cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contemporary Applications of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation to Treat Intestinal Diseases in Humans

The intestinal microbiota comprise an important organ that plays a vital role in host digestion, development, energy maintenance, hemostasis, and immunity. Disruption of the gut microbial community due to diet, lifestyle, or antibiotic exposure increases susceptibility to chronic infection and disease. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) involves the transfer of gut microbiota from a healthy donor to a patient in order to restore normal diversity and function of the microbial community. This method has become a well established alternative therapy for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Recent clinical trials and studies in animal models suggest promise for this method to treat inflammatory bowel diseases, as well as metabolic syndrome. In addition, due to signaling interactions between the gut microbiota and brain, FMT has been suggested as a potential treatment for some psychological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. Importantly, advances in next-generation sequencing and multi-omics approaches are increasingly improving our understanding of the mechanisms by which FMT results in cure of these various conditions. In this review, we summarize the current applications of FMT and highlight potential future uses and current challenges in understanding and optimizing FMT procedures.
A multistep approach to classify full canopy and leafless trees in bottomland hardwoods using very high-resolution imagery

ABSTRACTThe distribution of leafless and full-canopy trees in fall is essential in understanding the phenological and morphological characteristics of forests and those are critical baseline information for several scientific questions and management scenarios. The rapid progress of very high-resolution satellite-borne sensors provides a feasible solution to fast and accurately map tree coverage during the growing season. However, less attention has been paid to the leaf-off seasons. One biggest challenge with classification on fall imagery is the potential confusion among different land features, as evidenced by the no significant difference between bare land and leafless trees from t-test and transformed divergence (TD) analysis results. We proposed an integrative approach to classifying leafless and full-canopy trees on fall imagery of 0.46-m WorldView-2 (WV-2). We adopted a two-step classification approach by first removing the non-forest area from the WV-2 imagery with the mask layer generated from t...
Is cancer progression caused by gradual or simultaneous acquisitions of new chromosomes

Foulds defined, “Tumor progression (as a) permanent, irreversible qualitative change in one or more of its characters” (Cancer Res. 1954). Accordingly progressions, such as metastases and acquired drug-resistance, were since found to be subspecies of cancers with conserved and numerous new chromosomes. Here we ask whether cancers acquire numerous new chromosomes gradually or simultaneously in progressions. The currently prevailing theory of Nowell (Science, 1976) holds that unexplained “genetic instability” generates “variant sublines (with) changes in chromosome number” and that “clonal” progressions arise by “stepwise selection of more aggressive sublines”. The literature, however, contains many examples of “immediate” selections of progressions with numerous new chromosomes - notably experimentally initiated fusions between cancers and heterologous cells. Furthermore, the stepwise progression theory predicts intermediate sublines of cancers with multiple non-clonal additions of new chromosomes. However, the literature does not describe such intermediates. In view of these inconsistencies with stepwise progression we test here a saltational theory, in which the inherent variability of cancer-specific aneuploidy generates “immediate” progressions with individual clonal karyotypes, transcriptomes and phenotypes in single steps. Using cell fusion as an established controllable model of “immediate” progression, we generated seven immortal murine hybridomas by fusing immortal murine myeloma cells and normal antibody-producing B-cells with polyethylene glycol within a few minutes. These immortal hybridomas contained individual sets of 71 to 105 clonal chromosomes, compared to the 52 chromosomes of the parental myeloma. Thus the myeloma had gained 19 to 53 new clonal chromosomes in seven individual hybridomas in a single step. Furthermore, no stable intermediates were found, as would be predicted by a saltational process. We conclude that random fusions between myelomas and normal B-cells generate clonal hybridomas with multiple, individual chromosomes in single steps. Similar single-step mechanisms may also generate the “late” clonal progressions of cancers with gains of numerous new chromosomes and thus explain the absence of intermediates. Latency would reflect the low probability of rare stochastic progressions. In conclusion, the karyotypic clonality of hybridomas and spontaneous progressions suggests karyotypic alterations as proximate causes of neoplastic progressions. Since cancer-specific aneuploidy catalyzes karyotypic variation, the degree of aneuploidy predicts the clinical risk of neoplastic progression, confirming classical predictions based on DNA content.
I Have to/Get to Teach Counseling: Now What? A Personal Essay

Faculty receiving the assignment to teach a course in counseling to Au.D. students often have limited background in teaching the requisite skills and knowledge associated with counseling. A period of self-reflection regarding transferable skills for counseling as well as guidance from colleagues may assist in developing core concepts for the content of the class. Theoretical underpinnings, understanding and respecting patient values, and listening and valuing are significant perspectives for students to develop as they approach the broad content of a counseling course.
Spectral interpolation for frequency measurement at off-nominal frequencies

