cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for basolateral membrane Ca2+/H+ exchange in outer medullary collecting duct

The relationship between Ca2+ and intracellular pH (pHi) was studied in the rabbit collecting duct from the inner stripe of the outer medulla (OMCDi). When bath Ca2+ was lowered [1 mM Ca2+ plus 2 mM ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)] intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) decreased by 38.3 +/- 6.2% from 265 +/- 25 to 165 +/- 25 nm (n = 4). Lowering bath Ca2+ produced a biphasic response in pHi, transient acidification (from 6.93 +/- 0.06 to 6.80 +/- 0.06) followed by a return of pHi to levels slightly higher than control (pHi = 6.97 +/- 0.06). The acidification was not blocked by bath amiloride or 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) or lumen N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). However, bath amiloride significantly reduced the initial rate of pHi recovery after acidification (0.70 pH U/min in control vs. 0.39 pH U/min with amiloride). Lanthanum, a Ca2+ pump inhibitor, completely inhibited the acidification. Moreover, lowering bath temperature to 20 degrees C also inhibited the acidification. Acidification was blocked when the bath pH was raised to 8.0, whereas lowering bath Ca2+ markedly acidified cells when bath pH was lowered to 6.0 (delta pHi = 0.28 +/- 0.01). We also measured the transepithelial (Vt) and basolateral (Vbl) membrane voltages. Lowering bath Ca2+ depolarized Vt and Vbl by 12.7 +/- 4.9 and 6.0 +/- 2.0 mV, respectively. In summary, 1) lowering bath Ca2+ caused a biphasic response in pHi of OMCDi cells, and 2) the acidification phase is due to H+ influx associated with the Ca2+ pump.
Pseudoneoplastic lesions of the urinary bladder and urethra: a selective review with emphasis on recent information.

Selected tumor-like lesions of the urinary bladder and urethra, particularly those that have been the subject of recent attention in the literature, are reviewed. Within the category of epithelial abnormalities, it has recently been appreciated that cystitis glandularis of the intestinal type is occasionally associated with prominent mucin extravasation into the stroma, a finding that should not lead to the misdiagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Additionally, the problems that nephrogenic adenoma may cause have been the subject of recent study, and a detailed microscopic analysis of this lesion has shed light on the relative frequency of its common, and uncommon, features. Within the category of tumor-like lesions of the bladder, the inflammatory pseudotumor has been the subject of much interest as have mullerian lesions. It has recently been appreciated that endosalpingiosis is rarely seen at this site, usually in association with endocervicosis or endometriosis, leading to the suggested usage of the designation "mullerianosis." Selected other tumor-like lesions of the urinary bladder and urethra are also reviewed, including the problems nephrogenic adenoma may cause when it involves the prostatic urethra in men or a urethral diverticulum in females as well as the peculiar stromal cells that have recently been described within some urethral caruncles.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical and Economic Outcomes from the Implementation of Hospital-Based Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

The implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) is a promising strategy to help address the problem of antimicrobial resistance. We sought to determine the efficacy of ASPs and their effect on clinical and economic parameters. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar looking for studies on the efficacy of ASPs in hospitals. Based on 26 studies (extracted from 24,917 citations) with pre- and postimplementation periods from 6 months to 3 years, the pooled percentage change of total antimicrobial consumption after the implementation of ASPs was -19.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = -30.1 to -7.5), and the use of restricted antimicrobial agents decreased by -26.6% (95% CI = -52.3 to -0.8). Interestingly, in intensive care units, the decrease in antimicrobial consumption was -39.5% (95% CI = -72.5 to -6.4). The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (-18.5% [95% CI = -32 to -5.0] for carbapenems and -14.7% [95% CI = -27.7 to -1.7] for glycopeptides), the overall antimicrobial cost (-33.9% [95% CI = -42.0 to -25.9]), and the hospital length of stay (-8.9% [95% CI = -12.8 to -5]) decreased. Among hospital pathogens, the implementation of ASPs was associated with a decrease in infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (risk difference [RD] = -0.017 [95% CI = -0.029 to -0.005]), imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RD = -0.079 [95% CI = -0.114 to -0.040]), and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Klebsiella spp. (RD = -0.104 [95% CI = -0.153 to -0.055]). Notably, these improvements were not associated with adverse outcomes, since the all-cause, infection-related 30-day mortality and infection rates were not significantly different after implementation of an ASP (RD = -0.001 [95% CI = -0.009 to 0.006], RD = -0.005 [95% CI = -0.016 to 0.007], and RD = -0.045% [95% CI = -0.241 to 0.150], respectively). Hospital ASPs result in significant decreases in antimicrobial consumption and cost, and the benefit is higher in the critical care setting. Infections due to specific antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and the overall hospital length of stay are improved as well. Future studies should focus on the sustainability of these outcomes and evaluate potential beneficial long-term effects of ASPs in mortality and infection rates.
Perioperative antiplatelet therapy and cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing joint and spine surgery.

