cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Effect of Fixed-dose Combination Daily Therapy for Tuberculosis Patients in Ziyang

Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of anti- tuberculosis drug with fixed- dose combination(FDC) daily therapy and facilitate the development of promotion strategies on FDC. Methods A total 800 TB patients meet with the inclusion condition of " significant new drug major science and technology research projects of new dosage forms of TB treatment" were selected in 4 counties /districts of Ziyang from July,2011 to March,2012. Basic situation,compliance investigations,monitoring and recording of adverse reactions,treatment and outcome were analyzed using EpiData3. 1 and SPSS19. 0. Results Of the 800 patients,556 were males(69. 5%). The average age was 42. 16 ± 21. 08. Smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 67% and smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis accounted for 33 %. Adverse drug reactions(ADRs)occurred in 201 cases,with an incidence of 25. 12%. Of all adverse reactions,the gastrointestinal system(41.22%) and neurological(29. 77%) were the most common ones. Liver damage rate was 7.63%.ADRs in males(23. 02%) and females(29. 92%) showed the statistically difference( χ2= 4. 29,P 0. 05). The incidence of ADRs of those under 60 years(17. 21%) was significantly lower than those above60(28. 07%)( χ2= 11. 24,P 0. 05). There were 255 cases cured and 518 cases completed the treatment. One patient died of TB,5 cases died of non- TB and 3 cases were lost. Altogether 773 cases(96. 63%) completed the treatment,with the cure rate was 96.59%. The completion rate of the treatment was 96. 64%. Conclusion The overall incidence of ADRs and incidence of liver dysfunction of people taking FDC are similar to those taking blister pack drug. FDC can improve the cure rate of patients and thus should be further expanded in future.
Commentary: Strengthening Networks and Attachments to Promote Child Development

This chapter provides a commentary highlighting important points raised in the preceding chapters and offering new insights. The chapter considers how research on processes and pathways of family–school partnerships can inform the development of strategies to promote the academic socialization of students. Building the social capital of parents and teachers is a critical approach for aligning the family and school systems and promoting student academic achievement. The formal communication methods typically used by educators to promote the academic socialization of students may be sufficient for parents who are well educated, but they are often not effective for less educated parents and those from minority racial/ethnic backgrounds. This chapter describes alternative strategies for increasing social capital that build upon the informal, natural helping patterns of parents. Engaging paraeducators, who are community members with important roles in schools, is one strategy to connect the formal network of school with the informal helping networks of the community. Establishing learning collaboratives that include parents, community members, and parents in a partnership to plan and implement quality improvement projects is another potentially fruitful strategy. This chapter also affirms the critical importance of parent–child and teacher–student attachments. Teachers can strengthen parent–child relationships by adopting a family-centered approach to education, and parents can strengthen teacher–student attachments by investing in building parent–teacher partnerships.
Bleomycin-induced lung injury in rats selectively abolishes hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: Evidence against a role for platelet-activating factor

1. The role of platelet-activating factor in the attenuated hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction associated with lung injury was evaluated using specific platelet-activating factor antagonists and an isolated perfused lung preparation. 2. Intratracheal bleomycin was administered to rats to produce acute lung injury. Animals received intratracheal saline (control), intratracheal bleomycin or the platelet-activating factor antagonists BN 52021, WEB 2170 or WEB 2086 before and after bleomycin treatment. Forty-eight hours after intratracheal administration of bleomycin or saline the animals were killed. 3. The increases in pulmonary artery pressure during two periods of hypoxic ventilation and in response to 0.2 microgram of angiotensin II were measured. Acetylcholine-induced vasodilatation after pre-constriction with prostaglandin F2 alpha was also measured. To quantify lung injury, the wet/dry ratio of lung weight was determined. 4. Bleomycin treatment attenuated the first and second hypoxic pressor responses by 93% and 77%, respectively, but not the pressor response to angiotensin II nor the vasodilator response to acetylcholine. BN 52021 plus bleomycin augmented the first hypoxic pressor response compared with bleomycin treatment alone, but the structurally unrelated platelet-activating factor antagonists WEB 2170 and WEB 2086 had no significant effect on the bleomycin-induced attenuation of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. None of the platelet-activating factor antagonists blocked the increase in the wet/dry lung weight ratio induced by bleomycin. 5. Bleomycin-induced lung injury selectively attenuates hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, an effect that does not appear to be mediated by platelet-activating factor. The mechanism remains to be elucidated, but may involve destruction of the hypoxic 'sensor' within the respiratory tract.
Radiation dosimetry of 18F-FDG PET/CT: incorporating exam-specific parameters in dose estimates

