cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of digestive enzymes and nutrient transporters in Eimeria acervulina-challenged layers and broilers

Avian coccidiosis is a disease caused by intestinal protozoa in the genus Eimeria. Clinical signs of coccidiosis include intestinal lesions and reduced feed efficiency and BW gain. This growth reduction may be due to changes in expression of digestive enzymes and nutrient transporters in the intestine. The objective of this study was to examine the differential expression of digestive enzymes, transporters of amino acids, peptides, sugars, and minerals, and an antimicrobial peptide in the small intestine of Eimeria acervulina-infected broilers and layers. Uninfected broilers and layers, in general, expressed these genes at comparable levels. Some differences included 3-fold and 2-fold greater expression of the peptide transporter PepT1 and the antimicrobial peptide LEAP2 (liver expressed antimicrobial peptide 2), respectively, in the jejunum of layers compared with broilers and 17-fold greater expression of LEAP2 in the duodenum of broilers compared with layers. In the duodenum of Eimeria-infected broilers and layers, there was downregulation of aminopeptidase N; sucrase-isomaltase; the neutral, cationic, and anionic amino acid transporters b(o,+)AT/rBAT, B(o)AT, CAT2, and EAAT3; the sugar transporter GLUT2; the zinc transporter ZnT1; and LEAP2. In the jejunum of infected layers there was downregulation of many of the same genes as in the duodenum plus downregulation of PepT1, b(o,+)AT/rBAT, and the y(+) L system amino acid transporters y(+) LAT1 and y(+) LAT2. In the ileum of infected layers there was downregulation of CAT2, y(+)LAT1, the L type amino acid transporter LAT1, and the sugar transporter GLUT1, and upregulation of APN, PepT1, the sodium glucose transporter SGLT4, and LEAP2. In E. acervulina-infected broilers, there were no gene expression changes in the jejunum and ileum. These changes in intestinal digestive enzyme and nutrient transporter gene expression may result in a decrease in the efficiency of protein digestion, uptake of important amino acids and sugars, and disruption of mineral balance that may affect intestinal cell metabolism and Eimeria replication.
A neural network approach for classifying test structure results

An approach is described for identifying and classifying semiconductor manufacturing process variation using test structure data. The technique uses a machine-learning algorithm based on neural networks to train computers to detect patterns associated with test structure results. The objective of this work is to develop more reliable machine-learning classification procedures using test structure data from a semiconductor manufacturing environment. An example based on characterizing the performance of a 1- mu m lithography process is presented as well as a description of the test chip. >
Osteoclasts and myeloma cells stick together

Comment on Abe et al, page [2484][1] This article demonstrates the importance of osteoclast–myeloma cell interactions in both tumor growth and the bone destructive process in myeloma. In this issue, Abe and colleagues demonstrate that osteoclasts (OCs) support the growth of myeloma cells and
Extended Evaluation of Recombinant Human Activated Protein C United States Trial (ENHANCE US): A Single-Arm, Phase 3B, Multicenter Study of Drotrecogin Alfa (Activated) in Severe Sepsis

Study objective To gather additional 28-day all-cause mortality and safety data among adult patients with severe sepsis who were treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated). Design Prospective, single-arm, multicenter clinical trial. Setting Eighty-five study sites in the United States and two in Puerto Rico. Participants Adult patients (273 patients) with a diagnosis of severe sepsis, which was defined as a systemic inflammatory response due to acute infection and one or more sepsis-induced organ dysfunctions present for ≤ 48 h, as in the recombinant human activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) trial. Interventions Drotrecogin alfa (activated) [Xigris; Eli Lilly and Company; Indianapolis, IN], 24 μg/kg/h, as a continuous IV infusion for a duration of 96 ± 1 h. Measurements and results The primary end point was all-cause mortality, which was assessed 28 days after the start of the infusion of drotrecogin alfa (activated). Serious bleeding was monitored to day 28. Comparisons of mortality were made to treatment groups from two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (PROWESS United States and the Secretory Phospholipase A2 Inhibitor [sPLA2I] in Severe Sepsis trial) that used similarly defined patient populations from the United States. For the 273 adult patients enrolled in this study, the 28-day all-cause mortality rate was 26.4%. This mortality rate was 6% lower than that observed in the placebo groups in the PROWESS US trial (32.9%) and the sPLA2I trial (33.2%), and was similar to that of the group treated with drotrecogin alfa (activated) in the PROWESS US trial (24.4%). One nonfatal intracranial hemorrhage was reported in the Extended Evaluation of Recombinant Human Activated Protein C United States trial (ENHANCE US) [0.35%]. Serious bleeding events during the infusion period occurred in 11 patients (4.0%) compared to 10 patients (2.8%) in the PROWESS US drotrecogin alfa (activated) treatment group. Conclusions Despite the limitations associated with comparisons across trials, this study provides confirmatory evidence of the efficacy and safety of drotrecogin alfa (activated) documented in the PROWESS trial.
On the stability of two-dimensional continuous systems