Study objective Perioperative thrombotic complications after orthopedic surgery are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The use of aspirin to reduce perioperative cardiovascular complications in certain high-risk cohorts remains controversial. Few studies have addressed aspirin use, bleeding, and cardiovascular outcomes among high-risk patients undergoing joint and spine surgery.
Congestion on the Last Mile

This column examines congestion, which occurs when network capacity does not provide adequate service during heavy use.
Do Vascular Networks Branch Optimally or Randomly across Spatial Scales

Modern models that derive allometric relationships between metabolic rate and body mass are based on the architectural design of the cardiovascular system and presume sibling vessels are symmetric in terms of radius, length, flow rate, and pressure. Here, we study the cardiovascular structure of the human head and torso and of a mouse lung based on three-dimensional images processed via our software Angicart. In contrast to modern allometric theories, we find systematic patterns of asymmetry in vascular branching, potentially explaining previously documented mismatches between predictions (power-law or concave curvature) and observed empirical data (convex curvature) for the allometric scaling of metabolic rate. To examine why these systematic asymmetries in vascular branching might arise, we construct a mathematical framework to derive predictions based on local, junction-level optimality principles that have been proposed to be favored in the course of natural selection and development. The two most commonly used principles are material-cost optimizations (construction materials or blood volume) and optimization of efficient flow via minimization of power loss. We show that material-cost optimization solutions match with distributions for asymmetric branching across the whole network but do not match well for individual junctions. Consequently, we also explore random branching that is constrained at scales that range from local (junction-level) to global (whole network). We find that material-cost optimizations are the strongest predictor of vascular branching in the human head and torso, whereas locally or intermediately constrained random branching is comparable to material-cost optimizations for the mouse lung. These differences could be attributable to developmentally-programmed local branching for larger vessels and constrained random branching for smaller vessels.
Induction of immunosuppressive B-lymphocytes with components of Candida albicans.

Infections with Candida albicans are associated with a depressed immune response. The immunological profile present during candidiasis is extremely complex. Certain individuals with a congenital defect in the development of a normal cellular immune system are frequently the subject of clinical Candida disease involving mucocutaneous tissues (reviewed in 1). On the other hand, disseminated candidiasis is frequently encountered in individuals suffering with polymorphonuclear leukocyte function such as chronic granulomatous disease, myeloperoxidase deficiency, or Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (2,3,4). Individuals who manifest both mucocutaneous and disseminated forms of candidiasis are rare. The mode of resistance against these two forms of candidiasis presents a paradox since immune mechanisms effective in the first case apparently do not operate in the other.
Turning on the Protonation-First Pathway for Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Manganese Bipyridyl Tricarbonyl Complexes

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO is reported for the complex, {fac-MnI([(MeO)2Ph]2bpy)(CO)3(CH3CN)}(OTf), containing four pendant methoxy groups, where [(MeO)2Ph]2bpy = 6,6′-bis(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,2′-bipyridine. In addition to a steric influence similar to that previously established [Sampson, M. D. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 5460−5471] for the 6,6′-dimesityl-2,2′-bipyridine ligand in [fac-MnI(mes2bpy)(CO)3(CH3CN)](OTf), which prevents Mn0–Mn0 dimerization, the [(MeO)2Ph]2bpy ligand introduces an additional electronic influence combined with a weak allosteric hydrogen-bonding interaction that significantly lowers the activation barrier for C–OH bond cleavage from the metallocarboxylic acid intermediate. This provides access to the thus far elusive protonation-first pathway, minimizing the required overpotential for electrocatalytic CO2 to CO conversion by Mn(I) polypyridyl catalysts, while concurrently maintaining a respectable turnover frequency. Comprehensive electrochemical and comp...
A novel chronic advanced stage abdominal aortic aneurysm murine model

Objective The purpose of this study was to establish a reliable, chronic model of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
Spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

