cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Significance of Race and Social Class for Self-Study and The Professional Knowledge Base of Teacher Education$ * $

Race and social class are pivotal in structuring inequity in the educational system, defining the content of o3cial knowledge, establishing pedagogical policies and practices, and shaping relational dynamics in educational contexts. The question arises: Do race and social class have substantive relevance for teacher practice and the process of self-study in education? The purpose of this chapter is to explore the significance of race and social class meanings in educators’ practical and intersubjective experiences, and to examine the contributions of self-study theory and research to understanding race and social class in educators’ pedagogical, curricular, and programmatic endeavors. A critical social-constructivist perspective is presented to examine teachers’ attitudes and expectations. It is grounded in the normalization of inequity and derived from historical, racial and social class meanings that have become internal to the self-as-educator in local practice. This chapter addresses the unique contributions that self-study’s research paradigm and foundational principles make to investigating and reframing beliefs, assumptions and practices, and analyzes the knowledge produced from educators’ disciplined self-study inquiries on race and social class. Recommendations from these inquiries are presented with implications for educators’ personal and professional growth, for transformations in the foundational knowledge-base in teacher education, and for institutional change in education.
Can mucinous lesions of the breast be reliably diagnosed by core needle biopsy

Lesions of the breast containing extravasated mucin span a continuum from benign mucoceles to invasive mucinous (colloid) carcinoma. It is well known that distinguishing benign from malignant mucinous lesions is difficult in fine-needle aspiration material. Whether these lesions also are difficult to distinguish in core needle biopsy material is not known. To address this, I reviewed the results of 4,297 breast core needle biopsies. Mucinous lesions were identified in 22 cases (0.51%), and excisional biopsy material was available for 15 of these. At excision, 0 of 8 benign mucinous lesions showed carcinoma, while 7 of 7 mucinous lesions associated with carcinoma at the time of core needle biopsy showed carcinoma at excision. The vast majority of mucinous lesions of the breast can be diagnosed accurately by core needle biopsy. Whether all such lesions require excision is not known at this time.
Using remote sensing image texture to study habitat use patterns: a case study using the polymorphic white‐throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

Aim Ecological factors that vary along spatial scales can greatly influence the outcome of evolution. However, often it is difficult for researchers to identify significant ecological variables that might be associated with the geographical distribution of phenotypes and genotypes in nature. In this paper, we use remote sensing image texture analyses to investigate breeding territories of the white-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis ), a polymorphic passerine species that has been shown to segregate spatially according to morph. Our aim was to examine how an integrative measure of landscape feature, such as image texture, could be used to distinguish subtle differences in habitat use and, presumably, habitat selection. Location A population of white-throated sparrows located 1.5 miles east of the Cranberry Lake Biological Station in the Adirondack Mountains of St Lawrence County, New York, was used in this study; the study site itself was approximately 1 km 2 . Methods We analysed 27 territories (16 white males; 11 tan males) to determine if image texture can be used to distinguish differences in vegetation and structure in territories of the two colour morphs. First (variance)- and second (homogeneity)order image texture measurements with three different window sizes were derived using the green, red, and near infrared bands of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data. Texture was then placed into t tests to determine statistical differences between the territories of the two male morphs. Results Significant differences between the territories of the two morphs were found in both variance and homogeneity texture measures in the red and green ASTER bands in all three window sizes. There were no differences with any near infrared texture measures. Main conclusions Examination of first- and second-order statistical measures indicated that the territories of tan males have significantly more spectral variance than the territories of white males, while white males’ territories are significantly more homogeneous. These findings are consistent with the previous finding of the morphs settling in ‘high’ and ‘low’ neighbour density habitats that differ with respect to the amount of useable area on their borders. Previous study has also suggested that white and tan male territories differ according to overall landscape structure, not vegetation composition. Therefore, we suggest that red and green spectra may be more useful when examining differences in territory structure and possibly territory quality of similar edge-type species. Our results suggest that image texture is a useful tool for ecological and evolutionary modelling of the distributions of phenotypes/ genotypes across landscapes.
Seagate - Quantum: Encroachment Strategies

Few terms in the recent literature on innovation management have been as widely used as the phrase disruptive technology. Yet this term is widely misunderstood. As Christensen and Raynor (2003, p. 143) note, "Many readers have equated in their minds the terms disruptive and breakthrough. It is extremely important, for purposes of prediction and understanding, not to confuse the terms.''This case shows how to recognize a potentially disruptive technology: it diffuses via a process of low-end encroachment. The new technology initially imposes little apparent threat because it sells to low-end or new customers, but it eventually encroaches on the current market from the low end upward. The case compares and contrasts low-end encroachment (using the example of a new, smaller disk drive involving the firms Seagate and Quantum) to the case of high-end encroachment, where a new product such as a Pentium IV initially sells to high-end customers. In an oversimplified but concrete way, the case shows how marketing concepts such as conjoint analysis and reservation price tie into the concept of a demand curve, and how operations improvements (via the learning curve, or via product and process design) can lead to market share changes and product diffusion. These all have implications on firm strategy. Thus the case integrates material from multiple disciplines and might be used in MBA, MS, executive, or undergraduate courses that cover topics such as technology management, operations strategy, new product development, marketing strategy, or competitive strategy.
Dispersion Strengthened Titanium Alloys by Rapid Solidification Processing

