cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics and burn eschar penetration of intravenous ciprofloxacin in patients with major thermal injuries

Adequate penetration of antibiotics into burn tissue and maintenance of effective serum levels are essential for the treatment of patients sustaining major thermal injuries. The pharmacokinetics and burn eschar penetration of intravenous ciprofloxacin were determined in 12 critically ill patients with burn injuries. Mean age for the 12 patients was 45 +/- 17 (range 25-82 years), total body surface area burned (TBSAB) = 38 +/- 15% and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score = 8 +/- 6. Patients received recommended doses of ciprofloxacin, 400 mg q12h iv, for three doses beginning 72 h post-burn. Serum concentrations were measured at t = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 2.0, 4.0 and 12.0 h after the first and third doses. Burn eschar biopsies were obtained after the third ciprofloxacin dose. Three of these 12 patients (25%) manifested later signs of clinical sepsis (TBSAB = 61 +/- 6% and APACHE II score = 11 +/- 3) and underwent a second infusion of three doses of intravenous ciprofloxacin, blood sampling and eschar biopsy. Serum and eschar concentrations were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Serum ciprofloxacin concentrations were comparable to those of normal volunteers (C(max) = 4.0 +/- 1 mg/L and AUC = 11.4 +/- 2 mg.h/L) during the immediate post-burn period after dose 1 (C(max1) = 4.8 +/- 3 mg/L and AUC(0-12) = 12.5 +/- 7 mg. h/L) and dose 3 (C(max3) = 4.9 +/- 2 mg/L and AUC(24-36) = 17.5 +/- 11 mg.h/L). Mean burn eschar concentration during the 72 h post-burn was significantly lower than that found during clinical sepsis (18 +/- 17 compared with 41.3 +/- 54 microg/g; P 10 (MIC = 0.5 mg/L) and an AUC/MIC ratio > 100 SIT(-1).h (serum inhibitory titre) (MIC = 0.125 mg/L) were achieved. High burn eschar concentrations and serum levels, similar to those found in normal volunteers, can be achieved after intravenous ciprofloxacin infusion in critically ill burns patients.
Analysis of finite-differencing errors to determine cell size when modeling ferrites and other lossy electric and magnetic materials using FDTD

The focus of this paper is the modeling of materials that have both significant electric and magnetic losses, such as ferrites, using finite-difference time domain (FDTD). The primary contribution is identifying appropriate cell sizes when modeling these types of materials. It is shown that finite-differencing errors increase in lossy media compared to lossless media when sampling at the same number of cells per wavelength. Losses in a medium are defined by the ratio of the attenuation constant, /spl alpha/, to the phase constant, /spl beta/, since that ratio accounts for all losses, whether they be electric or magnetic. In addition to a detailed finite-differencing error analysis, a simple approximation is given for selecting a cell size in a lossy material that will give the same finite-differencing error as ten cells per wavelength in a lossless material. This paper also presents a means for deriving pure real constitutive parameters from complex constitutive parameters. Being able to make such calculations is useful in cases where complex constitutive parameters are given for a material, and the FDTD model being used only accepts pure real constitutive parameters, as is the case for several contemporary models. Comparisons of theoretical and FDTD-modeled reflection and transmission show that the derived, real constitutive parameters are valid.
Letter processing in the visual system: Different activation patterns for single letters and strings

One would expect that a lifetime of experience recognizing letters would have an important influence on the visual system. Surprisingly, there is limited evidence of a specific neural response to letters over visual control stimuli. We measured brain activation during a sequential matching task using isolated characters (Roman letters, digits, and Chinese characters) and strings of characters. We localized the visual word form area (VWFA) by contrasting the response to pseudowords against that for letter strings, but this region did not show any other sign of visual specialization for letters. In addition, a left fusiform area posterior to the VWFA was selective for letter strings, whereas a more anterior left fusiform region showed selectivity for single letters. The results of different analyses using both large regions of interest and inspections of individual patterns of response reveal a dissociation between selectivity for letter strings and selectivity for single letters. The results suggest that reading experience fine-tunes visual representations at different levels of processing. An important conclusion is that the processing of nonpronounceable letter strings cannot be assumed to be equivalent to single-letter perception.
Studies on Bovine Electrocardiogram. II. Bundle Branch Block.

SummaryChanges in the duration and form of QRS after section of the branches of the Hisbundle are much less pronounced in calves than in dogs. The difference between these two species is attributed to differences in the distribution of the intraventricular conducting system.The authors wish to express their thanks for the assistance and advice of Dr. F. N. Wilson, University Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Dr. E. T. Hallman, Michigan State College, East Lansing. The experimental animals were generously donated by the Dairy Department of Michigan State College.
Physician payment policies: impacts and implications.