We investigate healthy and diseased tissue using Raman spectroscopy with a novel monolithic microsphere-fiber probe. The resulting high spatial resolution will allow precise margin identification, which is critical to resection of diseased tissue.
Quality Assurance of Modern Radiotherapy Techniques in Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant diseases that occur among men with a new case diagnosed every 2.2 min, affecting one in six men their lifetime. Radiotherapy has been a vital part of the treatment of prostate cancer with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT ) as the historical standard. By utilizing techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), the amount of normal tissue treated can be reduced and thus limit this increased toxicity. These types of treatments use the multi-leaf collimator to create a sequence of small apertures to deliver a high dose to the tumor. The treatment plans are created so that a high dose is given to the target while keeping dose to organs at risk low. This requires a treatment planning system (TPS) that has the capabilities of inverse planning to generate such treatment fields. The inverse planning engine uses as input contours of the targets and OARs to generate an optimal plan. With new technologies comes a new set of quality assurance (QA) tasks that need to be performed to ensure that what is being planned in the TPS is actually what is delivered to the patient. In this chapter, we will encompass the simulation, planning, and treatment of tumors located in the prostate region. In addition we will discuss the QA methods of each component of the radiation therapy process when treating tumors in the prostate region.
Comments to the Federal Trade Commission on the CAN-SPAM Rule Review, 16 C.F.R. Part 316, Project No. R711010

These comments respond to the Federal Trade Commission’s request for public comment on the CAN-SPAM Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 316. The CAN-SPAM Act set a minimum baseline for consumer protections that senders of unsolicited commercial email must respect. These protections have been largely effective at giving consumers the ability to manage how a large group of companies uses their email addresses for marketing. At the same time, the Act has had little effect on the volume of unsolicited commercial email or on the amount of email sent by scammers and fraudsters. The Act and its implementing Rule, then, have been neither the success they should be nor the failure that critics describe. These comments explain how the Commission should adjust the Rule to maintain its substantial consumer benefits while addressing its shortcomings. By leaving in place the significant consumer protections the Rule provides while updating and tweaking their substance to provide additional protections and account for technological change since the Rule was promulgated, the Commission would best implement the goals and structure of the Act. Moreover, the Commission should look for additional ways, within its authority under the Act and other statutes, to address the problem of scam emails.
Pathological staging of renal cell carcinoma: a review of 300 consecutive cases with emphasis on retrograde venous invasion

Aims Pathological staging of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be challenging compared to other cancer types, as invasion often manifests as finger-like protrusions into vascular spaces or renal sinus tissue. Although prior studies have shown larger tumour size to be correlated highly with renal sinus invasion, prospective data on evaluating pathological stage are limited. We evaluated a large series reported by one urological pathologist. Methods and results Three hundred consecutive specimens were reviewed. Tumours larger than 5 cm were routinely sampled extensively or grossly re-reviewed when no extrarenal extension was identified on initial examination. Apparent multifocal disease was assessed critically for intravascular spread. Retrograde venous invasion was reported in 15 of 300 (5%) cases, 13 of 15 of which were clear cell RCC. Of a total of 163 specimens with clear cell histology, only five of 34 (15%) tumours 7 cm or larger were reported as pT2, all of which had an explanatory comment indicating the absence of definitive extrarenal spread. In contrast, 15 of 20 (75%) pT2 tumours were non-clear cell histology (papillary, chromophobe and translocation-associated). Comparing pT3a or higher tumours, the median tumour size in cases with retrograde venous invasion was 8.0 cm, compared to 6.2 cm in cases without retrograde venous invasion (P = 0.005). Conclusions Our findings support that retrograde venous invasion should be considered carefully before diagnosing multifocal clear cell RCC, which is rare in the sporadic setting. In the absence of vascular invasion, multifocal clear cell papillary RCC can be a mimic. pT2 occurs more frequently with non-clear cell histology (particularly papillary or chromophobe RCC).
A stream classification system to explore the physical habitat diversity and anthropogenic impacts in riverscapes of the eastern United States.

Describing the physical habitat diversity of stream types is important for understanding stream ecosystem complexity, but also prioritizing management of stream ecosystems, especially those that are rare. We developed a stream classification system of six physical habitat layers (size, gradient, hydrology, temperature, valley confinement, and substrate) for approximately 1 million stream reaches within the Eastern United States in order to conduct an inventory of different types of streams and examine stream diversity. Additionally, we compare stream diversity to patterns of anthropogenic disturbances to evaluate associations between stream types and human disturbances, but also to prioritize rare stream types that may lack natural representation in the landscape. Based on combinations of different layers, we estimate there are anywhere from 1,521 to 5,577 different physical types of stream reaches within the Eastern US. By accounting for uncertainty in class membership, these estimates could range from 1,434 to 6,856 stream types. However, 95% of total stream distance is represented by only 30% of the total stream habitat types, which suggests that most stream types are rare. Unfortunately, as much as one third of stream physical diversity within the region has been compromised by anthropogenic disturbances. To provide an example of the stream classification’s utility in management of these ecosystems, we isolated 5% of stream length in the entire region that represented 87% of the total physical diversity of streams to prioritize streams for conservation protection, restoration, and biological monitoring. We suggest that our stream classification framework could be important for exploring the diversity of stream ecosystems and is flexible in that it can be combined with other stream classification frameworks developed at higher resolutions (meso- and micro-habitat scales). Additionally, the exploration of physical diversity helps to estimate the rarity and patchiness of riverscapes over large region and assist in conservation and management.
Positioning Exchange in the Evolution of Human Society