ABSTRACT The laser surface melting technique has been used to evaluate the response of a Ti-Al-Y alloy to rapid solidification processing. The microstructures of the as-cast and laser-modified material have been characterized using transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and convergent beam electron diffraction. An ability to refine significantly the dendritic structure of the as-cast alloy by laser surface treatment is demonstrated. The matrix phase of the modified alloy is martensitic α′, in contrast to the α phase of the cast material. The interdendritic phase observed in both as-cast and laser-modified material and the fine scale dispersed particles (70 nm dia.) in the cast alloy are shown to be rich in yttrium, with a structure consistent with that of the oxide Y 2 O 3 . Dispersoids within the modified zone are typically 8–20 nm in diameter and show a tendency to form preferentially at interlath boundaries of the martensite. The potential effect of these structural changes on mechanical properties of the alloy at ambient and elevated temperatures is discussed briefly.
ConfChem Conference on Flipped Classroom: Using a Blog To Flip a Classroom

This communication summarizes one of the invited papers to the Flipped Classroom ACS Division of Chemical Education Committee on Computers in Chemical Education online ConfChem held from May 18 to June 24, 2014. Just in Time Teaching is a technique in which students read the material before class and respond to a few questions. In a first-year seminar course, The Chemistry of Food, students were assigned to maintain blogs for the entire CentreTerm, a 16-day term. To create an online learning community, the instructor’s blog in lieu of a quiz was used as a forum to assign the readings and pose questions about the readings. The comments on the instructor blog, as well as individual student posts, were used to develop the classroom discussion; moreover, many of the readings were not discussed in class but entirely online. Many students who would not normally participate in class were more than willing to participate online, thus providing the class discussion with more variety and greater input from the stud...
Residual Effects of Restless Sleep over Depressive Symptoms on Chronic Medical Conditions: Race by Gender Differences

Sleep and depression are comorbid problems that contribute to the development of chronic medical conditions (CMC) over time. Although racial and gender differences in the bidirectional associations between sleep, depression, and CMC are known, very limited information exists on heterogeneity of the residual effects of sleep problems over depressive symptoms on CMC across race by gender groups. Using a life-course perspective, the present study compared race by gender groups for residual effects of restless sleep over depressive symptoms on CMC. We used data from waves 1 (year 1986), 4 (year 2001), and 5 (year 2011) of the Americans’ Changing Lives Study (ACL). The study followed 294 White men, 108 Black men, 490 White women, and 237 Black women for 25 years. Restless sleep, depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale [CES-D]), and number of chronic medical conditions (hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and arthritis) were measured in 1986, 2001, and 2011. We employed multi-group cross-lagged modeling, with chronic medical conditions as the outcome and race by gender as the groups. Major group differences were found in the residual effect of restless sleep on CMC over depressive symptoms across race by gender groups. Restless sleep in 2001 predicted CMC 10 years later in 2011 among Black women (standardized adjusted B = .135, P .05). Race by gender heterogeneity in the residual effect of restless sleep over depressive symptoms on CMC over 25 years suggests that comorbid poor sleep and depressive symptoms differently contribute to development of multi-morbidity among subpopulations based on the intersection of race and gender. Thus, interventions that try to prevent comorbid sleep problems and depression as a strategy to prevent medical conditions may benefit from tailoring based on the intersection of race and gender.
Programmer friendly refactoring tools

Tools that perform semi-automated refactoring are currently under-utilized by programmers. If more programmers adopted refactoring tools, software projects could make enormous productivity gains. However, as more advanced refactoring tools are designed, a great chasm widens between how the tools must be used and how programmers want to use them. This dissertation begins to bridge this chasm by exposing usability guidelines to direct the design of the next generation of programmer-friendly refactoring tools, so that refactoring tools fit the way programmers behave, not vice-versa.
The fat-but-fit paradigm and all-cause mortality among coronary artery disease patients.

