cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knockdown of Nav 1.6a Na+ channels affects zebrafish motoneuron development

In addition to rapid signaling, electrical activity provides important cues to developing neurons. Electrical activity relies on the function of several different types of voltage-gated ion channels. Whereas voltage-gated Ca2+ channel activity regulates several aspects of neuronal differentiation, much less is known about developmental roles of voltage-gated Na+ channels, essential mediators of electrical signaling. Here, we focus on the zebrafish Na+ channel isotype, Nav1.6a, which is encoded by the scn8a gene. A restricted set of spinal neurons, including dorsal sensory Rohon-Beard cells, two motoneuron subtypes with different axonal trajectories, express scn8a during embryonic development. CaP, an early born primary motoneuron subtype with ventrally projecting axons expresses scn8a, as does a class of secondary motoneurons with axons that project dorsally. To test for developmental roles of scn8a, we knocked down Nav1.6a protein using antisense morpholinos. Na+ channel protein and current amplitudes were reduced in neurons that express scn8a. Furthermore, Nav1.6a knockdown altered axonal morphologies of some but not all motoneurons. Dorsally projecting secondary motoneurons express scn8a and displayed delayed axonal outgrowth. By contrast, CaP axons developed normally, despite expression of the gene. Surprisingly, ventrally projecting secondary motoneurons, a population in which scn8a was not detected, displayed aberrant axonal morphologies. Mosaic analysis indicated that effects on ventrally projecting secondary motoneurons were non cell-autonomous. Thus, voltage-gated Na+ channels play cell-autonomous and non cell-autonomous roles during neuronal development.
A Comparison of Video Feedback and In Vivo Self-Monitoring on the Social Interactions of an Adolescent with Asperger Syndrome

Difficulties with social interactions and restrictive and repetitive interest patterns or behaviors are common among individuals with Asperger syndrome. These difficulties often pose barriers to establishing and maintaining social relationships. In the current study, 2 different interventions were compared that focused on improving the social interactions of a 14-year-old adolescent with Asperger syndrome. A reversal design was used to compare the effectiveness of video feedback and in vivo self-monitoring on inappropriate and appropriate social interactions during activities with a teacher. The procedures were replicated during activities with peers, and generalization was assessed during activities with the adolescent’s mother. Although video feedback resulted in slight reductions in inappropriate behavior, larger reductions occurred during in vivo self-monitoring. Treatment acceptability data indicated high participant satisfaction with both interventions; however, the in vivo self-monitoring was rated as slightly preferred.
Movement of Spermatozoa in Viscous Environments

Observations of the effects of increased viscosity have been important in attempting to understand the mechanical forces and molecular mechanisms involved in cell motility. Berg & Turner (1979) have recently demonstrated that the movement of bacteria at increased viscosities depends on the nature of the macromolecules used to obtain increased viscosities. With methyl cellulose, an unbranched, long-chain polymer, decreases in rotation rates of tethered E. coli were much less than with Ficoll, a highly branched polymer, even though the viscosities measured at the macroscopic level were similar. At the microscopic level, methyl cellulose apparently forms a loose, quasi-rigid network in solution, which is easily penetrated by particles on the scale of bacteria and their flagella, but makes a substantial contribution to the macroscopic viscosity of the solution even at concentrations where 'non-Newtonian' behavior is minimal. This observation has led us to re-examine earlier measurements on the effects of viscosity on the movement of sperm flagella, which were made using methyl cellulose to increase the viscosity (Brokaw, 1966; Brokaw & Simonick, 1977).
Rat and guinea pig pancreatic acini possess both VIP1 and VIP2 receptors, which mediate enzyme secretion

Pancreatic acini from most species possess vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors. Recently, two subtypes of VIP receptors, VIP1-R and VIP2-R, were cloned. Which subtype exists on pancreatic...
Breaking Down the "Walls of a Facade": The Influence of Compartmentalization on Gay College Males' Meaning-Making

This study examined how the act of compartmentalization influenced gay male college students’ meaning-making of their multiple identities. This study, involving 17 males attending colleges in Southern California, explored how these students compartmentalized their identities within different cultures, including race, religion, and socioeconomic class, as well as in different student cultures, such as fraternities and student organizations. The findings of this constructivist grounded theory study illuminate how compartmentalization of one’s identity is seen at the individual, group, and systemic levels within society to help and hinder these gay males’ holistic sense of self. Additionally, implications for professional practice and research are offered to assist gay males in college toward integrative approaches to one’s identity.
Reasoning about situations in the early post-disaster response environment

The purpose of situation and impact assessment is to infer and approximate the critical characteristics of the environment in relation to the particular goals, capabilities and policies of the decision makers. The process of situation and impact assessment involves dynamic generation of hypotheses about the states of the environment and evaluation of their plausibility via reasoning about situational items, their aggregates at different levels of granularity, relationships between them, and their behavior within a specific context. This paper addresses the problem of reasoning for situation and impact assessment to support early-phase crisis management. Special attention is paid to "inference for best explanation" aimed at discovery of the underlying causes of observed situational items and their behavior, an important component of situation and impact assessment. The presented method of discovery of underlying causes is illustrated by the discovery of an unreported HAZMAT incident within an early-phase earthquake response scenario.
Infusions of lidocaine into the amygdala, but not the preoptic area, block pseudopregnancy in the rat.