▪ Abstract This paper reviews recent changes in physician payment policies, examines evidence on their impacts, and discusses their implications for researchers and policy makers. It first develops a conceptual framework to help explore the economic incentives inherent in different physician payment schemes. It then reviews evidence on the impacts of recent changes in physician payment methods; first, for fee-for-service, and then for capitated systems like HMOs. It concludes that much more research needs to be conducted on HMOs to determine the impact of different physician payment incentives on utilization, expenditures, clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction.
The Effect of Gate Oxide Processes on the Performance of 4H-SiC MOSFETs and Gate-Controlled Diodes

The effect of different gate oxide processes on the performance of 4H-SiC MOSFETs has been studied. These processes include different gate oxide depositions (high-temperature oxide, low-temperature oxide, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition oxide) and annealing processes (oxygen, NO, and ). Various MOS device parameters, particularly, threshold voltage, subthreshold slope, field-effect electron mobility, sheet electron carrier concentration, and Hall mobility, are correlated with various process steps.
Systematic trans-genomic comparison of protein kinases between Arabidopsis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The genome of the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) provides an important paradigm for transgenomic comparisons with other eukaryotic species. Here, we report a systematic comparison of the protein kinases of yeast (119 kinases) and a reference plant Arabidopsis (1,019 kinases). Using a whole-protein-based, hierarchical clustering approach, the complete set of protein kinases from both species were clustered. We validated our clustering by three observations: (a) clustering pattern of functional orthologs proven in genetic complementation experiments, (b) consistency with reported classifications of yeast kinases, and (c) consistency with the biochemical properties of those Arabidopsis kinases already experimentally characterized. The clustering pattern identified no overlap between yeast kinases and the receptor-like kinases (RLKs) of Arabidopsis. Ten more kinase families were found to be specific for one of the two species. Among them, the calcium-dependent protein kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase families are specific for plants, whereas the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and provirus insertion in mouse-like kinase families were found only in yeast and animals. Three yeast kinase families, nitrogen permease reactivator/halotolerance-5), polyamine transport kinase, and negative regulator of sexual conjugation and meiosis, are absent in both plants and animals. The majority of yeast kinase families (21 of 26) display Arabidopsis counterparts, and all are mapped into Arabidopsis families of intracellular kinases that are not related to RLKs. Representatives from 11 of the common families (54 kinases from Arabidopsis and 17 from yeast) share an extremely high degree of similarity (blast E value < 10(-80)), suggesting the likelihood of orthologous functions. Selective expansion of yeast kinase families was observed in Arabidopsis. This is most evident for yeast genes CBK1, HRR25, and SNF1 and the kinase family S6K. Reduction of kinase families was also observed, as in the case of the NEK-like family. The distinguishing features between the two sets of kinases are the selective expansion of yeast families and the generation of a limited number of new kinase families for new functionality in Arabidopsis, most notably, the Arabidopsis RLKs that constitute important components of plant intercellular communication apparatus.
Goromi-Web: browsing for unexpected information on the web

In this paper, we describe an interface that provides information from the Internet, called Goromi-Web. Usually, a search function is used to browse information on the Internet. However, with a search function, the user obtains information that he knows to exist. With Goromi-Web, the user can literally browse information on the Internet, and sometimes can encounter unexpected information previously unknown to the user.
Branching of solutions of an equation in Hilbert space

Abstract : A constructive method is developed to study the branching of solutions of the equation (I - lambda L)w + T(w) = nu p in a (real) Hilbert space H(lambda and nu are real parameters). The operator L is linear selfadjoint and compact, and the nonlinear operator T maps a neighborhood of the origin in H into H and is homogeneous of (integral) degree k(k = or > 2). The approach is based on the Lyapunov-Schmidt method and does not require that the nonlinear operator T be compact. (Author)
Development and validation of a group test of integrated science processes

The paper describes the development and validation of a group test of integrated process skills. The test assesses student performance on a set of twelve objectives related to the generic objective: planning and conducting an investigation. Evidence of content validity, construct validity, and reliability are presented in the paper. A range of generalizability coefficients from 0.77 to 0.98 is reported for specific uses of the 24-item test. Since the items measure performance on objectives that can be readily translated into classroom activity, the test has direct applicability to classroom based research, and evaluation of instruction. In addition to sound psychometric properties, the Test of Integrated Science Processes is distincitve because it includes a set of interrelated, cumulative objectives which reflect autonomous problem solving.
Goldilocks and the two mobile devices: going beyond all-or-nothing access to a device's applications

Most mobile phones and tablets support only two access control device states: locked and unlocked. We investigated how well all or-nothing device access control meets the need of users by interviewing 20 participants who had both a smartphone and tablet. We find all-or-nothing device access control to be a remarkably poor fit with users' preferences. On both phones and tablets, participants wanted roughly half their applications to be available even when their device was locked and half protected by authentication. We also solicited participants' interest in new access control mechanisms designed specifically to facilitate device sharing. Fourteen participants out of 20 preferred these controls to existing security locks alone. Finally, we gauged participants' interest in using face and voice biometrics to authenticate to their mobile phone and tablets; participants were surprisingly receptive to biometrics, given that they were also aware of security and reliability limitations.
Risk factors for scoliosis in children with neuroblastoma