SummaryBackground Limited research has examined the fat-but-fit paradigm among coronary artery disease patients. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the fat-but-fit paradigm as it relates to mortality risk among patients with coronary artery disease. Methods A total of 766 coronary artery disease patients (Mage = 65.4 years) were evaluated. Physical activity was assessed via self-report, with weight status determined from measured body mass index. Six mutually exclusive groups were evaluated, including (i) Normal Weight and Inactive (referent), (ii) Overweight and Inactive, (iii) Obese and Inactive, (iv) Normal Weight and Active, (v) Overweight and Active and (vi) Obese and Active. Results A total of 301 died over the follow-up period, with the duration of the unweighted median follow-up period being 86 months (IQR: 62–113). The Cox proportional hazard results, after adjusting for age, gender, and race-ethnicity, were as follows: Group 2: HRadjusted = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.57–1.60, p = 0.87; Group 3: HRadjusted = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.57–1.44, p = 0.68; Group 4: HRadjusted = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14–0.86, p = 0.02; Group 5: HRadjusted = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28–0.93, p = 0.02; Group 6: HRadjusted = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21–0.85, p = 0.01. Conclusion These findings provide support for the fat-but-fit paradigm applied to CAD patients. Ultimately, these findings underscore the importance of promoting physical activity to all weight groups of CAD patients.
Influence of Process Condition on the Dielectric Properties of CCTO-P(VDF-TrFE) 0-3 Composites

A high dielectric constant was observed in 0-3 composites using P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer as matrix and CaCu 3 TiO 4 (CCTO) ceramic powders as fillers with a composition of 50 vol% CCTO. CCTO-P(VDF-TrFE) 0-3 composites with a CCTO content from 0 to 50 vol% were prepared and their dielectric properties, including frequency dependence and temperature dependence of the dielectric constant and loss, were characterized. It was experimentally observed that the hot-press process, inlcuding the configuration and hot-press time, has a strong influence on the dielectric properties of the composites. Additionally, the influence of the CCTO partice size on the dielectric properties of the composites was studied.
An Invisible Wall: The Relationship Between Congregational and Seminary Libraries in the United States

Theological (seminary) and congregational libraries in the Christian and Jewish religious traditions have coexisted in some fashion since their beginnings; however, little research exists regarding the relationship between these related-but-distinct library types. This essay explores the relationship between these types of libraries through a survey of their literatures and available statistics, considering their histories and contexts within the broader religious and library worlds, as well as their current relationship in light of their diverse religious institutions. The roles of these libraries will be examined regarding religious, theological, and information literacies as well as exploring their staffs, their staff's education, funding, library hours, their goals, objectives, and outcomes, particularly regarding the changing landscape of religious and theological education for both clergy and laypeople. It concludes with future possibilities in the religious library world in a congregational landscape that often cannot afford full-time, traditionally-theologically-educated clergy, much less paid congregational librarians.
Self-Assembly of Rod-Like Particles Into 2D Lattices

It was recently shown by us that spherical particles floating on a fluid-fluid interface can be self-assembled, and the lattice between them can be controlled, using an electric field. In this paper we show that the technique can also be used to self assemble rod-like particles on fluid-fluid interfaces. The method consists of sprinkling particles at a liquid interface and applying an electric field normal to the interface, thus resulting in a combination of hydrodynamic (capillary) and electrostatic forces acting on the particles. A rod floating on the fluid interface experiences both a lateral force and a torque normal to the interface due to capillarity, and in the presence of an electric field, it is also subjected to an electric force and torque. The electric force affects the rods’ approach velocity and the torque aligns the rods parallel to each other. In the absence of an electric field, two rods that are initially more than one rod length away from each other come in contact so that they are either perpendicular or parallel to the line joining their centers, depending on their initial orientations. In the latter case, their ends are touching. Our experiments show that in an electric field of sufficiently large strength, only the latter arrangement is stable. Experiments also show that in this case the electric field causes the rods of the monolayer to align parallel to one another and that the lattice spacing of a self-assembled monolayer of rods increases.© 2008 ASME
The Effect of Levodopa on Improvements in Protective Stepping in People With Parkinson's Disease.

Background. The effect of levodopa on postural motor learning in people with Parkinson’s disease is poorly understood. In particular, it is unknown whether levodopa affects improvement in protective postural responses after external perturbations such as a slip or trip, a critical aspect of fall prevention. Objective. Determine the effect of levodopa on postural motor learning in people with Parkinson’s disease. Methods. We assessed improvement in protective postural responses in people with Parkinson’s disease over short-term (1 day) perturbation training on and off levodopa. We also assessed retention and generalization of improvement. Participants were 22 individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The primary outcome was total center of mass (COM) displacement after perturbation. Secondary outcomes assessed first step performance and included margin of stability at first foot contact. Results. People with Parkinson’s disease improved COM displacement (P = .011) and margin of stability (P = .016) over traini...
Utilizing Fourier-Transform Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy to Analyze Underground Storage Tank Waste Material