In the rat, vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) received during mating is required for the subsequent expression of 10-12 days of twice-daily prolactin surges that are necessary for pregnancy or pseudopregnancy (PSP). This temporal separation of sensory stimulus and neuroendocrine response suggests that a mnemonic of the vaginocervical stimulation is created in the brain that triggers and sustains the daily prolactin surges. We investigated the possible involvement of the medial preoptic area (mPOA) and the medial amygdala (mAMYG) as potential neural sites involved in the processing of this neuroendocrine arc. Cycling female rats were bilaterally implanted with intracerebral cannulae in either the mPOA or mAMYG. On proestrus, females were manually palpated to confirm sexual receptivity and then received bilateral infusions of either the local anesthetic lidocaine, the Ca(++) channel blocker, verapamil, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) into either brain site before or both before and after receipt of 15 intromissions from an experienced male. Unmated control females received comparable infusions of lidocaine or verapamil, and were placed in the empty test arena for 10 min. Infusions consisted of either a single bilateral infusion 15 min before mating (Expt. 1), bilateral infusions both 15 min before and after mating (Expt. 2) or eight bilateral infusions separated by 30 min intervals spanning a period beginning 45 min before and ending 2 h 45 min after mating (Expt. 3). None of the lidocaine infusions into the mPOA prevented the establishment of PSP, and neither verapamil infusions into the mAMYG nor the shorter-term neural block (i.e. single or double lidocaine infusions) of the mAMYG prevented mating-induced PSP. However, the longer-term neural block (i.e. multiple lidocaine infusions) of the mAMYG significantly reduced the incidence of PSP. These data support previous findings that the mAMYG receives sensory input from VCS, and suggest that the mAMYG is a site at which a mnemonic of VCS is established.
Occurrence of bacteria and biochemical markers on public surfaces

From 1999 – 2003, the hygiene of 1061 environmental surfaces from shopping, daycare, and office environments, personal items, and miscellaneous activities (i.e., gymnasiums, airports, movie theater...
Probabilistic Liquefaction Hazard Maps for Memphis, Tennessee

Until recently most regional maps of liquefaction hazard have been based primarily on geology, following the methodology of Youd and Perkins (1978). These maps predict the triggering of liquefaction and not its consequences. More than 50 of these maps, showing different areas of the United States, have been published since the methodology was first proposed (Power and Holzer 1996). Maps range in scale from 1:24,000 to 1:390,000. One shortcoming to these maps is that they usually depict the liquefaction hazard with a qualitative ranking, e.g. , low, moderate, or high. Without specifying the hazard, these maps are not useful for risk-based studies. Recently, Holzer et al. (2003), Holzer, Bennett, Noce et al. (2006), and Romero-Hudock and Rix (2005) have applied the liquefaction potential index (LPI) proposed by Iwasaki et al. (1978, 1982) to estimate and map liquefaction probability. Maps of the surficial geology were initially produced for generating seismic hazard maps for Memphis, Tennessee (see references in Cramer et al. 2006). Additionally, the liquefaction potential or probability curve for different soil columns in Memphis also has been developed along with scenario liquefaction potential maps (Romero-Hudock and Rix 2005). Specifically, scenario liquefaction potential maps for moment magnitude (M) 7.7 and 6.2 earthquakes in the southern New Madrid seismic zone were generated by Romero-Hudock and Rix (2005) prior to this study. In this paper we describe the methodology, procedure, and data used in generating probabilistic liquefaction hazard maps for Memphis, and we present the resulting maps. The Memphis liquefaction hazard maps present information in a format similar to the scenario liquefaction potential maps for Memphis by Romero-Hudock and Rix (2005). As proposed by Holzer, Bennett, Noce et al. (2006), Holzer, Blair, Noce et al. (2006), and Holzer et al. (2003), cumulative distributions of LPI for a specified earthquake magnitude and …
Secular Trends in Utilization of Critical Care Services Among Candidemia-Associated Hospitalizations: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: The incidence of candidemia continues to rise in recent years. Candidemic patients often require care in an intensive care unit (ICU) and can consume substantial resources. However, there are no contemporary longitudinal population-level data on the incidence patterns of ICU utilization among patients with candidemia in the United States. Methods: The Texas Inpatient Public Use Data File was used to identify hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years for the years 2001 - 2010. Hospitalizations with candidemia were identified by presence of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification Code 112.5. The annual rates of ICU admission among candidemia hospitalizations were examined. The annual incidence of candidemia hospitalizations with admission to ICU (C-ICU) was evaluated using the United States Census data, and was also benchmarked against the number of all hospitalizations and hospitalizations with ICU admission, overall and for age-specific strata. Results: There were 11,544 hospitalizations with candidemia, including 7,552 (65.4%) with C-ICU. Between 2001 and 2010, the rate of C-ICU among hospitalizations with candidemia increased from 60.2% to 68.0%, and the incidence of C-ICU increased by 91%, rising from 2.73 to 5.21 per 100,000 population. When benchmarked against hospital admissions and ICU admissions, the following changes were noted between 2001 and 2010 in the incidence of C-ICU: 1.61 vs. 3.34 per 10,000 hospitalizations, and 8.33 vs. 13.77 per 10,000 hospitalizations with ICU admission. The incidence of C-ICU rose rapidly during the first half of the last decade, while plateauing during the remainder of study period. There has been marked difference in the rate of rise in the incidence of C-ICU among examined age strata, being highest among the 18 - 44 year group. Conclusions: ICU care occurred in the majority of candidemia hospitalizations. The incidence of C-ICU rose nearly two-fold during study period, but the rise plateaued during the second half of the last decade. Substantial heterogeneity was noted in the rate of rise in the incidence of C-ICU across examined age groups. Further study in other populations is required to corroborate our findings and examine the sources of the observed trends. J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(1):40-43 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jocmr2387w
Scalp abscess: A benign and infrequent complication of fetal monitoring