Whole body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is the standard of care in oncologic diagnosis and staging, and patient radiation dose must be well understood to balance exam benefits with the risk from radiation exposure. Although reference PET/CT patient doses are available, the potential for widely varying total dose prompts evaluation of clinic-specific patient dose. The aims of this study were to use exam-specific information to characterize the radiation dosimetry of PET/CT exams that used two different CT techniques for adult oncology patients and evaluate the practicality of employing an exam-specific approach to dose estimation. Whole body PET/CT scans from two sets of consecutive adult patients were retrospectively reviewed. One set received a PET scan with a standard registration CT and the other a PET scan with a diagnostic quality CT. PET dose was calculated by modifying the standard reference phantoms in OLINDA/EXM 1.1 with patient-specific organ mass. CT dose was calculated using patient-specific data in ImPACT. International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 103 tissue weighting coefficients were used for effective dose. One hundred eighty three adult scans were evaluated (95 men, 88 women). The mean patient-specific effective dose from a mean injected 18F-FDG activity of 450 ± 32 MBq was 9.0 ± 1.6 mSv. For all standard PET/CT patients, mean effective mAs was 39 ± 11 mAs, mean CT effective dose was 5.0 ± 1.0 mSv and mean total effective dose was 14 ± 1.3 mSv. For all diagnostic PET/CT patients, mean effective mAs was 120 ± 51 mAs, mean CT effective dose was 15.4 ± 5.0 mSv and mean total effective dose was 24.4 ± 4.3 mSv. The five organs receiving the highest organ equivalent doses in all exams were bladder, heart, brain, liver and lungs. Patient-specific parameters optimize the patient dosimetry utilized in the medical justification of whole body PET/CT referrals and optimization of PET and CT acquisition parameters. Incorporating patient-specific data into dose estimates is a worthwhile effort for characterizing patient dose, and the specific dosimetric information assists in the justification of risk and optimization of PET/CT.
New Approach for Finding Novel Antisickling Agents at the NIH NHLBI Sickle Cell Disease Reference Laboratory.

Abstract Although numerous antisickling agents that chemically bind with sickle hemoglobin (Hb S) and inhibit sickling of sickle erythrocytes (SS cells) in vitro were reported and some of them were brought to clinical trials, none were satisfactory for clinical use. The major problem with this type of drugs is the difficulty of delivering a sufficient amount of antisickling drug to intracellular Hb S because: chemicals that bind with the side chains of hemoglobin also bind with the side chains of other proteins in the gastrointestinal tract, blood and red blood cells (RBCs) prior to binding with intracellular Hb S; and the concentration of Hb S in SS cells is very high (5 mM of tetrameric Hb S, 20 mM of Hb subunits, or a total amount of approximately 500 grams of Hb S in an adult patient), and the amount of chemical that reaches SS cells upon oral administration cannot modify a significant portion of Hb S to inhibit sickling of SS cells. For these reasons, drugs that chemically bind with Hb S including those that form Schiff base adducts with Hb S seem to have no clinical value. We found that certain aromatic aldehydes that bind with Hb S allosterically do not have these problems. Since these compounds combine with Hb S physically like a key-and-lock relationship, a low concentration (such as less than 2 mM) of such compound in the blood can bind with a large portion of intracellular Hb S, shift the oxygen equilibrium curve toward the left and inhibit sickling of SS cells (Brit. J. Hematol. 128:552–561, 2005). This type of allosteric binding between aromatic aldehydes and Hb is analogous to the binding between 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and Hb. Quite interestingly, our investigations indicate that NIPRISAN (NICOSAN), an herbal medicine that shows a strong antisickling effect both in vitro and in vivo (in transgenic sickle mice) (Brit. J. Haematol. 118:337–343, 2002; Brit. J. Haematol. 122:1001–1008 2003), contains various aromatic aldehydes (unpublished data). Allosteric drugs designed to interact with specific proteins in the body may be useful as a new type of therapeutic modality for the treatment of sickle cell disease and other diseases. [Researchers with candidate drugs that may have beneficial effects for SCD are welcome to contact the SCD Reference Laboratory for free in vitro evaluation of their agents (for more information, please see our website at www.tatcom.com/sickle-cell ).
The Liver as a Hub in Thermogenesis.

Manipulating thermogenesis could increase energy expenditure and improve metabolism. Brown fat is a major site of nonshivering thermogenesis, but other tissues, notably muscle and liver, can contribute to cold adaptation. In this issue, Simcox et al. (2017) demonstrate in cold-exposed mice that liver-generated acylcarnitines are required to fuel thermogenesis.
Characteristic mode analysis of microstrip patch shapes

The Theory of Characteristic Modes provides physical insight to the radiating nature of microstrip patch antennas and hence reduces the design optimization time. In this research, the resonant behavior of different patch shapes are analyzed using this theory. The modal analysis concludes that the parallelogram and elliptical patch shapes are more resonant than other patch shapes with the same surface area and hence are good candidates for realizing ultra-wideband microstrip patch antennas.
REDUCED GANGLION CELL VOLUME ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY.