Hazardous underground storage tank waste from nuclear fuel processing activities poses a very challenging analytical problem. The waste is very heterogeneous and radioactive. Radiation hazards require that sample size and handling be kept to a minimum. A method is presented to determine the chemical composition of the waste tank sludge by using FT-IR-photoacoustic spectroscopy with submilligram sized samples and minimal sample handling. Preparation of samples for analysis as well as data on samples obtained from cores taken from underground storage waste tanks at the Westing-house Hanford site in Richland, WA, is presented.
Tissue homing of inflammatory neutrophils during sepsis is mediated by integrin VLA-3 (CD49c/CD29)

D sepsis there is aberrant activation, migration and sequestration of neutrophils in visceral organsthat leads to widespread release of pro-inflammatory mediators contributing to multi-organ failure and death. Interaction of cell surface integrins with their counterpart ligands, results in the adherence of circulating neutrophils and directed migration to infection sites.In our study, we show that administration of a cyclic analog of RGD peptide (Arg-Gly-Asp) significantly reduced the number of tissue-invading neutrophils and the degree of sepsis-induced lethality in mice as compared to control peptide. Secondly, β1 integrin (CD29) and more specifically VLA-3(CD49c/CD29) is dramatically up regulated on a subpopulation of neutrophils isolated from both human septic patients and mouse sepsis models. Compared with the Gr1highCD11bhighVLA-3low granulocyte population, Gr1highCD11bhighVLA-3high cells from septic animals displayed hyper-inflammatory phenotypes.Administration of VLA-3 antagonist peptides and conditional genetic ablation of VLA(3)/integrin from granulocytes also improved survival and bacterial clearance in septic animals. Thus, our results indicate that expression of VLA(3)/integrin is important for modulating neutrophil trafficking during sepsis, and therapeutics specifically targeted against VLA(3)/integrin may be beneficial. Pranita P. Sarangi, J Blood Disord Transfus 2013, 4:5 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9864.S1.002
Spatial Subsystem of Moral Metaphors: A Cognitive Semantic Study

AbstractCognitive semantic studies have shown that our conceptualization of morality is at least partially metaphorical and that our moral cognition is grounded in some fundamental contrastive categories of our embodied experience in the physical environment. It is argued that our moral cognition is built on a moral metaphor system. Within the framework of conceptual metaphor theory, this study aims to examine the spatial subsystem of moral metaphors in English. We set out with five pairs of moral metaphors that involve the following spatial source concepts: HIGH and LOW, UPRIGHT and TILTED, LEVEL and UNLEVEL, STRAIGHT and CROOKED, and BIG and SMALL. These metaphors were found to constitute the spatial subsystem of moral metaphors in Chinese. Our primary goal is to find out if the five pairs of moral–spatial metaphors are manifested in English as well. To that end we collected linguistic data from the Corpus of Contemporary American English and searched Google Images for multimodal evidence. Our finding i...
Toward a Quantitative Understanding of Teamwork and Collective Intelligence

Teamwork and collective intelligence drive the production of goods and knowledge in our society and are an integral part of our increasingly networked lives. However, we are still far from understanding the causal mechanisms that underlie effective organization and communication in teams, and the study of human factors in many fields of computer science has tended toward abstractions of behavior over the understanding of fundamental social processes. I argue that the rapid growth of socio-technical systems on the Internet presents both an impetus and an opportunity for a more causal approach to understanding teamwork and collective intelligence. We can approach this goal through broader deployment of experiments, fostering closer ties between theory and empirical work, and by bridging the gap across different disciplines.
Quality Initiatives May Affect Diagnostic Accuracy: STEMI Mimics in an Age of Decreasing Door to Balloon Time.

A 53-year-old male with several cardiac risk factors presented to the emergency department with backpain and an electrocardiogram concerning for an anterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The patientdecompensated hemodynamically and a point-of-care ultrasound revealed a small pericardial effusion.An aortic dissection was ruled out by computed tomography angiography and coronary catheterization didnot reveal a culprit lesion. The diagnosis of tamponade was made in the catheterization laboratory aftermeasurement of intra-cardiac diastolic pressures and the patient’s symptoms resolved after drainage of 100mL of pericardial fluid.
Esterilización femenina por laparoscopia en el período puerperal y de intervalo

Ya que las tasas de complicaciones especificas con esterilizaciones post-abotro y puerperales fueron bajas, estudios mas amplios seran necesarios para evaluar adecuadamente estas tasas. Para determinar si hay un aumento en estas tasas de complicaciones especificas en pacientes esterilizadas despues de aborto o en el puerperio, estudios que comparan las tasas de complicaciones de estos dos grupos con aquellos de pacientes no esterilizadas despues de un aborto o parto normal deberan ser conducidos.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS): Indications

Peripheral nerve modulation involves three approaches, including peripheral nerve stimulation, percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation, and peripheral nerve field stimulation, all of which directly or indirectly target neural structures in the periphery. Evolution of this technique has made it more generalizable to novel indications.
Developing and evaluating a network curriculum to meet ABET accreditation and IT industry needs

