Families were better prepared for self-management of diabetes, compared with general disaster preparedness. Sixty-two percent of the families were generally unprepared for a major disaster. For self-management of diabetes specifically, however, 75% of families had adequate supplies to maintain care for 3 days. Families in higher and moderate socioeconomic status strata were better equipped for an emergency (P CONCLUSION: Disaster preparedness still lags in families of lower socioeconomic status.
The Effect of Fuel and Operating Variables on Hydrocarbon Species Distributions in the Exhaust from a Multicylinder Engine

Abstract Measurements of the concentrations of individual exhaust hydrocarbon species have been made as a function of engine operating variables (φ, rpm, EGR, spark timing, and coolant temperature) in a 2·3-liter four-cylinder engine. Three fuels were used in these experiments: propane, isooctane (2,2,4-trimethylpentane), and an unleaded gasoline (indolene clear). The results show that a change in operating variable can change not only the total hydrocarbon concentration but also the distribution of species in the exhaust. All three fuels show similar trends when an operating variable is changed. Fuel-air equivalence ratio is a critical parameter in controlling exhaust hydrocarbon emissions. Beginning near stoichiometric, the total hydrocarbon concentration and the percentage contributions of methane and acetylene to the exhaust increase as the mixture becomes richer. These species contribute less than 2 percent to the total hydrocarbon emissions at <0.95. Their contribution rises to 15–25 percent at φ...
P332 GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS PATIENTS IN THE GLUCOSAMINE UNUM IN DIE EFFICACY (GUIDE) TRIAL

Results: 41 subjects have completed baseline assessments and started the training intervention (Age: 65±8 years, BMI: 33.1±6.8kg/m2, Total WOMAC Score: 33±15). Of those, 17 have completed the training intervention. Due to imaging artifact in the medial compartment, articular cartilage from 14 medial tibias was segmented. All lateral tibias were included. There was no significant difference between groups for cartilage thickness as shown in the table, or any other clinical variables at baseline. However, medial cartilage volume (P= 0.039) was significantly lower in the sham group; and lateral denuded area (P=0.02) was significantly lower in the PRT group at baseline. Cartilage thickness (P=0.334 MT, P=0.445 LT), volume (P=0.419 MT, P=0.699 LT) and denuded area (P=0.739 MT, P=0.563 LT) did not change significantly following the training intervention. Overall strength increased significantly in the PRT group compared to the sham group following the training intervention. Conclusions: These interim results suggest cartilage thickness, volume and denuded area were not significantly different between groups following the training intervention. Overall muscle strength increased significantly in the PRT group compared to the sham group over time. Completion of the full complement of subjects in this ongoing trial will allow further analysis of the relationship between anabolic exercise and cartilage morphology in OA.
Representations of finite groups on Riemann-Roch spaces ⁄

We study the action of a finite group on the Riemann-Roch space of certain divisors on a curve. If G is a finite subgroup of the automorphism group of a projective curve X over an algebraically closed field and D is a divisor on X left stable by G then we show the irreducible constituents of the natural representation of G on the Riemann-Roch
Occupation measures for chains of infinite order

Abstract The form of the large deviation rate function for the occupation measure L n from a chain of infinite order is given as well as conditions under which the large deviation principle holds.
Escherichia coli Survival in, and Release from, White-Tailed Deer Feces

White-tailed deer are an important reservoir for pathogens that can contribute a large portion of microbial pollution in fragmented agricultural and forest landscapes. The scarcity of experimental data on survival of microorganisms in and release from deer feces makes prediction of their fate and transport less reliable and development of efficient strategies for environment protection more difficult. The goal of this study was to estimate parameters for modeling Escherichia coli survival in and release from deer (Odocoileus virginianus) feces. Our objectives were as follows: (i) to measure survival of E. coli in deer pellets at different temperatures, (ii) to measure kinetics of E. coli release from deer pellets at different rainfall intensities, and (iii) to estimate parameters of models describing survival and release of microorganisms from deer feces. Laboratory experiments were conducted to study E. coli survival in deer pellets at three temperatures and to estimate parameters of Chick's exponential model with temperature correction based on the Arrhenius equation. Kinetics of E. coli release from deer pellets were measured at two rainfall intensities and used to derive the parameters of Bradford-Schijven model of bacterial release. The results showed that parameters of the survival and release models obtained for E. coli in this study substantially differed from those obtained by using other source materials, e.g., feces of domestic animals and manures. This emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive studies of survival of naturally occurring populations of microorganisms in and release from wildlife animal feces in order to achieve better predictions of microbial fate and transport in fragmented agricultural and forest landscapes.
The Effect of NSAID Prophylaxis and Operative Variables on Heterotopic Ossification After Hip Arthroscopy