Purpose Geographic atrophy (GA) is the sequelae of macular degeneration. Automated inner retinal analysis using optical coherence tomography is flawed because segmentation software is calibrated for normal eyes. The purpose of this study is to determine whether ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume is reduced in GA using manual analysis. Methods Nineteen eyes with subfoveal GA and 22 controls were selected for morphometric analyses. Heidelberg scanning laser ophthalmoscope optical coherence tomography images of the optic nerve and macula were obtained, and the Viewing Module was used to manually calibrate retinal layer segmentation. Retinal layer volumes in the central 3-mm and surrounding 6-mm diameter were measured. Linear mixed models were used for statistics. Results The GCL volume in the central 3 mm of the macula is less (P = 0.003), and the retinal nerve fiber layer volume is more (P = 0.02) in patients with GA when compared with controls. Ganglion cell layer volume positively correlated with outer nuclear layer volume (P = 0.020). Conclusion The patients with geographic atrophy have a small significant loss of the GCL. Ganglion cell death may precede axonal loss, and increased macular retinal nerve fiber layer volumes are not indicative of GCL volume. Residual ganglion cell stimulation by interneurons may enable vision in patients with GA.
Regulation of B cell fate, survival, and function by mitochondria and autophagy

B cells are responsible for protective antibody production after differentiation into antibody-secreting cells during humoral immune responses. From early B cell development in the bone marrow, to their maturation in the periphery, activation in the germinal center, and differentiation into plasma cells or memory B cells, B cells display ever-changing functions and properties. Autophagy and mitochondria play important roles in B cell development, activation, and differentiation to accommodate the phenotypic and environmental changes encountered over the lifetime of the cell. Among their many functions, mitochondria and autophagy generate energy, mediate cell survival, and produce/eliminate reactive oxygen species that can serve as signal molecules to regulate differentiation. As B cells mature and differentiate into plasma or memory cells, both autophagic and mitochondrial functions undergo significant changes. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the role of the autophagosome and mitochondria in regulating B cell fate, survival, and function. Moreover, we will discuss the interplay between these two highly metabolic organelles during B cell development, maturation, and differentiation.
Motivational Pathways to Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation in Urban Physical Education: A Cluster-Randomized Trial

Purpose: Grounded in the trans-contextual model of motivation framework, this cluster-randomized trial examined the effectiveness of an autonomy supportive physical education (PE) instruction on student motivation and physical activity (PA). Method: The study comprised six middle schools and 408 students (Mage = 12.29), with primary outcomes of students’ autonomous motivation in PE and exercise, PA intention, and self-report PA. Results: The path analysis showed that the intervention had a weak positive effect (γ = .11) on students’ perception of autonomy (R2 = .51), which in turn had a moderate positive effect (β = .29) on autonomous motivation in PE (R2 = .51). Students’ perception of autonomy during PE had a positive effect (β = .63) on their autonomous exercise motivation (R2 = .44) and autonomous exercise motivation had a positive effect (β = .37) on PA intentions (R2 = .34). Autonomous exercise motivation was an indirect link transferring PE autonomy to PA intentions and participation. Conclusion: T...
Careers in Context: How Institutions and Social Structure Determine Career Patterns

The structure of modern careers is shaped by the institutions that embed career trajectories and direct social behavior in the workplace. This symposium brings together a diverse, yet related set o...
Optomechanical Cavities for All-Optical Photothermal Sensing

Cavity optomechanics enables strong coupling of optics and mechanics. Although remarkable progress has been made, practical applications of cavity optomechanics are only recently being realized. In this work we propose an all-optical sensing technique enabling the measurement of photothermally induced strains with ultrahigh-resolution. We demonstrate an optomechanical sensor consisting of a silicon nitride (Si3N4) microring cavity that is evanescently coupled to a suspended SiNx micromechanical (MEMS) oscillator. Experiments show that MEMS resonances are excited purely via cavity-enhanced gradient optical forces. However, small levels of absorption in the oscillator result in photothermally induced strains that shift the mechanical resonance frequencies. By measuring absorption-induced frequency shifts our technique enables high-resolution with nanostrain sensitivity corresponding to fJ-levels of absorption. As a demonstration, we perform absorption spectroscopy on the MEMS device and measure the known Si...
CRYSTAL IMPERFECTIONS SEEN BY X-RAY DIFFRACTION TOPOGRAPHY