Purpose To determine the risk factors for scoliosis in children treated for neuroblastoma. Methods and materials From 1957 to 1997, 58 children with neuroblastoma were treated at one institution and have survived a minimum of 5 years. There were 35 boys and 23 girls with a median age of 6 months (range, 2 weeks to 15 years) at initial diagnosis. Primary site was located in the adrenal gland in 25 (43.1%), abdominal/nonadrenal in 16 (27.6%), thoracic in 12 (20.7%), cervical in 3 (5.3%), and pelvic region in 2 (3.5%). The International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage was Stage 1 in 10 (17.2%), Stage 2A in 7 (12.1%), Stage 2B in 5 (8.6%), Stage 3 in 22 (37.9%), Stage 4 in 4 (6.9%), and Stage 4S in 10 (17.2%). Thirty–three (56.9%) received chemotherapy whereas 5 (8.6%) had a laminectomy as part of the surgical procedure. Twenty–seven (46.6%) received radiotherapy (RT). Beam energy was 1.25 MV in 11 (41%), 250 kV in 10 (37%), 4 MV in 4 (15%), and 6-MV photons in 1 patient. One patient received 300 cGy in 1 fraction total skin RT using 6-MeV electrons. For the remaining patients, fraction size was 100 cGy in 6 (22%), 150–180 cGy in 11 (41%), 200 cGy in 4 (15%), and 250–300 cGy in 3. Three patients had total body irradiation at 333 cGy for 3 fractions. For all children who received RT, median total dose was 2000 cGy (range, 300–3900 cGy). Patients who were treated with RT had plain films of the irradiated area every 1 to 2 years until at least the age of puberty. Median follow–up was 10 years (range, 5–46 years). Results The overall 5–, 10–, and 15–year scoliosis-free rates were 87.6%, 79.0%, and 76.0% respectively. Twelve (21%) developed scoliosis at a median time of 51 months (range, 8–137 months). The degree of scoliosis was mild (≤20°) in 8 (67%). Four had scoliosis ranging from 30° to 66°; 3 of these patients required surgical intervention, whereas 1 had an underlying Duchenne muscular dystrophy which manifested itself 8 years after diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Median time to scoliosis was 23 months (range, 8–54 months) in children who had a laminectomy. On multivariate analysis, both history of laminectomy ( p = 0.0005) and use of RT ( p = 0.0284) were found to be risk factors for development of scoliosis. Gender, age at diagnosis, INSS stage, primary site, and use of chemotherapy were not found to be significant. Both RT fraction size and beam energy were also not significant, but increasing total RT dose was found to be significant ( p = 0.0039). The 15-year scoliosis-free rates were 20% for children who had a laminectomy and 81.3% for those who did not have a laminectomy. The 15-year scoliosis-free rates for children treated with RT doses 0 cGy, 1–1750 cGy, 1751–2300 cGy, and >2300 cGy were 91.7%, 87.5%, 51.4%, and 44.4% respectively. Conclusions Treatment-related factors, namely laminectomy and radiotherapy, were found to increase the risk of scoliosis in patients with neuroblastoma. Children who had a laminectomy were more likely to manifest scoliosis earlier. Increasing RT dose was found to impact adversely on the development of scoliosis.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolt production: the relative importance of survival and body growth

The complex life history of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) coupled with interacting abiotic and biotic factors leads to extreme demographic variability across the species' range. Our goal was to evaluate the relative importance of survival and body growth in determining smolt production across space and time. We used passive integrated transponder tags and capture-mark-recapture analyses to estimate survival, emigration, and growth for six cohorts of presmolt Atlantic salmon in two streams (three cohorts per stream) in New England, USA. We observed remarkable among-cohort consis- tency in mean monthly survival during a 17-month period from age-0+ autumn to age-2+ spring yet high variability in monthly survival over shorter time intervals (seasons). Despite this latter variability, survival did not translate into among- cohort differences in proportions of age-2+ versus age-3+ smolts. Alternatively, the high variability across seasons and co- horts in mean individual growth rate did lead to differences in within-cohort proportions of age-2+ versus age-3+ smolts (regardless of stream). We conclude that in our two small study streams, variability in growth and size impacted smolt age and, ultimately, smolt production. Density-dependent effects on growth at the scale of the entire study site represent a pos- sible mechanism underlying our observations.
Writing the Oral Tradition: Oral Poetics and Literate Culture in Medieval England

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Mark C. Amodio Year: 2004 Pages: 336 Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press ISBN: 0-268-02023-X (hard cover). Prices: $55.00 USD(hard cover).
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Sources and Donor Selection