This paper first investigates the current status quo of the network laboratory and curriculum development in computing education. It further inquires into the soft skills and professional skills desired by current IT industry. It then describes our experience in developing and evaluating a sequence of seven labs that successively engages students in learning computer networking. The labs are purposely designed to meet the ABET accreditation requirements and IT industry needs. An evaluation instrument is developed to assess whether the labs meet their goals. This research could serve as a reference for the instructors who want to incorporate the real-world hands-on approach into teaching computer networking and to meet ABET accreditation requirements at the same time.
Reconciling Climate Model/Data Discrepancies: The Case of the ‘Trees That Didn’t Bark’

Estimates of Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS)—the temperature with a doubling of CO2—usually are between 1.5 °C and 5 °C warming, with a mid-range/most likely value close to 3 °C. Notably, comparisons of simulations of temperature changes over the past millennium with paleoreconstructions of past temperatures tend to suggest an ECS value toward the lower end of the range closer to 2 °C, which deserves closer scrutiny. In this chapter, I review evidence that paleoreconstructions may selectively underestimate the cooling signal associated with large explosive volcanic eruptions of the past millennium, due to their reliance on tree-ring data from tree-line-proximal environments. Once large volcanic episodes are masked, these comparisons instead support a mid-range of ~3 °C of ECS. Regardless of the reason for the model/paleodata discrepancy, ECS estimates—I argue—should not rely on comparisons that include these episodes.
Compliant electric actuators based on handed shearing auxetics

In this paper, we explore a new class of electric motor-driven compliant actuators based on handed shearing auxetic cylinders. This technique combines the benefits of compliant bodies from soft robotic actuators with the simplicity of direct coupling to electric motors. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique by creating linear actuators, a four degree-of-freedom robotic platform, and a soft robotic gripper. We compare the soft robotic gripper against a state of the art pneumatic soft gripper, finding similar grasping performance in a significantly smaller and more energy-efficient package.
Generalized Robust MTL Semantics for Problems in Cardiac Electrophysiology

Robustness-Guided Falsification (RGF) is an efficient testing technique that tries to find a system execution that violates some formal specification, by minimizing the robustness of the specification over the set of initial conditions of the system. Robustness uses an underlying distance function on the space of system executions. As RGF is applied to new fields like medicine, it is essential to determine whether our distances still capture the domain expert's intuition of which executions are similar and which are not. Motivated by the problem of testing the algorithms of cardiac defibrillators implanted in millions of patients worldwide, this work develops a (pseudo-)distance function, called conformance, over the space of cardiac signals. By using it to distinguish between fatal and non-fatal arrhythmias obtained from real patients, it is demonstrated that conformance measures the meaningful distance between cardiac signals much better than distances used in medical devices today. Next, conformance is used to re-define the robustness degrees of Metric Temporal Logic (MTL), and it is shown that conformance-based robust semantics of MTL can bound the (conformance-based) robustness degree, thus enabling a principled application of RGF to problems in the cardiac domain, using the appropriate distance notion. Using existing robust semantics based on sup norm can yield incorrect conclusions, with potentially severe consequences to patients.
Found my place: the importance of faculty relationships for seniors’ sense of belonging

While previous literature documents the importance of sense of belonging for a positive educational experience, much of this research is focused on students early in their college careers and incor...
Abstract P027: Perceived Discrimination and Trajectory of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein: The Jackson Heart Study

Introduction: Perceiving discriminatory treatment against oneself may induce a stress response, and over time contribute to cardiovascular pathophysiology. The study evaluated the association of se...
Unusual stereoselectivity in the Diels-Alder addition of cyclopentadiene with the bicyclo[2.2.2]octene nucleus

Cyclopentadiene adds to the substituted and electronically activated double bond of bicyclo[2.2.2]-octa-2,5-diene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride with pronounced endo selectivity. Only two of the four possible stereoisomers were formed. The stereochemical course of the reaction was determined by X-ray crystallography and by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic techniques
An Asymptotic Conditional Test of Independence in Bernoulli Sequences Using the Number of Runs Given the Number of Successes

In this paper, we prove the asymptotic normality of the conditional distribution of the number of runs given the number of successes for a sequence of independent Bernoulli random variables. In our proof, the Frobenius-Harper technique is used to represent the number of runs as the sum of independent and not necessarily identically distributed Bernoulli random variables. Then, an asymptotic conditional test for independence is provided. Our simulation results exhibit that the test based on conditional distribution performs better that one based on unconditional distribution, over the entire range of success probability and first order correlation. In addition, the UMVUEs of the factorial moments and the probabilities of the number of runs are presented in this paper.
Immersive Research Experiences for High School Students Aimed at Promoting Diversity and Visibility in Pharmacy Education