Scalp abscess is an infrequent and usually benign complication of the implantation of fetal heart rate electrodes that becomes noticeable from 2 to 10 days after birth. The lesions are usually single and localized. Most exudates will produce aerobic and/or anaerobic bacteria similar to the cervical flora of the late trimester of pregnancy. Scalp abscesses are more likely to occur subsequent to prolonged rupture of the membranes and an extended period of fetal heart rate monitoring. Local treatment may be adequate in most cases, but parenteral antibiotic therapy may be needed in others. Since herpes simplex virus infection has been reported to start as vesicles around the site of electrode implantation, careful attention to the maternal history must be given. The parents of infants who undergo internal fetal heart rate monitoring should be given careful and concise follow-up instructions when the infant is discharged from the hospital. It is apparent after a decade of experience that the benefits of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, even when invasive, far outweigh the risks of this still infrequent complication.
The history of popular music in Taiwan

(1994). The history of popular music in Taiwan. Popular Music and Society: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 53-66.
Professional services and rural services poverty

It is a fact that rural people suffer from professional services deprivation relative to their urban counterparts. Access to legal services is one form of this deprivation. Whilst often understood as a workforce problem, the issue has broader implications for the economic and social welfare of communities and the professionals who try to serve their needs. In particular the inability to access sufficient ‘knowledge services’ lies at the heart of many problems of rural social exclusion, the cost of which falls inevitably on those who are less mobile, or less capable of securing wealth. This paper takes a systemic look at rural professional services delivery, placing legal services in their larger context as part of the (often incomplete) professional network that supports communities. It outlines the systemic problem and aspects of the specific issues for rural professional services. It presents the results from a survey and a summit organised to discuss the issues that span various professions, and outlines some of the directions that the legal profession might take.
Spheres, Rings, and Rods as Electrodes in Electrofishing: Their Effects on System Resistance and Electrical Fields

AbstractThree shapes of electrodes are used for most electrofishing: spheres, rings, and rods. The predictive value of theoretical equations and relative effects of electrode size, shape, and stock diameter (material thickness) on electrical characteristics have not been evaluated by designed experiment. I performed an experiment in a hatchery raceway, using minimum and maximum electrode size-shape categories common in electrofishing: 15-cm- and 30-cm-diameter spheres and rings and 48-cm- and 96-cm-long rods (lengths equivalent to ring circumferences). Each size of ring and rod was fabricated in four stock diameters: 3, 6, 10, and 13 mm. Eighteen identical pairs of electrodes (two spheres, eight rings, eight rods) were energized with 120-V, 60-Hz sine-wave AC. Observed values of system resistance (representing potential power demand), voltage gradient at 0–1 cm from an electrode surface (high-hazard zone for fish), and distance to 0.1 V/cm (effective field size) were measured. Both size–shape and stock di...
TEM identification of subsurface phases in ternary U–Pu–Zr fuel

