cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The coronary vascular system and associated medical devices

Even as recent as several hundred years ago, the function of the coronary vascular system was largely unknown. Today, it is well established that the coronary system is a highly variable network of both arteries supplying and veins draining the myocardium of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, respectively. Due to recent advances in technology, the coronary vascular system has been utilized as a therapeutic conduit in a variety of biomedical applications, e.g., cardiac resynchronization therapy. Additionally, symptomatic diseases such as coronary artery disease can be alleviated with stenting or coronary artery bypass grafts. It is well accepted that a comprehensive understanding of the geometric anatomical characteristics of the coronary system will allow for future medical devices to be engineered to successfully deliver novel therapies to a variety of cardiac patients.
Determining the Ecological Effects of Oil Pollution in Marine Ecosystems

Massive amounts of oil hydrocarbons enter coastal oceans from both accidental spills and routine, chronic discharges. Although it is known that oil is toxic to many organisms, current knowledge does not allow precise estimation of ecological damage resulting from oil pollution. At present, most governmental agencies that regulate chronic sources of oil pollution rely on an excessively simplistic approach to estimate damage: determination of lethal toxicity in short-term bioassays. This approach probably underestimates ecological damage, perhaps greatly so. This chapter is a synthesis of what is known about the ecological effects of oil pollution in marine ecosystems, with an emphasis on more sophisticated approaches to estimating effects. Public attention following oil spills often centers on the death of sea birds and contamination of shellfish; these indeed can be serious problems (Teal and Howarth 1984; National Academy of Sciences 1985). However, the potential for ecological damage is much greater than this, and it is the less obvious but potentially more far-reaching problems that are emphasized here. Portions of this manuscript have been previously published as part of a site-specific assessment of the potential effects of oil pollution on Georges Bank (Howarth 1987).
A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF BREAST CANCER STRATIFIED BY ESTROGEN RECEPTOR STATUS

A population-based case-control study was conducted to examine whether tumor estrogen receptor status differentiated risk factor patterns for breast cancer. From December 1980 to December 1982, 458 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and 568 control women, aged 20-54 years, from the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area were interviewed. On the basis of tumor estrogen receptor results, cases were classified as receptor-positive or receptor-negative. Intercase analysis showed that age was positively and significantly associated with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (p = 0.001); the relative risk for an estrogen receptor-positive as opposed to an estrogen receptor-negative tumor was elevated threefold among women aged 50-54 years compared with those aged less than 35 years. In the case-control analysis, race was the only individual factor that demonstrated a significant difference in the risk for estrogen receptor-positive versus estrogen receptor-negative cancer (p less than 0.05), with blacks being at a 25% excess risk for estrogen receptor-negative cancer compared with whites. Although a history of benign breast disease was a risk factor for both positive and negative tumors, the association was stronger for the estrogen receptor-positive tumors. Postmenopausal women were at a lower risk for both cancer subtypes compared with premenopausal women. Compared with non-users, women who had ever taken oral contraceptives had a 16% decrease in the risk for receptor-positive cancer and a 22% increase in the risk for receptor-negative cancer. These results are consistent with the notion that certain exposure variables may relate to hormonal status, possibly by augmentation or suppression of estrogen receptor activity.
A Model of Mesodinium Rubrum Blooms in the Columbia River Estuary

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (CMOP), under the grant award 0424602, and the University Honors College.
0052 Leptin, adiponectin, and heart rate variability among police officers

Objectives To investigate the relationship of leptin and adiponectin with heart rate variability (HRV). Method Leptin and adiponectin levels were measured in 388 non-diabetic officers from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress study, following a 12-hour fast. HRV was performed according to methods published by the Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing Electrophysiology for measurement and analysis of HRV. Mean values of high (HF) and low frequency (LF) HRV were compared across tertiles of leptin and adiponectin using ANOVA and ANCOVA; trends were assessed using linear regression models. Results Leptin, but not adiponectin, was significantly and inversely associated with HF and LF HRV. BMI and percent body fat (also waist circumference and abdominal height) significantly modified the association between leptin and LF (but not HF) HRV. Among officers with BMI 2 , the association between leptin and HRV was not significant. However, among officers with BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 , the association between leptin and HRV was inversely related, after adjustment for age, gender, and race/ethnicity; p-values for trend (HF HRV, p = 0.019 and LF HRV, p Conclusions Our results show that leptin levels were inversely and significantly associated with HRV among all officers, and particularly among officers with higher levels of adiposity. These results suggest that increased leptin levels may be associated with CVD-related health problems.
Computer-assisted audits of blood component transfusion.