Contributors to Prehistoric Exchange Systems in North America summarize valiantly changing patterns of exchange. What can help us understand temporal variation across the continent? Why do systems of exchange rapidly expand only to collapse and reformulate? J. Johnson (Chapter 5) describes prehistoric exchange as “episodic” and tells us that to explain the exchange, we must focus on the “difference in social organization.” In this chapter, taking an explicit materialist perspective, I will try to position exchange within a general scheme of social evolution and to explain the processes that intertwine economic and social organizations.
New concepts in vaccines for mucosal non-enteric human bacterial pathogens.

Since the introduction of vaccination in the seventeenth century, the prevention of infectious disease by immunologic methods has been a widely pursued goal of medical practitioners. Until the mid-twentieth century vaccines consisted primarily of inactivated intact organisms or extracts of intact organisms. In 1962, over 100 such vaccine products were available for use in the United States. Many of these products were associated with significant local and systemic toxicity and relatively few could claim efficacy in appropriately designed clinical trials. With a reassessment in the federal drug regulatory mandates after the thalidomide disaster in the 1960’s, many products with no proven value were removed from the market. Along with the changes occurring in control of product distribution, work in understanding the pathogenesis of human infection, the nature of the microbial surface, and the scope of the human immune response led to changes in vaccine products which reflected the search for safe and efficacious vaccine products. Over the past decade with application of improved chemical and chromatographic methods combined with the introduction of molecular genetics technology, a wide variety of new vaccines is becoming available.
The Influence of Resource Constraints on the Retrofit Design of Multipurpose Batch Chemical Plants

The objective of this paper is to study the effects of resource availability on the retrofit design of multipurpose batch chemical plants. A mixed integer nonlinear model will be developed to address retrofit design arising from changes in the product demands and prices and revisions in the product slate (addition of new products, removal of old products, modifications in. the product recipes). Resource constraints on the availability of utilities such as electricity, water and steam, manpower, etc. will be incorporated into the formulation. In addition, the option of resource expansion to accommodate the needs of the new plant will be explored.
Detailed Mechanism and Modeling of Soot Particle Formation

A detailed chemical reaction model for the growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and soot particle nucleation and growth is presented. The model begins with fuel pyrolysis, followed by the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, their “planar” growth and coagulation into spherical particles, and finally, surface growth and oxidation of the particles. The surface processes are described in terms of elementary chemical reactions of surface active sites. The method of moments is used to express the mathematical formalism of the undergoing chemical and physical processes. A new submodel is presented which is capable of calculating the optical properties of an arbitrary ensemble of soot particles. Computer simulations with this model are in quantitative agreement with experimental results from several laminar premixed hydrocarbon flames. The model predicts the classical picture of soot particle inception and the classical description of soot particle structure.
Nuclear processes in other universes: Varying the strength of the weak force

Motivated by the possibility that the laws of physics could be different in other regions of space-time, we consider nuclear processes in universes where the weak interaction is either stronger or weaker than observed. We focus on the physics of both big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) and stellar evolution. For sufficiently ineffective weak interactions, neutrons do not decay during BBN, and the baryon-to-photon ratio $\ensuremath{\eta}$ must be smaller in order for protons to survive without becoming incorporated into larger nuclei. For stronger weak interactions, neutrons decay before the onset of BBN, and the early Universe is left with nearly a pure hydrogen composition. We then consider stellar structure and evolution for the different nuclear compositions resulting from BBN, a wide range of weak force strengths, and the full range of stellar masses for a given universe. We delineate the range of this parameter space that supports working stars, along with a determination of the dominant nuclear reactions over the different regimes. Deuterium burning dominates the energy generation in stars when the weak force is sufficiently weak, whereas proton-proton burning into helium-3 dominates for the regime where the weak force is much stronger than in our Universe. Although stars in these universes are somewhat different, they have comparable surface temperatures, luminosities, radii, and lifetimes so that a wide range of such universes remain potentially habitable.
Primary Hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s Syndrome)

Primary hyperaldosteronism, or Conn’s syndrome, is a disorder of excessive secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal gland(s). The aldosterone excess results in sodium retention, volume expansion, and hypertension. Complications from long-standing disease include hypokalemia, arrhythmias, heart attack, and stroke.
New Histories of Village Life at Crystal River