Internal lattice strains imaged via x-ray diffraction topography (XRDT) methods are presented for relatively low dislocation density, or dislocation-free, crystals, much as investigated for higher dislocation density materials by Professor Gareth Thomas and colleagues and students via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. Relating to the broad range of materials covered today by The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS), various characterization-type results are shown to be obtainable for millimeter-to-centimeter size crystals exhibiting either metallic, ionic, covalent, or molecular (energetic) type bonding between their respective constituent atoms or molecules.
Taxonomy of Spiral and Curved Clostridia

Seventy seven curved and helically coiled, anaerobic bacilli, which were isolated from the intestinal contents of humans, rabbits and chickens, were the subject of this study. Because they were anaerobic, spore forming, Gram positive rods the isolates were identified as clostridia. Those strains which seemed to have a helically coiled cellular conformation were in fact microcolonies of semicircular cells joined end to end. The strains fell into five groups on the basis of their biochemical characteristics, their susceptibilities to a range of antimicrobial agents, their outer membrane protein and extracellular toxins. Group 1 contained three strains of Clostridium spiroforme, including the type strain, isolated from healthy humans who had not been receiving antibiotics. None of these isolates produced a toxin. Although similar in some respects to the members of Groups 2 and 3, they do in fact represent a distinct group. Groups 2 and 3 share some common extracellular antigens. The former consists of three strains of C. spiroforme isolated from diarrhoeic humans who had received clindamycin, the latter was made up of 59 strains of C. spiroforme from scouring rabbits. All of the rabbit strains, but none of the human isolates, produced a lethal toxin neutralizable with C. perfringens iota antitoxin. Group 4 contained six unnamed strains isolated from healthy chickens. None were toxigenic. They differed in most aspects from the C. spiroforme strains but did share some properties with C. cocleatum, the organism represented in group 5. It is not yet clear whether or not group 2 and 3 should be given species status separate from C. spiroforme. For the time being, however, we are continuing to refer to them as C. spiroforme.
On the Complexity of Two-Agent Justification Logic

Justification Logic provides a refined version of epistemic modal logic in which the proofs/justifications are taken into account. As a practical tool, Justification Logic has the ability to model argumentation and track evidence in the full logic context, to measure the complexity of the arguments, to keep the logical omniscience at bay, etc. The complexity of single-agent justification logics has been well-studied and shown to be generally lower than the complexity of their modal counterparts. In this paper we investigate the complexity of two-agent Justification Logic. We show that for most cases the upper complexity bounds established for the single-agent cases are maintained: these logics’ derivability problem is in the second step of the polynomial hierarchy. For certain logics, though, we discover a complexity jump to PSPACE-completeness, which is a new phenomenon for Justification Logic.
In search of nonrandom X inactivation: studies of the placenta from newborns heterozygous for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.

The version of the X-inactivation hypothesis presented by Lyon (1961, 1972) proposed that inactivation was a random event with respect to the parental origin of the X chromosome. Although there have been some suggestions that inactivation may not always occur randomly, the evidence has not been compelling. On the basis of enzyme phenotype in small numbers of blood samples from interspecies hybrids, it has been suggested that the paternally derived X chromosome of marsupials is inactivated preferentially; on the other hand, studies of other tissues have revealed that paternal alleles are expressed (Cooper 1971; Cooper, Johnston, Murtagh, Sharman, VandeBerg, and Poole 1974; Cooper, Johnston, Murtagh and VandeBerg 1975). Observations compatible with preferential expression of the maternal allele in the mule, the interspecies hybrid between female horse and male donkey (Hamerton, Richardson, Gee, Allen, and Short 1971), proved to be the result of a relative selective advantage for cells with an active horse X chromosome (Hook and Brustman 1971). Similarly, the nonrandom pattern of X-inactivation observed for structurally abnormal X chromosomes is now known to result from selection rather than X inactivation (Leisti, Kaback, and Rimoin 1975; Russell and Cacheiro 1978).
Living with Acromegaly

Acromegaly is an unusual insidious but potentially serious chronic pituitary disorder. The delay in diagnosis results not only in unique somatic disfigurement but is also associated with significant mental and emotional dysfunction. This article reviews and describes some of these nonclassic and often overlooked features of acromegaly. Particular emphasis is placed on presenting the patients' perspectives of the condition. The author offers some suggestions on the care and counseling of the acromegalic patient.
Basic Principles of TBNA

Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a bronchoscopic technique popularized in the 1980s to obtain histologic or cytologic specimens. A needle is passed either through the barrel of the rigid bronchoscope or alternatively via the working channel of a flexible bronchoscope (Fig. 3.1). TBNA can be used to obtain tissue from endoluminal abnormalities, lymph nodes or tissue adjacent to the airway, as well as peripheral lung tissue. The technique was first described by Schieppati in 1949 using both a rigid needle and bronchoscope (1). Its use in North America evolved in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With the more widespread use of flexible bronchoscopy, newer needles were developed, the first description of this innovative technology being in 1979 (2). Since then, both TBNA’s use and its technology have expanded.
Structural properties of α-berlinite (AlPO4)