Frequency is one of the most vital parameters used in power system monitoring, protection, and control. The commonly used frequency domain methods for frequency estimation are based on the compensation of DFT spectrum. Some accurate frequency estimation methods utilize the linearization of local DFT spectrum, such as interpolated DFT, primarily aiming at higher estimation accuracy of local maxima of signal spectrum. The accuracy of these methods is questionable due to the distortion from spectrum leakage and picket fence effects. An algorithm that estimates the frequency of quasi-steady state sinusoidal signals is presented in this paper. The proposed algorithm produces accurate frequency estimation by calculating DTFT parameters using nonlinear interpolation method on DFT spectrum. IIR filter is utilized for signal conditioning. To expedite iteration process, autocorrelation function of the original signal is analyzed. Test results show that the proposed algorithm achieves higher accuracy than the requirements from IEEE standard C37.118.1a-2014.
History of Los Alamos Participation in Active Experiments in Space

Beginning with the Teak nuclear test in 1958, Los Alamos has a long history of participation in active experiments in space. The last pertinent nuclear tests were the five explosions as part of the Dominic series in 1962. The Partial Test Ban Treaty signed in August 1963 prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground. Beginning with the “Apple” thermite barium release in June 1968 Los Alamos has participated in nearly 100 non-nuclear experiments in space, the last being the NASA-sponsored “AA-2” strontium and europium doped barium thermite releases in the Arecibo beam in July of 1992. The rationale for these experiments ranged from studying basic plasma processes such as gradient- driven structuring and velocity-space instabilities to illuminating the convection of plasmas in the ionosphere and polar cap to ionospheric depletion experiments to the B.E.A.R. 1-MeV neutral particle beam test in 1989. This report reviews the objectives, techniques and diagnostics of Los Alamos participation in active experiments in space.
Distress screening, intervention, and follow-up outcomes among Hispanic and Caucasian women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

163Background: We describe acceptance and impact of mental health (MH) interventions provided to an English speaking Caucasian and Spanish speaking Hispanic female breast cancer (BC) population rep...
A biophysical and socio-economic examination of the use of shelterbelts for swine odor mitigation

v GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization 14 Objectives 14 References 16 MITIGATING SWINE ODOR WITH STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED 23 SHELTERBELT SYSTEMS: A REVIEW Abstract 23 Introduction 24 Shelterbelts and Swine Odor 25 Shelterbelt and Swine Odor Interactions: Odor Mitigation 28 General Shelterbelt Design Considerations 44 Shelterbelt Impact on Odor Perception 48 Conclusions 49 References 5323 Introduction 24 Shelterbelts and Swine Odor 25 Shelterbelt and Swine Odor Interactions: Odor Mitigation 28 General Shelterbelt Design Considerations 44 Shelterbelt Impact on Odor Perception 48 Conclusions 49 References 53 FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF USING SHELTERBELTS FOR SWINE ODOR 66 MITIGATION Abstract 66 Introduction 67 Shelterbelts and Odor Mitigation 70 Financial Appraisal 76 Conclusions 85 References 8866 Introduction 67 Shelterbelts and Odor Mitigation 70 Financial Appraisal 76 Conclusions 85 References 88
Fluid and Solid Singularities at the Tip of a Fluid-Driven Fracture

Mathematical modeling of a fluid-driven fracture has attracted numerous contributions since the 1950’s, see e.g. Khristianovic and Zheltov (1955), Barenblatt (1962), Perkins and Kern (1961), Nordgren (1972), Geerstma and Haafkens (1979) for some early contributions. These studies have been mainly motivated by hydraulic fracturing (a technique used widely in the oil and gas industry to enhance the recovery of hydrocarbons from underground reservoirs), although other applications exist such as magma-driven fracture (Spence and Turcotte, 1985).
A Specific Oviduct Target-Tissue Receptor For Progesterone: Identification, Characterization, Partial Purification, Inter-Compartmental Transfer Kinetics and Specific Interaction with the Genome

Researchers at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have used the chick oviduct in many of their efforts to understand the mechanism of steroid hormone action. In this paper they describe their efforts to establish the existence and characteristics of a specific receptor for progesterone in target cells and to relate the initial hormone-receptor interactions to subsequent alterations in RNA synthesis induced in the oviduct cell nucleus. Areas treated include progesterone binding to macromolecules following in vivo administration characterization of macromolecular-progesterone complex formed by oviduct cytosol in vitro partial purification of cytoplasmic complex evidence that binding components mediate progesterone action transfer of steroid-receptor complex from cytoplasm to nucleus and receptor interaction with the genome. OMalley leads a discussion further considering the nature of the progesterone receptor.
Concepts of Gendered Disease