Abstract Phases and microstructure in as-cast, annealed at 850 °C, and subsequently cooled U–23Pu–9Zr fuel were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy techniques. SEM examination shows formation of three phases in the alloy that were identified in TEM using selective area diffraction pattern analysis: α-Zr globular and elongated δ -UZr 2 inclusions and a thick oxide layer formed on top of β-Pu phase, which has been initially assumed to be ζ -(U, Pu). However, further examination of the cross-sectional TEM specimens identified the matrix phases as δ -UZr 2 , β-Pu, and (U, Zr)ht. Two types of inclusions were observed in the immediate vicinity of the specimen surface and they were consistent with α-Zr and ζ -(U, Pu).
Correlative Analysis on Human Leukocyte Antigen-DQ Gene Susceptibility for Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome,Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Objective To evaluate the associations of human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-DQ gene with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome(APS),type 1 diabetic mellitus(T1DM) and autoimmune thyroid disease(AITD).Methods Fifteen cases of APS,29 cases of T1DM and 40 cases of AITD were selected as research subjects,while 27 healthy children were selected as controls.The DQA1 and DQB1 alleles were determined by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and sequence-based typing method.The difference of their frequency in children and adolescents was analyzed.Results Compared with controls,APS and T1DM patients had increased frequency of subjects with DQA1*0301,0501(all P0.05).The frequency of DQB1*0201 was significantly higher in T1DM group,and the frequency of DQB1*0601 was significantly lower in T1DM(P0.05).The frequency of DQA1*0301 was also significantly higher in AITD group(P0.05).No significant difference of all above aspects was found between APS and T1DM group.The frequency of DQA1*0103 had no significant difference in all groups.Conclusions HLA-DQA1*0301 and *0501 seem to be susceptible alleles in APS of Chinese children and adolescents.DQA1*0301,0501,DQB1*0201 seem to be susceptible alleles in T1DM,while DQB1*0601 may act as protective one.DQA1*0301 seem to also be susceptible alleles in T1DM.
It Happened While You Were Sleeping

Predicting short‐ and long‐term risk for adverse outcomes after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS; ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction, non–ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction, and unstable angina) has been the focus of numerous modeling efforts over many years. Nevertheless,
Demonstration of Next-Generation Au-Pd Surface Finish with Solder-Capped Cu Pillars for Ultra-Fine Pitch Applications

High-performance computing is driving sub-10µm substrate interconnect pitches to support high-density logic-to-memory interconnections in advanced 2.5D packaging. A new ultra-thin surface finish, electroless Pd autocatalytic Au (EPAG), was recently developed by Atotech GmBH to address extraneous plating encountered at these fine pitches with conventional finishes, such as electroless Ni immersion Au (ENIG) or electroless Ni electroless Pd immersion Au (ENEPIG). In this paper, the EPAG composition was optimized to demonstrate, for the first time, ultra-short copper pillar interconnections with superior pitch scalability, bonding strength and thermomechanical reliability as compared to standard ENEPIG. Variations in surface finish composition were considered, with EPAG finishes composed of 50 -- 100nm Pd and 50nm Au, electroless palladium (EP) finishes of 50 and 100nm Pd, and standard ENEPIG, used as reference. Solder wettability was first evaluated through contact angle measurements on solder sessile drop test samples. Copper pillar assemblies with limited solder volume were then formed on all surface finishes. They were subjected to high-temperature storage at 150°C for up to 500h, to study interfacial reactions, and subsequent intermetallic formation. While gold embrittlement was observed with both EP and ENEPIG finishes, it could be prevented with EPAG surface finish with 50nm Pd and 50nm Au, this specific ratio leading to formation of the single (Cu, Au, Pd) 6Sn5 intermetallic. Die shear and thermal shock tests were then carried out to determine the effect of the joints' composition on their strength and fatigue life. A shear strength of 40MPa was achieved with all EPAG compositions, exceeding the 6-11MPa and 5MPa achieved with EP and ENEPIG, respectively. Highest thermomechanical reliability was also achieved with EPAG finishes, surviving 300 cycles at -55/125°C even in silicon-to-FR-4 assemblies with high CTE mismatch, while 70% of the ENEPIG daisy chains failed after only 100 thermal cycles. The optimized EPAG composition was therefore demonstrated as a promising low-cost surface finish alternative to form ultra-short but highly-reliable, fine-pitch, Cu pillar interconnections.
Personal energy footprint in shared building environment: poster abstract

With smart buildings becoming popular, it is important to track the wastage of energy in public shared buildings to save energy. Current monitoring systems do not provide real-time visibility into the impact of occupants' actions on energy consumption of a building. We propose a system that tracks the energy consumed by users in shared spaces such as offices thereby making them aware and accountable for the energy they consume. Our system combines energy monitoring with localization techniques to generate real-time energy footprints for every occupant in a shared space and provides actionable feedback to them in the form of visualization.
Evaluation of Alternative Waypoint and Flight Plan Conventions for NextGen En Route Operations

This paper considers four alternative flight plan description conventions for use in the Next Generation Air Transportation (NextGen) program by airline dispatchers and compares each alternative against the current convention. The conventions included are: Fix and Route-based system (Fix/Route, i.e. the current convention), Geodetic Coordinates (GC), Navigation Reference System (NRS), Military Grid Reference System (MGRS), and Point Relation Navigation (PRN). Twenty-one airline dispatchers evaluated the conventions for ease of use, understanding, workload, and acceptability. The results identified the impact each convention had on participant performance, error commission, and user preference, on four tasks chosen to represent current dispatcher work practice. These tasks are more manual than those envisioned for future use, but would form the foundation for any fall-back operation. The study found that the existing Fix/Route convention had the best performance and lowest error rate and severity on the ma...
Continuous-flow synthesis of Cu—M (M=Ni, Co) core—shell nanocomposites