A necessary and sufficient approach is presented to check bounded-input-bounded-output stability of 2-D continuous systems. The approach works by obtaining the impulse response through the inverse 2-D Laplace transformation. It is shown that by using one-variable reactance transformation (or spectral transformation) to obtain the 2-D continuous transfer function, stability is, in general, not preserved. The effect of double bilinear transformation from the 2-D continuous transfer function to the corresponding discrete one is discussed. It is shown by an example that the impulse response of both continuous and discrete transfer functions is not preserved. It is further shown that the double bilinear transformation can transform a stable digital 2-D filter into an unstable continuous 2-D filter. >
Who Are Employees' Social Referents? Using a Network Perspective to Determine Referent Others

A social network perspective was used to determine whom brokerage firm employees selected as social referents. In particular, this study focused on cohesive actors (friends) and structurally equiva...
Test Driven Design Challenges for Faster Product Development

Test driven design is a programming methodology that provides an iterative design cycle with integrated testing at each step, leading to reduced time and cost associated with end of cycle testing in the traditional waterfall method of development. In this paper we implemented a small portion of a PBX system to expose common problems in the implementation of Test Driven Design, and propose solutions to the same.
Using virtual human technology to provide immediate feedback about participants' use of demographic cues and knowledge of their cue use.

Abstract Demographic characteristics have been found to influence pain management decisions, but limited focus has been placed on participants' reactions to feedback about their use of sex, race, or age to make these decisions. The present study aimed to examine the effects of providing feedback about the use of demographic cues to participants making pain management decisions. Participants (N = 107) viewed 32 virtual human patients with standardized levels of pain and provided ratings for virtual humans' pain intensity and their treatment decisions. Real-time lens model idiographic analyses determined participants' decision policies based on cues used. Participants were subsequently informed about cue use and completed feedback questions. Frequency analyses were conducted on responses to these questions. Between 7.4 and 89.4% of participants indicated awareness of their use of demographic or pain expression cues. Of those individuals, 26.9 to 55.5% believed this awareness would change their future clinical decisions, and 66.6 to 75.9% endorsed that their attitudes affect their imagined clinical practice. Between 66.6 and 79.1% of participants who used cues reported willingness to complete an online tutorial about pain across demographic groups. This study was novel because it provided participants feedback about their cue use. Most participants who used cues indicated willingness to participate in an online intervention, suggesting this technology's utility for modifying biases. Perspective This is the first study to make individuals aware of whether a virtual human's sex, race, or age influences their decision making. Findings suggest that a majority of the individuals who were made aware of their use of demographic cues would be willing to participate in an online intervention.
Latent Semantic Similarity and Language Style Matching in Initial Dyadic Interactions

In the present study, we examined two indices of semantic similarity (i.e., latent semantic similarity [LSS], language style matching [LSM]) to determine their respective roles in initial, unstruct...
Commercially manufactured engineered nanomaterials for environmental and health studies: Important insights provided by independent characterization

Environmental and health studies on nanomaterials are appearing in the literature at a rapid pace. These studies will address important issues related to the environmental health and safety (EHS) of nanomaterials. As noted in many recent workshop and agency reports, studies devoted toward the environmental fate and transport, nanomaterial–biological interactions, toxicity, and overall risk assessment of nanomaterials should have nanomaterial characterization as a central component of the study design. This aspect of the study design is necessary so that risks associated with nanomaterials can be fully understood and related to specific material properties. For studies that use commercially manufactured nanomaterials, the company often provides characterization data (e.g., chemical composition, phase, and size) of the purchased materials. One question is, how good are these data? Another is, what methods of analysis are used to characterize the properties of commercial nanomaterials? In the present study, some examples are presented that show marked differences between independent characterization of commercially manufactured nanomaterials and that provided by the company. Furthermore, information provided by the manufacturer may be incomplete and nonrepresentative of the entire sample and, in some cases, the information can, in fact, be wrong. Thus, the current study demonstrates an important need for independent characterization data in EHS studies of purchased materials. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:715–721. © 2009 SETAC
Dendritic Cells at the Oral Mucosal Interface