Much has been said in the latter part of the twentieth century about the importance of addressing more closely women’s disease and health. Discussions have led to an increase of women physicians, women’s health care centers, and the involvement of women in clinical research projects. The call is for more attention on women’s disease and health in order to better serve women. In other words, we are called to pay closer attention to how gender frames disease. This chapter takes a closer look at the role gender plays in the construction of disease, thereby drawing upon the analysis provided earlier on the social construction of disease, particularly Chapters 6, 7, and 8. It argues that a non-neutral, or rather a non-gender-neutral, account of disease is non-defensible. The task, then, is to determine the kind, level, or degree of gender bias in the framing of women’s disease that is appropriate for judgment and action.
Some Essentials of a Client-Centered Approach to Assessment

Assessment has been regarded traditionally as a process in which counselors collect information about clients, determining the data gathering procedures that will be employed and then proceeding to...
HOBBES'S CHANGING ECCLESIOLOGY

Readers of Hobbes have sought to account for differences between the arguments of his most influential texts. In De cive Hobbes (tepidly) endorsed apostolic structures of spiritual authority, while in Leviathan he at last unleashed his vehement anticlericalism. I argue that these disparities do not reflect an identifiable change in Hobbes's ideas or principles over time. Rather, the political context in which Hobbes composed his treatises drastically altered over the course of his writing career, and the Hobbesian theoretical significance of those contextual developments best accounts for some ecclesiological inconsistencies across his oeuvre. There was, throughout the brief and tumultuous period after the regicide during which Hobbes composed Leviathan, no sovereign power in England to whom he should defer, and consequently he acquired certain liberties that subjects in a civitas forgo. Those included the renewal of his right to wage a ‘war of pens’ against High Anglican episcopal power.
A hybrid grey wolf optimizer algorithm with evolutionary operators for optimal QoS-aware service composition and optimal selection in cloud manufacturing

Cloud manufacturing (CMfg), as a new service-oriented technology, is aiming towards delivering on-demand manufacturing services over the internet by facilitating collaboration among different producers with distributed manufacturing resources and capabilities. To this end, addressing service composition and optimal selection (SCOS) problem has been the pivotal challenge. This NP-hard combinatorial problem deals with selecting and combining the available resources into a composite service to meet the user’s requirements while keeping up the optimal quality of service. This study proposes a new hybrid approach based on the recently developed grey wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm and evolutionary operators of the genetic algorithm. The embedded crossover and mutation operators carry out a twofold functionality: (1) they make it possible to adapt the continuous structure of GWO to a combinatorial problem such as SCOS, and (2) they help to avoid the local optimal stagnation at the hunting process by providing more exploration strength. A series of experiments were designed and conducted to prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, and the experimental results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm delivers superior performance compared with that of both existing discrete variations of GWO and genetic algorithm, especially in large-scale SCOS problems.
Optimal Distributed Control of Spatially Invariant Time Varying Linear Systems

In this paper, the optimal distributed linear time varying $H_{2}$ control problem for cone causal spatially invariant linear time varying (SILTV) systems is considered. This class of systems was initially defined in the work of Voulgaris et al. for cone causal spatially invariant (SI) linear time invariant (LTI) systems. First, the optimal time varying $H_{2}$ problem is posed using a version of the Youla parameterization. This allows to transform the problem into an affine form which results in a convex but infinite dimensional distributed optimization. Next, the problem is solved by computing an operator projection on a class of time varying Youla parameters with a cone causal distributed structure. The cone causal spatially invariant systems are viewed as input-output multiplicative operators with a mixed causal time varying structure with respect to time, and spatially invariant with respect to the space dimension.
Effect of application variables on spray deposition, coverage, and ground losses in nursery tree applications

An experimental cross-flow (CF) fan sprayer and a conventional, axial-fan (AF), orchard sprayer were used to treat multiple rows consisting of four year old, multi-stem, red maple trees, Acer rubrum L. and Turkish filbert trees, Corylus colurna L. The effects of sprayer type, fan orientation, application volume, and ground speed on canopy and ground spray deposits and canopy spray coverage across multiple target rows were evaluated. Variations in deposits and coverage across the canopies were generally smaller for the CF sprayer than the AF sprayer. The AF sprayer produced the highest overall deposits in the first row nearest the sprayer. Reducing fan speed kept more material in the tree row adjacent to the sprayer while decreasing spray volume did not affect the spray deposits in that row. Tower sprayer fan orientation did not affect canopy deposits but could be used to minimize spray drift. These results indicate that the most uniform spray distribution in a tree canopy is obtained by treating the canopy from each side. These findings also suggest growers should experiment with different spray volume and speed settings that can provide efficacious applications more efficiently.
A Biomechanical Comparison of Alternative Graft Preparations for All-Inside Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose To biomechanically compare alternative graft constructs for all-inside anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the event that the semitendinosus harvested is too narrow or too short to make a graft larger than 8 mm. Methods Bovine extensor tendons were used to make 6 different 9-mm-diameter grafts: traditional 4-strand, anastomosis 4-strand, 6-strand, 3-strand, button-fixation 4-strand, and loop-and-tack 4-strand grafts. The grafts were then subjected to cyclic biomechanical testing followed by failure loading. Force at 3 and 5 mm of displacement and ultimate force were recorded for all grafts. Results Compared with the traditional 4-strand graft, the only graft that showed significant biomechanical differences during the cyclic phase of testing was the button-fixation 4-strand graft, which was characterized by lower force at 3 mm of displacement (74 ± 34 N vs 122 ± 13 N, P = .004) and 5 mm of displacement (122 ± 35 N vs 172 ± 3 N, P = .006). During failure loading, ultimate force was significantly lower for both the 6-strand graft (491 ± 186 N, P = .041) and button-fixation 4-strand graft (326 ± 27 N, P Conclusions The anastomosis 4-strand, 3-strand, and loop-and-tack 4-strand grafts do not biomechanically differ in cyclic loading and ultimate force from traditional 4-strand grafts. This study supports the use of anastomosis 4-strand, 3-strand, or loop-and-tack 4-strand grafts in the event that a traditional all-inside 4-strand graft cannot be prepared from a harvested semitendinosus tendon in ACL reconstruction. Clinical Relevance This study tests and describes alternatives to the traditional 4-strand semitendinosus autograft for all-inside ACL reconstruction in the event that the harvested tendon is not adequate.
Kinetics-Based Measurement of Hypoxia in Living Cells and Animals Using an Acetoxymethyl Ester Chemiluminescent Probe

