cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracellular matrix enhances differentiation of adipose stem cells from infrapatellar fat pad toward chondrogenesis

The objective was to improve proliferation and chondrogenic potential of adipose stem cells (ASCs) by expansion on extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited by either ASCs or synovium-derived stem cells (SDSCs). ASCs isolated from porcine infrapatellar fat pad were separately expanded on conventional plastic flasks, ASC-deposited ECM and SDSC-deposited ECM. ASCs were centrifuged to form pellets and cultured in a serum-free chondrogenic medium with either TGFβ3 or TGFβ3 combined with BMP-6. Cell number yielded on ECM expansion did not show a significant difference in deposition between ASCs and SDSCs but was 6-10 times that grown on non-coated flasks. ECM-expanded ASCs exhibited a lower level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to those grown on non-coated flasks. Typical chondrogenic markers, including type II collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), were intensively distributed in the pellets from ECM-expanded ASCs instead of those from flask-grown cells. ASCs expanded on ECM, either from ASCs or SDSCs, exhibited a similar chondrogenic index (GAG:DNA), which was significantly higher than that from ASCs grown on non-coated flasks. The combination of TGFβ3 and BMP-6 increased 36% more in ASC chondrogenic index than the treatment with TGFβ3 alone. Interestingly, ECM pretreatment also decreased expanded ASC hypertrophic marker genes. ECM deposited by either ASCs or SDSCs did not exhibit enhanced adipogenic differentiation of ASCs. Our study indicates that the sequential application of ECM for cell expansion and combined TGFβ3 with BMP-6 for chondrogenic differentiation may be a promising approach for ASC-based cartilage tissue engineering and regeneration.
Effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction for Struggling Elementary Readers With Disabilities:

Despite a lack of conclusive evidence, many researchers in the field view computer-assisted instruction (CAI) as an opportunity for improved instruction for students with disabilities. This study examined the effects of a CAI program, Lexia Strategies for Older Students (SOS)™ on the word recognition skills of four, upper elementary students with mild disabilities. This study used a multiple-probe design across three targeted reading skill conditions per student. Findings revealed that some students were able to meet mastery of basic word reading skills with Lexia SOS alone, while others needed additional direct instruction. Student perceptions of Lexia SOS were positive. Results have particular implications for instruction in classrooms beyond the primary grades (K-3) when the focus of the curriculum shifts away from basic decoding instruction. Directions for future research are discussed.
The Impact of Cultural Evolution on the Ego Ideal, Depression, Psychosis, and Suicide: A South India Community Study of the Widow

Cultural factors have a significant impact on the manifestation of psychiatric illness and the development of the ego ideal. The evolution of the widow's cultural role in a South India village provides insight on the ego ideal through several generations. As treatment of widows changed so that their ap- pearance became indistinguishable from other women, they no longer became objects of revulsion. A case study approach documents the interrelationship of changes in the cultural ego ideal on psychiatric illness among widows in a South India village over a period of more than four decades. Cultural factors have a significant impact on one's perception of one- self and on the manifestation of psychiatric illness. Moreover, depend- ing on one's place in society, culture may endorse one's ego ideal or prove it untenable. The changing status of widows in India illustrates cultural challenges to a woman's ego ideal. Concurrent with widows' appearance becoming indistinguishable from other women were op- portunities for education and an increased age at marriage. The cul- tural ego ideal for women changed from passive subordinate to asser-
Effects of perchlorate on the molecules of excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal and cardiac muscle

To understand the nature of the transmission process of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, the effects of the anion perchlorate were investigated on the voltage sensor (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR) and the Ca release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The molecules, from rabbit skeletal muscle, were either separated in membrane vesicular fractions or biochemically purified so that the normal EC coupling interaction was prevented. Additionally, the effect of ClO4- was investigated on L-type Ca2+ channel gating currents of guinea pig ventricular myocytes, as a native DHPR not in the physiological interaction of skeletal muscle. At 20 mM, ClO4- had minor effects on the activation of ionic currents through Ca channels from skeletal muscle transverse tubular (T) membranes fused with planar bilayers: a +7-mV shift in the midpoint voltage, V, with no change in kinetics of activation or deactivation. This is in contrast with the larger, negative shift that ClO4- causes on the distribution of intramembrane charge movement of skeletal muscle. At up to 100 mM it did not affect the binding of the DHP [3H]PN200-110 to triad-enriched membrane fractions (TR). At 8 mM it did not affect the kinetics or the voltage distribution of gating currents of Ca channels in heart myocytes. These negative results were in contrast to the effects of ClO4- on the release channel. At 20 mM it increased several-fold the open probability of channels from purified RyR incorporated in planar bilayers and conducting Ba2+, an effect seen on channels first closed by chelation of Ca2+ or by the presence of Mg2+. It significantly increased the initial rate of efflux of 45Ca2+ from TR vesicles (by a factor of 1.75 at 20 mM and 4.5 at 100 mM). ClO4- also increased the binding of [3H]ryanodine to TR fractions. The relative increase in binding was 50-fold at the lowest [Ca2+] used (1 microM) and then decayed to much lower values as [Ca2+] was increased. The increase was due entirely to an increase in the association rate constant of ryanodine binding. The chaotropic ions SCN- and I- increased the association rate constant to a similar extent. The binding of ryanodine to purified RyR protein reconstituted into liposomes had a greater affinity than to TR fractions but was similarly enhanced by ClO4-. The reducing agent dithiothreitol (5 mM) did not reduce the effect of ClO4-, and 5% polyethylene glycol, with an osmolarity equivalent to 20 mM ClO4-, did not change ryanodine binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Eigen-R2 for dissecting variation in high-dimensional studies