The mucosal lining of the respiratory and digestive systems contains the largest and most complex immune system in the body, but surprisingly little is known of the immune system that serves the oral mucosa. This review focuses on dendritic cells, particularly powerful arbiters of immunity, in response to antigens of microbial or tumor origin, but also of tolerance to self-antigens and commensal microbes. Although first discovered in 1868, the epidermal dendritic Langerhans cells remained enigmatic for over a century, until they were identified as the most peripheral outpost of the immune system. Investigators' ability to isolate, enrich, and culture dendritic cells has led to an explosion in the field. Presented herein is a review of dendritic cell history, ontogeny, function, and phenotype, and the role of different dendritic cell subsets in the oral mucosa and its diseases. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of recognition and capture of microbes by dendritic cells. Also emphasized is how dendritic cells may regulate immunity/tolerance in response to oral microbes.
ABUNDANCE OF WIGEONGRASS DURING WINTER AND USE BY HERBIVOROUS WATERBIRDS IN A TEXAS COASTAL MARSH

Wigeongrass (Ruppia maritima), a submerged aquatic plant inhabiting estuarine wetlands, is an important winter food for waterbirds along the Texas Gulf Coast. We examined availability of wigeongrass at Mad Island Wildlife Management Area, Texas, USA by estimating aboveground biomass from October through January, 1998–1999 and 2001–2002. We also used an exclosure experiment to determine the extent to which herbivory by waterbirds was responsible for depletion of wigeongrass. Aboveground biomass of wigeongrass declined an average of 189 g m−2 and 71 g m−2 between October and January each year. Aboveground biomass declined at a higher rate among plots exposed to herbivory compared to exclosures, and the loss of biomass attributable to foraging by waterbirds was 19%. In 1998, counts of gadwalls (Anas strepera), American wigeons (A. americana), and American coots (Fulica americana) using study ponds peaked in November and then followed a declining trend similar to availability of wigeongrass, suggesting that as wigeongrass was depleted herbivorous waterbirds moved to other habitats where food was more available.
Kidney Function Influences Warfarin Responsiveness and Hemorrhagic Complications

Although management of warfarin is challenging for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), no prospective studies have compared response to warfarin among patients with minimal, moderate, and severe CKD. This secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of 578 patients evaluated the influence of kidney function on warfarin dosage, anticoagulation control, and risk for hemorrhagic complications. We adjusted all multivariable regression and proportional hazard analyses for clinical and genetic factors. Patients with severe CKD (estimated GFR 4; P = 0.052), compared with patients with no, mild, or moderate CKD. Patients with severe CKD had a risk for major hemorrhage more than double that of patients with lesser degrees of renal dysfunction (hazard ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 5.3). In conclusion, patients with reduced kidney function require lower dosages of warfarin, have poorer control of anticoagulation, and are at a higher risk for major hemorrhage. These observations suggest that warfarin may need to be initiated at a lower dosage and monitored more closely in patients with moderate or severe CKD compared with the general population. Diminished renal function may have implications for a larger proportion of warfarin users than previously estimated.
Vascular and autonomic dysregulation in primary open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss whether vascular dysfunction and autonomic dysfunction are related to primary open-angle glaucoma stratified by the intraocular pressure (IOP) level. Recent findings Patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) across the spectrum of IOP exhibit a variety of ocular and nonocular vascular abnormalities. Interestingly, common genetic variation in nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and the caveolin 1/caveolin 2 (CAV1/CAV2) genomic regions, which code for proteins involved in setting vascular tone, are associated with POAG. These markers seem to stratify with POAG subtypes stratified by sex or pattern of initial visual field loss and not by IOP level. Overall, it is clear that there is also cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in high-tension glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma but it is unclear if this dysfunction is more common in normal-tension glaucoma compared with high-tension glaucoma. Summary Overall, POAG is likely a heterogeneous disease but stratifying cases by IOP level associated with initial optic nerve damage may be less useful than using other endophenotype approaches. Embracing the evidence suggesting systemic endothelial and autonomic dysfunction are operative in POAG will help us move beyond an IOP-centric view of the disease and facilitate 'tearing down the wall' that divides treating physicians and a better understanding of POAG pathogenesis.
Inhibition of Rat Mammary Tumor Growth by Purified Protein a - A Potential Anti-Tumor Agent

Intravenous inoculations of purified Protein A of Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I cause significant (p less than 0.01) regression of di-methyl-benz-anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary adenocarcinomas in Sprague-Dawley rats. Direct tumor cell counts of treated tumors showed fewer (p less than 0.005) viable tumor cells than did tumors from untreated controls. Plasma immunoglobulin G concentration showed a significant (p less than 0.05) increase compared to that of controls. However, the concentration of immune complexes and percentages of T-rosettes did not change. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from treated animals showed increased cytotoxicity (p less than 0.005) compared to that of controls. Plasma of treated animals potentiated PBMNC cytotoxicity (p less than 0.05) and showed increased antibody and complement-mediated cytotoxicity (p less than 0.025). The exact mechanism of protein A-induced potentiation of anti-tumor immune reactivities leading to tumoricidal response is not known. However, our data are suggestive of the involvement of both cellular and humoral immunity of the host in the tumor regressive phenomenon.
Social Science and Civil Resistance in South Africa