We present first principles calculations for the structural properties of α-berlinite (AlPO4) as a function of pressure. The calculations were performed within the local density approximation using ab initio pseudopotentials and a plane-wave basis. We determined the lattice parameters, cohesive energy, and bulk modulus by minimizing the enthalpy of the solid with respect to lattice parameters. We find good agreement, within ∼2–3% of the experimentally observed values, for the structural properties as a function of pressure.
Promotion & Tenure Procedures: A Study of U.S. Academic Libraries

This article reports on the results of a study of tenure and promotion procedures at U.S. institutions where academic librarians are faculty. The author surveyed librarians from 200 institutions of higher education on promotion and tenure issues, and received 104 responses. Topics covered include: who performs reviews, whether organizations use library committees and/or university wide ones, how many external reviewers are used and what they are asked to review, and what documentation guides these processes. The results were compared for (1) institutional control (public/private), (2) small, medium, and large institutions, and (3) simplified basic Carnegie classification. The statistical results are presented.
Regiochemical Effects on Mechanophore Activation in Bulk Materials.

Mechanochromic force probes, including spiropyran derivatives, have proven to be useful in visualizing the stress/strain distribution and fracture behavior in polymeric materials. Here, we report the macroscopic response of silicone elastomers including cross-links made up of three spiropyran (SP) regioisomers. The SP derivatives SP(o), SP(m), and SP(p) are connected to the network through an identical attachment point on the indoline fragment and regioisomeric attachments ortho, meta, and para to the spirocyclic C–O bond on the benzaldehyde fragment, respectively. The relative colorimetric response of these regioisomers under quasi-static uniaxial tensile load is SP(o) > SP(m) > SP(p), consistent with the expected mechanical sensitivity of the regioisomers obtained from molecular modeling. The extrapolated strain onset for detectable activation of all three regioisomers, however, is indistinguishable and occurs at ∼90% uniaxial strain. Finally, the ratiometric response of the three isomers is constant ac...
How Flexible Should Flexible Benefits Be

Anecdotal evidence claims that flexible benefit plans increase employees’ satisfaction with benefits, however the underlying assumption has never been tested. This paper aims to test the underlying...
Surface Emitting, Tunable, Mid-Infrared Laser with High Output Power and Stable Output Beam

A reflective outcoupler is demonstrated which can allow for stable surface emission from a quantum cascade laser and has potential for cost-effective wafer-scale manufacturing. This outcoupler is integrated with an amplified, electrically tunable laser architecture to demonstrate high power surface emission at a wavelength near 4.9 μm. Single mode peak power up to 6.7 W is demonstrated with >6 W available over a 90 cm−1 (215 nm) spectral range. A high quality output beam is realized with a simple, single-layer, anti-reflective coating. The beam shape and profile are shown to be independent of wavelength.
Electron scattering in quantum waveguides with sources and absorbers. I. Theoretical formalism

We develop a novel method based on sources and absorbers to examine quantum scattering in finite, nanoscale systems. We show that the Cauchy (mixed) boundary conditions (BCs) are required to put the scattering theory into an action integral formulation. These complex BCs are reduced to simpler Dirichlet BCs by introducing totally absorbing “stealth regions.” Material properties of these enclosing regions are optimized to give decaying solutions so that the scattering amplitudes vanish at the finite boundaries. With the active scattering region now surrounded by absorbers, we construct an “electron antenna” to provide incident waves. The method retains all the physical aspects of the conventional theory while providing new insights into “near-field” scattering effects. The action integral is discretized and evaluated to derive the local wavefunction everywhere. In two-dimensional quantum waveguides, we obtain the scattered wavefunction for geometrically complex scattering centers, showing the flexibility of our method. The modal decomposition of reflected and transmitted waves allows us to obtain transmission coefficients for both propagating and evanescent modes. Using group theory, we develop selection rules for the scattered modes depending on the symmetry of the potential. Our method outperforms the limitations of traditional perturbative estimates, transfer-matrix, S-matrix discretizations, and other schemes to provide a complete nonasymptotic variational description for electron transport in quantum waveguides.
Oversummer growth and survival of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) across a natural gradient of stream water temperature and prey availability: an in situ enclosure experiment

Conservation efforts for Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) increasingly prioritize maintenance of cool water temperatures that protect all freshwater life stages. However, development of appropria...
Racial disparities and the acute management of severe blunt traumatic brain injury.