New Histories of Village Life at Crystal River. By Thomas J. Pluckhahn and Victor D. Thompson. University Press of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville. 2018. ISBN 978-1-6834-003...
Talking about the Trayvon Martin Case in Psychology and Counseling Training and Psychotheraphy

The Trayvon Martin tragedy (the shooting of a Black male adolescent in a Florida gated community) was covered frequently by media outlets for a few months before the level of coverage gradually became only periodic updates on the status of the case and court proceedings. In response to the coverage, the listserv of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues) became a site for sharing information about the case, resources, comments and recommendations. Inspired by one of the comments regarding the importance of taking action in the form of conversations and dialogues in counseling and psychology training settings and psychotherapy, this article (1) reviews guidelines such as the APA Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists, (2) notes applicable literature on the importance of promoting discussions about multicultural issues in training settings and psychotherapy, (3) describes examples of discussions held in training settings following the tragedy, and (4) lists several recommendations for facilitating conversations about the tragedy.
Mitigating environmental harm in urban planning: an ecological perspective

Environmental sustainability is a major focal point of urban planning, yet scholarly discourse often fails to grapple with the environmental contradictions inherent in the reliance on economic grow...
Multiethnic polygenic risk scores improve risk prediction in diverse populations.

Methods for genetic risk prediction have been widely investigated in recent years. However, most available training data involves European samples, and it is currently unclear how to accurately predict disease risk in other populations. Previous studies have used either training data from European samples in large sample size or training data from the target population in small sample size, but not both. Here, we introduce a multiethnic polygenic risk score that combines training data from European samples and training data from the target population. We applied this approach to predict type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a Latino cohort using both publicly available European summary statistics in large sample size (Neff= 40k) and Latino training data in small sample size (Neff= 8k). Here, we attained a >70% relative improvement in prediction accuracy (from R2= 0.027 to 0.047) compared to methods that use only one source of training data, consistent with large relative improvements in simulations. We observed a systematically lower load of T2D risk alleles in Latino individuals with more European ancestry, which could be explained by polygenic selection in ancestral European and/or Native American populations. We predict T2D in a South Asian UK Biobank cohort using European (Neff= 40k) and South Asian (Neff= 16k) training data and attained a >70% relative improvement in prediction accuracy, and application to predict height in an African UK Biobank cohort using European (N = 113k) and African (N = 2k) training data attained a 30% relative improvement. Our work reduces the gap in polygenic risk prediction accuracy between European and non-European target populations.
S-Nitrosoglutathione exhibits greater stability than S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine under common laboratory conditions: A comparative stability study.

Abstract S-Nitrosothiols (RSNOs) such as S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) are susceptible to decomposition by stimuli including heat, light, and trace metal ions. Using stepwise isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), we observed that NO-forming homolytic cleavage of the S–N bond occurs at 134.7 ± 0.8 °C in GSNO and 132.8 ± 0.9 °C in SNAP, contrasting with the value of 150 °C that has been previously reported for both RSNOs. Using mass spectrometry (MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), we analyzed the decomposition products from TGA experiments. The organic product of GSNO decomposition was glutathione disulfide, while SNAP decomposed to form N-acetylpenicillamine disulfide as well as other products, including tri- and tetrasulfides. In addition, we assessed the relative solution stabilities of GSNO and SNAP under common laboratory conditions, which include variable temperature, pH, and light exposure with rigorous exclusion of trace metal ions by chelation. GSNO exhibited greater stability than SNAP over a 7-day period except in one instance. Both RSNOs demonstrated an inverse relationship between solution stability and temperature, with refrigeration considerably extending shelf life. A decrease in pH from 7.4 to 5.0 also enhanced the stability of both RSNOs. A further decrease in pH from 5.0 to 3.0 resulted in decreased stability for both RSNOs, and is notably the only occasion in which SNAP proved more stable than GSNO. After 1 h of exposure to overhead fluorescent lighting, both RSNOs displayed high susceptibility to light-induced decomposition. After 7 h, GSNO and SNAP decomposed 19.3 ± 0.5% and 30 ± 2%, respectively.
Impact of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide and its effects on coccidia challenge in broiler chickens