Background:Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a known complication of hip arthroscopy. Little is known about the factors that lead to HO after hip arthroscopy.Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other operative variables on the development of HO.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 357 consecutive cases of hip arthroscopy were retrospectively reviewed over a 3-year period. Routine NSAID prophylaxis was not performed for the first 117 cases. Prophylaxis with naproxen for 3 weeks was then routinely prescribed for the remaining 240 cases. Complete follow-up was available for 288 of the original 357 cases. The presence of HO and its characteristics were recorded for each patient, along with baseline demographic and surgical variables. Odds ratios and logistic regression were used to identify causal factors for HO.Results:The incidence of HO in cases in which the patient did not receive NSAID prophylaxis was 2...
New Drugs: Prescribing for infants and children

The total volumes of body water and extracellular fluid related to body weight are the greatest during the neonatal period and infancy. These values decrease with age most appreciably during the first three months of life and thereafter more gradually. Water soluble drugs that are distributed mainly in extracellular water therefore have the largest volumes of distribution in the newborn and young infants.4 Furthermore, the blood-brain barrier may be functionally incomplete in the neonate, allowing increased penetration of some drugs. Though there are small differences in the extent of protein binding with age throughout childhood (lower values in newborns and young infants),2 these are generally not clinically important. The displacement of bilirubin from albumin by sulphonamides and some other drugs in the newborn is well recognised,5 and it should not be forgotten that the transfer of drugs in breast milk may be a source of inadvertent treatment to the neonate.
Towards Sustainable Individual Mobility: Challenges and Solutions

Individual mobility is a basic human need. However, with the growth of global population, wealth, and technological development this need has led to long-term sustainability challenges with climate change and global gridlock being perhaps the most pressing issues. Solutions are complex and require changes in vehicle technology, infrastructure, driver behaviour, vehicle numbers, business models and inter-modality. While the path to solve the climate change challenge is rather established there is as yet no blueprint for the global gridlock issue. An integrated approach and strong cooperation between stakeholders is required.
Understanding Driver-Automated Vehicle Interactions Through Wizard of Oz Design Improvisation

This paper describes a Wizard of Oz study that was performed to gather insights on how automated vehicles (NHTSA’s Levels of Automation 2 and 3) should interact with human drivers. Twelve design improvisation sessions were conducted inside a driving simulator with interaction and interface design experts. The participants drove through a simulated course with various terrain and road conditions, while the two human operators (wizards) controlled the audio and driving behavior of the car. Through the feedback collected in these sessions, insights in five areas were discovered: drivers’ desire for shared control, transitions in driving mode, response latency, addressing requests, and drivers’ trust in the car. Additional examining yielded potential concepts and ideas that may be implemented and tested in future work.
Sorafenib and thyroid cancer

The emergence of serine-threonine small molecule, multi-targeted kinase inhibitors over the past decade is greatly impacting the therapeutic armamentarium for numerous malignancies, especially thyroid carcinoma. Chief among them are a class of agents referred to as vascular endothelial growth factor signal pathway inhibitors. Sorafenib is a lead compound that has been recently approved by the US FDA for radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Sorafenib clearly is altering the natural history of DTC. In the largest randomized Phase III study ever conducted in DTC, sorafenib significantly improved progression-free survival compared to placebo (10.8 vs 5.8 months) and had an acceptable and manageable safety profile, though commonly attributed side effects of hand-foot skin reaction, diarrhea and hypertension were more frequent than in other settings. This agent represents a new treatment option for patients with progressive radioactive iodine-refractory DTC.
Raman conversion in intense femtosecond Bessel beams in air

We demonstrate experimentally that bright and nearly collimated radiation can be efficiently generated in air pumped by an intense femtosecond Bessel beam. We show that this nonlinear conversion process is driven by the rotational Raman response of air molecules. Under optimum conditions, the conversion efficiency from the Bessel pump into the on-axis propagating beam exceeds 15% and is limited by the onset of intensity clamping and plasma refraction on the beam axis. Our experimental findings are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations based on the standard model for the ultrafast nonlinear response of air.
Unfalsified Direct Adaptive Control Using Multiple Controllers