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality. In patients with TBI, racial disparities have been shown to exist in patient outcomes. Identifying where disparities occur along the patient continuum of care will allow for targeted interventions. This study evaluated if racial disparity exists for neuromonitoring and neurointervention rates in patients with severe TBI due to blunt injury. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank was used to identify patients aged 18 to 55 years old from 2007 through 2016 with a blunt injury, an initial Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3 to 8, a head Abbreviated Injury Scale score of 3 to 5, and all other anatomic Abbreviated Injury Scale scores less than 3. Coarsened exact matching (CEM) was used to balance covariates between white and non-white patients. Rates of neuromonitoring and neurosurgical interventions were compared between groups. Secondary outcomes were days spent in the intensive care unit (ICU), total hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Results A total of 3692 patients with severe isolated TBI due to blunt injury were identified. After applying CEM, 1064 patients were analyzed (644 white, 420 non-white). No differences were observed between white and non-white patient groups for neuromonitoring, neurointervention, mortality, or ICU LOS. White patients had a shorter hospital LOS (8 days vs. 9 days, p Discussion For severe isolated blunt TBI, neuromonitoring, neurointervention, and mortality rates were similar for white and non-white patients. Although racial disparities in patient outcomes exist, these differences do not seem to be due to neuromonitoring and neurointervention rates for management of TBI. Level of evidence Level III.
Abstract 545: A Multifunctional Genetic Probe for Investigating Mitochondrial Calcium Dynamics in Cardiac Cells

Introduction: Calcium cycling plays a critical role in regulating function of cardiomyocytes (CMs) under both physiological and pathological conditions. Among their many important functions, mitoch...
"Everybody Loses": Understanding Police Roles and Perceptions of Domestic Violence Calls

To better understand police response to domestic violence, it is useful to consider the perspectives of officers themselves. Through exploratory, in-depth interviews and applying the lens of role theory, this study focuses on police officers’ perceptions of their role in responding to domestic violence, their perceptions of the effectiveness of their response, and challenges they face. Findings suggest that, for these participants, there is an overlap in the different roles they inhabit, as well as limitations and barriers to their response. These limitations and obstacles are a signal that officers may be experiencing role overload, which leads to their frustration and ambivalence toward domestic violence situations. This study has the potential to serve as the groundwork for future research and policy changes aimed at mitigating role overload experienced, particularly in domestic violence calls.
Effectiveness of Fiber Supplementation for Constipation, Weight Loss, and Supporting Gastrointestinal Function: A Narrative Review of Meta-Analyses.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this narrative review is to determine whether published meta-analyses support the use of fiber supplementation in the treatment of constipation, weight loss, and dietary support for gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease. Methods A PubMed search from January 1, 1980, to July 31, 2019, was conducted with the following search strategy: (fiber OR fibre) AND (meta-analysis OR systematic review) AND (constipation OR body weight OR obesity OR irritable bowel syndrome OR inflammatory bowel disease). Meta-analyses that provided quantitative statistical analysis with a measured effect size were retrieved and accepted into this review. The following was extracted and entered into an Excel spreadsheet: number of publications included in the meta-analysis, number of total participants, fiber type and daily dose, pooled treatment effects for clinical endpoints, or summary relative risks. Results Eighteen meta-analyses support dietary fiber supplementation for patients with constipation, weight loss, and IBS, but the significant heterogeneity and publication bias undermine the support for using dietary fiber supplementation in these conditions. Conclusion This narrative review of meta-analyses finds some benefits for recommending fiber supplementation to patients with constipation, obesity, and IBS, but significant heterogeneity and publication bias undermine this support.
Doxorubicin-Induced p53 Interferes with Mitophagy in Cardiac Fibroblasts

Anthracyclines are the critical component in a majority of pediatric chemotherapy regimens due to their broad anticancer efficacy. Unfortunately, the vast majority of long-term childhood cancer survivors will develop a chronic health condition caused by their successful treatments and severe cardiac disease is a common life-threatening outcome that is unequivocally linked to previous anthracycline exposure. The intricacies of how anthracyclines such as doxorubicin, damage the heart and initiate a disease process that progresses over multiple decades is not fully understood. One area left largely unstudied is the role of the cardiac fibroblast, a key cell type in cardiac maturation and injury response. In this study, we demonstrate the effect of doxorubicin on cardiac fibroblast function in the presence and absence of the critical DNA damage response protein p53. In wildtype cardiac fibroblasts, doxorubicin-induced damage correlated with decreased proliferation and migration, cell cycle arrest, and a dilated cardiomyopathy gene expression profile. Interestingly, these doxorubicin-induced changes were completely or partially restored in p53-/- cardiac fibroblasts. Moreover, in wildtype cardiac fibroblasts, doxorubicin produced DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, both of which are well-characterized cell stress responses induced by cytotoxic chemotherapy and varied forms of heart injury. A 3-fold increase in p53 (p = 0.004) prevented the completion of mitophagy (p = 0.032) through sequestration of Parkin. Interactions between p53 and Parkin increased in doxorubicin-treated cardiac fibroblasts (p = 0.0003). Finally, Parkin was unable to localize to the mitochondria in wildtype cardiac fibroblasts, but mitochondrial localization was restored in p53-/- cardiac fibroblasts. These findings strongly suggest that cardiac fibroblasts are an important myocardial cell type that merits further study in the context of doxorubicin treatment. A more robust knowledge of the role cardiac fibroblasts play in the development of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity will lead to novel clinical strategies that will improve the quality of life of cancer survivors.
Multimodal Social Semiotics and Learning Design: In Search of Interdisciplinarity