Oxygenation and tissue hypoxia play critical roles in mammalian biology and contribute to aggressive phenotypes in cancerous tumors, driving research to develop accurate and easy-to-implement methods for monitoring hypoxia in living cells and animal models. This study reports the chemiluminescent probe HyCL-4-AM, which contains a nitroaromatic sensing moiety and, importantly, an acetoxymethyl (AM) ester that dramatically improves operation in cells and animals. HyCL-4-AM provides a selective 60 000-fold increase in luminescence emission in the presence of rat liver microsomes (RLM). For cellular operation, the chemiluminescence response kinetics is sharply dependent on oxygen levels, enabling highly significant and reproducible measurement of hypoxia in living cells. Whole animal imaging experiments in muscle tissue and tumor xenografts show that HyCL-4-AM can differentiate between well oxygenated muscle tissue and hypoxic tumors, demonstrating potential for monitoring tumor reoxygenation via hyperoxic tr...
An approach to evaluate polyacrylamide-type polymers' long-term stability under high temperature and high salinity environment

Abstract Water-soluble polymers have been widely used in chemical flooding either independently or as part of surfactant-polymer (SP) and alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) processes. The polymer viscosifies the injected water thereby reducing the displacing fluid's mobility and increasing sweep efficiency. The key to efficient sweep is attaining sustainable mobility control (i.e. maintenance of sufficient viscosity during propagation in the reservoir). Long-term stability is therefore a crucial parameter in the screening of appropriate polymers for application, especially in high temperature and high salinity reservoirs. In general, the evaluation of a polymer solution's long-term stability is a very time-consuming process. There is a need to develop fast and reliable means to assess the feasibility of polymers from a long-term stability standpoint. Different from conventional methods posed in the literature, this paper presents a new facile approach to evaluate the polymers in powder form and identify their molecular decomposition. The approach is correlated and confirmed against conventional long-term stability results obtained from the evaluation of polymer solutions. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used in this work to study the decomposition of polymers and their individual constituents. The derivative of the TGA curve with respect to temperature, is known as the derivative thermal gravimetric (DTG) thermogram, which can clearly identify differences in decomposition rates of screened polymers. Furthermore, conventional long-term stability tests were performed on polymer solutions prepared in synthetic seawater with a salinity of 57,670 ppm. The solutions were aged at a temperature of 95 °C under anaerobic conditions and monitored by rheological measurements for viscosity loss, total organic carbon (TOC) analyses for material loss, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) for molecular weight loss. The thermal stability of 12 commercial water soluble polymers was tested in this work. The long-term stability results are consistent with the TGA results. The two polymers showing good thermogravimetric stability exhibited significant viscosity retention in conventional long-term stability tests. TOC and GPC results further supported these TGA results. The developed method provides a fast approach to screen polymer candidates for high temperature and high salinity reservoirs.
Diel feeding behavior in a partially migrant Mysis population: A benthic-pelagic comparison