1. Two experiments were conducted, the first to determine the optimum inclusion of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) in broiler diets to support growth performance, digestive functions, intestinal morphology, and immune organs. The second experiment evaluated the immune-protective properties of COS on broiler chickens during coccidia challenge (CC).2. Experiment 1 investigated the effect of graded dietary concentration of COS in the diets of broiler chickens using eight cage replicates for each of the six diets. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was used as the basal diet and supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 g of COS/kg feed to form the six treatments.3. The diet supplemented with 1.0 g COS/kg of feed provided the optimal inclusion level for broiler chickens regarding body weight (BW) gain, jejunal villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and ileal energy digestibility at d 22 of age.4. Experiment 2 investigated the immune-protective properties of COS in broiler chickens during CC. A total of 224 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to eight replicate cages in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two COS concentrations (0 or 1 g of COS/kg of diet), with or without CC.5. On d 18 of age, birds in the CC group received twice the recommended coccidia vaccine dose of 30 doses/kg BW.6. Coccidia challenge reduced (P < 0.05) and dietary COS increased (P < 0.05) BW gain, and feed intake. Dietary COS mitigated (P < 0.05) the CC-induced effects on gain:feed. Dietary COS supplementation attenuated the CC-induced effects (P < 0.05) on the expression of occludin genes.7. In conclusion, dietary COS improved performance, and the immune-related beneficial impact of COS supplementation was associated with reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes.
Transfusion strategies in patients with cirrhosis

Bleeding related to portal hypertension and coagulopathy is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis. Complications and management of bleeding is a significant source of healthcare cost and utilization, as well as morbidity and mortality. Due to the scarcity of evidence surrounding transfusion strategies and hemostatic interventions in patients with cirrhosis, there has been significant debate regarding the best practice. Emerging data suggest that evidence supporting transfusion of packed red blood cells to a hemoglobin threshold of 7-8 g/dL is strong. thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonists have shown promise in increasing platelet levels and reducing transfusions preprocedurally, although have not specifically been found to reduce bleeding risk. Data for viscoelastic testing (VET)-guided transfusions appear favorable for reducing blood transfusion requirements prior to minor procedures and during orthotopic liver transplantation. Hemostatic agents such as recombinant factor VIIa, prothrombin complex concentrates, and tranexamic acid have been examined but their role in cirrhotic patients is unclear. Other areas of growing interest include balanced ratio and whole blood transfusion. In the following manuscript, we summarize the most up to date evidence for threshold-guided, VET-guided, balanced-ratio, and whole blood transfusions as well as the use of hemostatic agents in cirrhotic patients to provide practice guidance to clinicians.
Effects of Biochemically-Confirmed Smoking Cessation on Periperhal Leukocyte Count.

BACKGROUND: Previous work has demonstrated that smokers have higher white blood cell counts than nonsmokers, but the effect of biochemically-confirmed smoking cessation on peripheral leukocyte counts has not been demonstrated in a large prospective study. METHODS : Subjects were healthy smokers enrolled in a trial of sustained-release bupropion for relapse prevention after smoking cessation. White blood cell (WBC) counts and absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) were measured at baseline, week 7 and week 52. Smoking status was assessed at weeks 7 and 52 by self-report and biochemically confirmed with expired air carbon monoxide levels. Multivariate analyses compared changes in WBC count and ANC between smokers who did and did not stop smoking, adjusting for treatment group, age, sex, and body mass index. RESULTS : Of 784 smokers enrolled, 461 had biochemically-confirmed tobacco abstinence after 7 weeks of bupropion; 429 were randomly assigned to receive continued bupropion or placebo until week 52. At baseline, the mean WBC count was 8.4 x 10 9/ L (SD ±2.3) and the mean ANC was 5.3 x 10 9 /L (SD ±1.9). The baseline WBC count and ANC were higher in smokers with greater tobacco exposure, measured by daily cigarette consumption and serum cotinine level. Between baseline and week 7, there was a significantly larger decrease in WBC count in continuously abstinent subjects compared with continuing smokers (adjusted p =.031). At 52 weeks, biochemically-confirmed continuously abstinent subjects, as compared with continuing smokers, had a greater decline from baseline in WBC count (1.2 x 10 9 /L versus 0.1 x 10 9 /L, p 9 /L versus 0.2 x 10 9 /L, p CONCLUSION : The WBC count and ANC of healthy smokers increase with increasing tobacco exposure. Biochemically-confirmed tobacco abstinence leads to a rapid and sustained decrease in WBC count and ANC, possibly reflecting a decrease in an underlying state of tobacco-induced inflammation.
Characterising near misses and injuries in the temporary agency construction workforce: qualitative study approach.