Summary: We provide a new statistical algorithm and software package called ‘eigen-R2’ for dissecting the variation of a high-dimensional biological dataset with respect to other measured variables of interest. We apply eigen-R2 to two real-life examples and compare it with simply averaging R2 over many features. Availability: An R-package eigenR2 is available at http://www.genomine.org/eigenr2/ and will be made publicly available via Bioconductor. Contact: jstorey@princeton.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Microbial induction of co-stimulatory activity for CD4 T-cell growth

The activation of naive CD4 T cells by antigen is a critical step in the initiation of an immune response; it requires both ligation of the T-cell receptor (TCR) and the delivery of co-stimulatory factors by accessory cells. We have examined the role of syngeneic accessory cells in the response of purified normal CD4 T cells to anti-CD3 antibody as ligand. We show that the ability to deliver co-stimulatory signals is inducible in B cells by microbial products such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), mitogenic influenza viruses, and synthetic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly-I:C) as a mimic of viral infection. LPS stimulation for 16 h allows the co-stimulatory activity of B cells to become resistant to paraformaldehyde fixation. LPS induction of fixation-resistant co-stimulator activity requires new protein synthesis, as it is inhibited by cycloheximide. Using the anti-CD45RB mAb 16A as marker for naive and memory CD4 T cells, we show that B cells activated by LPS and by poly-I:C can provide co-stimulatory signal to both naive and memory CD4 T cells. By contrast, zymosan particles, which are known to activate macrophages in a variety of assays, do not activate B cells to become co-stimulatory, but do induce this activity in macrophages. These data demonstrate that a variety of infectious agents or their constituents can induce accessory cells to become co-stimulatory for CD4 T cells. They are interpreted in light of a proposed role for two classes of recognition in the induction of the immune responses, specific recognition of antigens and non-specific recognition of infectious agents. These data support the contention that the immune system uses this mechanism to discriminate infectious non-self from non-infectious self.
Sympathetic Nerves Inhibit Conducted Vasodilatation Along Feed Arteries during Passive Stretch of Hamster Skeletal Muscle

Ascending vasodilatation is integral to blood flow control in exercising skeletal muscle and is attributable to conduction from intramuscular arterioles into proximal feed arteries. Passive stretch of skeletal muscle can impair muscle blood flow but the mechanism is not well understood. We hypothesized that the conduction of vasodilatation along feed arteries can be modulated by changes in muscle length. In anaesthetized hamsters, acetylcholine (ACh) microiontophoresis triggered conducted vasodilatation along feed arteries (diameter, 50-70 μm) of the retractor muscle secured at 100 % resting length or stretched by 30 %. At 100 % length, ACh evoked local dilatation (> 30 μm) and this response conducted rapidly along the feed artery (14 ± 1 μm dilatation at 1600 μm upstream). During muscle stretch, feed arteries constricted ≈10 μm (P < 0.05) and local vasodilatation to ACh was maintained while conducted vasodilatation was reduced by half (P < 0.01). Resting diameter and conduction recovered upon restoring 100 % length. Sympathetic nerve stimulation (4-8 Hz) produced vasoconstriction and attenuated conduction in the manner observed during muscle stretch, as did noradrenaline or phenylephrine (10 nM). Inhibiting nitric oxide production (Nω-nitro-L-arginine, 50 μM) produced similar vasoconstriction yet had no effect on conduction. Phentolamine, prazosin, or tetrodotoxin (1 μM) during muscle stretch abolished vasoconstriction and restored conduction. Inactivation of sensory nerves with capsaicin had no effect on vasomotor responses. Thus, muscle stretch can attenuate conducted vasodilatation by activating α-adrenoreceptors on feed arteries through noradrenaline released from perivascular sympathetic nerves. This autonomic feedback mechanism can restrict muscle blood flow during passive stretch.
The cost of mutualism in a fly-fungus interaction