Abstract Populations that exhibit partial migration include migrants and non-migrants. For benthic-pelagic organisms that exhibit partial diel vertical migration (PDVM), migrants and non-migrants spend different amounts of time in benthic and pelagic foraging arenas over a diel cycle. For example, mysids exhibit PDVM and can feed on benthic and pelagic resources. Migratory individuals are assumed to undergo vertical migration at night to access pelagic food when predation risk is low. However, feeding behavior of non-migrant benthic individuals is not well understood. One hypothesis to explain individual variability in diel vertical migration (DVM) behavior is the hunger-satiation state of individuals (hunger-satiation (HS) hypothesis), which predicts that migration is driven by hunger and non-migration is a response to satiation. We assessed diel feeding patterns of benthic- and pelagic-caught Mysis in Lake Champlain to evaluate if PDVM was consistent with predictions of the HS hypothesis. Stomach fullness and diet composition revealed little diel difference in stomach contents between time of day or between benthic and pelagic individuals at night. Pelagic individuals had consistently higher stomach fullness shortly after sunset compared to near midnight. Non-migrant benthic individuals at night and benthic-caught individuals during the day had similar amounts of detritus in stomachs. High stomach fullness and levels of zooplankton in benthic-caught stomachs indicate Mysis actively feed when benthic, regardless of time of day. Our results suggest variation in Mysis migration behavior is not likely due to hunger-satiation, and highlights the importance of variable behavior in determining Mysis effects on food web interactions in deep lakes.
Quantifying mortality and injury susceptibility for two morphologically disparate fishes exposed to simulated turbine blade strike

Passage of fishes through hydropower turbines and water pumping stations may cause mortal injury as the result of exposure to blade strike impact. Laboratory trials of simulated blade strike on two morphologically distinct fishes, American eel (Anguilla rostrata) and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were undertaken to assess injury and mortality rates. We hypothesized that bluegill would have comparable rates of injury and mortality to other laterally compressed fishes while anguilliform American eel would be more resistant to injury. American eel had low observed mortality rates at the highest velocity tested (13.6 m/s), but many fish were observed with vertebral fractures which we categorized as functionally dead individuals. Bluegill were more susceptible to blade strike with high rates of mortality regardless of blade thickness, velocity, or impact conditions (location, angle, or fish orientation). These data have broadened our understanding of the range of responses among entrained fishes exposed to blade strike and represent species with low (American eel) and high (bluegill) susceptibility to injury and mortality. Our blade strike data can help inform safer turbine designs or prioritization of pumps that minimize traumatic injury and mortality of fishes during non-volitional passage through hydropower turbines or water pumping stations.
Endovascular versus medical therapy for large-vessel anterior occlusive stroke presenting with mild symptoms.

BackgroundAcute ischemic stroke patients with a large-vessel occlusion but mild symptoms (NIHSS ≤ 6) pose a treatment dilemma between medical management and endovascular thrombectomy.AimsTo evaluat...
Revenues and Profits From Medicare Patients in Hospitals Participating in the 340B Drug Discount Program, 2013-2016

Importance The federal 340B program lowers the acquisition cost of prescription drugs and places no limits on what hospitals charge payers. Congress established the program to allow 340B profits (the difference between payments and acquisition costs) to subsidize other safety-net services. Little is known about the magnitude of revenues and profits from the 340B program among participating hospitals. Objective To report revenues and estimated profits from the 340B program that hospitals collect from Medicare and Medicare beneficiaries for outpatient clinic administration of prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part B. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional descriptive study used 100% Medicare outpatient Part B claims from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016, from fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries administered separately payable drugs at general acute care nonprofit or public hospitals without special payment designations. Claims data (N = 11 298 860) were aggregated to the hospital-year level (N = 6000) and linked to hospital finances and 340B participation from Medicare cost reports and the 340B covered entity list. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes studied were revenue and estimated profits, assuming a 50% discount from 340B-discounted drug administrations to Medicare patients, as well as Medicare 340B profits relative to hospital net operating revenue, uncompensated care, and disproportionate share hospital payments. Results During the study period, hospitals received approximately $2.1 billion in 340B revenue from Medicare in 2013, increasing to $3.7 billion in 2016. Estimated 340B profits from Medicare in 2016 totaled $1.9 billion, and per-hospital estimated 340B profits were $2.5 million but exhibited variability (median, $0.8 million; interquartile range, $0.1 million-$2.8 million). In 2016, median estimated 340B profits from Medicare were 0.3% (interquartile range, 0.1%-0.7%; mean, 0.4%) of hospital operating budgets and 9.4% (interquartile range, 1.8%-26.5%; mean, 16.6%) of hospital uncompensated care costs. Conclusions and Relevance Estimated profits that hospitals derived from administering 340B-discounted drugs to Medicare patients are small compared with operating budgets yet substantial compared with uncompensated care costs for many hospitals. Revenue and profit estimates from 340B-discounted drugs represent a lower bound because data on revenue from the sale of outpatient retail dispensed drugs by hospital contract pharmacies and commercial insurer claims are not available.
Allopurinol inhibits excess glucose-induced trophoblast IL-1β and ROS production