Comprehensive review of clinical blood transfusion practice at a tertiary-care medical center is complicated by the extraordinary number of patients that receive such therapy. Computer-assisted review of the key objective data used in making the decisions about transfusion is necessary to evaluate the process. Use of 15,873 units of red blood cells, 3,641 units of plasma, 2,619 pools of platelets or pheresis units, and 259 pools of cryoprecipitate was screened by comparing pre-transfusion and post-transfusion blood counts with the medical staff’s evaluation criteria. On this basis, 81.4% of transfusion episodes (TEs) were considered fully justified. Medical records were selected for audit from the cases in which the transfusion decisions could not be justified by on-line information. Abstracted data subsequently justified 82 of 139 audited cases; 68.4% of the comments pertaining to the remaining 57 cases adequately explained the transfusion decision. Thus, nearly 9 6 % of the TEs were justifiable as determined by peer review.
Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of Archaeal Tetraether Free-Standing Planar Membranes in a PDMS- and PCB-Based Fluidic Platform

The polar lipid fraction E (PLFE) isolated from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius contains exclusively bipolar tetraether lipids, which are able to form extraordinarily stable vesicular membranes against a number of chemical, physical, and mechanical stressors. PLFE liposomes have thus been considered appealing biomaterials holding great promise for biotechnology applications such as drug delivery and biosensing. Here we demonstrated that PLFE can also form free-standing “planar” membranes on micropores (∼100 μm) of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin films embedded in printed circuit board (PCB)-based fluidics. To build this device, two novel approaches were employed: (i) an S1813 sacrificial layer was used to facilitate the fabrication of the PDMS thin film, and (ii) oxygen plasma treatment was utilized to conveniently bond the PDMS thin film to the PCB board and the PDMS fluidic chamber. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, we found that the dielectric properties of PLFE pl...
A Phosphatidic Acid (PA) conveyor system of continuous intracellular transport from cell membrane to nucleus maintains EGF receptor homeostasis

// Karen M. Henkels 2 , Taylor E. Miller 2 , Ramya Ganesan 2 , Brandon A. Wilkins 2 , Kristen Fite 2 and Julian Gomez-Cambronero 1,2 1 Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Brigham and Women Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA Correspondence to: Julian Gomez-Cambronero, email: // Keywords : mammalian cells, breast cancer, gene expression, cell signaling, phospholipids Received : April 14, 2016 Accepted : May 14, 2016 Published : May 31, 2016 Abstract The intracellular concentration of the mitogen phosphatidic acid (PA) must be maintained at low levels until the need arises for cell proliferation. How temporal and spatial trafficking of PA affects its target proteins in the different cellular compartments is not fully understood. We report that in cancer cells, PA cycles back and forth from the cellular membrane to the nucleus, affecting the function of epidermal growth factor (EGF), in a process that involves PPARα/LXRα signaling. Upon binding to its ligand, EGF receptor (EGFR)-initiated activation of phospholipase D (PLD) causes a spike in intracellular PA production that forms vesicles transporting EGFR from early endosomes (EEA1 marker) and prolonged internalization in late endosomes and Golgi (RCAS marker). Cells incubated with fluorescent-labeled PA (NBD-PA) show PA in “diffuse” locations throughout the cytoplasm, punctae (small, 0.5 μm) vesicles that co-localize with EGFR. We also report that PPARα/LXRα form heterodimers that bind to new Responsive Elements (RE) in the EGFR promoter. Nuclear PA enhances EGFR expression, a role compatible with the mitogenic ability of the phospholipid. Newly made EGFR is packaged into PA recycling vesicles (Rab11 marker) and transported back to the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. However, a PLD+PA combination impedes binding of PPARα/LXRα to the EGFR promoter. Thus, if PA levels inside the nucleus reach a certain threshold (>100 nM) PA outcompetes the nuclear receptors and transcription is inhibited. This new signaling function of PLD-PA targeting EGFR trafficking and biphasically modulating its transcription, could explain cell proliferation initiation and its maintenance in cancer cells.
An Aesthetic Appreciation of Alan Watts

Alan Watts has been accused of never seriously practicing any of the spiritual disciplines that were central to the Eastern philosophies that he popularized in the West. This article puts forward a...
The Presidentialization Debate

This book is a study of party leaders and the role they play in shaping the conduct and outcome of parliamentary election campaigns. More specifically, it is a systematic evaluation of the widely acclaimed ‘presidentialization’ of parliamentary election contests. Its background is the traditional notion that parliamentary politics are party politics and, as such, are devoid of the individualistic element found in regimes where the office of president is the main political prize to be won by an individual who may be affiliated with, and supported by, a political party organization but who to a substantial degree runs for office on the basis of his own qualifications, experience, personality and promise.
Regulation and function of immune suppressive myeloid cells in systemic autoimmunity

S lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease characterized by elevated production of auto-reactive antibodies and systemic inflammation. Nine out of ten patients suffering from SLE are female. Sex hormones have been extensively studied for their potential effects on disease pathogenesis. It is thus known that testosterone protects while estrogens exacerbate disease development. We have recently described a population of Gr1+CD11b+ cells that are upregulated in male lupusprone (NZB x NZW)F1 mice. These cells are driven by testosterone in a dose-dependent manner, as revealed by castration and hormonal reconstitution studies. Interestingly, although Gr1+ cells from both male and female prepubescent (NZB x NZW)F1 mice are immunosuppressive, the suppressive capacity is driven by different mechanisms and only male-derived cells remain immunosuppressive after puberty. In support hereof, adult 9 week old male mice depleted of Gr1-expressing cells develop increased levels of antibodies to both thymus-dependent antigens (NP-CGG) and nuclear auto-antigens, while a similar depletion strategy in age-matched females had no effect on either NP-specific antibody production or the spontaneous appearance of anti-nuclear autoantibodies. Further studies revealed that Gr1+ cell depletion in adult (NZB x NZW)F1 male mice resulted in increased levels of TFH and GC B cells after immunization. We conclude that a population of testosteronedriven Gr1+ cells present in (NZB x NZW)F1 lupus-prone male mice exert a hitherto unappreciated role in controlling activation of the adaptive immune system and the development of lupus-like disease. Manipulation of these cells represents an interesting new target for immunotherapy in autoimmune disorders with a female predominance.
Design of catheter for combined intravascular photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging

Intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging aims to detect and differentiate atherosclerotic plaques based on the optical absorption of the plaque constituents. From the high resolution IVPA images and the corresponding co-registered intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images, functional and structural information about the atherosclerotic plaque can be acquired and, therefore, the vulnerability of the atherosclerotic plaque may be determined. Moreover, by using the plasmonic nanoparticles as contrast agents, IVPA images can capture the molecular and cellular signature of the atherosclerotic plaque. However, for in-vivo IVUS/IVPA imaging, an integrated catheter consisting of IVUS imaging transducer and an intravascular light delivery system is needed. In this paper, a prototype of the integrated catheter for IVUS/IVPA imaging was constructed based on a commercially available single element IVUS imaging catheter and an optical fiber. The integrated imaging catheter was tested using the tissue mimicking phantoms. The results of our study suggest that the integrated imaging catheter for in-vivo IVUS/IVPA imaging can be designed based on ultrasound probe combined with a fiber optical light delivery system.
Geographic distribution of live births with tetralogy of Fallot in North Carolina 2003 to 2012.

Background Geographic variation in congenital heart disease is not well-described. This study uses geographic information systems (GIS) to describe the spatial epidemiology of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), in North Carolina (NC) and to compare travel time for cases to congenital heart centers in NC. Methods Using the NC Birth Defects Monitoring Program database, live births with TOF born between 2003 and 2012 were identified. Birth certificates provided demographic variables. A denominator of live births/zip code was obtained from the NC live births database. ArcGIS® software was used to illustrate TOF prevalence by zip code, and SatScanTM was used to identify spatial clusters of TOF cases and to identify changes in cluster location over time. Driving time to each of five NC congenital heart centers was predicted based on road systems information. Results A total of 496 infants were born with TOF between 2003 and 2012. The prevalence was 4.2/10,000 live births. A large cluster (330 zip codes, 306 cases) was identified in northeastern NC. Average driving time for each case to closest congenital heart center was: University of North Carolina 37 min, Vident Medical Center 64 min, Duke University 58 min, Carolina's Medical Center 89 min, and Wake Forest Baptist Health 57 min. Overall, average predicted driving time to the nearest congenital heart center was 61 min. Conclusion Approximately 50 infants/year were born with TOF in NC. One cluster was identified. Further study is necessary to explore potential explanations for the observed case cluster. As interest in regionalization of congenital heart surgery grows, GIS and spatial analysis can become increasingly useful tools for health care planning. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:881-887, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Locomotor sensitization to intermittent ketamine administration is associated with nucleus accumbens plasticity in male and female rats

Clinical evidence suggests superior antidepressant response over time with a repeated, intermittent ketamine treatment regimen as compared to a single infusion. However, the club drug ketamine is commonly abused. Therefore, the abuse potential of repeated ketamine injections at low doses needs to be investigated. In this study, we investigated the abuse potential of repeated exposure to either 0, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg ketamine administered once weekly for seven weeks. Locomotor activity and conditioned place preference (CPP) were assayed to evaluate behavioral sensitization to the locomotor activating effects of ketamine and its rewarding properties, respectively. Our results show that while neither males nor females developed CPP, males treated with 5 mg/kg and females treated with either 2.5 or 5 mg/kg ketamine behaviorally sensitized. Furthermore, dendritic spine density was increased in the NAc of both males and females administered 5 mg/kg ketamine, an effect specific to the NAc shell (NAcSh) in males but to both the NAc core (NAcC) and NAcSh in females. Additionally, males administered 5 mg/kg ketamine displayed increased protein expression of ΔfosB, calcium calmodulin kinase II alpha (CaMKIIα), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an effect not observed in females administered either dose of ketamine. However, males and females administered 5 mg/kg ketamine displayed increased protein expression of AMPA receptors (GluA1). Taken together, low-dose ketamine, when administered intermittently, induces behavioral sensitization at a lower dose in females than males, accompanied by an increase in spine density in the NAc and protein expression changes in pathways commonly implicated in addiction.
Apparent activation energy for hydrogen permeation and its relation to the composition of homogeneous PdAu alloy thin-film membranes