Botanophila flies act as "pollinating" parasites of the ascomycetous fungus, Epichloe elymi. Flies transfer fungal spermatia (gametes) among fungi as they visit their hosts for oviposition. Fly larvae consume the products of cross-fertilization (ascospores). We tested whether the cost to the fungus of engaging in the obligate mutualism rises as fly visitation increases and whether mechanisms operate to prevent excessive exploitation of the fungus. Fungi and flies were monitored over 3 years. We recorded the reproductive output of fungi, the amount of feeding by fly larvae on host reproductive tissues, and the mortality of fly eggs and larvae. In two of three years, fly eggs were randomly dispersed; eggs were clumped in the remaining year. The reproductive output of fungi did not decrease with increasing egg load; rather, fungal reproductive output tended to increase as more eggs were laid on fungi. Larval feeding was only weakly associated with the number of eggs on fungi. The lack of over-exploitation of the fungus by the fly shows that the interaction was stable during the period of time we conducted our study. Our data suggest the stability was primarily due to high fly egg/larval mortal-ity that increased as egg load increased.
Addition through subtraction: Growth following the dissolution of a low quality relationship

Previous research has primarily focused on negative outcomes following relationship dissolution. The purpose of this study is to add to the growing literature that shows the positive outcomes that are possible. It was hypothesized that growth and positive emotions would be associated with self-related variables such as self-expansion and rediscovery of self, as well as coping strategies. Participants were 155 undergraduates who had experienced the dissolution of a relationship in the past 6 months. Results confirmed the hypotheses that growth would be related to ending a relationship low in self-expansion and that the relationship between these variables would be mediated by experiencing more rediscovery of the self, less loss of self, and more positive emotions following dissolution.
Hydro-Mechanical Coupled Model of Hydraulic Fractures Using the eXtended Finite Element Method

This paper describes a hydro-mechanical coupled model for hydraulic fractures using the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM). To analyze the non- linear coupling behavior of hydraulic fractures, the XFEM uses local enrichment functions within a regular finite element framework. Thus, the mechanical behavior of a domain with fractures can be efficiently estimated by the method without explicitly meshing the discontinuities as would be necessary in other numerical techniques. The governing equations and coupling algorithms are presented as well as the required assumptions for hydraulic fractures. The 2D coupled XFEM program is validated by a numerical example study and shows coupled flows and their influence on stresses and fracture deformations.
Disclosure Styles and a Hint at Their Genesis

In this study we examine the possibility that persons vary in their styles of self-disclosure. A 3 (disclosure target: mother, father, best same-sex friend) × 2 (topic: schoolwork, social relations with others) × 5 (regulation of disclosure behavior: amount, valence, honesty-accuracy, control of depth of disclosure, intended disclosure) matrix was used to generate items with which subjects agreed or disagreed (e.g., re: mother and schoolwork, I am always honest in my self-disclosures). A Q-analysis revealed four types of disclosers, including a type that was low in honesty and amount of disclosure to parents (parent-cryptic disclosers) and a type that was comparatively open to parents but low in amount and high in control of depth of disclosures to best friend (parentally open friend-cryptic disclosers). Discriminant analyses revealed that “family communication” patterns and “communication apprehension” were important variables in distinguishing the types, and a canonical correlation analysis showed that these two variables were generally important in predicting disclosure behavior across the entire subject sample.
Tele-Epilepsy and Tele-Electroencephalography

Electroencephalography (EEG) was born out of advancements in technology. As technology has advanced, it has the ability to record cerebral electrical activity. It is only natural that with the expanded ability to transfer large amounts of data very quickly and across vast distances, tele-EEG would follow. Likewise, the clinical practice of epilepsy and evaluation of seizure-like events lend itself well in the context of the ever-advancing field of telemedicine. In general, physicians who are involved in interpreting EEGs are also those who care for patients with epileptic disorders. The epileptologist is typically one who is comfortable with the advancing technologies of the modern world and will evolve easily into the emerging roles required in the current state of telemedicine.
Delay issues in linear sensory networks

This paper presents the data collection function in sensory networks. Specifically we derive relationships between data collection time and transmission range, data packet size and channel noise in the simple line scenario. To develop intuition these relationships are studied in the limit case where the number of sensor nodes becomes large.
Advanced NSCLC: from cytotoxic systemic chemotherapy to molecularly targeted therapy.

Approximately a third of non-small cell lung cancer patients present with disseminated disease at the time of diagnosis. For these patients, as well as those with recurrent disease, chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment. For several decades, researchers have attempted different combinations of drugs in search for the ‘best’ chemotherapy regimen. Despite the emergence of newer, ‘third-generation’ cytotoxic agents, success is still modest at best. Fortunately, new insights in tumor biology, leading to the design of molecularly targeted drugs, are opening a new era in cancer treatment. These novel agents target molecular pathways specifically found in cancer cells, thus maximizing the antitumor effect while minimizing toxicities on normal cells.
Is routine frozen section necessary for parathyroid surgery