Pre-gestational diabetes is a risk factor for preeclampsia, a condition associated with inflammatory markers, a dysregulated angiogenic profile, and impaired placentation. Using an in vitro model, we previously reported that hyperglycemic levels of glucose induced a pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-8, RANTES, GRO-α), anti-angiogenic (sFlt-1) and anti-migratory profile in a human trophoblast cell line. The IL-1β response to excess glucose was mediated by uric acid-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Allopurinol is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor that inhibits uric acid and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Thus, we sought to test the effects of allopurinol on the IL-1β and other inflammatory, angiogenic and migratory responses that are triggered in the trophoblast by excess glucose. Under excess glucose conditions, allopurinol significantly inhibited trophoblast secretion of inflammatory IL-1β; caspase-1 activity; IL-8; RANTES; and GRO-α. Allopurinol also significantly inhibited excess glucose-induced trophoblast secretion of anti-angiogenic sFlt-1. The presence of IL1Ra significantly inhibited excess glucose-induced trophoblast IL-8 and GRO-α secretion but had no effect on RANTES or sFlt-1. Conversely, DPI, a ROS inhibitor, significantly inhibited excess glucose-induced trophoblast GRO-α and sFlt-1 secretion, but had no effect on IL-8 or RANTES. Together, our findings indicate that the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol inhibited excess glucose-induced trophoblast IL-1β secretion. Additionally, through its inhibition of both IL-1β and ROS production by the trophoblast, allopurinol reduced the additional pro-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic responses to excess glucose. Thus, allopurinol may be a candidate medication to prevent placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preeclampsia, in pregnant women with diabetes.
SenseChain: Blockchain based Reputation System for Distributed Spectrum Enforcement

Distributed enforcement of spectrum policies require fusion of sensing results from a set of spatially scattered sensors to detect anomalous behavior with the highest possible accuracy. Central to this problem is the lack of trust or reputation of the participating sensors, which often leads to incorrect and biased inferences. In SenseChain, we leverage the distributed consensus mechanism employed in Blockchain networks to capture the reputation of the sensors, leading to a highly reliable and accurate enforcement system. Specifically, we define and analyze a detection mechanism to identify falsifying sensors using a distributed anomaly detection system and use the Blockchain to record the individual’s behavior. The reputation is then based on the combination of the difficulty level of the consensus method and the degree of falsehood in the reported sensor values. We evaluate SenseChain using an integrated Blockchain and anomaly detection simulator to show that DLTs can be used to track reputation of distributed sensors for distributed enforcement of spectrum policies.
The design of a prospective trial to evaluate the role of preoperative frailty assessment in older women undergoing surgery for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse: The FASt supplemental trial

Objective We present the rationale for and the design of a prospective trial to evaluate the role of preoperative frailty and mobility assessments in older women undergoing surgery for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) as a planned prospective supplemental trial to the ASPIRe (Apical Suspension Repair for Vault Prolapse In a Three-Arm Randomized Trial Design) trial. The Frailty ASPIRe Study (FASt) examines the impact of preoperative frailty and mobility on surgical outcomes in older women (≥65 years) participating in the ASPIRe trial. The primary objective of FASt is to determine the impact of preoperative age, multimorbidity, frailty, and decreased mobility on postoperative outcomes in older women (≥65 years old) undergoing surgery for POP. Methods The selection of the preoperative assessments, primary outcome measures, and participant inclusion is described. Frailty and mobility measurements will be collected at the preoperative visit and include the 6 Robinson frailty measurements and the Timed Up and Go mobility test. The main outcome measure in the FASt supplemental study will be moderate to severe postoperative adverse events according to the Clavien-Dindo Severity Classification. Conclusions This trial will assess impact of preoperative age, multimorbidity, frailty, and decreased mobility on postoperative outcomes in older women (≥65 years old) undergoing surgical procedures for the correction of apical POP. Information from this trial may help both primary care providers and surgeons better advise/inform women on their individual risks of surgical complications and provide more comprehensive postoperative care to women at highest risk of complications.
Students' problem-solving strategies in qualitative physics questions in a simulation-based formative assessment

Previous studies on quantitative physics problem solving have been concerned with students’ using equations simply as a numerical computational tool. The current study started from a research question: “How do students solve conceptual physics questions in simulation-based formative assessments?” In the study, three first-year college students’ interview data were analyzed to characterize their problem-solving strategies in qualitative physics questions. Prior to the interview, the participating students completed four formative assessment tasks in physics integrating computer simulations and questions. The formative assessment questions were either constructed-response or two-tiered questions related to the simulations. When interviewing students, they were given two or three questions from each task and asked to think aloud about the questions. The findings showed that students still used equations to answer the qualitative questions, but the ways of using equations differed between students. The study found that when students were able to connect variables to a physical process and to interpret relationships among variables in an equation, equations were used as explanatory or conceptual understanding tools, not just as computational tools.
Access to infertility services: characterizing potentially infertile men in the United States with the use of the National Survey for Family Growth

