University of Colorado Colorado Springs

About: University of Colorado Colorado Springs is a education organization based out in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 6664 authors who have published 10872 publications receiving 323416 citations. The organization is also known as: UCCS & University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Subliminal Exposure to Death-Related Stimuli Increases Defense of the Cultural Worldview

Abstract: Three experiments reported here provide empirical support for the hypothesis derived from terror management theory that unconscious concerns about death motivate allegiance to cultural beliefs Study 1 contrasted exposure to a subliminal death-related stimulus, a standard mortality-salience treatment, and a neutral subliminal stimulus, and found that both the subliminal and the standard reminder of mortality led to more favorable evaluations of people who praised subjects' cultural worldview and more unfavorable evaluations of those who challenged it Study 2 replicated this finding by comparing the effects of exposure to subliminal death stimuli and subliminal pain stimuli Study 3 contrasted subliminal death stimuli, supraliminal death stimuli, and subliminal pain stimuli and found that only subliminal death stimuli produced these effects

Clinical study of the laser sheath for lead extraction: the total experience in the United States.

Abstract: The laser sheath uses optical fibers, delivering pulsed ultraviolet excimer laser light, to vaporize fibrotic tissue binding intravenous cardiac leads to the vein or heart wall during lead extraction from the implant vein. The total investigational experience with laser sheaths is reported. During the period from October 1995 to December 1999, 2,561 pacing and defibrillator leads were treated in 1,684 patients at 89 sites in the United States with three sizes of laser sheath. Endpoints were complete removal of the lead, partial removal (leaving the tip behind), or failure (abandoning the lead, onset of complications, change to transfemoral or transatrial approach). Minimal follow-up at 30 days was recorded. Of the leads, 90% were completely removed, 3% were partially removed, and the balance were failures. Major perioperative complications (tamponade, hemothorax, pulmonary embolism, lead migration, and death) were observed in 1.9% of patients with in hospital death in 13 (0.8%). Minor complications were seen in an additional 1.4% of patients. Multivariate analysis showed that implant duration was the only preoperative independent predictor of failure; female sex was the only multivariate predictor of complications. Success and complications were not dependent on laser sheath size. At follow-up, various extraction related complications were observed in 2% of patients. The learning curve showed a trend toward fewer complications with experience. Lead extraction with the laser sheath can be safely practiced with high success rates. Success is independent of laser sheath size. Major complications can be expected in < 2% of patients, and occur more often during an investigator's early experience.

Adaptive data rate modem

Abstract: An adaptive data rate modulator/demodulator (modem) (102), particularly useful for transmitting data over fading communications channels, uses an adaptive data rate technique which supports multiple data rates in the same device. The modem incorporates an adaptive data rate encoder (104) and an adaptive data rate decoder (105) using adaptive, parallel-branch decoding to translate received symbols into corresponding data bits. Significantly, the soft decision metrics of the decoder are also used to provide an estimate W of the signal-to-noise ratio. An optional predictor (232) receives W from the adaptive data rate decoder (105) and predicts the future signal-to-noise ratio to determine the desired data rate for the modem. The data rate is changed automatically and dynamically without interrupting the decoding process. A constant channel symbol rate and a single signal set simplify signal acquisition and synchronization. Incoming and outgoing data are buffered, and the transmission rate is changed dynamically by a memory controller (109) to avert buffer overflows and underflows. An optional adaptive phase-lock loop system (116) maintains synchronization of the decoder at all data rates.

Detection of Growth Suppression in Children During Treatment With Intranasal Beclomethasone Dipropionate