Abstract PdAu alloy composite membranes are often fabricated by sequential electroless plating of Pd and Au, but this forms a layered structure that must be annealed to form a homogenous alloy. Using ex situ analysis techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) or energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to judge the extent of homogenization can be time-consuming as the composite membranes must be cooled to ambient temperatures prior to analysis. However, an in situ alternative is to use the apparent activation energy for H2 permeation (Eact). In this work, 27 – 41 wt% Au films were fabricated to expand upon a range of 0 – 21 wt% that has been previously reported. Homogenization (confirmed by XRD and EDS) was achieved by heat treatment in 3 MPa H2 at 550 °C for up to 120 h. The apparent Eact was found to initially decrease with increasing Au composition from 12.2 kJ mol−1 (pure Pd) to 7.5 kJ mol−1 (21 wt% Au) after which it slowly increased to 9.0 kJ mol−1 (41 wt% Au). The two distinct regimes can be explained using the relation Eact = ΔHH + ED, wherein Eact is the sum of the partial enthalpy of solution of H into the PdAu alloy (ΔHH) and the activation energy for diffusion of H in the alloy (ED). Essentially, the two components of Eact have opposite signs that counteract each other and cause a non-linear trend with increasing Au compositions.
Self Help, the Media and the First Amendment

Since Kalven wrote over thirty years ago, the role of self help in the development of First Amendment jurisprudence has continued to be little noticed and rarely invoked in any explicit way. By self help, I mean, broadly stated, the primacy of individual choice or action—as opposed to government fiat—in defining the reach of the First Amendment. Such action can manifest itself in different ways. As Kalven observed, one strain of self help is resistance through counter-speech to expression that the individual finds noxious, harmful or otherwise lacking merit. This is not the only form self help can take, however. At the core of the First Amendment is the ideal of a citizen who makes up her own mind as to how to inform herself, what to believe, and how—and even whether—to express that belief. And, however one chooses to respond to ideas or expression, there is the question of the individual’s obligation to avoid exposure to that which is deemed offensive instead of seeking state protection. In Part II of this Article, I examine briefly some of the underpinnings of self help as a value central to the First Amendment, and how that value has manifested itself in the case law. Then, in Part III, I consider how self help values might better inform how to deal with several media problems of current interest. In particular, I examine the
The large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channel and its γ1-subunit modulate mouse uterine artery function during pregnancy

Key points The uterine artery (UA) markedly vasodilates during pregnancy to direct blood flow to the developing fetus. Inadequate UA vasodilatation leads to intrauterine growth restriction and fetal death. The large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+ -activated K+ (BKCa ) channel promotes UA vasodilatation during pregnancy. We report that BKCa channel activation increases the UA diameter at late pregnancy stages in mice. Additionally, a BKCa channel auxiliary subunit, γ1, participates in this process by increasing channel activation and inducing UA vasodilatation at late pregnancy stages. Our results highlight the importance of the BKCa channel and its γ1-subunit for UA functional changes during pregnancy. Abstract Insufficient vasodilatation of the uterine artery (UA) during pregnancy leads to poor utero-placental perfusion, contributing to intrauterine growth restriction and fetal loss. Activity of the large-conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ (BKCa ) channel increases in the UA during pregnancy, and its inhibition reduces uterine blood flow, highlighting a role of this channel in UA adaptation to pregnancy. The auxiliary γ1-subunit increases BKCa activation in vascular smooth muscle, but its role in pregnancy-associated UA remodelling is unknown. We explored whether the BKCa and its γ1-subunit contribute to UA remodelling during pregnancy. Doppler imaging revealed that, compared to UAs from wild-type (WT) mice, UAs from BKCa knockout (BKCa-/- ) mice had lower resistance at pregnancy day 14 (P14) but not at P18. Lumen diameters were twofold larger in pressurized UAs from P18 WT mice than in those from non-pregnant mice, but this difference was not seen in UAs from BKCa-/- mice. UAs from pregnant WT mice constricted 20-50% in response to the BKCa blocker iberiotoxin (IbTX), whereas UAs from non-pregnant WT mice only constricted 15%. Patch-clamp analysis of WT UA smooth muscle cells confirmed that BKCa activity increased over pregnancy, showing three distinct voltage sensitivities. The γ1-subunit transcript increased 7- to 10-fold during pregnancy. Furthermore, γ1-subunit knockdown reduced IbTX sensitivity in UAs from pregnant mice, whereas γ1-subunit overexpression increased IbTX sensitivity in UAs from non-pregnant mice. Finally, at P18, γ1-knockout (γ1-/- ) mice had smaller UA diameters than WT mice, and IbTX-mediated vasoconstriction was prevented in UAs from γ1-/- mice. Our results suggest that the γ1-subunit increases BKCa activation in UAs during pregnancy.
Development of a Clinically Relevant Men's Health Phenotype and Correlation of Systemic and Urologic Conditions.