In a seminal article, former linguist and semiotician Kress and his colleague van Leeuwen (Front pages: the (critical) analysis of newspaper layout. (In Bell A, Garrett, P (eds) Approaches to media discourse. Blackwell, London, pp 186–219, 1998) began to explain multimodal texts – texts which include a complex mixture of words and images. An interesting gap arising out of the work of Kress and his colleagues was their realization of multimodal texts and how meaning cannot be reduced to language only. In an attempt to address this gap, based on Michael Halliday’s (Language as social semiotic. Edward Arnold, London, 1978) functional model of language, a theory called multimodal social semiotic theory was formed by extending the theory of meaning beyond language (Kress G, van Leeuwen T, Reading images: the grammar of graphic design. Routledge, London, 1996). In other words, the meaning-making capacity of various modes (functions) such as music, sound, action, and visual communication is regarded as crucial as the language itself. In this paper, the foundations of the multimodal theory of communication and its implications for the field of learning design will be discussed.
Pelleted biosolids and cover crop effects on major Southern row crops

Pelleted biosolids (PBS) can be used as a low-cost nutrient source alternative to conventional fertilizers for row crop production. A field study was conducted on a Marietta loam at the Plant Scien...
How physics flew the philosophers' nest.

Abstract We all know that, nowadays, physics and philosophy are housed in separate departments on university campuses. They are distinct disciplines with their own journals and conferences, and in general they are practiced by different people, using different tools and methods. We also know that this was not always the case: up until the early 17th century (at least), physics was a part of philosophy. So what happened? And what philosophical lessons should we take away? We argue that the split took place long after Newton's Principia (rather than before, as many standard accounts would have it), and offer a new account of the philosophical reasons that drove the separation. We argue that one particular problem, dating back to Descartes and persisting long into the 18th century, played a pivotal role. The failure to solve it, despite repeated efforts, precipitates a profound change in the relationship between physics and philosophy. The culprit is the problem of collisions. Innocuous though it may seem, this problem becomes the bellwether of deeper issues concerning the nature and properties of bodies in general. The failure to successfully address the problem led to a reconceptualization of the goals and subject-matter of physics, a change in the relationship between physics and mechanics, and a shift in who had authority over the most fundamental issues in physics.
Ecology of the synanthropic mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) at their northern invasion front

Invasive herpetofauna are a significant threat to native wildlife and when colonizing higher latitudes, they must cope with greater seasonality that likely exposes them to temperatures below their preferred temperature range and reduced physiological performance. Therefore, it is important to understand the ecology of invasive herpetofauna along their invasion front as this is the point they face the most disparate climates to their invasive range core. We studied a population of Mediterranean House Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) that recently colonized an urban center in southern Illinois, a region that experiences greater seasonality than their native or invasive range. We surveyed buildings for H. turcicus in September 2019 and May – October 2020 and recorded a variety of ecological variables including body length, body and environmental temperature, sex, and reproductive status. Despite experiencing and remaining active in temperatures 6 °C below their preferred range for multiple months, H. turcicus appeared to exhibit no negative consequences as the population displayed similar growth rates and clutch frequency found in the southern core of the invasive range.. We also found that H. turcicus randomly selected marginally warmer microhabitats with respect to what was available indicating temperature may not be an important determinant of their microhabitat selection. Our results indicate that H. turcicus can persist at higher latitudes with little apparent costs to their physiological performance, and population demographics suggesting their inherent eurythermic nature and synanthropic nature enables them to rapidly colonize novel habitats regardless at this northern latitude.
Dei George J. Sefa, Asgharzadeh Alireza, Bahador Sharon Eblaghie, and Shahjahan Riyad Ahmed. Schooling and Difference in Africa: Democratic Challenges in a Contemporary Context . Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. xviii + 333 pp. Charts. References. Index. $39.95. Paper.