Two challenges frequently faced by schools of pharmacy are the training of a workforce that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the populations they serve, as well as raising public awareness of the mission and impact of pharmacy schools. One underutilized strategy in addressing these challenges is directly engaging high school students, whose race and ethnicity more closely reflect the increasing diversity of the US population, in immersive research experiences at schools of pharmacy. Motivated by the multidisciplinary nature of pharmaceutical sciences that involve integration of various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy created the Young Innovators Program (YIP). The program is an eight-week paid summer internship that immerses participants in cutting-edge and innovative research. Through careful planning, strategic collaboration, and a purposeful recruitment process, we believe pharmacy education could benefit from the expansion of immersive programs that promote the engagement of racially and ethnically diverse high school students in real-world research.
The Salivary Protein PSP/Bpifa2 Protects Against Intestinal Inflammation

Inflammatory bowel diseases are associated with intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, malnutrition and weight loss. IBD appears to result from immune system dysregulation, diet and changes to the gut ...
Supplementation of Barium to Cold-Stored Platelets Improves Platelet Quality over 7 Days of Storage

Background: Hemorrhage is responsible for the majority of potentially survivable deaths amongst military and civilian sectors. Early interventions to manage bleeding during hemorrhagic injury, including administration of platelets (PLTs), are crucial for decreasing mortality. Cold-stored PLTs are an attractive treatment for active bleeding as they provide greater functional preservation and a reduced risk of bacterial sepsis than conventional room temperature stored PLTs. However, cold storage causes a rise in PLT intracellular calcium, subsequent activation of signaling pathways, and often results in aggregate formation. In this study, we hypothesized that storing PLTs in the cold with barium, a divalent cation chelated by citrate anticoagulant, would improve PLT quality. Methods: Apheresis PLTs in 100% plasma were collected from healthy donors (n=4). Briefly, 10 mL of PLTs were sterilely aliquotted and added to 15 mL mini-bags containing 0- (Control), 3-, or 6-mM BaCl2. Individual mini-bags were used for each timepoint and condition. Bags were incubated for 15 min at room temperature prior to long-term storage in a walk-in refrigerator (1°-6°C). Samples were assayed on days 1 (the day after collection) and 7 of storage for PLT metabolism, count, clot formation, clot retraction, and activation (phosphatidylserine, mitochondrial depolarization, GPIb, and P-Selectin). Data were reported as means±SD. Results: Compared to Control at day 7, BaCl2-treated bags exhibited higher PLT counts (Control: 422±215 x103 PLTs/µL; 3 mM BaCl2: 468±222 x103 PLTs/µL; 6 mM BaCl2: 697±194 x103 PLTs/µL), less PS exposure (Control: 6.3±3.5%; 3 mM BaCl2: 5.8±3 %; 6 mM BaCl2: 5.6±2.8 %), and less mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Additionally, glucose consumption and lactate production were lower in barium-supplemented PLTs. GPIb expression and P-Selectin was comparable amongst all groups. Hemostatic function, as assessed via thromboelastography and clot retraction, was not negatively affected by addition of BaCl2. In most assays, cold storage of PLTs with the higher concentration of BaCl2 (6 mM) seemed to confer the greatest advantages. Conclusion: Supplementation of barium to PLTs provides a promising avenue for transfusion medicine since PLT count is better preserved and activation is decreased compared to normal refrigerated storage. Future studies are warranted to determine the effects of barium supplementation on other aspects of cold-stored PLT function (e.g. procoagulant activity and PLT adhesion under physiologic flow) and with respect to alternate storage media (e.g. PLT additive solutions). Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Racial and Ethnic Variation in PSA Testing and Prostate Cancer Incidence Following the 2012 USPSTF Recommendation.

Background The 2012 US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing led to a decrease in prostate cancer screening, but the heterogeneity of its impact by race and ethnicity remains unclear. Methods The proportion of 40- to 74-year-old men who self-reported receiving a routine PSA test in the past year was estimated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2012-2018). Odds ratios (ORs) of undergoing screening by race and ethnicity were estimated, adjusting for healthcare-related factors. Prostate cancer incidence rates and rate ratios (IRRs) by race and ethnicity were estimated using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry data (2004-2017). Results PSA testing frequencies were 32.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 31.7% to 32.8%) among non-Hispanic White (NHW), 30.3% (95% CI = 28.3% to 32.3%) among non-Hispanic Black (NHB), 21.8% (95% CI = 19.9% to 23.7%) among Hispanic, and 17.7% (95% CI = 14.1% to 21.3%) among Asian and Pacific Islander men in 2012. The absolute screening frequency declined by 9.5% from 2012 to 2018, with a larger decline among NHB (11.6%) than NHW men (9.3%). The relative annual decrease was greater among NHB (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.88) than NHW men (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.89 to 0.90; Pheterogeneity = .005), driven by a larger decline among NHB men ages 40-54 years. The NHB to NHW IRR for total prostate cancer increased from 1.73 (95% CI = 1.69 to 1.76) in 2011 to 1.87 (95% CI = 1.83 to 1.92) in 2012 and has remained elevated, driven by differences in localized tumor incidence. Metastatic disease incidence is rising across all racial and ethnic groups. Conclusions The frequency of prostate cancer screening varies by race and ethnicity, and there was a modestly steeper decline in PSA testing among younger NHB men relative to NHW men since 2012. The NHB to NHW IRR for localized prostate cancer modestly increased following 2012.
Open Conversion After Endovascular Aneurysm Sealing: Technical Features and Clinical Outcomes in 44 Patients.