Objective To develop a clinically relevant men's health phenotype and investigate the correlation between severity of urologic symptoms and systemic health conditions Methods Retrospective chart review was performed for men seeking care for benign prostatic hypertrophy, erectile dysfunction or chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Urologic symptoms were assessed with the International Prostate Symptom Score, Sexual Health Inventory for Men, and National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Score. Each was graded as absent or mild (0), moderate (1), or severe (2) and totaled for a urologic score (US). Seven comorbidities with known impact on urologic symptoms were similarly graded (0-2 for each) and totaled for a systemic score (SS). These domains were anxiety, cardiovascular, testosterone deficiency, insulin (diabetes), obesity, neurologic, and sleep apnea. Results The study included 415 men with median age of 53.8 (range 19-92). Mean total US was 2.1 (range 0-6) and mean SS was 4.1 (0-12). There was a strong correlation between US and SS (Spearman Rho = 0.37, P neurologic> diabetes> anxiety> sleep apnea> obesity> testosterone. By cluster analysis the tightest correlations were age with cardiovascular, anxiety with CPPS, and diabetes with erectile dysfunction. Conclusion Systemic health conditions correlate strongly with urologic symptoms in men who present for urologic care. Phenotyping with ACTIONS (anxiety, cardiovascular, testosterone deficiency, insulin, obesity, neurologic, sleep apnea) can identify modifiable conditions that may impact urologic symptoms and outcome of interventions. Future validation in the general population is needed.
Advances in bioluminescence imaging: New probes from old recipes

Bioluminescent probes are powerful tools for visualizing biology in live tissues and whole animals. Recent years have seen a surge in the number of new luciferases, luciferins, and related tools available for bioluminescence imaging. Many were crafted using classic methods of optical probe design and engineering. Here we highlight recent advances in bioluminescent tool discovery and development, along with applications of the probes in cells, tissues, and organisms. Collectively, these tools are improving in vivo imaging capabilities and bolstering new research directions.
Correlated responses in maternal performance following divergent selection for heat loss in mice.

Divergent selection in mice was applied in 3 independent replicates for high (maintenance high; MH) and low (maintenance low; ML) heat loss for 16 generations. An unselected control (maintenance control; MC) was also maintained in all replicates. Selection ceased for 26 generations; heat-loss measurement and selection resumed at generation 42. Lactation performance, dam weight, dam feed intake, and efficiency of production of pup weight were recorded or calculated for MH and ML dams in all 3 replicates at generation 46 or 47 with the objective of determining whether selection for heat loss has created correlated responses in maternal performance. One-half of the dams reared their own litters, and one-half reared cross-fostered (across lines) litters. Between 10 and 12 litters were used from each replicate-line-rearing class. Litter size was recorded, and litters were standardized to 8 pups within 24 h of birth. For cross fostering, MH litters were matched to ML litters born within 24 h of each other, and MH-ML litter pairs were cross-fostered at 3 d of age. A weigh-suckle-weigh protocol was used to obtain milk production estimates over a 2-h suckling period at 6, 9, 12, and 15 d. Dam (plus litter) feed intake was also recorded at these times and was calculated as the disappearance of feed over 3-d intervals. Dams of the MH selection tended (P 0.86) on milk production. Line of dam tended to affect 21-d litter weight (P = 0.15) with litters reared by MH dams weighing more than those reared by ML dams, but there was no difference (P > 0.86) in 21-d dam weights. Efficiency of producing litter weight (litter 15-d weight: dam plus litter feed intake from d 6 to 15) was greater (0.49 vs. 0.46, SE = 0.009; P = 0.03) for ML than for MH dams. Selection for reduced heat loss (lower maintenance feed intake in the ML line) resulted in reduced milk production and feed intake in dams and greater efficiency of litter weight production.
Naturopathic medical student empathy and burnout: A preliminary study

Abstract Background Many studies have demonstrated empathy decline in medical students over the course of training. Burnout negatively affects academic or professional performance and has been negatively correlated with empathy. Neither empathy nor burnout has been previously studied in naturopathic medical students. Objective The aims of this cross-sectional study were to (1) compare empathy at different levels of training, (2) describe the prevalence of burnout, and (3) identify correlations between empathy and burnout, in naturopathic medical students. Methods This cross-sectional study used the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure empathy and burnout, respectively, in an online survey of current naturopathic medical students at one institution. Results 1) There was no significant difference in empathy between any cohorts or between those in internship versus those not in internship. 2) Among burnout outcomes, 42% of participants met criteria for emotional exhaustion, 19% for depersonalization, and 64% for low sense of personal accomplishment. 3) Cognitive empathy was positively correlated with affective empathy and a higher sense of personal accomplishment and negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Conclusions While a longitudinal study would provide more definitive evidence, this study suggests that empathy in naturopathic medical students is relatively stable over the course of training. It also demonstrates that burnout is prevalent in this population and has an inverse relationship with empathy. Interventions to prevent burnout and increase empathy are discussed.
Using the Arctic water resources vulnerability index in assessing and responding to environmental change in Alaskan communities