Multiple options are now available for selecting an appropriate stem cell source and donor for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Thus, decisions made while selecting the stem cell source and donor may have a critical impact on the morbidity, mortality, and ultimate success of the transplant process. Hematopoietic stem cells may be obtained from autologous or allogeneic sources and isolated from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these sources are reviewed. Methods of stem cell mobilization and strategies for the difficult to mobilize patient are discussed.
Randomised trials for the Fitbit generation

Data from activity trackers and mobile phones can be used to craft personalised health interventions. But measuring the efficacy of these "treatments" requires a rethink of the traditional randomised trial.
Comparison theorem and its applications

By developing comparison theorems for stochastic integro-differential equations, stability and error estimate problems are investigated. The obtained results provide the information about random environmental perturbations. In particular, the presented work provides a partial solution to the problem of “Stochastic versus Deterministic” in the modelling of dynamic systems in biological, engineering, and physical sciences. Examples are given to show the scope of the results.
Ca2+ Signaling and Cytoskeleton Reorganization in Endothelial Cells Stimulated by Bradykinin

In this study we have examined the activation events which occur following the binding of bradykinin (BK) to its receptor on cultured bovine endothelial cells. Using Fura-2 and a fluorescence spectrophotometer, we have found that intracellular Ca2+ mobilization occurs within seconds after the addition of BK to the cells and reaches a maximal level within 20 seconds. Subsequently, the [Ca2+]i decreases to a constant level after about 3 min following the addition of BK to the cells. After Ca2+ mobilization the cytoskeletal protein, ankyrin, is readily reorganized and accumulated in the perinuclear region. This event is followed by the onset of DNA synthesis. Cytoskeletal protein inhibitors, such as cytochalasin D (known to impair microfilament function) and W-7 (a calmodulin antagonist) have no effect on BK-induced Ca2+ mobilization, but block BK-induced cytoskeleton reorganization and the onset of BK-induced DNA synthesis. These findings suggest that the ankyrin-associated microfilament system and a calmodulin-dependent event are required for BK-stimulated endothelial cell proliferation.
Aspiration Biopsy of Mammary Lesions With Abundant Extracellular Mucinous Material

We reviewed 43 fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) smears with abundant extracellular mucinous material to determine whether accurate classification of mucinous lesions is achievable on FNAB: 26 had carcinoma (pure colloid carcinoma [CCA], 23; mixed CCA/invasive ductal carcinoma [IDC], 3); 17 had benign lesions on follow-up (benign MLL, 6; fibrocystic change [FCC], 6; myxoid fibroadenoma [MFA], 5). All carcinomas were identified correctly as malignant on FNAB. The initial cytologic diagnoses in benign cases were benign in 8, atypical in 8, and “suspicious” for carcinoma in 1. CCAs were moderate to markedly cellular with mild to moderate atypia and lacked oval bare nuclei. Marked nuclear atypia was confined predominantly to cases with mixed CCA/IDC. A distinct feature of CCA was thin-walled capillaries. FCCs and benign MLLs had overlapping cytologic features and showed variable cellularity and no or mild atypia. MFAs were markedly cellular with dyscohesion and variable atypia; stromal fragments and oval bare nuclei were present in every case. Mucinous lesions can be divided into 2 categories by FNAB: those that are adenocarcinomas and those that are not. CCAs have distinctive features that allow a definitive diagnosis on FNAB. Unnecessary surgery can be avoided in MFA by careful evaluation of smear characteristics. Cytologic features of FCC and MLL overlap. Owing to the documented association of MLL with carcinoma, we recommend that lesions that cannot be classified definitively as adenocarcinoma or MFA be considered for conservative excision, even in the absence of atypia.
Urinary Undiversion in Myelomeningocele Patients with an Ileal Conduit Diversion

AbstractNeurogenic bladder in myelomeningocele has been managed until recently by routine ileal conduit urinary diversion. Long-term complications are not uncommon after an ileal conduit and 23 of our patients required major surgical revision during the last 2 years. In 5 patients with an ileal conduit urinary undiversion was performed after excision of the conduit and direct ureteral anastomoses. Over-all progress of these patients has been satisfactory. We conclude that when major surgery is required to correct ileal conduit complications in myelomeningocele, urinary undiversion should be considered in selected cases.
Pathology of vaccine-preventable infectious disease and the central nervous system

Abstract Infections of the central nervous system are important sources of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The risk for infections with specific bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic agents varies greatly with the patient's age, immune status, prior vaccination history, seasonality and geographic exposures. While vaccines are available for many viral and bacterial pathogens, there has been a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in recent years due to under-vaccination of eligible children and adults. This review will discuss key pathognomonic features of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases of the central nervous system that may be encountered in general surgical and autopsy practice.
A Novel Radiosensitivity Phenotype in Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome Is Mediated By ER Stress Response