Unfalsified direct adaptive control method using multiple controllers is examined in this paper. Given a pre-chosen cost function and a set of controllers with the same specified structure, the mathematical proof of stability for this method is provided under the minimum assumption that there exists at least one stabilizing controller in the candidate controller set. Comparison with the adaptive control method using multiple plant models by Narendra et. al. is made. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
A study of high-dose lenalidomide induction and low-dose lenalidomide maintenance therapy for patients with hypomethylating agent refractory myelodysplastic syndrome

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal hematopoietic disorders characterized by bone marrow failure which frequently progress to acute myeloid leukemia. Patients who fail to respond to, or progress on first-line DNA hypomethylating agents (HMA) have a poor prognosis. Conventionally dosed lenalidomide has activity in 5q-MDS. In other subtypes, it may reduce RBC transfusion requirements but does not result in cytogenetic responses. We previously reported that high-dose lenalidomide induction (50 mg/day) results in complete remissions in a high fraction of patients. We, therefore, conducted a Phase 2 trial of the same regimen in MDS refractory to HMA. Marrow complete remissions were seen in 33% of patients and hematological improvement in 8% of patients. Significant infections complicated more than 50% of cases. Future trials to explore alternative dosing schedules of high-dose lenalidomide to increase efficacy while decreasing toxicity are warranted.
The observation of combined effect of infrared radiation and skin protective powder for the treatment of perianal moist erosion

Objective To observe the combined effect of infrared radiation and skin protective powder for the treatment of perianal moist erosinon. Methods 126 patients of perianal moist erosion were randomized into two groups. The control group containing 63 patients were treated with tannic acid ointment whereas experimental group of other 63 cases were given infrared radiation and skin protective powder. Results The effect rate of experimental group was 93.7% whereas control group was 76.1% and there was a statistical difference between these two groups (P0.05). Conclusion The combination of infrared radiation and skin protective powder can be used for the treatment of perianal moist erosion, which it is better than tannic acid ointment. And it is worth popularizing in clinical application.
Urban ecology for the urban century

When I was being trained as an ecologist at the Duke University, urban ecology was a rare and somewhat obscure field. There were few courses on urban ecology or sustainability offered at any major ...
Breastfeeding and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review:

Background:The beneficial effect of breastfeeding on individual components of the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents has been reported, but it is unknown if there is an association betw...
Abstract 2585: Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) Effectively Improve Pulmonary Hemodynamics in Bridge-to-Transplant Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure

Introduction : Pulmonary hypertension is a frequent sequelae of end-stage heart failure and remains a contraindication for cardiac transplantation. Pulsatile LVADs have been shown to effectively reduce pulmonary hypertension in these patients. However, it remains to be seen if newer continuous flow LVADs have a similar effect on pulmonary hypertension. The objective of this study was to determine if the Heartmate (HM) II, a continuous flow LVAD is effective in improving pulmonary hemodynamics in bridge-to-transplant patients. Methods : 30 patients with end-stage heart failure underwent placement of HM II LVAD as a bridge-to-transplant (BTT) at a single center. Pulmonary hemodynamics were evaluated with right heart catheterization at baseline, after placement of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), and post-LVAD (prior to heart transplant). Results : Demographic data of these patients were as follows: mean age 51.6 ± 13.3 years, 70% male, LVEF 14.7 ± 5.11%, 56.6% ischemic etiology and 83.3% received IABP prior to LVAD. Following LVAD support (mean duration of 146. 41 ± 73.83 days), systolic and diastolic pulmonary artery pressures (SPAP and DPAP) decreased significantly (SPAP 56.8 ± 13.55 mmHg, DPAP 28.27 ± 6.23 mmHg to SPAP 35.38 ± 10.23 mmHg, DPAP 15.71 ± 5.36 mmHg; p Conclusion : Continuous flow LVADs effectively improve pulmonary hemodynamics associated with end-stage heart failure. Therefore, adequate left ventricular decompression achieved with continuous flow LVAD support can reverse significant pulmonary hypertension in end-stage heart failure patients making them eligible for cardiac transplantation.
Biallelic Mutations in MITF Cause Coloboma, Osteopetrosis, Microphthalmia, Macrocephaly, Albinism, and Deafness

Human MITF is, by convention, called the "microphthalmia-associated transcription factor" because of previously published seminal mouse genetic studies; however, mutations in MITF have never been associated with microphthalmia in humans. Here, we describe a syndrome that we term COMMAD, characterized by coloboma, osteopetrosis, microphthalmia, macrocephaly, albinism, and deafness. COMMAD is associated with biallelic MITF mutant alleles and hence suggests a role for MITF in regulating processes such as optic-fissure closure and bone development or homeostasis, which go beyond what is usually seen in individuals carrying monoallelic MITF mutations.
Listening to Mothers-The First National U.S. Survey of Women's Childbearing Experiences.