This paper reflects on the history of civil resistance in South Africa with an eye towards dilemmas currently facing intellectuals, particularly scholars in the social sciences. Touching on campaigns from the early twentieth century to the present, it argues that contemporary movements for social and economic rights would do well to develop what the political scientist Gene Sharpe has called a "grand strategic plan." South African history richly illustrates the fact that peaceful mass mobilization can yield victories for pro-democracy organizers (and for poorer people). This is especially so when strategists can strengthen the oppressed people in their self-confidence and their resistance skills; when resistors manage to win over passive allies; when campaigns attacks an oppressive system where it is weak, not where it is strong; and when resistors strive to ensure that a stable democracy unfolds in the aftermath of political upheaval. While these are not new observations, they are particularly relevant for scholars, activists, and organizers working at the intersections of knowledge and advocacy. In the wake of the Arab Spring and the Occupy movement, Sharpe's conceptual framework is worth revisiting so that we can, once again, debate the role of intellectuals within civil resistance campaigns and the politics of knowledge-creation in the social sciences.
The use of radioactive phosphorus in determining pollen-tube penetration in tobacco

A procedure is outlined for the use of autoradiographs in determining the extent of pollentube penetration in the styles of tobacco flowers. The results were in close agreement with those obtained by direct observation. Radioactive pollen was obtained by transferring mature plants to nutrient culture containing radioactive phosphorus. At intervals after pollination styles were collected and exposed to X-ray film, the resulting autoradiographs showing the location of pollen-tube ends in relation to the length of the style. Normal flowers, in which fertilization occurs about 72 hr. after pollination, were compared with those in which genetically controlled sterility is effected by inhibition of pollen-tube development.
Potentialities and progress in the development of chemosterilants for insect control.

The possible use of chemosterilants for insect control represents an extension of the sterility principle which involves the rearing and release of insects made sterile by exposure to gamma radiation, as was done in the eradication of the screw-worm fly ( Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel)) on the island of Curacao and from the Southeastern United States. Certain chemical compounds, classed as alkylating agents, have been found to produce sterility in several species of insects including the house fly ( Musca domestica L.), Mexican fruit fly ( Anastrepha ludens (Loew)), and the stable fly ( Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)). Apholate (2,2,4,4,6,6-hexahydro-2, 2,4,4,6.6-hexakis(1-aziridinyl)-1,3,5,2, 4,6-triazatriphosphorine) and aphoxide (tris(1-aziridinyl) phosphine oxide) are among the most active chemosterilants currently under investigations. When administered orally or by contact these compounds produce irreversible sterility without apparent adverse effects on the mating behavior and length of life of the insects. Although chemosterilants may prove equally or more useful than gamma radiation in the production of sterility in insects for release, they offer possibilities for achieving sterility in the natural population if safe and effective ways of using them can be developed. If ways of producing sterility can be developed in the natural population it would not be necessary to rear insects. This procedure for applying the sterility principle offers several important ad vantages over the conventional method of killing insects. Insects that are sterilized cannot reproduce and thus such effect is equivalent to killing the insects. In addition, the sterile insects compete with the normal insects to further decrease chances for reproduction. This bonus effect represents the greatest advantage over the conventional way of controlling insect populations. In addition, however, sterile insects in the population are capable of limiting reproduction because of "time" and "space" effects, factors which are absent in the killing procedure. Figures are presented which show the theoretical effects on boll weevil ( Anthonomus grandis Boheman) populations which are subjected to control by an insecticide and by a sterility agent.
353 COLD ISCHEMIA TIME: ITS REDUCTION AND INFLUENCE ON RENAL ALLOGRAFT AND RECIPIENT SURVIVAL IN THE UNITED STATES OVER THE LAST DECADE.