Abstract Adaptation to environmental change has become a necessity and a norm for many Arctic communities. We examine whether the adaptive capacity varies in different communities in Alaska with contrasting ecologies and socio-economic systems using the Arctic Water Resources Vulnerability Index (AWRVI). We applied the index to six communities in three distinct regions of Alaska with respect to water resources: Nuiqsut in Northern Alaska, Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna and Kenai in the Kenai River watershed of Southcentral Alaska and Juneau in Southeast Alaska. We modified the AWRVI tool to accommodate the breadth of physical and social conditions in these communities. Using the AWRVI, we measured the adaptive capacity of the communities, which reflect greater vulnerability in Nuiqsut in Northern Alaska due to limitations in water supply and greater surrounding development that could pollute water in their food-shed. The overall adaptive capacities of the two communities that are more mountainous, Cooper Landing and Juneau are similar, as are Sterling, Soldotna and Kenai’s, which are in flatter terrain along the Kenai River. However, the physical and social sub-indices of the communities in the Kenai River watershed and Juneau differ. We discuss actions each community could take to improve their respective capacity to respond to anticipated change.
Toward consilience in the use of task-level feedback to promote learning

Abstract Over the past 50 years, the effects of task-level feedback on learning have been investigated within three relatively isolated research traditions: experimental laboratory research, applied research in the classroom, and research on using computers for individual instruction. Within each of these areas, the accumulation of empirical findings has far outpaced the development of theory. In addition, numerous discrepancies have emerged within and among these research traditions, which is problematic for existing theory and making recommendations for educational practice. The goal of this review is to make sense of a fragmented feedback literature that is rife with (seemingly) contradictory findings by introducing theoretical ideas from other areas of human learning. We begin by providing some context through a brief history of feedback research and then describe some common flaws in feedback research that have caused much confusion in the literature. Next, we discuss three well-replicated findings from the literature that are critical to understanding how people learn from feedback and introduce new theoretical ideas that may help to explain these phenomena. Finally, we describe a few future directions for feedback research and some guidelines for how feedback can be used to promote learning in educational practice.
Improvement with Fractional Ablative Laser and Topical Poly-L-Lactic Acid in an RDEB Patient

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) results from mutations in the COL7A1 gene for type VII collagen. Affected patients demonstrate skin fragility and blistering with scarring. Associated morbidity is great, and there are limited therapeutic options. Fractional carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) ablative laser (FABL) treatments have been shown to promote collagen remodeling and demonstrate synergy with topical poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) applications. We report the case of a young woman with RDEB who experienced decreased blistering, decreased healing time, and improved quality of life in a local skin area treated with FABL followed by topical PLLA. In comparing biopsy specimens from treated and untreated skin, improved collagen organization and collagen maturity were observed by histopathological examination including with Herovici staining. Moreover, type VII collagen, absent in untreated skin, was detected in treated affected skin by immunostaining. This report illustrates a treatment response to FABL and topical PLLA in a patient with RDEB including enhanced healing time, collagen remodeling, and type VII collagen expression. The findings are promising and, with further study, may have broader implications for treating this disorder.
Development of an UPLC/MS-MS method for quantification of intact IGF-I from human serum.

Aim: Developing LC-MS methods for biomolecules is often challenging due to issues with molecular size and complexity, nonspecific binding, protein binding, solubility and sensitivity. As a result, complex sample preparation workflows, including immune-affinity and/or protein digestion and lengthy analysis potentially using nano-flow LC, may be needed to achieve the required sensitivity. This work aims to provide a simple, sensitive, fast and robust method for quantification of intact IGF-I from human serum using UPLC-MS/MS. Methods: IGF-I serum samples were denatured with sodium dodecyl sulfate, followed by organic protein precipitation to effectively disrupt protein binding and subsequent SPE of the resulting supernatant for sample cleanup and enrichment prior to LC-MS/MS analysis. Separation was performed on an analytical scale LC using a reversed-phase column containing 0.99) and mean accuracy of 101.76%. Accuracies for quality control samples were between 93.9-107.7% with RSD <7%. Conclusion: The analytical sensitivity, linear dynamic range and excellent reproducibility of this method reliably measures endogenous and elevated serum IGF-I levels, demonstrating its utility in discovery, bioanalysis and clinical research.
Polymer Zwitterions for Stabilization of CsPbBr 3 Perovskite Nanoparticles and Nanocomposite Films