In this column, the author outlines some of the results of the Listening to Mothers Survey, conducted by the Maternity Center Association, and the implications of the results on childbirth education.
Overview of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program

Abstract Background The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was created to address the nursing faculty shortage and thereby decrease the nursing shortage. Purpose The purpose of the study was to describe the program development, implementation, and ongoing outcome evaluation. Methods Data on scholarly productivity, impact of research, research funding, and leadership positions were compiled, including an h-index (impact of publications) comparison with a comparison group of other interdisciplinary faculty at the same institutions of the 90 current and alumni scholars. Discussion There is evidence of the achievements of the individual scholars; however, the effect of the synergy of the multiple components of the program is difficult to capture in traditional evaluation strategies. Conclusions The sense of possibility and responsibility (to the profession, to improving the health of all Americans, and to one's school of nursing and university) was a significant outcome of the program. Lessons learned from the program are important for the leadership development and retention of nursing faculty.
Management as a practice: A response to Alasdair Macintyre

Alasdair Maclntyre's classic book After Virtue (1984) serves as the foundation for this essay. While the book has much to offer in its expli cation of virtue ethics and its critique of current society, I wish to respond critically to its ardent condemnation of the manager. I will briefly outline Maclntyre's perspective on the manager. My criticism will contain two parts. First, I will argue that Maclntyre's unified view of the manager is inconsistent with his position on the nature of predictability in human interaction. Second, I will develop and apply Maclntyre's theory of practice to managerial work. My conclusion is that Maclntyre's view of the manager is clouded by his normative bias against the economic sphere. Management can constitute a practice, and can thus appropriately be considered from a virtue ethics perspective. I will very briefly discuss the application of virtue ethics to managerial practice, although it is not my intent to expand on this topic in depth. A comprehensive discussion of virtue ethics in business is available elsewhere (see for example Solomon, 1992).
Characterizations of Distributions by Independent Copies

In this chapter some characterizations of distributions by the distributional properties will be presented.
Updating Student Profiles in Adaptive Mobile Learning using ASP.net MVC, dotNetRDF, Turtle, and the Semantic Web

In this paper, we present a conceptual framework for using the Semantic Web to get student data from other educational institutions, enabling the educational institutions to communicate and exchange student data and then use this information to adjust the students’ profiles and modify their learning paths. Semantic Web will create a more personalized dynamic course for each student, according to his/her ability, educational level, and experience.
Tocilizumab as a steroid sparing agent for the treatment of Graves' orbitopathy.

Abstract Purpose To describe the effect of tocilizumab in two patients with thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO). Observations We present two patients with TAO who could not tolerate corticosteroids and had a reduction in clinical and laboratory markers of inflammatory activity with subsequent tocilizumab therapy. Conclusions and importance The IL-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab is a promising candidate for the treatment of TAO because it selectively targets a key inflammatory mediator and has a favorable side effect profile. Our report demonstrates that tocilizumab can achieve further reduction in inflammatory activity after treatment with corticosteroids. Importantly, we and others have observed a decrease in the level of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) with tocilizumab treatment. This suggests an upstream effect in the inflammatory cascade. Although the impact of tocilizumab on long-term outcome is unknown at this time, we believe that early disruption of the inflammatory process may prevent late complications and decrease the need for rehabilitative surgery.
Beyond Nostalgia: time and place in Indian Muslim politics

This article begins with the premise that nostalgia haunts histories of Indian Muslim cultural and social life but remains curiously underspecified with relation to Muslim political life. By looking at the figure of Mohamed Ali Jauhar (1878–1931) and a constellation of transnational initiatives around the year 1913 in particular, it suggests ways in which we might redeploy nostalgia in order to look for temporal and spatial ambivalence in historical moments. In turn, that ambivalence points to the limitations of understanding nostalgia as purely a longing for another place and a past time.
Individualization of phenytoin dosage regimens