Objective Successful parathyroidectomy requires identification and excision of 1 or more abnormal parathyroid glands. The pathologist confirms or refutes the intraoperative presence of parathyroid tissue in excised material. With the advent of radionuclide scanning and rapid parathyroid hormone assays, the role of routine frozen section (FS) has once again been called into question. Our aim was to assess the need for routine FS in tissue identification during parathyroidectomy in a series of 50 consecutive cases. Methods We analyzed 50 consecutive parathyroidectomies performed by a single surgeon from December 2002 to August 2003. Diagnoses on gross examination (GE) of both the surgeon and the pathologist were recorded, cytologic smears made, and FSs performed. A cost analysis was also performed. Results Of the 50 parathyroidectomies performed (35 adenoma and 15 hyperplasia), both surgeon and pathologist’s opinions on GE were concordant. Incorrect gross identification occurred by both in 6% (3) of the cases. GE is a cost-effective means of identifying parathyroid tissue. Conclusions Experienced parathyroid surgeons need not routinely request FS examination. The decision to omit intraoperative FS examination must be balanced against the potential implications of misdiagnosis and a repeat operative procedure. EBM rating C
Oocyte Polarization Is Coupled to the Chromosomal Bouquet, a Conserved Polarized Nuclear Configuration in Meiosis

The source of symmetry breaking in vertebrate oocytes is unknown. Animal-vegetal oocyte polarity is established by the Balbiani body (Bb), a conserved structure found in all animals examined that contains an aggregate of specific mRNAs, proteins, and organelles. The Bb specifies the oocyte vegetal pole, which is key to forming the embryonic body axes as well as the germline in most vertebrates. How Bb formation is regulated and how its asymmetric position is established are unknown. Using quantitative image analysis, we trace oocyte symmetry breaking in zebrafish to a nuclear asymmetry at the onset of meiosis called the chromosomal bouquet. The bouquet is a universal feature of meiosis where all telomeres cluster to one pole on the nuclear envelope, facilitating chromosomal pairing and meiotic recombination. We show that Bb precursor components first localize with the centrosome to the cytoplasm adjacent to the telomere cluster of the bouquet. They then aggregate around the centrosome in a specialized nuclear cleft that we identified, assembling the early Bb. We show that the bouquet nuclear events and the cytoplasmic Bb precursor localization are mechanistically coordinated by microtubules. Thus the animal-vegetal axis of the oocyte is aligned to the nuclear axis of the bouquet. We further show that the symmetry breaking events lay upstream to the only known regulator of Bb formation, the Bucky ball protein. Our findings link two universal features of oogenesis, the Bb and the chromosomal bouquet, to oocyte polarization. We propose that a meiotic-vegetal center couples meiosis and oocyte patterning. Our findings reveal a novel mode of cellular polarization in meiotic cells whereby cellular and nuclear polarity are aligned. We further reveal that in zygotene nests, intercellular cytoplasmic bridges remain between oocytes and that the position of the cytoplasmic bridge coincides with the location of the centrosome meiotic-vegetal organizing center. These results suggest that centrosome positioning is set by the last mitotic oogonial division plane. Thus, oocytes are polarized in two steps: first, mitotic divisions preset the centrosome with no obvious polarization yet, then the meiotic-vegetal center forms at zygotene bouquet stages, when symmetry is, in effect, broken.
Ergodic dynamics and thermalization in an isolated quantum system

The realization of a quantum kicked top provides evidence for ergodic dynamics and thermalization in a small quantum system consisting of three superconducting qubits.
Improved estimates of incident radiation and heat load using non- parametric regression against topographic variables

Question: Can non-parametric multiplicative regression (NPMR) improve estimates of potential direct incident radiation (PDIR) and heat load based on topographic variables, as compared to least-squares multiple regression against trigonometric transforms of the predictors? Methods: We used a multiplicative kernel smoothing technique to interpolate between tabulated values of PDIR, using a locally linear model and a Gaussian kernel, with slope, aspect, and latitude as predictors. Heat load was calculated as a 45 degree rotation of the PDIR response surface. Results: This method yielded a fit to a complex response surface with R 2 > 0.99 and eliminated the areas of poor fit given by a previously published method based on least squares multiple regression with trigonometric functions of the predictors. Conclusions: Improved estimates of PDIR and heat load based on topographic variables can be obtained by using non-parametric multiplicative regression (NPMR). The main drawback to the method is that it requires reference to the data tables, since those data are part of the model.
Analysis Conditions of Rice Varieties and Tactics of Study in Heilongjiang Province

Heilongjiang province is the important japonica rice production area in north of China.From 1996 to 2008,110 rice varieties had been bred and popularized in Heilongjiang province,only 3 rice varieties had been bred and popularized in 1996,while till 2008,the bred and popularized rice varieties have increased to 19,bred and popularized rice varieties had multiplied every year.Quality had been improved,head rice rate hadn't been improvedtrom 1996 to 2008.Despite there were large quantity of rice varieties in Heilongjiang province,there were small quantity of wonderful rice varieties.According to the present questions,some tactics of study and exploitation had been put forward.
Narrative annexes: altered spaces, altered modes