PurposeTo evaluate the technical features and clinical results after open conversion for complications following endovascular aneurysm sealing (EVAS).Materials and MethodsFrom July 2013 to February...
GABA B -Receptor Agonist-Based Immunotherapy for Type 1 Diabetes in NOD Mice.

Some immune system cells express type A and/or type B γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABAA-Rs and/or GABAB-Rs). Treatment with GABA, which activates both GABAA-Rs and GABAB-Rs), and/or a GABAA-R-specific agonist inhibits disease progression in mouse models of type 1 diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and COVID-19. Little is known about the clinical potential of specifically modulating GABAB-Rs. Here, we tested lesogaberan, a peripherally restricted GABAB-R agonist, as an interventive therapy in diabetic NOD mice. Lesogaberan treatment temporarily restored normoglycemia in most newly diabetic NOD mice. Combined treatment with a suboptimal dose of lesogaberan and proinsulin/alum immunization in newly diabetic NOD mice or a low-dose anti-CD3 in severely hyperglycemic NOD mice greatly increased T1D remission rates relative to each monotherapy. Mice receiving combined lesogaberan and anti-CD3 displayed improved glucose tolerance and, unlike mice that received anti-CD3 alone, had some islets with many insulin+ cells, suggesting that lesogaberan helped to rapidly inhibit β-cell destruction. Hence, GABAB-R-specific agonists may provide adjunct therapies for T1D. Finally, the analysis of microarray and RNA-Seq databases suggested that the expression of GABAB-Rs and GABAA-Rs, as well as GABA production/secretion-related genes, may be a more common feature of immune cells than currently recognized.
Environmental Features Contributing to Falls in Persons With Vision Impairment: The Role of Home Lighting and Home Hazards

Purpose To evaluate whether home hazards and lighting levels are associated with higher fall rates in adults with varying degrees of visual field (VF) damage from glaucoma. Methods Participants with diagnosed or suspected glaucoma provided three years of prospective falls data via monthly falls diaries. A post-fall telephone questionnaire determined fall locations. Seven home areas were evaluated for hazards and lighting via an in-home assessment. Multivariate models adjusting for relevant confounders, including age, sex, comorbidity, and severity of VF damage, evaluated the influence of hazards and lighting on fall rates in each home region. Results Mean baseline age for the 170 participants was 71.0 (7.6) years and 78 (46%) of participants were female. Fifty-nine participants experienced a total of 83 home falls, with the greatest number of falls occurring on the indoor stairs (n = 24, 29%) and bedroom (n = 17, 21%). Neither the number nor the percentage of hazardous items graded as hazardous was associated with the rate of falls (P > .26). Each 10-fold increase in room lighting was associated with 35% fewer falls in that home region (P = .02). The relation between lighting and the rate of falls did not differ with the degree of visual field damage (P > .3), and a lower fall rate was noted with better lighting even in participants with mild or no VF damage (rate ratio = 0.52/10-fold better lighting; P = 0.01). Conclusions Fewer home falls were found with better lighting, but not with fewer home hazards. Lighting improvements at home may reduce fall rates in older adults. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.
Editorial Comment: A Prospective Intra-Individual Comparison of Six Imaging Tests for Sporadic Primary Pheochromocytoma Illustrating High Yield of 18F-FDOPA

This Editorial Comment discusses the following AJR article: Sporadic Primary Pheochromocytoma: A Prospective Intra-Individual Comparison of Six Imaging Tests (CT, MRI, and PET/CT Using 68Ga-DOTATAT...
Overview: Assays for Studying Integrin-Dependent Cell Adhesion

Interaction of the integrin receptors with ligands determines the molecular basis of integrin –dependent cell adhesion. Integrin ligands are typically large proteins with relatively low binding affinities. This makes direct ligand-binding kinetic measurements somewhat difficult. Here we examine several real-time methods, aimed to overcome these experimental limitations and to distinguish the regulation of integrin conformation and affinity. This chapter includes: the use of a small ligand-mimetic probe for studies of inside-out regulation of integrin affinity and unbending, real-time cell aggregation and disaggregation kinetics to probe integrin conformational states and the number of integrin-ligand bonds, as well as the real-time monitoring of ligand -induced epitopes under signaling through G-protein-coupled receptors, and others. Experimental data obtained using these novel methods are summarized in terms of the current model of integrin activation.
Transabdominal encephalocentesis in a case of congenital hydrocephalus.