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), an autosomal recessive disorder, is characterized by bone marrow dysfunction, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, congenital abnormalities, and leukemia predisposition (Myers et al. , 2012). Most patients with SDS harbor biallelic mutations in the Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome ( SBDS ) gene. SBDS is known to play a role in ribosome biogenesis by enabling eviction of the ribosome anti-association factor eIF6 from the 60S ribosomal subunit, to allow formation of the 80S ribosome (Wong et al. , 2011). SBDS-depleted cells are, therefore, defective in ribosome assembly. In addition, absence of SBDS sensitizes cells to ultraviolet irradiation, translation inhibitors, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stressors, such as tunicamycin (Ball et al. , 2009). A recent report indicated that lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from two SDS patients accumulated more DNA damage after being exposed to ionizing radiation (IR) (Morini et al. , 2015). A deficiency in DNA repair was alluded to as a possible cause, however, the mechanism underlying this previously unreported phenotype was not determined. In this study, we investigated LCLs derived from five SDS patients with biallelic SBDS mutations and found all to be hypersensitive to IR in a colony survival assay. In this assay, increasing doses of IR resulted in a significantly lower survival fraction in SDS-compared to control-LCLs. We found SBDS expression to increase in control-cells when stressed with IR, suggesting that SBDS is a stress response protein and its absence in SDS-LCLs induces hypersensitivity to IR. Because knockdown of SBDS in HEK293 cells induces an ER stress response (Ball et al. , 2009), we examined the expression of the ER stress response factor phospho-eIF2α in untreated and IR exposed SDS-LCLs and found phospho-eIF2α expression to be markedly increased compared to controls. This result indicated that SDS-LCLs may have an activated ER stress response, as was further confirmed by exposing these cells to additional ER stressors, tunicamycin and H 2 O 2 , and observing a similar upregulation of phospho-eIF2α. Because ER stress is known to suppress DNA double strand break (DSBR) (Yamamori et al., 2013), we examined the expression of Rad51 and Ku70, which are required for the homology-directed and nonhomologous end-joining pathways of DSBR, respectively. Surprisingly, we found Rad51 and Ku70 protein levels to be repressed in SDS-LCLs compared to controls, both with and without exposure to IR. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that, in addition to its role in ribosome biogenesis, SBDS is a stress response protein that plays an important role in regulating the ER stress response. In SDS-cells, where SBDS is lacking, activated ER stress represses DNA repair proteins rendering cells hypersensitive to IR and other stresses. This novel pathway to ER stress induction may contribute to the bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition seen in SDS patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
1 H NMR Spectroscopy for Identification of Oxidation Products and for Elucidation of Reaction Mechanisms

One of the most significant contributions of the 1H NMR technique is that it made major advances in elucidation of molecular structures of oxidation products. Since oxidation mechanisms and consequent oxidation products are different at different temperatures, this chapter is divided into two parts: 1) 1H NMR to indentify oxidation products during storage of oil and 2) 1H NMR to indentify oxidation products at frying temperatures. The study on oxidation products using 1H NMR was conducted as early as 1966 when Zimmerman utilized a very early model of the NMR instrument (60 MHz) to verify the isomerization of unsaturated hydroperoxide to a ketohydroxy compound. Since then, many oxidation products including hydroperoxides, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and epoxides were identified by the NMR method. One major difference between the oxidation products formed at relatively lower temperatures and at frying temperatures is that intermediate oxidation products such as hydroperoxides are not observed at frying temperatures because these intermediate oxidation products easily react with other compounds or decompose to produce secondary oxidation products. These intermediate products can be detected only when the oil was heated for a relatively short time at a frying temperature.
Incorporating Applied Behavior Analysis to Assess and Support Educators' Treatment Integrity.

For evidence-based interventions to be effective for students they must be consistently implemented, however, many teachers struggle with treatment integrity and require support. Although many implementation support strategies are research based, there is little empirical guidance about the types of treatment integrity, implementers, and contexts these strategies are best suited to address. To facilitate the data-driven identification of implementation supports, treatment integrity and the implementation context could be evaluated through an applied behavior analysis (ABA) lens. That is, teachers’ engagement in intervention implementation or competing behaviors could be considered to be occasioned by antecedents (e.g., prompts, setting) and maintained by consequences (e.g., escape intervention, access to attention). This article describes the conceptualization of treatment integrity within an antecedent-behavior-consequence framework. The current landscape and limitations of school-based treatment integrity research are reviewed and the application of ABA technology to address implementer behavior is described. Further, the article provides practical strategies for how school psychologists might apply this conceptualization to support teachers. A case study is provided to illustrate associated research-based strategies. Last, implications and limitations are described.
Impact of Peer Instruction and Instructional Scaffolding on a Programming Course

Peer instruction and instructional scaffolding were utilized in the first programming course attempted by the IT majors at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) with the expectations of enhancing student learning and improving retention. This poster details our pedagogical approach along with example quiz and programming exercise artifacts, initial student performance and survey results during Spring 2017 (S17) deployment.
How to select a donor and hematopoietic stem cell source: Related versus unrelated donors for allogeneic HSCT