Prolonged cold storage leads to renal allograft injury lowering the allograft and, possibly, the recipient survival. The cold ischemia time (CIT) of the deceased donor kidney transplants inversely correlated with the transplant years (UNOS, 87-03, n = 116,638; r = −.22, p 30% did not differ. The wait on dialysis, the recipient age, percentage of head trauma, and the kidneys9 travel distance were higher in the second half. The use of newer immunosuppressants such as IL-2 receptor antagonists, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate were higher for the second half. The recipient survival, which was close to 90% at 3 years, did not differ between the periods. However, in the Cox model, after adjusting for age, gender, race, diabetes, and wait on dialysis, the CIT had a significant negative impact on recipient survival (RR for each 10-hour increase in CIT: 1.04; 1.01-1.07, 95% CI; p 30-hour CIT. Likewise, CIT had a significant negative impact on graft survival, particularly so for CIT > 20 hours. Unlike the recipient survival, the allograft survival was significantly higher in the second half than in the first half (79% vs 73%). Despite the higher survival, CIT continued to exert a graft-losing effect on the second half as analyzed in the multivariate model adjusting for recipient and donor age, recipients9 race, HLA mismatch, PRA levels, rejection treatments, wait on dialysis, and presence of diabetes and donor9s head trauma. Moreover, the % DGF between the two periods did not differ, indicating the persistence of cold ischemic injury in the second half of the last decade. Thus, this detailed analysis of the CIT and its effect on graft and patient survival over the last decade demonstrates (1) a modest reduction in CIT, mostly due to shifting of CIT from > 30 hours to 20 to 30 hours and (2) a change in immunosuppression in the second half, with lower rejection and graft loss but (3) no change in DGF and in the influence of CIT on graft survival, and (4) CIT as an independent risk factor for recipient survival.
Surface protein Esp enhances pro-inflammatory cytokine expression through NF-κB activation during enterococcal infection

Enterococcal surface protein (Esp) is encoded on a pathogenicity island in Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium and is involved in biofilm formation and binding to epithelial cells. In this study, using Esp-expressing E. faecalis MMH594 and its isogenic Esp-deficient strain, as well as purified Esp, we show that Esp is sufficient for activation of NF-κB and the subsequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α in macrophages in vitro. In a mouse peritonitis model, we also show that mice infected with Esp-expressing E. faecalis showed comparatively higher levels of cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in peritoneal fluid, and IL-6 in serum. Moreover, neutrophil infiltration and tissue damage in the liver was higher in the mice infected with the Esp-expressing strain compared with mice infected with the Esp-deficient mutant. These results add Esp to the growing list of enterococcal virulence factors that can modulate inflammation during infection and has implications for enterococcal pathogenesis.
Studying Protein-Protein Binding through T-Jump Induced Dissociation: Transient 2D IR Spectroscopy of Insulin Dimer.

Insulin homodimer associates through the coupled folding and binding of two partially disordered monomers. We aim to understand this dynamics by observing insulin dimer dissociation initiated with a nanosecond temperature jump using transient two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) of amide I vibrations. With the help of equilibrium FTIR and 2D IR spectra, and through a systematic study of the dependence of dissociation kinetics on temperature and insulin concentration, we are able to decompose and analyze the spectral evolution associated with different secondary structures. We find that the dissociation under all conditions is characterized by two processes whose influence on the kinetics varies with temperature: the unfolding of the β sheet at the dimer interface observed as exponential kinetics between 250 and 1000 μs and nonexponential kinetics between 5 and 150 μs that we attribute to monomer disordering. Microscopic reversibility arguments lead us to conclude that dimer association requires s...
Physical victimization, gender identity and suicide risk among transgender men and women

We investigated whether being attacked physically due to one's gender identity or expression was associated with suicide risk among trans men and women living in Virginia. The sample consisted of 350 transgender men and women who participated in the Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Survey (THIS). Multivariate multinomial logistic regression was used to explore the competing outcomes associated with suicidal risk. Thirty-seven percent of trans men and women experienced at least one physical attack since the age of 13. On average, individuals experienced 3.97 (SD = 2.86) physical attacks; among these about half were attributed to one's gender identity or expression (mean = 2.08, SD = 1.96). In the multivariate multinomial regression, compared to those with no risk, being physically attacked increased the odds of both attempting and contemplating suicide regardless of gender attribution. Nevertheless, the relative impact of physical victimization on suicidal behavior was higher among those who were targeted on the basis of their gender identity or expression. Finally, no significant association was found between multiple measures of institutional discrimination and suicide risk once discriminatory and non-discriminatory physical victimization was taken into account. Trans men and women experience high levels of physical abuse and face multiple forms of discrimination. They are also at an increased risk for suicidal tendencies. Interventions that help transindividuals cope with discrimination and physical victimization simultaneously may be more effective in saving lives.
Demand Driven Acquisition of E-books in a Small Online Academic Library: Growing Pains and Assessing Gains

ABSTRACTHow does a smaller, fully online academic library offer a wide and deep collection of academic level e-books to its distance learners in a sustainable and affordable way? The State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College Online Library, with a staff of four, has used demand-driven e-book acquisitions since September 2013. Despite widespread publisher price increases, this DDA program continues to deliver quality content to users. This presentation will explore the e-book demand-driven acquisition (DDA) model in the context of that implementation. This will include in-depth analysis of usage data and costs, as well as impacts on course development, budget and inter-library loan.
A Simple, Student-Built Spectrometer To Explore Infrared Radiation and Greenhouse Gases