Objective To characterize the population of subfertile and infertile men in the United States who lack access to infertility services. Design Analysis of the 2011–2013, 2013–2015, and 2015–2017 waves of the National Survey for Family Growth (NSFG) dataset. Setting Not applicable. Patient(s) Noninstitutionalized civilian men, ages 15–45 years, who were married or lived with a woman and had not undergone a vasectomy. Intervention Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) Access to infertility services. Result(s) Compared with people who had used infertility services, unevaluated men who self-reported as infertile or subfertile were younger, had lower household incomes, were less educated, and were less likely to be married. Unevaluated infertile men were less likely to have a regular place where they received health care, were more likely to be uninsured, and had a poorer perception of their personal health. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, average household income, marital status, education level, and current insurance status remained significant. Conclusion(s) Infertile men who had not used infertility services were less educated, were less likely to have been married, and had a lower household income and private insurance rate compared with men who had used infertility services. These demographic and health care utilization differences can help inform public policy related to fertility.
A Definition of “Regular Meals” Driven by Dietary Quality Supports a Pragmatic Schedule

Public health guidelines advise eating regular meals without defining “regular.” This study constructed a meaning for “regular” meals congruent with dietary quality. Parents of 4th grade youth in a school-based intervention (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02491294) completed three, ASA24 online 24-h dietary recalls. Differences in time of intake across days for breakfasts, lunches, dinners were categorized with consistency denoted as always, often/sometimes or rarely/never and assigned values of 3, 2 or 1, respectively. Meal-specific values were summed to form mealtime regularity scores (mReg) ranging from 3 (low) to 9. Healthy eating index (HEI) scores were compared to mReg controlling for weekday/weekend recall pattern. Linear regression predicted HEI scores from mReg. Parents (n = 142) were non-Hispanic white (92%), female (88%) and educated (73%). One mReg version, mReg1 was significantly associated with total HEI, total fruit, whole fruit, tended to correlate with total protein, seafood/plant protein subcomponents. mReg1 predicted total HEI (p = 0.001) and was inversely related to BMI (p = 0.04). A score of three (always) was awarded to breakfasts, lunches or dinners with day-to-day differences of 0–60 min; also, lunches/dinners with one interval of 60–120 min when two meals were ≤60 min apart. More rigid mReg versions were not associated with dietary quality.
Clear Plastic Bags of Bark Mulch Trap and Kill Female Megachile (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Searching for Nesting Sites

In 2017, we found 17 dead females of Megachile frigida Smith in clear plastic bags of composted bark mulch in a residential yard in Bozeman, Montana, USA. Females apparently entered bags via small ventilation holes, then became trapped and died. To investigate whether this is a common source of mortality, we deployed unmodified bags of mulch and those fitted with cardboard tubes (as potential nest sites) at three nearby sites in 2018. We found two dead M. frigida females and five completed leaf cells in one of these bags of mulch fitted with cardboard tubes; two male M. frigida emerged from these leaf cells. In 2018, we also discovered three dead female M. frigida and three dead females of a second leafcutter bee species, Megachile gemula Cresson, in clear bags of another type of bark mulch. Both mulches emitted nearly identical blends of volatile organic compounds, suggesting their odors could attract females searching for nesting sites. These findings suggest that more research is needed to determine how common and widespread this is for Megachile species that nest in rotting wood and if there are simple solutions to this problem.
Scientist Online: Entomologists' Experiences Engaging With School Audiences Through Skype in the Classroom

Scientists often aim to inspire others who may not be as knowledgeable about specific scientific concepts to increase science interest and knowledge, mobilize communities for social and political change, and encourage the pursuit of STEM careers. Ideally, scientists would interact with public audiences face-to-face for rich dialogue and engagement at community venues such as libraries, churches, schools, and grocery stores. However, research shows the majority of Americans spend their time searching for scientific information on the web. As an alternative, some scientists have taken to participating in produced online video. Some online video platforms allow for synchronous dialogic engagement, such as Skype, for video-sharing. Skype in the Classroom is offered for school interactions with content experts through virtual field trips. The following study provides a practical overview of a specific program called ‘Scientist Online: The Science of Mosquitoes,’ its application of Skype in the Classroom two-way video technology for fostering STEM dialogue, and a qualitative analysis of scientists’ experiences and scientist-student interactions. The authors analyzed interviews with the participating scientists and call transcriptions of the scientist-student conversations with five schools and more than 100 students from Florida, Pennsylvania, Canada, and Pakistan. Skype in the Classroom served as an effective platform for scientists to engage with various school audiences, improving their confidence in science communication. The online synchronous format of Skype in the Classroom prompted scientists to prepare content and conduct background research of participants’ locations in advance. Scientists recognized the importance of their roles as science communicators to dialogue about science in digestible terms, and Skype in the Classroom allowed them to balance their roles as researchers and contributors to public outreach. Recommendations are also discussed.
It’s All Relative: The Dual Role of Media Consumption and Media Literacy among Black Audiences

Race-related media effects research often address the misrepresentations of Black characterizations and their relationship to non-Black audiences. However, very few studies center the relationship ...
Sizing Up Fontan Failure: Association with Increasing Weight in Adulthood.