The selection of the most suitable donor and stem cell source is a critical component of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The factors that contribute to this selection are many, making the process complex. The most important contributing factor of donor selection and stem source is based on the inherent genetic makeup of the donor as it relates to the HSCT recipient. The cluster of genes that compared for compatibility (termed histocompatibility) contain human leukocyte antigens (HLA) genes located in the short arm of chromosome 6 in humans. These genes are inherited together (i.e., linked), and the most important determinants are HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, and HLA-DPB1. Because a person inherits one HLA cluster (termed locus) from each parent, siblings with the same parents have a 25% chance to be a “match” with the potential HSCT recipient. The process of evaluating histocompatibility is termed HLA matching and can be performed at the antigen and allele level. The allele level is more accurate and thus is termed “high-resolution” typing. Because increased HLA disparity between the donor and recipient increases post-HSCT morbidity and mortality, every effort is made to select the most suitable donor in terms of HLA histocompatibility. Potential hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) sources include bone marrow, peripheral blood after cytokine mobilization, and umbilical cord blood. Each HSC source is commonly used, with bone marrow as the most common source for pediatric allogeneic HSCT. However, umbilical cord blood is used frequently as an alternative source when no suitable related or unrelated matched sibling donor is available. Because of the nature of the naive T cells contained within umbilical cord blood, greater HLA disparity between umbilical cord blood donor source and the potential HSCT recipient is better tolerated than with bone marrow or peripheral blood HSCs. Haploidentical related donors as HSC source is being used more frequently but is still considered investigational in the pediatric population.
The effects of introduced ungulates on native and alien plant species in an island ecosystem: implications for change in a diverse mesic forest in the Hawaiian Islands.

Abstract In island ecosystems, where endemic species have long been viewed as competitively inferior and more susceptible to herbivory relative to continental species, the impacts of invasive species may be especially pronounced. The sensitivity of island species to invasive species may lead to threshold effects causing irreversible changes in these ecosystems. Predictions that native, mostly endemic plant species are more adversely affected by ungulates than introduced alien plant species, and that competitive interactions between understory native and alien plant species are more severe when ungulates are removed were examined in a 15 year longitudinal study in a diverse mesic forest on Kaua‘i (Hawaiian Islands). Over this time period the density of both native and alien overstory canopy trees declined more in unfenced control plots than in plots fenced to exclude ungulates; alien and native trees in the canopy responded similarly to ungulate exclusion via fencing. A differential effect of ungulates on native vs. alien plant species was pronounced in the understory, where the density of small individuals of native canopy species declined sharply in unfenced relative to fenced plots. In contrast, the density of small individuals of alien canopy species was less affected over time by ungulate exclusion. Native herbaceous and understory shrub species also decreased in density over time in unfenced plots relative to fenced plots, while alien understory species increased greatly in some fenced plots relative to unfenced plots. Despite the increase in alien understory plants, no evidence for competition between these alien species and small individuals of native canopy species in the understory could be detected, as numbers of plants in these two understory categories covaried similarly in the presence or absence of ungulates. The contrast between large numbers of native species in the canopy and the severe disruption of the understory in this forest suggests that ungulate removal implemented now or in the near future might prevent loss of the canopy and lead to regeneration of these species. The near absence of recruitment of any endangered species not already present in protected plots indicates that active restoration will be essential to prevent loss of many of the characteristic species of these forests.
Factors Contributing to the Success of NIH-Designated Underrepresented Minorities in Academic and Nonacademic Research Positions

Undergraduate research experiences, individual laboratory mentorship, and mentor accessibility are important factors for the success of underrepresented minority (URM) scientists. A record of publi...
Network Algorithms and Critical Manifolds in Disordered Systems

Random manifolds in the form of critical paths or surfaces, are observed in a wide variety of processes in materials physics. Spectacular examples are critical manifolds on which failure occurs, for example strain localisation and fracture of materials under stress and electric current localisation in dielectric failure. In these cases localisation of the applied load on a low dimensional manifold acts as a precursor to the failure instability. Failure is an irreversible process, however critical manifolds also emerge in reversible nonlinear processes such as the onset of voltage in an ideal superconductor and the onset of current in a varistor. We shall show that it is possible to study these latter cases in great detail using network optimization algorithms.
Parallel algorithm for fuzzy logic controller

Fuzzy control has emerged as one of the most active and successful areas for research in the applications of fuzzy set theory, in particular, in the realm of industrial processes. The computational requirements of many real-time process control, autonomous navigation and sensor data processing algorithms based on fuzzy logic can only be met by the assistance of dedicated hardware. There has been an increasing need for high-speed fuzzy controllers which can efficiently be implemented by VLSI integrated circuit technology.
Patient Distress in Women with Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections: How Can Physicians Better Meet Patients Needs?