Two methods for arriving at optimum, individual phenytoin dosage regimens have been evaluated in 12 patients. (1) Individual Michaelis-Menten pharmacokinetic parameters for phenytoin were estimated from two reliable steady-state phenytoin serum concentrations resulting from different daily doses: The observed steady-state phenytoin serum levels obtained after 3 to 8 wk of compliance with dosage regimens calculated from the individual pharmacokinetic parameters agreed well with predicted levels (r = 0.824, p < 0.02). The average deviation between observed and predicted levels was 0.04 µg/ml (range, ±3.2 µg/ml). (2) A previously published nomogram for making adjustments in phenytoin dosage regimens: The serum phenytoin concentration actually expected from the dose indicated by the nomogram was calculated using individual pharmacokinetic parameters. The daily dose for one patient would have exceeded his estimated maximal rate of metabolism. The correlation between calculated and predicted phenytoin serum levels in the other 11 patients was weak but significant (r = 0.360, p < 0.05). The average deviation was −3 µg/ml (range, 3.9 to −11.3 µg/ml). It was concluded that the use of individual pharmacokinetic parameters is practical and is also superior to the nomogram.
Firm Divestiture Experience and Divestiture Process Performance

The link between firm experience and performance has been shown to be inconsistent in several corporate strategy contexts, including scope change. While repeated experiences in a scope change activ...
Teaching Writing for the Health Professions: Disciplinary Intersections and Pedagogical Practice

ABSTRACTThis article outlines an approach to teaching a Writing for the Health Professions course and situates this approach within the aims of and tensions between the medical humanities, the rhetoric of health and medicine, and disability studies. This analysis provides a pragmatic walkthrough of how assignments in such courses can be linked to programmatic outcomes (with SOAP [Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan] note and patient education assignments as extended examples) as well as an interdisciplinary framework for future empirical studies.
Emotional Consequences of Brain Injury

It should come as no surprise that there are significant emotional consequences to serious head injuries. Consider, for example, the extreme distress you yourself would experience if you were involved in a major automobile accident. As a result, you become unconscious for several days or weeks; you awaken half paralyzed in an eerie room full of strange sights and sounds, costing $500 per day. Because of the restraints, tubes, and catheters, you are unable to move your unaffected side. Your hemiparetic side both puzzles and frightens you. You are aware of a distressing memory loss for recently occurring events. Your ability to speak or to comprehend written or spoken language is disrupted.
Through thick and thin: the romance of the species in the anthropocene

The emerging field of animal studies has a curious relationship with environmentalism. Instead of fitting comfortably in the latter’s capacious tent, animal studies has chafed at environmentalists’ commitment to holistic communitarianism best represented by Aldo Leopold’s “land ethic.” The land ethic approaches the biotic community as a pyramidal ecological system that turns on the relations between producers and consumers and between predators and prey rather than as an egalitarian moral community. Animal rights activists have thus repeatedly clashed with conservationists in an internecine fight poignantly dramatized in T.C. Boyle’s novel When the Killing’s Done (2011). In this paper, I argue that environmental justice cannot be secured solely from the third-person perspective of the deontological argument underlying animal rights or the utilitarian argument often used to justify the land ethic. Instead, we might draw on the pragmatist traditions East and West and view justice as a larger loyalty achieved as much by the moral imagination of the particular from the first- and second-person perspectives as by rational deliberation on the universal. Using a French novel (The Roots of Heaven, 1958), a Chinese novel (The Disappearance of Lao Hai, 2001), and a Chinese film (Monster Hunt, 2015) as my examples, I demonstrate how literature’s thick narratives can engender an ethics of care by bringing particular instances of non-human distress into aesthetic, affective, and moral proximity with us.
Altered diurnal states in insomnia reflect peripheral hyperarousal and metabolic desynchrony: a preliminary study.