Objectives To understand and characterise the construct of ‘near misses’ from the perspective of temporary construction workers and to describe the safety and health risks associated with and contributing to near misses and injuries in temporary workers in the construction industry. Methods Six semistructured language-sensitive (ie, English and Spanish) focus group discussions were conducted with workers (n=43) employed with temporary staffing agencies in South Florida. This convenience sample completed a demographic questionnaire prior to the focus group discussion. A general inductive approach was used to examine near misses in the construction industry and the unique safety and health concerns of temporary workers. Results Four broad themes describing near misses, reporting practices and workplace safety hazards in the construction industry were derived from the group discussions: (1) non-standard workers in the construction industry draw a clear distinction between near misses and injury and believe their best protections from both occur at the worker level; (2) social network structure on construction worksites is an effective way to protect workers against injury and near misses; (3) safety and health priorities and policies at the organisational level differ from those at the worker level, which contributes to workplace injury; and (4) reporting of safety concerns and near misses is influenced by injury severity. Conclusions Temporary workers in the construction industry are familiar with near misses but have limited resources to protect themselves against potential health and safety hazards. These non-standard workers addressed unique barriers to staying safe at work and identified potential improvements.
Push and Pull: Shepherding Multi-Agent Robot Teams in Adversarial Situations

Teams of robots tasked with making critical decisions in competitive environments are at risk for being shepherded or misdirected to a location that is advantageous for a competing team. Our lab is working to understand how adversarial teams of robots can successfully move their competition to desired locations in part so that we can then devise practices to counter these strategies and help make team functioning more successful and secure. In this paper, preliminary research is presented that studies how a team of robots can be shepherded or misdirected to a disadvantageous location. We draw inspiration from herding practices as well as deceptive practices seen in higher-order primates and humans. We define behaviors for the target (mark) agents to be moved as well as members of the shepherding team (a pushing agent and pulling shills) and present simulation results showing how these behaviors move robots to a desired location. These behaviors were implemented and trialed on hardware platform. A discussion of ongoing research into understanding misdirection in multi-robot teams concludes this paper.
Inferior and Intra-/Peri-Articular Superior Sacroiliac Joint Injection Approaches Under Ultrasound Guidance to Treat Metastasis-Related Posterior Pelvic Bone Pain.

Background Numerous mechanical and pathologic variables contribute to sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain. The oncologic population has additional considerations, including tumor burden causing fracture, nerve compression, joint instability, and periosteal inflammation. Post-treatment changes may also restrict joint mobility, causing transitional pain. Currently, fluoroscopically guided SIJ injections, aimed at the inferior one third of the SIJ, are the gold standard for treatment but have only been described in the nononcologic population. Ultrasound (US) guidance may confer several benefits, including positioning, ease of procedure, lower costs, and, importantly, guidance to avoid neovascularization, metastatic disease, and other soft tissue structures. Objectives We aim to describe the advantages of US-guided SIJ injections for refractory malignant SIJ pain from extra-articular tumors. We then describe our technique and decision framework for accessing the superior or inferior SIJ in patients with metastatic sacroiliac pain. Methods A retrospective review was performed on 5 patients with refractory malignant SIJ pain who underwent US-guided superior or inferior approach SIJ injection. Using imaging and outcomes, we developed a decision framework. Results Patients received either inferior or superior approach SIJ injections depending on location of tumor, extent of tumor invasion, and stability of the SIJ as per our framework. All patients reported improvement in pain and function without complications. Conclusions We propose a decision framework for inferior vs. superior approach US-guided SIJ injections in the oncologic population with SIJ pain from metastases to the pelvis or sacrum. Having multiple techniques to approach the SIJ is important in the oncologic population, in whom metastatic tumor burden poses a technical challenge to performing these injections.
Interdisciplinary Oral Health Service Event for Underserved Areas in and Around Alachua County

Goals The goal of Project CHOMP (Community and Home Oral-Health Maintenance and Prevention) is to provide short term dental care and long term oral health education to underserved populations outside of Alachua County. There is a substantial need to address Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in rural areas in Alachua and surrounding counties (1,2). Project CHOMP will provide free fluoride treatments, dental exams and supplies, and educational materials to children in and around Alachua County. Project CHOMP will be ran by medical and dental students, giving them a valuable opportunity …
A PATHOLOGIST'S APPROACH TO TISSUE DIAGNOSIS

SUMMARY Many pieces of information are considered by a pathologist to arrive at a histologic diagnosis of a tissue specimen. These include patient history, clinical presentation and appearance of the lesion, interpretation of pertinent radiographs, and evaluation of the microscopic features of the specimen. Communication between a surgeon and a pathologist is an important component of a proper diagnosis. The prediction of the biologic behavior of a lesion, the most important objective in tissue diagnosis, is usually possible without the designation of a specific diagnosis. Proper biopsy technique includes the choice of the correct site for a biopsy, collection of an adequate sample, and prevention of artifactual alteration of tissue.
Stable isotopes of water and specific conductance reveal complimentary information on streamflow generation in snowmelt-dominated, seasonally arid watersheds