INTRODUCTION This study of the Victorian novel identifies a technique employed across its various kinds – in social fictions, fictional autobiographies, Bildungsromanen , Condition of England novels, romances, and realistic novels – to renovate the nineteenth-century house of fiction. Narrative annexes , as I name them, allow unexpected characters, impermissible subjects, and plot-altering events to appear, in a bounded way, within fictional worlds that might be expected to exclude them. Like other Victorian renovations, narrative annexes may appear to disfigure the structure they alter, but they at the same time reveal Victorian novelists5 creative responses to the capacities and limitations of their form. Annexes are initiated by a combined shift in genre and setting that changes the fictional world of the novel, and they work by interrupting the norms of a story's world, temporarily replacing those norms, and carrying the reader, the perceiving and reporting characters, and the plot-line across a boundary and through an altered, particular, and briefly realized zone of difference. In small spaces and few pages, narrative annexes challenge both cultural and literary norms to form imaginative worlds more variously, in sometimes distracting or dissonant interludes. Yet annexes never stop the plot, but serve the story by modifying the story-world. As alternatives to the techniques of fantasy or multiplied plot lines, Victorian annexes simultaneously anticipate the fragmentation associated with modern fiction, and resemble the flexible worldmaking of prose fiction before the novel. Extending and qualifying the boundaries of representation, narrative annexes draw attention and contribute to the generic diversity of the Victorian novel, complicating the traditional opposition of realism and romance.
Heat Transfer Analysis of a Solid-Solid Heat Recuperation System for Solar-Driven Non-Stoichiometric Redox Cycles

Heat transfer is analyzed numerically for a solid-solid heat recuperation system employed in a novel directly-irradiated solar thermochemical reactor realizing a metal oxide based non-stoichiometric redox cycle for production of synthesis gas from water and carbon dioxide. The system is designed for continuous operation with heat recuperation from a rotating hollow cylinder of a porous reactive material to a counter rotating inert solid cylinder via radiative transfer. A transient heat transfer model coupling conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer modes is developed to predict temperatures of both components, rates of heat transfer, and the effectiveness of heat recuperation. Heat recovery effectiveness of over 50% is attained within a parametric study of geometric and material parameters corresponding to the design of a two-step solar thermochemical reactor.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Partitioned lives: the Irish borderlands

Located at the intersection of geography and identity, borders prompt rich questions about the relationship between place and belonging. Partitioned Lives: The Irish Borderlands offers a thoughtful...
A survival guide for interdisciplinary PhD students

Interdisciplinary studies come with high risk, but the prospects of both advancing science and pushing forward one's professional career make for high rewards.
Ordering patterns following the implementation of a healthier children's restaurant menu: A latent class analysis.

Objective Identify ordering patterns following implementation of a healthier children's menu. Methods A healthier children's menu was introduced in 2012 at a regional restaurant chain, featuring more meals meeting Kids LiveWell (KLW) nutrition standards, KLW side dishes bundled with meals, and the removal of French fries and soda. Latent class analysis was conducted on child meal orders placed after menu implementation (n = 8,611). The average calorie content and proportion of orders meeting calorie recommendations (≤600 kcal) in each class were evaluated. Results The best-fitting model contained six latent classes representing different ordering patterns: “healthy meals” (27.0%), “healthy meals, add-ons” (9.6%), “unhealthy sides” (9.2%), “healthy substitutions” (30.9%), “healthy substitutions, add-ons” (1.0%), and “unhealthy substitutions” (22.4%). Classes denoted as “healthy” were likely to contain meals with KLW items. Orders in the healthy meals class contained fewer calories than orders in all other classes (P < 0.0001). The majority of orders meeting calorie recommendations were in the healthy meals (59.4%) and healthy substitutions (27.1%) classes. Conclusions Ordering patterns consistent with the healthier menu were common and more likely to meet calorie recommendations. Ordering patterns inconsistent with menu changes also emerged and can inform intervention efforts to reach patrons who may reject or compensate for healthier items.
Short-Term Response of a Coastal Wetland Fish Assemblage to Tidal Regime Restoration in Oregon

Abstract Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, completed construction of a large-scale tidal marsh restoration project on the Ni-les'tun Unit within the Coquille River estuary in 2011. To understand the initial effects of restoration construction and establish a baseline for long-term monitoring, we documented the assemblage of fish species 3 y before and 2 y after restoration construction. The overall fish assemblage in the Ni-les'tun Unit was substantially different after restoration construction, with an increased abundance, frequency, and richness of estuarine and diadromous fish species. Threespine Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus and species of Sculpin (family Cottidae) dominated the Ni-les'tun Unit and control area in both relative abundance and capture frequency throughout this study. Among salmonids, Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii and Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch had the highest frequency of occurrence and relative abundance both before and after restoration construct...
Uncertainty analysis of thermal damage to living biological tissues by laser irradiation based on a generalized duel-phase lag model

The effects of uncertainties of laser exposure time, phase lag times, blood perfusion coefficient, scattering coefficient, and diffuse reflectance of light on the thermal damage of living biologica...
On the measurement of preservice teacher commitment: Examining the relationship between four operational definitions and self-efficacy beliefs