EDUCATION George J. Sefa Dei, Alireza Asgharzadeh, Sharon Eblaghie Bahador, and Riyad Ahmed Shahjahan. Schooling and Difference in Africa: Democratic Challenges in a Contemporary Context. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. xviii + 333 pp. Charts. References. Index. $39.95. Paper. Schooling and Difference in Africa uses an ethnographic approach to examine social difference and its relevance to schooling in Ghana. Divided into eleven chapters, the book's first four chapters provide theoretical and contextual background to the study. Chapter 1 contains a well-presented discussion about social difference and schooling in Africa, with specific emphasis on gender, class, language, ethnicity, and disability. The chapter also provides information about the multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual nature of Ghanaian society as well as the challenges of education in this context. Chapter 2 describes the methodology and logistics of the three-year field study that informs the book. Chapters 3 and 4 weave through the voices of educators, students, and practitioners living in Ghana and Canada, examining their understanding and experience of difference as well as their understanding of the notion of majority/minority and its construction across the many lines of difference existing in Ghana. Each of chapters 5 to 10 examines aspects of the interface of Ghanaian education with ethnicity, gender, class, physical (dis)ability, language, and religion. The authors draw on a wide range of perspectives to offer conclusions on ways that social difference affects educational experience. Chapter 11 compares issues of difference and diversity in the Ghanaian and Canadian education systems. A pervasive theme of the book is that the critical investigation of difference and diversity can contribute to a discourse that leads "to the promotion of 'educational inclusion' in Ghanaian school settings" (3). The authors' critique of the sensitivity of the Ghanaian educational system to social difference goes beyond mere theorizing: through both interviews and observations in educational settings, they successfully stimulate critical discussions among a wide range of Ghanaians regarding their understanding and experience of difference in Ghana's education. While this bold approach moves the discussion beyond abstract theory, these strengths present some inherent challenges. The book struggles with geographic representation, and the authors recognize this: "While. …
Single-drug therapy in ovarian cancer: Factors influencing response

Abstract Patients with advanced ovarian cancer, 150 treated with chemotherapy alone and 107 treated with combination of chemotherapy and radiation, were analyzed. Direct correlation was found between tumor regression and patient survival. Alkylating agents were the single most effective drugs. The drug dose and the amount of tumor removed prior to the onset of chemotherapy correlated directly with the response. Serous and poorly differentiated carcinomas were more likely to regress on chemotherapy than mucinous and well-differentiated carcinomas but the long-term survival of patients with these tumors was just the opposite. Survival of patients with Stage III and Stage IV disease treated with combination of chemotherapy and radiation was longer than with either therapeutic modality alone.
Co-Teaching and Cognitive Spaces: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Science to Nonmajors

This paper describes a course, ‘Science, Technology and the Public in the Nineteenth Century’, which is both interdisciplinary and co-taught by a biologist and an historian. The rationale for including social history in such a course is to make nonscience majors more aware of both the process of science and its relationship to society. An example of the social history component of the course is offered in a discussion of Louis Pasteur and his adulation by the French public. Since Pasteur's popularity was based as much on nonscientific as on scientific factors, we use his career to illustrate concepts about science in its cultural context that we want our students to understand. The course's content is then presented with reference to objectives we hope to achieve. Finally we indicate how, with our varied backgrounds, co-teaching this course led to a sharing of our cognitive spaces and how this was a positive experience for both ourselves and our students.
Reliability survey of military acquisition systems

At the request of Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) has conducted annual reliability surveys of DoD programs under DOT&E oversight since 2009 to provide a continuing understanding of the extent to which military programs are implementing reliability-focused DoD policy guidance and assess whether the implementation of this guidance is leading to improved reliability. This paper provides an assessment of the survey results. Overall survey results support the understanding that systems with a comprehensive reliability growth program are mo re likely to meet reliability goals in testing. In particular, the results show the importance of establishing and meeting Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) entrance criteria before proceeding to operational testing (OT). While many programs did not establish or meet RAM entrance criteria, those that did were far more likely to demonstrate reliability at or above the required value during OT. Examples of effective RAM entrance criteria include (1) demonstrating in the last developmental test event prior to the OT a reliability point estimate that is consistent with the reliability growth curve, and (2) for automated information systems and software-intensive sensor and weapons systems, ensuring that there are no open Category 1 or 2 deficiency reports prior to OT. There is also evidence that having intermediate goals linked to the reliability growth curve improves the chance of meeting RAM entrance criteria. The survey results also indicate that programs are increasingly incorporating reliability-focused policy guidance, but despite these policy implementation improvements, many programs still fail to reach reliability goals. In other words, the policies have not yet proven effective at improving reliability trends. The reasons programs fail to reach reliability goals include inadequate requirements, unrealistic assumptions, lack of a design for reliability effort, and failure to employ a comprehensive reliability growth process. Although the DoD is in a period of new policy that emphasizes good reliability growth principles, without a consistent implementation of those principles, the reliability trend will remain flat.