Abstract The utility of a particular tracer to perform hydrograph separations depends on the dominant watershed properties combined with meteorological patterns; therefore, drawing conclusions from one tracer can be misleading. Combining information from multiple tracers can reveal complimentary insights that advance our knowledge of runoff generating processes. We performed hydrograph separations during spring snowmelt and for one summer rain event at two seasonally arid, montane watersheds in southeastern Wyoming using two independent tracer systems: Stable water isotopes (18O and 2H; 1–4 h resolution) and specific conductance (SC; 15 min resolution). Event water dominated streamflow generation during snowmelt using both tracers, but much lower uncertainty in hydrograph separations were achieved during this period with SC than with stable isotope tracers; the stable isotopic composition of pre-event and event water were too similar which led to large degrees of uncertainty. Stable isotopes of stream water did not vary as much as SC throughout the year and indicated the dominance of stream water derived from snowmelt. During the main snowmelt period, high frequency stream water isotopic composition was remarkably consistent, despite considerable variability measured in snowpack and snowmelt samples. Stable isotope measurements were useful for partitioning streamflow during a summer rain event when source waters were more isotopically distinct and suggested the dominance of pre-event water at generating streamflow. Despite the inability to partition event and pre-event streamflow during snowmelt, relationships between isotopic composition, SC, and watershed properties helped to understand mechanisms for streamflow generation. For instance, line conditioned excess (lc-excess) on the rising limb of the main snowmelt period was significantly positively correlated to the amount of rapid diurnal snowmelt contributions, the fastest moving compartment of event flow, supporting evidence that freshly melted snow, with relatively higher lc-excess, preferentially contributed to rapid diurnal snowmelt contributions. During fall low flow stream conditions, the isotopic value of streamflow was significantly positively correlated to elevation, where the highest-elevation watersheds had the highest delta values. This relationship was contradictory to what was expected (i.e. “elevation effect”) and may be explained by extensive snowpack fractionation occurring later in the season in deeper snowpacks located at higher elevations, or by a larger amount rainfall, with enriched isotopic composition relative to snowmelt, occurring at higher elevations. Through synthesizing patterns in two different natural tracers in conjunction with watershed properties, insights into the dominant controls on streamflow generation were gained from seasonally arid, snowmelt-dominated, headwater watersheds.
Peer coach delivered storytelling program improved diabetes medication adherence: A cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Because medication adherence is linked to better diabetes outcomes, numerous interventions have aimed to improve adherence. However, suboptimal adherence persists and necessitate continued research into intervention strategies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention that combined storytelling and peer support to improve medication adherence and health outcomes in adults with diabetes. METHODS Living Well with Diabetes was a cluster randomized controlled trial. Intervention participants received a six-month, 11-session peer-delivered behavioral diabetes self-care program over the phone. Control participants received a self-paced general health program. Outcomes were changes in medication adherence and physiologic measures (hemoglobin A1c, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index). RESULTS Of the 403 participants with follow-up data, mean age was 57 (±SD 11), 78% were female, 91% were African American, 56.4% had high school education or less, and 70% had an annual income of < $20,000. At follow-up, compared to controls, intervention participants had greater improvement in medication adherence (β = -0.25 [95% CI -0.35, -0.15]). Physiologic measures did not change significantly in either group. Intervention participants had significant improvements in beliefs about the necessity of medications (β = 0.87 [95% CI 0.27, 1.47]) concerns about the negative effects of medication (β = -0.91 [95% CI -1.35, -0.47]), and beliefs that medications are harmful (β = -0.50 [95% CI -0.89, -0.10]). In addition, medication use self-efficacy significantly improved in intervention participants (β = 1.0 [95% CI 0.23, 1.76]). 473 individuals were enrolled in the study and randomized. DISCUSSION Living Well intervention resulted in improved medication adherence, medication beliefs, and medication use self-efficacy but not improved risk factor levels.
Maize Plants Chimeric for an Autoactive Resistance Gene Display a Cell-Autonomous Hypersensitive Response but Non-Cell Autonomous Defense Signaling.

The maize gene Rp1-D21 is a mutant form of the gene Rp1-D that confers resistance to common rust. Rp1-D21 triggers a spontaneous defense response that occurs in the absence of the pathogen and incl...
A History of Fertility in America

Over the past century fertility patterns in the United States have fluctuated and the age of first-time parents has generally increased. With greater family planning resources women have also had the opportunity to delay both marriage and childbearing in pursuit of their education and careers. Later life childbearing has indirectly reduced total birth rates in the United Sates, Asian and many European countries. This chapter describes trends in ages of new parents and societal influences that have impact on these trends are discussed. Geographical differences are also highlighted as many trends differ across different regions. The chapter concludes with concerns that need to be addressed by future research and the need for more family supportive public policy.