Study objectives Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that is associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Patients with insomnia exhibit hyperarousal in multiple domains, including an elevated metabolic rate, but specific metabolic molecular perturbations are unknown. Furthermore, objective clinical markers of insomnia are not available and current assessment of pathological extent relies on self-report. Here, we provide preliminary evidence that chronic insomnia is remarkably reflected in the periphery through detailed metabolic assessments. Methods Serum from confirmed patients with insomnia and matched good sleepers (n = 15 per group) was sampled at high temporal resolution (every 2 hr over 48 hr). Food intake was controlled by providing hourly isocaloric snacks, and sleep architecture was assessed by overnight polysomnography. Quantitative metabolic assessments were conducted using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results Global metabolic profiles differentiated patients with insomnia from healthy controls, with elevated amino acid and energy metabolites and reduced branched-chain amino acid catabolic products. Strikingly, branched-chain amino acid catabolism was found to be specifically altered during the night with ~10 per cent increased accumulation of glucose in insomnia patients. Rhythmicity analysis revealed 11 metabolites that cycled diurnally across both groups, with phase advances noted for acetone and delays for lactate and branched-chain amino acids and their products. Conclusions These preliminary observations suggest that insomnia is associated with quantitative metabolic dysregulation and supports the hyperarousal hypothesis. Furthermore, we posit that these changes lead to a state of metabolic desynchrony in insomnia that is involved in the pathophysiology of the disorder and/or mediates its impact on health outcomes. Clinical trials registration NCT01957111.
Paice Yourselves: A Basic Framework for Ongoing Royalty Determinations in Patent Law

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning the rule of automatic injunctions in patent cases, eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, LLC, district courts and the Federal Circuit must now consider how best to grant prospective damages. Lower courts are still working out the details of this standard, and many post-eBay patent cases have denied the patentee a permanent injunction. In Amado v. Microsoft Corp. and Paice LLC v. Toyota Motor Corp., the Federal Circuit reviewed two separate ongoing royalties.
The Formalist Mathematical Tradition as an Obstacle to Stochastical Reasoning

This paper argues that the persistence of students’ difficulties in reasoning about the stochastic, despite significant reform efforts in statistics education, might be the result of the continuing impact of the formalist mathematical tradition. It first provides an overview of the literature on the formalist view of mathematics and its impact on statistics curricula and instructional approaches. It then reconsiders some well-known empirical findings on students’ understanding of statistics, and forms some hypotheses regarding the link between student difficulties and mathematical formalism. Subsequently, it suggests the pedagogical and curricular changes that ought to take place in order to move away from the formalist mathematical tradition and to improve people’s impoverished probabilistic and statistical reasoning. Finally, it briefly discusses possible research directions for the formal study of the effects of the formalist tradition on statistics education.
Optimum Economic Organization: The Efficiency of Firms and Its Implications for Public Policy

This chapter shows how the private sector responds to complexity. First, firms and industries select the organizational structure most conducive to efficiency. Similarly, the most efficient of the available methods of transacting are employed. The textbook auction market is often replaced by direct dealing with customers. Better methods of financing are sought. Contracts are used to stabilize relations. When a product cannot be satisfactorily secured from outsiders, the firm may decide to integrate vertically.
Die Frage nach den Beziehungen Zwischen den Drei Verschiedenen Evidenzen im Urteilen und den Drei Verschiedenen Weisen von Intention und Erfüllung

Die Antwort auf die Frage danach, wie sich die drei verschiedenen Evidenzen im Urteilen einerseits und die drei verschiedenen Weisen von Intention und Erfullung andererseits zueinander verhalten, ist auch schon durch den Versuch, festzustellen, um welche Evidenzen im Urteilen und um welche Weisen von Intention und Erfullung es sich bei den drei verschiedenen Evidenzen im Urteilen und bei den drei verschiedenen Weisen von Intention und Erfullung im Sinne der Dreischichtung der formalen Logik als formaler Apophantik bzw. apophantischer Analytik uberhaupt handelt — aber auch durch die Antwort auf die Frage nach den Beziehungen zwischen den drei verschiedenen Stufen bzw. Schichten der Apophantik und den drei verschiedenen Evidenzen im Urteilen sowie durch die Antwort auf die Frage nach den Beziehungen zwischen den drei verschiedenen Stufen bzw. Schichten der Apophantik und den drei verschiedenen Weisen von Intention und Erfullung —, weitgehend vorweggenommen worden und last sich also folgendermasen zusammenfassen: In der Tat gibt es keine prazise „eins-zu-eins-correspondentia“ zwischen einerseits dem Urteilen im weitesten Sinne bzw. der Evidenz im weitesten Sinne, dem deutlichen Urteilen bzw. der Evidenz der Deutlichkeit und dem klarena Urteilen bzw. der Evidenz der KlarheitA und andererseits dem Ubergang von dem verworrenen Urteilen bzw.