Functional polymers with sulfobetaine or phosphorylcholine zwitterions as pendent groups are demonstrated as both ligands and host matrices for CsPbBr3 perovskite nanoparticles (PNPs). These polymers produce nanocomposite films with excellent NP dispersion, optical transparency, and impressive resistance to NP degradation upon exposure to water. Multidentate interactions of the zwitterion-containing copolymers with the PNPs induce dispersed or weakly aggregated nanocomposite morphologies, depending on the extent of zwitterionic functionality in the polymer. Incorporating additional functionality into the polymers, such as benzophenone pendent groups, yields lithographically patternable films, while time-resolved photoluminescence measurements provide insight into the electronic impact of PNPs in zwitterionic polymer matrices.
Chapter 2 – Neutron Interactions

Publisher Summary This chapter details the fundamentals of neutron interactions in nuclear reactions. At the core of neutron interactions is the concept of the cross section or the cross-sectional area of a nucleus as it appears to an incoming neutron. Such cross sections, their dependence on the neutron's kinetic energy, and the relative probabilities that a collision will result in scattering, capture, or fission form the basic physical data upon which the properties of chain reactions rest. The chapter starts with a discussion on the neutrons' behavior as they travel through space and defines microscopic and macroscopic cross sections. It then details the differences between cross sections for scattering, absorption, and other reaction types. The chapter explores the range of kinetic energies over which neutrons may exist in a reactor, and then details the dependence of cross section on neutron energy. Concepts of microscopic and macroscopic cross sections, neutron energy range, and cross section energy dependence are explained in detail. The chapter concludes with describing the distributions of energies of scattered neutrons.
So, What Does All of This Mean Anyway?: Making Sense of Men’s Participation in Infidelity

Men spoke of primary partnerships where their perception of a lack of an enthusiastic sexual partner, lack of relational management, and their primary partners’ disinterest in their feelings resulted in a loss of self-esteem and emasculation. Outside partnerships offered opportunities to validate their masculinity via sexual prowess, and functioned as a space where partners lavished them with attention, praise, and care. Men exercised the Infidelity Workaround. They outsourced the unsatisfying aspects of the primary partnership to a more interested third party while retaining the status of being married, avoiding the emotional upset of toppling their current lives, and circumventing the stigma, pain, and expense of a divorce. Men sought to outsource the emotional aspect of their primary partnerships via sexual outside partnerships.
Cocaine and Marijuana Polysubstance Use and Cocaine Use Disorder: Investigating Mediated Effects through Patterns of Cocaine Use.

Cocaine use is on the rise and it is comorbid with marijuana use. We examined the association between lifetime cocaine + marijuana polysubstance use (CM PSU) versus cocaine only and lifetime cocain...
Exploring Competencies in Context: Critical Considerations for after-School Youth Program Staff

Youth workers play an important role in youths’ experiences in after-school programs. Although many staff competency frameworks exist, little attention has been given to understanding how character...
Characterization of synthetic riboswitch in cell-free protein expression systems.

Riboswitches are RNA-based regulatory elements that utilize ligand-induced structural changes in the 5ʹ-untranslated region of mRNA to regulate the expression of associated genes. The majority of s...
A Comparison of Traditional Victims, Cyber Victims, Traditional-Cyber Victims, and Uninvolved Adolescents: A Social-Ecological Framework

Very few studies explicitly investigate the prevalence, similarities, and differences among adolescents who experience one or both types of bullying victimization. The exploratory study aims to illustrate patterns of concurrence of traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization and identify similarities and differences of traditional victims, cyber victims, and traditional-cyber victims within the social-ecological theoretical framework. Multinomial logistic regressions were constructed employing the data from the 2013 National Crime Victimization Survey School Crime Supplement with a nationally representative sample of adolescents aged 12 to 18 who were selected through a stratified multistage cluster sample of households across the United States. Traditional victims were the most prevalent type of victims followed by traditional-cyber victims and finally cyber victims. The relationships between social-ecological contexts and bullying victimization were relied on whether bullying victimization was offline, online, or both. There were shared and unique predictors observed that distinguished between traditional victims, cyber victims, and traditional-cyber victims. Findings suggest the social-ecological theory may not work similarly for explaining different forms of bullying victimization. It may be beneficial to the development of intervention programs that consider both universal and unique strategies targeted specifically for youth who are victimized by traditional bullying, cyberbullying, or both.
Empirical tests of habitat selection theory reveal that conspecific density and patch quality, but not habitat amount, drive long-distance immigration in a wild bird

Individuals that disperse long distances from their natal site must select breeding patches with no prior knowledge of patch suitability. Despite decades of theoretical studies examining which cues dispersing individuals should use to select breeding patches, few empirical studies have tested the predictions of these theories at spatial scales relevant to long-distance dispersal in wild animal populations. Here, we use a novel assignment model based on multiple intrinsic markers to quantify natal dispersal distances of Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) breeding in forest fragments. We show that long-distance natal dispersal in this species is more frequent than commonly assumed for songbirds and that habitat selection by these individuals is driven by density-dependence and patch quality but not the amount of habitat surrounding breeding patches. These results represent an important contribution to understanding habitat selection by dispersing individuals, especially with regards to long-distance dispersal.
Neural mechanisms of distributed value representations and learning strategies