Abstract Using a sample of 287 preservice teachers from a large Midwestern university in the United States, this study examined the predictive relationships between four unique measures of commitment and a commonly used measure of teacher self-efficacy, as frequently employed in teacher commitment research. Differential response patterns and predictive relationships were examined with multiple-group structural equation models to compare results of decisions about instrumentation. Results suggest that while there were no differential response patterns to the instruments, the predictive relationships significantly differed as a function of group identification. Suggestions for measuring and interpreting the relationships shared with commitment are further discussed.
Evidence of displacement-driven maturation along the San Cristobal Trough transform plate boundary

Abstract The San Cristobal Trough (SCT), formed by the tearing of the Australia plate as it subducts under the Pacific plate near the Solomon Islands, provides an opportunity to study the transform boundary development process. Recent seismicity (2013–2016) along the 280 km long SCT, known as a Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) fault, highlights the tearing process and ongoing development of the plate boundary. The region's earthquakes reveal two key characteristics. First, earthquakes at the western terminus of the SCT, which we interpret to indicate the Australia plate tearing, display disparate fault geometries. These events demonstrate that plate tearing is accommodated via multiple intersecting planes rather than a single through-going fault. Second, the SCT hosts sequences of M w ∼7 strike-slip earthquakes that migrate westward through a rapid succession of events. Sequences in 1993 and 2015 both began along the eastern SCT and propagated west, but neither progression ruptured into or nucleated a large earthquake within the region near the tear. Utilizing b-value and Coulomb Failure Stress analyses, we examine these along-strike variations in the SCT's seismicity. b-Values are highest along the youngest, western end of the SCT and decrease with increasing distance from the tear. This trend may reflect increasing strain localization with increasing displacement. Coulomb Failure Stress analyses indicate that the stress conditions were conducive to continued western propagation of the 1993 and 2015 sequences suggesting that the unruptured western SCT may have fault geometries or properties that inhibit continued rupture. Our results indicate a displacement-driven fault maturation process. The multi-plane Australia plate tearing likely creates a western SCT with diffuse strain accommodated along a network of disorganized faults. After ∼90 km of cumulative displacement (∼900,000 yr of plate motion), strain localizes and faults align, allowing the SCT to host large earthquakes.
Tele-Savvy: An Online Program for Dementia Caregivers.

Introduction:This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of Tele-Savvy, an online version of the Savvy Caregiver Program, a psychoeducation program for caregivers caring for a person with deme...
Withholding and withdrawing life support from the critically ill: how does it work in clinical practice?

Withholding and withdrawing life support from the critically ill commonly occurs in clinical practice. Sedatives and analgesics are frequently given during this process to patients who are not so deeply comatose that they cannot benefit from them. The withholding and withdrawal of life support is compatible with several judicial decisions, including the recent Cruzan decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Recent studies are providing insights into how, why, and under what circumstances the withholding and withdrawal of life support take place, and how drugs are administered during these processes. Additional studies are needed to further elucidate these processes and to contribute to the shaping of realistic and humane standards of terminal care.
Current Issues and Future Practice

This last chapter of the book brings us to issues facing medicine today and tomorrow. What is the future for medical teams, contract practice, and the marriage of information technology and medicine? As we read the words of Barbara Starfield, we can ponder if there will ever be an equitable distribution of health. And what is to be the physician’s role in deciding medicine’s future?
Network Analysis of Sequence Structures

One reason to use sequence analysis in social research is to identify systematic differences in the structuring of ordered social phenomena across groups. This is often done via optimal matching analysis, discrepancy analysis, event-history analysis, or related approaches. These approaches can be supplemented with network-analytic approaches when sequential phenomena combine to form a larger structure of intersecting pathways, or “sequence-networks.” In these cases, analysts can employ network-analytic methods to supplement existing sequence methods in order to gain additional insight into the structure of intersecting sequences. This chapter identifies several useful network techniques, shows how they correspond to sequence-related concerns, and describes how to compare multiple sequence-network structures to each other. To demonstrate, I use time-diary data from the 2015 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to compare the complex of daily activity pathways that were formed by two groups: Younger adults and older adults. The sequence-networks of these groups reveal key differences in the structure of these groups’ everyday lives. The chapter closes by discussing some of the theoretical and methodological implications of using network methods to supplement conventional sequence methods.
AngioVac for extraction of venous thromboses and endocardial vegetations: A meta-analysis.