Abstract A case report illustrating a technique for the management of a hydrocephalic infant in breech presentation is discussed. We felt that by means of this technique, the restoration of uterine tone would initiate labor and shorten the first and second stages, as well as minimize the most common maternal complications of hydrocephalus, i.e., ruptured uterus, postpartum hemorrhage, and postpartum morbidity. Technically the procedure was easier and much less traumatic than many cases of craniotomy on aftercoming heads.
Solar Variability and Climate Change

This paper presents evidence in support of the existence of a mechanism responsible for variations of the solar global parameters, in particular the luminosity, as a consequence of variations of the internal magnetic fields due to the solar dynamo. A numerical code capable of modeling these effects is described, and exploratory calculations are presented. We conclude that solar variability of climatic consequence can only be studied on the basis of the observations of all the solar global parameters, including oscillations, and with a stellar structure and evolution code which includes the effects of magnetic fields and departures from thermal equilibrium.
Handshaking Your Way to the Top: Simulation at the Nanoscale

Should philosophers of science be paying attention to developments in “nanoscience”? Undoubtedly, it is too early to tell for sure. The goal of this paper is to take a preliminary look. In particular, I look at the use of computational models in the study of nano‐sized solid‐state materials. What I find is that there are features of these models that appear on their face to be at odds with some basic philosophical intuitions about the relationships between different theories and between theories and their models. My conclusion is that developments in nanoscience are not an unlikely place for novel insights in the philosophy of science to emerge.
An Autoregulatory Circuit Affecting Peptide Signaling in Bacillus subtilis

The competence and sporulation factor (CSF) of Bacillus subtilis is an extracellular pentapeptide produced from the product of phrC. CSF has at least three activities: (i) at low concentrations, it stimulates expression of genes activated by the transcription factor ComA; at higher concentrations, it (ii) inhibits expression of those same genes and (iii) stimulates sporulation. Because the activities of CSF are concentration dependent, we measured the amount of extracellular CSF produced by cells. We found that by mid-exponential phase, CSF accumulated to concentrations (1 to 5 nM) that stimulate ComA-dependent gene expression. Upon entry into stationary phase, CSF reached 50 to 100 nM, concentrations that stimulate sporulation and inhibit ComA-dependent gene expression. Transcription of phrC was found to be controlled by two promoters: P1, which precedes rapC, the gene upstream of phrC; and P2, which directs transcription of phrC only. Both RapC and CSF were found to be part of autoregulatory loops that affect transcription from P1, which we show is activated by ComA approximately P. RapC negatively regulates its own expression, presumably due to its ability to inhibit accumulation of ComA approximately P. CSF positively regulates its own expression, presumably due to its ability to inhibit RapC activity. Transcription from P2, which is controlled by the alternate sigma factor sigma(H), increased as cells entered stationary phase, contributing to the increase in extracellular CSF at this time. In addition to controlling transcription of phrC, sigmaH appears to control expression of at least one other gene required for production of CSF.
On convexity of H/sup infinity / Riccati solutions

The authors revealed several important eigen properties of the stabilizing solutions of two H/sup infinity / Riccati equations and their product. Among them, the most prominent one is that the spectral radius of the product of these two Riccati solutions is a continuous, nonincreasing, convex function of gamma in the domain of interest. Based on these properties, quadratically convergent algorithms are developed to compute the optimal H/sup infinity / norm. Two examples are used to illustrate the algorithms. >
Meanings of a Meltdown, After the Facts

Three Mile Island A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective. by J. Samuel Walker. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2004. 315 pp. $24.94, £16.95. ISBN 0-520-23940-7. The author describes the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island, places it in the context of the debates over nuclear power at that time, and then explores the social, technical, and political issues it raised.
Using interviews to improve relationships with library partners: a case study

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how interviews of learning commons partners were used to improve communication and collaboration between the library and its partners. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with representatives from each of the eight partners that have service desks in the library. The interviews’ transcripts were studied to search for ways communication and collaboration between the library and its partners could be improved. Findings – The passing of time, addition of new library partners and the hiring of new employees since the opening of the learning commons at Draughon Library have created some gaps in communication between the library and its partners. Interviews with representatives from the library’s partners revealed ways communication needed to be improved and provided insight as to how the library and its partners might collaborate in the future. Originality/value – Much of the literature on library partnerships focuses on the creation of collaborations, b...