In this experiment, students build a spectrometer to explore infrared radiation and greenhouse gases in an inquiry-based investigation to introduce climate science in a general chemistry lab course. The lab is based on the exploration of the thermal effects of molecular absorption of infrared radiation by greenhouse and non-greenhouse gases. A novel feature of the experiment has students building an infrared spectrometer, using a hot plate as an IR source, a sample compartment employing a plastic cuvette holder with open sides (to standardize the path length), and a low-cost infrared thermometer. Students, working in groups, (1) explore a PhET simulation; (2) design a set of experiments in response to a scientific question, “comparing the absorption of infrared light in the presence and absence of each different sample of gas, are there any significant differences that can be observed experimentally?”; (3) reflect on climate science and their experimental results by visiting the American Chemical Society ...
Utilization of the Simulation Environment to Practice Teach-Back With Kidney Transplant Patients

Abstract Background Patient self-management after organ transplant surgery is complex and requires a high degree of knowledge to prevent complications. The teach-back technique can be used to confirm patient knowledge and clarify misunderstandings when preparing patients for discharge, but it requires practice in order for it to be effective. Standardized patient simulation can be an effective way to train registered nurses to provide patient education such as teach-back. Method Authentic learning theory guided the design of education that allowed registered nurses who care for kidney transplant patients to practice and demonstrate the teach-back process in a simulation center using standardized patients. Results Outcomes included learner satisfaction, learners viewing the activity as useful to the real-work environment, knowledge retention three months after the event, a statistically significant increase in confidence with teach-back, high levels of self-reported application of teach-back in clinical practice, and a decrease in kidney transplant 30-day readmission rates. Conclusions Standardized patient simulation for teach-back education with registered nurses was effective and should be considered in the educational design for topics that require communication.
Geo-spatial analyses in education research: the critical challenge and methodological possibilities

The usefulness of spatial perspectives in education research is well known, particularly in fields such as school choice that are operationalised in multiple institutional, demographic, and local geographies. But the modes of spatial inquiry, even as they can potentially lend themselves to integrated research strategies, tend to be fragmented and isolated, failing to take into account multiple dimensions of contextual factors. Our purpose is to provide critical deliberations on geo-spatial methods in school choice research and suggest an integrative approach to enhance research on school choice from a geographic perspective. This paper first demonstrates the linkage of spatial approaches to school choice, and then surveys geo-spatial research as typically leveraged on this issue. We argue that there are inherent limitations to the typical conceptions of space in geo-spatial analyses and discuss two of the major challenges to these conceptions as provided by critical theorists and geographers. But we also point out that these challenges suggest alternatives that themselves have serious shortcomings. The concluding discussion sets out some of the possibilities of a more integrated approach to spatial inquiry in education research, and school choice more specifically.
Highly efficient, all-dielectric, transmissive gradient metasurfaces from the ultraviolet to the infrared

We design and simulate metasurfaces capable of inducing anomalous refraction with efficiency as high as 90%. Metasurfaces are designed for incident wavelengths spanning λ = 378nm to λ = 1340nm; a composite stacked metasurface capable of spectrum splitting is demonstrated.
Uncovering Influences on the Form of Oil and Gas Field Size Distributions

A detailed understanding of the processes that led to empirical oil and gas field size distributions, especially the dynamic character of the discovery process, is needed to improve the quality of forecasts of oil and gas resources. An empirical distribution results from a complex interaction of economic, technical, and social factors with geology in the form of a distribution of deposits. These factors may cause an empirical distribution to mutate nonrandomly through time. Changes in the price of oil, the cost of exploration and development, technology, and access to prospects influence the discovery process. Failure to recognize and account for them in the modeling process can result in serious bias in estimates of the number and volume of future discoveries. In addition, the broad range of some forecasts for a given region may be explained by differences in perspective of those involved in the process. Geologists who understand the basic processes and collect the data may be scientific determinists. Statisticians who model and analyze the data are trained to think in terms of random variables and stochastic processes.
A compact relativistic electron beam source for generation of far infrared radiation