Background AngioVac is a new device for filtering intravascular thrombi and emboli. Publications on the device are limited and underpowered to objectively estimate its safety and efficacy. We aimed to overcome this by performing a meta-analysis on the results of AngioVac for treating venous thromboses and endocardial vegetations. Methods A systematic literature review was performed to identify all articles reporting cardiac vegetation and/or thrombosis extraction using AngioVac. Endpoints were successful removal, operative mortality, conversion to open surgery, hospital stay, recurrent thromboembolism, and follow-up mortality. Random effect model was used, and pooled event rates (PERs) and incidence rate (IR) were calculated. Results A total of 42 studies with 182 patients (81 vegetation and 101 thrombosis) were included. Overall mean follow-up times were 3.1 and 0.7 years in vegetation and thrombosis patients, respectively. The PERs for successful removal were 74.5 (confidence interval [CI]: 48.2-90.2), 80.5 (CI: 70.0-88.0), and 32.4 (CI: 17.0-52.8) in vegetation, right atrial/caval venous thrombi, and pulmonary emboli (PE) patients, respectively. The PERs for operative mortalities were 14.6 (CI: 7.7-25.8), 14.8 (CI: 8.5-24.5), and 32.3 (CI: 15.1-56.3), respectively. The PERs for conversion to open surgery were 25.0 (CI: 9.3-51.9) and 12.3 (CI: 5.4-25.6) in vegetation and thrombosis patients, respectively. The IR of recurrent thromboembolism was 0.18 per person per year (PPY) (CI: 0.00-14.69) in vegetation and 0.19 PPY (CI: 0.08-0.48) in thrombosis patients. IR of follow-up mortality was 0.37 PPY (CI: 0.11-1.21) in thrombosis patients. Conclusions AngioVac is a viable option for extracting right-sided vegetations and right atrial/caval venous thrombi. Rates of successful extraction and mortality are significantly worse for PE.
Jim Crow and Internment in Green Book and George Takei’s Allegiance

Contemporary political and cultural realities make the renegotiating of African American cultural images an urgent matter. A recent movement to improve the position of African Americans in the movi...
The Effects of Age, Mental Health, and Comorbidity on the Perceived Likelihood of Hiring a Healthcare Advocate.

Background and Purpose: The projected increase in chronically ill older adults may overburden the healthcare system and compromise the receipt of quality and coordinated health care services. Healthcare advocates (HCAs) may help to alleviate the burden associated with seeking and receiving appropriate health care. We examined whether having dementia or depression, along with hypertension and arthritis, or having no comorbid medical conditions, and being an older adult, affected the perceived likelihood of hiring an HCA to navigate the health care system. Method: Participants (N = 1,134), age 18 or older, read a vignette and imagined themselves as an older adult with either a mood or cognitive disorder, and comorbid medical conditions or as otherwise being physically healthy. They were then asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their perceived likelihood of hiring an HCA. Results: Participants who imagined themselves as having dementia reported a greater likelihood of hiring an HCA than participants who imagined themselves as having depression (p < .001). Conclusion: It is imperative that health care professionals attend to the growing and ongoing needs of older adults living with chronic conditions, and HCAs could play an important role in meeting those needs.
Breastfeeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): Surveying OT Practices

Date Presented 04/05/19 This study aimed to explore if and how OTs are addressing breastfeeding in the NICU, including the types of interventions used, the roles assumed, and subjective perceptions of barriers to addressing breastfeeding. An online survey was distributed nationwide to OTs currently working in NICUs. Data were collected from 85 eligible participants in 30 states; 84% of respondents indicated they provide breastfeeding interventions primarily in the roles of clinician and educator. Primary Author and Speaker: Allison Smith Additional Authors and Speakers: Erin Kastelz, Alexandra Moini, Erica Strutner, Eric Ingersoll Contributing Authors: Jim Le
Brain transcriptomic changes in Japanese quail reveal a role for neurotensin in avian parental care

For many species, parental care critically affects offspring survival. But what drives animals to display parental behaviours towards young? In mammals, pregnancy-induced physiological transformations seem key in preparing the neural circuits that lead towards attraction (and reduced-aggression) to young. Beyond mammalian maternal behaviour, knowledge of the neural mechanisms that underlie parental care is severely lacking. We took advantage of a domesticated bird species, the Japanese quail, for which parental behaviour towards chicks can be induced through a sensitization procedure, a process that is not effective in all animals. We used the variation in parental responses, to study neural transcriptomic changes associated with the sensitization procedure itself, with the outcome of the procedure (i.e., presence of parental behaviours) and with spontaneous parental care (i.e., in the absence of sensitization). Out of the brain regions studied, we found that most differences in gene expression were located in the hypothalamus. Our results highlight several molecular pathways that may contribute to the modulation of avian parental care. We identified one gene, neurotensin, that was previously only demonstrated to be causally associated with parental care in mammals. Our work opens new avenues of research into understanding the neural basis of parental care in non-mammalian species.
Abstract P669: Aortic Stenosis and the Risk of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Introduction: Aortic stenosis (AS) is known to cause mechanical degradation of von Willebrand factor, resulting in an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, also known as Heyde syndrome. We h...
The Nation and the State

This chapter provides a clear differentiation of the nation and the state. The misuse and misrepresentation of these terms and related geopolitical concepts has gravely obscured, distorted, and misinterpreted issues of identity, geography, and history, including the reasons and causes related to wars and armed conflicts, regional tensions, refugee flows, genocide, and other forms of human rights violations; as well as issues related to rapidly degrading conditions of nature and ecosystems. This chapter explains why the neologism “Original Nation” is used in this book to delineate the nation, peoples, history, culture, identity, tradition, and memory, instead of the “Fourth World,” a common and more accepted terminology that has been used in the analysis of geopolitical affairs.
Cold hardening improves larval tick questing under low temperatures at the expense of longevity