Abstract Learning appropriate representations of the reward environment is extremely challenging in the real world where there are many options to learn about and these options have many attributes or features. Despite existence of alternative solutions for this challenge, neural mechanisms underlying emergence and adoption of value representations and learning strategies remain unknown. To address this, we measured learning and choice during a novel multi-dimensional probabilistic learning task in humans and trained recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to capture our experimental observations. We found that participants estimate stimulus-outcome associations by learning and combining estimates of reward probabilities associated with the informative feature followed by those of informative conjunctions. Through analyzing representations, connectivity, and lesioning of the RNNs, we demonstrate this mixed learning strategy relies on a distributed neural code and distinct contributions of inhibitory and excitatory neurons. Together, our results reveal neural mechanisms underlying emergence of complex learning strategies in naturalistic settings.
Validation of the finite-volume quantization condition for two spinless particles

Lattice QCD calculations of scattering phaseshifts and resonance parameters in the two-body sector are becoming precision studies. Early calculations employed Luscher's formula for extracting these quantities at lowest order. As the calculations become more ambitious, higher-order relations are required. In this study we present a way to validate the higher-order quantization conditions. This is an important step given the involved derivations of these formulae. We derive and validate quantization conditions up to $\ell=5$ partial waves in both cubic and elongated geometries, and for states zero and non-zero total momentum. For all 45 quantization conditions we considered (22 in cubic box, 23 in elongated box) we find perfect agreement.
Brain state-dependent modulation of thalamic visual processing by cortico-thalamic feedback

The behavioral state of a mammal impacts how the brain responds to visual stimuli as early as in the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (dLGN), the primary relay of visual information to the cortex. A clear example of this is the markedly stronger response of dLGN neurons to higher temporal frequencies of the visual stimulus in alert as compared to quiescent animals. The dLGN receives strong feedback from the visual cortex, yet whether this feedback contributes to these state-dependent responses to visual stimuli is poorly understood. Here we show that in mice, silencing cortico-thalamic feedback abolishes state-dependent differences in the response of dLGN neurons to visual stimuli. This holds true for dLGN responses to both temporal and spatial features of the visual stimulus. These results reveal that the state-dependent shift of the response to visual stimuli in an early stage of visual processing depends on cortico-thalamic feedback.
Resolvin T-series Reduce Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.

The newly identified thirteen-series Resolvins (RvTs) regulate phagocyte functions and accelerate resolution of infectious inflammation. Since SARS-CoV-2 elicits uncontrolled inflammation involving neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), we tested whether stereochemically defined RvTs regulate NET formation. Using microfluidic devices capturing NETs in PMA-stimulated human whole blood, the RvTs, RvT1-RvT4, 2.5 nM each, potently reduced NETs. With IL-1b-stimulated human neutrophils, each RvT dose- and time-dependently decreased NETosis giving ~50% potencies at 10 nM, compared to the known NETosis inhibitors [10 mM]. In mouse Staphylococcus aureus infection, RvTs [50 ng each] limited neutrophil infiltration, bacterial titers and NETs. Additionally, each RvT enhanced NET uptake by human macrophages; RvT2 was the most potent of the four RvTs, giving >50% increase in NET-phagocytosis. As part of the intracellular signaling mechanism, RvT2 increased cAMP and phospho-AMPK within human macrophages, and RvT2-stimulated NET uptake was abolished by PKA and AMPK inhibition. RvT2 also stimulated NET clearance by mouse macrophages in vivo. Together, these results provide evidence for novel pro-resolving functions of RvTs, namely reducing NETosis and enhancing macrophage NET clearance via a cAMP-PKA-AMPK axis. Thus, RvTs open opportunities for regulating NET-mediated collateral tissue damage during infection as well as monitoring NETs.
Characterization of Subcellular Responses Induced by Exposure of Microbubbles to Astrocytes.

Abstract Blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has now been identified to associate with adverse health consequences among combat veterans. Post-traumatic stress disorder linked with explosive blasts, for example, may result from such brain injury. The fundamental questions about the nature, diagnosis, and long-term consequences of bTBI and causative relationship to post-traumatic stress disorder remain elusive, however. A better understanding of brain tissue injury requires elucidation of potential mechanisms. One such mechanism may be generation of microcavitation bubbles in the brain after an explosive blast and their subsequent interaction with brain cells. Using a controlled electrical discharge system, we have successfully generated shock waves (∼10 MPa) and microbubbles (20–30 μm) in the cell culture of mouse astrocytes. Detachment of astrocytes from the substrate after exposure to microbubbles was observed, and it depended on repetitive exposures. Of the cells that survived the initial assault, seve...