Obesity has become increasingly recognized in adults with Fontan palliation, yet the relationship between weight changes in adulthood and Fontan failure is not clearly defined. We hypothesize that increasing weight in adulthood among Fontan patients is associated with the development of Fontan failure. Single-center data from adults with Fontan palliation who were not in Fontan failure at their first clinic visit in adulthood and who received ongoing care were retrospectively collected. Fontan failure was defined as death, transplant, diagnosis of protein losing enteropathy, predicted peak VO2 less than 50%, or new loop diuretic requirement. Anthropometric data including weight and BMI were collected. Change in weight was compared between those that developed Fontan failure, and those that remained failure-free. To estimate the association between weight change during adulthood and the risk of developing Fontan failure, a survival analysis using multiple Cox’s proportional hazards regression model was performed. Overall, 104 patients were included in the analysis. Those that developed Fontan failure had a larger associated median weight gain than those who remained failure-free (7.8 kg vs. 4.9 kg, respectively; p = 0.011). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, increased weight during adulthood was associated with increased likelihood of developing Fontan failure (HR 1.36; CI 1.07–1.73; p = 0.011). Weight gain in adulthood is associated with the development of Fontan failure.
Intermountain Flora: Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 7. Potpourri: History, Authors, Artists, Collectors, Beardtongues, Glossary, Indices.

Noel H. Holmgren & Patricia K. Holmgren. 2017. Intermountain Flora: Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 7. Potpourri: History, Authors, Artists, Collectors, Beardtongues, Glossary, Indices. (ISBN-13: 978-0-89327-546-4, hbk). The New York Botanical Garden Press, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, New York 10458, U.S.A. (Orders: nybgpress.org). $119.00 US, 312 pp., 73?4" × 11".
Human standing posture: multi-joint movement strategies based on biomechanical constraints.

We developed a theoretical framework for studying coordination strategies in standing posture. The framework consists of a musculoskeletal model of the human lower extremity in the sagittal plane and a technique to visualize, geometrically, how constraints internal and external to the body affect movement. The set of all feasible accelerations (i.e., the "feasible acceleration set" or FAS) that muscles can induce at positions near upright were calculated. We found that musculoskeletal mechanics dictate that independent control of joints is relatively difficult to achieve. When muscle activations are constrained so the knees stay straight, to approximate the typical postural response to perturbation, the corresponding subset of the feasible acceleration set greatly favors a combination of ankle and hip movement in the ratio 1:3 (called the "hip strategy"). Independent control of these two joints remains difficult to achieve. When near the boundary of instability, the orientation and shape of this subset show that the movement strategy necessary to maintain stability, without taking a step, is quite restricted. Hypothesizing that regulation of center-of-mass position is crucial to maintaining balance, we examined the feasible set of center-of-mass accelerations. When the knees must be kept straight, the acceleration of the center of mass is severely limited vertically, but not horizontally. We also found that the "ankle strategy", involving rotation about the ankles only, requires more muscle activation than the "hip strategy" for a given amount of horizontal acceleration. Our model therefore predicts that the hip strategy is most effective at controlling the center of mass with minimal muscle activation ("neural effort").
Analytical Modeling of Residual Stress in Railroad Rails Using Critically Refracted Longitudinal Ultrasonic Waves With COMSOL Multiphysics Module

Assessment of residual stresses in railroad rails without destructing the material plays a vital role in rail road safety. Ultrasonic testing is a commonly used nondestructive technique to determine the stresses in any structure. Ultrasonic stress evaluation technique is based on acoustoelastic effect which refers to the changes in the speed of the elastic wave propagation in a structure undergoing static elastic deformations. Critically refracted longitudinal (LCR) waves can be used as the propagating waves because it is a bulk wave and can reflect the surface and subsurface characteristics by the wave property linked to material elasticity. In this paper, a COMSOL Multiphysics module-based Finite Element Method (FEM) model is developed and numerical simulations are carried out for critically refracted longitudinal wave propagation in a railroad rail head for residual stresses. The time travel data results from this FEM Model are validated with reported experimental results.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
All Printed Bistable Reflective Displays: Printable Electrophoretic Ink and All Printed Metal-Insulator-Metal Diodes

We have printed Metal-Insulator-Metal Diodes onto flexible substrates using hybrid polymer and metal-metal oxide inks. Successful device structures were printed by means of several processes including 1] a two step process of Ta in polymer matrix with thermally grown oxide followed by printed Cr in polymer and 2] a one step process of pre-oxidized Ta microparticles in polymer. Back-to-back diode I-V characteristics were demonstrated with tunable turn-on voltages between 5V and 100V. Coupled with a fully printable bistable, electronically addressable electrophoretic ink which we have developed, such systems open the way for all printed, reflective, bistable electronic displays.