Magnetic nanomaterials have many applications in the fields of catalysis, medicine, and environmental studies. An emerging synthetic method capable of large-scale production of nanomaterials is a continuous-flow microreactor. However, translating known conventional benchtop reactions to a continuous-flow system can be difficult; reaction parameters such as reaction time and viscosity of the solution are significant limitations in flow-based systems. In this study, nanocrystalline Cu-Ni and Cu-Co core-shell materials were successfully synthesized using a capillary microreactor in a one-step process. Ethanol was used as solvent, allowing for faster reaction times and reduced reaction solution viscosity, compared to similar bench top synthetic protocols. Both nanocomposites were tested for activity in Fischer-Tropsch and showed activity above 220 °C. This study shows that a continuous-flow capillary microreactor has the capabilities to make complex metallic nanomaterials at short reaction times with proper selection of reaction solvent systems.
Association between concurrent use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines and overdose: retrospective analysis

Objectives To identify trends in concurrent use of a benzodiazepine and an opioid and to identify the impact of these trends on admissions to hospital and emergency room visits for opioid overdose. Design Retrospective analysis of claims data, 2001-13. Setting Administrative health claims database. Participants 315 428 privately insured people aged 18-64 who were continuously enrolled in a health plan with medical and pharmacy benefits during the study period and who also filled at least one prescription for an opioid. Interventions Concurrent benzodiazepine/opioid use, defined as an overlap of at least one day in the time periods covered by prescriptions for each drug. Main outcome measures Annual percentage of opioid users with concurrent benzodiazepine use; annual incidence of visits to emergency room and inpatient admissions for opioid overdose. Results 9% of opioid users also used a benzodiazepine in 2001, increasing to 17% in 2013 (80% relative increase). This increase was driven mainly by increases among intermittent, as opposed to chronic, opioid users. Compared with opioid users who did not use benzodiazepines, concurrent use of both drugs was associated with an increased risk of an emergency room visit or inpatient admission for opioid overdose (adjusted odds ratio 2.14, 95% confidence interval 2.05 to 2.24; P<0.001) among all opioid users. The adjusted odds ratio for an emergency room visit or inpatient admission for opioid overdose was 1.42 (1.33 to 1.51; P<0.001) for intermittent opioid users and 1.81 (1.67 to 1.96; P<0.001) chronic opioid users. If this association is causal, elimination of concurrent benzodiazepine/opioid use could reduce the risk of emergency room visits related to opioid use and inpatient admissions for opioid overdose by an estimated 15% (95% confidence interval 14 to 16). Conclusions From 2001 to 2013, concurrent benzodiazepine/opioid use sharply increased in a large sample of privately insured patients in the US and significantly contributed to the overall population risk of opioid overdose.
The emerging role of homologous recombination repair and PARP inhibitors in genitourinary malignancies

As cells age and are exposed to genotoxic stress, preservation of the genomic code requires multiple DNA repair pathways to remove single-strand or double-strand breaks. Loss of function somatic genomic aberrations or germline deficiency in genes involved in DNA repair can result in acute cell death or, after a latency period, cellular transformation. Therapeutic exploitation of DNA repair by inhibition of poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]) ribose polymerases (PARP), a family of enzymes involved in the repair of single-strand and in some cases double-strand breaks, has become a novel cancer treatment. Although the application of PARP inhibitors (PARPis) initially focused on tumors with BRCA1 or BRCA2 deficiencies, synthetic susceptibilities to PARPis have been expanded due to the identification of tumors with mutations pathways involved in DNA damage repair, in particular those that repair double-strand breaks using homologous recombination (HR). There is an increasing appreciation that genitourinary (GU) malignancies, including bladder cancer and especially prostate cancer, contain subsets of patients with germline and somatic alterations in HR genes that may reflect an increased response to PARPis. In this review, the authors describe the mechanisms and rationale of the use of PARPis in patients with GU cancers, summarize previously reported preclinical and clinical trials, and identify ongoing trials to determine how PARPis and strategies targeted at HR repair can have widespread application in patients with GU cancers. Cancer 2017;123:1912-1924. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Abstract 361: Loss of Cardiac Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha Promotes Diastolic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Objectives: We have previously demonstrated that the expression/activation of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) is inhibited in diabetic hearts, and that activation of RARα prevents diabetes-induced dia...
Nonpathologic Infection of Macaques by an Attenuated Mycobacterial Vaccine Is Not Reactivated in the Setting of HIV Co-Infection