Since the original free electron laser (FEL) experiments of Madey and his co- workers, the generation of coherent radiation from a relativistic electron beam has been widely studied. It quickly became evident that the success of an electron beam driven source depends critically upon the quality of the electron beam itself. For this reason Dr. Madey and his co-workers developed an electron gun specifically to function as the injector for the Mark III FEL [1]. With the collaboration of the Duke University Free Electron Laser Laboratory, we at NCCU have developed an electron gun based upon the original Madey design but intended to serve as stand-alone electron beam source. The results is a compact, "table-top" source of a high quality electron beam which can be used as a test bed to explore techniques for generating radiation in the far infrared (FIR).
Effects of Parent-Implemented Early Start Denver Model Intervention on Chinese Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Author(s): Zhou, Bingrui; Xu, Qiong; Li, Huiping; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Yi; Rogers, Sally J; Xu, Xiu | Abstract: To evaluate the effects of a 26-week, high-intensity, parent-implemented Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) intervention on developmental outcomes, severity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and parental stress of ASD toddlers in China. Subjects in P-ESDM group (n = 23) were recruited from 1.5- to 2.5-year-old toddlers who were screened positive in Xuhui and Minhang Districts and were diagnosed with ASD. A community (comparison) group of age-matched toddlers with ASD (n = 20) was recruited from other areas. Subjects of the P-ESDM group attended 1.5-hr parent coaching per week for 26 weeks, and those in the community group received interventions available from communities. Assessments were conducted at baseline (T1) and 26 weeks later (T2). After adjusting for baseline differences between the two groups, P-ESDM group demonstrated greater improvement than the community group in general development, especially in Language domain. Neither group demonstrated significant change in ASD severity, but the P-ESDM group showed greater improvement in social affect, parent-reported social communication and symbolic play than community group did. Finally, parents in P-ESDM group experienced decreased parenting stress while those in community group showed an opposite trend, though the differences did not reach significant association with the P-ESDM intervention. Chinese toddlers with ASD receiving 26 weeks of P-ESDM via regular coaching sessions showed significant greater improvement than those receiving community interventions in multiple aspects of development including social communications. These findings add support to the importance of providing early screening, diagnosis, and immediate referral for evidence-based interventions to improve outcome of young children with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 654-666. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay summaryThe development of early screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China has highlighted the importance of early intervention for young children with ASD. Our current study demonstrated that parent-implemented Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) via coaching from professionals improved developmental outcomes, especially in the language domain, and social communicational behaviors of Chinese toddlers with ASD. P-ESDM may help parents in China provide effective early intervention to their children with ASD via improving their skills when they are still at a waiting list for services or lack access to intervention, and has the potential to alleviate their parenting stress.
The Trial/Hearing

As noted earlier, Richard Loeb’s father hired the eloquent and brilliant criminal defense attorney, Clarence Darrow to represent his son. Nathan Leopold was represented by attorneys Benjamin and Walter Bachrach. They all worked together during the trial. Darrow had a reputation of taking on cases that most others believed could not be won, yet Darrow managed to have success on many occasions. Darrow was fervent in his opposition to the death penalty and had saved many defendants from execution in the past. In this case, State’s Attorney Robert Crowe announced that he intended to pursue the death penalty. Darrow and Crowe had been adversaries in a number of previous cases so there was no love lost between the two. Darrow’s task was twofold then: To oppose Crowe, who had been smarting from some of the previous cases where Darrow had bested him; and, to denounce the death penalty, which Crowe insisted that this case merited. Some of their verbal exchanges are instructive. Crowe described Darrow as the “distinguished gentleman whose profession it is to protect murder in Cook County”. Darrow, on the other hand, stated that Crowe had done everything possible to elevate the notoriety of the murder, portraying it as the worst such act in the history of Illinois. “I have heard,” stated Darrow, “nothing but the cry for blood. I have heard raised from the office of the State’s Attorney nothing but the breath of hate!”
Targeting the TNFR2 oncogene on tumor cells and tregs of the tumor microenvironment via dominant TNFR2 antagonism.

106Background: A major barrier to cancer immunotherapy is lack of selective inhibitors of the regulatory T cells (Tregs) of the cancer microenvironment and methods to directly kill tumors through n...
Pathogenic TFG Mutations Underlying Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Impair Secretory Protein Trafficking and Axon Fasciculation

Summary Length-dependent axonopathy of the corticospinal tract causes lower limb spasticity and is characteristic of several neurological disorders, including hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mutations in Trk-fused gene (TFG) have been implicated in both diseases, but the pathomechanisms by which these alterations cause neuropathy remain unclear. Here, we biochemically and genetically define the impact of a mutation within the TFG coiled-coil domain, which underlies early-onset forms of HSP. We find that the TFG (p.R106C) mutation alters compaction of TFG ring complexes, which play a critical role in the export of cargoes from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Using CRISPR-mediated genome editing, we engineered human stem cells that express the mutant form of TFG at endogenous levels and identified specific defects in secretion from the ER and axon fasciculation following neuronal differentiation. Together, our data highlight a key role for TFG-mediated protein transport in the pathogenesis of HSP.
Critical Care in an Historical Context

The struggle to help critically ill patients has challenged and troubled physicians throughout history. This essay examines three periods in which illuminating discussions of this occur — the Hippocratic era of Greek medicine (5th–3rd century B.C.), American medicine of the nineteenth, and the twentieth centuries.
Chronic in vivo angiotensin II administration differentially modulates the slow delayed rectifier channels in atrial and ventricular myocytes