Recurrent urinary tract infections are a common condition that can impact patients’ quality of life. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze the literature regarding the distress that these infections can cause to patients and provide guidance to clinicians on how to improve care of these patients. The current literature on patient perspectives in urinary tract infections shows an emotional symptom experience that is not consistent with the typical symptoms expected by clinicians. The infections can impact all aspects of quality of life, including social, emotional, and financial domains. Women with recurrent urinary tract infections experience a significant amount of distress. They have a strong desire for validation of their experiences by their physicians. Clinicians can best serve these patients by understanding the true impact of their condition and creating treatment strategies that include shared decision making to meet patients’ goals.
Unusual case of cellulitis due to primary cutaneous histoplasmosis.

A 63-year-old white man with a history of rheumatoid arthritis on adalimumab was admitted to the hospital for left arm swelling and erythema. On physical examination, the patient was afebrile and non-toxic appearing and there was tense oedema of the left forearm. Initial laboratory work was unremarkable except for elevated inflammatory markers. MRI of the arm showed non-specific findings of inflammation. The patient was started on empiric antibiotics but did not improve. Given the patient’s immunosuppression, early consideration was given to fungal or mycobacterial causes. Initial serum fungal studies were negative and the patient was taken for diagnostic local incision and biopsy of the left volar forearm. Grocott’s methenamine silver and periodic acid–Schiff staining revealed fungal organisms resembling Histoplasma and intraoperative fungal cultures grew Histoplasma capsulatum confirming the diagnosis. The patient was treated with a 6-month course of itraconazole with improvement in his condition and eventual complete resolution.
Cost-utility analysis of routine surveillance imaging of patients in first remission after treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

6526 Background: Surveillance imaging of patients (pts) with DLBCL in first remission (CR1) remains controversial. NCCN guidelines recommend CT scans in asymptomatic pts no more often than every 6 ...
Seawater temperature and buffering capacity modulate coral calcifying pH.

Scleractinian corals promote the precipitation of their carbonate skeleton by elevating the pH and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration of their calcifying fluid above that of seawater. The fact corals actively regulate their calcifying fluid chemistry implies the potential for acclimation to ocean acidification. However, the extent to which corals can adjust their regulation mechanism in the face of decreasing ocean pH has not been rigorously tested. Here I present a numerical model simulating pH and DIC up-regulation by corals, and use it to determine the relative importance of physiological regulation versus seawater conditions in controlling coral calcifying fluid chemistry. I show that external seawater temperature and buffering capacity exert the first-order control on the extent of pH elevation in the calcifying fluid and explain most of the observed inter- and intra-species variability. Conversely, physiological regulation, represented by the interplay between enzymatic proton pumping, carbon influx and the exchange of calcifying fluid with external seawater, contributes to some variability but remain relatively constant as seawater conditions change. The model quantitatively reproduces variations of calcifying fluid pH in natural Porites colonies, and predicts an average 0.16 unit decrease in Porites calcifying fluid pH, i.e., ~43% increase in H+ concentration, by the end of this century as a combined result of projected ocean warming and acidification, highlighting the susceptibility of coral calcification to future changes in ocean conditions. In addition, my findings support the development of coral-based seawater pH proxies, but suggest the influences of physicochemical and biological factors other than seawater pH must be considered.
Short wavelength free electron lasers in 1994

The author is grateful for support of this work by the Naval Postgraduate School, Stanford University (N00014- 91-C-0170), and SURA/CEBAF.
ARE PROSTAGLANDINS INVOLVED IN OVARIAN FUNCTION OF THE DOMESTIC HEN

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the role of prostaglandins (PG) in ovarian function of the domestic hen. Prostaglandins have been implicated in several different aspects of the ovarian physiology of mammals. PGE2 has been shown to mimic the action of LH by inducing ovum maturation in vivo, however, it is not an essential mediator because the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, indomethacin, does not block this process. On the other hand, LH-induced ovulation appears to be critically dependent on prostaglandins, because indomethacin and anti-PGF serum injected into the follicle inhibited follicular rupture. The E prostaglandins stimulate adenylate cyclase and cause a rapid accumulation of cyclic AMP in the intact ovary, whereas, PGF2 has little or no effect. Moreover PGE2 has been shown to stimulate steroidogenesis in vitro in ovaries or corpora lutea and to specifically stimulate progesterone secretion from granulosa cells. The results of the study demonstrate that the two primary prostaglandins are not involved in steroidogenesis in the domestic hen. It is found that LH at concentrations which maximally stimulate progesterone synthesis in chicken granulosa cells did not promote PGF, PGE, or 6-keto PGF1α production.
Surgical Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Significant advances in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension have occurred in the last several years. The decision to refer a patient for transplantation requires a dynamic approach. Ca...
Oxygen Therapy and Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants

The goal of oxygen therapy and oxygen saturation targeting in extremely preterm infants is to improve outcomes and balance the risks associated with both hypoxemia and hyperoxemia. Although the NeOProM trials addressed whether low or high oxygen saturation targets affect the most important outcomes of extreme prematurity including death and other co-morbidities, the trials did not evaluate infants for pulmonary hypertension. There is limited evidence for the optimal oxygen saturation targets in extremely preterm infants that can be used to prevent the development of pulmonary hypertension and manage pulmonary hypertension once developed.
Ionizing radiation tolerance of stacked Si3N4-SiO2 gate insulators for power MOSFETs