Questing in ticks is essential for locating a host, and this behavioral response can occur at regionally specific low temperatures for most tick species. Little is known about the dynamics between tick questing behavior and temperature in ticks, specifically how this may impact other aspects of tick biology. Here, we examine whether cold hardening increases questing in three larval tick species (Ixodes uriae, Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum) at low temperatures and whether cold hardening impacts longevity. Rapid cold hardening and prolonged cold acclimation benefitted ticks by decreasing the temperature of chill coma onset, and increased survival, activity, and questing in ticks at low temperatures. Oxygen consumption increased at low temperatures following acclimation in larvae, suggesting this process has a distinct metabolic expense. This increased metabolism associated with hardening led to a substantial reduction in larval longevity as nutrient reserves are limited and cannot be replenished until a host is located. These studies suggest that tick larvae, and likely other developmental stages, require a delicate balance between the need for questing at low temperatures and survival until the first blood meal.
Handling heme with care.

Heme-containing proteins support a broad range of cellular functions. A new crystal structure explains how an integral-membrane heme lyase attaches the hydrophobic heme to soluble proteins.
Vulnerabilities of irrigated and rainfed corn to climate change in a humid climate in the Lower Mississippi Delta

The use of fossil fuels for energy needs increases atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations to levels that can significantly exacerbate the climate on earth. Assessing the vulnerability of regional crop production systems to such an altered climate in the future is essential for implementing appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies for sustainable agriculture. We investigated the possible impacts of climate change (CC) projected by multiple global climate models (GCMs) on rainfed and irrigated corn (Zea mays L., a C4 plant) in the Lower Mississippi Delta region (LMD), USA. The CSM-CROPGRO-Maize v4.6 module in the RZWQM2 model (hereafter referred to as the “corn model”) was previously calibrated and validated for modeling corn at Stoneville, Mississippi, a representative location in the LMD was used. The CC scenarios considered in this study were ensembles of climate projections of multiple GCMs (97 ensemble members) that participated in the Climate Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Program 5. These CC scenarios were bias-corrected and spatially downscaled (BCSD) at the location for the years 2050 and 2080. Four representative GHG concentration pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5 drove these CC scenarios. Under both irrigated and rainfed conditions, corn yield responses to enhanced CO2 were weak; thus, yield declined significantly in response to the enhanced air temperatures under all the RCP scenarios in both 2050 and 2080. The yield declines across RCPs ranged between 10 and 62% under irrigated conditions, and between 9 and 60% under rainfed conditions, mainly due to increased frequency of extreme temperatures and reduced crop durations. Water use efficiency declined between 22 and 150% under irrigated, and 8 and 54% under rainfed management. As an adaptation measure, planting corn up to 9 weeks earlier in the season, in general, failed to boost yields from increased crop duration and reduction in upper extreme air temperatures, as incidences of lower extreme temperatures also increased alarmingly. Development of cultivars that are more heat tolerant and produce higher yields under extreme temperatures would be required to combat corn yield decline in the region from climate change.
Mid-Infrared Scattering in γ-Al2O3 Catalytic Powders.

The energy efficiency of heterogeneous catalytic processes may be improved by using mid-infrared light to excite gas-phase reactants during the reaction, since vibrational excitation of molecules h...
Case 70: A Soda Lime Dilemma

You have been working in northern Malawi for about a year. For the last 3 months, there has been no soda lime available. Hence, you have been using Mapleson A, D (Bain), and an ADE circuit for all your anesthetics. All of these circuits, as you know, do not require any soda lime to remove CO2 (see Chaps. 1, 2, and 4). You have no monitors, except for an oxygen saturation monitor.
Two distinct adhesion mechanisms in embryonic neural retina cells. II. An immunological analysis.

Abstract Antibodies were raised against neural retina cells prepared by dissociation in EGTA alone (E cells, Ca 2+ -independent aggregation), in trypsin + Ca 2+ (TC cells, Ca 2+ -dependent aggregation), or in trypsin + EGTA (TE cells, nonadhesive). Anti-E-cell Fab selectively inhibited Ca 2+ -independent aggregation, anti-TC-cell Fab selectively inhibited Ca 2+ -dependent aggregation, and anti-TE-cell Fab inhibited neither. Fab from a fourth preparation, also raised against E cells, inhibited both Ca 2+ -independent and Ca 2+ -dependent aggregation but was separated by immunoadsorption into two fractions, one specific for each mode of aggregation. In cells which utilize both modes simultaneously (LTC cells), each was inhibited exclusively by the appropriate Fab. The immunological data presented here demonstrate the existence in the same cells of two distinct and functionally independent adhesion mechanisms, each responsible for one of the two modes of aggregation. The differing adhesive properties of retinal cells prepared by different procedures are explained by the presence, absence, or degree of activity of these two mechanisms, qualities regulated by the concentrations of trypsin and Ca 2+ used in the tissue dissociation.