Background In the heart, slow delayed rectifier channels provide outward currents (IKs) for action potential (AP) repolarization in a region- and context-dependent manner. In diseased hearts, chronic elevation of angiotensin II (Ang II) may remodel IKs in a region-dependent manner, contributing to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias of different mechanisms. Objective The purpose of this study was to study whether/how chronic in vivo Ang II administration remodels IKs in atrial and ventricular myocytes. Methods We used the guinea pig (GP) model whose myocytes express robust IKs. GPs were implanted with minipumps containing Ang II or vehicle. Treatment continued for 4–6 weeks. We used patch clamp, immunofluorescence/confocal microscopy, and immunoblots to evaluate changes in IKs function and to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results We confirmed the pathologic state of the heart after chronic Ang II treatment. IKs density was increased in atrial myocytes but decreased in ventricular myocytes in Ang II- vs vehicle-treated animals. The former was correlated with an increase in KCNQ1/KCNE1 colocalization in myocyte periphery, whereas the latter was correlated with a decrease in KCNQ1 protein level. Interestingly, these changes in IKs were not translated into expected alterations in AP duration or plateau voltage, indicating that other currents were involved. In atrial myocytes from Ang II–treated animals, the L-type Ca channel current was increased, contributing to AP plateau elevation and AP duration prolongation. Conclusion IKs is differentially modulated by chronic in vivo Ang II administration between atrial and ventricular myocytes. Other currents remodeled by Ang II treatment also contribute to changes in action potentials.
A Model for Improving Adherence to Prescribing Guidelines for Chronic Opioid Therapy in Rural Primary Care

Abstract Objective To describe the steps taken and results obtained by a rural primary care practice to effectively implement opioid prescribing guidelines. Patients and Methods Between December 1, 2014, and May 30, 2017, a quality improvement project was undertaken. Elements included prescribing registries, a nurse coordinator, and an Opioid Use Review Panel. Clinic workflow was redesigned to more consistently incorporate these and other guideline recommendations into practice. The effect on opioid prescribing was measured as well as patient outcomes. Results There were 462 patients meeting inclusion criteria before implementation. At the conclusion, 16 patients (3%) had died, 9 patients (2%) were no longer seeing clinicians participating in the project, and 2 patients (0.4%) had transitioned to hospice or long-term care facilities. Of the remaining 435 patients, 96 (22.1%; 95% CI, 18.4-26.2) had decreased prescribing below the threshold for inclusion or were no longer receiving opioid prescriptions. Originally, 64 patients (13.9%; 95% CI, 11.0-17.3) were using average daily doses equal to or greater than 90 morphine milligram equivalents. After implementation, 54 of 435 patients (12.4%; 95% CI, 9.6-15.8) were still using equal to or greater than 90 morphine milligram equivalents per day after accounting for death or loss to follow-up. Conclusion A change in clinic process to implement guidelines for prescribing of chronic opioid therapy was completed. It was associated with a decrease in the number of patients using chronic opioid therapy, primarily at lower doses. This was accomplished in a rural practice with very limited resources in pain medicine, psychiatry, and addiction medicine.
Priority Model for Public-Private Partnership Investment in Energy Projects

This paper presents an analytical method to help Public Private Partnership developers and investors in the energy sector to focus on the region, country or the area that has a potential affordability to pay back the loan using Gross National Income (GNI) and electricity consumption. Projects’ Data utilized in this paper were collected from the World Bank projects. It includes GNI per capita in 2015 at minimal values for a list of countries, totaling 195 countries, and the electricity consumption. K-means and Regression Analysis techniques have been used to build four investment decision-making models. The developed models help the investors and decision makers to understand, analyze, and decide depending on the solid base using the developed models and investment groups of countries. The developed models have been validated using real data from 40 countries.
Current clinical management of dysfunctional bioprosthetic pulmonary valves.

Introduction: As with any bioprosthetic valve, bioprosthetic valves in the pulmonary position have a finite life span and patients with bioprosthetic pulmonary valves require lifetime management to...
Chapter 6 – Inference I

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses statistical Inference. Statistical inference is a complex subject that often proves to be something of a Chinese wall for the uninitiated. The chapter explains some of the more important concepts that lie behind statistical test and estimation procedures. A statistical analysis presupposes a question in need of answer and that the precise formulation of that question is the first and most important step in any research study design. The research question should identify the nature of the variable (s) to be investigated, the measure(s) appropriate to observing the variable(s), and the manner in which those measures are to be recorded. Although the target population may be confined to a very specific sub-set of the general population, it is quite likely that it will still comprise a large number of individuals, with very little likelihood that one could afford to study each and every individual in that sub-set. The analysis of mean differences between paired or matched samples is complicated by the non-ndependence of the observations in each sample group.