Failure to replace Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccines with efficacious anti-tuberculosis (TB) vaccines have prompted outside-the-box thinking, including pulmonary vaccination to elicit local immunity. Inhalational MtbΔsigH , a stress-response–attenuated strain, protected against lethal TB in macaques. While live mycobacterial vaccines show promising efficacy, HIV co-infection and the resulting immunodeficiency prompts safety concerns about their use. We assessed the persistence and safety of MtbΔsigH , delivered directly to the lungs, in the setting of HIV co-infection. Macaques were aerosol-vaccinated with ΔsigH and subsequently challenged with SIVmac 239 . Bronchoalveolar lavage and tissues were sampled for mycobacterial persistence, pathology, and immune correlates. Only 35% and 3.5% of lung samples were positive for live bacilli and granulomas, respectively. Our results therefore suggest that the nonpathologic infection of macaque lungs by ΔsigH was not reactivated by simian immunodeficiency virus, despite high viral levels and massive ablation of pulmonary CD4 + T cells. Protective pulmonary responses were retained, including vaccine-induced bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue and CD8 + effector memory T cells. Despite acute simian immunodeficiency virus infection, all animals remained asymptomatic of pulmonary TB. These findings highlight the efficacy of mucosal vaccination via this attenuated strain and will guide its further development to potentially combat TB in HIV-endemic areas. Our results also suggest that a lack of pulmonary pathology is a key correlate of the safety of live mycobacterial vaccines.
Fractographic analysis of anisotropic deformation behavior after tensile testing of pipeline steels at elevated temperatures

Abstract Changes in anisotropic deformation behavior at elevated temperatures in three American Petroleum Institute ×70 pipeline steels were assessed using fractographic analysis of tensile specimens. An anisotropy parameter was developed to quantify the change in anisotropic deformation with increasing tensile test temperature. A minimum in the degree of anisotropic deformation was observed at 300 °C, which corresponded directly with maxima in strength and ductility at the same temperature. Observed changes in anisotropic deformation at elevated temperatures suggest that dynamic strain aging preferentially strengthens the steel in the through-thickness direction indicating that contributions of dynamic strain aging depend on crystallographic texture.
Tightening the Life-Cycle Construct: A Taxonomic Study of Growth Stage Configurations in High-Technology Organizations

Over the years much has been written about the organization life cycle, yet there has been remarkably little attention given to the underlying construct of a life-cycle stage. It is proposed in thi...
Calculating the Electromagnetic Field and Losses in the End Region of a Large Synchronous Generator Under Different Operating Conditions With 3-D Transient Finite-Element Analysis

The significant losses in the end components due to leakage flux excited by the armature and field end windings can result in partial overheating, and are important for the design of large synchronous generators. This paper describes a method based on 3-D transient finite-element analysis (FEA) to determine the fields and losses in the generator end region. Taking the nonlinear and anisotropic properties and the induced in-plane eddy currents in stator into consideration, the electromagnetic field and loss distributions in the end region are calculated. The method is validated by the agreement between the temperatures predicted by a corresponding 3-D thermal FEA and the temperatures obtained from a physical measurement at different locations in the generator end region. Then, the field and loss distributions in the end components in the open-circuit test condition short-circuit test condition and rated apparent power with a 0.85 lagging power factor, a unity power factor, and a 0.95 leading power factor conditions are analyzed and compared using the proposed 3-D transient FEA method.
NAD+ Depletion Triggers Macrophage Necroptosis, a Cell Death Pathway Exploited by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Summary Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) kills infected macrophages by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting necrosis. The tuberculosis necrotizing toxin (TNT) is a secreted nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) glycohydrolase that induces necrosis in infected macrophages. Here, we show that NAD+ depletion by TNT activates RIPK3 and MLKL, key mediators of necroptosis. Notably, Mtb bypasses the canonical necroptosis pathway since neither TNF-α nor RIPK1 are required for macrophage death. Macrophage necroptosis is associated with depolarized mitochondria and impaired ATP synthesis, known hallmarks of Mtb-induced cell death. These results identify TNT as the main trigger of necroptosis in Mtb-infected macrophages. Surprisingly, NAD+ depletion itself was sufficient to trigger necroptosis in a RIPK3- and MLKL-dependent manner by inhibiting the NAD+ salvage pathway in THP-1 cells or by TNT expression in Jurkat T cells. These findings suggest avenues for host-directed therapies to treat tuberculosis and other infectious and age-related diseases in which NAD+ deficiency is a pathological factor.
Demographic Correlates of Health Behavior

This chapter focuses on the relationship between various demographic characteristics and the response of individuals and groups to health-related conditions – that is, their health behavior. Chapter 10 examined the demographic correlates of health status, and this chapter represents a natural extension of that discussion. Health behavior might be broadly defined to include formal health services utilization as well as the informal health behavior exhibited by a population. Some of these actions are taken by individuals who have been formally diagnosed as ill. However, much health behavior is carried out by relatively healthy individuals who are attempting to maintain or enhance their existing health status or to prevent a decline in health status.
Reversing Coagulopathy in Patients with Suspected GI Bleed

Excessive bleeding is a risk for anyone on anticoagulants. For patients with significant gastrointestinal bleeding, reversal of anticoagulation is usually needed to stop the bleeding. The effects of warfarin are reversed with vitamin K; however, reversal may take many hours. Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) will provide more rapid reversal for patients on warfarin who are actively bleeding. In recent years, direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are more common. Only one DOAC, dabigatran, currently has a specific reversal agent to stop bleeding.
Characterization of the plasma proteome of nonhuman primates during Ebola virus disease or melioidosis: a host response comparison