Abstract The total ionizing dose radiation response of metal-nitride-oxide-semiconductor capacitors are examined. Capacitors with different oxide and nitride thickness combinations are fabricated and irradiated using a Co-60 gamma source. Electrical characterization showed all samples with oxide/nitride stack gate insulators exhibited significantly higher tolerance to irradiation when compared to metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors. Thick oxide-nitride layers can be used as gate insulators in power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors. Technology computer-aided design simulations are performed to characterize the radiation effects mechanisms. Spatially distributed interface traps at shallow energy level were present in all the oxide/nitride stacks. These interface traps decrease as total dose increases. This result may be due to radiation induced hydrogen passivation.
C# 2.0: a tutorial

Most of the press about the recent release of Visual Studio 2005 emphasizes the improved developer productivity features of the Visual Studio environment. However, of great interest to C# programmers is C# 2.0, a significant enhancement of the C# programming language. There are numerous new features including Nullable types, partial classes, static classes, anonymous methods, and the covariant and contravariant use of delegates. The most important addition is generics generic collections, generic interfaces, generic iterators, and generic delegates. These new features add to the richness, subtlety and flexibility of the language.
Mindful Leadership and Cultures of Innovation

This chapter discusses contemporary research on organizational creativity and innovation, describing how mindfulness and contemplative arts practice can help organizational leaders harness creative insights and ideation to create a culture of innovation. The second part of the chapter offers several practical exercises that organizational leaders and facilitators can use for in strategic planning and visioning, culture building, addressing conflict, and change management.
Assembly of Chlorosomes during Photosynthetic Development in Chloroflexus aurantiacus

The chlorosome of the green photosynthetic bacterium, Chloroflexus aurantiacus, contains rod elements composed of Bchl c complexed with a 5.6 kDa protein. This protein, termed the Bchl c-binding protein, dimerizes to form subunits which assemble into rods. This Bchl c pigment-protein complex functions in harvesting light and transferring energy with nearly 100 percent efficiency to the Bchl-a located in the chlorosome baseplate, the cytoplasmic membrane (CM), and finally to the reaction center. Surrounding the rod elements is a special envelope which appears in electron micrographs to have characteristics of an unusual lipid protein monolayer. Two proteins, Mr 11,000 and 18,000 KDa, are closely associated with the surface of rthe chlorosome and appear to be integral components of this envelope (1,2,3,4).
Defect identification and statistics toolbox: Automated defect analysis for scanning probe microscopy images.

Identifying and classifying defects in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images is an important task that is tedious to perform by hand. In this paper we present the defect identification and statistics toolbox (DIST), an image processing toolbox for identifying and analyzing atomic defects in SPM images. DIST combines automation with user input to accurately and efficiently identify defects and automatically compute critical statistics. We describe using DIST for interactive image processing, generating contour plots for isolating extrema from an image background, and processes for identifying defects.
Nondestructive assay for beta-glucuronidase in culture media of plant tissue cultures.

Publisher Summary The development of the β- glucuronidase (GUS) gene fusion system and the proliferation of many GUS gene (uidA) constructions have made the screening for transformed plant tissues easy and rapid. Although milligram amounts of tissue are required, the method is destructive and there are times when valuable tissue must be sacrificed for the assay. This destructive aspect of the assay can be a drawback for some applications of the GUS reporter system. The nondestructive method is a simple derivation of the standard GUS fluorometric assay, using methylumbelliferyl glucuronide (MUG) described in this chapter. In this derivation, the substrate is placed in the culture medium for the assay rather than in a tissue extract. This procedure was developed to avoid extraction of tissues in screening progeny. The MUG can be used in the phosphate buffer described for the GUS colorimetric assay, as well as in the standard GUS lysis buffer. This variation of the GUS assay is easily performed on the spent culture medium after routine reculture of the tissue.
Ascaris suum: Immune reactions in mice: II. Metabolic and somatic antigens from in vitro cultured larvae

Abstract The immunologic activity of somatic and metabolic antigens derived solely from in vitro cultured second- and early third-stage Ascaris suum larvae was studied in mice. Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium and Caenorhabditis briggsae medium 75 were used. The results demonstrate for the first time that metabolic and somatic antigens harvested after 12 days from in vitro cultures were capable of inducing resistance to reinfection. The effect on immunity to A. suum in mice of somatic and metabolic antigens from: (1) second- and third-stage in vitro cultured A. suum larvae; (2) metabolic and somatic antigens from third- and fourth-stage A. suum ; (3) C. briggsae metabolic antigens; and (4) desalted Haemonchus contortus third-stage larvae exsheathing fluid are described.