Abstract: Objective. Intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) has generally been considered to have no systemic activity at recommended doses, but the potential for long-term effects on growth has not previously been evaluated. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of 1 year of treatment with intranasal BDP on growth in children. Study Design. In this double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study, 100 prepubertal children 6 to 9 years old with perennial allergic rhinitis were treated with aqueous BDP 168 μg twice daily ( n = 51) or placebo ( n = 49) for 1 year. Subjects9 baseline heights were required to be between the 5th and 95th percentile, and skeletal age as determined by left wrist radiograph was required to be within 2 years of chronological age. Washout periods for medications known to affect growth, including other forms of corticosteroids, were established, and these medications were prohibited during the study. However, short courses of oral prednisolone lasting no more than 7 days, and short courses of dermatologic corticosteroids lasting no more than 10 days, were allowed. Height was measured with a stadiometer after 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months of treatment. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis was assessed by measurements of 8 am basal cortisol concentrations and response to .25 mg cosyntropin stimulation. The primary safety parameter was the rate of change in standing height. Statistical analyses were based on all randomized subjects who received at least 1 dose of medication (intent-to-treat principle). The rate of change in standing height was analyzed for all subjects who entered the study and for those completing the full 12 months of treatment ( n = 80). The rate of change in standing height over the 1-year study was calculated as the slope of a linear regression line fitted to each subject9s height measurements over time. Because there was a statistically significant between-group difference in standing height at baseline, an analysis of covariance was performed for all analyses of standing height data. Results. Of the 100 subjects enrolled, 90 completed the study. The 2 treatment groups were generally comparable at baseline; however, at baseline, mean age and mean height were significantly greater in the BDP treatment group that the in placebo treatment group. In both analyses, overall growth rate was significantly slower in BDP-treated subjects than placebo-treated subjects. The mean change in standing height after 1 year was 5.0 cm in the BDP-treated subjects compared with 5.9 cm in the placebo-treated subjects. The difference in growth rates was evident as early as the 1-month treatment visit, suggesting that the effect on growth occurred initially. The growth-suppressive effect of BDP remained consistent across all age and gender subgroups, and among subjects with and without a previous history of corticosteroid use. Use of additional exogenous corticosteroids during the study was similar in both groups and did not affect the results. Because there was a baseline imbalance in height, a supplemental analysis of the differences in prestudy growth rates was performed. This analysis found no baseline imbalance in prestudy growth rates. To determine whether the difference in growth rates during the study could be attributed to preexisting growth rates, a z score analysis was performed. The heights of both groups were normalized at baseline and at the end of the study using the US National Center for Health Statistics data for mean and standard deviations of height. This analysis confirmed that the difference in growth rates between the 2 groups was primarily attributable to the treatment rather than to any preexisting difference in growth. Additional analyses confirmed that the results were not influenced by outlier values. No significant between-group difference were found in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis assessments. No unusual adverse events were observed. No evidence of other systemic effects of BDP was found, including analysis for fluid and electrolyte imbalances; alterations in protein, lipid, or carbohydrate metabolism; alterations in formed elements in blood; and alterations in differential white blood cell counts, including eosinophils. Conclusions. Additional study is warranted to define the clinical relevance of these findings. This study suggests, however, that intranasal BDP may slow growth rate in children without suppressing basal 6 am cortisol concentrations or the response to cosyntropin stimulation, which are commonly used clinically to test for adrenal suppression. The effect on final height is unknown. Alterative explantations for the finding of drug-induced growth suppression, including the possibility that the results were affected by either differences in height and age at baseline between the 2 groups or by outlier values, were discounted upon additional analysis. The results of this study were considered by the Food and Drug Administration in the development of recently proposed new class labeling for all inhaled and intranasal corticosteroids, which states that these agents may cause a reduction in growth velocity in pediatric patients (see reference 21). However, both the Food and Drug Administration and several professional bodies in the United States concur that, depending on disease severity, the benefits of intranasal corticosteroid therapy may outweigh the risks (see reference 22). Because the effect, if any, on final height in not known, the height of children receiving long-term therapy should be monitored periodically during treatment, and should be plotted on a growth or growth-velocity chart to monitor for growth suppression. To minimize the risks of systemic corticosteroid exposure, including growth suppresson, dose-reduction strategies should be considered. For patients who concomitantly receive exogenous corticosteroids via other routes for other conditions, such as inhaled corticosteroids for asthma, clinicians should consider the total corticosteroid exposure and titrate each patient to the lowest effective dose. Clinicians should also consider each medication9s potential for systemic effects when selecting among the various available corticosteroids. beclomethasone dipropionate, intranasal corticosteroids, growth, allergic rhinitis, pediatric.