In-depth examination of the plasma proteomic response to infection with a wide variety of pathogens can assist in the development of new diagnostic paradigms, while providing insight into the interdependent pathogenic processes which encompass a host’s immunological and physiological responses. Ebola virus (EBOV) causes a highly lethal infection termed Ebola virus disease (EVD) in primates and humans. The Gram negative non-spore forming bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp) causes melioidosis in primates and humans, characterized by severe pneumonia with high mortality. We sought to examine the host response to infection with these two bio-threat pathogens using established animal models to provide information on the feasibility of pre-symptomatic diagnosis, since the induction of host molecular signaling networks can occur before clinical presentation and pathogen detection. Herein we report the quantitative proteomic analysis of plasma collected at various times of disease progression from 10 EBOV-infected and 5 Bp-infected nonhuman primates (NHP). Our strategy employed high resolution LC–MS/MS and a peptide-tagging approach for relative protein quantitation. In each infection type, for all proteins with > 1.3 fold abundance change at any post-infection time point, a direct comparison was made with levels obtained from plasma collected daily from 5 naive rhesus macaques, to determine the fold changes that were significant, and establish the natural variability of abundance for endogenous plasma proteins. A total of 41 plasma proteins displayed significant alterations in abundance during EBOV infection, and 28 proteins had altered levels during Bp infection, when compared to naive NHPs. Many major acute phase proteins quantitated displayed similar fold-changes between the two infection types but exhibited different temporal dynamics. Proteins related to the clotting cascade, immune signaling and complement system exhibited significant differential abundance during infection with EBOV or Bp, indicating a specificity of the response. These results advance our understanding of the global plasma proteomic response to EBOV and Bp infection in relevant primate models for human disease and provide insight into potential innate immune response differences between viral and bacterial infections.
Comparison of Program Resources Required for Colonoscopy and Fecal Screening: Findings From 5 Years of the Colorectal Cancer Control Program

Introduction Colonoscopy and guaiac fecal occult blood tests and fecal immunochemical tests (FOBT/FIT) are the most common colorectal cancer screening methods in the United States. However, information is limited on the program resources required over time to use these tests. Methods We collected cost data from 29 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) grantees by using a standardized data collection instrument for 5 program years (2009-2014). We created a panel data set with 124 records and assessed differences by screening test used. Results Forty-four percent of all programs (N = 124) offered colonoscopy (55 of 124), 32% (39 of 124) offered FOBT/FIT, and 24% (30 of 124) offered both. Overall, total cost per person was higher in program year 1 ($3,962), the beginning of CRCCP than in subsequent program years ($1,714). The cost per person was $3,153 for programs using colonoscopy and $1,291 for those using FOBT/FIT with diagnostic colonoscopy. The average clinical cost per person was $1,369 for colonoscopy and $280 for FOBT/FIT during the program (these do not reflect cost of repeated FOBT/FIT screens). Programs serving a large number of people had lower per-person costs than those serving a small volume, probably because of fixed costs related to nonclinical expenses. Conclusion Colorectal cancer screening programs incur costs in addition to the clinical cost of the screening procedures to support planning and management, contracting with providers, and tracking patients. Because programs can achieve potential economies of scale, partnerships among smaller programs for screening delivery could decrease overall costs.
“Fear of what we don’t know”: Grappling with diversity in a youth theatre program

This article examines how youth participants in a community-based theatre program confronted and grappled with issues of diversity and difference while rehearsing and performing a play about Ruby B...
President Trump’s Travel Ban: inciting or deterring terrorism?

ABSTRACTThe implementation of President Trump’s Travel Ban resulted in resounding support and opposition in the United States and abroad. Both opponents and proponents presented strong arguments fo...
Concealed handgun licenses in Tennessee: an examination of factors predicting permits at the county-level

This study examines county-level predictors of Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit (THCP) rates for Tennessee. Using the 2011 Tennessee Handgun Carry database, supplemented by the 2009 Uniform Crime Rep...
Convectively Forced Diurnal Gravity Waves in the Maritime Continent

AbstractLong-lived, zonally propagating diurnal rainfall disturbances are a highly pronounced and common feature in the Maritime Continent (MC). A recent study argues that these disturbances can be...
Improvement in resiliency factors among adolescents with neurofibromatosis who participate in a virtual mind-body group program.

To examine effects of a virtual mind–body group for adolescents with neurofibromatoses (NF1 and NF2; Resilient Youth with Neurofibromatosis; RY-NF) on multiple resiliency factors against a health education attention control (Health Education for Youth with Neurofibromatosis; HE-NF) using data from a randomized controlled trial. Specifically, our research question was whether adolescents randomized to the RY-NF (versus the HE-NF) would have greater improvements in resiliency factors at post-intervention and whether these gains would be maintained at 6-month follow-up. Adolescents with NF (n = 51; M age 12–17) were randomly assigned to RY-NF (n = 27) or HE-NF (n = 24). Resiliency factors (mindfulness, coping, gratitude, optimism, and social support) were collected at baseline, post-intervention (88%), and 6-month follow-up (82%). Participation in the RY-NF was associated with greater pre-to-post improvements in gratitude (Mdifference = 4.38; 95% CI—0.52–8.23; p = .027) and mindfulness (Mdifference= 9.41; 95% CI 4.40–14.42.; p < .001) compared to HE-NF; improvements sustained at 6 months. There were no group differences on any additional resiliency factors. However, participation in the RY-NF was associated with pre-to-post- improvements in coping (Mdifference= 9.16; 95% CI 2.93–15.39; p = .005), and social support (Mdifference= 6.79; 95% CI 1.96–11.63; p = .007); improvements sustained at 6 months. Participation in the RY-NF resulted in sustained improvement in several resiliency factors. Promoting resiliency may help adolescents successfully navigate challenges associated with NF.
Ligament Shear Wave Speeds Are Sensitive to Tensiometer-Tissue Interactions: A Parametric Modeling Study

Shear wave tensiometry is based on the observation that wave propagation speed varies directly with axial stress in tendons and ligaments. Hence, empirical measures of shear wave speed could be used to estimate axial tissue stress. However, this requires that the sensor measure shear wave speed without altering wave propagation within the tissue. We currently monitor shear wave speed using a piezoelectric tapping device and two accelerometers secured over the tissue. Three important factors in the design and use of shear wave tensiometers (i.e., mass, stiffness, and application force of tensiometer components) might alter the shear wave propagation and thus the measured shear wave speeds. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study was to determine the sensitivity of ligament shear wave speed to these three factors. To do this, we developed a parametric finite element model of a tensiometer and ligament. Our model generally agreed with prior analytical estimates of shear wave speed. The measured shear wave speeds were most sensitive to the application force of the tensiometer onto the ligament surface, which likely alters the local stress environment. Thus, it is important to remember that user factors, in addition to design factors, might alter the stress predicted from measured shear wave speeds. Moving forward, our parametric finite element model provides a platform for investigating robust tensiometer designs for non-uniformly loaded tissues, which extends beyond the current analytical model. This will enable the use of shear wave tensiometry to predict non-uniform tissue stresses that are common in orthopedic and rehabilitation applications.
An on-demand service for managing and analyzing arctic sea ice high spatial resolution imagery

Sea ice acts as both an indicator and an amplifier of climate change. High spatial resolution (HSR) imagery is an important data source in Arctic sea ice research for extracting sea ice physical parameters, and calibrating/validating climate models. HSR images are difficult to process and manage due to their large data volume, heterogeneous data sources, and complex spatiotemporal distributions. In this paper, an Arctic Cyberinfrastructure (ArcCI) module is developed that allows a reliable and efficient on-demand image batch processing on the web. For this module, available associated datasets are collected and presented through an open data portal. The ArcCI module offers an architecture based on cloud computing and big data components for HSR sea ice images, including functionalities of (1) data acquisition through File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transfer, front-end uploading, and physical transfer; (2) data storage based on Hadoop distributed file system and matured operational relational database; (3) distributed image processing including object-based image classification and parameter extraction of sea ice features; (4) 3D visualization of dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of extracted parameters with flexible statistical charts. Arctic researchers can search and find arctic sea ice HSR image and relevant metadata in the open data portal, obtain extracted ice parameters, and conduct visual analytics interactively. Users with large number of images can leverage the service to process their image in high performance manner on cloud, and manage, analyze results in one place. The ArcCI module will assist domain scientists on investigating polar sea ice, and can be easily transferred to other HSR image processing research projects.
Familiarity with teammate’s attitudes improves team performance in virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a potentially challenging social environment for effective communication and collaboration. Thus, we conducted a VR study to determine whether increased familiarity with a teammate would improve performance on a joint decision making task. Specifically, because attitude familiarity, or knowledge of another person's attitudes, has been correlated with better relationship functioning in the past, we anticipated that team performance would improve when teammates were first asked to discuss their task-relevant attitudes with one another. We also hypothesized that increased familiarity would be particularly useful in immersive VR, where typical social and other nonverbal cues were lacking. Twenty pairs recruited from a workplace environment were randomly assigned to either the Familiar or Control condition before completing a joint decision making task both in VR and on desktop monitors. The manipulation of attitude familiarity was successful: pairs in the Familiar condition were significantly more aware of their partners' unique task-relevant attitudes. Results found that in VR, Familiar pairs were more accurate at determining patterns to events. Additionally, for teams less experienced in VR, Familiar pairs were also more accurate at predicting future events. However, there was no meaningful statistical difference in pairs' ability to identify information. Familiar teams also took more time to answer questions, and we found no difference in self-reported communication quality. Overall, this was the first successful manipulation of attitude familiarity and results indicate that such an intervention may prove useful in a collaborative work environment, as Familiar teams demonstrated greater accuracy, especially in VR.